The Warriors: Diamond
"You did well." Diamond nodded at me. She moved with a strange elegance, totally unsuited to her. It was quiet and understated. You wouldn't expect her to hold much presence in a room, yet somehow all eyes were attracted to her. Her boots were long, white over the whole with blue stripes and stretched over her knee, almost making her appear like a dancer. Her short, lime green skirt concealed white shorts, fashionable yet practical; you didn't want to wear anything too fluttery as a warrior. Her long-sleeved top was white, with intricate blue patterning, and clung onto her skin without being restrictive. She almost seemed perfect, with her crystalline eyes and matching sky blue hair; but there seemed to be a strange sort of plainness about her. If she had no skill in the sword or on the battlefield, you would assume she would have become a demure and shy lady.
"Your skill surpassed anything I could have expected of you." Diamond continued, still pacing around. Her sword, similar to mine but with an interesting line of blue, hung off a simple belt around her waist and trailed on the floor. The hilt continued her subtle hints at being uncomplicated; apart from a tiny dragon's head at the end, the metal was all the same shade of blue and came out in simple lines.
I stood up straight, defiant. I wouldn't let her praise soften me and I wouldn't fall victim to her pretty half-smile.
"What is your name?" Diamond asked.
My arms remained tense, ready for a sudden attack. She could easily be luring me into a false sense of security. "That doesn't matter. I'll change it if I join you, and if I don't join you then you have no right or need to know."
Her grin became amused and a slight murmur of a laugh caught in her throat. "You may rest before fighting me. I think you'll find you need it."
That was completely unexpected. My face, a previous wall of neutrality, betrayed my shock and outrage. I could have a rest before battling her? I'd need it? What was she implying by that remark?
"Are you assuming I'm weak?" I accused her, holding her crystal blue eyes with my own crimson ones.
"No, I'm merely stating that you need a rest. You've fought four warriors. One was new and two were a pair of medium skill and highly advanced teamwork which you took on at the same time, a challenging task for even the most skilled warriors. You also took on a very experienced and skilled warrior, and fought her with your utmost skill for the quickest finish possible."
"She fell to my trap too easily." I smirked. Whenever I was trying for a new group I tried to come across cold and selfish. I would slowly open up – a little, for teamwork's sake – because, as you will find, my character changed in the year before I joined the Warriors.
"I must agree." Diamond nodded again.
"If you think I won't take you on now, however, you are very much mistaken." I answered.
Diamond sighed and shook her head. Perhaps my decision was ill founded but I never stop until I drop down dead; it's my greatest strength and my greatest weakness. I guess I'm too proud. She drew her sword. I noted now that it was a long, double handed, powerful weapon that could be wielded with great force.
Yuna would have said it was like Sir Auron's blade.
She charged at me with great force and speed: I parried with enough force required after judging hers. She spun away and attacked at me. Her skill was like nothing I had ever seen before, so I put every ounce of energy and determination left into beating her.
Slowly my stamina and energy whittled away, but I didn't let that weaken me. My limbs were stiff from my rest as I parried Diamond's quick and powerful attacks, but I forced them to move as quickly and forcefully as she was. She flipped over me and I ducked, avoiding the swipe of her sword, and then rose to meet her next attack.
I felt my sword begin to slip out of my sweaty hand. I flipped away, taking one hand off my sword and wiping it on my flying robes, which gave me a slightly better grip.
Finally, we both charged at each other and were both knocked away by the force of the other's attack. I tried to get up, but realised my sword was far away from me. I heard Diamond get up and forced my limbs to do the same, jogging away to fetch my sword and panting heavily. I heard her battle cry as she charged and met her attack with less strength than before.
Slowly, fatigue began to sweep over me and my attacks became weaker and weaker. Suddenly, Diamond's sword grazed my arm, inflicting a fairly deep wound I knew would scar. Pain coursed up through my arm, stiffening it.
I forced myself to battle on, one-handed, but I was so slow that my sword was soon knocked out of my hand and, without Diamond even touching me, fatigue and pain overcame me and I fell unconscious.
[Two Days Later]
I awoke to find myself in a room, lying on a bed, with my mind as blank as the summer sky. What was I doing there? Where was I? How had I got there?
Of course, the memories of the fights the previous day came flooding back. I rolled over to my left, wanting to test my mobility, but my left arm suddenly burned with pain and I went back on to my front. I tried sitting up, and thankfully that worked. My arm was in a sling. Had Diamond's attack broken it as well as wounded it? Grudgingly, I had to hand it to the woman; she could really right.
I got off the bed and stretched my right arm. It felt stiff and it hurt slightly. I sighed. "Lactic acid…" I muttered under my breath, and slowly went through my body, trying to rid my muscles of the stuff. As I did so, I looked around, and found my sword against the wall. When I finished, I picked it up, sheathed it and then walked out of the room.
I found myself under that same, cloudless, summer sky and realised it wasn't a room. It was one of the wooden huts in Kilika Port. The fights had been in Kilika Woods, so it was little surprise to find myself here. I stepped away from the hut, and when I looked back at it I recognised it as the headquarters of the Warriors, one of the largest huts in the port.
I walked away and through the village, looking for the others. This was annoying because wherever I went people pointed at me and whispered. I shot glares at them and walked on. Whenever I asked people where the Warriors were they just shrugged.
Finally I came across Emerald, near to Dona's hut. "Emerald, is that you?" I asked the young Al Bhed.
Emerald swung round. She grinned at me in a Rikku way that shot a painful spear of guilt through my heart. "You're awake!" she exclaimed.
"No, I'm a zombie. How long have I been asleep?"
"Two days." Emerald said, counting on her fingers. "Diamond was thinking of leaving without you if you didn't wake up."
"Erm…leaving?" I asked, confused. I didn't know we were leaving already. If they're taking me it must mean I'm in, I thought and mentally punched the air with glee.
"Yeah, we've got a new assignment!" Emerald grinned, with a thoroughly Rikku air of excitement. This would be hard to deal with. "We're going to-" she caught herself mid-sentence, and said, "Don't worry, we've got mission briefing at HQ in five minutes, you'll find out then."
"Is my arm broken or something?" I asked her, just in case it was.
"No, but you sprained your wrist while fighting." Emerald explained. "You put too much effort into it, Diamond said. She'll talk to you about it some other time. By the way, who taught you to fight? I've never seen a style quite like yours."
"I taught myself." I replied.
"Ah." Emerald nodded. Despite being Rikku-like, she seemed to know a fair deal about swords. It was weird; sword wasn't the weapon of choice for most Al Bhed. "Anyway, let's head over to HQ. By the time we get there, MB will be about to start."
"MB?" I asked, curiously.
"Mission briefing." Emerald explained. "Come on. Diamond's been upstairs all this time, so she's probably wondering where you got to, anyway."
We walked along the port together and soon joined up with Onyx. She seemed to have forgiven me for insulting her, so I was thankful. Gold and Silver were waiting for us outside, and we all went in together.
Diamond was standing at the window looking worried. When we came in she immediately looked at me with surprise and said; "There you are! I was getting worried."
"It's ok, I was just taking a little walk." I reassured her. Her concern surprised me. I wasn't used to warriors showing such emotion as these people; but they were all girls, so of course they wouldn't feel the gender pressure around each other.
"Let someone know next time you wake up from a comatose state and decide to go for a gander." Diamond gave me the sort of look an older sister would give, then looked at everyone. "We're about to start MB. Take a seat."
As the others took positions dotted around the room, Diamond pulled down a translucent covering for the windows and pinned up some pictures, one, to my surprise, of Baralai. "As most of you will know, Praetor Baralai has recently survived an assassination attempt by this man, who was unfortunately killed in the attempt." Diamond pointed at another picture of a powerful man, dressed ninja style. "Although his name and place of origin remain a secret, from his dress and methods we have gathered that he is part of the group, aptly named, the Assassins."
Diamond pointed towards a group photo of men similarly dressed. All were in typical ninja uniforms, but with adjustments; their black clothes appeared more like robes, reaching to the floor, though the dress for women was much more figure hugging. Many had stripes of different colours down the sleeves, no doubt to represent ranking. None wore belts of lots of little devices; they were probably hidden under the layers of the cloaks and robes, and each held a favourite weapon in their hand.
"We have been hired, along with the famed sphere hunter group the Gullwings…"
Emerald, surprisingly perceptive, was the only one to notice how my eyes widened at the name.
"…to take turns in guarding Praetor Baralai. Whilst doing so, we must track down this group and either capture or kill them. We will discuss that when we get to Bevelle."
Diamond sighed and picked up another picture, obviously not happy with what was to come. To my horror, it was a picture of me with the Gullwings, posing on the Celsius roof. My heart sank with such a huge thump, the whole room must have heard it. I knew what must be coming next.
"There is a rather…inconvenient twist." Diamond added.
You're telling me, I thought.
"The Gullwings have only agreed to this task if, as well as finding the Assassins, we help them find their friend Paine. Paine, as you know has been missing for a year. She was last sighted a month after she ran away, in Macalania Woods, fighting fiends. After being spotted, she knocked out the witness and escaped after dropping him off at the travel agency."
It was hard not to hold back a laugh. Poor Isaaru.
"It is not known whether she is dead or alive."
The nervous laughter was giving it a good go at escaping my throat.
"High Summoner Yuna has requested that if anyone has any information regarding the location of Paine to come forward. She thought we were ideal for the mission because we are warrior females, as is Paine, and we may have a better understanding of what she has done or where she has gone. This is what I wish to discuss after MB."
Everyone nodded.
"Anyhow, back to the basic plan. I have been in touch with the Gullwings and our plan is this." Diamond put up a map of the floor where Baralai's office was situated. "Silver and Gold will guard the staircases at either end of the passageway, here and here. Rikku will be situated along the corridor and will be back-up for either of the two on the stairs. Two of the three new members of the Gullwings, Kewa and Ditsup, will take it in turns to guard the Praetor. Onyx will sometimes fill in for them."
Onyx nodded in acceptance of her role.
"That will leave me, Emerald, High Summoner Yuna, Buddy, Brother and Shinra, the other new Gullwing, Calli, sometimes Onyx and…erm…"
Calli's a Gullwing?
"What's your name now?" Diamond asked me.
I looked at her. "Ruby, if that's ok." I replied.
"Good…and Ruby, to go after the Assassins and either capture or kill them. Any questions before we discuss the subject of Paine?"
Emerald raised her hand. "What information do we have on the Assassins?"
"All of that is currently being kept at Bevelle and we will examine it when we arrive. It's not public information. Anyone else?" she asked, and when nobody replied she continued, "Now, onto the subject of Paine."
I pretended to yawn hoping that I would be sent back to bed and away from the conversation, and perceptive but gullible Emerald saw me. "Diamond, Ruby's tired. Do you think she should go back to bed?"
"Yes, perhaps she should. I'll explain everything to you in the morning." Diamond said.
"This way." Emerald said. She led me up the stairs to a different room. "This will be your room here at HQ, for as long as you're in the Warriors." Emerald explained. "Night! I'll brief you on our developments when you wake up."
"Night." I replied as she closed the door, thoroughly wishing I wouldn't wake up. I changed into my nightclothes and got into bed. It was a very comfortable bed, and I relaxed into it almost immediately.
What if Baralai recognises me? My thoughts were uncontrollable but predictable. Would he tell, or would he go along with it and just pretend he didn't know?
A knot arose in my chest and I sighed, thinking of it. There was certainly a mix of emotions to be experienced if I went down that lane, all of them confusing.
Things would be awkward, definitely; Baralai – and the Gullwings – would constantly be reminded of Paine with every look into my eyes. I would know it and so would they. I don't think I need to tell you why Baralai was always at the forefront of my mind, besides, I'd probably turn into a gushy, pathetic, emo mess of confused emotions that you've heard countless times before. It was one of the reasons I ran away; the secret one, not the ones known to Yuna and Rikku before I ran away about media pressure. No; I was becoming far too close to the Gullwings and the people around them. I was even beginning to feel a sort of real love for them, particularly Baralai, as you will have guessed. My experiences of love aren't like everyone else's; I know that there is wonder involved, and all too often, heartbreak. But every time I've become close to someone, I've lost them. Whether it be to Sin or Shuyin, everyone I have felt a genuine love for has perished early.
I was scared I would lose him, too.
