*Alright, are you guys ready? It's Chapter 8!!!*
"I haven't been this scared, in a long time,
And I'm so unprepared, so here's your Valentine-
Boquet of clumsy words, a simple melody,
This world's an ugly place:
But you're so beautiful to me."
-Going Away To College
~Blink 182
"I call it: Operation get Letty and Keepa back."~Datto Perigan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That night, everyone slept easy knowing that they had only one more game to win before they made it into Round 2 of the
tournaments. Naida awoke early the next morning to being shaken, and the sound of Datto's voice at a high whisper.
"Naida..Naida! Wake up!"
She rolled over with a groan, looking up to see the young Shooter's bright blue eyes practically glowing in the dark.
"..Fryd ec ed, Datto?"
He raised his eyebrow, "What?"
"Hmmm.."She groaned shaking her head, "Sorry. What is it?"
He laughed a little looking around.
"I need your help with something."
She raised her eyebrow, "What might that be?"
He grinned, "I'll tell you when we're out of here..."
He jumped up, starting for the door. Naida sat up, her aching arms protesting weakly. Ignoring it, she stood up, strapping on her
goggles and walking after him.
(This had better be good...)
Datto opened the door slowly, keeping an eye on Botta the entire time.
"Hm."He said quietly,"Some guard he is."
He slipped out the door, leaving it cracked for Naida. The Al Bhed woman stepped over her sleeping teammates, and began to slide
out the door after Datto. Just as she was opening the door, something grabbed her bare ankle. She clapped her hand over her mouth
to keep from screaming, and looked down at Botta, who had his head down in his pillow, laughing.
"Thought I told you not to go out alone..."
She shook her head, "I'm with Datto."
"Yeah, but he seems to think I didn't see him."
Naida raised her eyebrow, "Yer not makin' sense, go back to sleep."
"...Yuh."
Shaking her head again, she slid out the door, looking at Datto.
"He's awake."
Datto laughed, "Oh that's great."
Naida smiled, then, "So..what's this all about?"
He looked at her, starting to walk. She followed him.
"Naida, do you wear makeup?"
Naida raised her eyebrow, "What? ...No..."
Datto sighed, "Have you ever?"
Naida sighed back, but the stopped, "For a little while, when I was younger."
Datto grinned, "Great!"
"..Huh?"
"C'mon, I need you to help me find some!"
Naida shook her head, "Datto..what are you doing?"
He walked faster, Naida trying hard to keep up.
"I call it: Operation Get Letty and Keepa Back."
After he said that, it clicked.
"Ohhhh...boy."
Laughing, they practically ran to the store square. The big clock under the screen in the center read 6 AM, and the stores were just
opening. Datto stopped, looking around.
"What place would have it, do ya think?"
Naida stopped next to him, looking around, "I'm not sure..that one, maybe?"
She pointed to a stand that was entirely pink. The lady running it came out, her brown hair in curlers. Datto nodded.
"Let's go."
The two walked over to the small stand, looking into it. Sure enough, there was everything they needed, and more. When the lady
saw them standing at her counter, she smiled.
"Oh, goodness! Customers! Can I help you with anything?"
Datto nodded, "We're looking for makeup."
The lady stared at him blankly, and Naida laughed, "Datto, she needs a specific kind."
"Oh!,"He exclaimed, "Uhhh...do you have any..red lipstick?"
The lady shook her head and looked at Naida, who smiled, "Candy-Apple Red, please."
At this the lady smiled, glancing at Datto, "Let her do the talking for now, sweetie."
Datto grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"..Sure!"
The lady reached under the counter, and soon pulled out the shade they had asked for. Datto beamed.
"This it perfect!!!"
"Glad you like it,"The lady smiled, "Anything else?"
"Well, no..not really unless-"Datto stopped, spotting something behind her, "...Is that hair dye?!"
The lady paused, then, "Oh! Yes! But it's only temporary. It comes in three colors: Red, Dark Brown, and Blue."
Slowly, Naida and Datto looked at eachother grinning.
The rest of the team woke up two hours later- Courtesy of Datto and Naida's Hair and Makeup Works Inc.
"Hey Letty, what happened? You roll over on a Smurf in yer sleep or somethin'?"
"Yer one to talk, Lipstick Boy! D'you kiss anyone with those lips last night?"
The two continued to throw insults back and forth as Naida and Datto sat in the corner on her cot, covering their mouths as they
laughed. Slowly, Jassu and Botta woke up, looking around. When they spotted Letty and Keepa, they started laughing-which sent
Datto and Naida over the edge. They started laughing histerically. Slowly, Letty and Keepa turned and looked at the two on the cot,
evil looks-along with blue hair dye and Candy Apple Red lipstick-stuck on their faces. Quietly, they turned and ran into the bathroom,
slamming the door behind them. After a short moment of silence, the four remaining Aurochs continued to laugh histerically.
A few minutes later, the two emerged, Keepa lipstick free, but Letty sighing.
"TELL me this isn't permanent..."
Naida laughed, "It's not, Letty. Calm down."
He paused for a moment, staring at the both of them, then shook his head and laughed.
"You guys are insane, you know that?"
They shrugged, and Datto grinned.
"You two asked for it."
Keepa shrugged with a laughed, looking at Letty, "Yeah..we did."
Letty paused then nodded, "Let's just go practice now."
The group packed up their things, setting it on their cots-ready to go. They went to the field for their early morning practice, which
only lasted an hour. Soon, they were on the boat, and on their way home again.
"It'll take 'til mornin', this time, guys." The Captain said. Jassu looked at him.
"It didn't take that long last time..."
"That's why,"The Captain said laughing, "I gave it all she had last time, so now she's gonna take it nice and slow.."
The big black man shrugged and walked back under the deck, tossing his things into the cargo hold with everyone else's.
That night was longer than anyone had expected. Luckily, there were no incidents, no emergencies, no midnight trips up to the
deck for Naida and Botta to argue. But there was one midnight episode..for Naida.
The short blonde lay in her bed, unable to sleep. In her mind, she swore it was the longest night of her life. Rolling over again,
she faced the wall, listening quietly to the steady orchestra of her teammates' snores. After a moment, she reached up, and pulled
off the goggles that masked her mysterious eyes, setting them down next to her cot. She closed her eyes, and was almost asleep
when...
"What..what do you want..?"
She opened her eyes a little at the sound of the voice. She didn't move, but continued to listen.
"Leave..her alone..Viranda..you.."
Slowly, Naida sat up and looked across the room at Botta, who was tossing around in his sleep.
"Naida..Naida stop..get back..please.."
Naida raised her eyebrow slightly.
(Did he just say my name..?)
"Naida.."
Shaking her head in confusion, she pushed the thin covers off of her, and began to crawl over to where the redhead lay. When she
was beside him, she sat on her knees, watching him.
"Naida..Naida please..it's too dangerous..I'll go ahead of you..get back.."
She narrowed her concerned eyes, continuing to watch him.
(I wonder what I'm doing..?)
"Naida.."He called softly, "Please come back...don't leave me..alone.."
Naida's mouth hung open slightly.
(He's just like me...afraid of being alone..)
"Naida.."He said, a little louder," Naida..!"
Naida's eyes widened a little, and she looked around at everyone in the room, checking if anyone had awoken. The snoring continued,
and Naida let out a sigh of relief. She looked back down at Botta, who had a tortured look on his handsome face.
"Naida..."He said, "Yevon..Naida please..don't leave.."
Naida paused, then did the first thing she thought to do. She reached down with her gloved hand, and placed it on Botta's forehead.
"Botta.."She said gently,"Botta I'm right here..it's alright.."
"Naida..?"He said, sounding like a scared child, "Naida..please..don't leave.."
"I.."
Without warning, Botta's hand shot up, and Naida winced, almost expecting to be hit. Instead, he placed it on the side of her face,
tracing his fingers along her cheek and beside her eyes.
"Don't leave me.."He whispered. After a moment, Naida reached up with her other hand, stroking the outside of his hand gently.
"I'm not going to..just..go to sleep, Botta..I'll be right here with you when you wake up.."
In his sleep, the Guard sighed, "I..I don't want to be alone..Naida..don't..leave me alone..like she did.."
Naida paused, looking at him.
(So..that's it..that's why he is..the way he is..)
She closed her eyes.
"I won't, Botta,"She said softly, "..I won't.."
And there she stayed for most of the night, completely unaware of the young Shooter who lay awake on his cot, smiling as he
went to sleep.
The next morning, the entire group was rattled awake as the boat practically crashed into the Besaid dock. Keepa's eyes shot
open, and he sat up.
"FIRE!!"
"Man, white boy,"Jassu said sleepily,"There ain't no fire, ya?"
"The boat crashed,"Letty stated.
"Sure sounds like it,"Datto added, rolling over, "Who's drivin' this thing anyway?"
"I am."
They all looked up to see the Captain standing in the doorway, pipe in his mouth and hand stroking his brown/grey beard.
"We're in a hurry, and we need you off ASAP. Come along now, chop chop! You're things are on the deck waiting for you, hurry up!"
Groaning, the bed-raggled team got their things together and moved as quickly as their tired bodies would let them off the ship.
Almost as soon as they were all on the land, the Captain was pulling the boat back out.
"Yo, Cap'n!"Jassu yelled as the boat pulled out, "What's the hurry? Yer movin' like a fat kid on a mission!"
The Captain leaned out of the window of the control room.
"There's been another attack somewhere near Mi'ihen! Gotta go get the survivors!"
"Oh, Good luck!!"
He turned and looked over at his teammates on the beach, shaking his head.
"Must be Sin again..."He muttered, "Glad we're all here.."
He walked over to the group, and laughed when he saw most of them were sprawled out on the sand.
"C'mon guys,"He said,"Let's get on home, then we can sleep the rest of the day."
The group groaned again, and Jassu walked over and started helping everyone up. Soon, they were all up again, and they started
on the road back to Besaid.
After walking in silence for about 10 minutes, Keepa spoke.
"You know what I hate..?"
"What's that, Marshmallow?"Letty asked back, voice tired.
"...Bumblebees."
The group fell silent in their exhaughst.
"...Me too man."Jassu finally answered.
"Yeah.."Datto added, "They look all innocent and stuff...then they sting the Ifrit out of you."
"I hate that,"Botta said with a nod,"An' you know what else I hate?"
"Whas' that, man,"Jassu answered.
"...Caterpillars."
"Oh, man I know!"Keepa said, "They're all fat and fuzzy, and they crawl all over you and you can't get 'em off!"
"Yeah,"Naida added in,"I used to have nightmares about that when I was a kid."
The group fell silent again, and soon, they were all in Besaid again. Aunt Julia was waiting for them at the entrance, and as soon as
she saw them, her eyes lit up.
"Oh!! Congratulations again!! You all-"
She stopped when she came closer and saw their tired faces.
"...Oh..I..think you all need some rest."
They all looked at eachother, then nodded. She walked with everyone home, and took Naida to Wakka's last. As she led the Al Bhed
girl over to her bed, she tried talking to her.
"So..how was your trip back?"
"..Long, Aunt Julia,"Was the reply,"But it was good."
"Well why are you all so tired?"
"Probably because none of us got to bet 'til late.."
"How late?"
"Well," She said, laying down,"The guys started snoring at around 2 maybe..then I stayed up with Botta 'til about 4.."
"Oh..?" The older woman questioned, her eyes liting up curiously, "Why's that?"
"He was having a nightmare.."She said unconciously, pulling the covers up to her neck,"He was talking to me..so I went over to him,
and stayed with him until he calmed down.."
Aunt Julia nodded, tucking the young woman in, "...I see..what time did you all get here this morning?"
"..About 8..what time is it now?"
"Almost 11...but don't worry..you all can rest all you need. You'll need it for tomorrow night. We're going to have a cookout on the
beach..alright?"
But no answer came, only the gentle sound of Naida's steady breathing. Aunt Julia laughed a little, walking out of the small house
and over to hers to start supper.
~~~"What do you mean, you're leaving?!"
"I'm sorry, Naida...but I have to protect Spira from Sin."
Naida shook her head.
"No! No you don't! You can stay with me here! We're safe here!!"
Leon looked at her, his aqua eyes filled with pain.
"Naida..I want you to be safe."
She shook her head, "But I am safe! And for the first time since Teale died I'm happy!!"
"How can you say that?"
Naida sighed, "No, I'm not happy that she died!"
"I know that, but I don't understand HOW you can be happy! Naida..we're the only ones left of our family!"
Naida nodded,"EXACTLY! That's why we need to stick together!!!"
Leon sighed, "Naida..no. I have to go."
He turned and started to walk away, Naida slammed her fist down on the counter.
"You have to go, or you want to?!"
He stopped walking at this, and lowered his head.
"What.."He said, his voice low, "Makes you think..that I WANT to do this..?!"
She remained silent as he turned to face her.
"Naida...I have been struggling with this since Teale got sick...you know why she's dead."
Naida looked at him for a moment, before she felt her eyes begin to water and she looked down. Leon shook his head, walking back
over to her.
"There was nothing we could do....those Antidotes we gave her only prolonged her life...and you know it."
Naida breathed in a deep, shuddering breath.
"Yeah.."She said softly, then, after a moment, she looked up at him, her green-blue eyes filled with tears,"But..I figured..if we prayed
hard enough..and just..tried..that..she might get..better..."
With that she covered her face, breaking into tears. Leon walked over to her, and hugged her.
"Naida.."He said softly, "Sin killed our sister..and now I've got to go kill it.."
After a moment, he held her at arms length, looking at her.
"..And if it kills me first...I want you to promise me you won't try too."
She looked up at him, shocked.
"But..Leon.."
He shook his head.
"Naida, you can't..if you die..you can't continue our bloodline. Our last name might be gone..but our bloodline.."
She stared at him for a moment, before nodding.
"...Alright Leon..I won't."
He smiled, holding her close again.
"Thank you Naida.."He whispered as she cried, "Thank you so much.." ~~~~~~
Naida's eyes opened to the town of Besaid at a rather late time that night. She looked around the dark house, sighing.
(That's the second time in a week I've had that dream..)She thought,(..I hope nothing's wrong.)
Sighing again, she sat up, swinging her bare legs over the side of the bed.
(Gotta find a way to get my mind off of it...)
Luckily, Aunt Julia wasn't through making dinner yet,
because Naida needed something to do. She got out of bed, strapping her goggles across her face and sliding on her boots and
over-chaps. She brushed her hair quickly, trying to shake all thoughts of the dream out of her head. Once she was finished, she
walked over to Aunt Julia's house, quietly knocking. Soon, the door opened, and the older woman's smiling green eyes looked out at
her.
"Why Naida!"She exclaimed, "You're the only one of the group awake! Is there anything wrong?"
She shook her head, "No ma'am, not at all. I was just wondering..if you needed any help with dinner...?"
Aunt Julia paused, then opened the door the rest of the way.
"Well, I suppose you could help me with a few things." She said with a laugh.
Naida smiled and walked in, "Thank you."
That night at Aunt Julia's was just like any other night that I've told you about ...Unusual.
The group finally got in about an hour after Naida had arrived, and by the time that the older woman and the Al Bhed had set the table,
it was around 9 at night. Naida paused in the doorway with the bowl of green beans as Letty said grace, then brought them in and set
them down. She took her usual seat in front of Botta, who offered her a weird sort of glare before he started eating. Naida raised
her eyebrow, and stared at him until he looked up at her. Quickly she looked back down at her food, and a minute later, she looked
back up to see him staring at her. She smirked.
"Take a picture, it'll last longer."
He raised his eyebrow, "Uh..huh."
The rest of the table just shook their heads at the two, and kept eating. After a moment, Naida and Botta went back to eating quietly.
He was in the middle of a forkfull of green beans, when he felt something run up the side of his leg. His eyes widened.
(What the crap?!!)
He straightened up, looking around the table. Naida started giggling, and he looked at her.
"Was that you?"
She looked up at him, "Was what me?"
"That."
She stared at him blankly, "...Are you okay?"
He shook his head, "...Nevermind."
They went back to eating, and a few moments later, it happened again. This time, he looked around the table at everyone slowly, and
his gaze stopped on Letty, who winked at him.
"AHHHH!!!!"
Botta jumped out of his seat and started dancing around.
"That is WRONG, Letty!! Wrong wrong wrong wrong WRONG!!"
At this, Naida burst into histerics. She leaned back in her chair, and before she knew it, she was falling backwards. She hit the floor,
paused for a moment, then started laughing again. Keepa looked over the table at her, eyebrow raised.
"...You okay, Blondie?"
"Ohhh man.."She sighed, still laughing, "Oh Yevon that was freakin' hilarious!!"
Letty was laughing hard over in his seat, and Datto started laughing with him. Jassu only shook his head.
"...Man..white people."
Aunt Julia laughed as she stood up.
"Well now..I'm guessing you're all finished with your supper?"
"Yes ma'am,"Was the reply. She smiled.
"Alright then," She said with a smile. Naida stood up.
"I'm helpin'!"
"I think I'll help tonight too,"Letty said, standing up and picking up some of the plates. Naida raised her eyebrow.
"..Don't touch my plates."
They stared at eachother for a minute, before Letty grabbed two more and took off for the kitchen.
"MWAHAHA!!!"
"No!!!" Naida screamed, grabbing the rest of the silverwear and cups and running after him. The rest of the room was quiet for a
moment, before Botta shook his head.
"Alright now..I think I'm gonna go finish catchin' up on that thing I used to do when I was normal...sleep."
"When you were WHAT?!" Came Naida's voice from the kitchen. Botta rolled his eyes.
"Get to cleanin', dishwater girl." He said, turning and walking out of the house, "Thanks Aunt Julia!"
"You're welcome, dear!"She called after him. Datto stood up.
"Yeah, I think I'm gone too." He hugged Aunt Julia,"Thanks for everything!"
She smiled,"You're welcome, Datto. It's good to have you here, sweetie."
He started out the door, until Keepa stopped him.
"Hey man, I'll come with you for a minute."
He nodded, "Alright then, come on. See ya guys. See ya Letty and Naida!"
"AHAHAHA!!!"
The group of four in the dining room exchanged short glances, ending with a headshake from Keepa. Then they left. Aunt Julia sat
down next to Jassu, who was sitting quietly.
"So..how are you, Jassu?"
He smiled, "Oh, I'm good, Aunt J. Thanks for askin'. How about you?"
She laughed, "Well, I'm doin' pretty good. It's lonely without you boys around, so it's good when you're here. Naida too. I'm glad she
joined the team."
Jassu nodded, "I think everyone's hopin' she stays."
Aunt Julia raised her eyebrow, "Even Botta?"
Jassu rolled his eyes, "Man, that white boy likes her and he knows it. He's just bein'...white..ya?"
She laughed, "Well..I guess I understand."
They paused for a moment, then Aunt Julia looked at him, "Hmm...why do you think the Captain dropped you off in such a rush this
morning? It must've been important, to just have up and kicked you off the boat like he did."
Jassu nodded, "He told me it was somethin' about another attack near Mi'ihen..I'm guessin' it was Sin."
Aunt Julia sighed, shaking her head, "That's terrible...I hope no one was killed.."
Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a loud yell.
"HOW DARE YOU STEAL THE CUP FROM ME!!!"
"Oh, go stick yer head in a blueberry jar! Oh, wait! YOU DON'T NEED TO!!!"
"WHAT??!! AHH! TAKE THIS, MORTAL!!!"
A shriek was heard from the kitchen, and soon, Naida came running out, hair slightly wet. Seconds later, out came Letty, soap on his
face in the form of a beard. He stopped, looking around.
"HA!"
At that moment, Keepa walked in. He took one look at Letty, and walked right back out. Letty laughed, running out after him.
"I AM...THE KING OF THE CUPS!!!"
"Hoo boy.."Naida said, sitting down,"Papa Smurf's on a power trip."
"You know..."Aunt Julia said,"I think this is the first time all night I've noticed that his hair is blue."
Naida and Jassu looked at eachother.
"Umm..don't ask."He said.
"Yeah,"She added,"It's a long story."
Just then, Letty ran back in, this time Botta behind him.
"Alright guys,"He said,"Keep the crazy blueberry head in here, he's gonna wake up the whole freakin' town."
Letty laughed and walked back into the kitchen. After a moment, Jassu shook his head.
"Alright..I've had enough of this whitey-white..peopleness...I'm goin' to bed, ya? See ya'll in the mornin'."
He stood up, walking out. Keepa walked back in as he walked out, and walked back to his room.
"I need more sleep,"He said with a laugh, disappearing. After another moment, Letty walked back out, all clean.
"All done, Aunt Julia,"He said with a grin. She sighed, smiling.
"Thank you for your help Letty,"She said,"Now..go to bed!"
He laughed,"Yes ma'am. Night guys."
He walked out, leaving the small group of three alone in the dining room. Aunt Julia stood up.
"I think I'll turn in, too."She said, "Thank you for helping, Naida, and thanks for coming over!"
"Thank YOU, Aunt Julia,"Naida said, standing up and hugging her,"Good night."
"Good night to you too, and you too, Botta!"
"Nite, Aunt Julia."He said with a smile.
With that, the older woman walked back into her room, shutting the door. After a few seconds, Naida looked over at Botta.
"Man..this was a crazy night, eh?"
He shrugged,"Just a regular night for us."
She sighed with a smile, "I love it. It's so..different..from life in the Calm Lands."
He nodded, "I can imagine.."
They fell silent for a moment, before Botta looked around.
(...We're the only ones in here..)
He looked back at her, and found her looking down, silent. She looked different, all of a sudden..almost sad.
"..Naida?"
She shook her head, looking up at him.
"Huh?"
He raised his eyebrow, "..You okay?"
She laughed at little, "Yeah, I'm fine..just tired."
He nodded, "Well...guess you'd better get to bed then."
She nodded back,"Yeah..guess so."
They stared at eachother a moment longer, before she stood up.
"Good night, Botta. See you tomorrow."
"Bye."
She walked out, leaving Botta alone in the kitchen.
(Man..)He thought, (She really...doesn't want anything to do with me...)
Shaking his head, he stood up, walking outside. Looking to the sky, he sighed.
(Yevon..how'd I get myself into this..?)
Shaking his head again, he turned and walked back into the Inn, climbing into the scratchy thing he had come to call his bed.
Snuggling down as best as he could, he closed his eyes.
(No..)He told himself, (I don't like her...there's no way..I can't.)
He thought on this for a moment, then drifted off.
Meanwhile, Naida lay awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling with her unmasked eyes.
(It happened again..)She thought, (..That's got to be the third or fourth time since we've met, that I have been in a room alone with
him, and every single one of those bloody times, I end up running out like a Chocobo. Leon would laugh if he saw me...)
She rolled over onto her side with a sigh, closing her eyes and thinking about the near past...
"...I hate it when he looks at me." She said softly to no one,"His eyes drive me crazy.."
And as she drifted off to sleep, she added the last part mentally.
(Not that I mind much anymore...)
The next morning, Botta awoke to noise. He didn't open his eyes...because by now, he'd learned it's better to listen first...
"Hawoooo.... Boooooottttaaaaa....Hawooooo..."
(Oh, Yevon..) He thought,(Tell me it's not...)
He lay motionless still, listening. Seconds later, he heard the childish call again.
"Boooottaaaa...come and pway...hawwoooooo...."
This time, he heard snickering follow the call. Instantly he knew.
"Oh, Yevon guys.."He groaned,"Get that nasty thing away from me."
He opened his eyes to see Datto on the edge of his bed, holding the most dirty, disgusting looking stuffed duck, he had ever seen in
his 22 years of living, inches from his face. The rest of the group behind him.
"Ohhh..c'mon, Botta,"He said, still talking childishly, "You know you wuv me...DUCKY!!!!"
With this, he threw the duck on Botta's face. He jerked.
"Good Yevon!" He yelled, grabbing the duck and throwing it across the room. The rest of the group started laughing as he sat up.
"Mornin' Botta,"Keepa said,"Sweet dreams?"
"Oh..yeah." He said sleepily, rubbing his face, "Well..I was."
Jassu laughed as the redhead swung his legs over the side of the bed, stretching.
"Well, you needta get up,ya? We need to help get things ready for tonight."
"What's tonight?"
"A cookout,"Letty said,"It's gonna be awesome."
"The whole town comin'?"
"Nope,"Keepa said,"Just us and Aunt Julia."
"..Why?"
"I dunno, probably because of those freaks from Bevelle. Everyone's scared to have fun."
"Yeah,"Jassu added in,"I think they get a kick outta watchin' us torture you an' Naida though."
He rolled his eyes at the comment, but then automatically looked around for the blonde at the mention of her name.
"She's already down at the beach with Aunt Julia," Letty said with a grin. Botta raised his eyebrow.
"Huh?"
"Stop pretendin' you ain't lookin' for her,"Datto said with a laugh,"We're not that stupid. C'mon."
The group got up and walked out, Botta trailing behind slightly.
(What in the world,)He said, shaking his head,(It's not that obvious, is it?)
Sighing, Botta walked after his teammates, trying to keep up.
Once they were down to the beach, they were greeted by Aunt Julia, who was smiling.
"I brought something special for tonight.."She said,"It's over there with Naida..you might want to go help her..."
They looked past her, and over to Naida, who was struggling with what looked like a pole.
"Hey guys!"She yelled,"Come help me with this thing!"
Datto was the first to walk over to her, and after a moment, turned to the others.
"IT'S A VOLLY BALL NET!!!!!!!"
The guys cheered and ran over to them, grabbing pieces of the set and beginning to work on it. Letty grabbed the other pole, and
Keepa helped Naida with the one she had. Together, the three got up the skeleton of the set. Datto and Jassu grabbed the net for it,
while Botta grabbed the bolts to hold it together.
About 20 minutes later, the group stood back and admired their work.
"Ya know..."Jassu said, "..It doesn't look that bad.."
"Well,"Datto said,"What are we waitin' for? Let's play!!!"
"Captain!!"Jassu yelled.
"Captain!!"Letty called after him.
The two stood apart from the rest of the group, picking teams.
"Datto."Letty said.
"Keepa!"Jassu yelled.
"Well then I got Botta!"Letty smirked.
Jassu laughed, "Boy, yer gonna get beat, 'cuz we got the white girl!!"
The two Captains laughed and split into their teams, beginning the game. Datto served first, and Keepa hit it back over. Botta hit it
back, and Jassu missed it.
"HAHAHA!!"Letty yelled, dancing around,"We scored on YOU!!"
Jassu rolled his eyes, "Cool it, Papa Smurf, that's the first shot."
Then the game started. Keepa came back and scored, evening it out, but that was only the beginning. The game lasted for hours,
and eventually they forgot the score, and the time.
Letty served the ball, and Jassu hit it back over. Datto hit it, but not very hard. It flew up above the net, and Naida ran up after it.
Botta saw her, and ran up, jumping up in hopes to spike it. Naida was closer, but Botta had longer arms. He hit the ball, right down at
Naida, who screamed a mix of laughter and sudden fright. The ball missed her, but in her attempt to dodge it, she had thrown herself
into the net, and twisted onto her back. Botta hit the ground, looked up, and jumped foreward. He caught the blonde just before she
hit the ground, and the ball landed in her lap. The whole group paused for a moment, before bursting into hysterics.
"Man.."Jassu said,"That..that was WEIRD!"
The group laughed a little longer, as Botta and Naida looked at eachother for a minute.
"Ohhh, man.."Letty said,"I think they're gonna kiss!"
"WoooOOOOOOoooo!!!"Keepa called, batting his eyelashes, "It's soOOOoo romantic..!"
The guys started laughing again as Naida blushed.
"Thanks,"She said quickly, getting up.
Botta shook his head and stood up, looking around.
"Ahh, shut up!"
The guys just laughed even harder. Just then, Aunt Julia walked up.
"You know, I have most of the hamburgers ready, but I forgot the ketchup and everything back at the house! Could some of you go
start the fire, and a couple of you go back to Besaid and get the stuff for me?"
"I got the fire!"Letty said, running over to the small pile of wood they had made earlier.
"Me too!"Datto yelled, running after him.
Keepa laughed,"I'm helpin' Aunt Julia,"He said, walking over to the grill."
Jassu stood alone with Naida and Botta, grinning.
"I'll let you two go,"He said,"But don't stay gone too long, or we might send someone to embarass ya."
"Bu-"Botta started, but it was too late, the Guard was already gone over to help with the fire.
"Thank you!"Aunt Julia said before he could protest to her, and practically ran over to Keepa and the grill. Naida and Botta looked at
eachother, and after a minute, Naida shrugged.
"You don't have to go.."She said,"I'll be fine..the sun's not down just yet, the fiends'll stay away."
She turned and started to walk off toward the path back to Besaid, leaving Botta. After a moment, he shook his head, running after
her.
"Don't be stupid,"He said,"It's not just the fiends you gotta look out for, ya?"
She looked at him, then laughed, "...Ya."
He smiled, laughing a little, and walked with her up the hill toward Besaid.
"So.."She said, trying to start a conversation, "..How long have you been playing Blitzball?"
He shrugged, "I dunno..a few years.."
She raised her eyebrow, "Really? Seems a whole lot longer.."
He looked at her, "You think so?"
She nodded, "Mmmhmm."
He smiled slightly, "Thanks..you're...not so bad yerself."
She looked down with a smile, "Thanks."
They walked on in silence for a few minutes, when Botta looked at her.
"So..where's your brother stationed, do you know?"
She sighed, "Somewhere near Mi'ihen, like most of them. He's with the Chocobo Knights, he told me last."
"..How long ago was that?"
She shook her head, "Before I left with you guys."
"Oh.."He nodded,"So then..you don't know how he is.."
"..No."
They were quiet for a moment, before Botta sighed.
"Y'know..I had a brother.."
She looked at him, "Really?"
He nodded, "Yeah..name was Rennan. He was 3 years younger than me."
"Wow...did he look anything like you?"
Botta shook his head, "Nope. We were both adopted..by a family in Kilika..after Sin attacked here 20 years ago. I don't.. know how I
got there...but those are where alot of my memories are.."
Naida nodded, then, "..Where..is he?"
Botta sighed, "He died...before I came back to Besaid. Sin got him and the rest of my adopted family..he was only 3..I was 6..I had
gone into the woods with some of my friends..and I couldn't do anything to save them."
"Oh.."Naida said sadly,"I..I'm sorry.."
"It's alright.."He breathed.."I'm..kinda used to it now."
She looked at him a moment longer, before looking down, "I was 18 when my little sister died."
Botta looked at her, "..What happened..?"
She sighed, "..We were living in Kilika too...when it hit 3 years ago..Leon, Teale and I escaped barely..our parents died..."She cleared
her throat, "Teale..was in the house with them..when Sin came..she told us..that when it ripped the roof off the house..that it stopped
when it saw her, giving her just enough time to run. Mom and Dad couldn't get away..and she found us in the woods..on our way
home from Luca. We got her out of there..but..she had been exposed to the toxin..and she got really sick..."
Botta watched as Naida winced with the painful memories of her younger sister, "I tried..so hard..to make her better...we kept her
alive..longer than she should have lived..but the toxin..was so strong...she died..four months after she came down with it."
After that, Naida was quiet for a long time. Botta looked at her, wanting to say something, anything, to make her feel better..he knew
how she felt..but the thing was..he didn't know how to make it go away.
Soon, they were back in Besaid, and Naida turned to him with a smile.
"Well, let's go get what we came here for!"
She turned and ran into Aunt Julia's house, leaving Botta alone in the street.
(Man..)He sighed, (I don't know how she handles it..There's a whole lot more to that girl...than I ever thought..)
Minutes later, Naida re-emerged from the small house with everything that was needed. Grinning, she ran back up to Botta.
"Alright, let's go!" She ran ahead of him, laughing. After a moment, he smiled and ran after her.
(He understands me..)She thought, smiling slightly as she ran along the dirt road back to the beach,(I never knew..) She looked over
her shoulder at him as he walked along contently, looking around at the flowers and plants that grew along the trail. (He's been
through everything I have..and he understands my feelings..)
Suddenly, Botta looked up at her, smiling brightly, a slight shine in his crystal eyes. She tilted her head to the side.
"What is it?"
He shrugged, "I dunno..I'm just happy, I guess."
(It's because I'm finally with someone who know's how I feel.)
She smiled back, "Me too."
(It's because now I don't feel so abnormal...)
They stopped walking, and just stood for a moment, staring at eachother. After a moment, Botta tilted his head to the side, and
walked toward Naida. She smiled slightly, feeling her heartbeat speed up a bit. As he came to a stop in front of her, she looked up at
him, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks. He smiled.
"Uhh..hey Naida.."
"Yeah..?"
"I was..umm...just thinkin'.."
"What's that?" She said, laughing nervously.
"Well..I'm wonderin' if yo-"
"Excuse me!"
The two turned and looked down the road to see a lady and a younger man riding toward them on chocobos. As they approached,
Naida and Botta stepped apart as if nothing was going on.
"Excuse me.."The young man said, dismounting his Chocobo, "But are you Naida Dark?"
Naida glanced at Botta, raising an eyebrow, "I am."
He stepped foreward, "Clasko Trenk of the Chocobo Knights, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Naida's eyes widened a little, "...Wh..what's this about..Mr. Trenk?"
Clasko sighed, looking to the woman he was riding with. She nodded to him, and he turned back to Naida.
"I'm afraid..that I have some bad news.."
Naida stared at the man, a blank expression on her face. He reached into a pouch on his side, pulling something out. He held open
his hand, revealing a chain necklace..and on the necklace..were a pair of dog tags.
"It's about your brother..Leon."
~~~~~~~~~Author's Note: AHHHHH!!!! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! I couldn't help myself! This chapter was going to be serious, but
I couldn't help it, and the next thing I know, Letty's got blue hair and a soap beard! So I decided to end it on a serious note, and let
the next chapter be the dark one. I'm sorry if there was alot of cheese in this one, but I went through alot of moods when I was
writing this, so sorry!
I hope you guys don't kill me in the reviews!! I'll try to get you the next chapter ASAP!
-Keepin' it "Real"
~Ari
P.S. Thanks Tio and Sonata!! (Btw, Sonata, I'm trying to find time to read yer fics, so I'll be there in a bit!)
"I haven't been this scared, in a long time,
And I'm so unprepared, so here's your Valentine-
Boquet of clumsy words, a simple melody,
This world's an ugly place:
But you're so beautiful to me."
-Going Away To College
~Blink 182
"I call it: Operation get Letty and Keepa back."~Datto Perigan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That night, everyone slept easy knowing that they had only one more game to win before they made it into Round 2 of the
tournaments. Naida awoke early the next morning to being shaken, and the sound of Datto's voice at a high whisper.
"Naida..Naida! Wake up!"
She rolled over with a groan, looking up to see the young Shooter's bright blue eyes practically glowing in the dark.
"..Fryd ec ed, Datto?"
He raised his eyebrow, "What?"
"Hmmm.."She groaned shaking her head, "Sorry. What is it?"
He laughed a little looking around.
"I need your help with something."
She raised her eyebrow, "What might that be?"
He grinned, "I'll tell you when we're out of here..."
He jumped up, starting for the door. Naida sat up, her aching arms protesting weakly. Ignoring it, she stood up, strapping on her
goggles and walking after him.
(This had better be good...)
Datto opened the door slowly, keeping an eye on Botta the entire time.
"Hm."He said quietly,"Some guard he is."
He slipped out the door, leaving it cracked for Naida. The Al Bhed woman stepped over her sleeping teammates, and began to slide
out the door after Datto. Just as she was opening the door, something grabbed her bare ankle. She clapped her hand over her mouth
to keep from screaming, and looked down at Botta, who had his head down in his pillow, laughing.
"Thought I told you not to go out alone..."
She shook her head, "I'm with Datto."
"Yeah, but he seems to think I didn't see him."
Naida raised her eyebrow, "Yer not makin' sense, go back to sleep."
"...Yuh."
Shaking her head again, she slid out the door, looking at Datto.
"He's awake."
Datto laughed, "Oh that's great."
Naida smiled, then, "So..what's this all about?"
He looked at her, starting to walk. She followed him.
"Naida, do you wear makeup?"
Naida raised her eyebrow, "What? ...No..."
Datto sighed, "Have you ever?"
Naida sighed back, but the stopped, "For a little while, when I was younger."
Datto grinned, "Great!"
"..Huh?"
"C'mon, I need you to help me find some!"
Naida shook her head, "Datto..what are you doing?"
He walked faster, Naida trying hard to keep up.
"I call it: Operation Get Letty and Keepa Back."
After he said that, it clicked.
"Ohhhh...boy."
Laughing, they practically ran to the store square. The big clock under the screen in the center read 6 AM, and the stores were just
opening. Datto stopped, looking around.
"What place would have it, do ya think?"
Naida stopped next to him, looking around, "I'm not sure..that one, maybe?"
She pointed to a stand that was entirely pink. The lady running it came out, her brown hair in curlers. Datto nodded.
"Let's go."
The two walked over to the small stand, looking into it. Sure enough, there was everything they needed, and more. When the lady
saw them standing at her counter, she smiled.
"Oh, goodness! Customers! Can I help you with anything?"
Datto nodded, "We're looking for makeup."
The lady stared at him blankly, and Naida laughed, "Datto, she needs a specific kind."
"Oh!,"He exclaimed, "Uhhh...do you have any..red lipstick?"
The lady shook her head and looked at Naida, who smiled, "Candy-Apple Red, please."
At this the lady smiled, glancing at Datto, "Let her do the talking for now, sweetie."
Datto grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"..Sure!"
The lady reached under the counter, and soon pulled out the shade they had asked for. Datto beamed.
"This it perfect!!!"
"Glad you like it,"The lady smiled, "Anything else?"
"Well, no..not really unless-"Datto stopped, spotting something behind her, "...Is that hair dye?!"
The lady paused, then, "Oh! Yes! But it's only temporary. It comes in three colors: Red, Dark Brown, and Blue."
Slowly, Naida and Datto looked at eachother grinning.
The rest of the team woke up two hours later- Courtesy of Datto and Naida's Hair and Makeup Works Inc.
"Hey Letty, what happened? You roll over on a Smurf in yer sleep or somethin'?"
"Yer one to talk, Lipstick Boy! D'you kiss anyone with those lips last night?"
The two continued to throw insults back and forth as Naida and Datto sat in the corner on her cot, covering their mouths as they
laughed. Slowly, Jassu and Botta woke up, looking around. When they spotted Letty and Keepa, they started laughing-which sent
Datto and Naida over the edge. They started laughing histerically. Slowly, Letty and Keepa turned and looked at the two on the cot,
evil looks-along with blue hair dye and Candy Apple Red lipstick-stuck on their faces. Quietly, they turned and ran into the bathroom,
slamming the door behind them. After a short moment of silence, the four remaining Aurochs continued to laugh histerically.
A few minutes later, the two emerged, Keepa lipstick free, but Letty sighing.
"TELL me this isn't permanent..."
Naida laughed, "It's not, Letty. Calm down."
He paused for a moment, staring at the both of them, then shook his head and laughed.
"You guys are insane, you know that?"
They shrugged, and Datto grinned.
"You two asked for it."
Keepa shrugged with a laughed, looking at Letty, "Yeah..we did."
Letty paused then nodded, "Let's just go practice now."
The group packed up their things, setting it on their cots-ready to go. They went to the field for their early morning practice, which
only lasted an hour. Soon, they were on the boat, and on their way home again.
"It'll take 'til mornin', this time, guys." The Captain said. Jassu looked at him.
"It didn't take that long last time..."
"That's why,"The Captain said laughing, "I gave it all she had last time, so now she's gonna take it nice and slow.."
The big black man shrugged and walked back under the deck, tossing his things into the cargo hold with everyone else's.
That night was longer than anyone had expected. Luckily, there were no incidents, no emergencies, no midnight trips up to the
deck for Naida and Botta to argue. But there was one midnight episode..for Naida.
The short blonde lay in her bed, unable to sleep. In her mind, she swore it was the longest night of her life. Rolling over again,
she faced the wall, listening quietly to the steady orchestra of her teammates' snores. After a moment, she reached up, and pulled
off the goggles that masked her mysterious eyes, setting them down next to her cot. She closed her eyes, and was almost asleep
when...
"What..what do you want..?"
She opened her eyes a little at the sound of the voice. She didn't move, but continued to listen.
"Leave..her alone..Viranda..you.."
Slowly, Naida sat up and looked across the room at Botta, who was tossing around in his sleep.
"Naida..Naida stop..get back..please.."
Naida raised her eyebrow slightly.
(Did he just say my name..?)
"Naida.."
Shaking her head in confusion, she pushed the thin covers off of her, and began to crawl over to where the redhead lay. When she
was beside him, she sat on her knees, watching him.
"Naida..Naida please..it's too dangerous..I'll go ahead of you..get back.."
She narrowed her concerned eyes, continuing to watch him.
(I wonder what I'm doing..?)
"Naida.."He called softly, "Please come back...don't leave me..alone.."
Naida's mouth hung open slightly.
(He's just like me...afraid of being alone..)
"Naida.."He said, a little louder," Naida..!"
Naida's eyes widened a little, and she looked around at everyone in the room, checking if anyone had awoken. The snoring continued,
and Naida let out a sigh of relief. She looked back down at Botta, who had a tortured look on his handsome face.
"Naida..."He said, "Yevon..Naida please..don't leave.."
Naida paused, then did the first thing she thought to do. She reached down with her gloved hand, and placed it on Botta's forehead.
"Botta.."She said gently,"Botta I'm right here..it's alright.."
"Naida..?"He said, sounding like a scared child, "Naida..please..don't leave.."
"I.."
Without warning, Botta's hand shot up, and Naida winced, almost expecting to be hit. Instead, he placed it on the side of her face,
tracing his fingers along her cheek and beside her eyes.
"Don't leave me.."He whispered. After a moment, Naida reached up with her other hand, stroking the outside of his hand gently.
"I'm not going to..just..go to sleep, Botta..I'll be right here with you when you wake up.."
In his sleep, the Guard sighed, "I..I don't want to be alone..Naida..don't..leave me alone..like she did.."
Naida paused, looking at him.
(So..that's it..that's why he is..the way he is..)
She closed her eyes.
"I won't, Botta,"She said softly, "..I won't.."
And there she stayed for most of the night, completely unaware of the young Shooter who lay awake on his cot, smiling as he
went to sleep.
The next morning, the entire group was rattled awake as the boat practically crashed into the Besaid dock. Keepa's eyes shot
open, and he sat up.
"FIRE!!"
"Man, white boy,"Jassu said sleepily,"There ain't no fire, ya?"
"The boat crashed,"Letty stated.
"Sure sounds like it,"Datto added, rolling over, "Who's drivin' this thing anyway?"
"I am."
They all looked up to see the Captain standing in the doorway, pipe in his mouth and hand stroking his brown/grey beard.
"We're in a hurry, and we need you off ASAP. Come along now, chop chop! You're things are on the deck waiting for you, hurry up!"
Groaning, the bed-raggled team got their things together and moved as quickly as their tired bodies would let them off the ship.
Almost as soon as they were all on the land, the Captain was pulling the boat back out.
"Yo, Cap'n!"Jassu yelled as the boat pulled out, "What's the hurry? Yer movin' like a fat kid on a mission!"
The Captain leaned out of the window of the control room.
"There's been another attack somewhere near Mi'ihen! Gotta go get the survivors!"
"Oh, Good luck!!"
He turned and looked over at his teammates on the beach, shaking his head.
"Must be Sin again..."He muttered, "Glad we're all here.."
He walked over to the group, and laughed when he saw most of them were sprawled out on the sand.
"C'mon guys,"He said,"Let's get on home, then we can sleep the rest of the day."
The group groaned again, and Jassu walked over and started helping everyone up. Soon, they were all up again, and they started
on the road back to Besaid.
After walking in silence for about 10 minutes, Keepa spoke.
"You know what I hate..?"
"What's that, Marshmallow?"Letty asked back, voice tired.
"...Bumblebees."
The group fell silent in their exhaughst.
"...Me too man."Jassu finally answered.
"Yeah.."Datto added, "They look all innocent and stuff...then they sting the Ifrit out of you."
"I hate that,"Botta said with a nod,"An' you know what else I hate?"
"Whas' that, man,"Jassu answered.
"...Caterpillars."
"Oh, man I know!"Keepa said, "They're all fat and fuzzy, and they crawl all over you and you can't get 'em off!"
"Yeah,"Naida added in,"I used to have nightmares about that when I was a kid."
The group fell silent again, and soon, they were all in Besaid again. Aunt Julia was waiting for them at the entrance, and as soon as
she saw them, her eyes lit up.
"Oh!! Congratulations again!! You all-"
She stopped when she came closer and saw their tired faces.
"...Oh..I..think you all need some rest."
They all looked at eachother, then nodded. She walked with everyone home, and took Naida to Wakka's last. As she led the Al Bhed
girl over to her bed, she tried talking to her.
"So..how was your trip back?"
"..Long, Aunt Julia,"Was the reply,"But it was good."
"Well why are you all so tired?"
"Probably because none of us got to bet 'til late.."
"How late?"
"Well," She said, laying down,"The guys started snoring at around 2 maybe..then I stayed up with Botta 'til about 4.."
"Oh..?" The older woman questioned, her eyes liting up curiously, "Why's that?"
"He was having a nightmare.."She said unconciously, pulling the covers up to her neck,"He was talking to me..so I went over to him,
and stayed with him until he calmed down.."
Aunt Julia nodded, tucking the young woman in, "...I see..what time did you all get here this morning?"
"..About 8..what time is it now?"
"Almost 11...but don't worry..you all can rest all you need. You'll need it for tomorrow night. We're going to have a cookout on the
beach..alright?"
But no answer came, only the gentle sound of Naida's steady breathing. Aunt Julia laughed a little, walking out of the small house
and over to hers to start supper.
~~~"What do you mean, you're leaving?!"
"I'm sorry, Naida...but I have to protect Spira from Sin."
Naida shook her head.
"No! No you don't! You can stay with me here! We're safe here!!"
Leon looked at her, his aqua eyes filled with pain.
"Naida..I want you to be safe."
She shook her head, "But I am safe! And for the first time since Teale died I'm happy!!"
"How can you say that?"
Naida sighed, "No, I'm not happy that she died!"
"I know that, but I don't understand HOW you can be happy! Naida..we're the only ones left of our family!"
Naida nodded,"EXACTLY! That's why we need to stick together!!!"
Leon sighed, "Naida..no. I have to go."
He turned and started to walk away, Naida slammed her fist down on the counter.
"You have to go, or you want to?!"
He stopped walking at this, and lowered his head.
"What.."He said, his voice low, "Makes you think..that I WANT to do this..?!"
She remained silent as he turned to face her.
"Naida...I have been struggling with this since Teale got sick...you know why she's dead."
Naida looked at him for a moment, before she felt her eyes begin to water and she looked down. Leon shook his head, walking back
over to her.
"There was nothing we could do....those Antidotes we gave her only prolonged her life...and you know it."
Naida breathed in a deep, shuddering breath.
"Yeah.."She said softly, then, after a moment, she looked up at him, her green-blue eyes filled with tears,"But..I figured..if we prayed
hard enough..and just..tried..that..she might get..better..."
With that she covered her face, breaking into tears. Leon walked over to her, and hugged her.
"Naida.."He said softly, "Sin killed our sister..and now I've got to go kill it.."
After a moment, he held her at arms length, looking at her.
"..And if it kills me first...I want you to promise me you won't try too."
She looked up at him, shocked.
"But..Leon.."
He shook his head.
"Naida, you can't..if you die..you can't continue our bloodline. Our last name might be gone..but our bloodline.."
She stared at him for a moment, before nodding.
"...Alright Leon..I won't."
He smiled, holding her close again.
"Thank you Naida.."He whispered as she cried, "Thank you so much.." ~~~~~~
Naida's eyes opened to the town of Besaid at a rather late time that night. She looked around the dark house, sighing.
(That's the second time in a week I've had that dream..)She thought,(..I hope nothing's wrong.)
Sighing again, she sat up, swinging her bare legs over the side of the bed.
(Gotta find a way to get my mind off of it...)
Luckily, Aunt Julia wasn't through making dinner yet,
because Naida needed something to do. She got out of bed, strapping her goggles across her face and sliding on her boots and
over-chaps. She brushed her hair quickly, trying to shake all thoughts of the dream out of her head. Once she was finished, she
walked over to Aunt Julia's house, quietly knocking. Soon, the door opened, and the older woman's smiling green eyes looked out at
her.
"Why Naida!"She exclaimed, "You're the only one of the group awake! Is there anything wrong?"
She shook her head, "No ma'am, not at all. I was just wondering..if you needed any help with dinner...?"
Aunt Julia paused, then opened the door the rest of the way.
"Well, I suppose you could help me with a few things." She said with a laugh.
Naida smiled and walked in, "Thank you."
That night at Aunt Julia's was just like any other night that I've told you about ...Unusual.
The group finally got in about an hour after Naida had arrived, and by the time that the older woman and the Al Bhed had set the table,
it was around 9 at night. Naida paused in the doorway with the bowl of green beans as Letty said grace, then brought them in and set
them down. She took her usual seat in front of Botta, who offered her a weird sort of glare before he started eating. Naida raised
her eyebrow, and stared at him until he looked up at her. Quickly she looked back down at her food, and a minute later, she looked
back up to see him staring at her. She smirked.
"Take a picture, it'll last longer."
He raised his eyebrow, "Uh..huh."
The rest of the table just shook their heads at the two, and kept eating. After a moment, Naida and Botta went back to eating quietly.
He was in the middle of a forkfull of green beans, when he felt something run up the side of his leg. His eyes widened.
(What the crap?!!)
He straightened up, looking around the table. Naida started giggling, and he looked at her.
"Was that you?"
She looked up at him, "Was what me?"
"That."
She stared at him blankly, "...Are you okay?"
He shook his head, "...Nevermind."
They went back to eating, and a few moments later, it happened again. This time, he looked around the table at everyone slowly, and
his gaze stopped on Letty, who winked at him.
"AHHHH!!!!"
Botta jumped out of his seat and started dancing around.
"That is WRONG, Letty!! Wrong wrong wrong wrong WRONG!!"
At this, Naida burst into histerics. She leaned back in her chair, and before she knew it, she was falling backwards. She hit the floor,
paused for a moment, then started laughing again. Keepa looked over the table at her, eyebrow raised.
"...You okay, Blondie?"
"Ohhh man.."She sighed, still laughing, "Oh Yevon that was freakin' hilarious!!"
Letty was laughing hard over in his seat, and Datto started laughing with him. Jassu only shook his head.
"...Man..white people."
Aunt Julia laughed as she stood up.
"Well now..I'm guessing you're all finished with your supper?"
"Yes ma'am,"Was the reply. She smiled.
"Alright then," She said with a smile. Naida stood up.
"I'm helpin'!"
"I think I'll help tonight too,"Letty said, standing up and picking up some of the plates. Naida raised her eyebrow.
"..Don't touch my plates."
They stared at eachother for a minute, before Letty grabbed two more and took off for the kitchen.
"MWAHAHA!!!"
"No!!!" Naida screamed, grabbing the rest of the silverwear and cups and running after him. The rest of the room was quiet for a
moment, before Botta shook his head.
"Alright now..I think I'm gonna go finish catchin' up on that thing I used to do when I was normal...sleep."
"When you were WHAT?!" Came Naida's voice from the kitchen. Botta rolled his eyes.
"Get to cleanin', dishwater girl." He said, turning and walking out of the house, "Thanks Aunt Julia!"
"You're welcome, dear!"She called after him. Datto stood up.
"Yeah, I think I'm gone too." He hugged Aunt Julia,"Thanks for everything!"
She smiled,"You're welcome, Datto. It's good to have you here, sweetie."
He started out the door, until Keepa stopped him.
"Hey man, I'll come with you for a minute."
He nodded, "Alright then, come on. See ya guys. See ya Letty and Naida!"
"AHAHAHA!!!"
The group of four in the dining room exchanged short glances, ending with a headshake from Keepa. Then they left. Aunt Julia sat
down next to Jassu, who was sitting quietly.
"So..how are you, Jassu?"
He smiled, "Oh, I'm good, Aunt J. Thanks for askin'. How about you?"
She laughed, "Well, I'm doin' pretty good. It's lonely without you boys around, so it's good when you're here. Naida too. I'm glad she
joined the team."
Jassu nodded, "I think everyone's hopin' she stays."
Aunt Julia raised her eyebrow, "Even Botta?"
Jassu rolled his eyes, "Man, that white boy likes her and he knows it. He's just bein'...white..ya?"
She laughed, "Well..I guess I understand."
They paused for a moment, then Aunt Julia looked at him, "Hmm...why do you think the Captain dropped you off in such a rush this
morning? It must've been important, to just have up and kicked you off the boat like he did."
Jassu nodded, "He told me it was somethin' about another attack near Mi'ihen..I'm guessin' it was Sin."
Aunt Julia sighed, shaking her head, "That's terrible...I hope no one was killed.."
Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a loud yell.
"HOW DARE YOU STEAL THE CUP FROM ME!!!"
"Oh, go stick yer head in a blueberry jar! Oh, wait! YOU DON'T NEED TO!!!"
"WHAT??!! AHH! TAKE THIS, MORTAL!!!"
A shriek was heard from the kitchen, and soon, Naida came running out, hair slightly wet. Seconds later, out came Letty, soap on his
face in the form of a beard. He stopped, looking around.
"HA!"
At that moment, Keepa walked in. He took one look at Letty, and walked right back out. Letty laughed, running out after him.
"I AM...THE KING OF THE CUPS!!!"
"Hoo boy.."Naida said, sitting down,"Papa Smurf's on a power trip."
"You know..."Aunt Julia said,"I think this is the first time all night I've noticed that his hair is blue."
Naida and Jassu looked at eachother.
"Umm..don't ask."He said.
"Yeah,"She added,"It's a long story."
Just then, Letty ran back in, this time Botta behind him.
"Alright guys,"He said,"Keep the crazy blueberry head in here, he's gonna wake up the whole freakin' town."
Letty laughed and walked back into the kitchen. After a moment, Jassu shook his head.
"Alright..I've had enough of this whitey-white..peopleness...I'm goin' to bed, ya? See ya'll in the mornin'."
He stood up, walking out. Keepa walked back in as he walked out, and walked back to his room.
"I need more sleep,"He said with a laugh, disappearing. After another moment, Letty walked back out, all clean.
"All done, Aunt Julia,"He said with a grin. She sighed, smiling.
"Thank you for your help Letty,"She said,"Now..go to bed!"
He laughed,"Yes ma'am. Night guys."
He walked out, leaving the small group of three alone in the dining room. Aunt Julia stood up.
"I think I'll turn in, too."She said, "Thank you for helping, Naida, and thanks for coming over!"
"Thank YOU, Aunt Julia,"Naida said, standing up and hugging her,"Good night."
"Good night to you too, and you too, Botta!"
"Nite, Aunt Julia."He said with a smile.
With that, the older woman walked back into her room, shutting the door. After a few seconds, Naida looked over at Botta.
"Man..this was a crazy night, eh?"
He shrugged,"Just a regular night for us."
She sighed with a smile, "I love it. It's so..different..from life in the Calm Lands."
He nodded, "I can imagine.."
They fell silent for a moment, before Botta looked around.
(...We're the only ones in here..)
He looked back at her, and found her looking down, silent. She looked different, all of a sudden..almost sad.
"..Naida?"
She shook her head, looking up at him.
"Huh?"
He raised his eyebrow, "..You okay?"
She laughed at little, "Yeah, I'm fine..just tired."
He nodded, "Well...guess you'd better get to bed then."
She nodded back,"Yeah..guess so."
They stared at eachother a moment longer, before she stood up.
"Good night, Botta. See you tomorrow."
"Bye."
She walked out, leaving Botta alone in the kitchen.
(Man..)He thought, (She really...doesn't want anything to do with me...)
Shaking his head, he stood up, walking outside. Looking to the sky, he sighed.
(Yevon..how'd I get myself into this..?)
Shaking his head again, he turned and walked back into the Inn, climbing into the scratchy thing he had come to call his bed.
Snuggling down as best as he could, he closed his eyes.
(No..)He told himself, (I don't like her...there's no way..I can't.)
He thought on this for a moment, then drifted off.
Meanwhile, Naida lay awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling with her unmasked eyes.
(It happened again..)She thought, (..That's got to be the third or fourth time since we've met, that I have been in a room alone with
him, and every single one of those bloody times, I end up running out like a Chocobo. Leon would laugh if he saw me...)
She rolled over onto her side with a sigh, closing her eyes and thinking about the near past...
"...I hate it when he looks at me." She said softly to no one,"His eyes drive me crazy.."
And as she drifted off to sleep, she added the last part mentally.
(Not that I mind much anymore...)
The next morning, Botta awoke to noise. He didn't open his eyes...because by now, he'd learned it's better to listen first...
"Hawoooo.... Boooooottttaaaaa....Hawooooo..."
(Oh, Yevon..) He thought,(Tell me it's not...)
He lay motionless still, listening. Seconds later, he heard the childish call again.
"Boooottaaaa...come and pway...hawwoooooo...."
This time, he heard snickering follow the call. Instantly he knew.
"Oh, Yevon guys.."He groaned,"Get that nasty thing away from me."
He opened his eyes to see Datto on the edge of his bed, holding the most dirty, disgusting looking stuffed duck, he had ever seen in
his 22 years of living, inches from his face. The rest of the group behind him.
"Ohhh..c'mon, Botta,"He said, still talking childishly, "You know you wuv me...DUCKY!!!!"
With this, he threw the duck on Botta's face. He jerked.
"Good Yevon!" He yelled, grabbing the duck and throwing it across the room. The rest of the group started laughing as he sat up.
"Mornin' Botta,"Keepa said,"Sweet dreams?"
"Oh..yeah." He said sleepily, rubbing his face, "Well..I was."
Jassu laughed as the redhead swung his legs over the side of the bed, stretching.
"Well, you needta get up,ya? We need to help get things ready for tonight."
"What's tonight?"
"A cookout,"Letty said,"It's gonna be awesome."
"The whole town comin'?"
"Nope,"Keepa said,"Just us and Aunt Julia."
"..Why?"
"I dunno, probably because of those freaks from Bevelle. Everyone's scared to have fun."
"Yeah,"Jassu added in,"I think they get a kick outta watchin' us torture you an' Naida though."
He rolled his eyes at the comment, but then automatically looked around for the blonde at the mention of her name.
"She's already down at the beach with Aunt Julia," Letty said with a grin. Botta raised his eyebrow.
"Huh?"
"Stop pretendin' you ain't lookin' for her,"Datto said with a laugh,"We're not that stupid. C'mon."
The group got up and walked out, Botta trailing behind slightly.
(What in the world,)He said, shaking his head,(It's not that obvious, is it?)
Sighing, Botta walked after his teammates, trying to keep up.
Once they were down to the beach, they were greeted by Aunt Julia, who was smiling.
"I brought something special for tonight.."She said,"It's over there with Naida..you might want to go help her..."
They looked past her, and over to Naida, who was struggling with what looked like a pole.
"Hey guys!"She yelled,"Come help me with this thing!"
Datto was the first to walk over to her, and after a moment, turned to the others.
"IT'S A VOLLY BALL NET!!!!!!!"
The guys cheered and ran over to them, grabbing pieces of the set and beginning to work on it. Letty grabbed the other pole, and
Keepa helped Naida with the one she had. Together, the three got up the skeleton of the set. Datto and Jassu grabbed the net for it,
while Botta grabbed the bolts to hold it together.
About 20 minutes later, the group stood back and admired their work.
"Ya know..."Jassu said, "..It doesn't look that bad.."
"Well,"Datto said,"What are we waitin' for? Let's play!!!"
"Captain!!"Jassu yelled.
"Captain!!"Letty called after him.
The two stood apart from the rest of the group, picking teams.
"Datto."Letty said.
"Keepa!"Jassu yelled.
"Well then I got Botta!"Letty smirked.
Jassu laughed, "Boy, yer gonna get beat, 'cuz we got the white girl!!"
The two Captains laughed and split into their teams, beginning the game. Datto served first, and Keepa hit it back over. Botta hit it
back, and Jassu missed it.
"HAHAHA!!"Letty yelled, dancing around,"We scored on YOU!!"
Jassu rolled his eyes, "Cool it, Papa Smurf, that's the first shot."
Then the game started. Keepa came back and scored, evening it out, but that was only the beginning. The game lasted for hours,
and eventually they forgot the score, and the time.
Letty served the ball, and Jassu hit it back over. Datto hit it, but not very hard. It flew up above the net, and Naida ran up after it.
Botta saw her, and ran up, jumping up in hopes to spike it. Naida was closer, but Botta had longer arms. He hit the ball, right down at
Naida, who screamed a mix of laughter and sudden fright. The ball missed her, but in her attempt to dodge it, she had thrown herself
into the net, and twisted onto her back. Botta hit the ground, looked up, and jumped foreward. He caught the blonde just before she
hit the ground, and the ball landed in her lap. The whole group paused for a moment, before bursting into hysterics.
"Man.."Jassu said,"That..that was WEIRD!"
The group laughed a little longer, as Botta and Naida looked at eachother for a minute.
"Ohhh, man.."Letty said,"I think they're gonna kiss!"
"WoooOOOOOOoooo!!!"Keepa called, batting his eyelashes, "It's soOOOoo romantic..!"
The guys started laughing again as Naida blushed.
"Thanks,"She said quickly, getting up.
Botta shook his head and stood up, looking around.
"Ahh, shut up!"
The guys just laughed even harder. Just then, Aunt Julia walked up.
"You know, I have most of the hamburgers ready, but I forgot the ketchup and everything back at the house! Could some of you go
start the fire, and a couple of you go back to Besaid and get the stuff for me?"
"I got the fire!"Letty said, running over to the small pile of wood they had made earlier.
"Me too!"Datto yelled, running after him.
Keepa laughed,"I'm helpin' Aunt Julia,"He said, walking over to the grill."
Jassu stood alone with Naida and Botta, grinning.
"I'll let you two go,"He said,"But don't stay gone too long, or we might send someone to embarass ya."
"Bu-"Botta started, but it was too late, the Guard was already gone over to help with the fire.
"Thank you!"Aunt Julia said before he could protest to her, and practically ran over to Keepa and the grill. Naida and Botta looked at
eachother, and after a minute, Naida shrugged.
"You don't have to go.."She said,"I'll be fine..the sun's not down just yet, the fiends'll stay away."
She turned and started to walk off toward the path back to Besaid, leaving Botta. After a moment, he shook his head, running after
her.
"Don't be stupid,"He said,"It's not just the fiends you gotta look out for, ya?"
She looked at him, then laughed, "...Ya."
He smiled, laughing a little, and walked with her up the hill toward Besaid.
"So.."She said, trying to start a conversation, "..How long have you been playing Blitzball?"
He shrugged, "I dunno..a few years.."
She raised her eyebrow, "Really? Seems a whole lot longer.."
He looked at her, "You think so?"
She nodded, "Mmmhmm."
He smiled slightly, "Thanks..you're...not so bad yerself."
She looked down with a smile, "Thanks."
They walked on in silence for a few minutes, when Botta looked at her.
"So..where's your brother stationed, do you know?"
She sighed, "Somewhere near Mi'ihen, like most of them. He's with the Chocobo Knights, he told me last."
"..How long ago was that?"
She shook her head, "Before I left with you guys."
"Oh.."He nodded,"So then..you don't know how he is.."
"..No."
They were quiet for a moment, before Botta sighed.
"Y'know..I had a brother.."
She looked at him, "Really?"
He nodded, "Yeah..name was Rennan. He was 3 years younger than me."
"Wow...did he look anything like you?"
Botta shook his head, "Nope. We were both adopted..by a family in Kilika..after Sin attacked here 20 years ago. I don't.. know how I
got there...but those are where alot of my memories are.."
Naida nodded, then, "..Where..is he?"
Botta sighed, "He died...before I came back to Besaid. Sin got him and the rest of my adopted family..he was only 3..I was 6..I had
gone into the woods with some of my friends..and I couldn't do anything to save them."
"Oh.."Naida said sadly,"I..I'm sorry.."
"It's alright.."He breathed.."I'm..kinda used to it now."
She looked at him a moment longer, before looking down, "I was 18 when my little sister died."
Botta looked at her, "..What happened..?"
She sighed, "..We were living in Kilika too...when it hit 3 years ago..Leon, Teale and I escaped barely..our parents died..."She cleared
her throat, "Teale..was in the house with them..when Sin came..she told us..that when it ripped the roof off the house..that it stopped
when it saw her, giving her just enough time to run. Mom and Dad couldn't get away..and she found us in the woods..on our way
home from Luca. We got her out of there..but..she had been exposed to the toxin..and she got really sick..."
Botta watched as Naida winced with the painful memories of her younger sister, "I tried..so hard..to make her better...we kept her
alive..longer than she should have lived..but the toxin..was so strong...she died..four months after she came down with it."
After that, Naida was quiet for a long time. Botta looked at her, wanting to say something, anything, to make her feel better..he knew
how she felt..but the thing was..he didn't know how to make it go away.
Soon, they were back in Besaid, and Naida turned to him with a smile.
"Well, let's go get what we came here for!"
She turned and ran into Aunt Julia's house, leaving Botta alone in the street.
(Man..)He sighed, (I don't know how she handles it..There's a whole lot more to that girl...than I ever thought..)
Minutes later, Naida re-emerged from the small house with everything that was needed. Grinning, she ran back up to Botta.
"Alright, let's go!" She ran ahead of him, laughing. After a moment, he smiled and ran after her.
(He understands me..)She thought, smiling slightly as she ran along the dirt road back to the beach,(I never knew..) She looked over
her shoulder at him as he walked along contently, looking around at the flowers and plants that grew along the trail. (He's been
through everything I have..and he understands my feelings..)
Suddenly, Botta looked up at her, smiling brightly, a slight shine in his crystal eyes. She tilted her head to the side.
"What is it?"
He shrugged, "I dunno..I'm just happy, I guess."
(It's because I'm finally with someone who know's how I feel.)
She smiled back, "Me too."
(It's because now I don't feel so abnormal...)
They stopped walking, and just stood for a moment, staring at eachother. After a moment, Botta tilted his head to the side, and
walked toward Naida. She smiled slightly, feeling her heartbeat speed up a bit. As he came to a stop in front of her, she looked up at
him, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks. He smiled.
"Uhh..hey Naida.."
"Yeah..?"
"I was..umm...just thinkin'.."
"What's that?" She said, laughing nervously.
"Well..I'm wonderin' if yo-"
"Excuse me!"
The two turned and looked down the road to see a lady and a younger man riding toward them on chocobos. As they approached,
Naida and Botta stepped apart as if nothing was going on.
"Excuse me.."The young man said, dismounting his Chocobo, "But are you Naida Dark?"
Naida glanced at Botta, raising an eyebrow, "I am."
He stepped foreward, "Clasko Trenk of the Chocobo Knights, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Naida's eyes widened a little, "...Wh..what's this about..Mr. Trenk?"
Clasko sighed, looking to the woman he was riding with. She nodded to him, and he turned back to Naida.
"I'm afraid..that I have some bad news.."
Naida stared at the man, a blank expression on her face. He reached into a pouch on his side, pulling something out. He held open
his hand, revealing a chain necklace..and on the necklace..were a pair of dog tags.
"It's about your brother..Leon."
~~~~~~~~~Author's Note: AHHHHH!!!! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! I couldn't help myself! This chapter was going to be serious, but
I couldn't help it, and the next thing I know, Letty's got blue hair and a soap beard! So I decided to end it on a serious note, and let
the next chapter be the dark one. I'm sorry if there was alot of cheese in this one, but I went through alot of moods when I was
writing this, so sorry!
I hope you guys don't kill me in the reviews!! I'll try to get you the next chapter ASAP!
-Keepin' it "Real"
~Ari
P.S. Thanks Tio and Sonata!! (Btw, Sonata, I'm trying to find time to read yer fics, so I'll be there in a bit!)
