Battles we've Fought
Another Fan fiction by Degone-gin
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, lands or anything else of Final Fantasy X; these belong to Square soft and shall remain in their loving care. I just borrow them for the nonce and hope no one notices!
Chapter one:
Rikku walked quietly in the lead, her green swirled eyes constantly scanning for the best spot to have her Chocobo jump. Behind the young Al- Bhed thief, spread out in a long line single file, where the rest of her party. She smiled a bit as she searched. "Strange to be in the lead," she thought. "But it's kinda nice." The blonde slowed her mount down and nodded.
With a turn in her saddle to the others she shouted, "Here it is!"
Directly behind the orange shirted slip of a girl, batting away a blue ribbon from her outfit, Kimahri grunted. His blue furred paw settled on the pommel of his Chocobo's tack. The large feline warrior with a broken tusk jutting out from his forehead looked decidedly uncomfortable aboard the skittish yellow bird. Anyone with a touch of irony would wonder if the bird was more afraid of being ridden or eaten by the powerful Ronso. He nimbly leapt from the back of his mount and dropped the reigns to the ground, effectively stopping the well trained bird from moving. Kimahri grabbed his Knight Lance and with a silent nod to the others he moved to look across the large gap in the ground.
Green grass surrounded the blue warrior, obscuring his form, but not disguising the man-cat completely. The Calm Lands were wild, full of deep scars from previous battles with the curse of Spira: Sin. Strange almost liquid looking protrusions gracefully lifted into spikes from the cut and wounded ground. All was quiet now, except for the ever-present fiends, the cuts and points stone, frozen in time. Kimahri waved to the group, silently gesturing to the small but of land across the deep and large cut in the earth before him. In the hand that moved and spoke for him was a bright yellow Chocobo feather, further evidence that the flightless birds had been near.
Rikku grinned and nodded. She pointed to the pinion and crowed, "See? I knew the wild Chocobo's were already leaping this spot! We HAVE to check this out!" She winked at an approaching young girl in a white over kimono and purple slit skirt. "Right, Yunie?"
Yuna, the group's summoner nodded and smiled at the excitable thief. Her dual colored eyes, one green, the other blue, looked back over her other guardians. With a soft smile she once again appraised her motley party. The young blitzballer champion, Tidus was resting on his favorite bird, Chucky. His sandy blonde hair ruffled in the almost ever-present breeze in this part of the Calm Lands. He smiled, his entire face lighting up as he looked back at the woman he was sworn to protect, and tapped his sheathed Twilight Steel sword. Yuna looked from this special young man to the older man in red behind him. Sir Auron, as the young summoner would always think of him, was looking tired but alert. His left hand had disappeared into his voluminous scarlet coat, most likely pressed against the man's ribs, still tender from the almost life threatening injuries sustained in earlier fights. White hair sprung from temples and forehead line in rave black hair and his single eye, russet and clear, roved the countryside. Even tired and sore the Legendary Guardian was vigilant, the hilt and pommel of his huge Katana could be seen just resting over his right shoulder. With a grunt and a short smirk that was devoured by a gray leather collar, Auron rested his right hand on his Sake. To the young Yuna it was clearly a sign of suppressed impatience, the older man wanted to get this over with and back on the trail of her pilgrimage.
Behind the taciturn warrior-monk two others argued still on the backs of their Chocobo mounts. The quail-like red hair of the other blitz ball player bobbed in time with the emphatic statements and pointing finger. His large frame easily too big for the yellow bird he was riding. He carried his favorite blitz ball, double foul, under his right arm and seemed to be having it out with the woman next to him. Yuna hid a slight giggle behind a raised hand as Wakka dressed down Lulu.
The black mage was having none of this and sat, coolly looking at the wildly gesturing captain before her. She sat sidesaddle on her Chocobo, black dress and skirt of belts not allowing a more conventional position. The bird beneath her outfitted with a special saddle to give a lady more support in the awkward sidesaddle position. She had a black plush Cait- Sith doll cradled in her arms and petted the head of it possessively. Her dark red eyes flashed with readiness to cast some particularly painful lessons to her long-time companion. Purple lips pressed closed over the verbal triggers for her long list of dark magic spells. Yuna saw the signs of warning cross the mage and giggled once again as Wakka, having been at the brunt of many a spell powered fury from the woman, quickly shut himself down and moved to the front of the party.
Rikku walked back to Yuna's bird and pointed, "If we jump from this ledge over the gap and down to that ledge below, we can move into an abandoned area of the 'Lands." She gestured to the gap in the mountains directly across from their current location. "If I read the old maps right, there is a temple about half a days walk directly across from here. That should put it right passed this pass." She looked to her summoner for guidance.
"Very well." Responded the young white mage. "I would like it if Kimahri or Tidus were to take the first leap. They can handle a fiend or two while we get across."
"If I may, Lady Yuna," Interrupted the scarlet clad warrior. "It would be unwise to take that leap without proper surveillance. Allow me to gather up my binoculars…" Auron rummaged in his packs, difficult, as he had slung them on the back of his bird, behind his saddle.
"Don't bother, Auron." Piped up Tidus, "I borrowed those to scout out the race course." The blitzballer looked sheepishly at the now deeply frowning guardian. "Sorry."
Auron's response was a firmly placed open palm, shoved in the direction of the now plainly chagrined boy.
Tidus gingerly placed the long-distance glasses in the waiting hand and backed his bird slowly away. The older man's expression did not change as he folded his hand around the precious device. The others felt the tension thicken the sunny day. Tidus stopped his unsubtle retreat and sighed.
"Sorry I didn't ask for them, Auron, I just didn't think you'd need them and…" The apology trailed off and the young man started to get a little nervous. The warrior-monk's expression had not softened; in fact, it was gaining the consistency of carved granite.
"That's one." Auron growled, his mood clearly showing. A single gloved finger was raised as the two words were ground out from the stony continence. "I do not think you wish to see what will result in a second incident today." He continued, as Tidus gulped and once again backed away from the man.
"Sir Auron," Interrupted Yuna, "Perhaps we should let this go and concentrate on getting to the next ledge?" She smiled and gestured to the gap, "You can look now to see what's down there. Please?"
The scarlet warrior allowed his Summoner to play the peacemaker and maneuvered his mount to the edge of the scar. He took a long and detailed look at the opposite ledge and with a grunt set the binoculars on his thigh.
"It looks clear. I would suggest that Lulu be ready for some spells to back up the two that go down there to secure the target. Then, once it's been determined there is no fiend activity down there, Yuna can cross with Wakka and myself taking the rear." Auron turned his head to catch the young summoner's reaction to his orders.
"Rikku will come with me then, " Yuna stated as she nodded to the Legendary Guardian. "I think that's fine."
With in moments, Tidus and Kimahri moved their Chocobo to the back of the group. Taking a second to check his saddles straps, Tidus looked to the large Ronso. Kimahri nodded and spurred his bird into a run. The rest had moved to the side of the narrow grassy ledge to be out of the way of the racing yellow Chocobo. Lulu sat to the other side of the proposed launch point and waited with her fire based group of spells ready in her mind. The dark mage watched the other ledge for any kind of movement, and as a precautionary measure cast a Firaga spell in the center of the area where the two scouts would most likely land. The spell cleared the grasses and any small fiends hiding in them quite effectively. Seconds later the star player for the Zanarkand Abes and the hornless Ronso warrior runt landed in the center of the ashy clearing.
Auron watched and waited, binoculars held to his face. He scanned the area around the new clearing with a discerning eye. Tidus had drawn his sword and held it in a ready position as he slowly circled his mount in the clearing. Kimahri had abandoned his Chocobo, leaving it in the center of the burned patch. Auron lost the Ronso in the tall, undisturbed grasses for a moment as the warrior slowly moved around the open ledge.
Lulu closed her eyes for a second to summon the power of her thunder spells as the rest of the party watched and waited above the two lone scouts. Wakka fiddled with his reigns impatiently and wondered why his own Chocobo was starting to fidget. He looked to the right and left and slowly turned his mount around. Something moved in the grasses behind the party.
With a shout of alarm, Wakka tossed his ball into the weeds. Auron, focusing completely on the two below, missed the action and turned surprised by the cry. Yuna moved back and jumped off her mount, not wanting the bird to slow her down in combat. The blitzballer's attack was in vain as two white and black-stripped shapes burst forth from the cover of the tall grass. "Coeurls" thought the red-coated warrior-monk as he dropped his precious binoculars and grabbed for his long weapon. Rikku moved her mount to stand with Wakka and Auron, leaving the two mages in the back for protection.
"What's happening?" Called Tidus from far to the back and below them. He raised a hand to his forehead to shade from the blazing sun. "I can't see what's up, Kimahri, but Auron's gone from the upper ledge and Yuna's off her Chocobo.
"Kimahri think fiends come." Stated the blue warrior.
"Should we go back?" asked the young boy.
Kimahri shook his head. He rested against his spear and focused his ears to the others above them. Tidus tapped his hip with the pommel of his sword impatiently, worried for his summoner and all the others.
"Rikku, see if you can get these lost ones to sleep!" Commanded Auron as he leapt from his mount and drew his Venomous Blade. "Wakka, blind and silence them. Coeurls can cast magic!"
Rikku turned her back on the monsters and mixed up a grenade with sleeping agents. In a quick second she tossed the modified bomb at the two tiger-like fiends. One turned to catch the grenade in it's mouth as the other lazily settled on it's haunches, it's sparking "whiskers" waving to cast a Thundaga spell. Wakka's double penalty thwacked against the feline monster with the grenade in its mouth. Yuna winced and almost felt sorry for the angry dead as the bomb exploded with the impact of the blitz ball. Simultaneously, the white tiger's vision wavered as the Double Penalty hit across the eyes. With in the beast's mouth the sleep powders, designed to coat the area of the enemy lines, burst fully into fiend's airway. A strangled gasp later and the Coeurl was down, asleep, blinded and missing quite a few teeth. Auron nodded at the result and turned his attention on the other beast. With a nod and a wave of its magical fuzz, the tiger cast Thundaga on the party. Rikku grunted and sank to her knees for a second after the blinding blow. With an uncharitable thought about the girl's performance on the Thunder Plains, the warrior-monk swung into action. With a grunt he parted the already wounded Coeurl in twain, causing its corpse to flash into a dissipating group of pyreflies. Rikku tossed a Hi-Potion back and stood straighter, she then moved with all speed at the remaining tiger-like monster. With a special move, she mugged the beast, taking the fur from the supernatural whiskers of the fiend. Rikku could make a mana spring from the fur, and modify someone's armor or weapons later. It helped that the maneuver caused some pain to the beast as well. Wakka followed up with another strong hit with his dreadful blitz ball. The Double Penalty did it's job well as it struck the fiend across the face, breaking the jaw of the Coeurl as well as causing it's eyes to tear up. Blinded and silenced, the fiend was no problem for Auron to finish up. With an almost unsatisfied grunt he sliced the tiger into its component glowing parts. He turned and flicked his sword, cleaning it against the grasses and sheathing it on his back.
"Now then, shall we get you three ladies across?" he stated humorously, "Before more fiends try to test our mettle?"
Wakka continued to watch behind them, Double Penalty resting comfortably in the crook of his right arm.
A/N: Well, back in the saddle again! Hope you like this new book. Thanks for all the reviews on "Secrets we Share" the first story in the long endeavor. Though you don't HAVE to have read the first, I think it would make more since if you do.
Please enjoy and Thanks again!
Another Fan fiction by Degone-gin
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, lands or anything else of Final Fantasy X; these belong to Square soft and shall remain in their loving care. I just borrow them for the nonce and hope no one notices!
Chapter one:
Rikku walked quietly in the lead, her green swirled eyes constantly scanning for the best spot to have her Chocobo jump. Behind the young Al- Bhed thief, spread out in a long line single file, where the rest of her party. She smiled a bit as she searched. "Strange to be in the lead," she thought. "But it's kinda nice." The blonde slowed her mount down and nodded.
With a turn in her saddle to the others she shouted, "Here it is!"
Directly behind the orange shirted slip of a girl, batting away a blue ribbon from her outfit, Kimahri grunted. His blue furred paw settled on the pommel of his Chocobo's tack. The large feline warrior with a broken tusk jutting out from his forehead looked decidedly uncomfortable aboard the skittish yellow bird. Anyone with a touch of irony would wonder if the bird was more afraid of being ridden or eaten by the powerful Ronso. He nimbly leapt from the back of his mount and dropped the reigns to the ground, effectively stopping the well trained bird from moving. Kimahri grabbed his Knight Lance and with a silent nod to the others he moved to look across the large gap in the ground.
Green grass surrounded the blue warrior, obscuring his form, but not disguising the man-cat completely. The Calm Lands were wild, full of deep scars from previous battles with the curse of Spira: Sin. Strange almost liquid looking protrusions gracefully lifted into spikes from the cut and wounded ground. All was quiet now, except for the ever-present fiends, the cuts and points stone, frozen in time. Kimahri waved to the group, silently gesturing to the small but of land across the deep and large cut in the earth before him. In the hand that moved and spoke for him was a bright yellow Chocobo feather, further evidence that the flightless birds had been near.
Rikku grinned and nodded. She pointed to the pinion and crowed, "See? I knew the wild Chocobo's were already leaping this spot! We HAVE to check this out!" She winked at an approaching young girl in a white over kimono and purple slit skirt. "Right, Yunie?"
Yuna, the group's summoner nodded and smiled at the excitable thief. Her dual colored eyes, one green, the other blue, looked back over her other guardians. With a soft smile she once again appraised her motley party. The young blitzballer champion, Tidus was resting on his favorite bird, Chucky. His sandy blonde hair ruffled in the almost ever-present breeze in this part of the Calm Lands. He smiled, his entire face lighting up as he looked back at the woman he was sworn to protect, and tapped his sheathed Twilight Steel sword. Yuna looked from this special young man to the older man in red behind him. Sir Auron, as the young summoner would always think of him, was looking tired but alert. His left hand had disappeared into his voluminous scarlet coat, most likely pressed against the man's ribs, still tender from the almost life threatening injuries sustained in earlier fights. White hair sprung from temples and forehead line in rave black hair and his single eye, russet and clear, roved the countryside. Even tired and sore the Legendary Guardian was vigilant, the hilt and pommel of his huge Katana could be seen just resting over his right shoulder. With a grunt and a short smirk that was devoured by a gray leather collar, Auron rested his right hand on his Sake. To the young Yuna it was clearly a sign of suppressed impatience, the older man wanted to get this over with and back on the trail of her pilgrimage.
Behind the taciturn warrior-monk two others argued still on the backs of their Chocobo mounts. The quail-like red hair of the other blitz ball player bobbed in time with the emphatic statements and pointing finger. His large frame easily too big for the yellow bird he was riding. He carried his favorite blitz ball, double foul, under his right arm and seemed to be having it out with the woman next to him. Yuna hid a slight giggle behind a raised hand as Wakka dressed down Lulu.
The black mage was having none of this and sat, coolly looking at the wildly gesturing captain before her. She sat sidesaddle on her Chocobo, black dress and skirt of belts not allowing a more conventional position. The bird beneath her outfitted with a special saddle to give a lady more support in the awkward sidesaddle position. She had a black plush Cait- Sith doll cradled in her arms and petted the head of it possessively. Her dark red eyes flashed with readiness to cast some particularly painful lessons to her long-time companion. Purple lips pressed closed over the verbal triggers for her long list of dark magic spells. Yuna saw the signs of warning cross the mage and giggled once again as Wakka, having been at the brunt of many a spell powered fury from the woman, quickly shut himself down and moved to the front of the party.
Rikku walked back to Yuna's bird and pointed, "If we jump from this ledge over the gap and down to that ledge below, we can move into an abandoned area of the 'Lands." She gestured to the gap in the mountains directly across from their current location. "If I read the old maps right, there is a temple about half a days walk directly across from here. That should put it right passed this pass." She looked to her summoner for guidance.
"Very well." Responded the young white mage. "I would like it if Kimahri or Tidus were to take the first leap. They can handle a fiend or two while we get across."
"If I may, Lady Yuna," Interrupted the scarlet clad warrior. "It would be unwise to take that leap without proper surveillance. Allow me to gather up my binoculars…" Auron rummaged in his packs, difficult, as he had slung them on the back of his bird, behind his saddle.
"Don't bother, Auron." Piped up Tidus, "I borrowed those to scout out the race course." The blitzballer looked sheepishly at the now deeply frowning guardian. "Sorry."
Auron's response was a firmly placed open palm, shoved in the direction of the now plainly chagrined boy.
Tidus gingerly placed the long-distance glasses in the waiting hand and backed his bird slowly away. The older man's expression did not change as he folded his hand around the precious device. The others felt the tension thicken the sunny day. Tidus stopped his unsubtle retreat and sighed.
"Sorry I didn't ask for them, Auron, I just didn't think you'd need them and…" The apology trailed off and the young man started to get a little nervous. The warrior-monk's expression had not softened; in fact, it was gaining the consistency of carved granite.
"That's one." Auron growled, his mood clearly showing. A single gloved finger was raised as the two words were ground out from the stony continence. "I do not think you wish to see what will result in a second incident today." He continued, as Tidus gulped and once again backed away from the man.
"Sir Auron," Interrupted Yuna, "Perhaps we should let this go and concentrate on getting to the next ledge?" She smiled and gestured to the gap, "You can look now to see what's down there. Please?"
The scarlet warrior allowed his Summoner to play the peacemaker and maneuvered his mount to the edge of the scar. He took a long and detailed look at the opposite ledge and with a grunt set the binoculars on his thigh.
"It looks clear. I would suggest that Lulu be ready for some spells to back up the two that go down there to secure the target. Then, once it's been determined there is no fiend activity down there, Yuna can cross with Wakka and myself taking the rear." Auron turned his head to catch the young summoner's reaction to his orders.
"Rikku will come with me then, " Yuna stated as she nodded to the Legendary Guardian. "I think that's fine."
With in moments, Tidus and Kimahri moved their Chocobo to the back of the group. Taking a second to check his saddles straps, Tidus looked to the large Ronso. Kimahri nodded and spurred his bird into a run. The rest had moved to the side of the narrow grassy ledge to be out of the way of the racing yellow Chocobo. Lulu sat to the other side of the proposed launch point and waited with her fire based group of spells ready in her mind. The dark mage watched the other ledge for any kind of movement, and as a precautionary measure cast a Firaga spell in the center of the area where the two scouts would most likely land. The spell cleared the grasses and any small fiends hiding in them quite effectively. Seconds later the star player for the Zanarkand Abes and the hornless Ronso warrior runt landed in the center of the ashy clearing.
Auron watched and waited, binoculars held to his face. He scanned the area around the new clearing with a discerning eye. Tidus had drawn his sword and held it in a ready position as he slowly circled his mount in the clearing. Kimahri had abandoned his Chocobo, leaving it in the center of the burned patch. Auron lost the Ronso in the tall, undisturbed grasses for a moment as the warrior slowly moved around the open ledge.
Lulu closed her eyes for a second to summon the power of her thunder spells as the rest of the party watched and waited above the two lone scouts. Wakka fiddled with his reigns impatiently and wondered why his own Chocobo was starting to fidget. He looked to the right and left and slowly turned his mount around. Something moved in the grasses behind the party.
With a shout of alarm, Wakka tossed his ball into the weeds. Auron, focusing completely on the two below, missed the action and turned surprised by the cry. Yuna moved back and jumped off her mount, not wanting the bird to slow her down in combat. The blitzballer's attack was in vain as two white and black-stripped shapes burst forth from the cover of the tall grass. "Coeurls" thought the red-coated warrior-monk as he dropped his precious binoculars and grabbed for his long weapon. Rikku moved her mount to stand with Wakka and Auron, leaving the two mages in the back for protection.
"What's happening?" Called Tidus from far to the back and below them. He raised a hand to his forehead to shade from the blazing sun. "I can't see what's up, Kimahri, but Auron's gone from the upper ledge and Yuna's off her Chocobo.
"Kimahri think fiends come." Stated the blue warrior.
"Should we go back?" asked the young boy.
Kimahri shook his head. He rested against his spear and focused his ears to the others above them. Tidus tapped his hip with the pommel of his sword impatiently, worried for his summoner and all the others.
"Rikku, see if you can get these lost ones to sleep!" Commanded Auron as he leapt from his mount and drew his Venomous Blade. "Wakka, blind and silence them. Coeurls can cast magic!"
Rikku turned her back on the monsters and mixed up a grenade with sleeping agents. In a quick second she tossed the modified bomb at the two tiger-like fiends. One turned to catch the grenade in it's mouth as the other lazily settled on it's haunches, it's sparking "whiskers" waving to cast a Thundaga spell. Wakka's double penalty thwacked against the feline monster with the grenade in its mouth. Yuna winced and almost felt sorry for the angry dead as the bomb exploded with the impact of the blitz ball. Simultaneously, the white tiger's vision wavered as the Double Penalty hit across the eyes. With in the beast's mouth the sleep powders, designed to coat the area of the enemy lines, burst fully into fiend's airway. A strangled gasp later and the Coeurl was down, asleep, blinded and missing quite a few teeth. Auron nodded at the result and turned his attention on the other beast. With a nod and a wave of its magical fuzz, the tiger cast Thundaga on the party. Rikku grunted and sank to her knees for a second after the blinding blow. With an uncharitable thought about the girl's performance on the Thunder Plains, the warrior-monk swung into action. With a grunt he parted the already wounded Coeurl in twain, causing its corpse to flash into a dissipating group of pyreflies. Rikku tossed a Hi-Potion back and stood straighter, she then moved with all speed at the remaining tiger-like monster. With a special move, she mugged the beast, taking the fur from the supernatural whiskers of the fiend. Rikku could make a mana spring from the fur, and modify someone's armor or weapons later. It helped that the maneuver caused some pain to the beast as well. Wakka followed up with another strong hit with his dreadful blitz ball. The Double Penalty did it's job well as it struck the fiend across the face, breaking the jaw of the Coeurl as well as causing it's eyes to tear up. Blinded and silenced, the fiend was no problem for Auron to finish up. With an almost unsatisfied grunt he sliced the tiger into its component glowing parts. He turned and flicked his sword, cleaning it against the grasses and sheathing it on his back.
"Now then, shall we get you three ladies across?" he stated humorously, "Before more fiends try to test our mettle?"
Wakka continued to watch behind them, Double Penalty resting comfortably in the crook of his right arm.
A/N: Well, back in the saddle again! Hope you like this new book. Thanks for all the reviews on "Secrets we Share" the first story in the long endeavor. Though you don't HAVE to have read the first, I think it would make more since if you do.
Please enjoy and Thanks again!