Ancient Legend
"What is wrong with me?" inquired Rutee, "If I'm some kind of freak of nature, I think I deserve to be told that outright."
"You are no freak, you're existence has been foretold for generations," Lewin replied.
Rutee yelled, "If you don't give me a strait answer old man, I'll bean you so hard that you'll be feeling it right into next week!"
Lewin sighed. "Very well, although I highly doubt you will like what you are about to learn about your own existence."
"Just tell me," Rutee begged, "It's better off than not knowing."
"You are actually an elemental named Luna. I'm sure you've been told of the elementals before by your teachers," Lewin said.
Rutee did remember those lessons. She thought back to the days when Leon was often trying to pull her hair when she was to intent on hearing her teacher that she didn't pay attention to what her brother was up to. The elementals were the spirits that kept nature in balance. Undine was in charge of water, Efreet was in charge of fire, Gnome was in charge of earth, Sylph was in charge of wind, Shade was in charge of darkness, and Luna was in charge of light.
Rutee told him, "That's crazy. How in the name of Atamoni can I be an elemental? I was born to my Neko parents. I've seen the birth certificate myself."
Lewin looked at her. "That may be, but you are definitely an elemental. The mystics have foretold Luna's coming into this world for centuries. I can tell you the story if you so wish."
"Sure, why don't you," Rutee mumbled, "Not like I have anything better to do."
"Very well. You see, Luna is the symbol of light. She fights directly under Atamoni in the war with the Death Master Belcrant. But one day, Luna was wounded in battle. She then realized that if this war continued, and she was hit again in the same spot, she would die. So Luna decided on a way to restore her strength. It involved being born as a Neko, and living in that body until she could return to full power. Then, Luna would return to do battle with Belcrant again. The legend speaks of her coming to our world when there is a lull in the war," Lewin stated.
Rutee sunk to her knees. She thought, 'What's going to happen to me? The Harpies obviously came to Miaw looking for me. How can we hold off such a force long enough for help to arrive? Even if I survive this with my soul intact, what'll happen when my powers are restored? I'll leave my mom, dad, brothers, and. . .oh, Stahn.'
Lewin looked at the girl. "I know this must be hard to take. But listen, you can use these powers to your advantage in the war. With them, maybe we'll be able to shake off these dogs and return to the rest of the fleet. Take some time to think about what you want to do. I'll be here to talk with you anytime you need me."
* * *
As Rutee walked back to her quarters, she saw Philia Felice and Lawrence Bishop standing in the hall talking about how she had saved her squad from death. Rutee wanted to walk by and ignore them all together. But as she tried to walk past, Lawrence called to her.
"Hey hot stuff," he said, "You're quite an amazing chick, you know. Why don't you come on a date with me tonight?"
"First of all Lawrence, I'm just a tad bit distressed at the moment. Second, if I did go out with someone, it'd be a certain guy that I like," Rutee retorted.
Lawrence asked, "Why can't you appreciate a gorgeous guy like myself? I just don't get women sometimes." He took out a mirror and admired himself with it.
Philia grabbed Lawrence by the ear. "No means no lover boy. It's really not right to keep pestering someone when they don't want it." Then she began to drag Lawrence back to their unit's barracks, with him screaming the whole way.
Rutee ignored the duo. She walked back to her room in silence. Once there, the young Neko lay down on her bed and began to sob over her own existence.
* * *
A knock at the door interrupted Rutee's reverie. She chose to ignore it, and continued to cry. But it only got louder.
"Rutee, it's me Stahn," he called, "Philia says you're upset. Is there anything I can do?" "Just go away! Nothing can help me now," she cried.
The door opened to admit Stahn. Rutee got up as if to shove him out the door so she could be left alone. But Stahn closed the door behind him.
He asked, "What did the doctor tell you that upset you so?"
Rutee looked at him for a moment, and then decided to tell her story. After all, Stahn was the person she cared for most in this world. When she finished, she burst into tears again.
Stahn took Rutee into his arms. "It'll be ok in the end Rutee. I know you will be able to stop the Harpies before they lay one ummm. . .wing on you. And don't worry, I'll never desert you. No matter who you are in reality, or what powers you have, you'll always be the Rutee Katrea that I've known and loved for twenty years."
Rutee's face brightened. "I love you too Stahn," she admitted, "I just never got the nerve to tell you how I felt."
"Let's get through it together. . .just the two of us," Stahn said.
- - - -
Some nice fluff between Rutee and Stahn, at long last. The part about Rutee being the elemental is kind of a little cross between what happened to Luna from Lunar and Kurama from Yu Yu Hakasho. It is kind of inspired by the fact that the summon Luna (you know, from the statues you can find in the game) looks like Rutee. I mentioned this in my fic Final Destiny (a Final Fantasy style ToD AU that's in the crossover section) as well. I was kind of thinking. . .since the Atherian supreme weapon was the Eye of Atamoni powering Belcrant, maybe Belcrant had some religious significance to them too. And the Lawrence bit was to explain his character a little. He's a womanizer who tends to shoot first and ask questions later. I'll do one with Aqua in a little while.
"What is wrong with me?" inquired Rutee, "If I'm some kind of freak of nature, I think I deserve to be told that outright."
"You are no freak, you're existence has been foretold for generations," Lewin replied.
Rutee yelled, "If you don't give me a strait answer old man, I'll bean you so hard that you'll be feeling it right into next week!"
Lewin sighed. "Very well, although I highly doubt you will like what you are about to learn about your own existence."
"Just tell me," Rutee begged, "It's better off than not knowing."
"You are actually an elemental named Luna. I'm sure you've been told of the elementals before by your teachers," Lewin said.
Rutee did remember those lessons. She thought back to the days when Leon was often trying to pull her hair when she was to intent on hearing her teacher that she didn't pay attention to what her brother was up to. The elementals were the spirits that kept nature in balance. Undine was in charge of water, Efreet was in charge of fire, Gnome was in charge of earth, Sylph was in charge of wind, Shade was in charge of darkness, and Luna was in charge of light.
Rutee told him, "That's crazy. How in the name of Atamoni can I be an elemental? I was born to my Neko parents. I've seen the birth certificate myself."
Lewin looked at her. "That may be, but you are definitely an elemental. The mystics have foretold Luna's coming into this world for centuries. I can tell you the story if you so wish."
"Sure, why don't you," Rutee mumbled, "Not like I have anything better to do."
"Very well. You see, Luna is the symbol of light. She fights directly under Atamoni in the war with the Death Master Belcrant. But one day, Luna was wounded in battle. She then realized that if this war continued, and she was hit again in the same spot, she would die. So Luna decided on a way to restore her strength. It involved being born as a Neko, and living in that body until she could return to full power. Then, Luna would return to do battle with Belcrant again. The legend speaks of her coming to our world when there is a lull in the war," Lewin stated.
Rutee sunk to her knees. She thought, 'What's going to happen to me? The Harpies obviously came to Miaw looking for me. How can we hold off such a force long enough for help to arrive? Even if I survive this with my soul intact, what'll happen when my powers are restored? I'll leave my mom, dad, brothers, and. . .oh, Stahn.'
Lewin looked at the girl. "I know this must be hard to take. But listen, you can use these powers to your advantage in the war. With them, maybe we'll be able to shake off these dogs and return to the rest of the fleet. Take some time to think about what you want to do. I'll be here to talk with you anytime you need me."
* * *
As Rutee walked back to her quarters, she saw Philia Felice and Lawrence Bishop standing in the hall talking about how she had saved her squad from death. Rutee wanted to walk by and ignore them all together. But as she tried to walk past, Lawrence called to her.
"Hey hot stuff," he said, "You're quite an amazing chick, you know. Why don't you come on a date with me tonight?"
"First of all Lawrence, I'm just a tad bit distressed at the moment. Second, if I did go out with someone, it'd be a certain guy that I like," Rutee retorted.
Lawrence asked, "Why can't you appreciate a gorgeous guy like myself? I just don't get women sometimes." He took out a mirror and admired himself with it.
Philia grabbed Lawrence by the ear. "No means no lover boy. It's really not right to keep pestering someone when they don't want it." Then she began to drag Lawrence back to their unit's barracks, with him screaming the whole way.
Rutee ignored the duo. She walked back to her room in silence. Once there, the young Neko lay down on her bed and began to sob over her own existence.
* * *
A knock at the door interrupted Rutee's reverie. She chose to ignore it, and continued to cry. But it only got louder.
"Rutee, it's me Stahn," he called, "Philia says you're upset. Is there anything I can do?" "Just go away! Nothing can help me now," she cried.
The door opened to admit Stahn. Rutee got up as if to shove him out the door so she could be left alone. But Stahn closed the door behind him.
He asked, "What did the doctor tell you that upset you so?"
Rutee looked at him for a moment, and then decided to tell her story. After all, Stahn was the person she cared for most in this world. When she finished, she burst into tears again.
Stahn took Rutee into his arms. "It'll be ok in the end Rutee. I know you will be able to stop the Harpies before they lay one ummm. . .wing on you. And don't worry, I'll never desert you. No matter who you are in reality, or what powers you have, you'll always be the Rutee Katrea that I've known and loved for twenty years."
Rutee's face brightened. "I love you too Stahn," she admitted, "I just never got the nerve to tell you how I felt."
"Let's get through it together. . .just the two of us," Stahn said.
- - - -
Some nice fluff between Rutee and Stahn, at long last. The part about Rutee being the elemental is kind of a little cross between what happened to Luna from Lunar and Kurama from Yu Yu Hakasho. It is kind of inspired by the fact that the summon Luna (you know, from the statues you can find in the game) looks like Rutee. I mentioned this in my fic Final Destiny (a Final Fantasy style ToD AU that's in the crossover section) as well. I was kind of thinking. . .since the Atherian supreme weapon was the Eye of Atamoni powering Belcrant, maybe Belcrant had some religious significance to them too. And the Lawrence bit was to explain his character a little. He's a womanizer who tends to shoot first and ask questions later. I'll do one with Aqua in a little while.