Edge made the most unhappy croak that he could manage - which wasn't much; all of the croaks sounded very much the same to him - and brooded. He was sitting as far from the campfire as he could, in the marsh. It wasn't very clean, but it kept his skin moist, and he could dip his head in the water from time to time to stop the smoke from burning his eyes.
Why was it always him? Why wasn't it ever Kain, or Cecil? Now he was stuck, just like they'd warned him. They wouldn't be able to change him back for a while, because they were out of provisions. They'd have to wait until later, which meant that Edge had to stay out of trouble if he wanted to keep the monsters from ripping his legs off and eating them as a snack.
A mighty ninja of Eblan, reduced to this. Of course he was going to sulk! Why wouldn't he?
"I'm surprised you haven't asked me to help you yet."
He croaked in surprise; he hadn't heard Rydia approach. His ears weren't all they used to be, in this form. He croaked at her curiously.
"You haven't heard the stories? Do they not tell fairy tales in Eblan?" She crouched down next to him, grinning. "They say that when princes turn into frogs, it's an evil curse, and the only thing that can cure them is a kiss from a pure maiden."
Edge croaked. No, he hadn't heard that one; his family had told him the proud stories of his ancestors and their (occasionally improbable) adventures, nothing as ridiculous as that. Although he had to admit, the kiss part did sound nice, especially from someone like her. He took a small jump closer to her, than another.
"Oh, you hadn't heard! Well, that explains that." She held out her hands. "Well, we can't very well fight our way back to the surface without you, so maybe I should make an exception this time."
Edge had to force himself not to leap as she lifted him up to her face. She was going to kiss him? Actually kiss him? Damn, it was almost worth being turned into a frog for this -
Her lips had just barely brushed his cool forehead when she suddenly tossed him away, and he found himself falling back toward the puddle, his body lengthening and shifting.
Splat! Next thing Edge knew, he was sitting in the mud.
"What the hell," he cursed, then realized he was actually human again, and looked down at himself. He could hear Rosa gasp, and he was sure the others were staring at him, but he wasn't paying much attention. "It... actually worked!?"
Rydia burst out laughing. "Of course it didn't, silly! Those are just stories for little kids," she said. "It was just magic! I know how to turn people into frogs, so why wouldn't I be able to bring them back?"
"I.. you... what?" You sputter, and force yourself out of the marsh. "Why didn't you say something?"
"Because I owe you one for what happened back on the airship, remember?" Her grin always looked less like a smile and more like a monster bearing its fangs. "We're even now, and I think you're gonna want to keep it that way, aren't you?"
"Damn it, Rydia -"
But she was already gone, rejoining the others at camp, who - oh, no - obviously saw the whole damn thing. Damn, his face was burning; he was starting to wish he could dip himself back in the water again, just to cool off.
She was right, though. He was going to think twice before he ever ticked her off again.
Maiden's Kiss (FFIV OCG, Edge/Rydia, SFW)
Edge made the most unhappy croak that he could manage - which wasn't much; all of the croaks sounded very much the same to him - and brooded. He was sitting as far from the campfire as he could, in the marsh. It wasn't very clean, but it kept his skin moist, and he could dip his head in the water from time to time to stop the smoke from burning his eyes.
Why was it always him? Why wasn't it ever Kain, or Cecil? Now he was stuck, just like they'd warned him. They wouldn't be able to change him back for a while, because they were out of provisions. They'd have to wait until later, which meant that Edge had to stay out of trouble if he wanted to keep the monsters from ripping his legs off and eating them as a snack.
A mighty ninja of Eblan, reduced to this. Of course he was going to sulk! Why wouldn't he?
"I'm surprised you haven't asked me to help you yet."
He croaked in surprise; he hadn't heard Rydia approach. His ears weren't all they used to be, in this form. He croaked at her curiously.
"You haven't heard the stories? Do they not tell fairy tales in Eblan?" She crouched down next to him, grinning. "They say that when princes turn into frogs, it's an evil curse, and the only thing that can cure them is a kiss from a pure maiden."
Edge croaked. No, he hadn't heard that one; his family had told him the proud stories of his ancestors and their (occasionally improbable) adventures, nothing as ridiculous as that. Although he had to admit, the kiss part did sound nice, especially from someone like her. He took a small jump closer to her, than another.
"Oh, you hadn't heard! Well, that explains that." She held out her hands. "Well, we can't very well fight our way back to the surface without you, so maybe I should make an exception this time."
Edge had to force himself not to leap as she lifted him up to her face. She was going to kiss him? Actually kiss him? Damn, it was almost worth being turned into a frog for this -
Her lips had just barely brushed his cool forehead when she suddenly tossed him away, and he found himself falling back toward the puddle, his body lengthening and shifting.
Splat! Next thing Edge knew, he was sitting in the mud.
"What the hell," he cursed, then realized he was actually human again, and looked down at himself. He could hear Rosa gasp, and he was sure the others were staring at him, but he wasn't paying much attention. "It... actually worked!?"
Rydia burst out laughing. "Of course it didn't, silly! Those are just stories for little kids," she said. "It was just magic! I know how to turn people into frogs, so why wouldn't I be able to bring them back?"
"I.. you... what?" You sputter, and force yourself out of the marsh. "Why didn't you say something?"
"Because I owe you one for what happened back on the airship, remember?" Her grin always looked less like a smile and more like a monster bearing its fangs. "We're even now, and I think you're gonna want to keep it that way, aren't you?"
"Damn it, Rydia -"
But she was already gone, rejoining the others at camp, who - oh, no - obviously saw the whole damn thing. Damn, his face was burning; he was starting to wish he could dip himself back in the water again, just to cool off.
She was right, though. He was going to think twice before he ever ticked her off again.