Queen Luana: Okidoki. Although I didn't get any reviews, I'm still gonna continue writing. That's right, you won't bring me down that easily!
Chapter II
Asa
Poko chirped as I petted the back of his head and I smiled warmly. All day long adrenaline had been rushing through my veins, because the day would soon be there. After months of preparation the day would finally come. Sin would be gone. Yes, we would defeat Sin, I was sure of it. With all these Al Bhed and Crusaders working together, Sin was bound to be defeated.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw Kaie, snoozing, as usual. Puh, lazy ass. I tightened my grip around the reins and inhaled the warm afternoon air. Things like these gave me thrills, but in a good way. I liked my risks in life. That's why I had joined up in the first place. In truth, I had always admired the Crusaders who often passed our village. The boy living next to us, with whom I had shared my childhood, had left two years before me and only weeks after he had disappeared at the horizon I knew my path was set. The problem was convincing my grandmother.
My parents died when I was still young, four or something like that. Sin of course, who else. I don't really remember them clearly, but my grandmother always told me I had my mums looks but my father's fierce personality and eager to explore other places. It's another two reasons why I wanted to join the Crusaders, to travell and to have my revenge on Sin. Granny had never really approved me being a Crusader but at last accepted this was my wish and the feeling for adventure ran through my veins. So she told me that when I was fifteen I could leave. As long as I visited now and then, hah…
Only a couple of days ago I received word that Kilika had been destroyed completely. It broke my heart and apparently Kaies too, the way he looked at me as I sat there crying was just so… I dunno… I had never really cried before, but it was so very hard. I tried to stay cheerful at first, but everytime I tried the faces of all my loved ones appeared in front of my sight and blurred it with tears. But now, I refused to think about it anymore. Cause tomorrow it'd be over for good, the Calm would come.
And that thought brought a smile to my face and with that smile we continued down the Highroad.
Ever since I joined the Crusaders I had fought alongside Kaie and it had been really fun. We always made each other laugh and in the beginning he'd done his very best to look after me and to protect me from powerful fiends. But after a few weeks he found out it wasn't necessairy, that I could stand my own. Back in Kilika I had often wandered off to the woods to look for fiends and sometimes trouble. But back to Kaie. He was a good guy, a great guy. But I'd seen him looking at me and though he tried to hide it, and probably assumed I hadn't noticed, I knew he had the hots for me.
It had been like this ever since we were put in the same squad. At first he had tried to show me and hope he'd get some response in return, but in vain. He was really good company and a terrific friend. But that's it.
Lately he had been trying to supress it more than ever. And I had the slight feeling I knew why. He was afraid to lose me during the operation tomorrow. He was trying not to care.
"Okay, Crusaders, gather up and welcome the newbies," Yudo, one of the captains called to his team. A small twenty crusaders turned their heads, but none got up. "Okay, this is Inu, from Besaid." A nervous looking boy nodded slightly, he couldn't be much older than me. But I just stood their fumbling my pigtails, hardly caring. "Then Fenela from Luca." A girl with dark red hair nodded and then winked at a handsome looking boy sitting a couple of feet a way from her. He nodded back at her and gave her a boyish grin. I heard they got together and still are.
"And all the way from Kilika Island. Meet Asa." The reaction with me was a regular one. There was a 'hi' here and there and some raised their hand politely. "Okay, you guys socialize a bit while I go sozialising with our lovely Amai," Yudo continued. He smiled at the girl who had been standing at his side and with a giggle they wandered off and hid behind a rock. With a shrug I sat down with some guys.
"Hey whassup?" They gave me a friendly smile. "So? Introduction anyone?"
"I'm Jinsei," one guy, clearly a Kilikian as well, said and we shook hands.
"I'm Kaie," the one next to him spoke and shook my hand as well.
"And I'm Tora," said a muscular boy of who I thought he was from besaid, taking from his clothes. I smiled and wrapped my hands around my knees.
"Cool, so how long have you guys been with the Crusaders?" I asked and rocked back and forth.
"I've been here for six years now," Jinsei said and leaned back. "Left Kilika when I was fourteen. Been six years since I last saw it." A chill ran down my spine at the thought I'd had to miss my grandma and friends that long.
"I'm the record holder," Tora spoke and he smiled proudly. "Eighteen years, joined the Crusaders when I was ten. My folks were entirely against it, but I ran off and hid in the cargo of a boat headed for Luca." I nodded then eyed the last one.
"How about you?" Before Kaie could answer Jinsei had already wrapped and arm around his shoulder. "He's as much a newbie as you, my dear. Joined up last year. Has killed… how many was it, Tora?" Kaie's cheeks pinkened as Tora rubbed his chin.
"Let's see, was it fourte… no… no it was twelve. Twelve fiends." They both burst into laughter and Kaie's head now resembled a tomato. I giggled slightly. That's the amount of fiends I killed on a sunny day in Kilika. "Ah well, what do you expect, being a monk from Bevelle," Tora said and gave Kaie a friendly pat on the back.
"I'm not a monk," Kaie objected and pushed away Jinsei's arm. "My parents were." The laughing went dumb and he averted his eyes. I cocked my head to the left.
"What's wrong?" I asked sweetly. Jinsei slid closer to me.
"His parents didn't approve," he muttered into my ear. "They kinda banned him from their family. So, now he's kinda obliged to stay with the Crusaders, else he's got nowhere to go." I could feel my stomach flipping over. Poor guy. At least I still had a family and a home to miss. Right before Jinsei sat back down in his original spot, I saw one shiny tear running down Kaie's cheek.
Right then Yudo returned. "Alright. I hope you guys chatted up, we're headed for Djose Temple."
I peeked at Kaie again, he had awoken now and caught my eye. I smiled and he returned it.
Queen Luana: There. Another chap, yessiree I'm back in business. Review, please? Pretty please?
