The idea of this fanfiction grew in time as a prequel of some sorts to the story 'Wingullwings'; WGW is a collaboration fiction between it's originator – Lonepichu, Celebi (known under the same usernames on ff net) and me that was an edited version of FFX-2 with the members of the TPT forums we go to. The YRP members were replaced by our fictional characters.

'Her back' comes back to the FFX plot, keeping 99 percent of characters true to their originals.

This story featured the life of my character – Ira – before the WGW chapters. It will be divided into three sub-arcs:

-Ira's childhood and training at Bevelle
-Her journey with a summoner
-Time she will spend between the pilgrimage and coming to FFX-2 plot.

Thanks to flareofdragon for being my beta.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X or FF X-2. I do, however, own Ira and other non-game characters. And this story, of course.

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Part I

Chapter 1 – Demon child

Things were not going as well as she had planned at first.

There were people running around and screaming something to each other, while she was slumped near the wall in shadowed corner, wishing she was small enough to sneak past the rushing people and simply run away. Still, running would mean dropping her prized possession and that she couldn't afford.

She was only ten years old, but in her own mind she was already mature enough to know she would be in deep, deep trouble if someone had found her stealing from the temple, but haven't they been the first to start this little war with her?

She jumped from her shelter, seeing a good opportunity to avoid the searching monks and temple maidens and ran towards the exit. She was so close...

A large, hard hand came to contact with her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks and even trashing around didn't help her to set herself free. A set of claw-like fingers dug into her muscles, ceasing any of her further movement.

"Stop it!" A harsh tone raised at her made her look up to glare at the face of man. He was in his late thirties, wearing traditional cleric robe as many monks in the temple, with short, brown hair shaved accordingly to the rules. His face was permanently fixed with the displeased scowl, or at least she liked to think so. She knew him too well. Lorell, one of the temple's most obedient priests.

"What do you think you are doing?" He hissed, shaking her by the arm with a bit too much force. The girl had to grit her teeth hard to avoid making any sound of weakness. His hands snatched the item she held before she could protest. "Stealing from the weaponry? You are busted, young lady."

"Let me go!" She yelled as he forcefully dragged her towards the door on the right side of the temple, some of the residents and monks looking at the scene with awe. "Let me go you asshole!"

"Hah." Lorell fumed, turning a bright shade of angry red with every new obscenity she called him. "Such foul language in the temple is unforgivable! I will see to it myself that you will be punished."

She could hear some other temple kids laughing at her, mainly the ones who were training with the battle monks. Now that she was caught again they were never going to let her live through the humiliation. She could almost feel her own anger bursting inside of her, as she fought to set herself free but failed miserably. The arm that the monk held in vice grip started to grow numb so she ceased her struggling a bit to allow the blood to flow trough her veins more freely.

By the time they had made it to their destination, the girl already had given up on breaking free, but that didn't mean she had to make things easy for him. The last distance he had to practically drag her around, since she refused to be handled how he pleased.

"My lord." Lorell came to the small, rich-encrusted chamber of the high priest, one of those that were directly under Mayster's orders. "This has gone to far." He dragged her forward, forcing her to stand before the old monk. "I just caught her stealing training weapons from the shelter."

The wooden, training sword in his hand was held out accusingly. The girl wondered if she could snatch it right now and run. Probably not.

"Ira."

She turned her stare back at the high priest, sending him her best, cold glare. Right now she didn't care at all what kind of punishment she would get. The temple gave her food and roof to sleep under as they did for all the orphans, but other then that, they were nothing but gathering of old people and foolish women.

"Yes... sir?" She spoke, already predicting what was about to come from the old geezers lips.

"What can you say to explain yourself?" The elder looked a bit bored; it wasn't the first time they have brought him this evil girl so he could pass his judgment on her. Really, she was never going to change and he didn't really see the point of keeping her in the temple. It was too bad they couldn't just throw her out, it would be better for everyone.

"Nothing, sir." She stared at both of them, crossing her arms rudely on her small chest. She might have been only ten, but with life being hard like her was, children had to grow up fast and learn to think fast if they wanted to survive in this world. One with slow reflexes and weak mind could not survive in the harsh reality of temple's conditions. Other kids here were like sharks and one wrong move could cost you a lot. "Can I have my sword back?"

The priest merely shook his head.

"It's not your sword, child. It belongs to the temple. And you know the rules perfectly, I have repeated them to you countless times. You are NOT to take the swords." He had watched her reactions closely, holding back her furious stare. As for being only a child, a female on top of that, she could certainly act like an adult when it came to behavior. "On the side note, Lady Mathia had informed me you missed yet another practice."

"Oh please." Ira rolled her eyes and snorted. "Lady Mathia does nothing more then sleeping trough most of the practice. She is as useless as you, old man."

The elder looked shocked, but not giving him time to recover Lorell had grabbed her by the arm again. She was getting tired of that but she bit down that nasty comment that started to form on her lips.

"You ungrateful brat, apologize at once!"

When she refused to do anything, he looked like he wanted to hit her. Barely, just barely he stopped himself.

"Ira, child" The elder once again spoke as he recovered from initial shock and anger. "Why do you refuse to take the practice? You are living in the temple... it's only natural that you would take course for temple maiden, is it not?"

"No!" She yelled, struggling her arm free. "If you like maidens so much, why don't YOU become one, you old shoopuf!"

With that, she had kicked the surprised Lorell in the shin. Hard. He stumbled a bit and she used that opportunity to yank the sword from his hand and ran for her life.

Lorell hopped on one foot, muffling down any kind of obscenity he had for the girl, afraid to reveal his foul language in front of high priest.

That child only gave everyone constant, permanent headache. She was the worst troublemaker in the temple, at least the worst when it came to girls. No one in their right mind could understand why she refused to take practice that all of the girls did and instead insisted on taking battle training. That, in fact, was intolerable. No females in the temple were even allowed to come close to the weapon shelter, and here she was, yet again managing to snatch the training sword and even more, getting away with it.

"Lorell."

"Yes, my lord?"

"Something must be done with this... girl." The high priest stroked his long grey beard as he wondered aloud. "Ever since she came here I've been alarmed of the anger and hint of insanity inside her. Her blood red eyes are not a sign of good."

"Sir... you are aware she is called a demon's child." Lorell gritted his teeth while massaging his sore shin. "There is no way an infant could survive in the snow of Macalania if it wasn't for the demon's blood inside of her."

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Ira had spun around again, dealing another blow at her training dummy, which she had made herself from the old potato bags, sticks and straw. It was far from perfect and every few more intense training sessions she had to patch it right up, since it had the annoying habit of falling to pieces, if it took too much damage.

With a frustrated yell she struck the blunt end trough the dummy's center, piercing the soft insides. She slumped down to the ground heavily, leaning against nearby rock and fuming in anger.

If they really expected her to just suck it all up and go to the maiden training like a good little girl they expected her to be... well too bad, because she wasn't about to bend to their wishes.

"I can see you're awfully not in the mood today." A soft male voice reached her ears and she tilted her head to see one of temple keepers, leaning against his broomstick he had just used to sweep up withered leaves. He was old, maybe older then anyone in the temple, his gray but thick moustache any eyebrows making him look like a walrus.

He came closer, picking up the abandoned training sword and perking it up gently against the same rock she was leaning on.

"Next time they catch you, they are probably going to take you to Mayster." The keeper, Banth, shook his head in a little disapproving matter.

"Not you too, old man." Ira growled. "You came to lecture me as well?"

"Yes." He replied sincerely, turning down his broomstick and yanking the girl up with surprising ease. "Have you practiced that uppercut slash like I told you to?"

Ira grabbed her trainee sword yet again.

"I still can't do it right, I don't know what I am missing."

"Show me."

She did, not arguing any longer.

Banth was the only person Ira had in this temple that didn't look down upon her just because she was a female. He was only a keeper, but Ira figured out he must have had some battle experience in the past. He was limping a bit on the right leg. A battle wound perhaps? Was it this limp that disqualified him from any further fight and reduced him to the position of servant?

"Keep your arms higher." He instructed, voice serious and eyes focused on her moves. "You lower your stance too early, that's why you keep missing your target."

Their practice continued, unwary of everything but the training; a man who stood near the temple entrance and watched them with sharp eyes.