Disclaimer: I do not own any Squaresoft characters or games, though I wish I did because then I would be filthy rich. This is written for my enjoyment and the enjoyment of others and I make no profit from it. I do own this story and the original characters within it. Please do not use them without my permission.
Machine Hearts Part One: Bikanel Desert, Crimson Squad Training Phase One
The girl with flaming red hair was still shooting targets with practiced ease. A small group of spectators watched her from the sidelines; most of them had been eliminated in the last part of the exercise. Even Gippal had gotten tired eventually, and he didn't think anyone could handle a machina better than an Al Bhed.
Maester Kinoc had come to watch the rest of the exercise, and now he signalled the stop. "Very good, young lady," he said. Then he turned to the rest of the crowd. "You should all be better than this!" he yelled, his face turning bright red in the desert heat. "Now move out and get your dinner. We start bright and early tomorrow."
The girl with red hair lingered on the training field to put her machina away. The rest of the group filtered towards the mess tent, and eventually she got up to follow. As she walked past the edge of the training ground, she glanced to her left and noticed a man sitting against a rock. He was wearing strange armor and an eyepatch over his right eye. She stared too long, and he looked at her, slightly irritated. She held up a hand in apology and turned to go. She had seen the unique spiralled pupil of his visible eye. He was Al Bhed.
The next day the group repeated the same shooting exercise. Gippal could feel the eyes of disapproving soldiers on him, and it made him disgusted with himself. He threw everything he had into the exercise and matched the red-haired girl. Kinoc coolly acknowledged him and once again sent the soldiers to mess. Gippal put his machina away and sat down with his back against the rock, facing the sunset. He wanted the red-haired girl to leave. Yesterday she had stared at him as if he was in a cage at the zoo. He didn't like that.
After her machina was put away, she didn't leave. Instead, she sat beside him. He turned to look at her curiously, but didn't say anything. She seemed to think for a minute, and then said, "You don't eat dinner with the others." It was very matter-of-fact. He chuckled bitterly.
"No, I don't," he answered. "Aren't you happy about that?" She didn't seem bothered by the contempt in his tone. He had been hoping to drive her away, he supposed. But she wasn't going to give up that easily, apparently.
"You're Al Bhed?"
"You know I am." She nodded. "And no one likes Al Bhed but other Al Bhed, so does that answer your question?"
"I didn't ask you a question. I was just curious." She stood and leaned casually against the rock with her arms crossed. "My father is a staunch follower of Yevon, so of course he hates the Al Bhed. He always told me I should as well, but was never able to give a good reason why. So when I saw you, I decided to find out for myself."
Gippal stared at her, obviously dumbfounded. Never in his life had he met someone eager to learn about his people. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it, because he didn't really have anything to say.
She laughed, tossing her long red-gold braid over her shoulder. "Speechless? I'll consider that a compliment. You wanted to hate me, didn't you?" He shrugged as she sat back down. "So don't you want to know what I've decided?" she asked. He gazed at her.
"Sure, why not?" He tried to sound like his usual cocky self, but his voice came out more like a strangled squeak, not quite the effect he'd desired.
"You're the best shot here, besides maybe me," she teased, winking at him. For the first time, he noticed her startling violet eyes. With her pale skin and coppery hair, it was a very pleasant effect.
"I didn't think anyone could handle a machina better than an Al Bhed," he admitted. "But you're very good."
"Well, maybe we can teach each other something," she observed. "What do you say?"
"When would we have the time?" he asked. "We're always auditioning for the Maester."
"A deal, then," she said, her purple eyes shining. "I'll eat dinner with you after everyone else has finished if we can have target practice afer the day's training." She extended her hand. "Well? What do you think?"
"Deal," he said, shaking her hand. Despite handling machina and being a soldier, she had very soft skin. As she got her machina out and put it together, he realized he didn't even know her name. "Hey, my name is Gippal. What's yours?"
She smiled broadly. "Desiree." She locked the last piece of her machina in place and glanced at his case lying in the sand. He undid the latches and started to put his own machina together.
"So tell me, Desiree... if your father is such a strong believer in Yevon, why does he have a daughter who's trying out for the Crimson Squad?" None of the soldiers were unaware of the hypocrisy of the Crimson Squad, but most didn't question it because Maester Kinoc was in charge.
Desiree winked. "He thinks I'm at Djose Temple training to be a priestess. He believes that training to become a member of the priesthood of Yevon is a task best left to the person training alone, so he won't visit the temple to check. What he doesn't know won't hurt him... not right now, at least."
Gippal liked her more and more every minute.
"Now," she asked, peering at the target in the twilight, "who wants to go first?"
End Part One
Machine Hearts Part One: Bikanel Desert, Crimson Squad Training Phase One
The girl with flaming red hair was still shooting targets with practiced ease. A small group of spectators watched her from the sidelines; most of them had been eliminated in the last part of the exercise. Even Gippal had gotten tired eventually, and he didn't think anyone could handle a machina better than an Al Bhed.
Maester Kinoc had come to watch the rest of the exercise, and now he signalled the stop. "Very good, young lady," he said. Then he turned to the rest of the crowd. "You should all be better than this!" he yelled, his face turning bright red in the desert heat. "Now move out and get your dinner. We start bright and early tomorrow."
The girl with red hair lingered on the training field to put her machina away. The rest of the group filtered towards the mess tent, and eventually she got up to follow. As she walked past the edge of the training ground, she glanced to her left and noticed a man sitting against a rock. He was wearing strange armor and an eyepatch over his right eye. She stared too long, and he looked at her, slightly irritated. She held up a hand in apology and turned to go. She had seen the unique spiralled pupil of his visible eye. He was Al Bhed.
The next day the group repeated the same shooting exercise. Gippal could feel the eyes of disapproving soldiers on him, and it made him disgusted with himself. He threw everything he had into the exercise and matched the red-haired girl. Kinoc coolly acknowledged him and once again sent the soldiers to mess. Gippal put his machina away and sat down with his back against the rock, facing the sunset. He wanted the red-haired girl to leave. Yesterday she had stared at him as if he was in a cage at the zoo. He didn't like that.
After her machina was put away, she didn't leave. Instead, she sat beside him. He turned to look at her curiously, but didn't say anything. She seemed to think for a minute, and then said, "You don't eat dinner with the others." It was very matter-of-fact. He chuckled bitterly.
"No, I don't," he answered. "Aren't you happy about that?" She didn't seem bothered by the contempt in his tone. He had been hoping to drive her away, he supposed. But she wasn't going to give up that easily, apparently.
"You're Al Bhed?"
"You know I am." She nodded. "And no one likes Al Bhed but other Al Bhed, so does that answer your question?"
"I didn't ask you a question. I was just curious." She stood and leaned casually against the rock with her arms crossed. "My father is a staunch follower of Yevon, so of course he hates the Al Bhed. He always told me I should as well, but was never able to give a good reason why. So when I saw you, I decided to find out for myself."
Gippal stared at her, obviously dumbfounded. Never in his life had he met someone eager to learn about his people. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it, because he didn't really have anything to say.
She laughed, tossing her long red-gold braid over her shoulder. "Speechless? I'll consider that a compliment. You wanted to hate me, didn't you?" He shrugged as she sat back down. "So don't you want to know what I've decided?" she asked. He gazed at her.
"Sure, why not?" He tried to sound like his usual cocky self, but his voice came out more like a strangled squeak, not quite the effect he'd desired.
"You're the best shot here, besides maybe me," she teased, winking at him. For the first time, he noticed her startling violet eyes. With her pale skin and coppery hair, it was a very pleasant effect.
"I didn't think anyone could handle a machina better than an Al Bhed," he admitted. "But you're very good."
"Well, maybe we can teach each other something," she observed. "What do you say?"
"When would we have the time?" he asked. "We're always auditioning for the Maester."
"A deal, then," she said, her purple eyes shining. "I'll eat dinner with you after everyone else has finished if we can have target practice afer the day's training." She extended her hand. "Well? What do you think?"
"Deal," he said, shaking her hand. Despite handling machina and being a soldier, she had very soft skin. As she got her machina out and put it together, he realized he didn't even know her name. "Hey, my name is Gippal. What's yours?"
She smiled broadly. "Desiree." She locked the last piece of her machina in place and glanced at his case lying in the sand. He undid the latches and started to put his own machina together.
"So tell me, Desiree... if your father is such a strong believer in Yevon, why does he have a daughter who's trying out for the Crimson Squad?" None of the soldiers were unaware of the hypocrisy of the Crimson Squad, but most didn't question it because Maester Kinoc was in charge.
Desiree winked. "He thinks I'm at Djose Temple training to be a priestess. He believes that training to become a member of the priesthood of Yevon is a task best left to the person training alone, so he won't visit the temple to check. What he doesn't know won't hurt him... not right now, at least."
Gippal liked her more and more every minute.
"Now," she asked, peering at the target in the twilight, "who wants to go first?"
End Part One