Here With Me
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy does not belong to me.
--This is a shoujo-ai themed fanfic starting from the very beginning of the game. The viewpoint will switch every now and then from Paine's view to Rikku and occasionally Yuna's POV. I personally like to use 3rd person but then you can't really feel for the characters. If I do end up using 3rd person and it sucks, please forgive me. Feel free to comment and I'll take any suggestions along the way. I'd like to improve it as much as I can. Thank you.--
Chapter One: The Legendary Guardian
I calmly listened to the soothing waves rise and fall against the shore of Mushroom Rock Road. Here, two years ago, was the site of Operation Mi'ihen. It was a failed joint operation between the Al Bheds and the Crusaders to vanquish Sin utilizing forbidden machina. In the end, thousands of people lost their lives that day. Corpses, men and women, young and old, were scattered throughout the battlefield and drifted aimlessly in the ocean. Now, it is the base for the renowned Youth League, leaded by Meyvn Nooj.
I joined the Crusaders when I was 15, and then a year later I was promoted as a candidate for the Crimson Squad. I was assigned as the recorder in a group of four members, including myself. Crimson Squad...An elite squad of soldiers surpassing the Crusaders and leaders in the battlefront against Sin during Operation Mi'ihen. That day, I lost the only family member I had left, I lost my close friends, and I lost my purpose in life.
I didn't make the Crimson Squad nor did I participate in Operation Mi'ihen. I was hospitalized for a year after barely surviving a mission in the Den of Woes alongside Nooj, Baralai and Gippal. I was there though, I witnessed the one-sided battle between Sin and the people of Spira. Cannons bellowed, soldiers cried out in agony, bodies were blown up as they were caught in the explosion and then shredded apart by Sin's spawns.
I was horrified, frozen in shock and terror as thousands of people died in less than a few hours. Their struggle, their determination, their lives were cut short as Sin mercilessly destroyed everything in his path. Overlooking the battle, I desired more than anything for Sin to disappear forever, ending the cycle of life and death forever. Sin would never, ever resurrect again.
Anyone who witnessed the desolation, the chaos and destruction became traumatized. I had broken down crying for the people, for my helplessness, for their sacrifice. I was in horrible agony, so much mental pain and suffering that I wanted to kill myself. Anything to stop the vivid images of death, pain, blood and terror. I was gasping, gulping for air as I wept. My body shuddered violently and then I vomited as the stench of corpses grew stronger.
It didn't matter that Summoner Yuna and her guardians were there. They were not strong enough to defeat Sin nor could they save the lives of the people rushing to their death. Many Spirans had died already when the summoner and her guardians managed to push Sin back and it slowly retreated, trudging deeper into the red sea of blood and disappeared. Summoners spent the rest of the day sending the spirit of the dead to the Farplane.
That day changed my life as I realized how fragile life is. I fear more than anything, to be abandoned. I'd rather live the rest of my life alone than grow attached to another living being and witness their death. I could never handle that kind of pain and anguish again. Why bother getting close to someone when they will leave or I will have to leave them one day. I'm content enough to still be alive. I don't need anyone to share my life with. No one.
The tides are still clear, rising and falling gently against the shore. Only Yevonites ever bow nowadays since the exposure of Bevelle and Zanarkand's twisted history. Yu Yevon was no longer our savior against Sin but the true enemy. Despite this fact, I gracefully bowed low in respect to the many who died here. Suddenly, I sensed a presence watching me and I slowly turned around.
A few yards away, a beautiful golden-haired young woman gazed curiously at me, her spiraling deep green eyes captivated me and I gazed back in awe. She was wearing a skimpy dark green skirt, a yellow bra and a fading red-yellow scarf. I was baffled by her style of clothing which revealed so much skin it was hard to focus on her eyes.
She blinked a few times then she slowly smiled warmly at me, her adorable (what the hell am I saying?) face lighting up immediately and I manually had to maintain my stony expression. My lips twitched, threatening to smile back and I seriously wanted to kick myself in the ass. She giggled cutely then, her hand raised covering her mouth and her eyes shut in amusement.
What's so funny? She leaned over clutching her stomach as she started to guffaw, not bothering to hide her delight. I noticed then that she had dimples, augmenting her charming facial features. I didn't realize she was laughing at my contorted face as I struggled to look emotionless. I must have looked very constipated or something.
Before I realized what I was doing, I started to smile back. She suddenly keeled over onto her rump bursting out laughing, tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to compose herself. I wanted to get angry, to be annoyed at this hysterical blonde woman laughing at me like I was a colorful clown performing various tricks for her amusement but I couldn't. I couldn't even glare at her as she seemed truly content with herself. I didn't bother to stop smiling because strangely enough, I felt at ease in her presence as if I'd met her before.
Finally, still plopped down on the sand, she composed herself, breathing slowly like a mother in labor. It was oddly humorous watching her struggle to breath, her nose wrinkling and twitching. She pouted and shakily stood up, brushing sand off of herself. All in all, one word could be used to describe her: cute.
A moment later, a group of Goons leaped down from above and circled the small golden-haired woman. They jeered and cackled like a pack of wailing hyenas which absolutely irritated me. My smile disappeared immediately and I lowered my eyes at them. She didn't seem startled or worried at all, in fact, she sighed deeply and rolled her eyes at me. I blinked in surprise as she winked at me, a mischievious grin creeping onto her face. Slowly, she settled into a low battle stance. I took a step forward to help her fight them off but swiftly, in one fluid motion she unsheathed her twin crimson daggers and slashed at the Goons before her.
They collapsed immediately with a cry of pain and faded into nothingness. I physically felt my jaw drop slightly and I didn't bother to hide my surprise as she continued to deftly twirl the blades around, slashing them all in two wide arcs before they could even blink. In less than 3 seconds the smaller woman had defeated a dozen of Leblanc's Goons without breaking a sweat.
Now, I grew immensely curious of her identity. 'Don't judge a book by its cover.' She seemed like a defenseless young woman ganged up on by the Goons. When they had surrounded her, I was going to leap into the circle and take them all down myself but I was frozen in place. A part of me was curious to know what the seemlingly helpless girl would do and there was my answer.
I watched her carefully as she cheerfully sheathed her blades and brushed her golden bangs away off her face, humming a random tune.
"Whew...I thought they'd give up by now. Tch. No one can beat me!" She exclaimed excitedly. Her adorable voice was sweet and musical as she kicked the sand and turned around to regard me. She smiled sheepishly, scratching absentmindedly at the back of her head.
"...Uhh...Hi!" She waved happily and skipped towards me. I cautiously stepped back and lowered my eyebrows, my hand hovered over the handle of my sword. She noticed my hostility and immediately raised her hands up in the air.
"Whoa! Calm down! I just wanted to talk to you stranger!" She explained quickly, her words came out so fast it sounded like one long word or an entire new language. Actually, even if she spoke her native tongue I would still understand her. I was familiar with the Al Bhed language since my sister was engaged to a young Al Bhed man. The three of us had grown up together and they became childhood sweethearts. He was kind and patient, like an older brother to me and he even taught my sister and I his language.
I slowly retracted my hand from the sword but I kept my guard up for any surprises she may have had in store for me. She relaxed and sighed deeply.
"Whew...I've had enough fighting for one day y'know?" She winked lightheartedly and I had to resist grabbing her by the shoulders and scream at her to stop being so cute. Cute? What the hell is wrong with me...It must be the heat, or maybe its just the atmosphere of Mushroom Rock Road. I shook my head to clear the ridiculous thoughts and regarded her.
"...Who are you?" I asked calmly. My voice was monotone as always.
She blinked in surprise and stared at me for a long time. What the hell is wrong this time? I coughed and she tilted her head to the side, smiling gently.
"...Little old me? Hehee." She gestured to herself and giggled lightly. "Tell me who you are first and then I'll tell you who I am!" She announced proudly, throwing a fist into the air for emphasis.
Odd girl. How can someone be so cheerful and carefree? I was starting to grow irritated now. I cleared my throat and gestured to myself.
"...Paine."
At first it didn't seem to register for her that I was saying my name as she stared curiously at me like I just sprouted wings. Maybe she thought I was trying to say I was in pain or something. Nice little pun. Finally it clicked and her mouth formed into the shape of an O.
"Ohh! Your name is Paine!" She exclaimed loudly and seem quite pleased with herself for figuring it out.
I nodded and gestured to her with my chin. "...Who are you?" I repeated my question, a hint of interest slipped into my voice. Damn, why is it hard for me to control my body around her? I clenched my fist and calmly smoothed my expression back into a stony, emotionless mask.
She seemed to notice the small little change on my face but didn't question me as she calmly stood up straight instead of leaning on one foot.
"...My name is Rikku." She explained softly, her voice, light and smooth.
My eyebrows shot up and I quickly took a step forward. "Rikku? The Rikku?" I asked in surprise.
She tilted her head again in confusion and nodded. "Yup! The one and only! Wait, what Rikku do you have in mind?"
"Rikku! High Summoner Yuna's guardian." I spoke urgently, curiousity was killing me.
She brightened up immediately, her face seemed to glow in glee and she smiled happily.
"Of course! That's me!" She squealed excitedly and I had to contain my bafflement. The legendary guardian of High Summoner Yuna who helped to defeat Sin was right in front of me right now. But, she was far from what I imagined or had in mind as a guardian. She seemed like an ordinary girl except her beauty which I admit is a bit rare. I stood there for a long time in deep thought, letting it all sink in slowly. Rikku, daughter of Cid and guardian to Yuna was this short little woman? I thought she would be older than this.
I knew the guardian was an Al Bhed but, her? I could probably snap her in half like a twig she was so tiny. Of course that probably wouldn't happen because she'd lay the smackdown on me before I could even lay a finger on her. She is a guardian after all. As I stood there dumbfounded, she had slowly crept up closer to me without my knowledge. I didn't realize how close she was until she was right up in my face all of the sudden, her spiraling deep green eyes lured me in and I immediately lost my train of thought. What was I pondering again?
"Hey...What are you thinking so hard about?" She asked me quietly while wrinkling her nose and puckering up her lips. She batted her long eyelashes innocently.
"You." My reply was terse and quick, I didn't even realize what I had said until it slipped out of my mouth. Damn. I'm losing my control. Get a grip, Paine.
She smiled mischieviously and nodded in understanding. "Oh, okay! Hehee! What about me?" She asked excitedly, stepping back and bouncing on her toes. What is up with this girl?
"...Nothing. You just don't look like a guardian at all." I explained monotonously, my mask was back on, covering my last slipup.
She seem disappointed by this and frowned, her eyebrows lowered almost into a glare. "Hey! Just because I'm petite and cute doesn't mean I can't kick ass!" She shouted in defiance and huffed loudly. A smirk creeped up onto my face and it annoyed her even more.
"What!? You don't believe me? Bring it! I can show you!" She thrust a fist into the air proudly and I couldn't help but giggle lightly. It caught her off guard and she joined me in laughter.
"Heh, pretty cool huh?" She smiled warmly and I nodded absentmindedly.
She gazed into the peaceful ocean and regarded me. "Since I've answered your questions...You have to answer my question, okay?" I considered this for a moment then nodded once again, gazing into the ocean as well.
"...Why do you stare into the ocean for so long? I mean, not a lot of people are around here..." She asked gently, so softly I barely heard her over the whooshing of the waves.
I glanced at her and noticed her aura had completely changed. She suddenly appeared mature, calm and collected instead of the silly, happy-go-lucky little sprite. She intrigued me, something about her was so alluring that I couldn't help but be drawn towards her. One moment she was an irritating little brat, the next she was this proud and mature young woman. Something compelled me to open up to her even though I knew it would be a horrible mistake. Growing attached to someone is not something I'd like to happen for a long time.
I swallowed audibly. Speaking is not one of my favorite activities, especially if its speaking about myself.
"...Operation Mi'ihen." I said it as calmly as I could, not allowing any emotions to slip into my voice.
She slowly turned and gazed at me patiently, giving me all the time I needed to express myself. I offered a crooked smile and she smiled back.
"...My sister and...her fiance died here. Crusaders." I explained as terse as I could. I hated explaining in great detail. It's stupid, just get to the point.
She nodded in understanding and turned back to gaze at the ocean. I calmly closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, not allowing the emotions to overwhelm me. Finally, after a long period of time I opened my mouth to ask her a question to break the silence but she beat me to it.
"How old was she?" She was calmer than me. Like a wise scholar she addressed the issue with an air of maturity and experience. Experience. That's right. She must have seen even more grotesque images and desolation caused by Sin than me. My respect for her grew even more.
"19. She was three years older than me...We joined the Crusaders at the same time...along with her fiance." I didn't mention that a year after joining, I was enlisted as a candidate for the Crimson Squad.
"I see...I'm sorry...for your losses." She whispered sadly.
I didn't respond. We just stood together staring at the clear ocean. Something piqued my interest though. What grudge did the Goons have against her?
"Why were the Goons after you?"
Her head whipped around and she grinned mischievously. She's back to her old self now. Hmm. Maybe she's not that mature after all.
"Hah! Leblanc's just miffed that I snatched the treasure before her!" She explained excitedly, her nimble hands danced about, animating her escapade with the Goons.
I grinned back, completely amused. "What treasure did you find?"
"Hmm? Oh! Any kind of treasure! I managed to dig up this big ol' chest in Guadosalam and it was filled with Gil and coins!" She bounced around excitedly and I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and tell her to calm down before I strapped her down to a tree or something. I realized though, that even if I did that, it would not contain her joy and high spirit. Sighing dejectedly, I shook my head in defeat as she babbled on about hidden treasure and dangerous caves.
"...and I found this cool-looking sphere!"
That immediately caught my attention and I turned back to stare at her. She noticed my sudden interest and repeated her sentence. "Yeah, I found this sphere and it revealed the location of the chest for me!" She explained in one breath, jumbling all the words together into one long word. It's amazing how fast this girl talks.
"Spheres...?" I asked curiously. I didn't bother hiding my interest. This girl seemed to be able to read my emotions or something. Or maybe I'm just paranoid.
"Yup! I'm a treasure hunter." She smiled cutely and I had to resist petting her head like a pet. Wait, spheres. Why does it interest me...? Suddenly, I remembered. Crimson Spheres, recordings of the bloody massacre in the Den of Woes. No one should ever witness what happened inside that cave. No one. My face must have grown pale (if that was possible with my already pale features) because her eyes immediately softened and she hesitantly reached a hand out to me, gently caressing my cheek. Her hands were warm, soft and I unconsciously leaned into the touch.
If my face was pale, then it was crimson now because I could feel my cheeks suddenly heat up at the brief contact we shared. I jolted away from her soft touch and growled.
"Please don't touch me." It wasn't a request but a command.
She swiftly retracted her hand and asked softly. "Erm...sorry, but are you...Are you okay?" She asked worriedly, her eyebrows scrunched together and her eyes slowly watered. What the...? Is she going to cry? I hastily shook my head.
"I'm fine."
She nodded and I was going to ask her if she had any more spheres with her when a catchy melody jolted both of us in surprise. (A/N: The Final Fantasy victory theme. I know, lame. Kind of like in Advent Children.)
"Oh! Hehee...Sorry about that...Commsphere. Hold on." She clicked something on the strap of her bra and a piercing cry erupted from the little piece of technology.
"RIKKU!! FRANA DRA RAMM YNA OUI!?" We both flinched and cringed in pain, clutching our delicate ears. My ears ached horribly as the most irritating voice I've ever heard in my life shrieked in Al Bhed. By the way, he, I presume it was a he, even though the voice was awfully flamboyant, had said "Rikku, where the hell are you!?"
Rikku's face grew red and I knew, she was going to explode in anger. Her nose wrinkled and flared out in defiance.
"OUI ETEUD! E DUMT OUI E'MM LUHDYLD OUI FRAH E'S TUHA! ZICD CRID IB YHT SEHT OUIN UFH TYSH PICEHACC! RIKKU, UID!" I was right. She blew up on him. Oh, her reply was, "You idiot! I told you I'll contact you when I'm done! Just shut up and mind your own damn business! Rikku, out!" She hastily clicked the commsphere and communication ceased between them. She was breathing heavily in fury, smoke or flames could have shot out of her open mouth. Her eyes were blazing and I suddenly felt sorry for that man on the other line.
I have to say, it was hard to believe that Rikku could be so verbally abusive but then, with an annoying...brother? Well, assuming it was her brother, with an obnoxious personality like that I'd probably verbally abuse him too. Actually, I would, without a doubt. I would rip out his vocal cord too.
Rikku slowly composed herself, relaxing her beautiful features which were contorted in fury. With a deep sigh she was back to her old self, grinning ear to ear at me.
"Well, I guess I have to go soon...Brother should be here any minute now...Honestly, he KNOWS where I'm at...Why bother asking? Idiot." She rambled on, irritation evident in her melodious sweet voice.
Suddenly, the ground shook and vibrated violently. An earthquake? The ground continued to shudder beneath our feet and then a deep rumbling grew louder above us. I quickly gazed up and my jaw dropped, my eyes widening in awe.
"What the hell is that?" I asked in shock. It was a huge...red machina, floating in the air and gushing out mist.
Rikku nudged me out of my trance and giggled adorably. "That, is the Celsius. My brother's (rolls eyes) airship." She explained and I nodded meekly at the sight of the monstrous airship.
"Yup, we pretty much fly around collecting treasure around Spira!" Fly around, huh? That seemed incredibly fun and I couldn't help but be slightly jealous. She was able to travel anywhere she wanted, do whatever she wanted and live the high life, literally and figuratively.
"Do you work alone?" I asked curiously. Maybe, she wouldn't mind extra help.
"Huh? Oh, well, out in the field I do, but the boys handle all the fun stuff. I get to do all the nasty work." She pouted for a moment then happily grinned. "It's a blast though!"
Without looking away from the ancient machina, I asked her calmly, hoping she would accept my proposal. "Would you like a partner?"
She seemed completely taken aback by this as she blinked in surprise several times before breaking out into a cute smile stretching ear to ear. Her eyes sparkled and she bounced up and down happily. "YES! I would love to have a partner help me out! Teamwork y'know?"
I sighed in relief and nodded in understanding. "Thank you...I'm glad to be of service."
She reached her hand out and I slowly shook it. "Teammates." We said in unison and I added an afterthought. "...Besides...I always wanted to ride in an airship." I grinned and she playfully punched my shoulder.
That is how I met her and became part of the crew. Brother is as irritating in person as he was on the commsphere. Buddy is nice and he seems to know to keep his distance from me. Shinra, the kid is amazing but, no matter how intelligent he may be, he's still just a kid. Barkeep is our bartender, shopkeeper and housekeeper, a kind and patient hypello. Two weeks later, we gained another member, someone, I never thought I'd meet in person. Maybe it really is a small world after all.
--Whew! Yay! I hope this wasn't too boring or anything...Please don't hesitate to point out any mistakes and I'll be sure to fix them in two shakes! Thank you for reading. I'm going to play the game again so I get all the events in the game correctly. Remember, correct me if I'm wrong! Peace out. -Kan-