Hey Guys :D Last night Puja and I were talking about her Kingdom Hearts fic, Connections Intertwining (IF YOU'RE A FAN OF KINGDOM HEARTS THEN WHY HAVEN'T YOU READ THIS SERIES YET?), and somehow we got all inspired about Lira and Kain from FF4 hooking up. Because Puja asked, I wrote a small oneshot of how they would have gotten together. Please Enjoy!
It was nearing midnight but Lira was still outside training. It had been nearly ten years since she had come to this land as a young girl and she was nearing the end of her training. Soon she'd be a full-fledged summoner and warrior like Rydia, her mentor. A few days before the older woman had given Lira the summon spell for her favorite summon, Leviathan. So now, under the cover the darkness, Lira stood waist deep in the river that lay to the east of the castle. With his signature move Tidal Wave, it would be easier to practice here.
Feeling slightly nervous, Lira cleared her throat and positioned her arms in the way she had seen Rydia do a thousand times. Closing her eyes, Lira concentrated all of her magic on the summoning spell. For several long moments it seemed like it had failed. But then, quite suddenly, Lira felt the familiar drain of magic as the Summon came forth. Opening her eyes she watched in awe as the sea serpent coiled its way through river before stopping in front of her.
Smiling, Lira reached up and touched the massive snake's scales. "Well aren't you beautiful? I can only hope that my first summon is anywhere close to wonderful like you." The summon preened at her attention. Lira giggled slightly before turning her thoughts back to why she was out here in the first place. For the next thirty minutes she practiced fighting with the large summon. It was hard work; her magical capabilities were nowhere near high enough to keep the summon in the open for longer than five minutes.
After drinking five ethers, Lira decided to call it a night. She released the summon and yawned. She was going to head to sleep. She turned around and froze. Standing on the edge of the bank, in his signature black armor was Commander Kain of the Dragoons. Lira had seen the older man many times around the palace but she had never had a chance to speak with him. He was something of a legend and the young woman had never thought herself worthy of attention from someone like him.
Now she felt embarrassed. Because it was late Lira had not dressed in her normal training uniform of a tunic and leggings. Instead she wore a pale robe that was now plastered to her body from the water in the river. Her hair, which was usually in a ponytail, was down, and probably looked like something out of a nightmare. Feeling her face turn red, Lira said weakly, "C-Commander Kain. I didn't expect anyone to be here. I hope my training hasn't interrupted anything important."
To her relief the Commander shook his head, his armor making a soft clinking noise. "No," he replied, his voice reminding Lira of the steaming cups of chocolate the cooks sometimes served. "I was merely admiring how far you've come along in your training. Your skills have improved greatly."
A heady sensation filled Lira at the thought of the handsome Commander noticing her. Overcome by emotion she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "I imagine that I could take you on in a fight." Almost immediately her face turned white.
There was a long moment of silence and Lira could almost imagine the severe frown on his face through the mask on his helmet. To her surprise the Commander chuckled and asked, "Shall we test that theory?"
"I…yes. Of course." Lira clambered out of the river and turned red as she hurried past him. When she was some distance away she grabbed a section of her robe and wrung some water from it. She had brought a change of clothes with her but there was no way she was changing in front of him.
Commander Kain removed his sword from his sheath and asked, "Have you a weapon on you?"
Lira fumbled slightly as she went over to where her things sat underneath a tree and she picked up her own sword. "Yes, right here."
"Very well. The first to knock the other down wins." The words had barely floated out from the Commander's mask before he struck.
The next minutes passed by in a blur. Lira had never fought someone so well trained and the experience was equal parts nerve wracking and thrilling. At first her movements her stiff but soon she was moving fluidly and avoiding or deflecting blows. This went on for some time before an ill placed rock sent Lira tumbling to the ground. Her sword went flying and she blinked up in surprise at the Commander's imposing figure.
Lira breathed in deeply, and felt annoyed that she had lost on a technicality. When the Commander reached out his hand, Lira took it firmly in hers and pulled him down. With a swift move she had him on his back and her knife, which she kept strapped to her leg, pressed to his now exposed throat as she straddled him around the waist. Her lips turned upwards into a smile. "Do you yield?"
The Commander's hand reached up and grasped her wrist, pushing the knife away from his throat. "This was an unfair move; you were already down."
"I beg to differ Commander; you did not knock me down. A rock did." With this Lira placed her hand on his shoulder to push herself up. To her shock, the Commander had other plans.
Commander Kain put his arm around her waist and held her firmly as he sat up. Lira could feel herself turning red at the intimate position they were in. Because she had been straddling him, as he lay, Lira was now kneeling with her legs on either side of his; the soft skin of the back of her legs feeling the cool metal on his. To her embarrassment, her robe which was still damp, had ridden up to expose her thighs. Feeling stunned, Lira dropped the knife and grabbed the Commander by his shoulders to balance herself . "C-commander?" The young woman's voice was soft and hesitant. Lira was sure her heart would come pounding out of her chest. Her tongue darted out to wet her suddenly dry lips.
Lira's eyes widened as the older man reached up and pushed his helmet off. Blue eyes met hers and when he spoke, unhindered by the mask, Lira couldn't help but shiver. "It's not often that someone defeats me a fight. Practice or otherwise."
The words went over Lira's head. She was too busy admiring the Commander's good looks. The older man almost always work the helmet so it was almost easy to forget that underneath were beautiful blue eyes, a strong jaw, lips that looked made for sinful things, and blonde hair that would flow over his shoulders if it were loose. It was hard to remember that at thirty eight, Kain Highwind was sixteen years her senior. Despite the age difference, Lira had always felt a strong amount of feelings for the man. He was the perfect combination of man and warrior, something that the younger men she knew were not.
Lira's eyes fell to his lips. When would she ever have a chance like this again? Without responding to his statement, Lira raised herself up slightly leaned forward. She brushed her mouth against Commander Kain's. His lips were parted slightly and Lira could feel the gasp of surprise against her own. Their eyes met and a warm feeling flooded through Lira. Without allowing him a chance to speak, Lira closed her eyes and touched her lips once more to the Commander's, this time more firmly. Her left hand trailed up along his neck to touch his face as she drew his bottom lip into her mouth and gave it a nibble.
It was Lira's turn to gasp when Commander Kain let out deep groan and clasped his hand to the back of her head. He pushed her down to the ground as his mouth moved over hers, his other hand moving to her leg. As Lira wrapped her arms around the Commander's neck she was vaguely aware of him pulling her leg up to fit himself more firmly against her and as the metal of his armor touched the inside of her thighs, all thought and reason left her mind.
Lira grabbed at the fastenings of his armor desperate to feel the Commander's skin against her own. She moaned in frustration as her fingers slid uselessly against the metal. Commander Kain, who had been sucking at the soft skin of her neck, lifted his head and chuckled, "Patience little one, there is plenty of time for what we wish to do."
"Perhaps, but if you do not remove at least part of the armor, I will be forced to use my magic and I cannot promise the armor will live through it."
Long, torturous, minutes later the armor had been removed and Lira sighed with relief as she ran her hands along the firm planes of the Commander's Body. His skin was hot under her touch and Lira brought her hands back up to frame her soon to be lover's face. She drew his face back down and kissed him deeply as she wrapped her legs around his hips; connecting her softness with his hardness.
Commander Kain's hand closed over Lira's breast and as the young woman groaned against his mouth he murmured, "It seems as though you are now the one with too much on."
In response Lira placed her hands on the Commander's chest and pushed him back onto the ground. Once more he found himself being straddled by her only this time instead of holding a knife to his throat; Lira grabbed the edges of her robe and, in one fluid motion, pulled them over her head. Kain's throat went dry at the sight of the of the woman on top of him.
Lira's lips curled upwards and she asked, rather shyly, "Is this more to your liking Commander?"
"More than you know," was Kain's husky reply as he drew her back down to his mouth.
The next week passed by in bliss for Lira. She spent her days studying and training while her nights were spent in the Commander's arms. After their passionate first night together the two of them had decided to continue their relationship in secret; at least until Lira had finished with her exams in a few weeks time and become a full fledged Summoner. Unfortunately for the new couple, someone had realized their new relationship statues. The moogle named Carl.
A few years earlier Lira had come across the Moogle being attacked by several goblins. The young woman had quickly put an end to their mischief and Carl had found himself smitten. He decided from that moment forward to devote his life to the girl and do everything in his power to make her happy. Unfortunately for Lira, this devotion quickly become an obsession. The moment someone showed the slightest interested in the young woman Carl would swoop in and get rid of them. Dozens of roses and small gifts were destroyed before coming into contact with Lira and unknown to her, she became known as something of an ice queen.
The night of Lira and Kain's passionate encounter, Carl had been searching for his friend and had caught them in the act. His fury knew no bounds. Lira was his friend and there was no way he would let some old man take his place in her life! So for the next week, as Kain and Lira remained blissfully aware of nothing but each other, Carl watched and waited for the opportune moment to strike. To the moogle's delight, his opportunity came sooner rather than later.
One night, as he sat hidden in Kain's closet, the moogle heard someone knocking on the
Commander's door. Lira lay sprawled across the sheets naked and asleep. Kain awoke with a start and called out in a low, sleep roughed voice, "A moment." Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Kain slipped out of the bed and carefully arranged the sheets over Lira's body so that not even her face showed. Quickly he moved to the door and to his surprise he discovered his best friend, a Paladin of Light, outside the door.
Without waiting for an invitation Cecil walked into the room and said, "Kain, it is worse than we thought. The agents of darkness have devoured yet another world."
"That is grave news indeed," Kain responded. "Will our forces be moving out?"
Cecil dipped his head in a nod. "Yes. We leave in under two hours to offer support to a nearby kingdom."
Before Kain could respond there was a soft moan from the bed and the blankets shifted revealing the naked Lira as she rolled over in her sleep. The expression on Cecil's face was priceless as he stuttered a goodbye and fled from the room. If the situation hadn't been so serious Kain would have laughed. Instead he sighed deeply and strode to his closet. He pulled to doors open and quickly removed clothing and pieces of armor, not noticing the moogle glaring at him in the corner. Within ten minutes he was dressed and ready to go.
Kain walked to the door but stopped to look back at Lira. After only the slightest hesitation he strode over to the desk that stood in a corner and pulled out some loose sheets of paper and a quill. For the next ten minutes the quill scratched at the paper. When Kain finished, he folded the paper and placed on the pillow beside Lira's head. He brushed soft strands of hair from her face and leaned over to place a kiss against her forehead. "I shall see you soon little one." With that he strode from the room.
After waiting a few minutes to make sure the coast was clear, Carl jumped out of the closet and ran over to the bed. He snatched the letter from the pillow and took off out of the room. Once he was safe in Lira's room, the moogle muttered, "What'd this loser write her?"
He opened and read: Dear one, The King has called our forces to battle. I know not how long I shall be gone but know that I leave you with a heavy heart. The memory of our time together will be with me on these long nights without you. I pray that I return to your side quickly so that we may continue with this new thing we have discovered. Wait for me Lira; I swear to be faithful to you….
The letter went on for another paragraph much to Carl's disgust and it ended simply with the Commander's name. Carl balled the paper up and shook his head, "Not in your lifetime buddy! Lira's mine, she doesn't have time for dark knights!" With no hesitation he used his magic to call up fire and he burned the letter. Once it was nothing but ashes, he swept them up and then disappeared into his room to sleep.
The next morning, Lira woke up with a yawn. She sat up and stretched, the sheets falling around her waist. "Kain?" her voice was sleepy as she looked around the chamber to find her lover. When she did not see him, Lira was not worried. Kain was the Commander of the Dragoons; he was a busy man and couldn't spend his mornings lazing about in bed. Lira slid out of the bed, gathered her clothes, and went back to her chambers to ready herself for the day.
It wasn't until later in the afternoon that Lira began to worry. Although they ran in different circles, it was not uncommon for Lira to catch sight of Kain walking through the palace on his way to some important meeting. The worry intensified when he made no appearance that night or the next day. Around super time, Lira could take it no longer and she finally asked her mentor if she had seen Commander Kain.
If Rydia was surprised by the question she did not show it. She replied easily, "Kain and Cecil were called away to fight. Those creatures of darkness are become fierce." Rydia paused to munch on a roll thoughtfully, "They will probably be gone for several months."
A stricken expression came over Lira's face. Several months? Suddenly feeling nauseous she said weakly, "W…won't, ah, Lady Rosa feel bad from not hearing from Lord Cecil for so long?"
"Cecil always writes her," Rydia explained as she continued eating her breakfast. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Lira. "Why are you asking all these questions? Do you have a crush on him?"
Lira's face turned bright red and she exclaimed, "Of course not! He's married!" she stood up and left the room in a rush. Once she was free from her mentor's stare, Lira let out a deep breath and rubbed her arm. If Lord Cecil took the time to write to Lady Rosa then surely Kain would write her. A soft smile touched Lira's lips. She would look forward to exchanging letters with the Commander.
Tears dripped down Lira's face as she sat in her room. It had been three months since Kain had left with the troops and she had yet to hear one word from him. Lady Rosa had received several letters during that time and the younger girl's heart broke each time the butler arrived with letters from the troops and there were none for her. Lira had even tried writing him several times but there was never a response. As she cried, Lira had no idea that nearby Carl watched her through a hole in the wall.
The moogle had been very busy the past few weeks stealing all the letters Kain sent Lira and burning them. Carl had even taken the ones Lira had written. It was rough seeing his friend cry but sometimes you had to do things you didn't like to accomplish your goals. After a few more minutes of watching Carl turned and left, satisfied that his plan had worked.
A little while later Lira stood up and moved to her vanity. She touched her tear streaked face with a trembling hand. In less than an hour she had Summoner's exam; it wouldn't do for her to go looking like she had been dragged around the ground. Her eyes went to her hair that lay in tangles around her face and shoulders. Kain had loved to run his fingers through her hair. Lira's eyes landed on a pair of scissors that lay on the vanity. Her lips tightened into a thin line. She was done with waiting. She was done with Kain. Never again would she allow herself be ruled by a man; from now on things would be on her terms. Lira snatched the scissors up into her hand and attacked her hair.
It was time for a new beginning.
Woot, What'd you guys think? Freaking Carl needs someone to teach him a lesson! If you're interested in finding out what happens to Lira and Kain then please head on over to Puja723's profile and read her story, Connections Intertwining ;)