Disclaimer: I no own, you no sue.
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Author's Note: Aw, last chapter. I apologize for how spastic and utterly nonsensical this story came out.
Also, very short chapter, I mean....VERY short.
~NeoNaoNeo
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Chapter 11: Home Again
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The couple sat among the gnarled roots of the Iifa Tree, the inky black night sky seemed to creep out for infinity. Leaning on a nearby stone, Robin and Ipsen rested, intent on continuing their journey home in the morning, though Choco had left them and the airship Kuja had stolen had mysteriously disappeared. Ipsen had his arms and wings around Robin securely, protecting her from the cold night, her head on his chest and her hands in his. The waltz sighed contently, his yellow eyes glowing dimly from exhaustion, his body sore from the prolonged physical exertion. But something about Robin, the way her body fit so snuggly against his, her calm and tranquil breathing as she slept in his arms, trusting her safety into his arms without a moment's hesitation, something about her made him forget about the pain.
"You're so beautiful," Ipsen sighed dreamily, brushing a hair off Robin's brow. The waltz yawned and closed his eyes, immediately getting to sleep.
The sound of an airship thrummed through the silence of the night, not disturbing either of the sleepers as the gigantic machine came in for a landing. The Silver Serpent's passengers got off, one by one to investigate the aftermath of the battle.
"Do you see an airship?" Freya asked the company and, before Zidane could get a smart comment out, added, "Besides ours I mean."
"N-no," Vivi said, sharp eyes scanning the night darkened landscape.
"Me neither," Mortimer said as he stepped of the airship, followed by Garnet, Eiko, Steiner and Demo. Zidane put his hands on his hips and looked around.
"Okay, maybe we should scout out the area," Zidane shrugged. "The portal's closed up so that means the battle's over, in our favor, I'm guessing, unless Kuja won and got cold feet on the whole destroying Gaia thing."
Odin hobbled off the deck, propping himself up with his staff weakly. Garnet gasped and put her hands on her hips in a scolding fashion.
"Odin...go back to sleep, you're never going to heal up if you keep moving around," Garnet scolded and started shoving him towards the cabin. The waltz grumbled, but complied as a part of his nature and went back into the airship. "Come on, let's go look for them."
"Found them!" Mortimer said, flapping back from the Iifa Tree. "Here, they're not too far from here."
The company followed the slightly crippled waltz to the place where Ipsen and Robin slept. Zidane stifled a immature laugh.
"Aw," Garnet sighed, clasping her hands together.
"Yes, they are cute together aren't they?" Freya agreed. Both Zidane and Vivi exchanged a queer look. Zidane was the first to do something as he walked over and gave Ipsen a nudge with his foot, rousing the waltz slightly. Ipsen opened a luminous eye and jumped slightly at his father's presence, Vivi giving his son a transparent scolding look.
"Dad!" Ipsen said with a jerk, jarring Robin awake accidently. The girl yawned and rubbed her eye, noticing her father and Vivi.
"What were you two doing....?" Zidane asked with a mischievious grin.
"N-nothing!" Ipsen said, looking to Robin for backup.
"Y-yeah, we were just sleeping," Robin added tiredly. Zidane chuckled and offered her a hand up.
"Well look, if you two are that bent on having a camping trip then stay here," Zidane said. "But we flew out all this way to give you two a ride home."
"The airship's over that way," Vivi added, pointing. Ipsen chuckled and waited for Robin to get off of him before he made a move. He followed the company, somewhat lagging behind with Robin as they walked together, talking and laughing all the way. They boarded the airship, having much more room below the deck than they had had on the airship lent to them by the Burmecian king.
"So, what happened after I left?" Ipsen asked as they walked on deck.
Odin, Mortimer and Demo had seperated from the group to form their own, near the back edge of the ship.
"Oh, well. After we beat Odin---" Zidane started, but was interupted by the waltz clearing his throat, taking an offended interest in their conversation at the mention of his name. Zidane rolled his eyes and continued. "Well, anyways, we went to Treno to get an airship to go after you guys, but then remembered Garnet and the other girls. So, we went and found them, with some help from Demo, and came up here to get you guys."
Ipsen nodded and looked to his counterparts for a moment and then reached his hand in his pocket.
"C-can you excuse me?" Ipsen asked and, with a nonchalant shrug from Zidane, went over to the small group in the corner. "Hey."
"Oh, Ipsen!" Mortimer said happily. "Wh-what's wrong?"
"Oh nothing. Here, I still need to give you guys these things back," Ipsen said and removed the pieces of the crystal from his pocket and handed one to each of them, keeping on for himself. Odin cocked his head in curiousity, though it was a very jerky action from his last defeat.
"You don't need to hold onto one," Odin said. "You know that, right?"
"Yes," Ipsen nodded. "But...I figured, well...I am Black Waltz No. 4, right? So why shouldn't I get to help?"
"That's true," Demo nodded. "We COULD use your help with guarding these things you know."
"But are you willing to give everything up?" Odin asked, slightly narrowing an eye. "You won't be able to live in a town or anything, it'd be a danger to their lives if someone tried to get that stone."
Ipsen nodded and shifted a wing.
Robin was leaning from behind the cabin, eavesdropping on the small group's conversation.
"Robin!" Zidane said, scaring his daughter half to death. "Whatcha doing?"
"N-nothing!" she panted. "I-I was just standing here."
"You were listening in on their conversation, weren't you?" he chuckled, ruffling Robin's hair. "I remember when Vivi first found conscious mages like himself."
"Hm?" Robin grunted.
"He's just never known any others like him, you know?" Zidane said. "Maybe it's just me, but still---"
"That doesn't give him any right to just leave." Robin grumbled and began walking towards the cargo hold. Zidane groaned and leaned on the cabin as Ipsen broke away from his counterparts, walking towards Zidane.
"Hey, Zidane. H-have you seen Robin?" Ipsen asked shyly, his voice forced and nervous.
"Yeah, she just went into the cargo hold down below." Zidane nodded.
"Thanks," Ipsen said and walked off towards the doorway. He entered skiddishly and shivered slightly, his immature phobia of darkness was still a small problem, though not as severe now as it was when he a child. He spotted Robin on a barrel, her legs drawn close and back shaking with small, supressed sobs. "Robin? W-what's wrong?"
"Nothing, just go away," she muttered, voice trembling.
"But....Robin..." Ipsen said, taking a step closer. "Tell me what's wrong..."
"You just think you can leave Vivi, that you can leave ME, everyone!" she shouted, narrowing her eyes.
"Robin...I-I...I was going to move out of the house anyways..." Ipsen defended innocently.
"That's not the point! You're leaving us, your life long friends, just for them!" Robin yelled.
"Wait, I-I didn't want to get you in the middle of it," Ipsen replied.
"See?! I---"
"BUT," he interupted. "I knew you didn't care about how dangerous something is, so I was wondering....if you'd like to come with me..."
"What?" Robin asked, baffled.
"We can travel all over, Odin said that that was okay," Ipsen said with a childish energy. "Just you and me! Of course we'll have to come and visit everyone every few months---"
Robin laughed.
"Wh-what?" Ipsen asked.
"I can't believe I thought you would do that," Robin murmured, a grin still on her face. Ipsen looked up to her, hoping she'd accept. "Alright, I'll come with you. But...you know in order to get into Madain Sari, we'd have to get hitched, right?"
Ipsen considered a second.
"Are you proposing to me?" Ipsen asked, somewhat curious.
"What? Sure, whatever," Robin shrugged.
"I accept! This is the happiest moment of my life!" Ipsen swooned sarcastically. He went up to Robin and took her hands. "And you're sure you want to be my blushing bride...?"
Robin nearly fell off the barrel from laughter at the look of serious joking on Ipsen's face when he asked that question.
"Okay, as long as I don't have to wear a dress." Robin retorted, squeezing Ipsen's hands in return.
"You promise?" he asked slyly, raising a clawed finger.
"I promise." Robin said with a smile, putting her hand up in a Scout's Honor.
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A/N: The end! Ugh, I LOVE a happy ending! I hope you all do to! 'Cause that's what you got! Ha ha, suckers. If you're looking for a bittersweet ending, check out my other story, 'Second Chances'. It's with Vivi-style fun!
~NeoNaoNeo
*`*`*`*`*`
Author's Note: Aw, last chapter. I apologize for how spastic and utterly nonsensical this story came out.
Also, very short chapter, I mean....VERY short.
~NeoNaoNeo
*`*`*`*`*`
Chapter 11: Home Again
*`*`*`*`*`
The couple sat among the gnarled roots of the Iifa Tree, the inky black night sky seemed to creep out for infinity. Leaning on a nearby stone, Robin and Ipsen rested, intent on continuing their journey home in the morning, though Choco had left them and the airship Kuja had stolen had mysteriously disappeared. Ipsen had his arms and wings around Robin securely, protecting her from the cold night, her head on his chest and her hands in his. The waltz sighed contently, his yellow eyes glowing dimly from exhaustion, his body sore from the prolonged physical exertion. But something about Robin, the way her body fit so snuggly against his, her calm and tranquil breathing as she slept in his arms, trusting her safety into his arms without a moment's hesitation, something about her made him forget about the pain.
"You're so beautiful," Ipsen sighed dreamily, brushing a hair off Robin's brow. The waltz yawned and closed his eyes, immediately getting to sleep.
The sound of an airship thrummed through the silence of the night, not disturbing either of the sleepers as the gigantic machine came in for a landing. The Silver Serpent's passengers got off, one by one to investigate the aftermath of the battle.
"Do you see an airship?" Freya asked the company and, before Zidane could get a smart comment out, added, "Besides ours I mean."
"N-no," Vivi said, sharp eyes scanning the night darkened landscape.
"Me neither," Mortimer said as he stepped of the airship, followed by Garnet, Eiko, Steiner and Demo. Zidane put his hands on his hips and looked around.
"Okay, maybe we should scout out the area," Zidane shrugged. "The portal's closed up so that means the battle's over, in our favor, I'm guessing, unless Kuja won and got cold feet on the whole destroying Gaia thing."
Odin hobbled off the deck, propping himself up with his staff weakly. Garnet gasped and put her hands on her hips in a scolding fashion.
"Odin...go back to sleep, you're never going to heal up if you keep moving around," Garnet scolded and started shoving him towards the cabin. The waltz grumbled, but complied as a part of his nature and went back into the airship. "Come on, let's go look for them."
"Found them!" Mortimer said, flapping back from the Iifa Tree. "Here, they're not too far from here."
The company followed the slightly crippled waltz to the place where Ipsen and Robin slept. Zidane stifled a immature laugh.
"Aw," Garnet sighed, clasping her hands together.
"Yes, they are cute together aren't they?" Freya agreed. Both Zidane and Vivi exchanged a queer look. Zidane was the first to do something as he walked over and gave Ipsen a nudge with his foot, rousing the waltz slightly. Ipsen opened a luminous eye and jumped slightly at his father's presence, Vivi giving his son a transparent scolding look.
"Dad!" Ipsen said with a jerk, jarring Robin awake accidently. The girl yawned and rubbed her eye, noticing her father and Vivi.
"What were you two doing....?" Zidane asked with a mischievious grin.
"N-nothing!" Ipsen said, looking to Robin for backup.
"Y-yeah, we were just sleeping," Robin added tiredly. Zidane chuckled and offered her a hand up.
"Well look, if you two are that bent on having a camping trip then stay here," Zidane said. "But we flew out all this way to give you two a ride home."
"The airship's over that way," Vivi added, pointing. Ipsen chuckled and waited for Robin to get off of him before he made a move. He followed the company, somewhat lagging behind with Robin as they walked together, talking and laughing all the way. They boarded the airship, having much more room below the deck than they had had on the airship lent to them by the Burmecian king.
"So, what happened after I left?" Ipsen asked as they walked on deck.
Odin, Mortimer and Demo had seperated from the group to form their own, near the back edge of the ship.
"Oh, well. After we beat Odin---" Zidane started, but was interupted by the waltz clearing his throat, taking an offended interest in their conversation at the mention of his name. Zidane rolled his eyes and continued. "Well, anyways, we went to Treno to get an airship to go after you guys, but then remembered Garnet and the other girls. So, we went and found them, with some help from Demo, and came up here to get you guys."
Ipsen nodded and looked to his counterparts for a moment and then reached his hand in his pocket.
"C-can you excuse me?" Ipsen asked and, with a nonchalant shrug from Zidane, went over to the small group in the corner. "Hey."
"Oh, Ipsen!" Mortimer said happily. "Wh-what's wrong?"
"Oh nothing. Here, I still need to give you guys these things back," Ipsen said and removed the pieces of the crystal from his pocket and handed one to each of them, keeping on for himself. Odin cocked his head in curiousity, though it was a very jerky action from his last defeat.
"You don't need to hold onto one," Odin said. "You know that, right?"
"Yes," Ipsen nodded. "But...I figured, well...I am Black Waltz No. 4, right? So why shouldn't I get to help?"
"That's true," Demo nodded. "We COULD use your help with guarding these things you know."
"But are you willing to give everything up?" Odin asked, slightly narrowing an eye. "You won't be able to live in a town or anything, it'd be a danger to their lives if someone tried to get that stone."
Ipsen nodded and shifted a wing.
Robin was leaning from behind the cabin, eavesdropping on the small group's conversation.
"Robin!" Zidane said, scaring his daughter half to death. "Whatcha doing?"
"N-nothing!" she panted. "I-I was just standing here."
"You were listening in on their conversation, weren't you?" he chuckled, ruffling Robin's hair. "I remember when Vivi first found conscious mages like himself."
"Hm?" Robin grunted.
"He's just never known any others like him, you know?" Zidane said. "Maybe it's just me, but still---"
"That doesn't give him any right to just leave." Robin grumbled and began walking towards the cargo hold. Zidane groaned and leaned on the cabin as Ipsen broke away from his counterparts, walking towards Zidane.
"Hey, Zidane. H-have you seen Robin?" Ipsen asked shyly, his voice forced and nervous.
"Yeah, she just went into the cargo hold down below." Zidane nodded.
"Thanks," Ipsen said and walked off towards the doorway. He entered skiddishly and shivered slightly, his immature phobia of darkness was still a small problem, though not as severe now as it was when he a child. He spotted Robin on a barrel, her legs drawn close and back shaking with small, supressed sobs. "Robin? W-what's wrong?"
"Nothing, just go away," she muttered, voice trembling.
"But....Robin..." Ipsen said, taking a step closer. "Tell me what's wrong..."
"You just think you can leave Vivi, that you can leave ME, everyone!" she shouted, narrowing her eyes.
"Robin...I-I...I was going to move out of the house anyways..." Ipsen defended innocently.
"That's not the point! You're leaving us, your life long friends, just for them!" Robin yelled.
"Wait, I-I didn't want to get you in the middle of it," Ipsen replied.
"See?! I---"
"BUT," he interupted. "I knew you didn't care about how dangerous something is, so I was wondering....if you'd like to come with me..."
"What?" Robin asked, baffled.
"We can travel all over, Odin said that that was okay," Ipsen said with a childish energy. "Just you and me! Of course we'll have to come and visit everyone every few months---"
Robin laughed.
"Wh-what?" Ipsen asked.
"I can't believe I thought you would do that," Robin murmured, a grin still on her face. Ipsen looked up to her, hoping she'd accept. "Alright, I'll come with you. But...you know in order to get into Madain Sari, we'd have to get hitched, right?"
Ipsen considered a second.
"Are you proposing to me?" Ipsen asked, somewhat curious.
"What? Sure, whatever," Robin shrugged.
"I accept! This is the happiest moment of my life!" Ipsen swooned sarcastically. He went up to Robin and took her hands. "And you're sure you want to be my blushing bride...?"
Robin nearly fell off the barrel from laughter at the look of serious joking on Ipsen's face when he asked that question.
"Okay, as long as I don't have to wear a dress." Robin retorted, squeezing Ipsen's hands in return.
"You promise?" he asked slyly, raising a clawed finger.
"I promise." Robin said with a smile, putting her hand up in a Scout's Honor.
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A/N: The end! Ugh, I LOVE a happy ending! I hope you all do to! 'Cause that's what you got! Ha ha, suckers. If you're looking for a bittersweet ending, check out my other story, 'Second Chances'. It's with Vivi-style fun!
~NeoNaoNeo