-1MEANWHILE, (on the other side of the multiverse)

Amarant took long drag from his water skin. It was growing to be hot day, not that he minded. All that seemed to be on his mind was his joy in being 'back in the game', so to speak. He had already felled ten or so monsters, with out breaking a sweat. "Monsters" is a pretty broad term, but to most it meant anything hostile with intelligence less than a Qu. So he had taken down a few orcs. He still hated them as much as ever.

"Maybe I'm the real monster here…I know I enjoy the sound of cracking bones more than I should…" he thought to himself. There was not a mark on him yet out here in the mountains around Burmencia. As he finished the liquid, the giant set his mind back to why he was here.

"So…we need to go into the wild and retrieve something. I need it." Freya spoke, matter-o-factly. She set down her empty cup beside her also empty plate. Having finished a nice lunch with her love in the garden, the dragoon got right down business. Well, she could have much earlier when Amarant was asking about questions about his plane shifting research, but she still loved to tease and torment him.

"And this will help me, I'm guessing." he replied "What are we retrieving?"

"A dragon's egg. It's not breeding season at the moment, but we don't need it to be. The females lay an unfertilized one around this time each month. Like a chicken."

'That would be death for mere mortals, treading in dragon territory.' Amarant said as he stood up and gathered the dishes. 'That reminds me though…that was a great tasting chicken sandwich. Almost too good…'

And is if by magic, Amarant spotted the culprit through the lust green plants. None other than Quina Quen had appeared out of thin air, which was always the case. Being the last to join the merry little band, he never really knew too much about the strange creature. Well, he never really cared considering the chef was great in a fight (which was much to his surprise). And still it stood there with the almost unblinking stare and constant grin.

'Friends! You like food me cook you!?' Quina exclaimed.

"Qu…Quina!?" Freya replied, completely baffled.

"Frey! Me so happy see you! Me travel long way, find more yummy yummies on travel. Quina work master chef at pretty castle now, know you? Me hear Zidane talk 'bout you, tell Queen you sad, sad troubled. So…me come cook you tasty cock-a-doodle-doo! You like, me hope?" s/he babbled on, rocking back and forth. Some people talk with their hands, but Quina talks with it's hands and it's tongue!

"Yes, yes! It was wonderful. I missed your cooking." Freya spoke, still in shock.

"Me so happy! And me find new ideas for wedding. Me try hardest last wedding, but me not happy with how cake turn out. Cake too small. Me ate little king and queen on top. Me no mean to…No this time, though. Me find big eggs in mountain. Yummy yum. Me eat dragon too. Big egg make big, big, bigger cake…But, me eat too many eggs! Me must get more soon…"

Freya frowned at Amarant, who was just standing there scratching his beard. His thoughts split between giving his beard a trim and how annoying Quina is.

"Well…we will have more of a challenge now, Amarant. Won't we?" she was grinning very mischievously which was starting to unnerve Mr. Coral.

"Me must go now! Must cook royal din-din! Make more yummy yummies for King and Queen and whole castle and everyone…" Quina spoke, squeezing itself in content, "Me see you next month for wedding. You enjoy, me promise. Me search high and low for good goody yum food and spices!"

With that Quina reached into it's beautifully embroidered robe and pulled out a bell and started to ring it. The bell was crinkled around the edges and an scummy green colored. It's ring was a half clank, half tinkle and half ribbit. Quina looked into the distance where a low buzzing sound was growing louder and louder. The other two as well as a few nearby gardeners looked up, completely bamboozled, as a giant dragonfly landed by the amphibious chef/mage and flexed it's mother of pearl wings. The Qu climbed into the scaly leather and settled down into it. Everyone in the garden was baffled by the giant insect, but became even more amazed as the 5,000 eyed mount was actually able to carry the sumo sized humanoid.

"Bye-bye!" s/he spoke, hovering 5 feet from the ground.

"Farewell, Quina." Freya said. Amarant didn't say a thing.

They all watched as the odd shape faded into the distance before speaking again.

"Well, at any rate…this is going to be quite a challenge now. Hmm…let's have a little fun with this, shall we?" Freya said to her companion as her grin returned.

"You know what? That grin freaks me out more than what just happened here." the ninja replied as a servant came and take the plates he had gathered up.

"Oh, you're no fun anymore."

"I never was any fun."

"Oh that's just not true, my dear! You are fun to tease."

"So are you…skinny-ass rat."

The lady dragoon just smiled and hugged him very, very tightly. "You say the sweetest things…you big oaf."

"Anyway," she sent on, letting her embrace unwind, "How about the first one to find and egg wins a favor from the other."

"…….Uhh….."

"Oh. Don't worry! I won't make you do anything too terrible."

"Ok…but stop with that damn grin…"

Freya just laughed. And laughed.

"Umm…wait just a second!" Paine exclaimed, squeezing Yuna's dainty hand, "Let's…umm. Let's not take guesses now!"

"Oh, you're no fun anymore." Yuna frowned. "But…please go ahead and tell me everything, my friend."

Paine looked down at her hand being held and back at her friend.

"Well…I've-"

"Wait, is he cute. Oh I bet he's really handsome!" Yuna interrupted.

"Sh…err…they are! Now, just let me finish! Anyway…I've know them for quite, some time now Yuna. And at first I only saw them as my friend, not as someone I could really be with. I mean they aren't exactly my type. But…as time went on I thought just of how sweet they are. And so positive! I mean…I'm not really the most optimistic person in the world. Well, I am more of a realist. Sh…they have just changed everything for me. And I think that they might like me too…but it's so very hard to tell!"

"Wow…this sounds so complex!" Yuna said to her, "Have you been in love before this?"

"Well, I have dated casually here and there. There was one guy though…we were starting to get serious and I was in love with him. But…he, well, he cheated on me with one of my friends. But I'm so much more in love now! It's different…I am just scared of being rejected, of what they'll think of me for telling them." Paine looked down and let a tear fall.

"Is that really what it is? You said he's close to you and that he might like you too. Are you just scared of being in a relationship and being hurt again?"

"It's not that, Yuna. I know she would never hurt me!"

"…Sh…she!?" she squeaked in reply.

Paine realized what she blurted out. She had been pretty good with hiding her love's sex, but now was waiting for Yuna to run and call her a monster. With a sob, the warrior started to wait for the inevitable.

"Paine, please don't cry!" Yuna began, rubbing her back gently, "I'm surprised, but I don't care. I just want you to be happy. I don't hate you!"

sniff

"Really? You…you don't think I'm a freak? I…I can't help how a feel! I don't think people really chose who they fall in love with…"

"I agree with you Paine…but I don't feel the same way about you, I'm sorry. I'm already in love with someone and I just want to be your friend…"

"Yuna…it's not you…" Paine replied, looking up at her concerned friend.

"Oh…OH! Rikku!" Yuna gasped.

Paine just nodded over and over in the darkness.

"Shit." Amarant cursed aloud to no one. "Thanks a lot Quina, I love all these dragon egg shells you left here. You know, I'm surprised you didn't eat the shells…"

Amarant stomped the remnants under his massive boot and surveyed the area once again. Not an intact orb in sight, and no angry draconic matron either. He wasn't sure which lack he hated more, but he knew well the battle lust was growing inside of him like a volcano ready to erupt. As he leaned against a nearby rock chugging from his leather water-skin, there was a sudden smell of smoke and sulfur in the air. The scent intoxicated his senses and his mind became focused as he mentally prepared for battle.

Around the bend of the mountain path, the angry mother dragon charged. She let out a loud roar as she came and the ground shook beneath her. Amarant stood like the calm before the storm, ready to lash out instantly. When the air around his aura was disrupted, the monk leapt back from the claw swipe and brought his right fist back to ready his own strike. With all of his strength, he lunged forward and down, impaling the beast's left hand clean through.

"No focus at all, just rage!" he spoke to the beast as he pulled his claw out and tumbled away from the dragon.

The dragon screamed in pain and let a thunderbolt rip out from it's body. The bolt arced out from it's massive scaled back and straight into Amarant's chest. The massive blast hardly phased the hardy warrior, who only laughed at his own pain. A sensation which he hadn't felt in a long time. The dragon (not being completely mindless), was baffled at why the strange creature wasn't dead for a moment, but quickly remembered why she was enraged and started to take in a deep breath.

'So, you want to compare blasts?' he thought to himself as he began to focus his chi. Like fast moving coils over his body, the energy gathered where he willed it. It became visible between his massive hands and he charged it until the last possible second.

The ball of pure energy shot out from the ninja's hands as the dragon simultaneously let loose it's breath weapon. They convened halfway between the opponents, quite suddenly and violently. The sphere was too powerful and cut through the stream like paper and even dissipated the fiery spark as it hurdled on. It struck the beast right in it's open mouth in a massive explosion. Flesh and bone were disintegrated on contact with the orb, which continued on and exploded on the mountain side.

The headless monster's body collapsed with a thunderous thud on the rocky ground. Blood spurted from the decapitated stalk as it fell along side. Amarant dusted himself off and took another swig.

"You…you like Rikku?" Yuna yelped, going pale.

Paine just kept nodding and nodding, as if in a trance.

"P…Paine?"

"…Wha?" the warrior replied, as if she were just awoken.

"You like Rikku. My…my cousin!?"

"Yes. Now, I should start packing my things. I really had fun with the Gullwings…but I understand how you feel…I'm sorry." Paine whispered, tears welling in her eyes.

"Paine! I'm not mad at you! I don't want you to leave…."

"You…sniff…you don't hate me? You don't think I'm a freak?"

"Of course not! You're my friend and you always will be…I'm sorry, I was just a little shocked at first. I don't have any problem with your lifestyle or anything…"

"But, I'm not a lesbian! I've always liked guys, but it's just that everything changed when I got to know Rikku…She makes me so happy. I can't help who I love!" Paine shouted, perhaps too loud. She listened to Rikku mumble in her sleep for a moment before starting her snoring engine again.

"Paine…I don't know what to say. I really want to help you…but I don't really know how she feels about you. I know she respects you greatly and loves your friendship…I just don't want to see her reject you or hate you." Yuna pondered, "You have to be careful, Paine. But you have my help and my confidence. I promise!"

"Thanks Yuna…you are too kind."

"I know. I can't help it! Hahaha…" she replied as she helped Paine up, "Now, let's get back to sleep. yawn We'll make a game plan tomorrow…"