Disclaimer: Final Fantasy X-2 doesn't belong to me. If it did, there would be so much more Auron in it. Like, the so-called "Perfect-Ending" (which I haven't actually seen yet) would have Auron come back, instead of just a certain someone else. But, 'tis a rant for another day.

And just when I thought I have scaled back on all the WIPs, I decide to start another one. However, this one takes the back-burner to Crash-Course Parenting, so sorry if you like this one especially. I'll update this sporadically until I finish CCP. If it helps, I already know there will be 18 chapters...

Summary: Yuna, Paine, and Rikku all mastered changing and using their Dresspheres in one take, right? Of course. Absolutely. Except...not.


Gunner--The DarknessFalls Upon Our Heroes, Oh My!

"I've spotted the fiend!" Yuna shouted to her companions, hopping off a ledge and into the path of three skinks.

"Great! Now I can show you guys how to really use one of these!" Rikku told Yuna and Paine, lightly brushing aside the side-skirt of the Gunner Dressphere.

"So, which one do I shoot first?" Paine added, cocking her gun.

The skinks swayed from side to side, seemingly dispassionate toward the gunners. This only enabled the trio to creep closer to the fiends.

"We've got this one in the bag," Rikku giggled, holding her gun's point down as she prepared to fire.

"Alright, follow my lead," Yuna whispered. "I'll fire one shot, Paine shoots next, and if it still hasn't passed on, Rikku, you use Trigger Happy. Repeat until they're all gone. Okay?"

"Got it," Paine nodded.

"Okay, just let me . . . get . . . the gun . . . fixed," Rikku pulled the safety back.

What next happened foreshadowed their luck for the next several days.

Bang!

"Ow!"

"Ooh, ooh, Paine, I'm so sorry!" Rikku hopped from one foot to the other, circling the girl cautiously. "I thought I had the safety on!"

"Rikku, the cliché is, 'don't shoot yourself in the foot' not others!" Paine groused, bent to one knee as she inspected her foot. The bullet had grazed her boot, leaving only friction behind.

"Sorry!" Rikku moaned, hands splayed on her face.

"Are you okay, Paine?" Yuna inquired, hovering over the dark-haired woman.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Paine shook out her foot, rising. "Let's just kill the fiend, so I can shoot Rikku."

"Heh heh heh," Rikku chuckled nervously. "You're joking, right?"

Paine gave her a look.

Rikku gulped and scuttled behind Yuna, looking over her cousin's shoulder worriedly.

"Hey," Yuna glanced around quickly. "Where did they go?"

The skinks had disappeared from where they left them.

They looked high and low for the fiends, splitting up to search for them. Just as Rikku was hanging upside down looking into a cave on the road to Djose, and Paine was torn between helping Rikku back to her feet and nudging the Al Bhed off the ledge, Yuna screamed for help.

The two made a world record for scrambling and reaching their friend's side. They halted with twin trails of dust behind them, staring as Yuna stumbled about, eyes blank and waving her gun from side to side.

"She's been Confused!" Rikku whispered to Paine, both hands clasped to her gun. She eyed the gun Yuna wielded warily, very well aware what a Confused person could do to the surrounding, unsuspecting victims.

"Whatever you do, don't attract her atten—Duck!" Paine exclaimed as she shoved Rikku down. Yuna began to shoot a chain of Level Three Trigger Happy's. The bullets went astray as the skinks slunk from the trio.

"This is bad this is bad this is bad!" Rikku stammered under her breath as she covered her head. "How do we knock her out of this?"

"Either wait it out or literally knock her out," Paine replied, flinching as a bullet landed dangerously close to her head. "Personally, I'm favoring option number two."

"But it's Yunie—aaah!" Rikku jerked closer to Paine as Yuna fired closer to the duo. "Okay, okay, let's hit her fast, but not too hard, okay?"

"Got it," Paine sped to the Confused woman, but skidded to a stop when Yuna aimed her gun in her direction.

"Yunie! Over here!" Rikku shouted, shooting her gun and garnering Yuna's attention.

This made Rikku highly unhappy, especially when Yuna proved to be an excellent shot and fired a bullet at Rikku's gun-hand. Yelping, Rikku dropped her gun and shook her burning hand.

This chaos gave Paine enough time to sneak up on Yuna and tap her (with some regret) on the head. Yuna collapsed to the ground, her head slowly rocking back and forth as she groaned, "What happened?"

"You were Confused by a skink, and shot Rikku," Paine replied, pointing. "Don't worry; it's not your fault."

"Okay!" Rikku picked up her gun warily and made her way to Yuna and Paine. "I say we don't change into the Gunner Dressphere anytime soon."

"Yeah," Yuna nodded. "Let's wait until we've got a better handle on this."

"And when you two stop aiming for the teammates," Paine added dryly.

"So, does that mean you're not going to shoot me?" Rikku asked imploringly, arms held akimbo.

Paine arched a brow at the blonde. "Let's just say I don't hold water with shooting comrades."

Rikku sighed her relief.

"But . . . even the best dam leaks from time to time."

The sigh quickly reversed into a whimper.


Not quite an excellent chapter, but this is simply the opening. There may be revisions to this later; I'll try todo so before I put up the second chapter.