Author's notes: I got this idea while writing another FF11 fic… this stuff comes to me randomly.
Also…
MY FIRST ROMANCE FIC! ALL BE HORRIFIED AND FLEE!
Ahem
Now back to your regular programming.
Chapter 1
"Mommy?"
"Yes?"
"Where are we going?"
"To Sandoria."
"Why?"
"You'll see." Was all the slim Elvaan female would say to her young daughter. The young girl, whose age seemed to center around 6, had raven black hair falling around her face in long curls, brown eyes were round with innocence and she was garbed in a simple white dress. Her hand was wrapped tightly around her mother's.
"We're almost there now." The Elvaan whispered. Her silver short hair was splattered with blood, cuts were woven all over her skin, her armor was in shreds. In her free hand she held a sword, it's edge dulled by blood, yet the blade shined fiercely.
"Where's daddy?"
"Daddy is gone."
"Gone?"
"Yes. Gone." The woman replied firmly, the Elvaan had this moral that no lies should be told to keep children safe. It would only make the pain greater when the truth became all the more known.
"Where has he gone?"
"To Paradise."
"Will he becoming back?"
"No."
"Oh." The girl was silent. "Can we go to him?"
"In time."
"Soon?"
"No."
"When?"
"Years, many years from now. For you my child must continue as the last of our kind."
"Kind? What do you mean-?" The child suddenly gasped with delight. "Look mommy! It's a castle! A real castle like in my books!" She squealed. The mother sighed with relief.
"Come." She hastened her daughter. A sudden crash in the bushes to their left however made the woman wary, gripping her sword tight, she hid her daughter behind her.
"Stay close." The woman ordered. Her daughter nodded and held on tight to the woman's leg. A sudden whistling shot through the air, and an arrow sudden protruded from the mother's arm, blood flowing into puddles on the grounds from the gaping wound. The girl screamed. Clutching her arm, the woman cursed and with a rough yank, jerked the arrow out with a hiss of pain. That's when the attack began. With sudden roaring, and trembling, orcs of all kinds, Fodders, Grapplers, even Stonechuckers for heaven's sake poured from the trees on both sides. The woman scowled.
"Firaga!" She cried, fire enveloped all the surrounding orcs, but it barely singed them, the woman's eyes widened with realization. Then, she closed her eyes, in acceptance of her fate. Snapping her eyes open she rushed at the pair of orcs who blocked the path to the castle and flung her hand forward, while her other one dragged her daughter.
"Blizzaga!" Ice rained down on the obstacles, and they found themselves bashed aside with the dull blade of her sword. The two elves made a break for it towards the Sandoria castle.
"We're almost there! Keep up!" The woman cried to her daughter. A sudden thunk of wire hitting wood sounded, and suddenly three whistles were in the air. Without thinking, the woman drew her daughter in front of her and hugged her tight, coughing out blood as the arrowheads slammed into her back.
"Mommy!" The girl shrieked in hysteria.
"Go to the castle. Defend Necronia. Stay safe…" The woman whispered, dragging a bloody finger down her daughter's forehead smiling. Kissing her daughter's forehead she pushed her forward towards the gates.
"But . . . aren't you coming?" The woman shook her head.
"I'm sorry child . . . I go to join your father." She whispered sadly as the hordes of orcs closed in behind.
"But-!"
"Go." Her mother whispered. When the child faltered, the woman screamed it. "GO!" She turned and fled. Once she was almost at the gates, the woman stood, then turned and faced the orcs.
"Do you know who I am?" She whispered. "I am Tilaphiopa. Queen of Necronia. And you . . . are dust before me." She hissed, raising her arms to the sky, she whispered a final word.
"Sacrifice."
The explosion was like none had ever known. By the time Temple Knights, accompanied by Royal knights had arrived at the scene, all that remained were corpses of orcs, hundreds by the hundreds. That and one form.
"Mommy!" The girl shrieked running forward, she had run into the city, and gathered the aid of the guards to return for her mother.
"Mommy, mommy, mommy!" The girl sobbed hysterically, tears running down her face in crystalline drops. She shook the body back and forth endlessly, till a Temple Knight finally took pity and gently removed her hands from her mother, and held her closely whispering soothing words. All knights on the scene bowed before the brave Elvaan. Who had saved her daughter at the cost of her own life.
Weeks after the incident had occurred, the girl had yet to say a word since that day. The same temple knight who had comforted her that day, was the very same one to take her to his home and care for her with his wife. His name was Cahaurme.
"The poor child… she has been through so much. I don't understand how she could not be weeping with fear." His wife Lillith murmured. Cahaurme nodded silently. There was a sudden knock at the door and Cahaurme rose from his chair to walk over to the door, opening it, his face suddenly paled in shock and he hastily kneeled.
"My lord! Prince Pieuje." He murmured, Lillith gasped and curtsied with the best grace she could manage.
"Please, rise." The Prince asked quietly. When the two obeyed, he nodded and smiled gently.
"Forgive this rude house call, but I had heard so much of this girl lately that… well, I wished to see if she was alright."
"As well as a child with her memories could be your majesty." Cahaurme explained softly, his voice full of pity. "The poor girl, hasn't said a word since the day."
"I see." Pieuje murmured. "Would it be alright if I went to see her?" He asked lightly. Both Lillith and Cahaurme bowed as Cahaurme led him to the room. The door was shut tightly, and Pieuje turned the knob gently and entered. A girl of raven hair met his sight. Her skin was deadly pale, unusual for their kind. He kneeled down next to her and gave an encouraging smile.
"Hello." He said pleasantly. She did not reply. His face took on a sadder image. "What is your name? Mine is Pieuje." He said gently, she still refused to speak to him, he could see tear tracks on her face. He spent the next hour trying to coax her to respond to his chatter.
"Look at her. All she ever does is sit there." A boy hissed to another. "I think it's weird. . ." Cahaurme and Lillith were taking the day to buy supplies from the workmen's way, and the girl sat in front of the cathedral, hunched up and watching the water like usual.
"I think she just needs a friend." An Elvaan boy said determinedly. Silver hair fell around his tanned face in jagged spikes, brown eyes were friendly and sparkling with mischief. He nodded in affirmation.
"That's what she needs, I'm sure of it!"
"Aw c'mon Mabs. . . she probably just doesn't want to talk to us." Another Elvaan boy said dully. Orange hair was cropped to ear length and in equally jagged spikes, his green eyes were anxious.
"Just you watch Laz." Mabs said cheerfully and jogged over to the girl, ignoring his friends' sighs.
"Hiya. My name is Madon. My friends call me Mabs, do you want to be my friend?" He asked cheerfully. The girl didn't respond. He smiled, undeterred. "You don't like talking? That's okay. I know lots of people who don't like talking. Like the gardener in the Chateau. He creeps me out sometimes, but he's really nice! Say, have you ever seen the cathedral? It's very pretty, the glass is very colorful!" He continued. The girl pretended to stay deaf, but he saw her ear angle a bit towards him, he smiled.
"Then when the light shines through it, the colors go onto the floor, and it's so pretty! One time my dad took me to this place called La Theine at 0700 hours. Somewhere between these cliffs, it was such an awesome sun rise! Maybe I could take you there sometime huh?"
". . . . that'd be nice." She whispered. Mabs blinked.
"What'd you say?"
". . . I said that'd be nice." Mabs smiled.
"Yeah it would wouldn't it? What's your name by the way?" He asked her.
". . . . . Ginryu."
"Ginryu? Pretty name, a little weird, but cool. Can I call you Gin?"
". . if you want."
"Great! Want to come meet my friends?" Mabs offered, extending his hand to help her up, she looked at him, then at the hand, blinked, looked back at him, and his friendly smile. She gave her own small smile and took his hand. Once Mabs had her hand he dragged her over to his friends who gaped in shock.
"Wow, you did it Mabs!" Laz said shocked.
"Guys, this is Ginryu."
"Hey Gin."
"Hiya!"
"Yo."
"That Elvaan over there is Lazarus, we call him Laz. The mithra over there is Lillianna, we call her Lilli." He pointed to a mithra with a silver mop of hair and a short, slim body. "That taru there is Bagel." He pointed to a brown haired taru taru with black eyes who smiled and waved in a friendly manner. "The hume is Opeth." He pointed to a boy with brown hair and blue eyes. "And the galka is Halloween. We call him Hal mostly." He said pointing to a brown haired blue eyed galka.
"H-hi." She whispered. Lilli walked over. She grinned cheerfully.
"We're a friendly group, except for Lazzy, he's unsociable." She said cheerfully.
"I told you not to call me that!" Lazarus snapped angrily. Lilli stuck her tongue out at him laughing.
"Lilli!" Laz growled and began to chase her around the fountain. Lilli was laughing the whole way. Gin smiled a bit. Mabs saw this and grinned wildly.
"Laz! Lilli! C'mon, let's play a game of tag." Instantly there was 5 cries of;
"Okay, not it!" Gin was confused in what to do, and Mabs didn't want her to be stuck being it.
"I'll be it." He told the group with his hands on his hips and was a figure of authority. "All you have to do, is make sure you're not tagged by whoever is 'it'. I'm it, so if I touch you, you become it and have to tag someone else. The objective is to not be it. Okay?" He asked her, she nodded shyly.
"Okay, 10 seconds! 1!" They all immediately scrambled in different directions. "5!" Mabs counted. Gin looked at him in confusion, and he winked at her with a mischievous air. She blinked, then ran off. "3!"
"Hey! That's cheating! Everyone knows 9 comes after 5!" Lilli yelled back. Opeth snickered.
"No, it's 3!" Mabs yelled back.
"9!"
"3!"
"9!"
"3!" Mabs retaliated walking up to Lilli.
"9!"
"Tag."
"Huh?"
"Tag. You're it." Mabs said gleefully as he poked her arm, then ran off.
"Hey-! That's not fair!"
"Yes it is! Lilli's it!"
"Fine!" Lilli snapped and ran over to Gin who froze on the spot, and Lilli immediately poked her arm. Gin blinked.
"Gin's it!" The Elvaan girl looked at them, then at Hal and Laz who were hiding behind the fountain, then at her own hand, before smiling. She suddenly chased after Opeth who was closest. Within seconds. . .
"Opeth is it!"
"Aw man!"
"Uh oh, run!"
"Ha ha!"
"There has been no change?"
"No sir. The child has not spoken a word. . . I am not even aware of her name." Cahaurme murmured softly.
"After such trauma, this is to be expected." Prince Trion murmured half to himself.
"Perhaps having her return to the spot of her mother's death would urge her to speak?" Curilla offered.
"No, that would most likely traumatize her even further." Prince Pieuje commented, the group currently walked down workmen's way.
"In any case, she has been silent as the grave correct?" Curilla asked Cahaurme who nodded.
"Not a word, her face is void of emotion, and she lacks any sign of life." He murmured in a worried tone. "I fear that she has lost will to live. This morning, when Lillith and I left her for shopping and work, she barely knew we existed, it was as if we didn't matter." He sighed.
"Perhaps this is just a phase?" Prince Pieuje murmured.
"Perhaps my lord . . . the poor child. So silent and eerie. Quiet like a grave-" He started, when laughter met his ears. They just turned the corner to find . . .
"You're it!"
"I am not, I so tagged you!"
"ACK! Look out!"
"No fair Hal!"
"How's that not fair?"
"You pushed me!"
"I did not!"
"Hey! Just because I'm short doesn't mean you can step on me!"
"Eek! Sorry Bagel!"
"Mabs look out!"
CRASH!
Prince Pieuje, Prince Trion, Curilla, Cahaurme, and three more escort guards turned to discover a group of children playing tag, evidently, there was now a nice pile of them, the result of when one of the children couldn't manage to find his breaks.
"Mabs? Are you okay?" A lilting female voice asked curiously. Cahaurme turned, and nearly fell over in shock. There was the girl, smiling, and alive. Gloriously alive, and vibrant with energy. Trion was nearly done in from the shock. Cahaurme, in his surprise, didn't even wait for his lord's permission of leave when he ran over. Gin heard the footsteps and looked towards the source to find the man who had looked after her. She smiled. Such expressions were coming back easily to her.
'My god . . . she looks like a normal child, and by Altana! She's smiling!' Cahaurme thought shocked. She continued smiling.
"Hello." She said politely. Cahaurme had to grab the edge of the fountain to steady himself. She had spoken!
"Child . . . are you . . . alright?" Pieuje murmured coming up. She looked at him and nodded gently.
"Her name isn't child." A voice interrupted. They all looked up to find Mabs, who had untangled himself from his friends to stand next to Gin.
"Oh? What is it?" Trion asked interested. Mabs smiled proudly.
"Go on. Tell 'em, it's a pretty name." Mabs said nudging Gin forward who blushed.
"I-its G-Ginryu." She stammered nervously. Cahaurme blinked, looking from Mabs, to Gin, then to his lords, then back at Gin.
"He's right. That is very pretty." Trion commented smiling.
"Do you remember me child?" Pieuje asked kneeling down to look at her eye level.
"Ahem." Mabs said smiling cheerfully. Pieuje laughed.
"I'm sorry, do you remember me Ginryu?" Gin nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes." Pieuje and Trion shared a knowing glance. Then Pieuje looked back at Gin.
"Child-"
"AHEM!" Mabs said irritated. Cahaurme had to hold himself back from snickering. Pieuje on the other hand looked exasperated. Trion smirked playfully, Curilla joined him.
"Opeth!" A voice called, all turned towards the Cathedral where a woman beckoned the child to come. Opeth blinked.
"Sorry guys, I hafta go." He said with a bow to the princes, and a wave to the others.
"Later Opeth!"
"Bye." Gin said cheerfully. He grinned as he ran off while waving back to them.
"Bye Ginryu!"
"I gotta go too guys, my mom is making mithkabobs for dinner tonight!" Lilli said excitedly.
"Yum." Hal said appreciatively.
"Bye Lilli, meet back here tomorrow?"
"Sure!" And Lilli ran off with a giant smile on her face.
"Well, we seem to be splitting up, I'm gonna head home too. I have to help my dad with some woodworking." Hal said yawning and stretching at the same time. Pieuje sighed irritated, he had yet to speak again.
"Okay, bye Hal."
"See ya! Bye Gin! See you guys tomorrow!" Hal called running off.
"Awwww . . . it was just getting good." Bagel pouted. Laz shrugged.
"Oh well. Later guys. Got stuff to do." And with a wave, he walked off.
"Bye Laz." Bagel said dimly and trotted off towards the port.
"Bye Bagel." Gin said with a little wave. Mabs smiled.
"So, now what?"
"Ahem." Cahaurme said quietly behind his hand to remind the two children they were standing there.
"Huh? Oh, oops. Sorry about that, what can we do for you?" Mabs asked cheerfully. Pieuje sighed.
"Well, I suppose this conversation will have to continue another day, we have a council with the ambassador from Windurst soon."
"True." Trion murmured, he looked at Ginryu.
"We'll have to talk again later." He said firmly and started to walk off. Curilla blinked as he walked past her, then followed him after Pieuje had passed as well.
"Will you be alright walking home?" Cahaurme asked Gin who nodded hesitantly.
"I'll show her Mr. Cahaurme!" Mabs said cheerfully. "Would you mind if I showed her around Sandoria first?" Cahaurme smiled.
"Of course not. Have fun you two. I will inform Lillith you will be late tonight alright child-?"
"AHEM!" Mabs said frowning. Cahaurme laughed.
"My apologies. Alright Ginryu?"
"Yes."
"Alright. Be careful." And with that he dashed off after his princes. Mabs turned to Gin.
"Well now, what say we go to the Auction House in South Sandoria? There are lots of people there, really interesting, and they sell lots of weird stuff for tons of money, wanna check it out?"
"Sure!" Gin said brightly, Mabs' smiled broadened and he grabbed her wrist and led her down the walk.
"Hey mister . . ." Gin asked in a confused tone. "What's a seal of Genbu?"
"A magic stone engraved with the symbol of Genbu, a very rare piece." The adventurer explained patiently smiling at her.
"Cool . . . wow! Look at his sword Gin! It's huge!" Mabs said pointing at the longsword on the adventurer's belt.
"What's your name you two?" The adventurer asked cheerfully.
"My name is Mabs! This is Ginryu!"
"I see. Ginryu is not a common name from around here, where might you be from?" The adventurer asked curiously.
"I'm from Necronia!" She said brightly. The adventurer blinked in curiosity.
"Necronia? Can't say I've heard of it . . ." He trailed off.
"That's not surprising." She said simply. "It's hidden." She explained.
"Hidden?" He asked in confusion.
"Yeah! By a whole ton of spells, and by gods too! It's a very pretty place!" She said cheerfully.
"I see." He said, thinking she was pretending to be from a place in a fairy tale book.
"She's not lying." Mabs said firmly, he saw the look of disbelief on the adventurer's face.
"I never said she was Mabs." The adventurer replied in surprise.
"Yes you did. You said so with your expression, not words, but your face. Body language." He explained sincerely. Gin blinked. The adventurer blinked at him for another moment, before bursting out into laughter.
"You're smart. Forgive me, you are right, I do not quite believe her, but each Elvaan to his own correct?" He asked simply. Then shrugged. "My name is Draish." He explained with a bow. Gin curtsied in return, her gesture flowing in grace.
"EEP!" Mabs suddenly squeaked. Both of them looked at him in shock. "The sun has set! I'd better get you home!" He yelped grabbing Gin's hand and dragging her off.
"Bye Mr. Draish!" Gin called waving and smiling. Draish smiled watching her go.
"If you ever need me, let me know!" He cried tossing something at her. She caught it in surprise and looked at it. It was a green shell of sorts.
'Weird.' She thought tilting her head at it as Mabs dragged her along.
"I'm so sorry! It was all my fault, we lost track of time!" Mabs said bowing to Cahaurme and Lillith repeatedly.
"That's alright Madon." Lillith said smiling.
"Mabs."
"Pardon?"
"Mabs. Not Madon." Cahaurme chuckled.
"Alright Mabs, run along now, I'm sure Tya must be worried sick about you." Lillith urged pushing him out the door, but not before placing a tiny sack in his hand.
"That's some cookies for you both, now run along." She encouraged, he nodded grinning, then ran off waving.
"Bye Gin! See you tomorrow!" He cried. Gin waved back slightly, smiling. Lillith's eyes widened in surprise.
"Bye Mabs." She said softly. Lillith kneeled next to her.
"Child?"
"Ginryu."
"Pardon?" Lillith asked in surprise.
"My name is Ginryu." Gin repeated smiling. "Not child." Cahaurme broke out laughing at this.
"Good lord, Prince Pieuje will be in fits tomorrow! His patience will break like glass."
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 11, and I do not own the following people;
Cahaurme, Pieuje, Curilla, Trion, Mabs, Draish, Opeth, Lillianna, Bagel, Tya, the Orcs (God forbid), La Theine Plateau, Sandoria, Windurst, or any of the races. Character names belong to their respective owners.
I DO own; Ginryu, Lazarus, Halloween, Necronia, Lillith, and the Plot.
The rest is property of Squaresoft. Or Square Enix, whatever they call themselves lately.
