Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ My Happy Ending ❯ Fate? ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5: Fate?

“Beauty, strength, and wisdom, too -

You're beautiful inside and out.

Lead a great life without a doubt,

Don't need a man to make things fair

`Cause more than likely he won't be there.

Listen, girl, gotta know its true -

In the end all you've got is you.”

-Hilary Duff “Inner Strength”

The following day, Shera awoke early, dressed herself, and went to look around Costa del Sol. It was still early morning, and the city was just beginning to awaken. The first thing she wanted to do was go and see about the vacant building that she passed the day before with Brad. She casually walked up to it, took down the number on the sign and called it.

After talking with the owner and setting up a meeting time, Shera felt hungry, so she decided to get some breakfast and go down to the beach. After eating, she went to the surf shop and bought a swimsuit, something she hadn't worn in a long time. Shera stood in front of the mirror debating as to whether or not she still looked decent in a swimsuit. The swimsuit was light blue with straps that crisscrossed in the back. Shera wasn't any different from any other woman who shopped for swimsuits. It seemed that every woman was hard on her body, and there never seemed to be the `perfect suit'. Shera sighed, paid for her item, and gingerly walked down to inspect the beach.

When she got to the end of the wooden steps, Shera removed her sandals and sank her small feet into the white sand of the shore. She rather expected the sand to be hot from the sun, but white sand beaches were cool because the sand reflected the sunlight. She felt the grains of sand between her toes, and it gave her a separate peace within herself. Shera hadn't been to a beach since she was a girl, and she could remember giggling and running up and down the shore, toting a bucket for sandcastle building in her hands. She began to walk across the sand, savoring its grainy softness as a smile spread across her face. She began to feel the giddiness of that little girl inside of her coming out, so she began to trot down to the water's edge.

Shera reached the water's edge after a few steps, her feet sinking into the wet sand and preserving her small footprints as she walked. Shera stopped and allowed the marine waves to wash over her feet. She looked back at her footsteps and watched them disappear as the waves receded. A mischievous smile crept across her face. She took a few steps back, raced into the water, and dove into the deeper part. Shera swam for a good ways out into the water and back again. Suspended in the cool blue liquid, her feet never touching the ocean floor, Shera glided through the water until her heart's content.

The engineer exited the ocean, dripping wet, and she carried the feeling of the little girl in her that was once waiting in the shadows now free. Picking up a towel, she dried herself off and decided to check the time. She would have stayed there all day searching for small shells and maybe even building a massive sand castle, but she had to keep her appointment. Wrapping the towel around her waist, Shera went back to her room in the Inn.

Once she was there, the woman showered, allowing the hot water to fall over her body and wash away the salt from the ocean's water. After this, she dried her hair, hung up her wet swimsuit, and dressed herself in a sundress she had made a few weeks earlier. She then left her room and proceeded down to the vacant building. Arriving early, she sat on the warm cobblestone pavement and waited.

A few minutes later, an older man in board shorts and a tropical print shirt greeted Shera and let her in to have a look around.

“The place is quite spacious, and there is a living area in the back,” he explained.

Shera looked around what would hopefully be her new dress shop. The walls were a bare, plain white, and the floors were hardwood. The wood floors would make it easy to sweep out sand and other beach debris. The space itself was enormous, but Shera did not notice any dressing rooms, so she assumed she would have to build them. She could build a rocket, right? How hard would it be?

“May I see the living area?” Shera asked the owner.

The owner took her to a back part via a hidden corner door, and allowed her to look around. The apartment had a downstairs and an upstairs, the downstairs being her kitchen and living room. There were a narrow set of stairs that Shera climbed to find a small bathroom and a bedroom. There was only one problem with the living arrangements: Shera had no furniture, and the only piece she did have was the sewing table that she left back at the Captain's house in Rocket Town. Shera would have to find a temporary job to buy furniture. For now, she would find other arrangements.

“How much for rent and the deposit?” Shera asked.

“Rent is 500 Gil per month, and deposit is 1500 Gil. Both must be paid up front,” the proprietor answered.

Shera peered into her wallet. She only had 2000 Gil on her, and she still had to buy food, turn on the utilities, and buy some furniture.

“I can't afford 2000 Gil right now,” Shera answered honestly. “I…just left behind everything I ever worked for, and I am starting from scratch. Can't I just pay half now and the rest next month?”

The owner looked thoughtful. She seemed honest enough. “Hmmm…alright. I don't normally do this for anyone, but go ahead and do that. The rest is due, along with the second month's rent on the first.”

Shera sighed a sigh of relief. She honestly didn't think the man would do that for her. “Thank you so much!” she finally said.

After paying the man his money, Shera received the keys, went back to the Inn and collected her belongings. She returned to her new place in both a triumphant and nervous mood. Shera unlocked the door and went into the back. She placed her belongings on the floor and assessed her situation. She had a roof over her head, though unfurnished - that was done. The next thing was to find a temporary job and fast. She had to save up 1500 Gil before the first of the next month, and it was the middle of the current month!

Shera left her things for now and headed out to do a little job searching. There really wasn't a whole lot of work in Costa del Sol - waitress, surfing instructor, cook, or a tourist agent. Shera walked down to the boat docks while pondering ideas for earning some income. The docks were where the sailboats, yachts, and speedboats were kept. There was even a bright red seaplane floating in the water next to the wooden walkway, and it was the place you went to catch the ferry for Junon.

As Shera walked by the ferry, she heard muffled sounds of swearing. Her heart seemingly stopped, and she froze. It wasn't Cid, was it? Soon an older, grey-haired man appeared from the engine room of the ferry ship. He was spouting curse words, although Cid still had him beat on this, and he was rummaging about in a toolbox. He seemed to be cursing about the ship's engines.

“Ah, excuse me,” Shera cautiously ventured.

The man looked up and looked around.

“Over here.”

The guy looked over at Shera. “Yeah? Whadduya want?” he said gruffly.

“I…I couldn't help noticing you're having trouble. Maybe...I can help,” Shera offered.

“Ha! A woman? What are you? An engineer?” the old man replied mockingly.

“Actually,” Shera replied coolly, “I am.”

The man looked as though he didn't believe her. She was too small to be an engineer, and she was a woman for Pete's sake! The older fellow smiled a bit and decided he would see if she really was one or not.

“Alright, fine. Fix this damned engine.”

“Okay, but it'll take a bit of time.”

“As long as it gets done, I don't care how long it takes. Besides, I wanna see if you really are what you say you are.”

Shera stepped down onto the ferryboat, and the man showed her into the engine room. Shera examined the engine closely, and asked the man to explain what the problem was. After the explanation, she asked to see the layout of the engine, and carefully inspected the plans. Soon, the female engineer began to work, running back and forth for various tools. After a few hours, her hands were dirty and greasy, and she closed the door to the engine's components.

“Go ahead and start it,” the woman said as she wiped her hands on an old shop rag.

The older man turned over the engine, and it started right up.

“Damn, woman! You really are an engineer! She runs better than she did before!”

Shera smiled triumphantly, and began to walk away, but the gentleman stopped her.

“Is there something else?”

“Yeah, I been lookin' for a good mechanic to fix up the boats in the marina. I'd do it, but I ain't got the time since I run the ferry. People been complainin', so I was wonderin' if you would want to work down here.”

“Ah, well…”

“I'll pay ya well,” he offered.

“Well, I do need a job,” Shera said thoughtfully. “Okay. I'll do it!”

“Good! Come back here tomorrow morning at 7 AM sharp. I'll give you a tour and a list of everyone needin' something fixed. Right now, I gotta get some people over here. They been waiting in Junon for awhile, and I'm sure they ain't happy.”

Shera agreed to come back, and left the docks in a happy mood. It seemed like everything was beginning to fall into place for her, and she began to wonder if maybe she was indeed meant to be where she was. Was she really meant to leave Rocket Town and the Captain behind and move on? She had left Rocket Town on blind faith and hope, and now she was beginning to think that perhaps, just perhaps, her leap of faith was the right choice.