Final Fantasy V: Midnight Conversation
Reina didn't know what woke her up that night. Laying on her cot she blinked sleepily as she gazed around at the large sleeping chamber that they all shared aboard the Zeppelin. Deciding there was little point in just laying there she slipped from between the covers and dressed swiftly while noting that one of the beds was empty.
'I wonder how my father would react to my sharing a room with three men?' Reina mused as she smoothly belted her sword around her waist. 'Well, two and a half, anyway,' she corrected. He would probably be most upset, but Reina knew she was safe with her companions. 'Besides,' she smiled, 'I've gotten pretty good with a sword since we began our quest.'
Reina softly walked up the stairs to the deck, nodding slightly to those pirates that were awake on this shift. Oddly she had gotten used to the privateers, noting that they had a almost gentlemanly but crude way about them. A light wind teased her violet hair as she walked across the deck, settling in beside the figure who stared out across the waters.
"Been like that for over an hour," one pirate murmured with a nod to Reina, "it'd prob'ly be best not to disturb 'im, I'd say."
"Thank you," Reina murmured but still walked on. The dark purple haired figure who stood over there could easily be mistaken for a beautiful boy, but Reina knew differently. Dressed like all of the other pirates Faris seemed to perfectly fit aboard this flying ship, almost like it was the life that she was destined to lead.
"Princess," Faris turned slightly to smile at her, and again she was struck by how handsome she could look.
"Salsa..." Reina started to say.
Faris shook her head firmly while giving her a wry little smile, "No, Princess, I think I'll be sticking with Faris."
Reina sighed to herself softly, looking out again at the smooth waters around them. Many years ago her sister Salsa had been lost to them, disappearing mysteriously. Her father King Tycoon had done everything in his power to find her, but in the end it all came to nothing, years passing with no word or sign of Salsa.
Then while seeking the Wind Crystal she, Galuf and Bartz stumbled upon the pirate camp and foolishly attempted to steal the pirate's ship. Captured by the pirates and taken to Faris she had been struck dumb on meeting him, wondering at the resemblance. More and more she wondered if the pirate was her long lost sister, but it wasn't until many battles passed that she was sure.
"It's not that I don't want to be your sister," Faris looked over to her with surprising gentleness, "but I've lived as Faris a lot longer than Salsa."
"I understand," Reina nodded slightly. She smiled as she looked over at her curiously, "What was it like, being raised by the pirates?"
"Like having a army of older brothers," Faris chuckled softly. She looked off into the distance, "They showed me everything I needed to sail a ship, to be a privateer, and I even went ashore to celebrate with them."
"That had to be interesting," Reina blinked. "What, drinking and all?"
"Oh yes," Faris agreed. She laughed softly, "Though I quickly learned my limits on drinking ale after my first bad hangover."
"Poor thing," Reina found herself smiling.
Faris grinned fondly at the memory even as she reminisced, "Why, they even hired my first barmaid for me."
There was a moment of dead silence then Reina managed, "What?"
The pirate looked amused at Reina's surprise. "I've been living as a boy for years," Faris noted, "what'd you think they would do, buy me a man?"
"I'm sorry," Reina answered, blushing fiercely.
Faris smiled in memory as she said wickedly, "And she wasn't too disappointed when she got my trousers down, either. It seems that privately she preferred the girls, anyway, an' she taught me quite a bit that night."
If Reina's face got much redder, she'd probably faint. "It seems that I have much to learn about the world," she murmured.
"I guess being raised in a castle leads to a sheltered life," Faris agreed.
"True," Reina murmured. "Though there was a scandal about two noblewomen who lived together," she recalled, "I guess I just hadn't thought that they were...." She trailed off, knowing that she was lying, just a little. Her mind had conjured up images of what those fair ladies might have done, haunting her nights for a time.
Faris looked over at her scarlet cheeks and smiled, "You blush charmingly."
"Pardon?" Reina blinked.
"You're just lucky we're related," Faris reached out to gently push a lock of Reina's much lighter tinted hair back from her face as Faris mused, "or I'd be offering to teach you much more about the ways of the world."
Reina found herself reaching up to catch Faris' hand in hers, cradling it gently. "What do you mean?" she asked softly.
Faris smiled as she slipped her hand free, intentionally taking a half step away from the younger woman. "Just that you're the type of woman that I've come to like," she explained. Faris walked over to the stairs leading below, "You'd best get to bed, Princess. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." And with that she disappeared below.
Reina stood gazing after Faris for a few minutes, her heart beating so fast in her chest. 'Did she really say...' she wondered, 'and did she mean what she said?' With hesitant steps she walked to the stairs, quietly walking down below.
Standing in the near darkness of the chamber Reina calmly stripped herself of her outer garb, piling them carefully so that she didn't have to think about what she had just heard. She paused in her underclothes then swiftly pulled them off before walking to her bed. Silently she slipped between the covers, closing her eyes and willing herself to sleep.
Faris smiled to herself slightly, looking over at the girl without letting her know that she was still awake. 'I think this is going to be an interesting voyage,' she thought happily.
End.
Author's Notes: While not a big videogame fan I do like some of the RPGs, such as Final Fantasy V. In playing this game I found myself wondering about Faris/Salsa, the female pirate character and how she might be interacting with the others. In my first draft I had Reina decide to get into bed with Faris but I decided that wouldn't be realistic.
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