FicWad

Disclaimer: I do not in any way have or claim to have ownership of the story, characters, objects, etc Disclaimer: I do not in any way have or claim to have ownership of the story, characters, objects, etc. herein. They are all the property of SquareEnix.

*

Though virtually every business, restaurant, and shop in Zanarkand was dubbed a safe house during these times of alarm, it took nearly twenty minutes and two blocks for Yasuo and Shuyin to finally find a place to lay low.

"I could've just gone home," Shuyin grumbled from his position pressed up against the wall of a small bookstore. "But /no/. I had to stay with /you/."

Yasuo, who had been busying himself reading a book on the mechanics of florescent lightning, looked up at Shuyin with a raised eyebrow. "Are you seriously going to blame all this on me?"

"Yes," Shuyin replied stubbornly, holding his head in his hand as he stared at the wall. A sigh was Yasuo's only response as he turned back to his book.

After what seemed like a century of waiting (which any amount of time will feel like if you're counting the seconds as Shuyin was), the booming voice rang out, announcing that the threat had passed. Tentatively, much like animals fearing a predator's attack, people began to emerge from the shops and businesses. Shuyin, irritated and all too ready to get out of the shop, resorted to pushing and shoving through the crowd to get out. This left Yasuo to apologize to those people that Shuyin had irritated in the process.

Stepping out into the street, Shuyin took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. Where it had been a vibrant orange upon their exiting the stadium, it was now much closer to black. All around, lights were springing to life, illuminating the streets as bright as if it were noontime. Zanarkand wasn't a city prone to shutting down for the night.

Even with this contrast to distract him, Shuyin was able to notice a particularly dark shape towering high into the sky over the tops of the buildings. Giving it his full attention, he realized that it was a rising pillar of smoke. Apparently, wherever the conflict had taken place, it hadn't ended very well.

"Hey," said Yasuo, grabbing Shuyin's shoulder and steering him the opposite direction. "Two disasters in one day? This calls for a drink."

"No way," Shuyin responded immediately, quickly ducking out from under Yasuo's arm and turning the other direction. "You've already dragged me into one fiasco. Now, I'm going to go home, go to bed, and hope that this entire day was a nightmare. That's what it's felt like, anyway."

"Ah, come on Shuyin," Yasuo griped, "It's no fun going by myself,"

"Good," responded Shuyin. "Maybe you won't show up on my doorstep again, like the last five times you've gotten yourself smashed."

With a sigh and a resigned smile, Yasuo said, "You really are no fun, you know."

Shaking his head, Shuyin gave Yasuo a brief wave, and then started the walk home.

*

Even if he didn't understand the finer points of real estate, Shuyin did grasp the 'location, location, location' concept. His apartment, while modest in size and exactly like its neighbors, resided in one of the seaside building complexes. Not only did this give him a good view out of his apartment window, it also made it possible for him to avoid walking the streets to get home. Thus, he was able to evade both disappointed Abe fans and arrogant Striker devotees alike.

Under normal circumstances, it probably would have been a nice walk. By Zanarkand standards it was rather quiet, the only sounds being the hum of activity that reverberated through the streets and the crashing of the waves. However, not one hundred yards from his complex, his path was hindered by a long strip of red tape. Beyond was a scene that, though quelling his curiosity about the source of the pillar of smoke, did nothing for his anger and disgust.

Two destroyed hovers, both built for a duo, were splayed across the beach. From the marks, burnt sand, and bits of metal and plastic left behind, Shuyin could only guess that the drivers had not been able to avoid a crash. Between the smashed machines, people were rushing back and forth, looking frantic. Some were casting spells to light the area more clearly, others were forcing potions down the throats of injured peers, and still others were laying bodies in a line away from the massacre. Obviously, this assault had not been without casualties.

Upon closer inspection, Shuyin noticed the odd clothing that most of the people wore, and recognized it as temple attire. These, as it would seem, were the priests and the summoners. He knew little about either, since they didn't have a large effect on Zanarkand directly. He knew them by sight only, and with their various sorts of flamboyant clothing, he could tell that it was them.

"Sorry," said a firm voice from off to Shuyin's left. "It is prohibited for citizens to be within this area."

Turning toward the voice, Shuyin spotted what he assumed was a girl coming towards him. She was dressed in a long robe, the white shade contrasted by vibrant strips of red and yellow rimming the collar and large hood. Her face was hidden beneath the hood, so he could not get a good look at it. Around her middle a rope was hastily tied, securing what appeared to be a flamboyant walking stick to her back.

"Please leave," she said simply, stopping a few feet away from the tape that separated them. Absently, Shuyin noticed that she actually appeared to be making an effort to keep her face hidden. Before he could reply however, he noticed another person-a priest, from the looks of it-walking up behind the girl.

"Lenne," he called, quickly getting the girl's and Shuyin's attention.

'Lenne?' thought Shuyin as the priest rested a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"You really should get home," said the priest. "We've got the situation covered here. You need to treat that burn."

"It's not that bad," she muttered, her fingers briefly touching her face, and then quickly twitching away. "A remedy will take care of it."

"I'm afraid that all I can offer you is this," said the priest apologetically, producing a small bottle of blue potion from the folds of his robes. "We're rather short on medical items currently. . ."

"That's all right," said Lenne, holding her hands out and carefully taking it from him. "I wasn't hurt that badly." Quickly, she bowed her head. "Thank you very much, your grace."

The priest nodded in response, waving a hand that she most likely couldn't see. "You're dismissed." This was met with a swift nod from Lenne before she ducked under the tape and walked briskly down the beach, in what Shuyin assumed was the direction of her home. He watched her departing figure for a moment, his eyes narrowed in consideration. What were the odds that this was the same Lenne that he had seen at the concert? Was it possible that this no-nonsense summoner and the carefree girl he had seen on the stage at the stadium were the same person? Now that he thought about it, Lenne had left the stadium in quite a hurry. . .

"Can I help you?" said the priest in a stern voice, promptly snapping Shuyin back to reality. The blitzer turned to look to the priest, then back to the retreating summoner, and again to the priest.

"No, I'm fine." Shuyin responded, purposefully ignoring the look that the man was giving him. Apparently, this guy was protective of his cohorts. With that, Shuyin turned away from the priest and jogged after Lenne, leaving the aggravated man to mutter curses under his breath.

*

Producing a light sphere from the pocket of her robes and shaking it a bit to get it working, Lenne held part of her hair up so that she could assess the damage done to it more clearly. Most of the bottom few inches of it had been badly burned, the strands twisted and black beyond repair. Along with that came the rancid smell of burnt hair, forcing Lenne to screw up her face to avoid it. She would have to cut it off, she knew. It wouldn't be a problem though; her hair was plenty long even without the extra inch or so. Still, at least brooding over her hair kept her mind off of her scarred face.

"Hey," said a voice from behind her, which was accompanied by a quick tap upon her shoulder. Startled, Lenne stumbled a little before regaining her composure and turning to acknowledge whomever it was that was behind her. Adjusting the position of the sphere to see more clearly, she found the blonde boy from earlier walking behind her.

"Yes?" she asked, somewhat surprised and rather curious as to why he was following her. Slowly, she lowered her free hand, ready to grab her staff. Before she could complete the action however, she found herself staring at a clear, oddly shaped bottle filled with sea-green liquid. Immediately, she recognized it to be a Remedy.

"For your burn," he said, squinting to try and get a better look at her face. Lenne blinked at the bottle for a moment, then quickly tried to push it back at him.

"No . . . you don't have to do that. I've got a few at home."

"By the time you get there, it might not heal all the way." he said firmly, pushing it back at her. Reluctantly, Lenne submitted. Gently uncorking the bottle, she put it to her lips, gulping down the sour liquid inside. Almost immediately, she could feel the heat in her face receding, as well as the pain that accompanied the injury.

"Besides," said the blonde boy as she drank down the substance, "wouldn't you have to put off your concerts if it lasted?"

Lenne paused for a moment, then began drinking considerably slower.

"You are that Lenne, aren't you?" The blonde pressed, again trying to get a look at her face. By now, the bottle was empty, eliminating her only means of avoiding the question. She pulled it away from her lips, corking it silently.

"Yes," she admitted, though she still didn't look at him. By now, it was becoming apparent that he was a fan of hers. Any other time, she would have loved to speak to him. She was, after all, rather fond of those who granted her affection. However, after the attack and the resulting chaos, she was scarcely in the mood for it.

"You're a summoner, huh?" he said, turning to look toward the buildings. A nod was her response.

"You're multi-talented." He said simply, and then joined Lenne in her silence. For a moment or two, all that could be heard was the buzz of the city and the sound of their shoes on the sand. Lenne timidly fidgeted with the cork of the Remedy bottle, her eyes alternating between the ground, the sky, and the buildings. The blonde, though obviously less nervous, did alternate his gaze between Lenne and the buildings.

Suddenly, a gentle, bluish glow stretched across the sand, barely noticeable in comparison with the much brighter sphere light. Surprise appearing upon her face and curiosity on his, they both quickly turned to see what the source was. High above them, rising beyond the rooftops, was a small group of pyreflies.

"A Sending." Said Lenne, turning around fully and tilting her head backwards to watch their ascent. After a second's pause, the blonde followed suit. They watched as the souls continued their climb into the sky, their path gently curving to the south as well. They would probably reach Guadosalem by morning time.

A gentle downward curve graced the edges of Lenne's lips as she watched them drift away. At the same time, an air of melancholy settled over her, granting her a momentary lack of self-perception. Which of them had she known? Were any of them those she had come to care for?

For a brief moment, Lenne could feel the blonde's eyes upon her, but her transfixion upon the souls of her ill-fated brethren was much stronger than her discomfort with him. Then, the sound of zipper unzipping and shifting cloth met her ears, and she turned to see the blonde rummaging through his bag.

"Here," he said, extracting a Remedy from the folds of fabric within the bag. As he took the first bottle from her and replaced it with the full one, Lenne noticed for the first time the significance of the cloth within the bag (as well as that which was on his person). It took a second, but she eventually recognized the combination of yellow and black that was the Abes team uniform. Before she could inquire about it, however, the blonde had replaced the empty bottle in his bag and moved out of the ring of sphere light. Throwing his bag over his shoulder, he headed off toward the buildings with a casual, "See ya,"

"Hey!" Lenne called, slightly surprised by his sudden departure.

"Hm?" came the reply from somewhere in the darkness. Momentarily, the sound of his footsteps ceased as he waited for her to speak.

Suddenly, Lenne thought that maybe her outburst might have been better left unuttered. She held the sphere a bit higher to extend the light's reach, searching for what to say meanwhile. "What's your name?" she asked, saying the only thing she could think of.

There was a brief pause before she heard him respond rather simply with, "Shuyin," and nothing more. Then, his steps could be heard once again, the sound growing fainter until it could no longer be heard. After looking into the gloom for but a moment more, Lenne turned to look at the Remedy in her hand, uncorked it, and began to drink it down as she once again started toward home.

*

Upon reaching his apartment, Shuyin was quite grateful that he didn't need a key to get it. It was quite handy, having a door handle that could tell if you were allowed access when you took hold of it. Slamming the door behind him and throwing his bag to the floor, Shuyin made no detours and instead headed straight to bed. He'd take care of personal hygiene another time.

He didn't even change into his sleeping attire before falling face first into his pillow, kicking off his shoes as an afterthought. Just before falling asleep, he reached over his bedside table, groped blindly for a moment before finding the phone, and forcefully disconnected the cord. After a day like the one he'd just had, he didn't plan on coming back to reality for at least a good ten hours. Unfortunately, these plans were interrupted roughly around midnight, when a loud and sluggish knock on the door jolted him from his sleep.

"You've got to be kidding me . . ." Shuyin groaned upon catching sight of the clock. Who in their right mind (or their wrong one, for that matter) would come banging on his door at this time of night? For a moment he pondered ignoring it, but grudgingly changed his mind when the knocking came once again, though louder this time.

Lethargically, he slid out of bed, grumbling to himself all the while. As quickly as his weary muscles would allow, he made his way over to the door and opened it. His support gone, Yasuo came tumbling through the door, crashing directly into Shuyin and nearly knocking him off his feet.

"Augh!" shouted Shuyin as he struggled to right himself and balance the both of them. "Yasuo! What the-?" It didn't take long for Shuyin to notice Yasuo's veined eyes, loud grumbling, and the overpowering smell that he brought with him. With a loud, aggravated sigh, Shuyin dragged Yasuo inside, slamming the door shut with his foot. Distantly, he heard Yasuo mumbling something about a monster and death and destruction. He had always been a paranoid drunk.

"Yasuo, why do you always come to my place when you get smashed? This place has an elevator for crying out loud! How do you use an elevator when you're slammed?" Shuyin grumbled, though he hardly expected an answer.

Even so, he got one in the form of some almost incomprehensible slurs that sounded something like, "I jus' liek ya, buddy. Ya should feel gud, knowin' ya got somein who lieks ya." Shuyin growled and shook his head.

Carelessly, he tossed Yasuo onto the couch, which was where the man usually ended up during these drunken spells of his. "Go to bed," Shuyin snapped curtly, which Yasuo returned with a foolish smile.

"Yer a gud boy," Yasuo snickered, covering his eyes with one hand. "Sham it'll git you too."

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Shuyin went back to his bed, sandwiching his head between two of his pillows. Despite that, he had to suffer through Yasuo's constant remarks of, "It can see you," and "It'll get us," before drifting back to sleep.

*

With a sigh of relief, Lenne plopped down onto her bed, her still wet hair soaking her pillow. It had been pleasant getting the strange mixture of dirt, sweat, blood, and make-up she had adorned off of her with nice shower, but by now she was too tired to even dry her hair properly.

Lazily reaching over to her lamp and flicking it off, she left herself in almost total darkness. As her eyes adjusted, she could see the gleam of nightlife beyond her window, merry in spite of the recent attack. A gentle, quiet smile spread across Lenne's lips. It was good that the people could continue to be happy when faced with such dreadful times as the ones that were upon them. If it was out of ignorance, then it was probably best that they didn't understand. However, Lenne hardly believe that to be true. A person could hardly go through their daily routine in Zanarkand without the danger of their situation becoming more apparent than anyone would like.

She strained her eyes slightly, but she could no longer see the pyreflies. It wasn't a surprise, since she could only just see the ocean from her window, but she looked for them nonetheless. After a moment though, she had to force herself to stop. It made her far to lonely to think about it.

Turning over, she thought back to hardly an hour before, when she had watched the souls drift idly through the air toward their resting place in the south. How alone it had made her feel, watching the spirits of her comrades float away over the horizon. All light and sound had stolen away into the darkness, allowing downheartedness to set in. For those few, saddening moments, it felt as if she were truly isolated. It was as if everything would soon be gone, just like the souls.

It had been nice when the blonde boy-Shuyin, if she remembered right-had intervened. Even if she hadn't known his name (and knew not much more now), it was nice to have the smallest bit of human interaction. It wasn't as if she was lacking it, for it would be a blatant lie to such a thing was true. It was just good to have that contact when it was particularly needed.

Slowly, she opened one of her eyes and gently turned her head to look at the small table on the other side of the room. Upon it, though it was particularly hard to see in the dark, was the Remedy bottle that Shuyin had given her. It was empty, just like the one before it, and Lenne's face was clear of any scarring as a result. It had been very nice of him, giving them to her.

By this time though, she had to stop thinking about it. The incredibly tiring events of the day combined with the pleasant humidity in the apartment was too much for Lenne, and she finally fell into a deep slumber.