Sunny was laying on their shared bed, sweating and shivering. "Big Bro?" she asked softly, her little head turning. She was, as far as he was concerning, human, despite having a viera mother and all-viera sisters. Very rare indeed. "I don't feel well..."

Gukko wished that they had their old house back. Everyone had full bellies, education, and their own rooms... But after Momma and Father died... Gukko had discovered that although full of squalor and poverty, the poorer district was much cheaper.

"Sunny, what's wrong?" he asked softly, stroking her brown-black hair softly. Her chubby-but-gaunt face smiled softly. Under a richer life, she could have been the cutest princess...

Hejaat's ashen face looked up from the bedside. "Gukko, I'm sorry, but I think's it's the Yittiees,"

Gukko's breath froze. The Yittiees? Anywhere but here, the Yittiees were no big deal... But medication was beyong him currently... There was only one solution.

"Sunny, you're going to go on a great adventure. You'll be full and happy and wonderful, Sunny. You'll train as a warrior..." Gukko whispered softly to his baby sister her adventures to come.

"But I want to be a Summoner," she protested.

"You'll be the greatest Summoner ever," he assured her, smoothing her soft curls. "Someday, we'll meet again. And we'll be together again, I promise," he whispered softly. Tonight would be the last night he would see Sunny, at least for many longs years.

-

He carried the sick, sweating child to the pub. "Sir?" he called softly. Everyone told him that he was a handsome little boy with an intense face. Everyone said that he was the best-looking. But no one had ever said that he was more than a pretty boy and a warrior... But he was a brother. A big brother, the only one caring for his family other than his best friend Raven,who was always on long jobs that bought home enough gil to feed and care for them for weeks on end. Raven, whose father had trained him on Dispatch missions... Raven, who saved up all the spare change he accumulated from the sidewalks, since all his jobs went into feeding everyone... Gukko regretted not demanding that his father taught him what Raven's father had taught Raven.

"Sir?" he called. The pubmaster appeared.

"Yes? Oh! Your sister- what's-"

"Do you mind if I ask around a bit? For... A special favor?" he asked.

"I see. Medicine. Okay," the man said.

Gukko had something different in mind. Medicine wouldn't help now.

"Sir," Gukko said softly to someone who seemed to be a clan leader. The whole large clan went silent, and a Summoner knelt down next to Sunny.

"It's not the Yipiees," she said softly. "It's a new strain. The medicine's awfully expensive, and we can't hand it out, I'm sorry," the Summoner said softly.

Gukko shook his head. "Do you reconize me?" he asked, tilting his face upwards.

The Clan Leader, a burly Fighter, crinkled his brow. "You look like a legendary Figher... But he died years ago..."

Gukko nodded. "I'm Akuu's son," he said. "This is my sister Sunny."

The whole clan was shocked into silence. Gukko knew that it was awful to see the childrenof one of history's greatest warriors so down.

"What are you asking, ssson?" a bangaa asked. "I'm sssorry, but we can't give you the medicine."

Gukko shook his head again. "Father was one of the greatest warriors. And Mommawas an Assassin, but she has the bloodlines of the greatest mages.I was wondering... Can you adopt her into your clan? I have six other sibling I take care of..." His desperate voice trailed off.

For a moment, there was silence. Then the Summoner spoke. "I'm the only Mage here, Shamual, and I believe that Sunny can grow to be one of the greatest. She already has the blood, and I can sense great talent."

The Clan Leader considered it for a moment, then said, "All right, but you have to take care of her. We'll give her the medicine and she'll be one of us." Shamual nodded. "I'm sorry to see a family separated like this, but I know it's necessary sometimes. Don't worry, we're a good clan. We'll take good care of her."

Gukko handed Sunny over to the Summoner, who coddled the sick child to her breast. "Aren't you a sweetie?" she murmured.

But Gukko only bowed and thanked them greatly until the leader blushed.

"Don't worry," the motherly Summoner repeated. "She will be my daughter now."

-

Well... This is the first non after-game I've done. But I hope you'll enjoy it!

-MakoStreak