I.
She liked it best when it rained. It was kind of strange, or so the others thought. But whenever it rained Penelo seemed to gain in strength. She'd stand there for a moment, letting each drop hit her eyelids. She seemed to hum, to radiate, with each drop that hit her skin.
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II.
It was so hot and steamy in her jungle home, and the rain was an unfamillar nuisance. Sure, she had experience it before, and some of Fran's fondest memories took place after storms. But now it mocked her, because water poured from the sky and there were no dewdrop pebbles to be found.
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III.
There had been a research product about controlling the weather at Draklor. The Gentry thought themselves so high and mighty as to be able to stop the rain. They hated it, because it made everything drip and the sky was buried in a gloomy gray. Ffamran had always loved the rain, because he and his father would go out and play in it.
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IV.
Ping...ping...ping...
It was the sound of the rain on the tin roofs of the houses in Landis.
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V.
The last time it rained in Rabanastre, Vaan watched a friend of his slip and hit her head on the cobblestone ground. A kindly man brought her to Old Dalan, who insisted that no one could see her until he gave the word. He never gave the word, and Filo swore that she saw the body being carried out of the Southgate.
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VI.
He grew more mad than ever, and soon when his son talked about running in the rain, Cidolfus snapped at him because such games were foolish and took time from his precious Nethicite. Ffamran went out by himself, and found that it wasn't as fun to stand in the middle of a deserted street alone, dripping wet.
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VII.
Ping...ping...ping...
The sound haunted him, even though there were no tin roofs above his head.
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VIIII.
Gramis had gone out in stormy weather with his youngest son one day. Larsa had never seen him in ill health until a few days later. He blamed the rain for his father's sickness--even after he found out that it had been going on for years.
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IX.
Spending time with her uncle in Bujherba was something that Ashe always looked forward to. She liked to look down and see the rain so far below, pitter-pattering down onto the ground. The feeling of being above even the rain exhilirated her, and it was the first time that she ever felt a lust for power.
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X.
Ping...ping...ping...
The Judges' outfit made the same noise when it was rained upon.
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XI.
She would twirl and twirl and twirl until everything blurred into one color. It was a game that she used to play with her father, who would take her out to Giza during The Rains--to see if she could dodge the raindrops. She always lost, but never gave up the hope that she could win.
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XII.
Balthier hated the rain.
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XIII.
It was raining the day that Larsa got wind of his father's death. The Gods were ironic.
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XIV.
Mjrn didn't collect Dewdrop Pebbles anymore.
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XV.
Ashe never wanted it to stop raining. Because when the sun shone, it seemed to mock her. There it was, bright and burning, while she was crashing into the ground while screaming dark horrors that no one could hear.
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XVI.
She always told him to stay where she could see him. On one occassion, however, young Vaan travled out of his mother's site and into some old shop that no one could recall the name of. It took her a half-hour to find him, crying all the while. She scolded him lightly in between kisses and tears. He looked up at the rain, thoughts of his poor mother running through his head. Even now, when he was in her sight, she still cried, for now she could never kiss him again; he'd sit in the middle of it, because at least he could still feel her tears.
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XVII.
Fran liked the way that most of the raindrops didn't hit her when travelling through the thick canopy of trees. The Wood would spare her that nostalgia, at least.
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XVIII.
The rain didn't judge. It touched everything. Every race, every social group, and every age. It even touched Vayne--and for that he hated it.
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XIX.
He slashed his way through a crowd of enemies, hacking everything that moved, and all for the sake of his home. It didn't matter if it was raining, Vossler still hacked and slashed.
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XX.
They traveled through the rain sometimes, it was something they couldn't avoid. And Penelo would welcome it, letting each drop kiss her skin. Fran tried not to let the memories wash over her, because never again would she never gather Dewdrop Pebbles again. Ping...ping...ping...Basch went crazy with his sword to try and drive the noise out of his head. Ashe wanted to close her eyes and go high into the sky where the sun still shone and she could feel the power of the Gods. Balthier didn't think about being alone--he couldn't let himself. Vaan could feel the tears of his mother and wanted to shed some of his own for the rain's victim. Larsa supressed thoughts of his father. Vossler still hacked and slashed.
And it kept raining.
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This is probably one of the best things I've ever written--in my opinion, at least. I apologize for any mistakes--my new computer didn't come with Microsoft Word, which means no spellcheck. Bah. What Windows XP computer doesn't come with Microsoft Word, you ask? Well, I ask too.
I love the things about Landis with Basch and Gabranth (because as a Judge he isn't Noah). Even though I never particullarly cared for their characters. Actually, I love it all. But XVI bothers me...I rewrote that upwards of ten times to try and get it worded right...and I still didn't get it. But I would be here for hours trying to fix it, because I'm a perfectionist when it comes to getting the wording right. Oh well, what can you do?
Please review, and tell me what you did/didn't like. I love hearing from you, and I promise to reply back to each of you.
