This was made for HC-Bingo April Chllenge! I'm still not sure whether I'll continue this or not, you tell me (:

Leave reviews and let me know what you think!

Summoning Espers

Vaan woke up on the middle of the night, all sweaty and with the worst headache he ever had in his entire life. His whole body felt hot, and he was sure he had a very strong fever. Was he… sick? Years had passed since he last had such a bad feeling.

He thought of waking Penelo up and asking for help, but soon gave up on the idea. He couldn't bother her more than he already did. Leaving his room, he walked out of the Galbana, not really taking any specific path.

The cold night's air felt great against his hot skin, but truth was he couldn't see anything in front of him. His vision was cloudy and he felt weak, but didn't want to stop walking just yet. However, before he could see it coming, his face met the hard ground.

"Damn." He whispered.

He wasn't one to trip. He really was bad, wasn't he?

The auracith on his pocket began to glow, and that was when he noticed he had fallen right into a summoning platform. Its stoned structure was glowing blue underneath him. As the platform shone along with the auracith, Vaan felt even more drained. So, that was it, huh? It was the summoning taking all his strength? So, what should he do now? Stop using the auracith?

No, the whole crew depended on him, they needed the espers if they were going to fight every sky pirate they found on the aegyl's land. The blue light kept on shining from the platform, and he knew there was some esper coming from it. He wasn't the one calling, but the auracith kept on shining in accordance to the platform.

When the light subsided, he realized his head was lying on someone's lap. It felt so comfortable he didn't even think of moving away.

"Aaah… I'm sorry."

The sweet voice took Vaan away from his fever induced trance, making him move away from her fast.

"No, I'm sorry!"

He looked at the girl. She had a petite form, her hair was what an exotic tone of green and her face was red from embarrassment. However, none of that was what called his attention. That girl… he was sure he knew her from somewhere.

"You… are not an esper." He said, instead of voicing his actual thoughts.

She raised her face to look at him, the blush leaving her cheeks.

"Esper? Do you know them? I was just beside one, I was trying to unfroze it, but-" she couldn't finish that sentence. There was so much into it, she just couldn't bring herself to admit.

"Here we just call them, using this stone."

He handed her the auracith, and she looked intensely to the green stone in her hands.

"That stone can summon espers? So impressive! We're trying so hard for them to awake. We need their help desperately."

She gave him the auracith back.

"If you want, you can take it to your world." Vaan said, grinning widely at her.

"Really? You would allow me to?"

"Sure, why not? If you need it."

"I… that would be very nice. You know, I'm not really a fighter, so I rarely get to help my friends. And we have to change the Empire, but I…"

Vaan only smiled at her.

"I'm sure that's not right. If you're so worried, I'm sure you help your friends a lot."

His words shocked her. Why was that stranger being so nice to her? But then again… was he really a stranger? She was sure she had met him before. Those kind blue eyes… were really familiar, as was the carefree posture that seemed to be his trademark.

"Thank you, Vaan."

"Don't mention it, Terra."

As their names escaped the other's lips, they stared at each other, their eyes wide with surprise and incomprehension. They knew each other's names, but since she came from the summoning platform, they haven't introduced themselves to the other.

"How can I know you?" he asked, trying hard to understand what was going on with them.

"I don't know." She admitted, her face once again getting redder. "But… I have this impression…" she didn't know how to finish the sentence, but he could understand her perfectly.

"I know. I have it too. I feel like I know you. I feel like we already fought together… Somehow."

She nodded, raising her face to look at him once again.

"You can stay with us, you know. While we figure out a way to send you back to your world."

"I… That would be nice, thank you."

He got up, but did it too quickly. He would have fallen again, have Terra not hold him in place. His forehead rested on her bare shoulder, and he was able to smell her sweet scent. He felt his heart race inside his chest. Yes, he did know her. She was the one his heart had been aching for so long.

Penelo had kept her distance ever since she saw him leave the Galbana. She had notice he was feverish, but when she was close enough to reach him, the strange girl appeared. That made her hide behind a tree, embarrassed.

At first, she thought Vaan didn't know the girl, but when she said his name and he answered with hers before they could introduce themselves, she knew something was wrong. How could they know each other? Penelo had always been with Vaan, and she surely didn't know a girl named Terra.

Her heart did a painful twist, but she was willing to let it go and run to help him when he almost fell again, due to the somehow forgotten fever.

"You're sick!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with worry. "Why didn't you say so before?"

Penelo watched as Vaan just smiled to the girl on that typical way of his.

"Nah, it not like I can do something about it."

"But I can." The girl said, as she placed both her hands at each of Vaan's cheeks.

Penelo felt like crying as the girl named Terra began to chant, a pale blue light coming from her hands. That was cure magic. That strange girl could perform cure magic, just like her. And it wasn't just that. As a cure mage, Penelo was able to feel magic power, and the one emanating from that girl… was absurdly big. Much bigger than hers and Kyte's together.

She felt hot tears descending her cheeks.

Vaan felt the fever leave his body, taking all the uneasiness away with it.

"Thank you." He whispered to her.

She smiled to him, and he noticed he had never seen that smile before.

"I'm glad."

"What?" she asked, confused.

"You never smiled like that, before."

Flashes passed his mind, of her scared face, her reluctance to fight.

"Did Kefka leave you alone?"

She looked right into his eyes, having the same flashes he had.

"No. He is after me, after us. But, on my world, I'm not alone."

They vaguely remembered now. The war between Cosmos and Chaos. The endless cycle that brought more and more warriors from other worlds.

"You weren't alone there either."

"Before you saved me, yes, I was."

She was embarrassed to say all those things to him, but then again, she might never have the opportunity to see him again – the kind boy that saved her from her controlling enemy.

He stepped forward, getting close to her once again.

"Since you're here already… Why don't you stay?"

Stay…? Leave Locke, Edgar, Celes, Sabin and all the others? However, she had never been happy on her world. She loved her friends, but she wasn't happy. However, Vaan had left a permanent mark on her while they were on Cosmo and Chaos' world.

"I… They need me there. I still have magic, something they need a lot back in my world."

The smile on Vaan's lips faltered a little, but he understood her concern.

"Then, just stay with us for a bit, while we figure a way to send you back."

Terra looked down, feeling her cheeks burn once again.

"I thought I would never see you again."

"I also thought that." He said nonchalantly, crossing his arms behind his head. "But I did my best to transform that world into a less dangerous place for you and the others."

"You did. We defeated Chaos and got back to our own worlds."

"That's nice to hear. Light, Tifa and Yuna would be happy to hear it."

Terra nodded.

"Firion, Cloud and Tidus were just fine. I think they were able to remember a bit too, while we were still fighting."

He extended a hand to her.

"Come on. I'll show you our ship."

Blushing even more, she accepted the offer, entwining her fingers on his.

"Thank you, Vaan."

Penelo covered her mouth, trying to disguise her sobs. Her Vaan, her beloved childhood friend who she had taken care of for all her life… He loved someone else. She felt her heart break into a thousand little pieces.

"Why?"