One Foot in Front of the Other

[tenjou-kaguya.livejournal.com]

Who: Kaguya, open
What: Monster killing
When: close to evening
Where: Djose-Moonflow area
Rating: G?

As the last of the fiends dropped to the ground and began to disappear, spirits fleeing their corrupted shells, their slayer counted them all in her head. Twenty fiends downed without her needing to use a Hi-Potion? She was getting faster! Now, if only she could work on her accuracy. The last two dog-like monsters hadn't suffered fatal wounds like she had tried to give. Instead, they fell simply because one was hit so hard by the back of her blade that it got confused and killed its partner.

Still, she took her win as a learning experience and continued to think hard on it even as she made her way to the Moonflow. The Djose Temple had no summoners she could offer her services to, and Kaguya didn't want to stay for days waiting for the next. So, what better way to find a summoner than to just wander their path and find one?

And if not a summoner, just someone to talk to. She was used to being alone as she traveled, but having someone to talk to, even if it was just someone going the same general direction as she, would have been better than just talking to herself. There were stories they could tell, a smaller chance of a fiend ambush, and fewer "Is that person sane?" stares.

Comments

[glenn-cc.livejournal.com]

Another of the pesky Ochu shrilled in fright as the cold gales coursed throughout its body, and fell limp on the ground. Pyreflies ignited from its body, slowly fading into nothing until the body vanished. Satisfied with his work, Glenn sheathed his swords, giving a sigh. No matter how many fiends he had slain, nothing seemed to make him get over the feelings from before all of this.

It had been a few days since Glenn had dropped off Garnet at Alexandria, and in that time, he had stood guard for Garnet along with many others, while she mourned. He had said nothing else, only talking when spoken to. It was odd, for he blended in perfectly, but the situation had clouded his once solitary mind. Losing a friend was never easy, but at least here, she could be safe, or so he hoped. Garnet however wasn't as defenseless as some led her to believe, and he knew that as well. If anything, the assassin should fear her instead of the other way around.

But at the very least, he was allowed a parting gift: armor. Over the course of his adventure, Glenn had never found the right armor he needed for battle, but Alexandria had so many to choose from. As of now, he wore silver armor, fashioned like that of the legendary Dragoons many years ago. It was durable, but at the same time, light as a feather thanks to the magics within.

And so he simply resumed his hunt for Sephiroth, and after hearing some more words from others within the castle walls, Kuja as well. Both would no doubt prove to be his most challenging fight in years, and so the need to become stronger was at the all-time high. Without Garnet's magics helping him, he was in for a rough ride...

[tenjou-kaguya.livejournal.com]

Kaguya hummed softly as she strolled along the path. The fiends had dwindled in number as she inched closer to the Moonflow, and she wondered if the beasts had seen her display with their comrades not too long before. It made for a safer trip, but at the same time, it was boring as all get out. That was just how it went, though. When you wanted a fight, there wasn't one to be found, and when you didn't want a fight, they came straight to you.

However, she caught a break as a most interesting sight up ahead caught her eye. It appeared a man was fighting a group of Fiends all by his lonesome. As usual, the prospect of seeing another swordsman locked in combat fascinated her, and the purple-haired woman ran swiftly to where Glenn fought the Fiends. She made sure to stay well out of the way, lest she catch a stray blow, and watched with wide eyes.

His swordsmanship was beautiful. Unlike hers, which was crafted merely from watching others and creating her own moves in her head, his had the finesse and skill of someone formally trained in the art of the sword. All at once her mind raced with the possibility of learning what he knew, of being taught what his masters taught him.

Better yet, perhaps she had someone to talk to after all this time alone!

Once the battle ended, Kaguya followed after Glenn. She didn't rush him, but instead kept at a normal pace that sped up oh so slightly when she came nearer to him.

"Uh, pardon?"

[glenn-cc.livejournal.com]

No more fiends? Perhaps the tourists had exaggerated the dangers of the roads, merely scared at the idea of having to defend themselves against such creatures. Considering their stance on fighting, he didn't blame them, but grew worried at how people these days were growing soft, allowing their guard down for a single second or being weak enough to lose to such monsters. It was sad really, since even children in his own world had known to defend themselves using elements.

Someone had been staring at him all this time, and he felt the gaze pierce into his soul. Strangely, this was not one of hostility, ruling out the possibility Sephiroth had taken the opportunity to hunt him down. Turning to see his observer, he found it to be a young woman with a mask covering her mouth. He raised an eyebrow at that. Since when had those in Wutai traveled in the Moonflow? And based on the pictures within the walls of Tifa's tavern, this was most certainly not Yuffie.

"Do you require aid of some sort?" he asked.

[tenjou-kaguya.livejournal.com]

Despite seeing him apparently growing more aware of her presence, she couldn't help jumping a bit in surprise when he actually looked her way. The purple-haired swordswoman came out from behind the tree and made her way over to him. She was taller than most Wutaian women, being about 5'7" at best.

"No! I'm uh...I was just making my way and I saw...wait, I should introduce myself." she performed a hasty bow that had her torso nearly parallel to the ground. "Tenjou Kaguya, pleased to meet you!"

It was only after the words left her mouth that she realized she must have sounded incredibly ridiculous. Letting her words run together like that, what was she thinking?! Introductions always had to be formal and calm so as to make a good impression, and she just ruined it!

[glenn-cc.livejournal.com]

Glenn merely blinked, surprised by her attitude; he had expected someone more calmer around their surroundings, or perhaps maybe a woman with a sharp tongue like that of an assassin. But that wasn't to say this was by no means a pleasant surprise. He'd much rather have this then Sephiroth or his remnants stabbing hi in the back, repeatedly.

"I see," he said, and bowed his head slightly as well, one arm draped across his chest. "My name is Glenn. It is a pleasure to meet you as well."

[tenjou-kaguya.livejournal.com]

Well, at least they had that out of the way. Introductions were always a bit hard for her to do, especially since she had the tendency to come off as too eager or excitable. That, and her habit of tripping over her own words and saying something stupid instead of the eloquent speech she thought up in her head.

"S-So uh...I was watching you fight earlier. Where did you learn to use a sword like that?" she asked as she straightened up her posture. "Are you a knight?"

[glenn-cc.livejournal.com]

Glenn nodded at her last question. "Well, Dragoon is a more accurate term, but it is a question I cannot say no."

The first question however caused his gaze to focus briefly on the blades by his side. Memories of his own world, his own home, had stirred something within his mind and heart. Lord how he had missed those times training with Radius or protecting Riddel...If he had the chance, he might have just...

"I...I learned the skills in my possession long ago, from a different world from your own," he explained, though had not expected her to believe him so easily. "I do not expect you to believe me, but it is the truth..."

[tenjou-kaguya.livejournal.com]

"A Dragoon..." she repeated. Immediately she lapsed into thought and tried to conjure the image of what a dragoon was supposed to look like. She didn't know much about the class, so all she ended up with was a mental image of a humanoid dragon in a suit of armor. One look at him told her that obviously wasn't the right image.

Of course, her silly thoughts were tossed aside as she heard the rest of the words out of his mouth. The swordswoman tilted her head in confusion. A different world? But he looked no different than she! Was he truly someone not of her world? It was bizarre to think about, but at the same time, a sense of excitement stirred inside her. It wasn't every day she met a swordsman from beyond the stars! Perhaps he might even teach her of his otherworldly techniques!

"There are a lot of odd things in this world, so maybe...maybe you're telling the truth." she said with a shrug. "Either way, I can't really say I don't like the thought of meeting someone from a different world. What's it like there?"

[glenn-cc.livejournal.com]

The woman had not been openly mocking him or striking him down like other brutes have done, and that in it of itself was a good sign. Finally! A day or a kind person such as this was near impossible to find. He didn't blame people for being skeptical, but considering the amount of other people appearing from the darkness or other planets, was it so hard to take his word?

....Then again, some of those beings were evil.

"My world..." he bowed his head, memories flooding back in waves. "It is very much similar to this realm, though we lack the luxury of airships, phones, and nearly all forms of technology. I imagine my world would seem boring in comparison." he added with a chuckle. But it was the truth. Things within that universe never contained such amazing technology, all except for one place he never wanted to recall:

Chronopolis, the only futuristic place filled with technology remotely similar to this world, maybe even more advanced; robotic guards were certainly advanced. There was only reason he never wanted to mention that place again, and that was Lynx. The less he heard of him, the better.

[tenjou-kaguya.livejournal.com]

Being raised in Wutai, technology had never been one of Kaguya's strongest points. She had a friend who was a natural whiz at them, almost better than an Al-Bhed would be, but Kaguya herself never touched the things. She was good with the relatively backwater ways of Spira, where even Al-Bhed machina was still considered new and foreign.

As such, she could certainly relate to a world where magic ruled instead of technology. It even seemed like a place she would like to see for herself. It never hurt to be surrounded by one's natural element, after all.

"Boring? Nature isn't boring, and neither are people. Machines are just tools...like my sword or your armor. It's the people behind them that determine if a world without them is boring or not." she said, tilting her head again and folding her hands together in her jacket's big sleeves.

[glenn-cc.livejournal.com]

Glenn smiled at that. Kaguya certainly managed to earn a few more points for the Dragoon. "You are right," he claimed, closing his eyes as he recalled his own friends and family.

Dario, Riddel, Viper, Karsh...he missed being around them greatly. If he could, he wished he could bring them all here, or maybe even found a dimensional portal to link the two worlds together. Such a thing however might have created more problems though. The days spent training to be a Deva, guarding Riddel, even fighting Lynx were all too memorable, each one containing at least something good to them...minus Lynx, Chronopolis, and Porre.

[tenjou-kaguya.livejournal.com]

As Glenn delved into his reverie, Kaguya watched with some measure of interest. What was going on in this man's mind, she wondered, was it something she might get to know? Perhaps his thoughts were focused on the world he spoke so fondly of, and a little smile lit upon her masked lips at that. She could certainly understand if that were the case. As strange as the people in her own country were, she still loved Wutai and missed it dearly during the few times she was actually homesick.

"So, would you mind telling me more of what your world is like? " she asked. "Er...if it isn't a bother."

[glenn-cc.livejournal.com]

Glenn was snapped out of his thoughts, returning his attention to Kaguya. But...he really didn't have much else to say about it. As much as he talked about El Nido, there wasn't much compared to the world here. Still, that did not heed any explanation.

"Well, there isn't that much to tell," he explained. "Civilations in El Nido are quite small, but the towns are lovely and relaxing. There are fiends that rule their own territories, but they keep to themselves most of the time."

[tenjou-kaguya.livejournal.com]

"How did you become a knight? Do you...want to tell me?" she asked. Kaguya didn't much like awkward silences. She was never one to say much, but even she agreed that clumsy chit-chat was better than a stretch of nothing.

Seat, seat, seat...best to sit down while listening to a story! She spotted a rock nearby. Yes, that would do well for a seat. She tilted her head a bit. "Well, you can tell me if you want. If it isn't any trouble..."

[glenn-cc.livejournal.com]

Glenn shook his head, laughing a little as he did so. "No trouble at all, Kaguya."

Spotting another rock behind him, Glenn sat down as well, arms crossed on his chest. "My father and brother were both knights. Both had tales around them for quite a long time, and so I aspired to become like them. I began my training at 10, and was brought into the ranks of the Dragoons at the age of 16. During my four years, I had an opportunity to fill in the rank of a Deva, yet my constant attitude and lack of skills was holding me back. It was not until I met Serge and became his rival my strength and skills flourished, taking me into another level of power..."

He smiled, recalling the fights he and Serge got into. Be it in training, or even simple arguments on who would get the last churro, they had some incredible fights...even if either or both ended up complaining about it in the end.

"Good times..." he muttered in his near dream state."

[tenjou-kaguya.livejournal.com]

She listened attentively for his tale, looking completely enraptured. Being from Wutai, she had limited knowledge of what knights were and how they were inducted into service. What she did know came from fairy tales or books she found in the library, but they weren't of much help. She understood only a few of the terms and names he threw around, but the meaning mattered more than the words.

"Wow...your life has been full of so much. So much fighting...friends..." she said. It sounded rather fun to her, but she didn't doubt it took great work to even reach where he was. She knew her swordsmanship was novice level at best compared to his, and the earlier fight she witnessed proved that. If only she could learn from him! "Tell me...I want to be a great swordsman. Do you...do you think I might be able to reach that level you're on?"

[glenn-cc.livejournal.com]

Glenn nodded at her request, though only slightly. "It is possible for everyone to achieve a level of strength identical to my own, and even surpass it. Really...It's all about what you fight for, and how hard you willing to fight to make sure whoever or whatever you are protecting remains alive and well. Such strength is what led to my survival..."

Indeed, such power had and could come from the heart. Perhaps that was the one reason his skill could never surpass Serge's. When it had come to the fights from the past, it was Serge defying the odds as he was resting, even in a different body. Until he had found the same strength Serge had gathered, only then could he achieve his goal in this world.

[tenjou-kaguya.livejournal.com]

Never before had she heard such words that made so much...sense. Kaguya had picked up the ways of the sword to help people, in order to find a way of forgiving herself for that one terrible crime she couldn't forgive before. In the end, she fought only for herself. And here before her was somebody who fought for someone else, for the protection of others, for the safety of others.

It made her feel weak and tiny, like she was just a little girl again.

"You must be really strong then. To have so much to fight for..." she mumbled. "I don't...really have anything so noble like that."

She tried to laugh it off. It wouldn't do any good to be upset about things like that. Like he said, all that mattered was what you fight for and how hard you were willing to fight to protect it.