XIV
"A recognizable family name can be one of your strongests assets--or your greatest hindrance."
--Instructor Aki

Centra, the Center Continent, the Dead Nation. Poets composed odes to the barrenness here, sensing in it a profound, omnipresent spirit closer to the world than the ancient Centran Gods. The proud few who made their home here were tanned and weathered to match the hard soil, tough, self-reliant folk.

It was one of these tough, self-reliant folk who was staring at Aya with aghast incredulity as she presented him a credit disc.

"Yer going to the glow?" he demanded, sizing up the group of youths who stood before him. "Yer insane. Place hasn't been visited for nigh of thirty years, far as I know. There's a reason for that, mark me words."

Aya nodded brusquely. "I understand that," she said. "We're SeeDs from Balamb Garden, and we appreciate the risks involved."

The man seemed not to catch her little white lie, and reevaluated them quickly. "Are ye? Well, ye must know what yer doing, then. But I'll warn you, there've been strange rumors coming out of that place. Here, ye want chocobos or a transport? I'll be needing your names, please."

"Aya Leonhart. This is Kama--"

The man practically dropped his clipboard. "Leonhart? Ye don't say? So yer--"

Aya's eye narrowed dangerously. "Is there a problem?" she asked, in a voice that could liquify oxygen.

"Ach, no, no!" the man reassured. "We're not used to have someone of your stature down here, is all."

"Oh, no," Kamalyn muttered to himself inaudibly.

Aya smiled a smile that could at best be described as venomous. "Think nothing of it," she said, in a voice that wouldn't take no for an answer.

The man nodded. "Here," he said. "I can't loan out a transport without charge, but I can spot you four chocobos. Why don't you go choose some out--"

"I'm perfectly happy to pay," Aya responded, placing the credit disc on the clipboard and stepping back.

"Are you sure, miss? It's the least I can do--"

"Take the money. Please." Aya crossed her arms, daring the man to refuse.

The man didn't, perhaps sensing that it was in his best interests (in more ways than one) to accept gracefully. Deducting the gil required, he handed her the disc and a writ saying that they had their choice of four birds. Aya took them both wordlessly, muttered something vaguely grateful, and hurried off to the stables.

Cabe scurried after her. "Man!" he exclaimed. "He was gonna give those to us for free! Why didn't you take them, Aya?"

Aya spun on her heel, glaring down at the boy. "If you want to go exploit your family name you can, Kinneas."

Cabe clammed up like an oyster, arms snapping into a crossed position and mouth turning downward. "Geez," he muttered, mood instantly soured. "Lighten up, will ya?"

Kamalyn dashed up, having spent the last few moments offering the Centran man a quick apology for Aya's attitude while trying to avoid disclosing any hint as to the reason for Aya's attitude. He opened his mouth, wondering what to do about this little mess. "Aya," he started.

"One," Aya growled. Kamalyn blinked.

"What?"

"What is it?" Aya didn't sound too interested in explaining her earlier numerical remark. Kamalyn blinked again.

"Look, he didn't mean anything by it."

"You don't think that's the damn problem?"

Kamalyn groaned. "Yeah, I get it, I get it," he said. "But, Aya--"

"Two."

He was thrown off-stride again. Again, she seemed less than inclined to explain, so he simply restarted his miniature peacekeeping tirade. "--you really can't keep biting off people's heads like that. You honestly--"

"Thank you, mother hen," Aya responded acerbically. Kamalyn groaned.

"No, not this again," he said. "Aya, don't--"

"Three." Aya crossed her arms. "If I get to five I hit you."

Kamalyn blinked. "Aya?"

"Four. I'm warning you."

"What's your problem today?" Kamalyn groaned.

"Right at the moment, it's you," she snapped. "You've been watching me since the Exam, and I bet you're just trying to find some reason to justify worrying excessively. And--oh, look! Can you honestly not get it?"

"I get why you're man at that guy," Kamalyn jerked a thumb back at the unwitting Centran official, "but what about the rest of the word? What did it ever do to you?"

"It gave me a damn name," Aya snarled. "One that every idiot across the world knows. One that I can never get away from, ever. And," she took a split second to focus her glare on him directly, "one that you seem to enjoy parroting off whenever you decided to assume the role of my mother."

Kamalyn barely stopped himself from saying something very stupid. "Look, Aaaaaaa..."

Aya gave him a significant look. "Who am I?" she demanded.

"What?"

"Who. Am. I?" Aya glared at him.

Kamalyn thought for a moment. "You're--" He paused. Thought a bit more. Tried not to say the words "Aya Leonhart."

Aya shook her head. "Get out of my face," she said.

Kamalyn's head went down. "Look, I'm sorry--"

"And stop telling me to look at things. I see as much as you do." She grimaced. "Leave me alone."

Kamalyn quietly backed off, leaving her to claim their chocobos. Cabe caught up with him, shaking his head ruefully.

"Man, Kam, you are such a wuss," he said.

Kamalyn gave him a tired look. "You want to try?"

Cabe bit his tongue. Kamalyn looked at Tam.

"Any suggestions?"

Tam shrugged. "You know her better than I do," he said softly.

"Did you bring any tranq darts?"

Cabe snickered a bit at Kamalyn's question, but was quieted by a look from Tam. Swinging into an exaggerated shrug, he said "Hey, it might work! Anyway," he muttered. "Kam suggested it."

"You can be there when she wakes up," Kamalyn retorted.

Tam began to chuckle. Kamalyn glanced down, a bit confused--before seeing that Tam was watching as Aya came back from the chocobo shed.

She was mounted on a big, wiry thing, red-rimmed eyes rolling slightly in their sockets. One of its foreclaws bore a nasty crack, and it skittered rebelliously as she rode it. The three others trailing behind her looked much more docile.

"I think you're safe, Kam," Tam pronounced. "She's found herself a punching bag."

Kam sighed. "They make quite a pair, don't they?"

"Hey, birds of a feather--" Cabe started, but was quickly hushed as Aya glanced up.

"Let's go," she ordered, leading the birds up to them. "I've been here long enough already."

Cabe dashed to one of the birds, scrambling up into the saddle and gripping the pommel eagerly. Kamalyn and Tam each mounted with considerably more decorum--Kamalyn receiving a significant look from Aya as he did. Then her bird gave a jostling stomp, setting her to the task of controlling it again. As soon as she was finished with that formidable task, she turned the stubborn beast and set off.

Kamalyn sighed--it seemed as if he wouldn't get a chance to really speak to her for some time.

Then again, maybe that was for the best.