FicWad

Demi slept silently, dreams of being in a crowd with people she'd never met before. "Lindsey!? Josh!?" She cried hopping up and down over the taller people. She started to panic when she couldn't find her two friends. "Hey you guys! Come on!" Whimpering quietly she ran over to a stack of crates to get a better look around. Standing over a crowd she saw a small circle around two people, both familiar, even though all she could see was the back of their heads. "Is that. . ." She breathed as she saw a salt and peppered head with a red jacket and giant sword. "Egads! I can't be!" Demi cried before grinning. "It is!" Looking for a place to jump off onto, she frowned as the boxes got higher and higher. "No! Wait stop!" She yelped before falling off of them.

Sitting up with sweat on her face and gasping for breath she looked around. Still on the ship. Looking around she found neither of her companions under the deck. Getting up and racing to find them, she slowed down as she saw her surroundings. Killika. The usual calm and peaceful air to it was gone. All the was left was floating wood and toys. Trees were gone where only their trunks stood. Everything on this side of the island had been annihilated.

"Get up," Lindsey said flatly. They were still on the ferry. Josh was gone having been taken to the dead floating in bamboo caskets along the docks. He stood there somberly, eyes over the rising sun over the horizon. He waited for Demi and Lindsey to come to the dock. He needed the support for this. He could sense it.

"Josh is waiting for us... before he performs the Sending. He needs us there with him," she said softly before turning to disembark.

"Lindsey, we need to talk," Demi said calmly as she pulled her over clothes back on, buckling her boots. "I had another dream. I think we're gonna find more guardians." Keeping her cloak off, she stuffed it in her pack, wrapping it around her fire and ice spheres to make sure they didn't fuse or break.


Lindsey stared at her incredulously. She was silent for a moment, mouth agape. "...The more we have, the better. If we come across another Sinspawn like we did on the boat, we may not survive." She started to turn away before looking at Demi's face again, brows crooked, "Wait... Open your eyes... wide... no, look at me..." She brought her fingers up to Demi's chin gently, her other hand raising to push away blond strands from her hair. Her eyes widened with alarm. She whispered to her friend, "...you're Al Bhed..." But as long as she couldn't speak it... nobody would be able to tell... right?

"I. . . Am?" Demi blinked for a moment. Looking around she lowered her voice. "You mean I have the swirls?" She said indicating with her finger. "Think I should get some shades to be on the safe side?" She asked chewing on her lip now. If she was Al Bhed. . . That'd be a bit more trouble for them. She didn't know any of the language, it had always sounded like gibberish to her. Though Josh had about as much knowledge about summoning as she did about the language. . . She'd just have to keep calm and stop bringing attention to herself more for protection than embarrassment. Al Bhed's were not looked on kindly at all by Yevonites.

Lindsey did know some of it... or she could recognize it. Speaking it was another story. "Yeah... Wakka couldn't tell whether or not Rikku was Al Bhed... but not all Yevonites are that blind..." she whispered, "We can probably find some contacts here somewhere... or Blitzball goggles for you to wear over your eyes..." She gave a small sigh and took Demi's hand before taking her to the dock, "Just be careful until then... I don't know if we can find anything like that here... will have to wait till we reach Luca."

"K," Demi nodded. "I mean it took you three months to realize my eyes were that way, and Iyassu didn't notice either," she said softly. "Oh! My dream though," she shook her head trying to hide the giddy smile she was wanting to show off. "Guess who we're going to meet up with."

"Let me guess..." she said quietly, "...Dexter and Noodles?" Obviously she was teasing, but she quieted as they reached the dock. She stood back, Josh glancing back at them over his shoulder. He looked tired.

"Nice guess, but I'll tell you later. Opera boy needs us right now," Demi said giving him a wave. Her hands suddenly twitching, she walked over to him. "I. . . I know it seems hard, the duty that you have to do, but believe me. You're doing these people a favor, a huge one. Me and Linds are right over there, we'll stay there the whole time too, kay?" She said giving him a small smile and hug before stepping back.

Josh nodded silently before approaching the waters. He prayed silently, closing his eyes tightly as he stepped out onto the water. His weight was supported by the water, the pact between element and summoner fulfilled as he went on to perform a sacred duty. He looked down at the water, the caskets under the surface upon which he stood. He prayed, closing his eyes again before his body automatically moved into a slow, swaying motion, a ritualistic dance that encouraged pyreflies from the wood that held their bodies in.

Demi stood next to Lindsey watching the amazing the sending with a calm air. Just watching the modern man out there on the water made her want to just lay down and take a nap. Like everything was going to be alright. Though right now, her dream was nagging at her and she REALLY wanted to hurry up and go more into the city part so she could see if who she saw was really there. Quieting her thoughts, she waited semi-patiently for Josh as she rocked on her feet, her energy getting to her dispite having no breakfast yet.

Josh wasn't done yet, his motions becoming more dynamic as he seemed to dance for the dead. The flames upon the ceremonial poles on each side of the dock opening changing from warm reddish orange to frigid blue. Lindsey watched with her arms folded across her chest. Gathered relatives of the departed watched from the docks, some grieving openly to the loss of their loved ones to Sin's dreadful power.

"He's good," Demi said softly to Lindsey. "Before you know it, he'll be saving the world, well this one anyways." Keeping her swirled eyes on the summoner as he did his dance. For someone she thought was just so lanky and unbalanced dispite his good looks, she was impressed. Never in a million years would she be that good of a dancer, despite the fact that he was sending the dead to the Farplane.

Lindsey said nothing, only waited for Josh to finish. He was motionless upon the water, watching the pyreflies fly off into the rising sun. With a shuddering breath, Josh turned and returned to the dock. Lindsey walked up to him, the villagers backing away as she looked him over and reached up a hand to fix a curl blown out of place. "...You did well," she said quietly. He looked at her sadly. It obviously wasn't something he wanted to do again. She looked up at him, seeing that look in his eyes. Her eyes softened, "..I know."

Demi felt out of place suddenly, watching the two of them. Slowly backing away, Demi turned and started towards what was left of the village to find breakfast and supplies. Getting those bases covered, Lindsey could take care of Josh. She was more focused on actually finding her beloved warrior monk, whether or not Lindsey would believe in her dream.

Josh almost collapsed against her, wrapping his arms around Lindsey and holding onto her tightly. Lindsey let out a huffing breath as she was suddenly grabbed and hugged. She looked up at Josh's ear and dark brown curls as he almost clung to her. "..I can't do that again... ever again..." he said in a shaky voice.

She blinked, her arms hesitantly wrapping around his back in return, "...Hopefully.. you won't have to... But if you do... we'll be here for you... Come on, let's go to the Inn and take a rest..."

Giving the merchant her gil for her new quiver of arrows, Demi upgraded a few things to her armor as well. Such as an arm guard and special archery gloves. Sniffing around and finding several more chests with gil and spheres, she was a happy Al Bhed girl. When she went to the clothing to get sunglasses, she nearly plotzed. 70 gil!? Well. . . It was to keep her safe and she had spent a lot already for her other supplies, why not splurge a little? Getting the most basic silver and gray shades she slipped them on and walked back outside, her head up and looking around instead of down and at the ground.

Lindsey lead Josh to the inn, checking in for the average 100 gil. She took him upstairs and settled him in a room. He sat on the bed, exhausted. Looking the man over, Lindsey crossed her arms over her chest, "You need clothes... I'm going to go find you something. Stay here and just... rest." Josh nodded as he laid back on the bed and closed his eyes.

Lindsey left the inn and headed over to the merchants scattered along the shattered docks. Along with armor and weapons, Lindsey decided to get him a light, wide-sleeved doublet, full-leg slops and a pair of moccasins. They were Kilika clothes, tropical and warm colored with light material. She returned to the hotel and brought the clothes up to Josh. "Here," she said, putting the folded pile onto his chest, "Try these on."

Josh lifted up his head and looked at the clothes before looking back up at her, "..Okay.." He stood up and started to undress, pausing as he looked over at her, seeing her watch him. "..Do you mind?" he said.

"No," Lindsey said. She blinked a second later before chuckling nervously, "Oh, oh--right. Sorry." She left the room, closing the door and giving him privacy.

Demi walked along the crowd, spotting Lindsey as she was shopping and followed her back to the inn slowly. She was in now hurry and wanted to be on the look out for a big ass sword and red coat. Finally making it to the inn, she went up stairs and found her friend waiting outside a room. "What are you doing? Waiting for some nookie?" She joked poking the other girl in the arm. "So about the new guardians. . . I'll give you a serious guess as to who they are. Hint, one's a sexy badass and the other's blond and likes a certain sport."

Lindsey jabbed Demi in the arm for that nookie comment.

"Let me guess... again. Dexter and Noodles?" she said. Still not serious.

"Are you kidding me? Tall, dark, handsome, big red coat and a big ass sword to go along with it. Then his little blond ward that was always trying to beat his father at blitzball," Demi said blanching at her friend. "Seriously, come on Lindsey, you played the game a gagillion times already," she huffed. "Please don't make me spell it out for you."

tags

"It's not Auron. He would never be Josh's guardian. Not unless he was actually Yuna and one of us was Tidus, alright? Get a grip," Lindsey said, shaking her head. "Look, I know you have some sick thing for him, but it's just not going to happen, okay?"

"A little faith never hurt anyone," Demi said stalking off again. She was gonna find Auron and Tidus if it killed her, which with her it probably would. Diving into the throng of people outside, she set out on her search for her two new guardians, or rather re-newed guardians.

Lindsey sighed and shook her head, leaning her back against the shut door to the room. Feeling Josh on the other side poke at the knob, Lindsey pushed away from the door and turned to face Josh as he came out in his new outfit. He looked at her sheepishly, his mind taken off the Sending and other most recent, terrifying events for the moment with his new clothes. Lindsey looked him up and down and smiled at him, "Very nice. You look rather dashing."

Josh smiled, blushing a little, "Thanks."

Red! She saw red! No wait, that was a rooster. Sighing in near defeat, Demi walked sulking around the town. Auron and Tidus had to be around here some where, she saw them in her dream damn it! Getting knocked into a wooden box, she turned and glared at the person. Huh? Wooden box? The pile from her dream! Scaling them quickly she looked around for the circle of people. There! Seeing the circle with the big sword and red coat. The black and silver haired head along with the spiky blond hair. Sucking in a deep breath, she yelled at the top of her lungs. "SIR AURON! TIDUS!"

Lindsey followed Josh back into the room and she continued to look him over, "You do look good in that. I guess working at a stylish retail store really paid off."

Josh smiled and chuckled quietly as he sat back down on the bed. Lindsey leaned her back against the door and looked at him. After a silent moment, she spoke up quietly, "I saw you fighting there... on the boat. When Sin was attacking us."

Josh looked up at her, his smile fading. "To be honest, I didn't think you could fight," Lindsey said honestly, "...Maybe we should find you a weapon... so that you don't have to just sit back there and watch us all the time." Josh nodded slowly, "...Okay." Lindsey crossed her arms over her bosom, "I can teach you how to fight, whatever weapon you choose... We can spar whenever you'd like." Josh nodded, "Yeah... That'd be nice."

Nothing. A few strange looks before she plopped down on the crates. Turning around the men looked nothing like Sir Auron or Tidus. Damn it, now Lindsey could gloat again. Maybe she could just stay out for the night and not have to deal with the chiding till tomorrow. As good as an idea that seemed, Demi's thoughts were interrupted by the crates beneath her loosing their balance. "Oh shit," she blanched.

Cries and screams were heard as the tower of crates came falling down with Demi going first. Screaming as she plummeted what she assumed was her doom just like her dream, she stopped screaming when she stopped falling. Though it wasn't by a hard stone street, but by rather large muscular arms. Grabbing onto the person tight, they jumped out of the way and set her down gently out of harm's way. The only thing she could make out from her point of view, her face buried in his neck, was a red coat.

Hearing the commotion outside, Lindsey sighed softly. Josh perked his head up. "...Let's go see what's going on... the presence of the Lord Summoner will help calm things down, I bet..." she said softly, taking Josh's hand and leading him out of the inn and onto the docks. She shoved and pulled him through the crowds of astonished onlookers. "What the hell?" she said.

Demi slowly pulled her face away from her rescuer's neck. The crowd pressed in slightly, making her nervous. Her shades slipping down slightly, she finally made eye contact with the man holding her. Bright hazel eyes, nearly matching her own except for more gold than green like hers, behind thick coke bottle glasses. "Rumo cred," she said barely above a whisper.

Lindsey stared at them incredulously, "..I don't believe it."

Demi squeaked as she was set down on the ground. "Th-thanks. . ." She blinked up at the older man.

"It's no problem, just try and stay off of unsteady piles from now on, K?" He smiled at her, his nose ring flashing in the sunlight. She was too stunned that HE was here. Granted he wasn't Auron like she had originally thought, but still. . .

Seeing who it was, Lindsey blushed brightly in her cheeks before looking at Demi and grinning. This time, she did gloat. "HAH! I TOLD YOU!" she squealed, pointing at her. Josh jumped back a little, surprised. "I TOLD YOU IT WAS NOODLES!"

The older man blinked for a moment, looking down at Demi. "You. . . Know who I am?" He said softly helping her up. Demi grumbled under her breath, thinking of very inhuman things to do to her friend after they got back to the inn.

"Yes I do," she sighed. "Come on, it's better if we talk in private." Grabbing his hand, she started to lead him back to the inn before he stopped. "What is it?"

"Dexter, he's slow," Kevin 'Noodles' Wasserman smiled before whistling. "Dex! Come on!" He waved to the younger blond man.

"We find a place to stay?" Dexter Holland asked as he stepped up next to Noodles, both towering over the younger girl.

"Something like that, just follow," Noodles grinned.

Payback for all the Mrs-Groban cracks before. Lindsey couldn't help but try to hide down her smirk, calm now that the crowd had looked at her funny and dispersed. She folded her arms across her chest and looked up at Josh, who looked back down at her, "Let's head back to the hotel with them... assuming that's where they're going... They need to know us as well as her... Since I'm guessing... those are the new guardians she foresaw." Josh only nodded.

Demi blanched as he grabbed both their hands and started to haul them through the people to get to their inn. Grumbling under her breath, she quickly got herself and the two older men to Lindsey and Josh's room just as they did as well.

"Well then, I guess actions do speak louder than words," Noodles chuckled as Dexter rolled his eyes.

"Kevin, that was the worst pun ever," the blond sighed shaking his head.

"What? At least I tried," Noodles countered, not realizing that Demi was still holding his hand, slightly caressing it.

Lindsey was surprised Demi wasn't ecstatic that Tidus and Auron turned out to be her beloved stuffed penguins from home. She and Josh both followed close behind them to the hotel room. They squeezed in, Lindsey standing by the window and Josh near her but in the corner cati-cornered from the bed.

"So. . ." Demi started. "You two are our new guardians," she said like she was asking for their food order.

"Guardians? You mean one of you is a summoner?" Dexter blinked looking around the room.

"Opera boy over there," Demi pointed to Josh. "I'm Demi and that's Lindsey, so far we're his only guardians, but now that you're here, we can finally get on with our journey."

"You guys are from the real world too huh?" Noodles pondered crossing his arms, taking his hand away from a slightly miffed Demi. "At least we're not alone now." He smiled at them, his nose ring glinting in the light. Truth be told, he was glad he'd finally found others. Him and Dexter were starting to think they'd never find the actual characters or other people in the same situation.

Josh glared at Demi, "I have a name."

"...So you know where you guys are? Not wallowing about aimlessly with no clue?" Lindsey asked, unfolding her arms. She was expecting them to at least be held up somewhere by the villagers. Not as prisoners of course... but what she wasn't able to really pinpoint. "But yeah... we're from the 'real world'... We were sucked in through this freakish dimensional portal thing... I'm not sure how it happened."

"What ever Limberachi," Demi rolled her eyes, liking the aggravation she caused Josh.

"No, our friend Greg's son will make anyone who doesn't say 'no' sit down and have them watching him play this game over and over," Noodles said.

"He got me and I saw around for almost ten hours watching him play. I think I also had a stroke that day too," Dexter snorted.

"See, not helpless at all and that is a really big sword," Demi said eyeing Noodles's katana strapped to his back.

Lindsey shot a passing glare Demi's way, brief and nearly impossible to catch. "I never said helpless."

She was relieved though. This couldn't have panned out better, "That's great though. You thought ahead. Well then, new guardians... Meet your summoner." Lindsey fanned her arms out in Josh's direction and he smiled nervously, originally shy and feeling a little out of place. He timidly rose a hand, "Uh.. hey.."

Demi ignored the glare as she watched the three men interact. She felt like she should be watching the Discovery Channel. "Hi," Dexter waved back. "I'm Dexter and this is Noodles," he nodded to the salt and peppered haired man.

"Nice to meet you," Noodles said with a wave as well. "So I guess that since we're a party now, we're gonna have to be able to sleep in tight quarters, he he."

"Josh," Josh said in reply, becoming more relaxed.

Lindsey sighed to that latter comment Noodles made, "...Well if it's all the same to you, I'm sleeping on the floor."

"Wait. . . You only got one room?" Demi blinked. "There's like three beds crammed in here. I'm sure we could some how get another in here. . ." She said going off into her scheming mind.

"Why does it worry me that she sounds like that?" Dexter said giving Demi a peculiar look. Noodles nodded.

"Uh, yes? I didn't think we'd be having company over. I'm not psychic," Lindsey frowned. "We'll if we're going to all rest in one room, two of us will have to share. I'll share one with Josh since I don't trust his physical state with Demi," she said with a hard edge to her voice, bitterly remembering her behavior around him back in Besaid.

"Oi! S'not like I'm gonna molest the little boy, too young for me anyways," Demi snorted. "That'd be your area Lindsey," she said, peevedness evident in her voice, wanting to forget and move on after the incident.

"Stop disrespecting your goddamn summoner!" Lindsey snapped, "He has the right to excommunicate you if he so wishes it!"

"He probably doesn't even know what that means!" Demi snapped back. "Oh have mercy on me high and mighty summoner, Yevon forbid that someone not agree with you! We will surely die because I had an idea that wasn't yours! This is why we have America! George Washington got tired of having to put up with this crap from King George! Well GEORGE, I am writing my declaration of independence from the state of your mind!" Throwing a pillow at Lindsey's head for good measure, Demi tried to huff out of the little room, only to be blocked by one of the many men. "Well this is anti-climatic."

Lindsey sliced the pillow in half with her drawn blade, furious. "Yes, totally agreeing with you talking CONDESCENDINGLY to Josh is what's going to get us out of here. Fine. Good luck to you getting out on your own, because I've had it up to here with you disrespecting Josh and me. We're doing this on our own. Good fucking DAY!" Lindsey grabbed Josh's hand and pulled him out. He followed her without any fight, hurt that Demi would say such things about him. "Bye!" she shouted before slamming the door shut and taking Josh to another room.

Demi glared at Lindsey as the rest of the group stood in silence. "Go follow her, I'm out of here," she said softly, going out the window. Noodles and Dexter stood there a moment not sure what to do.

"We better catch up with them. Josh is our only way home," Dexter said, nodding to the door.

"Yeah. . ." Noodles nodded following.

Lindsey gingerly let her hold on Josh's wrist go as she sat down on the bed--almost crumpling into a heap. He looked at her, the slight ache for himself now growing for her. "...Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

"No," she said, voice quivering, "No, I'm not! I've never before witnessed such ignorant disrespect for anyone in my entire life!" She dropped her swords on the ground, the blades making a loud clang, "And I was attacked trying to defend you..."

Josh bit his lip, afraid to try to approach and comfort her. "..I'm alright.. really, I am..."

Lindsey shook her head, "It's still not okay... It will never be okay... to treat someone so belligerently..."

Looking away, Josh's eyes stared down at the ground. Slowly, he approached and knelt down in front of her and smiled the best he could, as genuinely as he could manage, "It's alright. It'll pass, okay?" Her watery eyes looked up at him briefly before staring back down at the ground, her lips pressing together. He smiled gently and hugged her, though she didn't hug back. She didn't push him away either, which was a good sign, at least.

Demi slid down the guttering, easily hitting the ground with little noise. Making sure her pack was full and tight around her, she headed off.

Noodles guessed on a door and knocked softly, hoping he found the right room. He felt bad that Demi was out on her own, it was eating him up. Granted he did witness how she had treated Josh and Lindsey, but he'd seen it before. If he was right. . . The girl was in a lot more trouble that what other people would give her. "You stay here, I'm gonna go look for her," he grunted softly, quickly following the younger girl. Dexter nodded, being the go between.

Josh sat himself gingerly down next to Lindsey, not wanting to try anything else. She was calming down at least, wiping her face and sniffling herself back to normalcy. "...What are we going to do about Demi?" he asked gently.

"Nothing," Lindsey said, steel in her voice, "If she doesn't want to cooperate and treat us like people then I'm not going to help her get out of here. She's.. she's done nothing but treat us like garbage. It's only fair that we dump her as the same..."

Hopping between people and animals, Demi ducked down an alley. She'd gotten herself a good four or five blocks from the inn. Spying a lower rate one, also seemed to be low key, she went and got a room there. Spying several Al Bheds actually working there, she slid her shades off and onto her head.

Noodles easily kept up with the girl without her knowing it. Dexter and him had been there about two months prior to meeting the girls and Josh. Needless to say, they were trained well.

Going down the hall and knocking on doors, Dexter got irritated. Just because Lindsey and Josh were pissed at the other girl, didn't mean he didn't want to get home either.

Lindsey stood up from the bed and opened the door to the knock. Seeing Dexter there, she narrowed her eyes a little. "What? Little toddler princess not enough entertainment for you and your friend?" she growled. She figured Demi would drag them off with her for whatever reason that could be grabbable out of thin air.

Dexter frowned, not understanding why he was getting yelled at by this girl. He hadn't said anything at all to her besides 'hi' and that was pushing it! "Apparently not, I was wondering if your hissy fit would get me to giggle," he said looking down at her. "Maybe I'll wait for the next group of people to come through, maybe they'll be more grown up and actually work together instead of tossing each other off the cliff." With that he turned to leave. She had gone on about how Demi was treating her and Josh. Now she was doing the same thing to him and Noodles, they hadn't even known them but five minutes and already he was an enemy.

Demi left her things in her room, opting to go get food. Going out amongst the crowds, she forgot to put her shades back on. It became apparent of her faux paw with the first shove. "Hey!" She rounded on them, who ever it was.

Noodles didn't even need to see her, her mouth did the tracking for him. Hearing her cry out, he fought against the current of people to get to her side.

Lindsey blinked. God, what had she done!? He came to them instead of going after Demi, he might have wanted to actually go with them on the pilgrimage! "Wait!" she said, stepping after him and gingerly grabbing his arm, "You're right, ..I-I'm sorry... I don't have much of an excuse... I shouldn't have snapped at you like that." She shivered, trying to calm herself down, "Please... I'm not like that, I promise." She wasn't... she couldn't be. For so long she had to be the adult... even during her breakdowns, like this one, she had to be strong when it mattered, "Don't leave. I'm sorry, I won't yell at you again."

Josh only watched sadly from the bed before looking back down at the floor.

"Only when I disagree with you. If you're so willing to get rid of the other girl, might as well do it myself before we even start," Dexter shirked her off. He was in a mood now, first Noodles goes and does his knightly duty, he gets ignored by the others, then he gets yelled at and she has the nerve to cover it up. "You should say what you mean and not just throw a tantrum."

Demi stumbled as another shove pushed her back in her original direction. "Back off!" She cried before the fists started to be thrown.

"Al Bhed!" Someone cried as others joined in, turning it into a rant.

The thing about her situation was no amount of training was going to get her out of it. She was in too tight of a place with too many threats. Taking several hits to her body and face, she fell to the ground hard.

Noodles saw the white spikes go down and cursed. Looking around he saw several vendors with shade posts. Letting a growl out as he jumped high above the people's head onto a post, he quickly found the small circle of people getting ready to stone the girl.

Lindsey's voice cracked with hurt, "How do you know what I'm like? Or what I've been through or how I feel or think? You don't know me. This was never about agreeing or disagreeing. It's about making the safe, right choices on how to get out of here."

She gritted her teeth, "It's hard to be strong when you've been knocked over so many times... I'm not going to make you stay... if you don't want to. But because you're in the same position as us, you're welcome to come back here... we're leaving for the temple at dawn..." And with that, she slowly started to shut the door, but didn't shut it all the way.

"I'll wait and see what Noodles wants to do, if he's even welcome because he went after the girl," Dexter said solemnly.

Demi looked up, feeling blood run down her face. Everything was hazey, like in her dreams. Only thing was, she knew this wasn't a dream. The painful throbbing of her body told her that much as the first stone was thrown, a weak one, shattering on the ground and spraying her in the face. Her cried of pain didn't stop them though. Taking too much, she passed out, barely breathing now.

Drawing out his katana, Noodles let out a war cry as he launched himself into the group, quickly dispelling the people. "Whoever wants to pick on the girl can go through me first," he spat, his sword gleaming in the light with a threatening glare. The people were silent as they dropped their stones, not eager to bite off more than they could chew.

Josh watched as Lindsey walked back into the room, passing the first bed and heading to the third and last, near the window. "You okay?" he asked quietly, watching her over his shoulder. She undid her harness and took off her gloves, shorts and shoes, just now in her undershirt and panties. "..I want to sleep," she said as she crawled into bed, her back to the door. She laid her head down and pulled the blankets over her shoulder, shutting her eyes. He sighed softly and stood, shutting the door completely and locking it before going over to neatly organize the brunette's armor and scimitars before offing to undress and crawl into bed himself. He chose the middle bed, wanting to be close to Lindsey, but also wanting to give her her space. He felt bad for her, and laid down on his back, dark brown eyes on her from out of the corner of his lids.

Demi's unconscious, broken and bleed form was cradled close to Noodles's chest. Glaring at anyone, challenging them to step forward to stop him, he made off for the inn where the others were. He'd send Dexter to go get her things from the other inn, he just needed to get her to a stable place with potions and a summoner that was willing to help. Quickly rushing away, he left the people to murmur and go about their day. Going through the back alley's and side streets, he made time getting back to the inn. The back entrance was free as he carried the girl up to the room he and Dexter had apparently inherited.

"Wha-?" Dexter blinked seeing Noodles with blood smears on his arms, face, and clothes as he set the girl down on the bed.

"Go the back inn, where the Al Bhed usually stay, get her pack and bring it back here. I've got a summoner to deal with," Noodles said taking what little armor Demi was wearing off, stripping her to her bra/clothing wrap and panties. Dexter nodded as he rushed out of the room. Taking his own gi off, Noodles wrapped it tightly around Demi's head wound before getting up and marching down the hall to where Lindsey and Josh were.

Lindsey was out cold, usually a heavy sleeper, unawoken by even the most violent of thunderstorms. Josh was on his side, watching her, tired-eyed. He didn't want to go to sleep just yet... wanted to watch and made sure she made it alright through the night. His eyelids were threatening to close, drooping shut with every sliver of his whim begging them not to.

Noodles banged on the door as hard and loud as he could. He didn't care if they were pissed or not, he'd live. It wasn't like he wad depending on them to get home, maybe a little, but those thoughts could be sorted later, right now that girl could be dying. "Summoner! Get your happy ass up!" He barked.

Josh was startled by the barking and the pummeling on the door. Lindsey whimpered and only buried herself against her pillow even more, shivering under the blankets. Josh got up, tiptoeing quickly to the door and unlocking it. "What? What's wrong?" Josh asked, voice a strained whisper, not wanting to wake Lindsey up. He looked down at Demi, pummelled to a pulp in Noodles' arms, "Good lord what happened to her!?" He stepped back, letting them in.

"Yevonites," Noodles said laying her in the extra bed before he closed the door and locked it. "She's Al Bhed and you let her wander off in this place?" He hissed. "You're lucky I actually went after her or you'd be one guardian less, leaving you with just one." Looking her over, he started with the deep cuts that had stone stuck in them. Carefully as he could, he started to remove the bits and pieces. "Where are your potions?" The graying man looked up at the summoner with a grunt.

Josh stared at the man, appalled and hurt by his words. The summoner had to keep track of his guardians and protect them himself? "Excuse me? She chose to run off--"

"If she's a guardian then she's very poor at it," said a soft, silky voice from behind. There stood a woman, Yevon-clad though non-threatening. She stepped slowly inside, easing past Noodles to the injured girl, "Let me see her wounds. I can patch her up. Your summoner here looks too fresh to be able to heal extensive injuries such as these... Here... Stand back." She rose up her hands, resting her fingertips gently on Demi's ribs and chest. She closed her eyes and dipped her head slightly, her hands glowing a light blue as the most bloody gashes started to mend and bruises started to get smaller.

"She's new," Noodles said softly watching the woman work. "She'll learn." He gave Josh a look he'd given his nieces and nephews that always made them behave and do as they were told. Judging by how young Josh looked, he was probably even old enough to be HIS father.

"She shouldn't be considered a guardian if she cannot defend herself against people... Much less her summoner against Sin," the woman muttered as she healed up Demi's wounds. "There... I've done as much as I can for her. She'll be alright, just needs some rest." She looked up, seeing the girl huddled up in the bed on the opposite side of the room, "Is she alright?"

Josh nodded, ignoring Noodles and his looks, "Yes... she's.. just exhausted... She's asleep."

"Ah..." It was time for the woman to introduce herself, "Allow me to introduce myself... I am Belgamine. I am a summoner. Like you." She smiled at Josh. "You seem tired... I think I have a lot to teach you... But I think it should wait until tomorrow... What say you?"

Josh looked at her incredulously, heart jumping a little, "Oh--! O-of course..! I'd love to..!"

The woman smiled and nodded her head, "Alright. Meet me at the Kilika forest tomorrow morning. You may bring your... guardians... if you like..." She said before turning to leave.

Josh nodded and bowed, "Of course... Will do."


Noodles watched her leave, frowning. "Did the girl actually say she wanted to be your guardian?" He asked curtly, watching her sleep. Taking his gi back he tossed it on the floor. "Did she actually choose or did the other choose for her?"

Josh glared at Noodles, angry and hurt, "Why are you being so confrontational? Don't you think we've had enough excitement for one night? If you want to keep cross-examining someone, then go do it to somebody else! I know next to nothing about everything that's going on here, so leave me alone!"

Noodles gave him the look again, getting a silent glare. "Go to bed, you need your rest," he said turning back to the girl. He sat next to her bed with his arms crossed, ignoring anything else besides Dexter's return with her weapons and pack. Taking a seat himself, he gave Josh a nod and went to sleep.

Josh turned his back on the two, crawling instead into Lindsey's bed, his back to them. With an angry breath, he laid his head down, keeping a safe distance between himself and the girl and closed his eyes for sleep.