Based off Lizardios' "Tales of their Childhood". I felt the need to write this scene, and he gave me permission. Glad I can make you warm and fuzzy because nowadays I spend my days curled up in the corner unable to get warm in 71 degree weather. Lately my muses have been smacking me over the head lately. This take place around chapter five of his story so if you what else is going on then go to http :// www .fanfiction. net / s / 2802534 / 1 / take out the spaces or you can just go to his profile.
Er... I don't think I did the personalities quite right... Oh if you wondering some of the past life stuff is from an old RP site and a mixture this story setting he had up.
Disclaimer: Blah blah blah all the summons belong to Square Enix. Even though they stole Shiva and Odin from other religions, but let's not go into that...
She drew in her knees and laid her head on top of it blocking out the view of the world all around her. The young girl sighed softly not surprised anymore that the breath the stirred against her bare legs were no longer warm. Not that she would've felt whether it was hot or cold. It was a very nice night neither too hot nor too cold, but she didn't really take much notice of it. Her memories of what happened over eleven years ago were plaguing her dreams. Maturity of an eleven-year-old or not she was always matured for her age, or at least she had to be as the daughter of a great lord. It was unbecoming to her father's honor if she ran around with the other village brats, but of course that was only when her father was home. It was only the most loyal of the servants, those that she had recruited to her own inner circle that ever had any idea of what she really did.
There was a splash. "Your butt is making my lake cold, Shiva." The strange distorted voice reached her ears, though it sounded warped as if it had to travel with a lot of water it was not grating on the ears, but it did have its own allure. "I wish you wouldn't camp out on my lake with your icebergs in the middle of my naps. It makes the water too cold for my blood and if you don't remember I'm cold-blooded now."
The girl, Shiva as the voice called her, unfolded her arms and slowly relaxed her legs in one graceful movement. She glanced down at the water to see a slanted yellow eye hovering below the surface and a good distance away from the patch of ice she sat on. Shiva returned the stare to the eyes that watched her, and after a moment a slender reptilian head broke the surface of the water followed by a serpent-like body. "Good morning, Leviathan." She was curt and the words had a certain air of formality.
Leviathan just silently regarded her incredulously for a moment. "Did you come out here to wake me up to say hi or were you thinking that perhaps my lake was too warm?" The water serpent eyed the ice island as if it offended her eyes, and with a shiver swarm a bit further away.
"So you think your lake it too warm as well?" Shiva answered lightly playing along as she watched her companion's attempt to melt the ice with a glare alone. "It's very fortunate that I made this isn't it." After a few moments of the serpent's glaring the ice maiden's face immediately closed up and she returned to her earlier pose trying to block the entire world out.
Leviathan perked up at the ice summon's reaction, and despite her earlier complain about the cold the sea serpent climbed up on the ice and made her way next to the girl."Ok, you have my attention, is there a reason you are moping on my lake?"
"I do not mope. Just go back to your nap, Leviathan, I'll go in a minute the presence of water just calms me." The voice sounded muffled since Shiva was addressing her knees.
"Is this a Japanese thing?" Leviathan stroke a sagely pose or rather as sagely as she could manage in her dragoness body. "Water ever flowing reflects our inner selves. Blah blah blah it is ever changing just like us. Blah raging river anger... the lake or pond the inner calm? Something like that?"
"Why does it always have to be Japanese if I'm to have any interest in it?" She looked up at the little reptilian who was eyeing her.
The sea serpent looked away. "Because... Wait!" She fished around for a topic, and catching something better left untouched. "Why do you need calming anyways? Someone else tried burning your clothes off?"
Slamming her palm on the ice Shiva leapt to her feet trembling in anger. The force she used getting up rocked the iceberg far more than when Leviathan had climbed on. Leviathan winced forgetting that this was not the thing to tease the girl about. Sure she herself didn't have clothes anymore, but poor Shiva was still human formed and was running around in with barely anything on. She had forgotten the series of events that had lead to Shiva's demise, and winced imagining the thoughts and feelings that were possibly going through her fellow summon's mind. More importantly she mentally slapped herself hoping that Bahamut was very far away or at least something inaccessible to the ice summon. Perhaps sitting himself on a lone rock in the middle of a sea of lava might offer him some sanctuary, but she really did doubt it. At the rate things were going their leader-to-be was going to die by a woman's hand, a very cold hand.
"I had hoped that boy would be different from all the others. Leviathan, is there no hope for any of them? Why do all males seem to be pig headed jerks focus on destruction or their own primal pleasures?"
"Shiva, I'm sorry I don't have the answer. I never found out when I was alive nor do I think we're quite old enough to be bothering with it again."
"But I have a good reason to be thinking about it. Leviathan, I probably have to deal with it all again. Our bodies are maturing as the years go on, and… I'm about to go through puberty again. I'm the oldest female here and no doubt everyone will see my body's changes soon enough."
The water summon raised an eyebrow at the dread Shiva talked of puberty. Then she thought about it, rampage teenaged summons, and soon the question of what serpentine puberty was like popped up in her head. Leviathan was soon in as much horror as her fellow summon. "It can't be all that bad... Odin and Gilgamesh are already teenagers and they aren't -"
"Leviathan, hormones make us all stupid. Odin is sensible and responsible and I trust him Gilgamesh respects him as well and most likely will follow his example. But I might have to make myself scarce when the time comes for the others. Or perhaps just until Siren hits her own puberty."
"That's cold."
"Why thank you. I'm flattered"
Suddenly there seemed to be a lot of noise from far away. It seemed like the other summons were getting a little rowdy and from the sounds of it seemed to be most of the Knights of the Round. They both stared at one any as several crashes and yells were heard, and the sounds faded as the commotion traveled farther away.
Shiva caught Leviathan's eye and rolled her eyes muttered something about boys and their horseplay. "I don't mind them right now. They seem to be at that stage where showing affection is for weaklings, but you can't forget many of us were actually older and we still have our memories."
"Oh you mean being touchy feel-y is for sissies and that girls have cooties?"
"Coo-tease?" Shiva frowned at the term.
"Sorry after your time I guess."
"Hmm?"
"Leviathan! Shiva!" A voice shrilled and a distraught Siren appeared at the edge of Leviathan's lake for some strange reason she had one of the Knights of the Round with her.
"Oh my GOD! She already started! This better not be about relationship problems." There was a conflict of emotions on the water summmon's face as if she couldn't decide between shocked horror or laughter.
"If it was I don't think I would be the type to be giving anyone any special insight on this topic." Shiva murmured flatly walking back to shore the water freezing under her feet as she walked. Leviathan hissed at the blue skinned girl, but was completely ignored with some darker hisses she followed her to listen to whatever problems that Siren seemed to be having with the young knight.
"Shiva, they said we can't join!" The blond child was clutching the only fabric the young knight had on his armor. Her blue eyes wide and watery as she sniffed loudly, and never once did she let go of the knight.
"Pardon? Join? What do I want to join that I can't?"
"Make her cease! Oh, gracious, fair maiden, please silence this banshee..." He whimpered as Siren started wailing again, and even Shiva had to feel sorry for the poor boy. He showed signs of being stuck in Siren's company for a long period of time. "I can't hit maidens. I can't hit maidens. Oh how, I wish I could hit this maiden..."
"Okie?" The water serpent eyed the knight who seemed to be assuming the fetal position on the shore as if to protect himself from Siren. "Maybe you can let him go now...?" Shiva pried the younger girl's hand from the knight since Leviathan lacked the hands to do it. The boy was about to shower the ice maiden with his gratitude but one look from her face sent him scurrying behind the dragon.
"What exactly is this all about?" Shiva asked and stopped Siren from crying all over her chest. Not because she was a cold-hearted girl, but because the older girl didn't feel like having Siren's face frozen stuck to her chest. She really wasn't the best person to comfort someone. She spared a glance towards Leviathan but she seemed to be giving the lone knight a bemused grin and from the look on his face it was a very toothy grin.
"The knight's said that the three of us can't join. He said we can't join their stupid secret club!"
The other two girls looked at the boy who faltered under the one cold blue-eyed gaze and one golden eyed questioning gaze. "Thou art not knights! Maidens cannot be knights... we won't have anyone to rescue if you join the club."
At that confession they broke down in laughter even Shiva's usually cold demeanor broke. The only ones not laughing were the young knight and Siren who thought the other girls should've been as devastated as she was. "This is the coo-tease thing isn't it? They think they have to save us!" Shiva managed to gasp out holding onto Siren who was the closest to her to prevent herself from falling to the floor, and the ear-winged girl looked hurt at the lack of sympathy.
"It's cooties! Hahahaha! Save me- oh wait I'm a dragon! Are you going to save me or slay me?"
"I-I... uh..." The poor boy didn't know what to do and he made a half-hearted attempt to draw his weapon, but then figured that he had enough abuse from the maidens for the day.
The water summon smirked, "Smart boy." She patted his helmet lightly with her tail and he growled at the treatment.
Suddenly there was another knight in their midst who crashed into his fellow knight. The area was filled with the sounds of clashing armor and the girls winced as they fell in a tangle of limbs. Shiva ducked under a flying wooden sword.
"Never have I seen the knight's so spilt up for the day. Is there a special occasion today?" The oldest girl asked picking up and regarding the wooden sword that almost brained her.
"Brave brave Sir Robyn has decided he does not favor the sport of dragon hunting."
"Thou and thy comrades went dragon hunting after thy betrayal?!"
"Well, I don't remember any rabid knights here after me in the last couple of hours so that means..."
"Bahamut." More than one person echoed the name as they all glanced at one another.
"Well... maybe we should-"
"I don't care you can go save his perverted little scaly hide if you want." Shiva huffed and turned her back on them all her manner seemingly matching her age for once.. "I'm staying here."
"Yes perhaps it would be for the best if Lady Shiva stayed here."
"Ooh?" The sound was low and drawled out. Shiva slowly pivoted to face the knight. "Why is that?"
"Uh-um... Thy name came up while my comrades were discussing about ravaging some maiden. I can't really remember I was trying to come up with a ballad for when we were victorious against the beast."
"Uh-oh..."
"You," Shiva grabbed a foot sticking out of the pile of limbs and with a cruel wrench pulled Sir Robyn out of the mess. "take me to where they are now?" Her voice dropped down to a softy sweet whisper and though asked so sweetly there's was no mistaking the command in it.
"I don't get it. I thought she didn't want to go, and is she mad at someone again?" Siren tilted her head as she watch Sir Robyn take off in the direction he had came from. Shiva was right behind him and there was something predatory in her gait. "Who is she mad at?"
Leviathan glanced down at the six-year-old child thinking carefully about her words. She didn't know if it was wise to tell the truth that Shiva was mad at all mankind, but was probably just going to take out her anger on all those involved in the "dragon hunt". The water elemental gritted her rows of teeth together because she no longer had a lip to bite down on to show her nerves. "She... doesn't like people talking about her behind her back? Uh yea! She's going to make sure no misunderstandings happen from all this gossiping."
"Oh! And boys always said we were the ones that always gossip."
"Yeah that's right... I'm going to help Shiva. So stay here and keep Sir what-his-name busy since he wasn't with the others when they were gossiping." Leviathan abandoned the poor knight to the lesser of two evils and Siren gleefully went on to her task of keeping him entertained. Most likely something along the lines of a tea party or something Leviathan guessed.
Another wooden weapon went flying but none took much notice of it as the chaos continued. The ice child crossed her arms shifting her weight to one leg watching as the warriors go at each other. She looked to the small green creature who was shaking his head in disgust at all the brawling. It was known that Carbuncle dislike confrontations, and Shiva was surprised that he hadn't tried to stop the fight. She caught his eye and raised an eyebrow before glancing pointingly at the chaos.
"I'm just as confused as you are. I heard a bunch of yelling so I decided to check it out. As I was coming up the hill I heard Bahamut yelling something about the knights and something about himself and then something about ravaging... well, you..." He winced admitting the last part to Shiva, but kept going. "I got here Odin, Gilgamesh, and Yojimbo were facing off against the knights. Then that Arthur fellow yelled something about how they all wanted to ravage the maidens. For some strange reason all the knights aren't here."
A shadow loomed over them and Leviathan's watery voice flowed over them."Oh, I found some of the stranglers back there, and for some reason Griever looked out of it as well. Has everyone lost it today or something?"
The sounds of the battle finally died out as the last of the knights flopped to the ground moaning. Odin had to stop Yojimbo from trying to loot the bodies, and Gilgamesh stretched out his many limbs as if it were all a workout.
"Odin, I never expected this type of behavior from you."
"Oh Shiva, Leviathan, Carbuncle, when did you three get here?"
"I thought you were better than this!"
"What?" Odin towered a good head and a half over the ice maiden, but that didn't daunt her. The Death warrior's eyes widen in surprised as he found himself being scolded by an eleven-year-old. Leviathan collapsed into laughter her long body writhing on the floor as Carbuncle looked on in concern. "Wait, wait! Stop the men-are-all-pigs comment for a moment. You think what?" Shiva took several calming breaths. The water summon snorted in the background and made some calming flowing river comment to Carbuncle who just looked confused.
"I said I'm disappointed that you are taking part in a fight for ravaging maidens! Where have all the honorable men gone?! Oops my mistake it seems that they never did existed and I-"
"Shiva, cease your mindless tirade!" Odin's deep voice boomed and a dark shadow of fear flickered across the girl's face as she flinched back from the teen. She was lost to her memories for but a moment before her pride forced her to regain her composure. Odin tried to give a small apologetic smile the last thing he wanted to do was remind the girl of her own traumatic death.
"If you must know we were just stopping the Knights who had banded against Bahamut. I think it was something like dragon hunting or something." Gilgamesh explained breaking the tense moment. "Hey look we missed one!" He pointed out Sir Robyn behind Leviathan's form. The small knight had hid himself when he noticed that all his fellow knights were being thoroughly beaten. Robyn squeaked and finally reaching his bravery limit for the day ran off, leaving his fellow comatose knights behind. Yojimbo seemed disappointed that he got away and grudgingly he sheathed his sword.
"Ravaging maidens have nothing to do with dragon hunting!" Shiva hissed between her teeth. "Especially if MY name comes up several times in that context!"
The three warriors looked at each other. Yojimbo shrugged and admitted that he only heard the racist comment. Odin sighed with dark mutterings that he lost all of today's inspiration for his poems. Gilgamesh seemed to be the only one pondering over her words. "Not sure I think Arthur or Lancelot said something about slaying Bahamut before he could ravage the maidens. I never heard them mention you, only Siren but that was to say that they didn't count her as one of the maidens they were protecting. Bahamut was the only one who mentioned you by name."
"Speaking of our leader... where is he?" They glanced around and noticed for the first time they were missing the one dragon that seemed centered in all the day's events.
"I see I over reacted towards you, Odin." The answer came shockingly calm. "I'm sorry I wrongly accused you three when you were just trying to stop the fighting." Carbuncle snorted at that and their methods of keeping the peace. Shiva abruptly turned and made her way down the other side of the hill and everyone present looked puzzled.
"Shiva, where are you going?" Carbuncle called after her retreating form.
"I have the sudden urge for some nice blue-silverish dragon boots!"
Gilgamesh's eyes widen at his folly. He just sent an enraged female after the poor six year old. "Wait, Shiva, that's not what I meant!" He and Odin began after the girl, but with a glance over her shoulder ice sped across the ground incasing both of their legs. They both cursed as the sudden rooting of their feet caused them to lose their balance.
Odin swung his sword at the ice in an attempt to break it. "Gods, has her ice powers gotten stronger lately." The ground the ice summon walked on had a fresh blanket of snow, and if her rampage kept up the place was going to look like it was Christmas. "Someone fetch Ifrit, and one of you go slow Shiva down." The teen barked the orders at Yojimbo, Leviathan, and Carbuncle. "Quickly before that girl turns this place into the North Pole in her search for Bahamut!"
"You can't pay me enough."
"I'm not touching that."
"... I'll get Ifrit..."
Odin sighed and hoped Bahamut was far away and out of Shiva's reach. Almost as if reading his thoughts Leviathan mumbled in her watery voice that a sea of lava couldn't protect Bahamut now, and sadly he had to agree with her.
Um... the end? I'll leave it to your imaginations as to how long Bahamut evades Shiva and exactly what she does to him when she finds him.