I do not own Final Fantasy Xll. Square enix does. But I do own Rayn. Saya belongs to CrimsonBloodGodess
Ok, to make this story more cannon with the story of the original game, Saya has been changed into a Viera(Valkyrians were a race that Crimsonbloodgoddes created). Saya is half Hume/half Rava Viera
The raven haired Viera female slowly wove her way through the crowded streets of Dalmasca. The city was unusually crowded today. 'I wonder what could be going on...' The Viera, whose name was Rayn, wondered to herself. She had never seen the streets this crowded. She was looking for her best friend, Saya, who had disappeared from the ship several hours ago. Rayn had spent the last hour searching for her without success. She tried to look over the heads of the crowd to get a better view, but found it impossible, even when jumping up and down. Rayn was a Biani Viera, and had come from the remote cave systems of the Paramina Rift. Unlike their tanned cousins who resided inside the wood, Biani Viera were actually no taller than an average Human female. Rayn was not very fond of this fact. Nor was she fond of the fact that, also unlike their cousins, Biani Viera had very pale skin. It was constantly winter in Paramina, and because the Biani lived in the caves, they rarely ever saw sunlight. When Rayn lived in Paramina and even when she started traveling with Saya, these things never bothered her (except for the fact that Saya was almost a foot taller than her even without those damned stilettos that she was so fond of wearing). Biani Viera were even more scarce in the outside world than their cousins. Because of this, her short stature and pale skin had caused many people to think she was some sort of half-breed, which earned Rayn several rude comments. All of which earned said commenter a strong punch in the face from the very protective Saya.
Her large lavender eyes scanned the crowd, looking for the familiar form of her best friend. Rayn had thought it would be relatively easy to find her. There weren't a lot of Viera in Dalmasca beside's her and Saya, so it should have been easy to just look for people with rabbit ears. Saya was Half Viera and half Hume, and because of this her ears were actually half the height of a normal Viera's. This, coupled with Rayn's height, made finding her more difficult than it needed to be.
Rayn grunted and kicked a discarded tin can, which made a loud clang as it hit a stone wall, causing some people to look in her direction. But Rayn could care less if she brought attention to herself. She hated coming to Dalmasca. It was way too hot, and heat made her irritable. And of course it didn't help that she was wearing black, even if it was just a thin shirt and Capri pants. Rayn preferred the cold, and so did Saya. But they had to make a living, and that included coming to Dalmasca occasionally.
Just as Rayn was about to give up and find a shady spot to sit down, she saw through a gap in the crowd a woman with long chestnut hair and somewhat short, light brown rabbit ears bending down to adjust the strap on her stilettos. "Saya!" she shouted and ran over to her comrade.
Upon hearing her name, Saya's ears twitched, and she straightened to see a familiar woman running towards her. Saya watched with amusement in her scarlet eyes as her friend approached. "There you are!" Rayn said when she finally reached Saya. She leaned over, hands resting on her knees and panting. "Careful there, Rayn." Saya said with a chuckle. "Don't want to overexert yourself." Saya had been traveling for several years before she met Rayn, and while she hated the hot weather as well, she was more adjusted to it than the young Viera and didn't get overheated as easily. "It's your fault." Rayne said once she had steadied her breathing.
"How is it my fault?" Saya said indignantly.
"I was looking everywhere for you!" Rayn said. "You just disappeared without saying anything and I got worried. I thought you were supposed to be the responsible one, Saya."
The woman laughed. "Sorry." She said. "I didn't mean to worry you. I was just…"
Saya trailed off, and Rayn raised an eyebrow. "Wait a minute," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "You were with Drace, weren't you?"
"Wh-what are you…I have no idea what your talking about." Saya said, a slight blush coming to her cheeks.
Rayn rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Saya. I know Drace is supposed to be in Dalmasca today."
Saya's face grew even redder. "Aha!" Rayn shouted in victory. "So," she said with a sly smile. "Did you two have fun?"
Saya made an indignant noise and punched Rayn in the arm.
"Ow!" Rayn said, rubbing her injured appendage. "That hurt!"
"Good!" Saya retorted, which caused Rayn to stick her tongue out at Saya.
When her arm finally stopped throbbing, Rayn asked Saya "Do you know what's going on? The streets are really crowded today."
"Drace told me that Rabanastre has a new Archadian Consul who is giving a speech today. They're having a Parade and the whole nine yards."
Rayn chuckled. "An Archadian? Oh, this ought to be good." She said as the two women made their way to the main square. One there, they found a place to sit and see what was going on. At the moment, an Archadian man in full armor was speaking.
"So is that the new Consul?" Rayn asked.
"No," Saya said. "That man is a Judge like Drace."
The man went on for several minutes, but neither woman paid much attention.
"I still can't believe the Consul is an Archadian." Rayn said with another chuckle. She didn't have a personal grudge against Archadia, but she knew that the people of Dalmasca did.
"I know what you mean." Saya said. She also knew all too well how much the Dalmascans hated Archadia. And they had every right to. "But I do not think that Rabanastre had much choice in the matter. Archadia is a strong, militant nation. They could crush Rabanastre if they wanted to."
Rayn nodded solemnly. There was no doubt about the strength of Archadia.
"We will have order!" the Judge shouts as the crowd gets a bit rowdy. "I give you your new Consul, his Imperial Highness Lord Vayne Solidor, Commandant of the Archadian Empires-"
The Judge stopped for a moment, then cried "Your Excellency!" as a figure approached the podium. The Judge stepped aside as a handsome man with shoulder length brown hair stepped up to the podium. He stood silently looking out on the people for several moments, and then began to speak.
"People of Rabanastre!" He began. "Is it with hatred you look upon your Consul? With hatred you look upon the Empire?"
His question was answered with cries of "Spit on your Empire!" and "Go back to Archadia!"
Vayne Solidor sighed. "There was little point in asking." He continued. "But know this: I harbor no idle hopes of frustrating that hatred. Nor shall I ask your fealty. That is the due of your fallen king, and rightly so."
He went on to talk more about the king, but Rayn paid little attention to his words. She found herself unable to take her eyes off this Archadian man. There was something about him that, for lack of a better word, intrigued her. However she was snapped from her thoughts when she heard a growling beside her. She turned her head to see Saya with her arms crossed over her chest and directing her 'Saya death glare' at the man named Vayne. "Saya?" Rayn asked. "Saya, are you…"
"Asshole."
Rayn looked at her, confused. "What?"
"Asshole. That man is an asshole."
"Wait, you know him?"
"Yes." Saya said. "I spent some time in Archadia right before I met you."
"So why do you hate him?" Rayn asked, still confused.
Saya sighed. "Let us just say that it is a long story."
"Alright…" Rayn said as she returned her attention to Vayne Solidor's speech.
"I will stand fast." He said. "I will endure your hatred; suffer your slings and arrows. I will defend Dalmasca! Here I will pay my debt! I swear it now! Though king Raminas and Lady Ashe be gone, they stand ever at the side of their people. In honoring peace, you do honor to their memory, and to Dalmasca. What I ask, I ask plain. My hopes now rest with you." With that, Vayne bowed and, to the surprise to Rayn and Saya, the crowd erupted into cheers.
"Enough of this bullshit." Saya said. "I am leaving. Are you coming, Rayn?"
"Huh?" Rayn said as her attention snapped back to Saya. "Oh, umm…yeah. I'm coming."
With that they left. But just before they rounded the corner, Rayn's lavender eyes locked with Vayne's stormy grey ones for an instant.