No one would review 'Finding Yourself In Another' so I have taken it down.
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like this, you should at least be courteous.
Disclaimer; I don't own it. Go jump off a cliff.
Note; I took a little poetic license, hope y'all don't mind.
"Waiting"
A young girl stands on the peak of a mountain, her arms locked at her sides at 90 degree angles, her head lifted to the midnight sky, her eyes closed, every muscle in her body tensed with energy and power. Auron lies where he has fallen a short way down the slope from the young woman, watching as energy flows around her in a blood red haze. Her muscles are well defined, seemingly enhancing her body.
With a bracer on each wrist, a breastplate nearly identical to his, and tight leather pants covered by knee length leather boots; she is the embodiment of power itself. Her eyes shoot open abruptly but they are sightless, un-focused, seeing past existence itself.
He draws in a deep, painful gasp as he watches bone-deep-slash after bone-deep-slash tear her body, her blood running from her body in gushing torrents. Her back arches only just a little more and then a scream, terrifying and yet soothing at the same time, erupts from her throat in defiance of her torture.
The wounds stop appearing and she leans her head forward, staring straight ahead. All of the muscles in her body, although relaxed again, are dripping with sweat and seem even more defined than before. She turns her head to face him and he is immediately drawn into the depths of her wild eyes. The right one is bright purple with a turquoise pupil and a slash of crimson lightning through the entire ocular. The left eye is silver with an ice blue pupil. Over the right side of her face is a scar identical to Auron's own.
"Are you hurt?" She asks, her voice floating effortlessly over the sharp gusts that are insistent on blowing her black, waist-length hair to the side of her face, outlining the features beautifully. He would have snorted after seeing her injuries had he not recognized the glint of pain in her eyes.
"I-" He chokes, gagging and clutching his chest for breath. Her eyes lighten in amusement and she walks forward, lifting him to his feet and carrying him back down the mountain with deft movements.
"Are you okay?" She asks again, letting him settle in the Inn where she has taken him.
"I was scouting for enemies." He gasps as the warmer air in the valley between two of the mountains helps him breathe better.
"Never go alone, you could have been killed." She says, laying him down on the bed and wrapping the covers around him.
"I have to get back to Summoner Braska, I am one of his Guardians." Auron says dozily as his eyes threaten to flutter closed.
"I'll forewarn them of your late return." She says kindly and leaves him to rest in peace, making no sound as she closes the door behind her.
He awakens to the feel of a damp cloth bathing his brow and a soft hand lying on his bare chest before blacking out again. Every time that he awakens thereafter he hears her soothing voice singing to him, lulling him back to sleep as she takes care of him tenderly.
When he next awakens he is staring into two scotch-colored eyes. At first he doesn't recognize whom they belong to but eventually remembers the woman from the mountain.
"Your eyes." He mumbles as sleep begins to recede from his mind.
"Yes?" She inquires, leaning back and crossing her slightly bleeding arms over her chest.
"They are a different color now." He says and manages to sit up rather easily. She sighs resignedly and shakes her head, smiling sadly.
"I have enchanted my eyes to hide the real color, which is what you saw back on the mountain. They horrify people and I only let them show when I am not worried about them being seen." She explains and pats his hand before standing up to fix herself a glass of liquor.
"What were you doing on the mountain?" Auron asks curiously as he watches her throw the drink back with a flick of her wrist.
"Training." She replies vaguely and picks up his jug from another chair by the bed, uncorking it to smell momentarily. She closes her eyes and smiles before replacing the stopper and setting it back down on the clothes already in the same chair. He is brought to painful awareness about two things at that same time, one being the raging libido under the covers and the other that he has no clothes on at all. He yanks the blankets up around himself and blushes deeply.
"Don't worry, I only removed your clothing. I didn't take advantage of your weakened state." The woman says warmly and suddenly seems to remember something.
"Oh yeah, your friends have come and gone several times already. They are waiting for you in the lobby." She adds, shrugging and getting up to leave.
"Several times? How long have I been out?" Auron asks worriedly.
"About three weeks, you started convulsing and had a fever and such shortly after I got back from my first notification of your friends." She replies and nods before leaving again.
"Three weeks?" He echoes weakly and shakes his head, moving to get dressed. He gingerly tests his weight on his feet and surprisingly finds that his balance is easily gained and maintained. Every ache in his body that he had before he fell asleep on the bed three weeks prior is gone and his muscles are pleasantly relaxed. He dresses slowly and is just picking up his breastplate when the woman walks back in. She eyes him appreciatively and leans in the doorway, watching as he places the cool metal to his skin.
"Your friends are in their room if you wish to see them." She says softly and motions behind her vaguely. Auron nods and slides his cloak over his shoulders. When he reaches down to fasten the belts she pre-empts him and clasps the belts snugly, allowing enough room for heavy breathing and comfort.
"Here." She says, winking at him as she unfastens the left side of the cloak from his arm and lets it hang loose at his waist.
"What?" He asks, regarding her curiously.
"Let your muscles show like that, it makes you look alluringly unapproachable." She says and steps back to admire her work, circling to look at him critically.
"That's an oxy-moron." Auron remarks, smirking at her.
"No, it's irony." She states matter-of-factly as she stops in front of him to look him up and down once more.
"How's that?" He asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Don't worry about it." She says, waving it off as she removes a pair of tinted glasses from a pouch at her waist and places them over her eyes.
"Are your eyes their natural color again?" He asks quietly, tilting his head to one side.
"Maybe." She replies cryptically and walks away, leaving him to follow at his own pace.
"What's your name?" Auron ventures as they make their way a little lower in the Inn.
"Why do you want to know?" She asks, a small smile forming on her lips.
"I would like to thank you for saving me." He replies, nodding to her back.
"Think nothing of it." She says and stops to look down a flight of stairs to her right and then back to Auron.
"How can I think nothing of it? You saved my life." He replies, shaking his head in disbelief.
"It's probably my fault you were up there in the first place." She says with a shrug and then interrupts him when he opens his mouth to speak. "It just crossed my mind that I don't even know your name." She tilts her head to the side, awaiting a response.
"My name is Auron, Guardian to Lord Braska." Auron replies proudly and takes a deep bow.
"Well Sir Auron, how well do you climb stairs?" She asks gesturing to the stairs she had regarded before with a toss of her head.
"Uh, I can." Auron replies, blinking and un-footed by the sudden change of topic.
"Get to going down then." She says and starts down the steps, crossing her legs slightly to the side as she walks down them sideways.
"Why do you walk like that?" Auron asks, his boots pounding every step as he makes his own way down.
"I have yet to make a sound." She replies and gestures at the echoes of his resounding steps. Auron blushes and turns to move more quickly down the steps, pulling nearly even with her because of his longer strides.
"Auron!" Jecht exclaims as they bump into each other at the foot of the stairs.
"Are you okay?" Braska asks, taking a step forward to lay his hand on Auron's shoulder. Auron nods and smiles at both of them.
"So what's the girl's name?" Jecht asks, looking the woman up and down speculatively.
"I asked but she never answered." Auron replies, turning to look at her quizzically.
"My lady, I ask your name so that I might thank you for saving my Guardian's life." Braska says, bowing to her. She bows back and shakes her head.
"You're welcome." She replies and turns to leave.
"What's your name?" The three men chorus at once.
"Why do you want to know?" She asks, laughter lighting her features.
"Bragging rights." Jecht replies mischievously as he winks at her. She glares at him, shakes her head, and moves back up the stairs a little more.
"Why do you wish to know why we want your name?" Braska asks.
"Now that is the last response I expected." The woman admits and sits down on the step just above her, tilting her head to regard them curiously.
"What do you know of Lady Yunalesca?" She asks finally.
"She was the first Summoner, the first to rid us of Sin, and her husband was Lord Zaon. She was a kind-hearted woman who gave her life for us. What more is there to know?" Braska asks.
"Her lineage." The woman replies and stands up to brush herself off.
"I heard there was a rumor that she once had a daughter." Auron speaks up suddenly, surprising even himself.
"That wasn't a rumor. Her daughter's name, Firailc; her granddaughter was Illia, her great-granddaughter, Luneara, her great-great-granddaughter, Sfitavi, and her great-great-great-granddaughter, Kaidryui." She says, counting them off mentally.
"How do you know about any of that?" Braska asks curiously.
"When you have my family, you know a lot about a lot you didn't want to know anything about." She replies and takes on a thoughtful look.
"Huh?" Jecht asks, having lost her with how fast she said it.
"There's a lot out there nobody wants to know about but with my family you know a lot about everything." She replies distractedly and then starts down the steps, passing them to walk to the main floor.
"Where are you going?" Braska asks, turning to face her again. She seemingly ignores him and keeps her pace all the way out the door. Auron shares a look with the other two and they race out the doors after her. They are pulled up short by the sight of her walking back up the mountain path, completely unaware of the Ronso that are parting before her. Auron races after her and the Ronso begin to snatch at him to stop his headlong rush. He dodges around, over, and under them until he catches up to her, about to jump from the top of the mountain, her arms held away from her in the imitation of the first step of a swan dive.
"NO!" He hollers but she jumps anyway, sailing off the top and into the canyon below. He puts on an extra burst of speed and impulsively follows, flying into the abyss after her. He catches sight of her limp body and straightens his own, just managing to catch her and dig his boots and other hand into the canyon wall to slow their descent.
"What were you thinking?" He bellows at her as she looks up to meet his eyes, her glasses having slid down to the end of her nose but still on her face somehow. She groans and slumps farther against his chest, nearly making him lose his grip. He looks down to see if he can make out the floor but all he sees is inky blackness. He gulps and turns his eyes skyward, already judging the top too far away to reach while he carries her. He sighs and starts climbing anyway, struggling to retain his grip on the young woman and the mountain. He miraculously finds a cave halfway to the top and gratefully crawls in to rest. Lying her down on his cloak, he wraps it around her and huddles near her body to rest, wrapping his arms about himself to ward of the biting cold. He doesn't remember it until he awakens but he apparently dozed off because when consciousness returns he finds himself staring into the yellow feline eyes of a Ronso, admittedly a small one compared to the others it still towers over him. He staggers to his feet and draws his sword, barely able to lift it while he looks to see the girl still wrapped in the cloak.
"Stay back, you will not harm her." He says harshly, his breath coming in small gasps and little puffs of frost.
"Kimahri no hurt girl. Girl is savior. No Ronso hurt girl." The feline-human replies as he shakes his head and gets to his own feet. Kimahri unwraps the girl and gives Auron back the cloak, instead curling his arms around her and burying her in his thick fur while he picks her up. Auron places his cloak back on and approaches the beast warily.
"Where do you plan to take her?" He asks, regarding the Ronso with distrust.
"To the Inn. She rest there. Keep her warm. Keep her safe." Kimahri replies and walks farther into the cave towards a passageway to the right that Auron was sure hadn't been there before. Auron follows and after what feels like days they emerge back into the sun only a few hundred feet from the Inn. Kimahri carries the girl all the way back to the room Auron awoke in before and lays her on the same bed.
"You should tell you here." Kimahri says, nodding as he takes a seat beside the bed to watch over the girl. Auron hesitates a moment and then turns towards the door.
"If you hurt her, cat, I'll kill you." Auron warns from the doorway and leaves to find Braska and Jecht. When he returns almost an hour and a half later he enters wearily and takes a seat beside the Ronso, forgetting to bother with smart remarks.
"You care for girl." Kimahri says finally, not taking his eyes from the gentle rise and fall of the woman's chest.
"She saved my life." Auron replies softly, clamping his mouth shut against a yawn.
"You are tired." Kimahri says in that same tone of fact. Auron nods sleepily and wipes his eyes.
"Go to sleep, Kimahri watch out for you." Kimahri says and Auron nods, leaning back in the chair and drifting off gratefully. When he awakens he finds a warm body enclosed in his arms and warm breath on his neck. He cautiously opens his eyes and recognizes the girl, still asleep in his arms. He sucks in a deep breath and looks around the room wildly, spotting Kimahri in the corner, keeping his eyes on the door and away from them.
"So warm." The girl murmurs and snuggles closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He chokes as her fingers brush over his ass and Kimahri stands up to walk out the door. Auron wants to call after him to end this embarrassment but even more to get rid of the pleasant humming radiating throughout his entire body. He looks down and sees her open eyes looking up at him, their natural colors rapidly changing to the scotch.
"You're awake." He says, gulping unconsciously. The girl starts to get a joyful look in her eyes but quickly covers the emotion with a look of anger.
"You came after me." She says accusingly.
"You jumped off of a mountain." He replies sharply.
"You should have stayed with your friends, you could have been killed and then the last three weeks would have been for nothing." She snaps and yanks away from him. He feels the loss rack his body and shakes his head to clear it.
"You would have died." He responds, standing up from the bed and following her to the door.
"I was supposed to you moron." She spits out savagely and storms down the stairs, not caring about stealth.
"Why?" He calls after her, taking the steps two at a time to try to catch up.
"My family." She responds sharply and speeds up to taking three to four steps at a time. Auron increases his pace to match hers and just manages to catch up to her outside, walking back towards the same mountain trail.
"Why?" He repeats, grabbing her arm to make her face him.
"I am Kaidryui." She snarls and yanks away to run up the trail away from him. He takes off after her, trying to process the information as he runs.
"Wait!" He calls ahead of him but she only speeds up, taking a trail that branches to the right. He follows and comes face-to-face with several of the larger of the Ronso breed. They grasp at him and catch onto his cloak, hauling him upwards several feet towards the cliff face. He grinds to a halt in the sharp rocks and gets back to his feet, trying to get around them but getting thrown closer to the edge every time.
"KAI-" He screams as he is thrown from the mountain one final time. The Ronso freeze as the girl comes racing forward suddenly and reaches for his hand, missing as he sails into the black below. Her eyes widen as she takes on the same look as when he first saw her; eyes flashing, power and strength flowing through her body endlessly, glowing blood red, head thrown back, a scream slashing her throat savagely.
Auron feels the magic engulf him, stopping his descent. He lies soundlessly on the ground between Kaidryui and the Ronso when the magic recedes. She collapses to her knees beside him and smiles weakly.
"I'm sorry." She mutters and falls forward onto his chest as she passes out. He painstakingly raises his left arm and lies it across her back while his consciousness fades as well, only vaguely aware of the approaching Ronso but allowing the warmth that her flushed body brings to heat his own and comfort him.
*
"Geez, get up Auron!" Auron groans and rolls over on his cloak, muttering something under his breath.
"What was that?"
"I said that you are an insufferable annoyance, Kai. Now do leave me alone, we have to leave bright and early tomorrow." Auron says loudly and yawns, drifting back into sleep.
"Well, even if you leave now you'll be about three day's journey behind Braska and Jecht because they left that long ago." Kai says, tapping her foot impatiently.
"WHAT?" Auron exclaims, immediately on his feet and looking around in alarm.
"I've been trying to get you since three hours before they left. Honestly, I don't get how you can sleep for so long." Kai says in exasperation. It had been over three months since the Ronso tribe had healed both of them. Now Kai had joined Auron on his Summoner's journey as a third Guardian and they were nearing the end to their quest, nearly at Zanarkand.
"Kai!" Auron exclaims in horror as he hastily snatches up his cloak, fastens it as she has made him do since she joined them, and starts off at a fast run towards the path. Kai easily over takes him and starts running backwards to face him.
"Come on, race you." Kai taunts and twirls back around, taking off even faster.
"KAI!" Auron calls, running as fast as he can to catch up. She turns a corner and disappears behind a bend in the trail. Auron's senses warn him of danger and he calls out to her again, only to hear her scream in pain. As he spins around the bend he stands in horror, watching as a large fiend squeezes Kai's throat between its claws, her bow and arrows snapped in half in its other talons. It is well over ten feet, its entire body covered in thick plating the same color of stony gray-black as the rest of the body. The eyes a fiery red.
"Auron." She gasps, struggling to release the grip. The creature digs its claws in to the fleshy material between its digits in response to her strangled cry. Auron watches, frozen in place as the razors tear into her throat, her crimson life splashing onto the ground at his feet.
"KAI!" He screams in rage and suddenly lunges forward with his sword drawn, taking the fiend by surprise as he barrels into it, knocking it back and Kai out of its grip to lie on the ground motionlessly. With one solid swing the monster's life swirls and disappears, leaving no trace of it. He turns back to Kai and drops down beside her, clasping his hands around her throat to still the gushing torrents.
"Auron." She whispers hoarsely, gazing at him with affection.
"No, don't speak. You can't die, I won't let you." He says roughly, letting his thumb rub small circles on her cheek.
"I'll be waiting, I promise." She says, her voice even weaker than a second ago.
"Kai please, I need you." He cries, pushing her glasses away from her face where they had been knocked askew.
"Auron, promise me one thing." She asks in a strangled whisper.
"Anything." He says fiercely.
"Remember me." With that she painstakingly raises her right hand and removes her glasses, tenderly placing them on his face.
"Kai." He chokes out, tears coursing down his face unchecked.
"Promise?" She gasps, her eyes already beginning to close.
"I'll always remember, Kai, I swear I will." He says gravelly, bowing his head. Kai gives him one final smile and closes her eyes one last time, never to open them again. Auron sits there for his own small eternity, the pain in his heart racking his body and mind as his tears fall onto the lifeless cheeks below him. When he finally drags himself to stand back up he wraps his arms around her body and carries her with him, his countenance as icy as the coldest winter on Mt. Gagazet where he first met the mysterious girl in his arms. For six days he walks non-stop, finally catching up to Braska and Jecht. Braska performs the sending in utter solemnity as the Guardians, once more down to two, watch on with hearts of sorrow.
*
More than ten years later Auron stands in that same spot where he watched her die, remembering everything with agonizing clarity.
"Sir Auron?" He turns to see Yuna looking at him with sad eyes.
"I am ready Lady Yuna." He says solemnly and gives her a soft smile to prove his point. Yuna nods sadly and starts to perform the sending. He lets the magic flow through his veins, sending him to the Farplane where he would have been many years prior if not for several promises he made back then. As he fades he closes his eyes and whispers softly.
"I have always remembered. You won't wait any longer."
*
"Ten years, I expected longer." Kai says warmly as Auron appears in the Farplane. They are on a mountain identical to the one where they first saw each other.
"I couldn't have stood any longer." Auron replies, grinning at her. They join hands and walk away, being joined a little farther down by Braska and Jecht. The two friends grin as they see Auron and Kai, sharing a secretive look that plainly says 'I told you so'. The four of them disappear back into the mists of the Farplane, Auron's arm around Kai's shoulders pulling her to his side and her arm around his waist, hugging him tighter. Braska and Jecht throw an arm over each other's shoulders and the four friends continue on to find a new adventure they know is awaiting them in the deeper reaches of the Farplane.
Author's Note; Any good? Review please! ^_^
Disclaimer; I don't own it. Go jump off a cliff.
Note; I took a little poetic license, hope y'all don't mind.
"Waiting"
A young girl stands on the peak of a mountain, her arms locked at her sides at 90 degree angles, her head lifted to the midnight sky, her eyes closed, every muscle in her body tensed with energy and power. Auron lies where he has fallen a short way down the slope from the young woman, watching as energy flows around her in a blood red haze. Her muscles are well defined, seemingly enhancing her body.
With a bracer on each wrist, a breastplate nearly identical to his, and tight leather pants covered by knee length leather boots; she is the embodiment of power itself. Her eyes shoot open abruptly but they are sightless, un-focused, seeing past existence itself.
He draws in a deep, painful gasp as he watches bone-deep-slash after bone-deep-slash tear her body, her blood running from her body in gushing torrents. Her back arches only just a little more and then a scream, terrifying and yet soothing at the same time, erupts from her throat in defiance of her torture.
The wounds stop appearing and she leans her head forward, staring straight ahead. All of the muscles in her body, although relaxed again, are dripping with sweat and seem even more defined than before. She turns her head to face him and he is immediately drawn into the depths of her wild eyes. The right one is bright purple with a turquoise pupil and a slash of crimson lightning through the entire ocular. The left eye is silver with an ice blue pupil. Over the right side of her face is a scar identical to Auron's own.
"Are you hurt?" She asks, her voice floating effortlessly over the sharp gusts that are insistent on blowing her black, waist-length hair to the side of her face, outlining the features beautifully. He would have snorted after seeing her injuries had he not recognized the glint of pain in her eyes.
"I-" He chokes, gagging and clutching his chest for breath. Her eyes lighten in amusement and she walks forward, lifting him to his feet and carrying him back down the mountain with deft movements.
"Are you okay?" She asks again, letting him settle in the Inn where she has taken him.
"I was scouting for enemies." He gasps as the warmer air in the valley between two of the mountains helps him breathe better.
"Never go alone, you could have been killed." She says, laying him down on the bed and wrapping the covers around him.
"I have to get back to Summoner Braska, I am one of his Guardians." Auron says dozily as his eyes threaten to flutter closed.
"I'll forewarn them of your late return." She says kindly and leaves him to rest in peace, making no sound as she closes the door behind her.
He awakens to the feel of a damp cloth bathing his brow and a soft hand lying on his bare chest before blacking out again. Every time that he awakens thereafter he hears her soothing voice singing to him, lulling him back to sleep as she takes care of him tenderly.
When he next awakens he is staring into two scotch-colored eyes. At first he doesn't recognize whom they belong to but eventually remembers the woman from the mountain.
"Your eyes." He mumbles as sleep begins to recede from his mind.
"Yes?" She inquires, leaning back and crossing her slightly bleeding arms over her chest.
"They are a different color now." He says and manages to sit up rather easily. She sighs resignedly and shakes her head, smiling sadly.
"I have enchanted my eyes to hide the real color, which is what you saw back on the mountain. They horrify people and I only let them show when I am not worried about them being seen." She explains and pats his hand before standing up to fix herself a glass of liquor.
"What were you doing on the mountain?" Auron asks curiously as he watches her throw the drink back with a flick of her wrist.
"Training." She replies vaguely and picks up his jug from another chair by the bed, uncorking it to smell momentarily. She closes her eyes and smiles before replacing the stopper and setting it back down on the clothes already in the same chair. He is brought to painful awareness about two things at that same time, one being the raging libido under the covers and the other that he has no clothes on at all. He yanks the blankets up around himself and blushes deeply.
"Don't worry, I only removed your clothing. I didn't take advantage of your weakened state." The woman says warmly and suddenly seems to remember something.
"Oh yeah, your friends have come and gone several times already. They are waiting for you in the lobby." She adds, shrugging and getting up to leave.
"Several times? How long have I been out?" Auron asks worriedly.
"About three weeks, you started convulsing and had a fever and such shortly after I got back from my first notification of your friends." She replies and nods before leaving again.
"Three weeks?" He echoes weakly and shakes his head, moving to get dressed. He gingerly tests his weight on his feet and surprisingly finds that his balance is easily gained and maintained. Every ache in his body that he had before he fell asleep on the bed three weeks prior is gone and his muscles are pleasantly relaxed. He dresses slowly and is just picking up his breastplate when the woman walks back in. She eyes him appreciatively and leans in the doorway, watching as he places the cool metal to his skin.
"Your friends are in their room if you wish to see them." She says softly and motions behind her vaguely. Auron nods and slides his cloak over his shoulders. When he reaches down to fasten the belts she pre-empts him and clasps the belts snugly, allowing enough room for heavy breathing and comfort.
"Here." She says, winking at him as she unfastens the left side of the cloak from his arm and lets it hang loose at his waist.
"What?" He asks, regarding her curiously.
"Let your muscles show like that, it makes you look alluringly unapproachable." She says and steps back to admire her work, circling to look at him critically.
"That's an oxy-moron." Auron remarks, smirking at her.
"No, it's irony." She states matter-of-factly as she stops in front of him to look him up and down once more.
"How's that?" He asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Don't worry about it." She says, waving it off as she removes a pair of tinted glasses from a pouch at her waist and places them over her eyes.
"Are your eyes their natural color again?" He asks quietly, tilting his head to one side.
"Maybe." She replies cryptically and walks away, leaving him to follow at his own pace.
"What's your name?" Auron ventures as they make their way a little lower in the Inn.
"Why do you want to know?" She asks, a small smile forming on her lips.
"I would like to thank you for saving me." He replies, nodding to her back.
"Think nothing of it." She says and stops to look down a flight of stairs to her right and then back to Auron.
"How can I think nothing of it? You saved my life." He replies, shaking his head in disbelief.
"It's probably my fault you were up there in the first place." She says with a shrug and then interrupts him when he opens his mouth to speak. "It just crossed my mind that I don't even know your name." She tilts her head to the side, awaiting a response.
"My name is Auron, Guardian to Lord Braska." Auron replies proudly and takes a deep bow.
"Well Sir Auron, how well do you climb stairs?" She asks gesturing to the stairs she had regarded before with a toss of her head.
"Uh, I can." Auron replies, blinking and un-footed by the sudden change of topic.
"Get to going down then." She says and starts down the steps, crossing her legs slightly to the side as she walks down them sideways.
"Why do you walk like that?" Auron asks, his boots pounding every step as he makes his own way down.
"I have yet to make a sound." She replies and gestures at the echoes of his resounding steps. Auron blushes and turns to move more quickly down the steps, pulling nearly even with her because of his longer strides.
"Auron!" Jecht exclaims as they bump into each other at the foot of the stairs.
"Are you okay?" Braska asks, taking a step forward to lay his hand on Auron's shoulder. Auron nods and smiles at both of them.
"So what's the girl's name?" Jecht asks, looking the woman up and down speculatively.
"I asked but she never answered." Auron replies, turning to look at her quizzically.
"My lady, I ask your name so that I might thank you for saving my Guardian's life." Braska says, bowing to her. She bows back and shakes her head.
"You're welcome." She replies and turns to leave.
"What's your name?" The three men chorus at once.
"Why do you want to know?" She asks, laughter lighting her features.
"Bragging rights." Jecht replies mischievously as he winks at her. She glares at him, shakes her head, and moves back up the stairs a little more.
"Why do you wish to know why we want your name?" Braska asks.
"Now that is the last response I expected." The woman admits and sits down on the step just above her, tilting her head to regard them curiously.
"What do you know of Lady Yunalesca?" She asks finally.
"She was the first Summoner, the first to rid us of Sin, and her husband was Lord Zaon. She was a kind-hearted woman who gave her life for us. What more is there to know?" Braska asks.
"Her lineage." The woman replies and stands up to brush herself off.
"I heard there was a rumor that she once had a daughter." Auron speaks up suddenly, surprising even himself.
"That wasn't a rumor. Her daughter's name, Firailc; her granddaughter was Illia, her great-granddaughter, Luneara, her great-great-granddaughter, Sfitavi, and her great-great-great-granddaughter, Kaidryui." She says, counting them off mentally.
"How do you know about any of that?" Braska asks curiously.
"When you have my family, you know a lot about a lot you didn't want to know anything about." She replies and takes on a thoughtful look.
"Huh?" Jecht asks, having lost her with how fast she said it.
"There's a lot out there nobody wants to know about but with my family you know a lot about everything." She replies distractedly and then starts down the steps, passing them to walk to the main floor.
"Where are you going?" Braska asks, turning to face her again. She seemingly ignores him and keeps her pace all the way out the door. Auron shares a look with the other two and they race out the doors after her. They are pulled up short by the sight of her walking back up the mountain path, completely unaware of the Ronso that are parting before her. Auron races after her and the Ronso begin to snatch at him to stop his headlong rush. He dodges around, over, and under them until he catches up to her, about to jump from the top of the mountain, her arms held away from her in the imitation of the first step of a swan dive.
"NO!" He hollers but she jumps anyway, sailing off the top and into the canyon below. He puts on an extra burst of speed and impulsively follows, flying into the abyss after her. He catches sight of her limp body and straightens his own, just managing to catch her and dig his boots and other hand into the canyon wall to slow their descent.
"What were you thinking?" He bellows at her as she looks up to meet his eyes, her glasses having slid down to the end of her nose but still on her face somehow. She groans and slumps farther against his chest, nearly making him lose his grip. He looks down to see if he can make out the floor but all he sees is inky blackness. He gulps and turns his eyes skyward, already judging the top too far away to reach while he carries her. He sighs and starts climbing anyway, struggling to retain his grip on the young woman and the mountain. He miraculously finds a cave halfway to the top and gratefully crawls in to rest. Lying her down on his cloak, he wraps it around her and huddles near her body to rest, wrapping his arms about himself to ward of the biting cold. He doesn't remember it until he awakens but he apparently dozed off because when consciousness returns he finds himself staring into the yellow feline eyes of a Ronso, admittedly a small one compared to the others it still towers over him. He staggers to his feet and draws his sword, barely able to lift it while he looks to see the girl still wrapped in the cloak.
"Stay back, you will not harm her." He says harshly, his breath coming in small gasps and little puffs of frost.
"Kimahri no hurt girl. Girl is savior. No Ronso hurt girl." The feline-human replies as he shakes his head and gets to his own feet. Kimahri unwraps the girl and gives Auron back the cloak, instead curling his arms around her and burying her in his thick fur while he picks her up. Auron places his cloak back on and approaches the beast warily.
"Where do you plan to take her?" He asks, regarding the Ronso with distrust.
"To the Inn. She rest there. Keep her warm. Keep her safe." Kimahri replies and walks farther into the cave towards a passageway to the right that Auron was sure hadn't been there before. Auron follows and after what feels like days they emerge back into the sun only a few hundred feet from the Inn. Kimahri carries the girl all the way back to the room Auron awoke in before and lays her on the same bed.
"You should tell you here." Kimahri says, nodding as he takes a seat beside the bed to watch over the girl. Auron hesitates a moment and then turns towards the door.
"If you hurt her, cat, I'll kill you." Auron warns from the doorway and leaves to find Braska and Jecht. When he returns almost an hour and a half later he enters wearily and takes a seat beside the Ronso, forgetting to bother with smart remarks.
"You care for girl." Kimahri says finally, not taking his eyes from the gentle rise and fall of the woman's chest.
"She saved my life." Auron replies softly, clamping his mouth shut against a yawn.
"You are tired." Kimahri says in that same tone of fact. Auron nods sleepily and wipes his eyes.
"Go to sleep, Kimahri watch out for you." Kimahri says and Auron nods, leaning back in the chair and drifting off gratefully. When he awakens he finds a warm body enclosed in his arms and warm breath on his neck. He cautiously opens his eyes and recognizes the girl, still asleep in his arms. He sucks in a deep breath and looks around the room wildly, spotting Kimahri in the corner, keeping his eyes on the door and away from them.
"So warm." The girl murmurs and snuggles closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He chokes as her fingers brush over his ass and Kimahri stands up to walk out the door. Auron wants to call after him to end this embarrassment but even more to get rid of the pleasant humming radiating throughout his entire body. He looks down and sees her open eyes looking up at him, their natural colors rapidly changing to the scotch.
"You're awake." He says, gulping unconsciously. The girl starts to get a joyful look in her eyes but quickly covers the emotion with a look of anger.
"You came after me." She says accusingly.
"You jumped off of a mountain." He replies sharply.
"You should have stayed with your friends, you could have been killed and then the last three weeks would have been for nothing." She snaps and yanks away from him. He feels the loss rack his body and shakes his head to clear it.
"You would have died." He responds, standing up from the bed and following her to the door.
"I was supposed to you moron." She spits out savagely and storms down the stairs, not caring about stealth.
"Why?" He calls after her, taking the steps two at a time to try to catch up.
"My family." She responds sharply and speeds up to taking three to four steps at a time. Auron increases his pace to match hers and just manages to catch up to her outside, walking back towards the same mountain trail.
"Why?" He repeats, grabbing her arm to make her face him.
"I am Kaidryui." She snarls and yanks away to run up the trail away from him. He takes off after her, trying to process the information as he runs.
"Wait!" He calls ahead of him but she only speeds up, taking a trail that branches to the right. He follows and comes face-to-face with several of the larger of the Ronso breed. They grasp at him and catch onto his cloak, hauling him upwards several feet towards the cliff face. He grinds to a halt in the sharp rocks and gets back to his feet, trying to get around them but getting thrown closer to the edge every time.
"KAI-" He screams as he is thrown from the mountain one final time. The Ronso freeze as the girl comes racing forward suddenly and reaches for his hand, missing as he sails into the black below. Her eyes widen as she takes on the same look as when he first saw her; eyes flashing, power and strength flowing through her body endlessly, glowing blood red, head thrown back, a scream slashing her throat savagely.
Auron feels the magic engulf him, stopping his descent. He lies soundlessly on the ground between Kaidryui and the Ronso when the magic recedes. She collapses to her knees beside him and smiles weakly.
"I'm sorry." She mutters and falls forward onto his chest as she passes out. He painstakingly raises his left arm and lies it across her back while his consciousness fades as well, only vaguely aware of the approaching Ronso but allowing the warmth that her flushed body brings to heat his own and comfort him.
*
"Geez, get up Auron!" Auron groans and rolls over on his cloak, muttering something under his breath.
"What was that?"
"I said that you are an insufferable annoyance, Kai. Now do leave me alone, we have to leave bright and early tomorrow." Auron says loudly and yawns, drifting back into sleep.
"Well, even if you leave now you'll be about three day's journey behind Braska and Jecht because they left that long ago." Kai says, tapping her foot impatiently.
"WHAT?" Auron exclaims, immediately on his feet and looking around in alarm.
"I've been trying to get you since three hours before they left. Honestly, I don't get how you can sleep for so long." Kai says in exasperation. It had been over three months since the Ronso tribe had healed both of them. Now Kai had joined Auron on his Summoner's journey as a third Guardian and they were nearing the end to their quest, nearly at Zanarkand.
"Kai!" Auron exclaims in horror as he hastily snatches up his cloak, fastens it as she has made him do since she joined them, and starts off at a fast run towards the path. Kai easily over takes him and starts running backwards to face him.
"Come on, race you." Kai taunts and twirls back around, taking off even faster.
"KAI!" Auron calls, running as fast as he can to catch up. She turns a corner and disappears behind a bend in the trail. Auron's senses warn him of danger and he calls out to her again, only to hear her scream in pain. As he spins around the bend he stands in horror, watching as a large fiend squeezes Kai's throat between its claws, her bow and arrows snapped in half in its other talons. It is well over ten feet, its entire body covered in thick plating the same color of stony gray-black as the rest of the body. The eyes a fiery red.
"Auron." She gasps, struggling to release the grip. The creature digs its claws in to the fleshy material between its digits in response to her strangled cry. Auron watches, frozen in place as the razors tear into her throat, her crimson life splashing onto the ground at his feet.
"KAI!" He screams in rage and suddenly lunges forward with his sword drawn, taking the fiend by surprise as he barrels into it, knocking it back and Kai out of its grip to lie on the ground motionlessly. With one solid swing the monster's life swirls and disappears, leaving no trace of it. He turns back to Kai and drops down beside her, clasping his hands around her throat to still the gushing torrents.
"Auron." She whispers hoarsely, gazing at him with affection.
"No, don't speak. You can't die, I won't let you." He says roughly, letting his thumb rub small circles on her cheek.
"I'll be waiting, I promise." She says, her voice even weaker than a second ago.
"Kai please, I need you." He cries, pushing her glasses away from her face where they had been knocked askew.
"Auron, promise me one thing." She asks in a strangled whisper.
"Anything." He says fiercely.
"Remember me." With that she painstakingly raises her right hand and removes her glasses, tenderly placing them on his face.
"Kai." He chokes out, tears coursing down his face unchecked.
"Promise?" She gasps, her eyes already beginning to close.
"I'll always remember, Kai, I swear I will." He says gravelly, bowing his head. Kai gives him one final smile and closes her eyes one last time, never to open them again. Auron sits there for his own small eternity, the pain in his heart racking his body and mind as his tears fall onto the lifeless cheeks below him. When he finally drags himself to stand back up he wraps his arms around her body and carries her with him, his countenance as icy as the coldest winter on Mt. Gagazet where he first met the mysterious girl in his arms. For six days he walks non-stop, finally catching up to Braska and Jecht. Braska performs the sending in utter solemnity as the Guardians, once more down to two, watch on with hearts of sorrow.
*
More than ten years later Auron stands in that same spot where he watched her die, remembering everything with agonizing clarity.
"Sir Auron?" He turns to see Yuna looking at him with sad eyes.
"I am ready Lady Yuna." He says solemnly and gives her a soft smile to prove his point. Yuna nods sadly and starts to perform the sending. He lets the magic flow through his veins, sending him to the Farplane where he would have been many years prior if not for several promises he made back then. As he fades he closes his eyes and whispers softly.
"I have always remembered. You won't wait any longer."
*
"Ten years, I expected longer." Kai says warmly as Auron appears in the Farplane. They are on a mountain identical to the one where they first saw each other.
"I couldn't have stood any longer." Auron replies, grinning at her. They join hands and walk away, being joined a little farther down by Braska and Jecht. The two friends grin as they see Auron and Kai, sharing a secretive look that plainly says 'I told you so'. The four of them disappear back into the mists of the Farplane, Auron's arm around Kai's shoulders pulling her to his side and her arm around his waist, hugging him tighter. Braska and Jecht throw an arm over each other's shoulders and the four friends continue on to find a new adventure they know is awaiting them in the deeper reaches of the Farplane.
Author's Note; Any good? Review please! ^_^