Quick Backtrack
After defeating a handful of Hrimthurs and Divebeaks, the Gullwings succeeded in finding the Azure Apula. Their success was shortly lived however when Amu and his team of Dragonites snatched the prize away from them. An old friend of Yuna's came to the rescue, retrieving the Azure Apula for her. She accepts an invitation to dinner with the Gullwings…
Author's Notes
Disclaimer: I don't own any Final Fantasy Characters or anything mentioned from the franchise. This story was written for non-profitable purposes so please just read and enjoy people. Amu, Runy, Klamour and Milano are mine. :)
Now for the second part of the first chronicle.
The Invincibility of Choice
.: A Tactless Tales Production :.
Chronicle I, Part 2 – Digging Up The Past, Forming and Breaking Ties
One Month Prior…
Misty aroma climbed the air from bustling pots, tantalising the taste buds of the brewers with meaty pleasure. Their own melodic whistles distracted the Gullwings from the dreary thuds of knives against cutting boards and from the bubbling of cookery vessels.
Rikku fought her impatient stomach's groans as she chopped up onions and tomatoes. Unfortunately, fighting her tears from the onions' glares wasn't as straightforward. She often found herself damping her white apron with her eyes' leakages. But she pushed on, her being telling her it was all for a good cause, and her tummy telling her the results would cause much good.
Yuna rubbed the suds against dirtied plates, ensuring nothing but pearly white was left to shine before wiping them dry and placing them aside. She smiled at the simplicity of the job and enjoyed the warm tap water pouring all over her hands. This was the least appreciated chore, mostly because the idea of dirty pots daunted the other girls. But they didn't realise that pots were actually the easiest to get clean – provided Brother hadn't attempted to actually 'cook' something in them of course.
Her foamy hand caught grip of a wineglass, and she used her other to plunge a sponge into its open summit, smudging creamy bubbles against its clear inner walls. Carelessness, or overconfidence perhaps, had her swiftly extract her hand, leaving nothing but a slippery grip on the glass. The firm-less grip led to disaster.
The fragile cup slide between her fingers, shattering as it met the tiled floor. Concerned eyes quickly found her uneasy smile.
"You okay, Yunie?" Rikku asked through red, teary eyes.
"Yeah … are you?" She said, taking notice of her cousin's troubled eyes. But once Rikku pointed to the small slices of onion, Yuna lost her worry. Not for long however, as she spotted the scattered glass at her feet. "Don't worry. I'll take care of this mess."
Paine nodded in agreement. "Careful," she cautioned before turning back to face her own task. Her hand was moistened from the rising steam as she stirred the beefy soup with a long spoon. Bits of brown bisque dripped back into the boiling puddle, escaping the pond swooped aboard the rising spoon. She whispered the sample cool then brought it to meet her lips for a humble slurp.
Perfect. Only the finishing touches remained. She gripped a tin of pre-cut vegetables she had opened earlier and held its mouth above the pot. Using a teaspoon, she began to deposit each carrot, pea, and potato snip one by one into her masterpiece.
Then, unexpectedly, a loud ringing shook her pocket, shocking her into dropping the remainder of the tinned vegetables all at once. A huge splash erupted from the sudden plummet, little specs of soup shooting at her cheeks. She quickly cleared the irritation of the minor burning with a thumb. She used her apron to wipe her hands clean before digging into her pocket for her ringing cell phone.
'Unknown Number.' The caller ID function was useless in determining the caller. She had better take it elsewhere. "Yuna," she said to the lady crouched down sweeping up fragments of glass. "Please watch this for me while I'm out. I've got to take this call."
Paine left the kitchen with curious eyes fixed on the phone's screen. She found a dark, secluded corner and pressed the answer button. "Who is this?"
"Who is this? What a way to greet an old friend."
The voice had deepened from what her ears were use to, but the arrogance still lived well in his words. "Runy."
"So you do remember my name. Heh, had me worried for a second there."
The memories all came flooding back. She had to smile. "Of course I do. It's a pity I can't the same for you."
"Huh?" He left Paine with radio air for entertainment as he tried to make sense of her accusation. How could he have forgotten her if he was the one calling her? Long seconds passed before he understood. "Bikanel Desert. I should have known you'd give me grief about that."
"Yeah, that!" Paine said, airing her angered disappointment. "What are you doing hanging out with that huge, green-eyed, freaky thief anyway? And that repulsive lizard hand…"
"What! Master Amu is NOT a thief! And that hand is by no means … oh hell. Even I gotta admit it is kinda disgusting. Try sitting at a dinner table with that thing, it's guaranteed to kill your appetite. That's why I always eat my dinner up on deck."
Giggles.
"But Paine, one thing you must know is that Amu isn't a bad guy in the least. He's just a little … serious at times."
"A little?"
"You know what I mean! He doesn't like it when non-mission events infringe our well-thought-out plans. The whole me knowing you thing … our relationship…"
Dying hope heated up Paine's heart at the thought. But its brief resurrection was frozen back to gentle coldness. She realised its time had come and gone.
"Not quite the word…" He thought. "Our association, I should say, is considered non-mission. That's why I didn't want to dwell on those memories in the master's presence. But for the record, I still do feel like I know you. Do you think that's possible? At all? … Sharlome?"
"No..." she immediately blurted out a sigh. "I've changed too much. I'm not the same little girl you befriended." It took real bravery to say those words.
"Oh…"
"And please, call me Paine."
He fell silent for a second. "Understood." It was all about business now. "Well, Paine. I'm sure you are wondering why I called you and where I got this number for that matter. But that's of no concern. And I'm pretty confident you know why I'm talking to you right now."
There was no doubt in her mind. "I know what I owe you and I'm willing to fulfil my promise at your command. But don't expect me to tell you why I left back then. I'm not going to apologise for events out of my control."
"I understand … Paine. All I ask is what is due to me."
"In that case what is it that you want?"
"Listen. This is what I need from you…"
And so she listened to his every word, nodding her head in agreement at the tasks she was given.
Unknown to Paine however, a pair of stray ears continued to capture her conversation in a stealthy manner.
ooOOoo
Brother slouched back, legs spread out lazily aside the chair as he picked between his teeth with a toothpick. Relatively empty plates, glasses and bowls were scattered across the lengthy table before him. He loved having visitors over for meals. It meant the girls were going to be cooking!
Barkeep had his moments, but nothing won his stomach's heart more than the touch of feminine hands. Yuna's hands, he liked to believe. He felt his belly overflowed with the amazing food but his heart could never be overflowed with anything Yuna. People would give him grief about his uncontrollable feelings, but to him, she wasn't directly blood-related and that made it okay.
Oh how Rikku would be scolding him right now if she could read his mind.
"Great."
"She is isn't she?" The private thought slipped out as a result of his half-dazed state. Just remembering the presence across the table, he quickly snapped up, back upright against the chair and toothpick dropping to the ground. He wiped clean the drowsiness on his face before looking at his company. "What did you say?"
"The meal … it was great." The young woman said, settling her fork and knife on the plate.
"Oh, the meal, of course, great!" Brother caught the slightest light of confusion in her brown eyes, but thankfully it was quickly replaced with easiness. He noticed how her brunette locks fell just above her eyebrows, leaving only a small 'V' of forehead visible. She wasn't actually bad looking at all - even as he inevitably compared her to Yuna. Maybe he should try to learn more about the girl Milano brought aboard with her.
"So, Tiara," he started, tapping the table as he thought of something to talk about. "You say you're a Sphere Hunter too?"
"Yeah, ever since Milano introduced to me to Sphere Hunting I just loved it! I was fifteen when I started and four years later … I mean look at me now! I've seen so many things all over Spira and met so many people. Travelling is just really a great experience, you get to…"
Brother was easily lost in her rapid and seemingly never-ending streams of sentences. Making conversation was much easier than he anticipated. All he had to do now was wait for her motor to stop running so he could ask her another question. Meanwhile, he would take the time to appreciate her beauty.
"…but that's just how I feel. What about you? You enjoy Sphere Hunting?"
"Yeah," he said bluntly. Very soon however, he felt his 'sufficient' response wouldn't do her mouth much justice. "So, Tiara, what kind of Dresspheres are you familiar with?"
"Oh, I am so glad you asked! Most guys only worry about what's underneath them and don't appreciate how much time and effort it takes to get myself this beautiful. Well, my first Dresshpere – which is also my favourite – is the Archer. I was always a good shot as a kid and…"
It wasn't hard for Brother to see why guys took a liking to her. It wasn't just her opinion … she really was beautiful. And the way the words kept rolling off her tongue. This time it was her mouth that stole his attention - not because of what was coming out of it of course! It was her luscious, cherry lips, bouncing vibrantly that peaked his admiration.
"…get on my bad side and I might just have to switch to Gunmage! But don't worry, I can control my anger pretty well. Gullwings have any favourite Dresspheres?"
Damn it! Her tank just ran out. He had to think of something quick. "Well, you'll have to ask them. Erm," he stalled as he thought of something else. "Erm – er – you're really pretty."
"Well, thank you!"
He waited. But nothing else came. What? That's it? That was all she was going to say about his complement! How dare her, after all that mind searching. She just sat there with an innocent smile.
"You guys done?" Buddy walked to the table and began collecting the dirty dishes onto a tray. "Why are you still sitting at the table? Everyone else's up on deck, I think."
"I don't know actually." Brother admitted. On his account, he was half asleep thinking of the food Yuna cooked. He didn't even realise everyone had left until Tiara spoke up. "You know what, Buddy. I'm feeling kind of tired. I just wanna hit the sack. Need help with the dishes?" He offered, before deciding to go to bed.
"That's alright." Buddy said, holding a tray full of dishes due to the sink.
"I think I'm going to go up deck," Tiara told them. "The night's still young. But could you boys do me a favour before I go?"
"What?" They asked together.
Tiara stood up, letting her ruby, sleeveless skirt fall to her mid thighs. She reached to the ground besides her seat and picked up a long, fur sachet occupying several arrows, and a long bow. She put them on the table then, strangely, stepped on the chair with a long, brown boot.
All too sudden for Brother and Buddy, she peeled up her skirt extremely high, revealing a slim and slightly built thigh. She unwrapped a dagger-holding, brown band strapped around the thigh and put it with the other weapons on the table. Having unequipped herself, she grounded her legs, letting her skirt fall back to its normal place.
"Brother," she said. "Mind putting these somewhere for me? They can get a little uncomfortable sometimes." She dumped her arsenal on Brother's stretched out arms before whipping around, brown hair gliding with her before falling to her lower back.
Brother and Buddy watched in disbelief as her slender body carried itself to the elevator in the figure-hugging red dress. She waved them goodbye before the lift's doors shut their visual paradise away.
The two looked at each other, mouths still open. "On second thought, Brother. I'm going to take you up on that offer. You can do all the dishes! If you need me, I'll be up on deck."
"What?" Brother complained. "I was just saying that because I didn't want to be rude. Take these with you on your way to the kitchen!" he said, dumping her things on the table. With that, he made a break for the elevator, believing he had found a cure for Yuna.
Little did he know, Buddy was but two steps behind him and gaining!
ooOOoo
"Nowadays, my heart's with the seas."
Silver moonlight fell over Milano's body, preventing the night's pitch darkness from swallowing their bodies. Yuna was sitting beside her.
The full moon ruled the dark heavens, millions of tiny, bright specs populating its kingdom as loyal subjects of its reign. Misty layers of clouds were dispersed throughout, too thin to obstruct the blinking stars however.
"I prefer flying." Yuna turned to her old friend. Icy chills gently blew against her face, and past her ears, providing the melody to which her strands of hair gracefully danced to. "I love the air up here. The wind, the coolness, everything's just perfect."
Milano escaped from the addictive gaze she held to the skies and looked at Yuna. "To each, her own."
For every star in the sky there was a question Yuna wanted to ask. But given the fulfilling – for now – discussions they had already, she felt her tongue was going to fall off from fatigue. She relaxed, listening to the propellers cut the cold night air in peace.
"Being a Sphere Hunting is getting boring."
Milano's statement came from nowhere.
"Why do you say that?" Yuna disagreed.
"There's just no more competition," Milano responded. "Except for Amu and his boys that is. But they're rarely active. They haven't been in action for months until they learnt of the four Apulai."
Yuna pulled out the Azure Apula from her packet, and hugged the small, flat diamond against her chest. "Competition? I'd rather not have competition for this mission. Success too important for me." She pocketed the Apula again. "The only Sphere Hunting competition I can remember is Leblanc and her two goons."
"Leblanc?"
"Yeah, this really annoying Sphere Hunter," Yuna explained. "One time she stole this sphere that made her look exactly like me and went on to perform at my own concert! Thank goodness I got it back though." She sighed, relieved.
"Well, that's interesting. Tell me more."
"Okay."
And the two went on back and forth, exchanging moments and stories.
ooOOoo
Paine yawned, stretching her arms as she did so. It was about time she went to bed. Strangely, she felt the most incredible urge to take a walk atop the Celsius. She spent the most of her day inside the ship, making the notion of fresh air appear as fresh as it claimed.
She pressed the button on the lift that would take her to the top and waited patiently as it did. She yawned again the moment she stepped out. Laughs could be heard coming down the final stairs. Yuna was up there, and a voice she wasn't too familiar with but nevertheless knew it as Milano's.
They deserved to have their little peace together, probably just talking about girly things and embarrassing events that occurred in their pasts. Paine was about to make her way back to the lift when she spotted the shadow of a figure hidden deliberately behind an arc on the deck.
Her first instincts screamed intruder but upon closer inspection, she realised it was just a silly, nosy girl. She walked up the steps and crept up behind her. "Having fun, Rikku?"
Rikku jumped up from the shock. "Sssh! Don't scare me like that!" She turned back to peep over the corner.
Paine did the same and discovered the victims of her espionage were Yuna and Milano. It must have been real heart-breaking for Rikku to feel tossed aside by Yuna when some old friend decided to rock up on board. "I'm not even going to ask what you're up to. But I am glad I ran into you."
"You are?" Rikku said, surprised.
"I want to apologize for my behaviour today. I realise I was totally out of line when I criticised you about how you dress. If that's what you're most comfortable in then by all means go ahead."
"Ah, don't worry about it." Rikku pondered what could have driven such an apology. "Paine, apologizing? To me? That guy we saw in the desert must have really done a number you."
"It's not about that." She turned away.
"Sure it aint." Rikku winked.
It was kind of obvious Rikku held a little mistrust towards Milano, Paine believed. She descended the staircase, leaving Rikku to continue her little espionage game with arguably the wisest words she ever offered her. "Don't let the jealousy consume you. It could very well be your undoing if you persist."
Rikku shrugged off the advice as a non threat. She continued to do whatever it was she was doing out of Yuna and Milano's sight.
End Of Chronicle 1, Part 2
