All Alone, and Then Found
Chapter 1
A/N: Like I said, this is a Van fic, about how he's kinda frustrated 'cause everyone treats him like a baby, (while Serge is still Lynx,) and how someone new helps him through everything. If ya like it, cool. R&R. If ya don't, oh well; there's always next time.
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Home World: Termina
"What do you mean I can't go!?" the penny-wise artist asked angrily. Lynx and Karsh, (along with Steena,) had stopped by at Van's small home to tell him they were going off to Fort Dragonia to get Lynx's original form back... without him.
"Accept our apology, Van, for Fort Dragonia is far more dangerous than you think," Steena brought up to try and calm the boy.
"I know that!!!" Van jumped at Steena's throat, "I am perfectly capable of going there, whether you can see that or not!"
"Listen: we need Steena to accompany us to Fort Dragonia because she knows how to activate the fort right away. Karsh, has a lot of strong elements that he himself bought, and I obviously have to go so I can change back into the real me. You understand?" Lynx tryed.
"Argh!!! So you say you don't need me!?" Van pressed, shaking his fist at Lynx, glaring.
"Whoa! Hold on there, now! We're not so stupid as to put your life on the line! There might be something big there that you wouldn't be able to handle! So, we're doin' you a favor by putting your life away to fight another day!" Karsh barked in, getting agravated.
"You all put your lives' on the line! I'm part of the team! Why can't I do the same!?" Van argued stubbornly.
"You don't need to get that involved in a situation like this; not at your young age," Lynx confirmed parent-like.
"Stop treating me like I'm just a helpless kid who can't accomplish anything! I can fight! I've won battles!!!"
"What!? So you're saying you wanna go out there and die!?" Karsh finished, leaving Van to think a bit.
"...I'm just trying to help out, and you're pushing me away!" Van stammered with a semi-confident tone of voice.
"We know that, Van. We just want you to sit this one out for now," Lynx said gently, putting his paw on Van's shoulder, but him stepping back.
"Sit one out!? You're practically rejecting me as a fighter!" Van snapped.
"Serge, we do not have that much time... Lynx could be damaging the future at this very moment," Steena reminded Lynx, who nodded.
"Humph! Fine then! Go on without me! You had your chance to keep me in your group! Well!? Fat chance of that ever happening!!!" were Van's last words as he pushed forcfully, (for his size,) past his ex-comrades at the moment, and out his front door.
Sighing, Lynx started out the door as well, Karsh and Steena following behind.
(I'll show them! I can go anywhere I want, without their help!) Van thought as he ran out of Termina, heading for the Shadow Forest.
Starting to walk again, Van entered the Shadow Forest, where he took out his boomerang and readied himself for an enemy monster. He listened, hearing regular, non-threatening sounds from small bugs, before moving to a different area.
(That's funny... There are usually at least three or four Bulbs hanging around here...) Van thought, listening yet again for an intruder.
Heading towards the underground entrance to Viper Manor, Van put his weapon away, seeing as there was no need to have it out, for a monster would have attacked him by now.
(Those arrogant bastards..! How they treat me like a child, when I'm fourteen years old! How immature of them!) Van thought angrily about Lynx, Karsh, and Steena. (Everyone else probably thinks that of me as well..! But I don't need them, or need to care about those self-centered people!)
Arriving at the giant tree with water surrounding it, Van ventured into the dark waters, watching out for sharp rocks and such. Van stopped to listen again, ready to move on, but felt a rumble around his feet. Looking down, Van waited again... The distant sound came again, this time, Van could see the ripples in the water.
(...Something's up...) Van thought slowly, reaching for his boomerang in which was still on his back.
Suddenly, the bugs stoped cricketing, and Van was frozen in place, awaiting his opponent...
After what seemed like hours, Van practically fell backwards as figure a few feet taller than himself came jumping down in front of him, hissing angrily at the teen like a ferocious feline.
His reflexes kicking in, Van hurried to his feet, putting his trusty weapon in front of him, staring the creature in what looked to be the eye.
"Humph... I don't have time to play with something like you," Van stated, not knowing if the creature would respond verbally. The shadowed 'cat' hissed yet again, pawing at the air in front of it, claws extended.
"Fine...if you wanna die..!" Van ended, arching his arm back and thrusting the boomerang out of his grasp, it flying straight for his opponent's throat. The monster stepped to the side swiftly, having one of it's paws come down and slam forcefully on the boomerang, in making a big splash in the water.
"Oh, sh..." Van whispered to himself, taking a step backwards as the creature took a step forward, revealing it's appearances. It was a demi- human, it's instinct feline side obviously taking over it's human sides decision-making. It had deep red fur, as though as it was soaked in blood, as was it's eyes.
The demi-human was very low to the ground, it's tall swishing silently in the waters as it moved closer to Van, who greatly moved away.
Roaring loudly, the animal lurched at Van, (who guessed it's movement correctly by how it had moved,) and splashed face-first into the water, giving Van enough time to swagger towards his boomerang in which he grabbed without doubt, turning around and throwing it perfectly at the animal who was still struggling to it's paws.
Van didn't even need to aim; the boomerang slashed the animal right in the middle of it's back, making a huge gash, as well as sprinkling blood around the surface of the water. The purple-haired teenager caught his now bloody boomerang, the blood sliding down and onto his glove-covered hand, a smirk spreading across his face as the animal screeched in agony, trembling greatly, laying down in the water, surrounded in it's own blood.
"Hah! I told you, you pest! Now get out of here!" Van ordered victoriously, the animal whimpering. "This is why you should study your preys' actions and movements while your still not injured!"
"Oh yeah!? Study this!!!" a new voice interrupted, the person's foot slamming into Van's cheek with enough speed, force, and accuracy to make him fall to the ground, dumbly.
"OW!!!" Van let out as well as some blood. Lying down now in the water, Van whipped his eyes around, spotting the person who had hit him.
He almost laughed out loud when he set his eyes upon his enemy; it was a young woman who looked to be about Van's age, having short, chestnut colored hair that was down freely, with piercing red eyes, wearing leather fighting gloves, a tan, patched up, three-quarters length shirt that exposed her shoulders, and having what looked to be a blck undershirt or bra, as well as patched up, but dark brown high-waters with black traveling boots. Her features were simple, having semi-tan skin, having to seem have a pretty face, only it in a stern and accusing look now, her eyes glaring right into Van's.
"Just what is your problem!? It was only playfully challenging you and you start beating up on it!!!" the girl yelled, arms crossed, wanting an explanation.
"Hey! It came onto me, so I defended myself! Is that so wrong!?" Van yelled back, standing up and wiping the blood on his face across his arm. "Not bad... You actually made me bleed a bit."
"I wasn't even half serious," the girl said coldly, not amused. "Now answer my question, or do you wanna go another round?"
"Humph... I don't need to answer your childish questions," Van answered, taking ahold of his boomerang.
"Well, I don't need your childish toys," the girl shot back.
"Yeah, right..." Van stated, crossing his arms and glaring at the girl out of the corner of his eye.
"Then let's go," the girl finished the conversation, making Van allow a 'Wha..?' come out past his lips, her looking as if she was gliding over the water's surface, making rapid waves, them crashing up against herself.
Van blocked himself with his boomerang quickly, (bracing his self,) ready to take her on. The waves formed greatly as they aproached Van swiftly, going high above his head.
Just as the waves were about to crash into Van, the abruptly stopped a mere foot in front of him, revealing nothing but air. Confused, Van barely got a chance to glance around to see where she went, when something, (a foot, is what it felt like,) came crashing into his left hand which held his boomerang, sending it flying into the trees around them.
"Argh!!!" Van flung his what felt fractured hand into his other one to comfort, biting down on his teeth to where they would grind.
"How's that, hot shot?" the girl mocked from behind him, a smirk across her face.
"...Impressive... But you just did me a favor, too..." Van managed out, audible enough for the girl to hear.
The smirk, (just as quick as it appeared,) swept away into the winds, putting that stern look back on her face.
"What do you mean?" was her question.
"You don't get out of this forest much, do you? Huh?" Van questioned instead of answering, his own grin passing by on his lips.
"..?" The girl didn't know what to say; she was stumped at why her opponent was grinning when she had just broken his hand.
Jumping upward, Van spun around, his boomerang coming back into his healthy, right hand and throwing it at the girl, where it hit a little below her left shoulder, it going in as far as the girl's tought skin would let it.
The girl flinched, taking a few unstable steps sideways, darting her eyes at Van, (who was smiling,) and back to her injury.
"You..! Hit me!?" the girl asked in disbelief, falling to the watery ground and holding her arm right below where the boomerang had stuck in her, the blooding rolling down her fingertips.
"You outta know...that a boomerang...always comes back to you..." Van replied, taking a step towards the girl, who was too astonished to care. "But that kick of yours... How can you hit so hard?"
"That's...none of your damn business..!" the girl barked, cringing in pain.
"Then, if you don't mind... I would like my 'toy' back, now, since it shows no value to you," Van said, reaching for his boomerang, but getting punched away by the girl's right fist instead.
"Get away..! Go!!!" the girl spat, glaring at Van.
"Hey! It's mine! I have a right to go as close as I want to to get it!!!" Van argued, glaring back.
"If you wanna die, go ahead!!!" the girl challenged, not moving in the slightest.
"You're so stubborn!" Van started.
"You're an air head!" the girl fought back.
"You arrogant little girl!"
"I wouldn't talk, there, shortie!!!"
"Hah! Speak for yourself!!!" Van finished.
Looking at the boomerang, the girl nervously grasped the end, slowly pulling it out of her flesh, trying to grip it her best since her blood was over the whole thing.
(!? Is she crazy!? I was only kidding about tking it out..!) Van thought, surprised.
"Hey, don't pull it out! You wound could get infected!"
"Why do you care!!?" the girl hissed, showing the pain she was feeling through her tone of voice.
"I... I don't! Who said I did!?" Van asked angrily.
"Nobody if you could hear properly!" the girl said, continuing to pull the boomerang out.
"Argh... If you had even one-fourth- of a brain, you'd know not to pull it out!" Van pressed, trying to knock some sense into the stubborn brunette.
Stopping from pulling it out, the girl slowly moved her eyes onto Van.
"...What's your name?" she asked.
"Huh..?" Van asked, a little dazed. "You ask my name instead of tending to your wound?"
"So!? If I die from loss this wound, I should at least know the name of my killer," the girl stated.
"..." Van didn't understand this girl; if he was in her situation, he would tend to his wound emediatly than ask the name of the person who inflicted the wound.
"...I'm Van."
"OK then, Van, would you tell me how to properly tend to my wound since you sound like you know sooo much about it?" the girl asked calmly, although you could catch a hint of sarcasm.
"As long as you don't kick me again," Van answered, getting out his tiny fisrt-aid kit.
"Fine, I won't..." the girl answered, sighing. "There goes my fun for the day..."
Van smiled at her joke, taking out an antesthetic to numb her arm to lower the pain.
"I'm gonna inject you with this to ease the pain, alright?" Van asked, squirting a tiny amount of the liquid out of the needle that held the antesthetic.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever..."the girl said confidently.
"It might burn a little..."
"God, are you gonna inject me or not!?" the girl snapped impatiently, making Van jump.
"OK OK..! Geez... Demanding..." Van mumbled, injecting her with the shot in her injured arm.
"Oh, was that itttt!!!!!?" the girl tensed up as she felt the antesthetic work.
"I told you if might burn, y'know," Van pointed out, taking the boomerang out as the girl was preoccuoied dealing with the burning sensation.
"And you think I'd listen!?" the girl shot back, looking at Van, and her jaw dropping as she saw that the boomerang was no longer in her.
Seeing the look on her face made Van grin.
"Didn't you notice me take it out?" he asked, taking out a HealPlus element and using it.
"Uh, um, no! I-I knew it was out already..!" the girl lied poorly, making Van's grin wider. "And what the heck are you grinning at!?"
"How much time you take to notice things is pathetic," Van answered, moving her arm around to see if the circleration was normal. It was.
"...Thanks," the girl said suddenly, making Van jerk his head towards her, blushing slightly.
"Why? I started all this, didn't I?" Van asked, pushing up his glasses and putting his things away to avoid her eyes.
"Well, yeah, you did, by hurting that cub demi-human. But I started our fight by challenging you," the girl responed, checking her arm. "Nice work."
"That'll be 200 gil, please," Van charged, making the girl look up in disbelief.
"What!? 200!!? ...You!" the girl realised that Van was joking, and punched him with her good fist.
"Hey! Is that how you repay me for fixing your wound!?" Van asked in defense.
"Yeah! Didn't all those dead people tel you that?" the girl joked again, smirking.
"Oh, you mean the ones who said 'Watch out for that woman! She'll kill you with her good looks!'?" Van as well as the girl were surprised at his words, them both blushing.
"Uh... Here!" Van offered his non-broken hand to the girl as he stood up.
"Thanks..." the girl replied, taking it, and half-way up cringing in pain; she had let him pull her left hand up.
"Oh! Sorry..." Van said, taking her other hand before she fell.
"Someone thinks around here..." the girl murmered, getting up.
"I heard that..." Van said, kneeling to clean his boomerang from all the blood.
"Oh yeah... My name...is...is..." the girl sounded faint, making Van look up at her. Her voice was faint and frail, Van standing up to see if she was alright.
"Hey, you OK?" he asked.
"I'.....m......A......m...a........" the girl collapsed just as she was about to reveal her name, Van grabbing ahold of her right arm to prevent her from falling.
"Hey!?" Van asked her. She was unconscious. "Great... Now I get to play 'Let's Carry the Arrogant Girl'..." Van mumbled to himself, putting her arm around his neck, ignoring the screaming pain his broken bone was wailing at him.
"Wha.....? W-where.......am I...?" the girl asked herself, slowly opening her eyes. Blinking a few times, she propped herself up with her right hand as a supporter, and looked around. She was in a damp cave, most of the cave filled with water, although she was on the dirt ground. Turning her head to the left, she saw some bones of what seemed to be a human...
"Ugh, how disgusting..." she said to herself, looking to her right.
Van... Van was right beside her, sleeping...
(Hm, guess I was out for a bit...) the girl thought, standing up, moving her left arm a bit. (Dang... It still hasn't fully healed... This is just what I need to get back to the mainland!)
"Hey... You're up..." Van said, making her jump a bit.
"Before you," she said, turning towards Van.
"True..." he replied, standing up as well.
"Did I faint or somethin'?" the girl asked.
"Yeah, you did. You had lost a lot of blood, I guess," Van told. "Oh, by the way... You were about to tell me your name before you fainted..."
"Really? I don't remember that, but I'll tell you anyway," the girl said. "My whole name is Malak Arcadia Dai Amara Ambrosine, but you can call me Amara. Nice to meet you. Van, was it?"
"That's right," Van nodded. "You have a long name."
"My family has been here for a while."
An uneasy silence rolled on, neither of them even attempting to start a conversation with the other.
"So..." they both said in inison, them turning towards the other, small smiles appearing on both their faces.
"What now?" Amara asked, looking towards the entrance of the cave. Nightfall had already arrived, and the forest was very dark.
"It's night, as you can see, so I dunno," Van said.
"Well I know what we can do; I'm freezing my butt off! Don't you know how to start a fire!?" Amara asked harshly.
"Of course I do! I just didn't expect it would be this dang cold at night!" Van shot back.
"Then I'll go get some wood so you can show your skills off some more," Amara stated, starting to walk towards the entrance, but something grabbing her right wrist. "What!?"
"You shouldn't even be moving around! Your wound isn't healed!" Van responded.
"Well you have a broken hand! You shouldn't be grabbing people with it!" Amara barked, noticing that his hand and wrist were swollen, even under his glove.
Letting go, Van continued. "I'm in a better condition than you are."
"Uh, yeah, uh-huh... Broken bones are worse than gashes," Amara announced, matter-o-factly.
"...I have a better idea," Van said, getting out an element and throwing it at the pile of bones, them going on fire.
"OK, that works..." Amara said, sitting by the fire, Van sitting across from her.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...So, how come you're out here in this forest?" Van started, looking into the moving flames.
"Just traveling around. I'm trying to go back to the mainland, Porre. I have a home there," Amara replied. "Why're you here?"
"I just came here to get away from someone..." Van answered.
"Who? Your mother making you do too many chores?" Amara asked jokingly.
"...My mother died while I was little..." Van responded meakly, making Arcadia feel bad for trying at a joke.
"I'm sorry, Van... I didn't know..." Amara apologized, hanging her head down, then looking towards the cave entrance. "Don't feel bad, though. I've never even met my mother."
"You've never met your mother?" Van asked, seeing that everyone should know their mother.
"Nope. Not me. My father was the only one who took care of me. I don't have any siblings, or any others relatives now..." Arcadia paused, caught up in her past. "My father was always against the militarism in Porre, as was I. But, I wanted to change all that...by becoming a Porre soldier. My father went berserk when I told him that. He slapped me real hard, but I held back tears that I never allow out. I'm not one for crying, or letting all that depressing crap out. I joke around most of the time, just to forget about what had happened back home..."
"You don't have to tell me anything else. I'm a complete stranger to you," Van brought up.
"It's OK. I'm just trying to keep a conversation going. I could care less about what we talk about," Amara stated bluntly.
"...I live with my father right now, in a small two-room, one story house, which this self-centered rich hag wants to make it into her storage for all her jewels and money. It gets pretty annoying; she comes at least twice a week, waiting for us to pay off interest and all that. My father's a painter, and paints really great pictures, and trys to sell them, but... He only sells those paintings in which he finds satisfied enough for others to purchase. And he always says stuff like 'I'll only sell my work to those who understand it.' I paint some too, but I'm not that great," Van finished.
"So you're an artist, huh? That'd be a boring life for me. I'm more of the adventuring types. I've been exploring around El Nido for a few monthes now. In that time limit, I've been to the El Nido Triangle, circled around Gaea's Navel, went to Sky Dragon Isle, Earth Dragon Isle, and now I'me here 'cause I sneaked onto a ship that I thought would go back to Porre, but I ended up here when I found out that the ship was off to Fort Dragonia. Old crummy ruins like that have no interest to me," Amara explained, leaning against the cold wall of the cave.
"I would have been in Fort Dragonia right now if my so-called comrades hadn't let me go with them. That was who I was running away from. They were treating me like I was just a punk with no skills whatsoever, and said crap like 'It's for your own safety,' and 'not at your age.' Stuff like that," Van replied.
"Well, how old are you?" Amara asked.
"I'll be fifteen in a month or so."
"I'm fourteen, too. So, that means I've been an orphan for.........about six years now, ever since some Porre soldiers took away my father because he retaliated so much. Now, I don't want to be a soldier of Porre, but I was thinking of becoming an assassain or somethin' to get revenge on them Porres," Amara said, anger filling her eyes as she glared at the flame.
"You'd be pretty good at it, with a kick like yours," Van complimented, draining some of the anger out of Amara's eyes.
"I just practiced on anything that got in my way, that's all," Amara stated.
"..." Van saw a glint of some sort out of the corner of his eye, making him turn towards the entrance. Amara must have noticed, too, for she looked as well.
"It'll be morning soon..." Van said glumly.
"Why do you sound like you're dreading the morning?" Amara asked out of curiousity.
"I don't know... I don't want to go back home..."
"...Then," Amara added after his answer, making him perk up, "I'll go with you."
"Huh..? Why would you do that?" Van asked this time.
"I don't have anything better to do. And, all I have is a few elements, so I need to stock up if I'm going to the mainland soon," Amara answered.
"..."
"That is, if you don't mind. I hate being a pest to others," Amara brought up.
"N-no! It's not that!" Van said before Amara could barely finish her sentence.
Smiling, Amara stood up, using an Aquaball on the fire.
"Shall we?" she asked buoyantly.
"Let's," Van replied, getting up as well.
"...Argh...!" Van tryed to muffle the pain he was feeling in his left hand, but Amara noticed anyway.
"We better get you to a medic or somethin'. I think I really broke your hand," Amara stood by Van, who stood up straighter.
"I can manage," he said proudly.
"Hmm... I don't buy it. It hurts. I can tell."
"How, then?" Van challenged.
"Well, if it doesn't hurt, then you wouldn't mind holding my hand until we get to Termina, would you?" she said slyly, holding her right hand out.
Amara raised her eyebrow when Van didn't do nothing but stare at her hand, and just couldn't resist adding a line.
"But, if you think your hand is too weak..."
"No! It's fine, as I've told you before!" Van urged, taking a hold of her hand in his, wincing slightly as she gripped it a little tightly.
"See! You flinched! Ha! It's broken!" Amara said in triumph, letting go of his hand.
"Fine, fine! It's broken! You happy!?" Van growled, making Amara giggle.
"Yeah, now let's get going!"
"Amara..." Van asked as they walked towards the entrance, seeing the sun rising through the enormous trees.
"What?" Amara asked, looking at the small but bright glint og the sun.
"...Can I hold your other hand? Or does your arm not feel up to it?" Van countered, cracking a smile.
"You little weasle..." Amara replied, but smiled anyway. "It's up to it."
"Wha..?"
Giggling, Amara took Van's hand and jogged out of the cave.
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Chapter 1
A/N: Like I said, this is a Van fic, about how he's kinda frustrated 'cause everyone treats him like a baby, (while Serge is still Lynx,) and how someone new helps him through everything. If ya like it, cool. R&R. If ya don't, oh well; there's always next time.
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Home World: Termina
"What do you mean I can't go!?" the penny-wise artist asked angrily. Lynx and Karsh, (along with Steena,) had stopped by at Van's small home to tell him they were going off to Fort Dragonia to get Lynx's original form back... without him.
"Accept our apology, Van, for Fort Dragonia is far more dangerous than you think," Steena brought up to try and calm the boy.
"I know that!!!" Van jumped at Steena's throat, "I am perfectly capable of going there, whether you can see that or not!"
"Listen: we need Steena to accompany us to Fort Dragonia because she knows how to activate the fort right away. Karsh, has a lot of strong elements that he himself bought, and I obviously have to go so I can change back into the real me. You understand?" Lynx tryed.
"Argh!!! So you say you don't need me!?" Van pressed, shaking his fist at Lynx, glaring.
"Whoa! Hold on there, now! We're not so stupid as to put your life on the line! There might be something big there that you wouldn't be able to handle! So, we're doin' you a favor by putting your life away to fight another day!" Karsh barked in, getting agravated.
"You all put your lives' on the line! I'm part of the team! Why can't I do the same!?" Van argued stubbornly.
"You don't need to get that involved in a situation like this; not at your young age," Lynx confirmed parent-like.
"Stop treating me like I'm just a helpless kid who can't accomplish anything! I can fight! I've won battles!!!"
"What!? So you're saying you wanna go out there and die!?" Karsh finished, leaving Van to think a bit.
"...I'm just trying to help out, and you're pushing me away!" Van stammered with a semi-confident tone of voice.
"We know that, Van. We just want you to sit this one out for now," Lynx said gently, putting his paw on Van's shoulder, but him stepping back.
"Sit one out!? You're practically rejecting me as a fighter!" Van snapped.
"Serge, we do not have that much time... Lynx could be damaging the future at this very moment," Steena reminded Lynx, who nodded.
"Humph! Fine then! Go on without me! You had your chance to keep me in your group! Well!? Fat chance of that ever happening!!!" were Van's last words as he pushed forcfully, (for his size,) past his ex-comrades at the moment, and out his front door.
Sighing, Lynx started out the door as well, Karsh and Steena following behind.
(I'll show them! I can go anywhere I want, without their help!) Van thought as he ran out of Termina, heading for the Shadow Forest.
Starting to walk again, Van entered the Shadow Forest, where he took out his boomerang and readied himself for an enemy monster. He listened, hearing regular, non-threatening sounds from small bugs, before moving to a different area.
(That's funny... There are usually at least three or four Bulbs hanging around here...) Van thought, listening yet again for an intruder.
Heading towards the underground entrance to Viper Manor, Van put his weapon away, seeing as there was no need to have it out, for a monster would have attacked him by now.
(Those arrogant bastards..! How they treat me like a child, when I'm fourteen years old! How immature of them!) Van thought angrily about Lynx, Karsh, and Steena. (Everyone else probably thinks that of me as well..! But I don't need them, or need to care about those self-centered people!)
Arriving at the giant tree with water surrounding it, Van ventured into the dark waters, watching out for sharp rocks and such. Van stopped to listen again, ready to move on, but felt a rumble around his feet. Looking down, Van waited again... The distant sound came again, this time, Van could see the ripples in the water.
(...Something's up...) Van thought slowly, reaching for his boomerang in which was still on his back.
Suddenly, the bugs stoped cricketing, and Van was frozen in place, awaiting his opponent...
After what seemed like hours, Van practically fell backwards as figure a few feet taller than himself came jumping down in front of him, hissing angrily at the teen like a ferocious feline.
His reflexes kicking in, Van hurried to his feet, putting his trusty weapon in front of him, staring the creature in what looked to be the eye.
"Humph... I don't have time to play with something like you," Van stated, not knowing if the creature would respond verbally. The shadowed 'cat' hissed yet again, pawing at the air in front of it, claws extended.
"Fine...if you wanna die..!" Van ended, arching his arm back and thrusting the boomerang out of his grasp, it flying straight for his opponent's throat. The monster stepped to the side swiftly, having one of it's paws come down and slam forcefully on the boomerang, in making a big splash in the water.
"Oh, sh..." Van whispered to himself, taking a step backwards as the creature took a step forward, revealing it's appearances. It was a demi- human, it's instinct feline side obviously taking over it's human sides decision-making. It had deep red fur, as though as it was soaked in blood, as was it's eyes.
The demi-human was very low to the ground, it's tall swishing silently in the waters as it moved closer to Van, who greatly moved away.
Roaring loudly, the animal lurched at Van, (who guessed it's movement correctly by how it had moved,) and splashed face-first into the water, giving Van enough time to swagger towards his boomerang in which he grabbed without doubt, turning around and throwing it perfectly at the animal who was still struggling to it's paws.
Van didn't even need to aim; the boomerang slashed the animal right in the middle of it's back, making a huge gash, as well as sprinkling blood around the surface of the water. The purple-haired teenager caught his now bloody boomerang, the blood sliding down and onto his glove-covered hand, a smirk spreading across his face as the animal screeched in agony, trembling greatly, laying down in the water, surrounded in it's own blood.
"Hah! I told you, you pest! Now get out of here!" Van ordered victoriously, the animal whimpering. "This is why you should study your preys' actions and movements while your still not injured!"
"Oh yeah!? Study this!!!" a new voice interrupted, the person's foot slamming into Van's cheek with enough speed, force, and accuracy to make him fall to the ground, dumbly.
"OW!!!" Van let out as well as some blood. Lying down now in the water, Van whipped his eyes around, spotting the person who had hit him.
He almost laughed out loud when he set his eyes upon his enemy; it was a young woman who looked to be about Van's age, having short, chestnut colored hair that was down freely, with piercing red eyes, wearing leather fighting gloves, a tan, patched up, three-quarters length shirt that exposed her shoulders, and having what looked to be a blck undershirt or bra, as well as patched up, but dark brown high-waters with black traveling boots. Her features were simple, having semi-tan skin, having to seem have a pretty face, only it in a stern and accusing look now, her eyes glaring right into Van's.
"Just what is your problem!? It was only playfully challenging you and you start beating up on it!!!" the girl yelled, arms crossed, wanting an explanation.
"Hey! It came onto me, so I defended myself! Is that so wrong!?" Van yelled back, standing up and wiping the blood on his face across his arm. "Not bad... You actually made me bleed a bit."
"I wasn't even half serious," the girl said coldly, not amused. "Now answer my question, or do you wanna go another round?"
"Humph... I don't need to answer your childish questions," Van answered, taking ahold of his boomerang.
"Well, I don't need your childish toys," the girl shot back.
"Yeah, right..." Van stated, crossing his arms and glaring at the girl out of the corner of his eye.
"Then let's go," the girl finished the conversation, making Van allow a 'Wha..?' come out past his lips, her looking as if she was gliding over the water's surface, making rapid waves, them crashing up against herself.
Van blocked himself with his boomerang quickly, (bracing his self,) ready to take her on. The waves formed greatly as they aproached Van swiftly, going high above his head.
Just as the waves were about to crash into Van, the abruptly stopped a mere foot in front of him, revealing nothing but air. Confused, Van barely got a chance to glance around to see where she went, when something, (a foot, is what it felt like,) came crashing into his left hand which held his boomerang, sending it flying into the trees around them.
"Argh!!!" Van flung his what felt fractured hand into his other one to comfort, biting down on his teeth to where they would grind.
"How's that, hot shot?" the girl mocked from behind him, a smirk across her face.
"...Impressive... But you just did me a favor, too..." Van managed out, audible enough for the girl to hear.
The smirk, (just as quick as it appeared,) swept away into the winds, putting that stern look back on her face.
"What do you mean?" was her question.
"You don't get out of this forest much, do you? Huh?" Van questioned instead of answering, his own grin passing by on his lips.
"..?" The girl didn't know what to say; she was stumped at why her opponent was grinning when she had just broken his hand.
Jumping upward, Van spun around, his boomerang coming back into his healthy, right hand and throwing it at the girl, where it hit a little below her left shoulder, it going in as far as the girl's tought skin would let it.
The girl flinched, taking a few unstable steps sideways, darting her eyes at Van, (who was smiling,) and back to her injury.
"You..! Hit me!?" the girl asked in disbelief, falling to the watery ground and holding her arm right below where the boomerang had stuck in her, the blooding rolling down her fingertips.
"You outta know...that a boomerang...always comes back to you..." Van replied, taking a step towards the girl, who was too astonished to care. "But that kick of yours... How can you hit so hard?"
"That's...none of your damn business..!" the girl barked, cringing in pain.
"Then, if you don't mind... I would like my 'toy' back, now, since it shows no value to you," Van said, reaching for his boomerang, but getting punched away by the girl's right fist instead.
"Get away..! Go!!!" the girl spat, glaring at Van.
"Hey! It's mine! I have a right to go as close as I want to to get it!!!" Van argued, glaring back.
"If you wanna die, go ahead!!!" the girl challenged, not moving in the slightest.
"You're so stubborn!" Van started.
"You're an air head!" the girl fought back.
"You arrogant little girl!"
"I wouldn't talk, there, shortie!!!"
"Hah! Speak for yourself!!!" Van finished.
Looking at the boomerang, the girl nervously grasped the end, slowly pulling it out of her flesh, trying to grip it her best since her blood was over the whole thing.
(!? Is she crazy!? I was only kidding about tking it out..!) Van thought, surprised.
"Hey, don't pull it out! You wound could get infected!"
"Why do you care!!?" the girl hissed, showing the pain she was feeling through her tone of voice.
"I... I don't! Who said I did!?" Van asked angrily.
"Nobody if you could hear properly!" the girl said, continuing to pull the boomerang out.
"Argh... If you had even one-fourth- of a brain, you'd know not to pull it out!" Van pressed, trying to knock some sense into the stubborn brunette.
Stopping from pulling it out, the girl slowly moved her eyes onto Van.
"...What's your name?" she asked.
"Huh..?" Van asked, a little dazed. "You ask my name instead of tending to your wound?"
"So!? If I die from loss this wound, I should at least know the name of my killer," the girl stated.
"..." Van didn't understand this girl; if he was in her situation, he would tend to his wound emediatly than ask the name of the person who inflicted the wound.
"...I'm Van."
"OK then, Van, would you tell me how to properly tend to my wound since you sound like you know sooo much about it?" the girl asked calmly, although you could catch a hint of sarcasm.
"As long as you don't kick me again," Van answered, getting out his tiny fisrt-aid kit.
"Fine, I won't..." the girl answered, sighing. "There goes my fun for the day..."
Van smiled at her joke, taking out an antesthetic to numb her arm to lower the pain.
"I'm gonna inject you with this to ease the pain, alright?" Van asked, squirting a tiny amount of the liquid out of the needle that held the antesthetic.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever..."the girl said confidently.
"It might burn a little..."
"God, are you gonna inject me or not!?" the girl snapped impatiently, making Van jump.
"OK OK..! Geez... Demanding..." Van mumbled, injecting her with the shot in her injured arm.
"Oh, was that itttt!!!!!?" the girl tensed up as she felt the antesthetic work.
"I told you if might burn, y'know," Van pointed out, taking the boomerang out as the girl was preoccuoied dealing with the burning sensation.
"And you think I'd listen!?" the girl shot back, looking at Van, and her jaw dropping as she saw that the boomerang was no longer in her.
Seeing the look on her face made Van grin.
"Didn't you notice me take it out?" he asked, taking out a HealPlus element and using it.
"Uh, um, no! I-I knew it was out already..!" the girl lied poorly, making Van's grin wider. "And what the heck are you grinning at!?"
"How much time you take to notice things is pathetic," Van answered, moving her arm around to see if the circleration was normal. It was.
"...Thanks," the girl said suddenly, making Van jerk his head towards her, blushing slightly.
"Why? I started all this, didn't I?" Van asked, pushing up his glasses and putting his things away to avoid her eyes.
"Well, yeah, you did, by hurting that cub demi-human. But I started our fight by challenging you," the girl responed, checking her arm. "Nice work."
"That'll be 200 gil, please," Van charged, making the girl look up in disbelief.
"What!? 200!!? ...You!" the girl realised that Van was joking, and punched him with her good fist.
"Hey! Is that how you repay me for fixing your wound!?" Van asked in defense.
"Yeah! Didn't all those dead people tel you that?" the girl joked again, smirking.
"Oh, you mean the ones who said 'Watch out for that woman! She'll kill you with her good looks!'?" Van as well as the girl were surprised at his words, them both blushing.
"Uh... Here!" Van offered his non-broken hand to the girl as he stood up.
"Thanks..." the girl replied, taking it, and half-way up cringing in pain; she had let him pull her left hand up.
"Oh! Sorry..." Van said, taking her other hand before she fell.
"Someone thinks around here..." the girl murmered, getting up.
"I heard that..." Van said, kneeling to clean his boomerang from all the blood.
"Oh yeah... My name...is...is..." the girl sounded faint, making Van look up at her. Her voice was faint and frail, Van standing up to see if she was alright.
"Hey, you OK?" he asked.
"I'.....m......A......m...a........" the girl collapsed just as she was about to reveal her name, Van grabbing ahold of her right arm to prevent her from falling.
"Hey!?" Van asked her. She was unconscious. "Great... Now I get to play 'Let's Carry the Arrogant Girl'..." Van mumbled to himself, putting her arm around his neck, ignoring the screaming pain his broken bone was wailing at him.
"Wha.....? W-where.......am I...?" the girl asked herself, slowly opening her eyes. Blinking a few times, she propped herself up with her right hand as a supporter, and looked around. She was in a damp cave, most of the cave filled with water, although she was on the dirt ground. Turning her head to the left, she saw some bones of what seemed to be a human...
"Ugh, how disgusting..." she said to herself, looking to her right.
Van... Van was right beside her, sleeping...
(Hm, guess I was out for a bit...) the girl thought, standing up, moving her left arm a bit. (Dang... It still hasn't fully healed... This is just what I need to get back to the mainland!)
"Hey... You're up..." Van said, making her jump a bit.
"Before you," she said, turning towards Van.
"True..." he replied, standing up as well.
"Did I faint or somethin'?" the girl asked.
"Yeah, you did. You had lost a lot of blood, I guess," Van told. "Oh, by the way... You were about to tell me your name before you fainted..."
"Really? I don't remember that, but I'll tell you anyway," the girl said. "My whole name is Malak Arcadia Dai Amara Ambrosine, but you can call me Amara. Nice to meet you. Van, was it?"
"That's right," Van nodded. "You have a long name."
"My family has been here for a while."
An uneasy silence rolled on, neither of them even attempting to start a conversation with the other.
"So..." they both said in inison, them turning towards the other, small smiles appearing on both their faces.
"What now?" Amara asked, looking towards the entrance of the cave. Nightfall had already arrived, and the forest was very dark.
"It's night, as you can see, so I dunno," Van said.
"Well I know what we can do; I'm freezing my butt off! Don't you know how to start a fire!?" Amara asked harshly.
"Of course I do! I just didn't expect it would be this dang cold at night!" Van shot back.
"Then I'll go get some wood so you can show your skills off some more," Amara stated, starting to walk towards the entrance, but something grabbing her right wrist. "What!?"
"You shouldn't even be moving around! Your wound isn't healed!" Van responded.
"Well you have a broken hand! You shouldn't be grabbing people with it!" Amara barked, noticing that his hand and wrist were swollen, even under his glove.
Letting go, Van continued. "I'm in a better condition than you are."
"Uh, yeah, uh-huh... Broken bones are worse than gashes," Amara announced, matter-o-factly.
"...I have a better idea," Van said, getting out an element and throwing it at the pile of bones, them going on fire.
"OK, that works..." Amara said, sitting by the fire, Van sitting across from her.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...So, how come you're out here in this forest?" Van started, looking into the moving flames.
"Just traveling around. I'm trying to go back to the mainland, Porre. I have a home there," Amara replied. "Why're you here?"
"I just came here to get away from someone..." Van answered.
"Who? Your mother making you do too many chores?" Amara asked jokingly.
"...My mother died while I was little..." Van responded meakly, making Arcadia feel bad for trying at a joke.
"I'm sorry, Van... I didn't know..." Amara apologized, hanging her head down, then looking towards the cave entrance. "Don't feel bad, though. I've never even met my mother."
"You've never met your mother?" Van asked, seeing that everyone should know their mother.
"Nope. Not me. My father was the only one who took care of me. I don't have any siblings, or any others relatives now..." Arcadia paused, caught up in her past. "My father was always against the militarism in Porre, as was I. But, I wanted to change all that...by becoming a Porre soldier. My father went berserk when I told him that. He slapped me real hard, but I held back tears that I never allow out. I'm not one for crying, or letting all that depressing crap out. I joke around most of the time, just to forget about what had happened back home..."
"You don't have to tell me anything else. I'm a complete stranger to you," Van brought up.
"It's OK. I'm just trying to keep a conversation going. I could care less about what we talk about," Amara stated bluntly.
"...I live with my father right now, in a small two-room, one story house, which this self-centered rich hag wants to make it into her storage for all her jewels and money. It gets pretty annoying; she comes at least twice a week, waiting for us to pay off interest and all that. My father's a painter, and paints really great pictures, and trys to sell them, but... He only sells those paintings in which he finds satisfied enough for others to purchase. And he always says stuff like 'I'll only sell my work to those who understand it.' I paint some too, but I'm not that great," Van finished.
"So you're an artist, huh? That'd be a boring life for me. I'm more of the adventuring types. I've been exploring around El Nido for a few monthes now. In that time limit, I've been to the El Nido Triangle, circled around Gaea's Navel, went to Sky Dragon Isle, Earth Dragon Isle, and now I'me here 'cause I sneaked onto a ship that I thought would go back to Porre, but I ended up here when I found out that the ship was off to Fort Dragonia. Old crummy ruins like that have no interest to me," Amara explained, leaning against the cold wall of the cave.
"I would have been in Fort Dragonia right now if my so-called comrades hadn't let me go with them. That was who I was running away from. They were treating me like I was just a punk with no skills whatsoever, and said crap like 'It's for your own safety,' and 'not at your age.' Stuff like that," Van replied.
"Well, how old are you?" Amara asked.
"I'll be fifteen in a month or so."
"I'm fourteen, too. So, that means I've been an orphan for.........about six years now, ever since some Porre soldiers took away my father because he retaliated so much. Now, I don't want to be a soldier of Porre, but I was thinking of becoming an assassain or somethin' to get revenge on them Porres," Amara said, anger filling her eyes as she glared at the flame.
"You'd be pretty good at it, with a kick like yours," Van complimented, draining some of the anger out of Amara's eyes.
"I just practiced on anything that got in my way, that's all," Amara stated.
"..." Van saw a glint of some sort out of the corner of his eye, making him turn towards the entrance. Amara must have noticed, too, for she looked as well.
"It'll be morning soon..." Van said glumly.
"Why do you sound like you're dreading the morning?" Amara asked out of curiousity.
"I don't know... I don't want to go back home..."
"...Then," Amara added after his answer, making him perk up, "I'll go with you."
"Huh..? Why would you do that?" Van asked this time.
"I don't have anything better to do. And, all I have is a few elements, so I need to stock up if I'm going to the mainland soon," Amara answered.
"..."
"That is, if you don't mind. I hate being a pest to others," Amara brought up.
"N-no! It's not that!" Van said before Amara could barely finish her sentence.
Smiling, Amara stood up, using an Aquaball on the fire.
"Shall we?" she asked buoyantly.
"Let's," Van replied, getting up as well.
"...Argh...!" Van tryed to muffle the pain he was feeling in his left hand, but Amara noticed anyway.
"We better get you to a medic or somethin'. I think I really broke your hand," Amara stood by Van, who stood up straighter.
"I can manage," he said proudly.
"Hmm... I don't buy it. It hurts. I can tell."
"How, then?" Van challenged.
"Well, if it doesn't hurt, then you wouldn't mind holding my hand until we get to Termina, would you?" she said slyly, holding her right hand out.
Amara raised her eyebrow when Van didn't do nothing but stare at her hand, and just couldn't resist adding a line.
"But, if you think your hand is too weak..."
"No! It's fine, as I've told you before!" Van urged, taking a hold of her hand in his, wincing slightly as she gripped it a little tightly.
"See! You flinched! Ha! It's broken!" Amara said in triumph, letting go of his hand.
"Fine, fine! It's broken! You happy!?" Van growled, making Amara giggle.
"Yeah, now let's get going!"
"Amara..." Van asked as they walked towards the entrance, seeing the sun rising through the enormous trees.
"What?" Amara asked, looking at the small but bright glint og the sun.
"...Can I hold your other hand? Or does your arm not feel up to it?" Van countered, cracking a smile.
"You little weasle..." Amara replied, but smiled anyway. "It's up to it."
"Wha..?"
Giggling, Amara took Van's hand and jogged out of the cave.
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