A/N: Been a while, eh? I've been really busy lately, and I'm just quickly typing this up and one other before going on another break.

Anyways, it's quite surprising how many people dislike Tifa but hey, to each their own. I would like to highlight my description of this drabble series though. Yes this is listed under Squall/Lightning, but that doesn't mean it'll be purely Squall/Lightning. Others will co-star, drabbles like this theme will happen. If you can't stomach it, skip. There is a reason why I state the pairing at the beginning of each theme. Sure a couple of themes have an anonymous '-', but that means someone is being co-featured.

Anyways, enjoy all!


Theme 28: Revenant Wings

Pairing: Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca/Vaan, Squall Leonhart/Lightning Farron


The captive pirate let out a pained groan when his consciousness finally registered the annoying light from beyond his eyelids. Blinking his eyes open before squinting as his pupils rapidly struggled to accommodate for the incoming light, Vaan realized that he wasn't in his cozy airship anymore even though he was flying high up in the sky.

A dull ache at the back of his head suddenly made itself known and the young sky pirate let out another pained groan just as his eyes finally found the back of his kidnapper's head.

"Squall…?" Vaan asked in a bit of a daze.

Indeed, there, sitting stoically in the pilot's seat was none other than Squall Leonhart, calmly navigating through familiar skies; if Vaan didn't know any better, he could have sworn they were heading in Dalmasca's direction…

"Yeah." Squall's one-word reply came flatly, not once bothering to spare a glance at the criminal.

"What happe-" Vaan made to approach the man only to find his movements restricted. "…hey Squall- am I tied to this chair?"

"Sharp as always."

Though Vaan was not known for his keen perception – or thinking, in general - Squall's sarcasm managed to get the engines in his head roaring.

A wave of indignation came and went, and Vaan sighed wearily as he attempted to make himself comfortable on the chair, his head tilting to the side as he watched the skies he loved so much fly by. "It was you, wasn't it?" He accused tiredly.

"You'd have to be more specific."

An annoyed snort left Vaan's nose; Squall was deliberately being an ass, more so than usual. "Capturing me, obviously."

"Glad to know there's something in your skull besides hot air."

"Look, Squall," Vaan tried to get his attention. "Whatever I did to piss you off, I'm sorry, alright?"

"Duly noted." Squall replied with his usual dismissiveness before he spared the captive pirate a glance. Vaan stiffened; he did not like the chilling intensity of those orbs. "Vaan," he finally addressed the sandy-blond teen. "Instead of attempting to escape, I advise you to strap yourself in."

"I'm not trying to-" Vaan's lie was cut off when the Ragnarok abruptly lurched to the side, throwing the now-unbound sky pirate off his seat and sailing towards the SeeD Commander, who snapped his fist out nonchalantly to impact with the pirate's stomach. "UGH!"

As if that wasn't enough, Squall abruptly shifted directions again, this time sending Vaan crashing back into the seat he had occupied with a pained groan. "Urk- Squall, what the hell? !"

Squall merely shrugged. "I told you to strap yourself in."

"You're a right bastard."

"Again, duly noted. Now do as I say."

With a grumble, the sky pirate complied before folding his arms. "Seriously Squall, was whatever I did really that bad?"

"No, not really, but Lightning definitely thinks so."

That got Vaan's cogs turning and he finally realized exactly what started all this. He really couldn't help the mischievous grin from splitting his face as he asked, "So, I'm guessin' you guys got punked?"

Squall's eyes snapped towards him, though the glare he received was anything but withering.

Odd; he expected the SeeD Commander to be furious- it seemed Lightning was spitting fire, after all- yet Squall seemed ever-so-slightly amused, if rather irritated. It was times like this when Vaan realized Squall wasn't the tool he appeared to be, and that he did have a sense of humour, albeit slightly warped.

Vaan rubbed his nose with a mischievous grin before folding his arms behind his head. "Mind tellin' me how it happened?" His grin faltered at the flat look Squall sent him. "Ah, that's…a 'no' then."

A heavy sigh left the sky pirate's lips. Though he was growing ever more curious, but he knew he'd have more luck getting a wall to talk than prying information out of a tight-lipped Squall. His gray-eyed stare once more drifted to the skies to his side.

"…We're heading to Rabanastre, aren't we?"

The sarcastic quip never left Squall's lips at Vaan's somber tone. Instead, Squall spared him a sideways glance, noting that Vaan's posture seemed uncharacteristically devoid of energy, before facing the skies ahead. "…Yes."

"This is- this is about Ashe's request, isn't it?" Vaan's gaze snapped towards the pilot in accusation.

"Yes."

A pained grimace crossed the pirate's face. "Squall! I thought we made a deal!"

"We did." Squall agreed coolly. "But choosing between your life and a deal made out of your cowardice was a simple matter."

"My life?" Vaan blinked disbelievingly.

"Lightning's out for your blood."

The way Squall said it made Vaan think she was actually serious. Wait, who was he kidding? This was Lightning! Sure she may not kill him, but if the woman was as furious with him as Squall made her out to be, then he was as good as dead.

Damn, how did his prank fire?

"I convinced Lightning that this was enough punishment."

Vaan shot the nonchalant man a sour look. "Gee, thanks." A tense silence descended upon the pair as the pirate mentally commanded Squall to turn the Ragnarok around.

"You've been putting this off long enough." Squall lectured, ignoring the Dalmascan's attempts at mind control.

"I'm just-" His hands curled into a tight ball. "-not ready. Not yet."

A heavy sigh left Vaan's lips.

"You'll have to face her eventually."

"I know. But I can't yet." Tense fingers ran through his sandy hair as Vaan tried to quell the warring emotions inside him. "I never did tell you what happened between Ashe and I, right?"

"I don't really care." Squall replied flatly and Vaan gaped at the man.

He was serious!

"However," Squall continued as the sky pirate regained his bearings. "Queen Ashelia has told me of her indiscretion."

"I don't blame her for it." Vaan quickly spoke, and Squall saw no lies in the pirate's words. "She's Ashe. He's Balthier. Sure he's a womanizing pervert, but he's still Balthier." A smirk formed on Vaan's lips but even Squall could see how much he both admired and disliked his sort-of mentor. "It was never a question, really."

Except they fell apart like sand castles in a rainy desert.

And now Ashe was calling to the boy who finally found freedom.

For the past two years.

"You still love her."

Vaan shot his listener- and kidnapper- a dirty look. "Don't say 'love' like that. You love Lightning, don't you?"

"Yes." Squall spared the pirate an admonishing glance. "But we're talking about you."

"Yeah…" Vaan sank to his seat; that was Squall's way of telling him to stop dodging the subject. "I don't hate either of them."

"Because you still love her." Squall reiterated.

"Yeah. I guess I still do." Gray eyes sought solace in the skies that always gave him comfort. "But whenever I see Ashe, I see her and Balthier in that hut in Phon Coast." Vaan shook his head to banish such thoughts before staring at the brunet seriously. "Squall, I can't face her yet."

"You need to decide, Vaan. You can't keep running away forever."

"C'mon Squall. Even I know I'm not good enough."

"Now you're just running away."

That stilled Vaan's tongue. "…You can be a real jerk sometimes, you know?"

"Yes."

At Vaan's resigned breath, Squall's lips twitched into a small smile.

"Hey Squall?" Vaan asked curiously, already decided that he would finally face Ashe again. "How did my prank set off?"

The Ragnarok suddenly lurched to the side.


A/N: Much longer than I planned but whatever. I actually do like Vaan as a character, and think Balthier's full of hot air and Ashe is a bitch. Manga!Vaan is also hilarious while Ashe's bitch meter measured over 9000. The 'Balthier is a pervert' bit is me nodding towards the manga; after Vaan saves Ashe, Balthier immediately starts putting the moves on our bitchy queen. Oddly enough, I still ship Vaan/Ashe despite the latter's attitude.

As for what exactly happened, it involved a round of romping, a broken chair, and a juvenile prank. I might end up writing an omake if people get curious, but it will be smut.

I forgot who said it, but someone in the FF12 section of this site hit the nail on Vaan's situation; 'Everything's easier when you're pretty.'

Hrmm…I might actually make a drabble-series for Vaan, too, on the side. I still owe a certain someone a Vaan/Fran, after all D:

Anyways the theme 29 should be coming up shortly, then hopefully I can sneak in a quick Squall/Prishe oneshot.

Also, I'd like to express my gratitude to Eirlys-Tylluan. Mate, you are a legend! I'd sing more praises but it's already raining over here ;( For those wondering, ET's recently posted a glorious Squall/Lightning depicting her rendition of a previous SCE theme, Samhain =) Go, go check ET's DeviantArt page, NAOW!