With a final swipe from Ukyo's sword, the final fiend went down. The Ronso warriors were already fighting off the remaining Guado soldiers, who were hastening down the mountain path.
Shampoo came running and jumped up with joy. "We did it! We beat them! Go Ronso go Ronso go!"
Kelk, Biran and several other Ronso came walking up to them. "I must thank you for your assistance," he said while bowing before the two girls. "Without your aid, I fear us Ronso wouldn't have stood a chance against these masses of fiends the Guado were summoning. Only thanks to you, a massacre could be prevented."
Ukyo smiled. "Don't mention it, you lordship... we were happy to help out."
Biran looked down the mountain. "Not look like they come back soon. Means Gagazet and summoners Yuna and Ranma are safe now."
Yenke mumbled his agreement through his bandages.
Shampoo patted Biran on his broad back. "Well, Biran take care, yes? Shampoo and Ukyo are off, to go look for their Airens."
Biran coughed - the Amazon may be smaller then most Ronso, but she surely was strong. "Airen?" He grumbled. "What Amazon Shampoo mean?"
Ukyo grinned. "She means somewhere out there are our sweethearts, and we are going to get them."
Kelk nodded with a smile. "Then I hope you have a safe journey, and that you will find what you seek."
The Ronso warriors all put their fists on their broad chests, in a gesture to honor the two brave warrior women. Ukyo and Shampoo returned the salute, before waving and walking down the mountain.
Ukyo carefully looked over the cliffs next to them. "We still have to be careful," she said. "The Guado may still lie in ambush around here."
Shampoo shrugged. "Shampoo don't think so. Have all run away when saw Shampoo and Ukyo power. Girl power! Yay!"
Ukyo had to giggle at that.
They went down the last part of the snowy trail and re-entered the canyon area of the Calm Lands. "Well, where are we gonna start our search?" Ukyo asked.
"Shampoo suggest Mushroom Rock. Kinoc and his troops went there, yes? And maybe Chocobo Knights have gone there, too."
"Good idea, sugar!"
But before they could move another step, they could hear the sound of a loud engine. Some big machina vessel was approaching... fast.
And when they looked up into the sky, they could see the familiar shape of the Red Horse descending into the small valley. It barely fit, but Brother seemed to be a great pilot, as he maneuvered skillfully around all the cliffs, until the airship hit the ground.
The big hatch opened, and Cid stepped out, grinning. "Well, if it isn't the dynamic duo. Shampoo, Uyko... how are you two?"
Ukyo grinned. "Never better, Cid. You seem to have gotten away in one piece after the assault on Bevelle, right?"
Cid smirked. "Well, it certainly was a close call, but Brother got us out there at the right time. We had to make an emergency landing in the surrounding mountains, though... one of the cannon shots hit one of the propellers. And from there, we could see the big battle of these metal giants. Man, what were these things anyway?"
Shampoo giggled. "One was Ranma in Esper-armor. Other was spirit of the past... wanted to destroy Spira with big machina weapon."
"You don't say," Cid said in astonishment. "Wow, travelling in Spira never gets boring, eh? Well, we were just around and looking for some machina parts that could be hidden within the mountains, when we saw your two pretty faces. So we thought: Why not ask the ladies if we could take them along for the ride?"
"That'd be great, Ciddy, 'cause Shampoo and me need to get to Mushroom Rock as fast as possible."
"Mushroom Rock, eh?" Cid asked in his rough voice. "Well, why not? It's not like we have something better to do."
He turned around and shouted inside the ship: "Brother! Cad luinca du Mushroom Rock!"
----
Baralai raised his staff and parried the attacks coming from the swordsman. After a while, the other ex-monk lowered his weapon and said: "Hey Baralai. What's wrong with you? Normally, you would have wiped the ground with me. But today, you really don't seem to concentrate. What's the matter?"
The white-haired warrior sighed. "Well, it's just... I don't know. I just always have to think about that lavender-haired Gun Mage girl within Lady Yuna's group."
His sparring partner smirked. "The one you bopped on the head with your staff?"
"Hey, I told you, I didn't realize it until you guys told me. But... when I looked into her eyes... there just was something in there. Sadness? Hope? I really don't know. And I just... can't... stop... thinking of her."
The swordsman shook his head. "Baralai, you're hopeless. Everyone in our unit can see what's wrong with you."
"Is that so? And what would that be?"
"Man, you're in love with that girl."
Baralai stuttered. "M-m-me? In love? B-b-but that is nonsense! I never met her before. We didn't even have any chance to talk to each other. That can't be!"
"Admit it, man, you have hopelessly fallen for her. It's destiny, man... it's fate..." He chuckled.
"Stop that," Baralai said in a half-angry voice. But he had to admit, it wasn't that far from the truth. Until now, he really didn't believe in love at first sight. But that girl... he just had to see her again.
Suddenly, a loud voice from the watch tower of the camp shouted: "Red Alert! Fiends are attacking! Warriors, to your post!"
That was the cue for Baralai and his men. They ran up to the front gate to give the fiends a warm welcome.
----
After a short flight, the Red Horse approached the Djose area. "Down there," Buddy shouted and pointed to the unmistakable rock formation. "It's Mushroom Rock. And there's a big camp as well. Well, I think your chance of finding your guys there is pretty big, girls." He grinned at Shampoo and Ukyo, who were smiling with joy.
Cid gestured towards a grey mass approaching the camp. "There! Fiends! And they're attacking the camp. Shall I blast them with some rockets?"
Ukyo shook her head. "No, that would be too dangerous. We don't want Kinoc's men to be hurt. Besides, I saw how accurate these rocket launchers are. Didn't your technician have enough time to fix them?"
"Well, I asked him the same," Cid replied. "I wanted our most powerful weapon to be fixed in case we run into some powerful fiend like Evrae."
"And what did he say?"
Buddy grinned. "He said: 'I'm just a kid!'"
Ukyo watched the monitors closely. And suddenly, she could see some persons approaching the fiends from behind, two of them riding on big, yellow birds. "The Chocobo Knights," she shouted. "Cid! Go down! Clas-chan, I'm coming!"
----
"Hack your way through to the gate," Lucil shouted as her sword slashed at the fiends. Elma and Clasko followed her as best as they could, but the monsters were too many.
Suddenly, a giant aircraft came shooting down from the sky, whooshed over the battlefield and descended on the rocky surface of Mushroom Rock.
"The Al Bhed?" Elma wondered while striking down a Thunder Flan. "I wonder what they're up to."
But then the big hatch on the underside of the vessel opened, and two female shapes jumped out, one of them wearing a black armor, carrying a big sword and shouting: "Clas-chan! Hang in there!"
"Ukyo?" Clasko shouted in surprise and almost didn't notice the big Dual Horn charging at him.
"Watch out!" Lucil, Elma and Ukyo were shouting at the same time.
But then, Shampoo raised her magic gun. "Fire Breath!" The burning attack flew from the gun and stopped the charging fiend dead in its tracks.
Quickly, the two girls were at the Chocobo Knight's sides and assisted them in fighting their way towards the camp.
Then, Shampoo could see a certain man wearing a blue headband standing on the palisade and shooting at the fiends with his gun. "Airen!" she shouted happily. "Shampoo coming!"
"Lemme handle that," Ukyo said. "I still have some power left, so this should work fine... DARKNESS!" She swept around her big sword, and waves of a dark energy swept out from its tip over the assembled fiends and blasted them away. This attack drained Ukyo's health a little, but she was okay. Together, they ran through the created corridor towards the camp gate.
After two ex-monks closed the gate behind them, Shampoo instantly jumped up on the palisade and landed next to the man she was looking for.
"Airen, Shampoo help you," she said and shot at the fiends with her gun.
Baralai turned his head in surprise. "Wha...? It's you!"
"We talk later! Now have to blast fiends!" Shampoo said. Baralai nodded and turned his attention back to the fight.
It turned out to be over in several minutes. Every last one of the fiends got obliterated.
Shampoo jumped up in joy, as she did after defending the Ronso, and gave Baralai a big hug.
"WHOA!" he shouted out in surprise. "Careful, there! I don't even know your name."
Shampoo let go. "Oh! Sorry! I is Shampoo, Amazon warrior and Gun Mage." She twirled around her weapon. "What is you called, Airen?"
"Well, my name is Baralai... and what the heck do you mean by 'Airen'?"
His friends grinned at the scene. "I guess it's pretty clear, Baralai," one of them said. "I guess she's almost as deep in love as you are yourself."
Baralai blushed. "Sh-shut up!"
Shampoo looked at him with big, sparkling eyes and beamed.
[GLOMP] "AIREN! Wo ai ni! You I love!"
Clasko looked up at the absurd scene and scratched his head. "Well, it certainly is different from the way we first met, right, Ukyo?"
The okonomiyaki chef blushed and nodded.
----
Several minutes later, Baralai and his men led them to the command center. All the time, Shampoo didn't let go of her new Airen's arm. Baralai sighed. "Shampoo?"
She looked up at him with a happy face. "Yes, Airen?"
"Um, I like you too, you know, but... would you mind gripping me a little more gentle? I need that arm for fighting, after all..."
Shampoo giggled. "Sorry. Shampoo is more careful."
Kinoc stepped out from the tent and looked over the assembled fighters. "Well," he said. "It's good to see that all of you are well. Welcome to the headquarters of our new resistance group: The Youth League!"
"Youth League?" Ukyo mused. "Good name, but who came up with that name?"
Kinoc smiled. "Well, that would be our new leader. He thinks the name is fitting as it stands for the changes that will certainly come over Spira's way of thinking, and that's also the reason why I left leadership to a younger warrior then myself."
He gestured to the tent, and they went inside.
"You'll like him," Baralai told the others. "He is a great warrior, a little bit eccentric... but also a good friend. I have to know, because he's one of my best friends."
"Really?" Shampoo said. "What his name?"
"It's Nooj, miss," a distinctive voice called out from the big table that was standing in front of them. The tall man with the long hair walked around the table and smiled towards them.
"It's good to see you again, Miss Kuonji!"
See other episodes by Shritistrang
(Posted Sat, 05 Aug 2006 11:17)
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