Roads
In life, there are many roads to take.
Baralai knew, but also understood, that as a Yevon monk, there was only one road for him to walk - that of against Sin, and against the traitors who had committed heresy to their beliefs, including the Al Bheds who had turned away from the teachings to salvage the forbidden machina.
But the day he met Gippal in the Crimson Warriors was the day he started to doubt everything he was taught, and to doubt his cruel image of Gippal's people. The way Gippal smiled, the way Gippal moved - it seemed hard to believe that such a man would be marked down as a traitor...
And even then...
He held a gun in his hands - forbidden, he thought shakily, as he raised the machina up and aimed.
He fired.
§
It was relieving to know that it had only been a training exercise, and the target had only been a piece of foam. Baralai didn't believe he could kill - couldn't believe that he had signed up for something that would make him have to. Millions died when Sin breathed, what millions had previously lived on Kilika had perished along with their prosperous lives. They hadn't deserved to die, they hadn't expected to die... Nobody ever did.
He told Gippal this, and Gippal only laughed, ruffling his hair before he danced off to steal a drink off their third partner.
Baralai hated Gippal when he was in that sort of mood, and before he could proceed to list to the Al Bhed what he couldn't stand, the man pressed one fingers against his lips and told him to forget.
"'sides," he said, "tomorrow's the last day, no? Soon, we'll become real soldiers, and then we'll fight Sin. Together."
Together. It sounded so good.
§
When she had shouted, Baralai turned, trying to spot what was wrong - the ritual monks had their firearms out and ready to fire; he wanted to run, but Gippal threw himself onto him, and the Al Bhed shielded him from the brunt of the bullets.
Baralai shivered in his hold, shuddered as he heard the sound of pain, and the sound he came to recognise as death. Only when the ringing of the bullets faded into silence, and nothing remained saved the sound of harsh breathing, did Gippal stand, pulling Baralai up with him, the former holding tightly onto him.
The monks that had tried to kill them were dead.
And she stood there, like an angel of death, her once perfect shimmering and sheathed sword, now exposed, and tainted with the crimson of blood that slowly seeped into the mud.
"She's a brave girl, that one," Gippal murmured.
"Yes," Nooj, the last and oldest, agreed.
Baralai kept silent as he leaned quietly onto the Al Bhed who held him willingly.
It was Nooj who spoke first this time. "Corruption," he announced, "runs afoul. Something must be done about it. The three of us - no one else."
"We can split up," Gippal suggested, "and we'll work in secret, together. Three of us, three factions; we'll take all of Spira into our own. See," he said, counting off his fingers, "Yevonites, Al Bheds, and in-betweens; the cast-aways who see nothing else, et cetera." He pointed at Baralai, himself, and Nooj in turn.
A thin line hardened Nooj's lips, as Baralai mewed softly, but a look from Gippal stopped all protests.
"It's," he added, "up to us. The three of us - together." Then, grinning, he waved at her, who sat in the distant, still watching, like the recorder she was. "Maybe four."
"Maybe," Nooj agreed - his words carried by the gentle breeze far into the horizon.
Baralai let his fingers laced into those of the Al Bhed's, a comforting gesture for the both of them; he stood, pulling Gippal up with him this time, and they both offered their arms out to Nooj, who took them gratefully.
Their fingers lingered together as they bade each other farewell, each with their own roads to walk.
But, Baralai knew, someday, their roads would have to cross... Someday.
owari.
Notes: This was a story I wrote end last year, for somebody who had requested Gippal/Baralai; as you can see, I have no way of writing either of them well, the last time I touched anything holding a resemblance to FFX-2 was when I lent the game to somebody else, so I can safely say my knowledge about all things canon is zilch and zero. And the somebody who requested this will most likely never have a chance to read this, because she stopped talking to me before I showed her this.
Ah well.