Untitled


Kingdom Hearts/Final Fantasy 9


Chapter One


By Gabi-hime (pinkfluffynet@yahoo.com)


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"Fucking ducks," his voice was low, rough and arrogant as he slumped against the wall outside the shop.


"Pardon me?" she stopped to elegantly unshoulder her lance and lean slightly on it, apparently used to his random and often unpleasant commentary on the world. Or worlds, as it were.


"Fucking ducks, Crescent. Who would've thought the entire fucking universe would be ruled by fucking ducks?"


"Well, forgive me if I'm wrong, Coral, but I don't believe the 'entire fucking universe' as you so eloquently put it, is ruled by 'fucking ducks.' Just that shop, it seems."


"Well, better goddamed ducks that rats."


"I beg your pardon? And why not rats?" she caught herself but the word was already out of her mouth, "And I've told you a hundred times that we are not rats, Coral, unfortunately you seem to be unable to get it though your thick skull. We're a bipedal race of draconic descent."


"Rats," he said definitively as he shoved his hands in his pockets before continuing, "And I'm sure if you rats ruled the universe it'd fucking rain all the time. Everywhere."


Freya rolled her eyes and was about to begin a lecture on Burmecia's unique climate and it's favorability to those of her race when the short young lady beside her turned to face the two of them, planting both of her hands on her hips.


"If you two would kindly stop flirting with each other for five minutes maybe you might be useful helping me find Vivi," she did not sound even remotely pleasant and briefly Freya regretted that the two other members of their party were minors, if only because of their tendency to throw tantrums. Even if Vivi was a model party member, Eiko was contrary enough for the both of them. Amarant was no help with the situation either. When Eiko got contrary and threatened with a tantrum, Amarant disappeared and it was up to Freya to mind the cross child with the stumbling help of Vivi.


As if that were not enough in itself, when they'd booked a room at the inn, the inn keeper had been brainless enough to assume that they were a family on vacation. Dear gods, spare her, none of them were even of the same species, never mind that they filled the proper gender roles. The last thing she had ever wanted was the image of Eiko and Vivi in pastel bonnets with Amarant pushing the pram.


She cleared her voice and then leaned on her lance slightly so she could catch Eiko at eye level. The little girl did not look pleased, rather very imperious which Freya was quite used to, "Now Eiko, I'm sure he's fine. He's only been gone a few minutes."


Eiko shook her head, not to be coddled, "But what if he's run into another one of those spotted monsters?"


Freya stifled a chuckle. That 'spotted monster,' as Eiko had called it, had been a rather irate canine that had given Amarant a nasty bite on the bum when they had accidentally stumbled through an unmarked doorway while attempting to find an exit from one plaza to another. The cranky bastard had refused to let anyone see to it, which Freya herself didn't mind although it did cause him to slowly limp behind them and she dared say he was more irritable than usual. Finally she'd been unable to stand his temper for any longer and had distracted him while Eiko had whacked him on the end with her flute. Freya had never quite understood the logistics of the whole 'whacking someone to heal them' tactic, but it had worked well enough, despite the fact that she had been quite worried Amarant would actually maul Eiko after the well-timed whack. In the end he'd just picked her up and shook her until her collection of summoning stones had scattered over the pavement and then grunted something about her never, ever doing anything like that to him again. Obviously Eiko was worried about having to whack some injuries out of Vivi, although Freya was sure he'd be much more tenable about it than Amarant had been.