Final Fantasy X and PlayStation are owned by Square Enix and Sony, respectively, meaning they do not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Final Fantasy X storyline (such as Rayne and Marcus) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.
(Little Unwanted Wonder)
Oddly enough, when the group of three humans and a qactuar arrived at the temple, they found no resistance to meet them; the Guado had cleared out and, apparently, Bevelle no longer recognized them as traitors.
After they had rested just outside of the temple the night before (in case they needed to be prepared for battle), entered (shockingly easily), learned that they were no longer traitors to the temple (no one could explain why), got the symbol of Shiva, and were nearly out the door when Rayne had to make an emergency stop to the bathroom.
After loosing what was left of her dinner and all of her breakfast, Rayne stormed out sour, both in mood and mouth. She couldn't, for the life of her, think of what she had eaten to make herself sick. After brushing it off as some infection in the fiend stake (she swore never to eat Evil Eye again), she insisted that they push on.
As they walked, she held the silver necklace in her hand and stared at the back, studying the six present symbols of the aeons. 'All I have left are Bahamut and Anima… I wonder how I'll get back into Bevelle…'
"Rayne." She looked up, blinking when Auron nodded and gestured to a save sphere, "To the Fahrenheit."
Nodding, she walked up to the blue sphere and touched it, warping back to the ship and swaying when the sickening feeling of nausea washed over her.
"Bathroom." She muttered to Cid, covering her mouth with her hand.
Cid blinked at her, "In the cargo bay—" She was out the door before he could finish.
She upchucked what little she had in her stomach, most of which was bile and thus she had a raw throat, then came back to the hallway of the bridge grumpy. She glared at Auron, "What're we doing now?"
Auron didn't open his eye to answer, "Picking up the rooster and the hyper girl. Then, we're going to Bevelle."
Rayne stared at him, then said, "After that, we're going to Baaj. Then, the Omega Ruins. I honestly don't care where we go after that; Sin, I guess."
The single, functioning brown eye the man possessed flickered open at this, focusing on his wife with careful scrutiny, "You… don't care? …Are you alright?"
"Fine." Rayne snapped, narrowing her eyes, "Why do you ask, Auron?"
He stared at her, then slowly replied, "I would have thought you would have tried to drag this last stage out for at least a month. To give up after two days… it's not like you. That, and I never knew you to be airsick."
Rayne sighed, irritated, "I wasn't airsick, Auron, I probably ate some back fiend stake."
"You also have a much shorter fuse that usual." Auron observed, mostly to himself.
Rayne stared at him for a moment, her expression highly annoyed. Then, in a complete flip, it softened dramatically and she hunched slightly, approaching Auron's side like a kicked dog, "Sorry, sweetheart, I guess I'm just… tired."
Auron stared at her again, then softly commanded, "Go take a nap, then. There should still be cots set up in the cargo bay."
Nodding demurely, she turned and shuffled out of the hall, the door closing behind her.
After staring after her for a moment, Auron walked onto the bridge and demanded of Lulu, "What did you put in her food?"
Rayne slept… and slept… and slept… and, for a change of pace, she slept some more. She slept heavily and deeply, and no one could wake her, despite the valiant efforts of the combined Tidus and Rikku (who were honestly shocked, after all of the threats and jabs they threw at her, that they were still alive and she was still unconscious).
After she had slept for several days, Wakka suggested that they simply tip the cot over and run for it, but Lulu (already having several ideas about her condition, one of which could be easily compromised if she were to suffer a fall) promptly smacked Wakka upside the head with a block of ice for suggesting this, then banished everyone from the cargo bay and demanded that she be the only one to care for her.
While the others, unwilling and unsure of how to continue the pilgrimage with both of their mages out of commission, spent their time leveling up their Sphere Grids while Lulu spent her time taking care of Rayne.
One day, when Lulu was carefully removing Rayne's armor to get a look at her stomach, Rayne groggily woke up and stared at Lulu, her jacket removed and the armor already unlaced.
"Lu?" She yawned, blinking her eyes sleepily.
The younger Black Mage paused, then removed the armor completely and set it aside. "Rayne… what do you know about fiends?"
Rayne blinked, taking a moment to make her tired brain work before answering, "They're… the malicious unsent wills and pyreflies of the previously living, right?"
Lulu nodded, "Right. And… what is their nature?"
"They prey on the living…"
"Correct." Lulu nodded, then paused before asking, "Rayne… you have seen fiend nests, right?"
Rayne quirked a brow, sitting up, albeit slowly and somewhat uncomfortably, "Yes, just as I have seen young fiends, adolescent fiends, old fiends, and dead fiends. What of it?"
"This would mean that fiends are capable of reproduction, right?"
"It… would be safe to assume…" Rayne answered slowly, frowning.
"…And aren't unsent, like Sir Auron and yourself, also… fiends? Or, at least the onset; you have physical forms, wills, and you are composed of pyreflies, right?"
"Like most other beings in Spira," Rayne's frown deepened, "Only the only thing holding us together is sheer will. If we were to simply let go, we'd either become fiends or disperse in pyreflies. Lu, what are you getting at?"
"Rayne…" Lulu sighed, then lowered her eyes to Rayne's abdomen.
Slowly, Rayne looked down at her stomach, blinking slowly at the swell she saw there. "…Well… I've gained some weight, haven't I?" She blinked, "I'll have to do some major training to work that off…"
"Rayne, when's the last time you had your period?"
Rayne looked up sharply, her eyes narrowing, "Lu, I'm an unsent. I don't have typical body functions like you—"
"You are no 'typical unsent'," Lulu cut in, "You're a fayth who managed to dream herself back into the world of the living. You've been in contact with Sin and you've been living, eating, defecating, and aging like a normal human for the past ten years. When's the last time you had your period?"
"Auron and I have only had sex once." Rayne grumbled, gritting her teeth.
"And I assume it was the night you… consummated your marriage?"
"Yes, which was—"
"Nearly a month ago. …Rayne, you've had morning sickness and mood swings…"
"But your calculations, Lulu, I've only been pregnant a month. Women hardly look this along," Rayne pointed to her slightly swelled stomach, "Until they're a few months in. That, and even if I am more human that most unsent, Auron is still a typical unsent—"
"You're a dreamer, Rayne." Lulu stated softly, "If your body believed it was going to get pregnant from that experience, then perhaps you—"
"'Dreamed life into me'?" Rayne finished, scoffing, "Yeah, right." She looked down at her stomach and poked it, "I wonder if I have a tumor…"
Lulu sighed, "Rayne, let me ask this at least. Do your breasts feel enlarged or tender?"
"If only to humor you," Rayne said, rolling her eyes as she lifted her hand to her chest, "I'll— shit!" She pulled her hand back sharply, looking down at her chest with wide eyes, "That hurt!" She paused, then blinked, "Oh my Spira… that hurt…"
"Rayne… when are you due for your period?"
Rayne looked at Lulu, her eyes wide, "If I've been asleep for as long as you say… I'm overdue…" Her eyes widened and she desperately began to fumble, "But… it's only been a month! I shouldn't be this far—"
"Being a fayth has probably altered the time duration." Lulu hypothesized calmly, "It has been noted that several fiends are able to reproduce full litters in periods of only four months."
"I'm a fay—"
"The fayth are dreamers." Lulu said, "If they are able to dream Sin and aeons into creation… why not life?"
Rayne froze, staring at Lulu with wide eyes, "Holy shit… I'm pregnant."
When she felt well enough to walk again, Rayne pushed herself out of her cot and reached for her armor.
"Fasten it loosely." Lulu said, warningly, "And don't do anything that requires too much body movement."
"Shut the hell up." Rayne growled, throwing on her corset and storming out of the room. Her walk was quick and agitated, with Lulu running behind her, telling her to take it easy. She burst onto the bridge, pushing past the rest of the party and locking her sights on Auron. "We need to talk." She said shortly, "Now."
Auron, who had been conferring with Kimahri, frowned down at her, "Now? We're getting ready to go to Bevelle."
"Now, Auron!" Rayne snapped.
Sighing heavily, Auron shook his head and said, "I can't. We're over Bevelle right now and we all need to be together. Just tell me here."
"Fine." Rayne hissed, narrowing her eyes at him, "I'm pregnant."
The bridge, which had just been alive with mumbled conversations, went silent.
"What?" Brother asked, in Al Bhed, after a moment of silence, "What did she say?"
"I said I'm pregnant, damn it!" Rayne shouted in Al Bhed, effectively shutting Brother up.
"…Are you sure?" Auron asked.
Sucking in a sharp breath, Rayne looked up at him, "Not entirely, but all signs seem to point to it." There was another tense silence.
"…That's great!" Tidus exclaimed, trying to sound cheery.
The others took the hint and started, each shouting their congratulations, though not that enthusiastic considering how grim Rayne and Auron looked.
"This isn't a good thing!" Rayne snapped, cutting everyone off, "This is a very, very bad thing!"
"'Course it is, for you." Cid nodded, "It means your part in this pilgrimage is done." He shouted to Brother in Al Bhed, "Set a course for Besaid!"
"Belay that!" Rayne shouted in like, glaring at Cid, "I am not going back to Besaid! Not now!"
"But… Rayne…" Yuna began hesitantly, "Your child—"
"An accident and, if nothing else, a monstrosity!" Rayne shouted, taking note of the looks of shock and horror that the others gave her, "Well, it will be! Think about it, you idiots! Unsent aren't meant to reproduce! Fayth aren't meant to reproduce! I'm composed largely of fucking pyreflies, alright?! And since unsent and fayth can't be born, there's only one thing left on Spira that's composed of pyreflies that it could be, and that's a fucking fiend! I'd end up giving birth to an Ogre or even a fucking Bandersnatch!"
"Rayne!" Yuna shouted, horrified.
"I'll have to abort it." Rayne muttered, mostly to herself, turning away and looking out the window, "Last thing I need is to push a damned Iron Giant out of myself…"
"She can't be alone." Lulu said suddenly, staring right at Rayne, "She really will try to kill it…"
"My god, Lulu, it hardly matters!" Rayne shouted, glaring at the younger mage, "As soon as we defeat Sin, I'll end up going to the Farplane, anyway, so it doesn't really make a difference if I keep the damned thing alive or no—" She was cut off when Auron lunged at her.
Grabbing her arms, Auron spun her to face him and glared down at her, his sunglasses removed and his cowl pushed aside so she could see is face clearly. "Do not," He growled dangerously, "Talk about our child that way."
Rayne glared up at him, "I. Cannot. Have. A baby."
"I'm aware of that," Auron growled, his tone a bit softer, "But it's still our child, no matter how impossible or how immoral. Don't talk about it like that."
They stared at each other for some time, Rayne's glare gradually softening until she fell against him and burst into tears.
Rubbing her back, Auron nodded to the others and led her out of the room, taking to back to the cargo room and sitting down with her on the cot.
"I wanted a child…" Rayne sobbed, "So bad, Auron. I knew… when I found out I was a fayth, that it was impossible… and then it became even more impossible and just wrong when I found out that you were an unsent… And that, when this was all over, you and I would both cross over. …Why… why now did this have to happen? Why couldn't it have happened when things were normal?"
"That's life." Auron answered, pulling her against him. "Things sometimes just… happen that we have no control over."
Rayne shuddered, "What'll happen to it?"
Auron sighed, then said, "More than likely, it's not even a real embryo. It's probably just a representation of a child created by a condensed mass of your own pyreflies. It'll be sent when you are, and then it'll be reborn once its pyreflies are reconfigured."
Shuddering again, Rayne laughed hollowly, "Someone out there hates me…"
"Probably." Auron chuckled.
There was a pause, then Rayne looked up at Auron with bloodshot blue eyes and asked, "So… what now?"
"Things continue as normal." Auron nodded, "You'll be hindered, but you aren't a melee fighter so as long as you stay back far enough you should be fine."
Rayne nodded, lowering her gaze, "I… I'm sorry for how I acted, Auron. …I love you."
"And I love you." Auron said, softly laying his hand across her armored stomach, "And had we had a normal life, I think I would have loved this, too."
"I know we both would have." Rayne smiled, leaning into his chest and laying her hand over his.
They sat like this for some time before Auron pulled away, "Let's go. We have to speak to Mika in Bevelle."
As a side note from Rayna, I know I hit a fairly touchy subject, so I thought it best to say this: I neither condone nor encourage abortion. I believe that it is the choice of both the mother and father if they seriously want to abort, but I also wish that women (and men) would be safer in their sex and that they seriously think about the consequences of their actions so that abortion is, as it should be, a last resort.
And, as another side note: Yes, I do enjoy being cruel to my characters. . It's fun to watch them squirm (though sometimes it is painful to write, like it was in this chapter). But, when I put them in awkward situations, I thuroughly enjoy it. And, yes, I am aware of the fact that there is something wrong with me.
