Er… I think I need to make the chapters longer or something. Otherwise, this fic is going to have a ton of chapters…
Been playing Xenosaga lately. That is the BEST game (although I say that about practically every game I play. So just ignore me.). Even though the cinematic events are overly long at times, it's got such a great story and characters. And the ending is cute too, even though I still have to wait for Episode 2-6. Oh well. I'll have .hack and FFX-2 to last me for a while, at least.
Yay! It's almost my birthday. March 31. My friends decorated my locker on Friday, and supposedly, almost all of my teachers helped blow up balloons (which is extremely disturbing to me). And apparently, at least one teacher is going to take my picture. I'm going to wear a paper bag to school on Monday, I think…
Thanks again for all the reviews! They really help boost the self-esteem. ^^
Kirei na Kanjou
Ku stood at the top of the grass-covered hill, looking back down at her two companions.
"Shuu! Zev! Hurry up!" She turned back to her original path and started to walk to the travel agency nearby.
"Ku!" Shuu ran up to her, Zev trailing close behind. "Don't forget, this is an Al Bhed shop! Lots of Yevonites might not think it's right for a Summoner to go in here…"
Ku placed her hand on the doorknob and shook her head, the beads in her hair hitting the sides of her face. "That doesn't really matter, does it?"
Shuu laughed. "Nope! So let's go in already!" She pushed ahead of the other and bounded into the Al Bhed shop.
The interior of the agency was a soft beige color. A warm orange glow came from glass lamps, set at equal lengths on the curved walls. A long counter took up one side of the building, and behind the counter stood two Al Bhed.
Ku approached one of the Al Bhed, a man wearing a blue bandanna. Looking to her, he said, "Welcome to Rin's Travel Agency. How can I help you?" He spoke Spiran fluently, but traces of the rough Al Bhed accent were still present.
"Rin…" Ku said, ignoring the man's question. "So that's why this place sounded so familiar. Is Rin here?"
"I am," a familiar voice answered.
Ku turned around, and grinned as she saw the tanned proprietor in the frame of the doorway. He came over to them, and Ku couldn't help but notice a small limp in his step. Disregarding it, she gave him a quick bow.
Rin chuckled quietly. "It has been a while, has it not?"
"Yes…"
"Hey!" Shuu tapped on Ku's shoulder with her finger and frowned. "What about us?"
"What? Oh yeah, sure." Ku waved Shuu away for a moment and faced Rin. "Rin, these are my new guardians. This is Shuu, and this is Zev." She then regarded her guardians. "Shuu, Zev, this is Rin."
Shuu rolled her eyes and sighed in mock-frustration. "I'm gonna look at some of the stuff they have!" She skipped off to another side of the shop. Zev crossed his arms and stood nonchalantly by one of the side tables.
"So," Rin said, "You have become a Summoner…"
Ku nodded. "Yeah. Cid was against it at first, but it actually wasn't that hard to convince him. He even taught me how to fight." She shuddered involuntarily at the memory of the Cactuar encounter.
"Hmm?" Rin scratched the back of his head questioningly. "I had heard that Cid's son was accompanying a certain Summoner. That would be you, right?"
"Um…" Ku fidgeted uncomfortably and started picking at her sleeve. "Yeah…"
"Where is he?"
"I told him to stay in Luca. I… didn't need him anymore."
The Al Bhed raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "You didn't need him? Really?"
"Of course," she said. Then, knowing that he didn't believe her, she sighed in defeat. "Well… no, not really…"
In understanding, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Would you like to tell me about it?"
"I don't know…" Ku muttered. "I mean, I do want to tell someone, but I don't…" She brushed a strand of hair from her face and looked up, smiling. "I guess I do."
"Then, why don't we--" Rin was abruptly cut off by a scream coming from outside.
A girl, around 16, ran into the agency. "Someone! Help! The chocobos are being attacked!"
"Chocobos…?" Ku said softly, not sure what the girl was referring to.
"The Chocobo Eater… it must be back." Rin grabbed a machina gun from the weapon display case in the shop. "I'll go stop it."
"But, Mr. Rin!" the girl shouted. "You know that you can't beat it alone… And from your recent accident, there's no way you'll be able to win!"
Rin gently pushed the girl aside. "I have no choice! If I do not try, there is no chance that the chocobos will live."
Ku watched Rin limp towards the door, and was torn between decisions. Rin was too kind-hearted; fighting just didn't seem to fit him. Along with that, he was already injured. He wouldn't stand a chance. "Rin," she said firmly, getting his attention, "we'll fight it for you."
"But Ku," Rin argued, "the Chocobo Eater is a far stronger fiend than anything you've faced before. You and your guardians may be strong, but do you really think you can defeat it?"
Ku had already walked past Rin to the door, and her two guardians had followed her instinctively. "Trust me, Rin. We can do this." Before he could say anymore, she pushed open the door and ran out to meet the monster.
Ku gasped at the sight that met her. The Chocobo Eater was far larger than she had imagined it to be. Rin was right; it wasn't like any other fiend she had fought. Its charred black skin was marred with thousands of swollen bruises. Two bright yellow eyes on its upper body were locked on the bird-like creature it held in one of its huge claws.
I knew I should have fought more monsters when I had the chance…
Ku shrugged off her thoughts and motioned to her guardians to attack. As the three ran to the beast, it turned to face them and dropped the bird-like creature, which ran off. Ku brought her scythe out before her and gripped it tightly. She ran towards the Chocobo Eater and swung at it with her weapon, but her assumption that the fiend was slow was incorrect. It moved out of her range and countered with a swipe of its long arm, knocking her back several feet.
Shuu took the opportunity to run up on the monster's arm and jump onto its head. She drove one of her daggers through its thick skin, causing it to screech in pain. It started to shake itself, waving its arms recklessly, and threw Shuu off and into some nearby bushes.
Zev, meanwhile, was behind the Chocobo Eater and slashing at it with his axe. "Ku!" he shouted, still hacking away at the beast. "Summon!" The monster had now turned to the Ronso and was preparing to attack.
Ku nodded and started to perform the summoning for her newest Aeon. She had not summoned Kilika's Ifrit yet, and this was as good a time as any. She stopped her ritual when she saw a blinding red light appear above her. The fiery Aeon burst out of the light and dropped down next to the Summoner.
"Ifrit," she shouted, pointing her scythe to the monster. "Attack!"
Ifrit charged the Chocobo Eater and clawed at the monster. The fiend fought back and managed to nick the Aeon's shoulder, and Ifrit jumped away. He started to form something in his hands, stretching out the matter until it became a huge swirling mass of fire and lava. He threw it up and smashed it at the enemy.
Ifrit's blow threw the fiend back a step or two, forcing it closer to the edge of the cliff. Enraged, the monster wound its fist back and lunged at Ifrit, hitting him in the center of his chest. The once-proud Aeon fell back, turned his head to the ground in shame, and faded away.
The damage to the Aeon started to take effect on Ku, and she felt like the air had been taken from her, making it extremely hard to breathe. She collapsed to the ground and looked around her; Shuu was still injured in the bushes, and Zev had run to help her. The Chocobo Eater was now advancing on Ku, and seeing it come near her, all ideas flew out of her head. She could only sit there. She shut her eyes tightly, waiting.
She could hear gunfire come from behind her, and she opened her eyes. The fiend had been attacked by someone, and was now trying to block off the barrage of bullets.
The man with the bandanna from the agency was standing behind her, machina rifle in hand. He waved his arm at Ku, a gesture for her to move out of the way, to which she complied.
Ku watched as the man continued his bombardment. While the attack was slowing the monster down, it was more of an annoyance than anything. The bullets didn't even make a dent in its armor-like skin. She clutched the serpent-shaped pendant around her neck and started to summon her best Aeon.
She watched helplessly as the monster sent a wave of dust at the lone man. He tried to clear the brown fog around him, when the fiend lashed out once more, throwing him to the side as well. Ku still wasn't done with the summoning, and tried to mentally quicken the process. The effort was unsuccessful.
The Chocobo Eater grabbed her with one of its claws, and she would have screamed, had she had the energy to do so. She pushed futilely against its strong grip and accidentally dropped her scythe to the ground, far from her grasp. She finally laid limply in its hand, closing her eyes again and letting the rancid smell of its breath envelop her. She shut her eyes tighter as she felt its warm breath getting hotter and the smell getting stronger.
This is it, she thought. This is where it's all going to end…
Ku couldn't stop the vivid images of her death from coming into her mind. She had just about convinced herself that she was dead, when she felt herself hit the ground. Snapping back to reality, she looked around her. The Chocobo Eater was being attacked by strong gunfire that was different from the man with the bandanna's gun, and each blow was knocking it farther back.
The fiend tried to take another step back to get away from the overwhelming pain that it was being caused. There was no more land behind it, and Ku watched, relieved, as it fell back into the crevice behind the cliff. It gave out a sharp, piercing cry as it went.
Ku tried to stand up, but her legs wouldn't support her. She felt an arm wrap around her lower body and another hand grasp her own, pulling her up slowly and painfully. She wanted to thank the one who had defeated the Chocobo Eater and was now helping her. She smiled feebly and looked up, about to say something, but stopped, eyes wide as she saw the familiar face above her.
"B-Brother?!"
Brother smirked, amused by her shock. "E dumt oui dryd oui fuimt haat sa." (I told you that you would need me.)
Ku, slightly irked by his smirking, quickly regained her composure. She stumbled away from him, brushed the dirt off of her skirt and started walking towards the other Al Bhed who had previously been injured. "It's obvious that you came back because you missed me." As her back was turned to him, Brother missed the smile that crept onto her lips.
"R-rao!" (H-hey!) he stuttered. "E uhmo lysa pylg palyica Vydran fuimt hajan mad sa ku pylg du Home fedruid oui!" (I only came back because Father would never let me go back to Home without you!) He ran to catch up to her. "Cdibet..." (Stupid…)
Ku chose to ignore the muttering Al Bhed guardian and looked down to the man in the bandanna. She kneeled down and helped him up into a sitting position, and he opened his dark green eyes. "Are you ok?" she asked.
"Yes…" he murmured. The man pointed to the broken rifle laying next to him and chuckled quietly. "Took the wrong rifle…"
She smiled back and replied, "Thanks for helping us. You bought us just enough time to defeat it. Try to take it easy, ok?" She searched for Zev and Shuu quickly, and saw Zev carrying the other back to the agency. "Brother? Can you help this guy back to the travel agency?"
"Cina." (Sure.) Ku stood back as Brother helped the man back to the agency. First taking a brief glance around, she followed the others into the building.
Ku took a seat by the table that was in the corner of the travel agency. The others had retired to bed early, exhausted from the battle with the Chocobo Eater, and while Ku thought that she too should be tired, she just couldn't get to sleep. Looking outside, the sun had completely set, leaving the Mi'ihen Highroad in darkness, and it had started to rain. The shop was also quiet; even the two workers were absent from their posts. She knew that the man who had helped them before was healing in one of the backrooms, but Rin's whereabouts were a mystery to her.
Ku sighed and leaned against the chair, letting her head drop back. The whole day had been so confusing, and now it was all coming back to bother her. She cursed silently; the quietness of the area and her insomnia brought back memories of the countless nights she had spent alone in Zanarkand.
"I never want to go back there," she whispered, tucking a strand of her ebony hair behind her ear. "I hate… being alone…" She closed her eyes, and soon, the hypnotic rhythm of the rain lulled her to sleep.
She cowers under the covers of her large bed. Thunder and rain crash outside, surrounding her. She feels so trapped, so alone… She screams when she hears the door open, but looks up when the soothing voice of her mother is heard. She starts crying into her mother's arms.
Another hand is felt on her back, and she knows instantly that it is her father. Soon they are both holding her, and she nestles deeper into the warmth and safety of their embrace. Her mother takes her and lays her back into the bed, and her father brings the covers high up around her face. They smile at her, and she returns the action. They walk out and close the door softly behind them, and she closes her eyes.
The serenity is short lasting. Unrecognizable screams echo from outside her door, and the impact of something hitting the door follows. She takes up all of her courage, just like her father tells her to do, and walks slowly to the door. When the door opens, her father falls limply by her feet. She cannot understand why he and her mother are on the ground, why the carpet around them is dyed a different color. She shakes his body, but there is no reply.
She looks to the stranger who is standing nearby, watching, waiting. She wants to act strong around people she does not know, but the shadowy figure just stands and does nothing. She can't stop the tears from falling down her face, and wants comfort. She runs to the figure and clutches onto it, sobbing into its blue robe. The stranger reaches down and throws her away, back to where her parents are sleeping. She calls out when the stranger leaves, but her cries are unheard.
Crawling to where her parent's bodies lay, she curls up next to them and closes her eyes. Somehow, she knows that they will never wake up. Now, she knows, she is completely alone…
Ku sat up, the covers around her falling into her lap. "Leviathan…" she muttered. Shaking her head to rid herself of the nightmare, she looked around her and felt lost for a moment. She could have sworn that she had been in the main room of the travel agency before she fell asleep.
"…Ku?"
She turned her head as the unknown voice spoke up. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Brother groggily rise up from the floor next to the bed. "Brother! What are you doing in here?"
He rubbed the back of his neck as he thought. "Famm, E luimt hud kad du cmaab, cu E fahd uid du dra syeh ynay. Oui fana drana, cmaabehk eh y lryen, cu E druikrd oui sekrd fyhd du cmaab eh y pat ehcdayt. Pid so nuus fyc dra uhmo uha mavd, yht E luimt hud pudran yhouha amca, cu E zicd duug oui rana yht cmabd uh dra vmuun." (Well, I could not get to sleep, so I went out to the main area. You were there, sleeping in a chair, so I thought you might want to sleep in a bed instead. But my room was the only one left, and I could not bother anyone else, so I just took you here and slept on the floor.)
"Oh, thanks…" Ku turned onto her stomach and leaned over the side of the bed so she was eye-level with Brother. "Um… isn't that uncomfortable?"
He shook his head. "Hu. Yd Home, E ryja du cmaab uh dra vmuun y mud yhofyoc." (No. At Home, I have to sleep on the floor a lot anyways.)
"Ok…" she said. It was strange; she actually didn't mind having him here with her. In fact, it almost made her feel better. "What time is it?"
"Ed ec cdemm hekrd. Ku pylg du cmaab." (It is still night. Go back to sleep.) He stood up. "E cruimt mayja huf." (I should leave now.) He had reached the door now and had opened it.
"W-wait!" Ku shouted, reaching out to him. He looked at her oddly, and she was grateful to the dark for hiding the redness that covered her cheeks. "I mean… you can stay here if you want. I don't mind."
"Hu, E ys hud naymmo denat yhosuna." (No, I am not really tired anymore.)
Ku didn't know what to say. She wanted him to stay. She wasn't even sure if she could make it through the night alone. "P-please…" she stammered. "Don't… don't go…" She laid back down and turned her head to the side.
The sound of the door closing made her wince slightly. She closed her eyes; it wasn't as thought she had expected him to stay anyways.
"Veha," (Fine,) she heard. "E femm cdyo ihdem oui vymm ycmaab." (I will stay until you fall asleep.)
Ku smiled, which was unseen by the guardian who had now settled himself onto the floor again. "Thanks." In a couple of minutes, she had drifted off into peaceful, dreamless sleep.
This chapter took a while too. Mostly because of Xenosaga though… ^^
Expect the next chapter in a couple of weeks at best. A teacher from China is coming to stay at our house for a few weeks while he teaches at the middle school, so I won't be able to act lazy anymore. He's coming tomorrow. It'll be weird to have a teacher living with us… ^_^;;
Next Chapter: On the way to Djose! (Did I just rhyme?)
