A/N: I redid the end of the first chapter so reread that first. Sorry this chapter is so short but the next one will be longer, I promise.
I walked into the music room and sat on the studio couch. I sank into the chocobo down stuffed cushions, I could not resist the pull of darkness as sleep took me. I awoke to the feeling of fingers through my hair and my head was pillowed on something firm. I definitely know I had not had any sort of pillow and my body instantly tensed in panic.
"Calm down, Demia. It's just me," my brother's voice cooed. I realized I was using his leg as a pillow.
"Fam-Fam?" I asked, feeling like a small child.
"That's right, now go back to sleep," he said, his hands running through my hair. I knew I couldn't go back to sleep so I laid there, enjoying the feeling of his fingers in my hair. "I know you're not sleeping," he said minutes later, "What happened? You didn't need to leave."
"I happened," I said, opening my tired eyes, "It was obvious I was causing Ashelia discomfort so I left. People have an odd habit of being uncomfortable around me. After all, who would want to know someone known to wipe out entire countries?"
"Nabradia was not your fault. The nethicite in Nabudis reacted with you."
"You sound like father," I saw him flinch at the mention, "That is what he said to Lord Vayne." I sat up, tired of laying down, and looked into Ffamran's eyes, "It is best I watch from the shadows. I am not meant to have family, but I will protect what family I do have." I left the room at a brik pace, and unsure of where to go I headed for the gym.
What I saw Iwill never forget. I was decending the stairs to the sparing circle and when I arrived, I saw that my brother had brought company. The man I knew as Basch was in the sparing circle practicing a mix of Archadian, Dalmascan, and Landissian katas. I thought of leaving, but I had not been in a good fight in such a long time.
"Care to spar?" I asked stepping out from the stairwell. He spun around poised to attack, but nearly dropped the practice sword at the sight of me. "It has been a while since I had a worthy opponent."
"I do not think-"
"Nonsense," I said, getting a practice sword off the rack and stepping into the sparing circle. He looked at me reproachfully as I took my fighting stance. "Don't go easy on me," I said. We circled each other, staring down the other. He lunged at me and I easily parried his blow, he was testing me. He took another swing at my legs, focing me to jump. I was tired of playing cat and mouse, so I lunged at him head on. He stumbled back a step and I smirked. I took advantage of the situation and began to slice at him in an almost inhuman speed. He struggled to keep up as I kept going. When he attemped to block his face, I caught his hilt with mine and the sword went flying. I forced him onto the ground, my blade at his neck. He looked at me with surprise.
"You fight like a judge," said Basch. My body tensed.
"And you fight like a twelve year old," I said before stalking off. I headed to my room on the third floor. The deadbolts were still there like always. I unlocked the door and went inside. The moment I reached the bathroom I stripped and went into the shower. The water scalded my skin, but relaxed my tense muscles. I washed and changed into a pair of pajamas that were in the cabinet. When I left the bathroom, Ffamran was sitting on my bed.
"You went sparring," he said.
"Problem?"
"He figured it out and you freaked."
"What are you talking about?"
"You know what I'm talking about. You just don't want to remember. You have to come to terms with your past, Demia. You'll go mad otherwise," he said seriously.
"Madness runs in the family."
"Father wasn't insane."
"I know. I was not speaking of him. Everyone before us has gone mad Ffamran. Perhaps I'm next," I said. Ffamran rose to his feet and put a hand on my shoulder.
"What happened to Amaran and Kyath is not your fault."
"Then why do I feel like it is? Only a year after I was born Kyath disappeared. When I was five Amaran killed himself. Four years later, Mother left."
"You need to stop living in the past. After all, Alix needs you. When I left he was in near hysterics, looking for you."
"He's better off without me, now leave," I said and forced Ffamran out of the room. I quickly dressed and went to the gardens. The gardens overlooked the sheer drop of the Puravama, the sky seemed to go on forever. Ffamran was right, I needed to stop living in the past. I needed to move on, and as if my thoughts had queued him in, Basch sat next to me. He was so close, our shoulders were touching.
"I know of a wonderful café in the city," he started, "I was wondering if you would like to have lunch with me," he said, I couldn't believe that I of all people was being asked out on a date. I could almost hear my brother's voice in my head telling me to go. How could I? I am seventeen years his junior, but something told me to go.
"I would love to," I said.
"Then I shall meet you in the foyer in an hour," he said before he departed. I let out a breath I did not know I had been holding and left to search for my brother. I found him playing the marimba in the music room, he stopped the moment he saw me.
"I need your councel," I said.
"About what?"
"I have been asked on a lunch date," I replied, his cocky smirk was plastered on his face along with a raised eyebrow.
"May I inquire as to who asked you?"
"Basch," his eyes glittered knowingly.
"Oh? Do you like him?"
"I dunno. He is the only person besides you that I feel human around. I…I cannot begin to describe what happens to me when I so much as catch his gaze."
"Sounds like love to me."
"Love? Ffamran don't be silly," I said, looking at the floor, "You know that father took away my ability to feel love."
"If Cid truly took away your ability to feel and give love then you would not have a mark of Light."
"I'll try to remember. Now if you'll excuse me…" I exited the room with a renewed vigor and headed to the foyer.