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One

"Moogle"

モーグリ

Every night had been the same.

The nightmare, screams and all.

And then the calming voice shortly after to whom she would promptly bid good night to and resume her night's sleep.

Raynie never told anyone about the nightmares, not even when she practically awakened the entire hotel with her yells. She especially didn't tell anyone about the voice in her head. No, not the kind that subconsciously hints at you in times of need. This one replied back and didn't just appear in those certain times. Actually, it was beginning to dig its nose far too often for her liking. So she basically went along with it, delusional or not, she kept talking to him. Whoever he was anyway, he obviously knew her somehow and though she always asked him about that, he never answered or he simply dodged the question with another one.

"Hey, uhh... um..."

"Yeah?"

"So uh, who're you?"

"You'll know, when you get older."

"I'm old enough already!"

"You're thirteen... a shrimp. Heh, I highly doubt that's old enough, don't you?"

"No! I can fight an' everythin'!"

"You could use some work."

"Hmph. St'pid..."

She banged at the hard metal, her fingers gripping tightly along the handle of the hammer as she made a face of concentration. The one little dent that lined the gummi ship in front of her was a tough one to get rid of, her hits becoming weaker, hitting certain areas to make the material slick and solid like it had been before its accident. This is so st'pid! He totally lied! She had heard the customer saying it had been asteroids and heartless, her head poking out from above the counter by Cid as he took down the repairing order. Raynie never really paid any attention to the orders or how much they munny they cost, just the stories behind them. How the pilot got out of it, how did it happen in the first place, was anyone hurt and so on.

That's what interested her.

The adventure.

As Cid scribbled down the details, she could only think of how exactly she could get to experience that. Those adventures she heard so much about. Squall had told her of a few and so had Aerith, but she tended to tone it down more because of her age, so she preferred Squall's stories most of the time. Aerith had reprimanded him a few times after hearing him give the most detailed battle scenes she had ever heard and she doubted the ninja had heard worse too. It was a good thing Squall didn't really care for their 'innocence' when it came to telling battle stories, simply saying that they were going to know about it in years time anyway and that only made her more excited about it.

When Cid had finished with the order, she quickly swiped it away before he could even hand it to her. Raynie promptly started to read the repairs labeled on the pad of yellow paper, dragging her gloved fingers along each line as she read. The older man let out a grumble, looking down at her just as the door chimed when the customer had stepped out.

"Impatient, aren't ya?"

"Hrm... hm....oohhh, this is it?! That's all?!"

"Yea, not so many damages, see? The guy really has some imagination in that damn skull of his with that story."

"Gaawww... dis'ppoint men."

"Dis-A-point-ment."

"Whatever."

She went off in the direction of the garage entry, stomping down the swirling staircase that led to the gummi ships in the shop. The girl made it to the last step, bunching up the paper into the dront pocket of the work apron she had on, full of dust and oil smears. Without a pause, she knew that it was just going to be another boring day in the shop. Nothing but her, gummi ships and some tools in the bleak garage. With a sigh, Raynie made her way over to the numbered ship, sticking her tongue at it promptly when she caught sight of the little dent. So she started to bang at it from certain points with a hammer she had gotten off the large tool box to the side and she kept doing that for what seemed like hours.

Squeak.

The girl gave a jump, dropping the hammer onto the concrete floor. She looked around cautiously, making sure to look toward her back just in case. A frown marking her face, she bended down and grabbed the hammer back into her two hands, figuring the noise hadn't actually existed and it was just voices in her head. Just like him...

Squeeeaak.

Squeak.

"AHH!"

Another jump, but this time she gripped the tool in her hands tightly, ready to attack at the intruder. Knowing full well what it was only made her strengthen her hold on the hammer, her body backing up against the gummi ship.

"Yeah, uhh... I, do not squeak for your information."

"Shhh!"

"... Did a little girl just shush m--?"

Squeeaaakkk.

The said intruder made its presence as it floated out from behind a black gummi ship that was near by, It was one of those top of the line ones, all shiny with all the works included. Raynie could only clench her teeth together at the sight of the round thing, it's purple pom-pom bouncing slowly as it made its way toward her. At this action, her eyes started to emit a soft glow, green-ish rings swirling into the bright blue of her oculars. Her fear was starting to get the best of her, sending slow stings into her eyes at the same time, causing her to blink rapidly before focusing at the ever approaching moogle.

Slowly coming toward her.

"Just calm down, it's harmless."

"Says you... whoever you are."

So, slowly.

"Eeep, j-just... just stay where ya are, ya dumb moogle!"

Oh, how she hated those things.

As if her nightmares weren't bad enough, she had to work under the same roof as them! Everyone called them cute and huggable, but she called them assassins in disguise. Just when you're hugging them, they'll attack. It was the perfect plan for those things! Who's to say they would do just that? Their pom-pom's are probably weapons! She shuddered at the thought of hugging that... thing. It had stopped just a few feet away, it's head tilted to one side curiously. Raynie had the hammer ready to attack now just in case, but it only stayed there, staring with its stitched eyes, if they were eyes at all anyway.

Squeak.

"W-what do ya want now?!"

They always came around at random times. Either one or two of them would just drop by, float around and go away. But she highly doubted that's what they were doing, they had something in mind, a plan. And good or bad, she kind of didn't care at the moment. All she wanted was for it to get out and back into its own work space with its other assassins-in-disguise friends.

"Well?"

Squeak.

It tilted its fuzzy head to the other side now for a moment and then it turned around and floated toward the exit, squeaking all the way. The purple-haired girl stayed in her spot for minutes more, staring at the spot where the fluffy white creature had been with wide eyes. Her hands had been in front of her, pointing the blunt end of the hammer towards it, but now she let her arms drop, letting only on hand grip onto the tool by her side. At the same time, the radiant light in her eyes died down, resuming their crystal blue color but still holding an odd sparkle within them as she sighed and kicked her foot to the ground. False alarm, she guessed. But now she was sure to let her guard up, just as a precaution, while she worked.

Just as she was about to bang at the ship again, something caught her eye. Nothing shiny or bright, but... something missing.

Missing from the expensive black ship.

Missing while she was supposed to be in charge of all ships in the garage.

Missing... shortly after the moogle left.

The moogle!

At the front of the ship was an empty block space where an intricate insignia had once been. She remembered quite well that that was one of the many parts on the spacecraft that looked costly. And now, it was gone.

"Oh, shi--"

"Gramp's gonna kill me!"

Raynie scrambled to the ship, looking at it from all angles to make sure nothing else was missing. At the same time however, her hands were shaking, gazing around the working space to see if maybe, just maybe, the part had fallen off.

"Aw, come on, he wouldn't do that. Just explain it to him and it'll be fine!"

This was far worse than that one time she had been a little too curious for her own. A ship had come in, seeking repair as usual and all she was charged to do with it was fix some scratches along it's wings. So she did just that. But then some glimmering beckoned her forward: the keys. One thing let to another, to another and... to another. Well, eventually the ship successfully made it's way straight through the ceiling, missing Cid who was above taking a nap by inches, unfortunately missing the moogles further up as well only for it to come crashing straight into the other district, right into Gizmo's shop.

Now the girl looked straight into the boarded up hole in the ceiling nearby, grimacing at the yells and curses she had thrown at her. Not to mention all the extra un-paid work she had to do afterwards. She called it child-abuse, Cid called it "paying back every damn munny orb even if it meant working till she was of old age".

Her head tilted back down toward the empty space and though it blended into the craft due to its pitch color, you could still clearly see the indent of the hole. By her sides, her hands clenched tightly into fists, her right hand tightening its fingers around the wooden hold of the hammer with anger. She could practically see red even though her eyes started glowing a fierce green, the blueness twisting around in jagged lines and rings.

"Friggin'... st'pid... moogles..."

"Sure it was the moog--?"

"ARRGH!!!"

Like a bolt of lightening she sped up the stairs, bolting past the door that led into the main area of the shop where Cid was leisurely munching on a yakitori. The door opened with a bang as she ran by it and over to the second staircase that led into the moogles headquarters. All the while, she was yelling and screaming words that no little girl should ever speak.

Cid could only stop mid-bite as he saw the blur of black, blinking into empty space before he shrugged his shoulders and continued his lunch break. Whatever had happened he didn't want to know... yet. When he did, he was sure that it wasn't going to be anything joyous because more than likely it involved one of the gummi ships in his care. Ships he was entrusted with and that alone started to make his blood boil as crashed and bangs came through the ceiling above him. Now, as much as he wanted to finish devouring his food and see the aftermath of the war going up in the moogle's shop of... whatever they did up there, he knew he had to intrude. Quite frankly, he mostly did it because he didn't want a certain incident to happen again.

"You have to stop being careless! She's learning those words from you, Cid, I know it."

"She'll learn them eventually, sh**, why not start early?"

Aerith stared at the older man with a calm face, her hands holding the now empty flower basket as she had been selling her precious star dust roses and midnight kora tulips that day. She then closed her eyes and turned around, her back facing him as she mumbled out a few words that Cid's ear couldn't quite catch, but he was sure the word 'sorry' was in there somewh--

The flower girl swiftly turned on her heel and raised the sturdy basket, letting it fall down straight onto his head.

BANG!

"OW! What the crap was that for?!"

"I-I'm so sorry! Oh, my planet, did it hurt that much? Umm, no, forget that! It was for the best!"

"Best? EXACTLY WHAT F****** DEFINITION OF BEST DO YOU KNOW OF?!"

The man proceeded to rub his head where he was sure there was going to be a bump soon, a fumbled string of curses escaping his mouth as Aerith looked on at him with a worried look.

"I... would heal you, but... call this tough love, Cid. Remember what I said, okay?"

He nodded in a grumble before the pink-clad girl could smile happily and walk off with a nod.

"... freaking psycho flower girl."

Oh yeah, he learned his lesson that time. It was at that moment that he got up from his stool, throwing the half-eaten yakitori into the trash after promptly losing all appetite. With quick strides and stomps onto the steps, he opened the entry way to the moogles shop to see a sight that surprised even himself.

The little girl, red with anger, was strapped to a chair, struggling with all her might against her holds and muffling out words through the tape that covered her mouth. Obviously the moogles had won the fight, after much conflict that is. Objects were strewn about, a printing machine was practically in shambles all over and stacks of paper had been torn to bits, some were still floating down to the floor. But what was most amusing was the fact that two of the moogles, with stitched stars for eyes instead of the usual 'x' and black pom-pom's in replacement of the purple-ish pink ones, were currently drawing on her face with permanent markers.

She muffled out some more, staring at Cid with pleading eyes as a mustache was drawn below her nose. Cid could only chuckle and cross his arms before his chest.

"Whatever it is that you did, I'm sure this will be enough of a punishment. I'll be back in five minutes, have fun, brat. Don't do too much damage, moogs."

"MRMMPH!!"

"Just so you, know, the mustache look does not suit you."

He turned on his boot and went back down the stairs as the moogles squeaked out what he assumed to be laughter. Maybe it was much leaving her at the hands of the moogles for a full five minutes, but as he said before, he was sure that whatever she had done to incite her to attack the moogles was bad. Now, that doesn't mean that he completely thought her at fault. Obviously the moogles had something to do with it as well, maybe full blame even. He smirked when a grumble escaped his mouth, making his way down to the last step.

"Tch, I'll deal with the fuzz balls later. Heh heh."

A/N: I really did leave her at the hands of the moogles for five minutes. Don't worry, they'll get their just desserts soon. -grin- This chapter was pretty slow, but I wanted to give some more background before I get into the action and interesting parts which will come next chapter, I promise.

Disclaimer: I still don't own any of S-E's stuff... one day, one day -shakes fist-