[Another reviewer! Thanks! No one complained about it being hard to follow, so I'm going to continue doing it as I have till someone does.]
A Bumpy Start
"But..." Silver put on his gloves and hid his claws. Wha-why was she like that all of sudden? Wasn't she the one that locked the door? "Hey, I'm not the bad guy here... and I know I'm no friend of the Guado's, I still remember what that Seymour did to Lady Yuna, but we can work it out. After all, we all are here just for one reason: to find the High Summoner and her companions. That's our goal, isn't it?"
…
"Hey! Silver!" Lucine said, punching him in the side with her elbow. "That wasn't very nice you know," She whispered. "Zephyr could be a wonderful ally to have on our side!" Then she stepped away from Silver and looked toward Zephyr.
"I know that the Guado haven't always been thought of as the most...trustworthy companions," Lucine said carefully. "But that was so long ago, during the time of Sin. It's just like New Yevon. A whole race or group can't be held responsible for one of their group-member's actions! I find that a race's reputation can be tainted just because of one little accident that was really not their fault. Just some no-good, slimy jerk that messes things up!" She had to take a deep breath before continuing. All the ranting was making her tired."
"Anyway, what I'm saying is, I think I trust you Zephyr. Well...at least enough to let you join our group, if you would reconsider. I know that you'd make a marvelous ally. You seem like the kind of person that would keep your cool even during the most desperate situations, which we might need. Plus your extensive knowledge of items will definitely prove handy on our travels."
After all that she had said, she hoped that she would convince Zephyr to travel with them. "And I'm sure you and Silver could get along. He's not that bad once you get to know him." She smiled and ruffled Silver's hair playfully.
…
Silver laughed softly, kind of blushing at the same time. What Lucine said was true. Silver never actually met Seymour Guado, or had to live in the time of Sin to see what Yevon was doing to the people and how was it controlling them. He only knew that by his father who was a Crusader long ago, then turned into a member of the Youth League. And, of course, his point of view was passed to Silver, and so he lived. But now he thought about Lucine's words and realized he'd been so naive. Maybe he would learn something useful besides knocking doors down while traveling with those girls.
"I'm sorry" he told both Lucine and the half-Guado called Zephyr "Just... brain isn't my strong point, and I do or say things without thinking."
…
Serenity smiled to herself, watching Lucine try and bond Silver and Zephyr together. She then nodded and clapped her hands together, jumping into place on the other side of Lucine, and lightly put her arm on the blonde's shoulder. "Yes, I do hope you reconsider and join us! I don't think ill of the Guado myself. Putting aside the tales of 'Seymour Guado', I think Tromell's doing a pretty good job of leading the Guado to a fresh new start devoid of the past. I want us all to go on this journey together! So please don't say you won't come."
…
Zephyr smiled slyly, and rubbed her gloved wrist thoughtfully before pushing her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose. So she wouldn't have to make herself useful . . . but she remembered the plan for later on, until she needed to raise the odds in her favor. She'd lucked out, this time.
"Maybe my intelligence can even out the demon's brawn," she said evenly, her smirk audible in her voice. "I'll go with you. And," she added, "if you want my opinion . . . I think we should go first to those closest to the missing, and not to New Yevon." The half-Guado crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "You know . . . let's not be presumptuous," she said, eyeing Silver.
"I think Gippal, Cid, or Wakka and Lulu are our most viable sources of information," she added, and then grinned, genuinely. Out of habit, she pulled out her massive gun and shouldered it. She had a very definite air of danger and chaos around her at that moment: that smile, her stance, the deadly weapon she held. "Let's go for it."
…
Silver wanted to put his mask on again but didn't, knowing it would be an obvious sign that he was a little uncomfortable. But why? He was with three pretty girls, although he had some problems with the third one.
Maybe his frustration was because he just wanted to find Lady Yuna so bad. He had met her once, when he was a kid she visited Zanarkand along with her... husband was he that blonde guy? Since then he felt there could be no beauty that could match hers.
"Ok then, you lead the way and I'll watch your backs," he said, playing with his black blitzball "I may not be the smart one but I should know Spira as my backyard. We'll find the High Summoner's crew one way or another. So..." he walked and placed a hand in front of the Guado girl, "... friends?"
…
Zephyr smiled and switched her gun from her right to her left hand so she could shake his hand. "Not friends," she said, gripping his hand surprisingly tightly and giving it a hearty shake, "comrades in arms. You want to help me fix this door now, Silver?" She released his hand and clipped her gun to her belt before walking over to the door and picking it up, trying to replace it in its frame. "If you could just hold this here, buddy, I'll fix the hinges. I don't think my little brother would appreciate it if his sister's new friends busted down his team's door."
…
Well, at least they're getting along now. Lucine thought to herself, smiling. While Silver and Zephyr were fixing the door, she thought about where they could go. The closest place to Luca was Besaid Island. Lulu and Wakka might know something...but if they didn't, there was always her dad who lived in the Bikanel Desert, just another ship away. Other than that, there really wasn't anybody who was that close to her mother or the High Summoner Yuna. Maybe Kimahri on Mt. Gagazet or Buddy, who had been one of the Gullwings commanders during the time of Vegnagun. And there was always her grandfather they could go and see about the Al Bhed salvage ship. If they had the time or the money maybe they could visit them. It would be nice to visit Mt. Gagazet and see Kimahri again. Plus, they could go and see the statue of the High Summoner Yuna at the summit.
"Well, guys? What do you think?" She said, pacing around. "We could go to Besaid Island first to see what Wakka and Lulu know and then, if that doesn't work out, we could always visit my dad on Bikanel Island."
…
Serenity lifted her arm off Lucine's shoulder and stretched. "Hey, your brother plays for the Guado Glories? That is so cool!" Serenity pretended that she was kicking a blitzball. She was still learning how to breath underwater—her longest time had been 23 seconds so far—but that didn't stop her from loving the game. Especially with everyone in her family having some sort of ties with the sport past time. Serenity would have asked to play with Silver's black blitzball, but after the incident with Lucine, she wasn't so keen on doing so for a while.
"Back to Besaid Island, huh? Sounds great! Though Lulu and Wakka are going to kill me…" The fact that she pulled a 'Yuna', that is, leaving Besaid without so much a word, as her mother once did when she left to become a sphere hunter. Serenity felt a bit nervous to go back, in all honesty, but was confident that it would be okay. Serenity clasped her hands behind her and begun swaying from side to side while waiting for the two to fix the door.
…
Silver lifted the door and placed it on it's right place, holding it with his left arm while watching Serenity and Lucine talked about were to go. "Well, for all that we could use an airship, though I don't really trust those things," he remembered when one crashed near his house at the summit near Zanarkand, where he had lived when he was but a child. "I rather walk or even swim, I'm good at both. But if it's for the High Summoner I'll just have to hold my stomach." He laughed a little and smiled at the girls.
"I have to admit visiting Mt. Gagazet again is something I'd love. Ronso's at least treat me like one of them, something most people in Spira won't do. You know... use demon creatures are still considered... well... demons, fiends. And I have to thank Yevon for that."
…
Mt. Gagazet's icy peaks shimmered with the afternoon sun. It was a blessing that there had not been a severe storm for a certain young Ronso that made it's way towards the main village. With every step, the Ronso would wriggle some snow in between her black clawed toes, enjoying the pleasantly cold feeling. In the left blue/gray furred hand of the Ronso was a bucket filled with warm spring water, the steam rising not as high as it once did when it was taken fresh from the hot springs. The Ronso would've gone faster, but she could not allow one drop of her burden to touch the snow.
The Ronso's ears both twitched a bit, picking up the sound of fiends hunting. She would gladly have went off and faced any of them if circumstances were more forgiving.
(I have been given a duty and I will follow through. Elder Kimahri is counting on me.)
The Ronso leader was important to his people. And now more then ever were they worried about him.
(Ever since Lady Yuna, Rikku and Paine have been missing, Poor elder has become more and more sick. He can not leave Mt. Gagazet to go look and we have no clue where to even start searching...)
The Ronso stopped and stomped a rather small fiend with her foot.
(If I were older they would allow me to go search. Instead all I can do now is bring the Elder warm water for tea.)
During the thought process, a slight rumbling had begun, and its volume increased as the process ended. The Ronso's right ear bent towards her backside, listening to heavy snarl like breathing and heavy pronounced steps. The sound of the steps was slightly muffled and in tune with the slight scritch-scritch of claws against stone and snow.
(An animal fiend with padded feet. It's big, big enough to not wish to hide. Must be a very confident monster.)
The Ronso turned around and saw a rather large gray/green furred behemoth like creature stomping towards her.
"You choose now to make come out and attack me?" The Ronso asked, setting down the bucket of water and pulling out a rather long spear.
The spear was old, well taken care of by its lacquered appearance. Around the middle of the shaft long white bandages surrounded it, aiding in gripping the weapon. And on the top of the long shaft was the blade, long and sharp like a sword yet meant to be an axe thanks to it's considerable width.
The behemoth like creature roared in a challenging tone.
(It must've followed me from the springs. I should not have stopped. But I suppose it is best to eliminate it now before it followed me all the way to the village.)
The Ronso jumped high into the air and began free falling towards the beast's head, weapon pointed downward.
Upon contact, the beast reared back and slapped at the Ronso with its large paw, accompanying it's counter with a painful roar.
The Ronso barely avoided the paw, instead, skidding to a halt on the slippery snow covered stone of the mountain trail on three limbs, the fourth being her right arm which held the axe, ready to go in for another attack.
The beast stood on its back legs, the Ronso following suit. The Ronso charged the beast now. The behemoth noted the move and brought its hand paw down toward the Ronso. The Ronso dodged the attack, losing a bit of her momentum but taking the opportunity to now aim for the monster's belly. The Ronso pounced toward the beast's open stomach, only to be backhanded by the beast's other paw into the mountainside with a yelp of pain escaping her throat.
Upon meeting the slanted mountainside with such strong force, falling face first onto the snow was only inevitable.
"...Owww..." The Ronso said as she pushed herself off the ground, shaking off a bit of the snow. She looked up quickly and saw the behemoth coming down at her with another attack.
(Oh no you don't!)
The Ronso jumped off the ground and after slightly landing near a higher point on the slanted wall like rock did she push herself downward with her weapon pointed again at the monster's head. The behemoth looked up in time to receive a hard painful jab to its eye.
The Ronso pulled her weapon out and jumped off to the side and watched the beast fall to the ground.
(He's not dead...but he won't be as much of a threat with that eye gouged.)
The behemoth writhed in pain, covering its eye with its paw and running back towards the mountain trail.
"Now back to business." The Ronso said as she turned around. "I shouldn't have any more problems...Oh no."
The Ronso's triumphant confidence died instantly. During the scuffle, the bucket of water had tipped over and spilled all of its contents. The Ronso bent down and picked up the bucket, looking inside for any possible drops of water being left.
"Now I'm in trouble..." The Ronso said.