Title : Two Sides of The Coin
Pairing : Garrland x WoL, WoL-centric, Garland-centric
Summary : Collection of drabbles and short stories about Garland and Warrior of Light.
Auron's Note Author's Note : Hello there! I'm quite fond of this pairing and this fics has been written long, long ago.. I take a challenge from DA's 100themechallange using Variation no.2. Well, I promised myself to share this fics if I already finished around 20 themes. It's actually more than 20, but I decided to pick the best. I know some of theme are too short, but I divided it per chapter for each theme so the readers can focus on the drabble/story.
Please do enjoy!
1. Introduction
Their history was long enough to fill castle's entire books in the library, but the chivalry codes in their blood was persistent enough to make them introduced themselves to one another each time the cycle begun.
57. Sacrificial
It was making him insane. He kept saying and saying those bullshits.
"I shall save you from this cycle, Garland."
Why did the Warrior of Light had to be so stubbornly stupid? Why didn't he just play his role as pawn of Cosmos? Why can't he understand the more he wanted to get out of the cycle, the faster both of them would reach the end?
65. Horrorific
Garland could see it, although the blizzard blurred his vision.
Shards of indigo metal scattered everywhere, red blood basking the cold snow underneath the motionless body. The last warmth has left with a husky voice of hidden pain and inaudible words.
Garland could see it, perfectly. On his hands.
46. Drop
Garland was annoyed. That big-head, lousy, musclemind geezer knocked the light out of him in the earlier morning spar. The fact that he was beaten by an armorless guy was more than enough as an insult, as well as a headline news for the other Chaos warriors. Before that could happen, he made his silent exit into the night dessert terrain.
He sat on one of the rock pillars, took a long breath and trying to relax.. wait, what is that footsteps?
"Garland."
The Chaos warrior tilted his head to see his eternal adversary, pointing his sword towards him with radiating heat in the ice-blue eyes. The Warrior of Light took some steps backward and settling for battle stance.
They locked their eyes for a moment and the silver-armored warrior huffed and closed his eyes. It was not really his day. Okay, wait a moment, Garland thought, he'll summoned his massive sword and wondering if his hand weren't too wobbly to hold it.
Then he realized the Warrior of Light had his sword and shield gone in the midst of light. He just stood there in his place.
" Afraid, aren't you?" taunted the Chaos warrior. He was glad the distance between them was far enough, surely he got some safety.
The smaller man averted his gaze to nowhere. " You're not with your sword."
"Meaning?"
"I don't see any reason to fight you now."
Did he said he wouldn't fight because his enemy was unarmed? This was the side of Garland's enemy that, rather forgotten. Garland would always see, if not expecting, a burning spirit to protect the world and demolished the chaos. His adversary would always be perfect, but who knew he still have some innocence in his soul.
"You let your guard down."
"You did that first, " said the Warrior of Light. "As far as I can remember, you're the one who always ready with your sword. But you didn't, so I won't fight you."
Chuckled, the warrior of Chaos intrigued at his blunt honesty. Maybe he wouldn't mind the next time he faced the blue-armored warrior without his metallic sword, in case he needed some rest.
30. Rain
His silver hair and armor drenched as the rain poured over him. The smell of water seeped into his lungs, feeling the essence since god knew when. It had been raining the whole day in the white plains. All of his comrades had agreed to camp tonight and resuming their battles tomorrow.
So did the Paragon. Or so he wished.
It had been a while since he fought his nemesis. The manikins had him occupied since their numbers increased due to the death of the Goddess.
He wanted to search for the tall, silver-armored warrior. To see him. The world he fought for was an uncertain things that he yet to perceive. Meeting a familiar face was doing much better than comforting each other with false hope that they someday would return to where their own worlds.
He wanted to see him.
He thought he was brave enough to cross the gloomy weather, to search for him, but his comrades were the reason he couldn't do it. Some of them were weary and had some gashes to tend. His responsibility was the virtue that he currently failed to be forsaken. Both clear blue eyes were as dim as the dark grey sky above.
The warrior mentally sighed, knowing that he couldn't stop the rain once it was raining. No matter how much he wanted to.
61. Fairy Tale
Their tale is a tale no one ever want to read nor hear. It was too confusing to tell which part was the beginning.
22. Mother
The young silver-armored warrior wanted to meet with his mother, not that fake one.
100. Gone
Cosmos, their guidance, their light, his light, was engulfed inside the fire spin. His body went numb.
3. Light
The brighter the light, the darker the shadow it created. Sadly, the light didn't have the slightest idea of how depths of the shadow would be.
67. Drum
The sound was always there. In their veins, in their flesh, in every cells. The steady beat that would accepted whatever the fate had installed for them.
26. Europe
They were bored, or rather, it was Kuja who stated it. He glided into the center of the ruins and putting up a dramatic pose. Some Chaos warrior were starting to plug their ears, while the mad clown gleefully exited the room, while screaming that he should get his pillow first. The sorcerer "hmped" at the lack of antusiasm in theatrical art.
Then, he began a tale about a girl named Europe, loved by the king of the God, because of her captivating beauty. His goddess wife was jealous of her beauty and decided to punish the innocent girl. Knowing her wife's temper, the God thought of a way. He transformed into a white and gorgeous ox. He approached Europe and acted like a tame one. She was interested with the ox and the animal made an attempt to let the girl ride on his back. Once the girl settled on his back, he ran and took the girl with him. They crossed the roads and the sea, not stopping until reaching an island so far away where only the fairies live there. The God revealed himself in front of her and they got married.
Unknown to the genome sorcerer, one warrior was secretly listening to his story, since he imagined doing the exactly the same thing as the God's brilliant idea.
96. Storm
He swung his giant sword around him, summoning the twin tornadoes. After all, nature was the best weapon any living things could use.
56. Biohazard
If only Warrior of Light knew, he should've stripped his armors off and utterly paralyzed his enemies with his beautiful body.
41. Citric Acid
Everyone agreed that no one, even the sour-faced Squall, could match the rage of their silent leader if he was angry.
40. 4:29 PM
In their battlefield, everything stayed the same. The sky, the stars, the ruins, the grass, the wind. And the sun will never showed their golden and reddish streaks of the twilight sky. But that was alright. The Nemesis had his own sun, trailing down the path he had created for the sun to follow.
48. Young
Why did his hair and face stayed the same? Was the reflections on his dark blue armor lied to him, hiding the reality of fleeting time? How much time left did he actually had?
64. City
Once, all of the Cosmos warriors gathered and conversations usually started naturally. But there was too much awkward silence. Actually, Tidus was the one who started it, bluntly saying they needed to get to knew each other from name into their origins. He told his new friends about his city, the city of light that never sleep, the sandy beach with crystal blue sea, the round stadium with giant bubble arena filled with water in the middle for playing Blitzball, the amazing mist that shrouded the morning city, the sphere-shaped buildings with cone like roof, the vast blue sea beneath his city, the rocky valley that shines with orange glow when the sun set, and so on. All of the Cosmos warriors were interested and began to ask questions about Tidus' hometown. The Ace answered happily and kept saying that all of them should visit there after the battles. He would guarantee their enjoyment of staying there.
The Warrior of Light finding himself wondering about the city, couldn't help the thought of how nice it was if he could go there with his comrades.
74. Confrontation
Another day of battle always meant to end in one's defeat.
The smaller warrior was always determined to win. The tip of his blade slicing the air but his opponent quickly jumped into the right, repelling the slash with his massive sword. The next thing the warrior knew was concretes and dust and gushes of wind slamming his body into the grey wall.
93. Iron
A wound or a gash, it didn't matter. Both warriors knew they shouldn't be bothered with them when they were made from the whole metal itself.
59. No Way Out
When those black spots appear, the blue knight was sure it was his defeat this time.
18. Under
The tall knight took of his purple cape and draped it on the unconscious silver-haired man. Surely the man wouldn't mind, it was far more dangerous if those coming Chaos warriors found him lying on the temple floor.
27. Foreign
The Warrior of Light thought that diversity was a good stimulant to understand his fellow warriors. But he couldn't help being mesmerized by the exotic crimson rose that Firion treasured, explosive bullet sound from Squall's iron gunblade, dramatic theatrical play of a tragedy between a prince who fell for a princess from his enemy country by Zidane, Tidus who combined his favorite sport with swordsmanship, the fish-like airplane that could fly to the moon from Cecil's world, Terra who shyly wished for big Moogle doll, one night with Cloud's long rant about how he was manipulated to believe that he was someone important, not to mention forced to crossdressed as a maiden, Onion Knight's vast knowledge on the history of his country, Bartz's ability to job-changed into whatever he wanted, even though it was better if he could stop the Erotic Dancer mode.
The other Cosmos warriors could only sighed or grinned when they saw their leader just stared and mouthing a small 'o' letter.