A/N: The answer to the question that no one but me has ever wondered . . .what is Biran's beef with Kimahri?
Disclaimer: I don't own FFX or anything therein.
Penance
The wind howled loudly outside the door of Biran's father's house. But even louder howled the woman a few rooms over. Biran's ears flattened against his head in annoyance, "Will she never be quiet?"
"Shush, Biran," an old woman scolded, "The birth goes hard." She listened to the wind outside, "And if the child is born in this storm, its whole life will be as difficult as its beginning." She looked pointedly at the boy, "It will need an older brother to help it."
The woman's cries stopped, and a tiny shriek rose above the gale. Cries of "boy" were heard all around the house.
"He will need a brother," the old woman amended. The child shook with poorly restrained anger.
"That thing not Biran's brother! The wind howls to have such a thing born on the sacred mountain!" Biran turned over in his bed and feigned sleep until the old woman stopped lecturing and left him alone. Only then did he cry.
"Biran!" An angry Ronso walked through the village calling, "Biran!"
Biran was trying to ignore him, sitting in the corner of his room, but his father eventually found him.
"What is Biran doing here?"
Biran did not answer.
"Get up. Baby's name day is today."
Biran did not get up. His father dragged him. "Biran!" He barked, but Biran shrieked back.
"Baby's mother did not stay to name him! Why should Biran go?"
Pain exploded on the side of Biran's head. He stood in shock, holding a paw to his ear and trying not to cry. His father had cuffed him! His father had never so much as threatened him before, and now he had cuffed him! Biran glared at Baby. The mountain had known that Baby was evil. She'd tried to warn them. It was already making Father do bad things.
"Biran will come and tell brother's name to Mountain."
"Baby is not Biran's brother."
Father did not strike Biran again, but he looked like he wanted to. Instead he grabbed Biran's arm and marched him outside, through the village, right up to the mountain path. In front of everyone. Biran's face burned in shame.
It was a while before Father let Biran go, trusting his son to follow him up the mountain. Even then they did not speak. Baby kept looking over Father's shoulder at Biran, who was struggling in the deep snow despite trying to stick to his father's footprints. Biran glared at Baby. It was Baby's fault that Father was angry with Biran. But Baby just stared back, big, dark eyes strangely focused for a child his age, fine white tuft of hair blowing in the wind. They finally made it to the summit, and Father stopped and held out his arms, Baby in his hands.
"Sacred Mount Gagazet!" The words echoed back to show that she had listened. "We welcome a new young warrior to your slopes. His name is . . ." Father paused and took a deep breath to proclaim his son's name to Gagazet. "Kimahri!"
Only one voice echoed back.
"Biran?" A white-haired youngster ran over to him, as he did, sometimes, forgetting his brother's past treatment of him. "Why don't Biran and Kimahri have a mother? Everyone else have a mother."
Biran sighed, "Biran's mother died when Biran was small Ronso."
"Like Kimahri."
"Hmph." Biran sneered, "Not like Kimahri. Biran never as weak and pathetic as Kimahri."
Kimahri paused for a moment, but used to this treatment, timidly ventured, "What about Kimahri's mother?"
Biran snorted in derision. "Kimahri's mother left him. Didn't even stay to name Kimahri. Went to Luca."
Young Kimahri's eyes filled with tears, "Why?"
"Kimahri's mother did not want him."
Tears began to drip down his little whiskers.
"Mountain did not want Kimahri, either. The night Kimahri was born, the wind howled at Kimahri's mother to take him away. But Kimahri's mother did not want him, so he stayed here."
The little boy was crying in earnest now, but still Biran did not stop. Instead he pointed scornfully at Kimahri's tears. "Kimahri is small weak Ronso. Both mother and Mountain know this."
And Biran left, knowing that Kimahri would hold his tongue, not wanting to be weak.
Yenke and Biran were often together. They were easily the two strongest Ronso their age, and often got away with throwing their weight around because of it. That is why they were laughing now.
"What does little Kimahri want?"
It's true; Kimahri was small. Not only in comparison to Biran and Yenke, either. Even as he came close to reaching adulthood, he remained as short or shorter than the Ronso women. Some thought that his mother hadn't taken care of herself, or hadn't said the right words to Mountain. Others blamed the difficult birth. It didn't really matter. Kimahri was small. And little Kimahri should not be confronting his older half-brother and half-brother's best friend.
"Kimahri will fight Biran," the young Ronso answered calmly, though his tail twitched in agitation.
The two older almost-men kept laughing until Kimahri threw a punch straight into Biran's gut. Biran shook his head and came after Kimahri with all the fury of a threatened king. There were a number of blows on either side, but it was clear who'd were harder, faster, and more strategically aimed. Kimahri fell on his side, gasping. Biran stood right next to his face. "Kimahri admit defeat."
Kimahri spat at Biran's feet. Biran kicked him. "Admit defeat!"
Kimahri only glared. Yenke joined in. "Fight cannot end until one admits defeat. Kimahri lose. Kimahri admit defeat!"
Kimahri's only response was to roll to his feet and begin to walk away.
"Kimahri admit defeat!" Biran yelled behind him, but Kimahri did not stop. Biran and Yenke tackled him from behind and started beating him again, but still Kimahri would not speak. He was on the ground again, coughing and choking. Biran dragged him up by his horn, causing tears to burn in Kimahri's eyes.
"Admit defeat." Biran growled dangerously. Kimahri stood silent.
Biran jerked Kimahri's head to one side and then back impossibly quickly. Kimahri's horn snapped off in his hand. And Kimahri let out a howl unlike any ever heard.
It had been ten years since then. Biran remembered, because it was less than two days later they saw the shower of pyreflies that meant Sin's defeat. Kimahri had already left the mountain.
They had met a few more times, between then and now. Evil words always passed between them, surprisingly few from Kimahri to Biran. But still when Kimahri came here, guarding his summoner, he had said nothing of revenge. They only finished the fight that had begun ten years before. The fight that had never been finished by a cry of defeat. And this time, Kimahri won.
Kneeling at Kimahri's feet, he heard no retribution, no rebuke. Only a sort of tired command. "Now Kimahri pass." He made to move past Biran, but Biran stood.
"Wait!"
Kimahri looked at his older brother suspiciously.
"Kimahri defeat Biran in battle," he conceded, then turned to the mountain and declared Kimahri's victory to the snowy peaks. "Sacred Mount Gagazet! I honor the name of strong warrior who defeats Biran. Remember always, Gagazet! That name is Kimahri!" He was sure, when he called Kimahri's name, he heard two voices echo back.
He turned to the young summoner, the daughter of Braska, "Summoner! We Ronso will stop pursuers from temple."
"Truly?" The small thing, such a small thing to be given such a great task, asked him, sounding a bit like the child she really was.
"Payment," Biran answered, looking toward her guardian, "For breaking Kimahri's horn, long ago."
"We crush enemies following behind. Kimahri crush enemies standing before." Yenke affirmed.
"You are most fortunate, summoner," Biran said, knowing that Kimahri would understand what he meant to say. What had gone unacknowledged for over two decades. Kimahri was strong. Kimahri was Ronso. Kimahri was his brother.
"I thank you," the small voice answered, the low bow belying her status as a summoner, and one of noble birth.
It was not long after they had turned the first corner around the twisty mountain path and gone out of sight, not long after the last echoes of the Hymn had died grown too quiet to hear, that their sentry cried, "Guado! Coming to Gate!"
Biran extended his claws and crouched into a battle stance, listening to the thundering footsteps coming up the path. Now he would earn forgiveness from the brother he had not allowed himself to have. The footsteps grew louder. They were coming.