Gems of the Apocalypse
By: Gus Bolser
1
The cooling winds of Besaid blew against her face; Yuna always loved the feeling of the breeze against her skin. She stood on the beach looking out at the sea, still expecting his return. It had been two years since she had seen or heard anything from Oguri. Everybody told her that he was alright and that he would be back soon but soon had its limits. She started back home fearing for the worst knowing inside that he was dead,
"No… I can't think like that. I know he is still alive. He will come home to me, he just has to." She said to herself trying to be reassuring. She entered the village and was met by Lulu,
"Anything yet?" Lulu asked Yuna concerned.
"No, nothing yet… I know he'll be back soon though. I can feel it."
"Honey, it may be time to consider moving on now, for the children."
"Don't say that!" Yuna said raising her voice, "I will wait as long as it takes to have him back! I promised!" She said starting to cry, then all Lulu could do is hold her and try to console her.
"Mommy, is daddy back yet?" Lenne asked curiously as Yuna entered their hut. Yuna sighed
"No honey but he will be soon. I promise." She embraced Lenne and held her for a while then Dani came into the room.
"Mommy. Hungry!" Dani said imperatively. Although only three she knew how to demand. Yuna went into the Kitchen portion and started frying a fish that Wakka had given to her the other day.
"You need a man to keep you up and running, ya? I'll help out when I can." He had told her when he delivered the fish to her. She cut some of it into pieces and gave some to Dani then the rest to Lenne. Yuna went to their bedroom and cried.
2
There was a great commotion outside that intrigued Yuna. The tingly light feeling came into her stomach, could it be him? She walked into the main room and stopped dead in her tracks.
"DADDY!" Lenne squealed excitedly as she ran to hug him. Oguri grabbed his daughter and held her in the air before hugging her.
"Got ya somethin' sugarplum." Oguri said giving Lenne a sphere.
"Wow Daddy! What is it?" Lenne asked cocking her head to the side, examining it.
"It's a movie sphere I made that I tried sending to you guys but… yea… that didn't exactly work out." Lenne finally figured out how to turn it on and Oguri's face suddenly appeared on the sphere.
Oguri backs away from the camera smiles and gives the peace sign and says 'Greetings from the Calm Lands!' then a squeal is heard. Oguri screams and takes off running then Chocobos fill the screen. Then it goes black.
"Where is my other angel at?" Oguri asks looking for Dani who had hid behind Yuna's legs because she didn't know Oguri. "There she is, come here sweetie, I'm your Daddy."
"Daddy?" Dani said unsure looking at Yuna for conformation. Yuna nods and Dani waddles to Oguri. "Daddy!" she screams and gets picked up by him, He hugs her then gives her to Yuna.
"I got somethin for you too babyluv," Oguri pulls an extravagant necklace out of his messengers and puts it on Dani; it goes down to her lower stomach. "I figured she would grow into it."
"Guess that just leaves on mo-"Yuna runs and hugs him really hard and tight. He hugs her back and smiles, "Can't even finish my sentences anymore."
"I missed you so much!" She says crying.
"So I heard. I got an earful for that ya know. Lulu doesn't kid when it comes to you."
"I'm just happy your home… I have watched for you every day since you left praying you were safe. Hoping you would come back alive."
"Well, I did and I still have to give you your gift honeybaby." Oguri then kissed Yuna for what seemed to her like forever. When he pulled back she smiled at him sadly. "What's wrong honeysweet?"
"Your hair… it's all gone." He had chopped his once shoulder length hair to jaw length.
"Yup did that about a month after I left" Oguri said swishing his hair out into view from behind his ears. Yuna held him again and put her head against his chest.
"I love you." She said quietly
"Love you too." She smiled, this was the happiest she had been in a long time.
3
The next morning she awoke and he was lying next to her, still in the deep sleep he usually had, she sighed a sigh of deep content and relief that she hadn't been dreaming about him. She got out of the bed and walked to her clothes, the cool morning felt good on her bare skin, She got dressed an went out into the main room to Lenne who was the sphere that she was given by Oguri, it was her new favorite possession. Yuna made a big breakfast, humming to herself while she worked. She felt hands grab her waist and then Oguri planted a kiss on her cheek,
"What's the occasion?" Oguri asked playfully admiring the food.
"You came back. You deserve a nice meal especially since you prolly haven't had one in forever."
"Can't argue that, after all haven't had you with me for two years." Oguri laughs a little, in the background Lenne starts busting out laughing.
"What's so funny?" Oguri asks,
"You dad, I just can't stop laughing at this video." She starts laughing uncontrollably at Oguri's screams of terror.
"Yea well, I didn't think it was so funny…" He replies faking intense hurt then started laughing and hugged Lenne before going back to the food that was just laid out on the table.
"Wow. Just… wow. I have missed this so bad." Oguri said tasting an omelette that Yuna has made for him, "This is delicious sugarpie!" Then he shoveled more into his mouth, Yuna grinned glad to have him back home. She prayed that he would stay for good this time. Her prayers were interrupted by a loud explosion that came from outside,
"Stay in side with your sister!" Yuna yelled to Lenne as Oguri took off to the outside and Yuna followed him outside to see New Yevon troops moving towards the village with a couple mechs and machina in tow close behind.
"What do they want with us…?" Yuna asked.
"I think I know." Oguri replied he reached down towards his bag and pulled out four gems; colored red blue orange and yellow, He started to faintly glow then headed towards the incoming soldiers and unsheathed his sword, she always loved the black blade of his Wakizashi, they seemed to be confused at his boldness.
"Freeze; by order of the Praetor of New Yevon, you are under arrest for the theft of Yevon property."
"It's theft to acquire things from dungeons and ruins that haven't belonged to anyone in hundreds of years? Oguri asked the commander, "That doesn't seem very fair."
"Silence! Just hand over the gems and we will leave your village unscathed."
"Now why don't I believe THAT?" Oguri asked sarcastically.
"Your resistance has sealed the fate of this island. On my mark men-" Oguri took off at inhuman speeds and started slicing the soldiers that were standing there waiting for orders startling the others; He stopped in front of a group who proceeded to apprehend him. Oguri raised one fist and hit the ground knocking g the whole group airborne to the amazement of the villagers. A mech swung its giant fist into him knocking him back and he remained standing. Oguri then took a running leap at the mech going way above it, higher than possible for a human, and came down bringing his sword through it straight down the middle effectively destroying it. The commander backed away in fear but before he could escape Oguri grabbed the collar of his officer's uniform and brought him face to face.
"You go all the way home, and you tell that coward praetor that if ANYTHING like this or anything REMOTELY close, I will not hesitate to come to Bevelle and show him the true meaning of hell. Personally."
"Y-Yes sir!" He took off running as soon as Oguri let him down. Oguri turned to face the village and was met by cheers and applause. Everyone, Even Lenne and Dani who had poked their heads out to see what was going on were cheering. Oguri walked down the hill to Yuna. They kissed briefly and she smiled at him.
"You never get tired of fighting do you?" She asked jokingly.
"I did what I had to, to protect my girls." Oguri replied sternly, "And that guy's too, I guess." Pointing to Wakka.
"You must be joking ya? I coulda taken them too! You just got to them first." Wakka said walking towards Oguri and put his arm over his shoulder. "I just didn't wanna get in your way, ya know?"
"Yea yea, I was actually kinda expecting you to join in. Woulda been jus like old times." Oguri chuckles to himself. He and Wakka started reminiscing about some of the battles they were in together before he left and Yuna went inside.
4
Oguri came in just as Lenne and Dani were going to bed. He kissed them both good night and went to the master bedroom. He lay down next to Yuna and kissed her gently before rolling on to his side and falling asleep. It was not long before his relaxed breathing was heard as he hit his deep sleep. Yuna laid still in the darkness of their room listening to his breathing, gently relaxing herself to sleep. Right before she dropped off she thought she heard him whine. Like a dog that is afraid or in pain, which was ridiculous because even when he was in pain he never showed it. So she dismissed it and let herself fall into sleeps comforting arms.
She awoke to find Oguri missing from his spot on the bed.
'Oh god, please don't let him have left again.' She thought frantically and left the hut. The sun wasn't even up yet. Running up the hill leaving the village she passed the ruins that were on the outskirts of the village. Running towards the beach she stopped and saw him sitting in a grassy area off to the right of her.
"You're out and about early aren't ya miss? Oguri said with a smile
"I thought maybe you'd left again…" Yuna said kinda embarrassed
"Well come lay with me, you have come at the perfect time."
"Why?" Yuna asked sitting down next to her lover.
"Just look." The sun had started rising, casting color across the empty black sky. Yuna sat in wonderment at its beauty. Oguri pulled her close to him so she cuddled closer.
"It's the second most beautiful thing I have ever seen."
"What the first?" Yuna asked curiously.
"You. Every day that I was not with you I would watch the sunrise and think about you, wonder how you and the girls were and thought about how much I hated myself for leaving like I did." Yuna sat up and hugged him close and put her head on his shoulder. He hugged her back and they stayed that way till the sun filled the sky.
"Well we really should head back, don't want the girls to flip on us, huh?" Oguri said standing up.
"Yea, I guess so." Oguri started walking away, "Hey!" Yuna called to him.
"What?" Oguri stopped and turned his head back so one eye could see her.
"I- I love you." She said crying causing Oguri to turn around to go to her. Holding her he asked,
"Honey… why are you crying?"
"I just have never told you enough how much I love you… that is why you left before…"
"No Way! I know that you love me an infinite amount. I would not leave you for something as simple as that." Oguri said stroking her hair. "Let's go home now" He put his arm around her waist and they walked towards the village. Wakka was the first person to greet them when they returned to the village.
"You two are up early. No naughty hijinks ya?" Wakka said jokingly.
"You aren't my daddy Wakka. I don't need you to be telling me my curfew." Oguri said laughing back "I'll stop by later and we can finish our discussion from yesterday.
'Wonder what they are discussing' Yuna thought passively but didn't think too much on it. They both went into their house waving bye to Wakka. Entering the house they saw Lenne sitting with Dani on the floor in the corner.
"Girls what are you-"Oguri started then he saw Lenne had one of Yuna's Tiny Bee pistols.
"Lenne! What are you doing with that?" Oguri asked startled taking the gun from Lenne.
"I had to daddy; otherwise the bad man woulda taken your gems and hurt us." Lenne said flatly still in shock. She and Dani were still trembling fiercely while Yuna held them trying to console them Oguri drew his blade and proceeded cautiously to the master bedroom. A few minutes past till they heard Oguri from the room.
"Yuna… you might wanna come in here." Yuna got up kissing both girls before going to Oguri. Entering the room she saw him stock still.
"What is it?" She asked before she saw what it was. The military commander from the other day had come back for one last attempt at getting the gems.
"Cdibet vuum cruimt ryja mecdahat du sa." (Stupid fool should have listened to me) Oguri said speaking Al Bhed.
"Al Bhed?" Yuna asked "When did you learn that?"
"I traveled a lot, only natural I'd pick it up. Hanging with your friendly neighborhood Gullwings didn't help to much either, without you around Brother speaks only Al Bhed now." Oguri chuckled uneasily.
"Well what are we gonna do with this yucky guy? He smells bad enough without having him decay here." Yuna asked pointing to the dead commander.
"I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. Throw him out to sea and then I'm going someplace I never thought I would say so, I'm going to Bevelle."
"What! Are you crazy? They'll shoot you as soon as you step foot at the entrance!" Yuna was getting really upset.
"You're gonna go with me. Plus two stealthy thief friends of ours…" Oguri said with a grin.
"Wait… you mean-?"
"Yes ma'am, our cousins Rikku and Matsuo themselves! They will help us get in undetected." Yuna stood in awe; she hadn't seen either in a long time. "Last I heard they actually got married." Oguri continued, his grin growing wider at Yuna's face upon hearing the news. "I was talking to Wakka about possibly watching our kids since I was gonna take you to get the other three gems with me." Yuna smiled
"Really? Well… I don't know… they jus got really traumatized by him-"kicking the commander "So maybe I should stay here… But I wanna see Rikku and Matsuo… Sure, let's go! Wakka and Lulu can take good care of them." She agreed uneasily. They walked out to the girls and told them about staying over at Uncle Wakka's house for a bit and they happily accepted. They loved playing with Vidina and seeing Aunt Lulu, who still wasn't used to the whole "aunt" thing but enjoyed the girls all the same. Saying goodbye to everyone Yuna and Oguri left the village and headed to the beach to catch the liner that would take them to Luca so they could go to get their cousins to start their storming of Bevelle for vengeance against the Praetor for the cowardly acts recently bestowed upon them and the village.
5
In their cabin room Yuna lie asleep, soothed by the waves but Oguri wasn't next to her, he stood on the deck staring out at the expansive sea that put greater distance between him and that small island he now called home. They passed Kilika Island, the island that was once his home, his birthplace. But that was many, many years ago.
"It's just best not to think about it anymore." He said to himself trying to not remember his past
"Think about what?" He turned around startled to see Yuna standing behind him looking intrigued.
"Nothing my love, just… nothing anymore. What are you doing up?"
"I rolled over and you weren't there so I decided to find you."
"Hm… well you found me. What do you plan to do with me?"
"Come back to the cabin, then you'll see…" Yuna said deviously grinning as she grabbed Oguri's wrists and pulled him to their cabin. A few hours later Oguri laid in the bed with Yuna snuggled against him her body warm against his. Thoughts about the past swirled in his head: the dual encounters with Sin, his parents' death, the summoner under his guardianship's betrayal. He found it quite hard to sleep with all of it buzzing around his head like angry Vespas poised to strike, but sleep found its way and he fell into a dream, more like a repressed memory if you will.
The sound of crashing all around and frantic, panicking people screaming. The woman, his very own mother comes to him and grabs him, herself frightened, and pulls him with her
"Mommy what is going on? Where is daddy?" Oguri asks only a little frightened because of his mother.
"Oguri, you must not worry about your father, he is making us safe." She said to him soothingly trying to keep her voice stable. "We just are going on a trip."
"A trip mommy? Oguri asks curiously
"Yes, and we will come back soon as the sun shines again." Suddenly a large roar is heard as a wave come rushing towards the docks and obliterates all of the houses and walkways, Oguri and his mother make it on to solid land but by a small margin. They start running towards Kilika Temple when a plank of wood that was cast into the air by sin came into his mother's view.
"Oguri!" She screamed in sheer terror as the plank fell towards her only child and she lunged forward to save him. A large crack, which was engulfed by the roar of the sea and the air, was heard for a split second as the board broke his mother neck. She fell to the ground lifeless; Oguri stopped and went back to her.
"Mommy? Why are you sleeping mommy, we have to go to our trip!" he said knelling next to her then sin was gone and the clouds started to disperse.
"Mommy… the sun is shining…" Oguri said starting to cry and then one of the inhabitants of Kilika took him to her husband and they took him home to be their son.
Yuna awoke to Oguri sobbing. This startled her because he never cried before and this is the second time she woke to his cries.
"Oguri." She said shaking him "Honey please wake up…" he stirred and sat up on one arm looking at her.
"What babyluv?" he said, his speech slurred with sleep so it actually came out "waa baybuhloov?"
"Why were you crying?" She asked concerned
"I wasn't crying." Oguri said shaking the tired away from his mind.
"I heard you. This is the second time you have woke me up because of it."
"When was the first?" Oguri asked defensively and cautiously.
"The second night you came back. Well… I was already awake but you started whimpering or something close to that." Oguri sighs.
"I guess if I can't tell you I can't anyone. I… have been dreaming about my mother… and the day her and my father died. I can't believe it, five hundred years and still can't be rid of it. I mean I was five! I shouldn't even really remember it as clearly as I do."
"Five hundred! Wait… you're an unsent I forgot. But I'm sorry, is there anything I can do to help?"
"No. Not unless you can manipulate time so I can save her. I've also been thinking other things too. About my past." Yuna was shocked. He never talked about his past before. The only reason she knew he was unsent is she witnessed him manipulating pyreflies; no living person can perform this feat.
"Like what my darling?" His head was in her lap and she was stroking his hair.
"I… I can't tell you now… I'm… too weak. Ha, never thought I would hear myself say that ever."
"It's okay honey. I understand what you're feeling." Both of her parents were taken by Sin as well. They sat in the dark of their cabin holding each other till they both drifted off to dreamless sleep.
"Now docking, Luca. Passengers must leave to their stop before we depart." The overhead voice demanded imperatively.
"Well that's our stop." Oguri said to Yuna as they left the deck. He was gonna miss the warming sun on him, but there would be plenty on his way to Djose. They walked past the stadium and through the town. While Yuna bought supplies Oguri wandered the Plaza and bothered random people even impressing a group of kids by keeping up a blitzball, kicking it off the fountain, then kicking it straight up into the air and, using his yellow gem secretly, jumping to follow it and catching it then back flipping before he touched down next to the fountain.
"You always were a show-off." Yuna jokingly scolded as she approached him.
"I can't help it, I'm a natural showman." Oguri replied handing one of the kids back his ball. Yuna sighed and motioned him to go. Oguri took the lead and they walked to the stairs that lead up to the Mi'ihen Highroad. Standing at the start of a long walk, Oguri looked at Yuna.
"Maybe we should use the Machina?" Yuna nodded in agreement. So they rented a hover lift and moved to the travel agency that was located about half way through the Highroad. After deciding they did not need anything from the agency they took off down to the end of the highroad. A fiend jumped in front of their vehicle, An iron giant attempted to destroy them but Yuna and Oguri were too well teamed up to be defeated by one puny iron giant. Oguri gave Yuna a boost into the air where she unleashed a barrage of bullets while Oguri fueled by the blue gem sped up to the fiend and started slashing away at it. Every slash hitting like lightning before Oguri fell back and caught Yuna then let her stand before it fell, releasing its pyreflies that held it together and faded. Oguri took a deep breath and forced his hand out. The pyreflies were drawn to him as he absorbed them into his being.
"There's no need for them to become fiends again huh? This is my way of sending them." Oguri said matter-of-factly, Yuna gave him a discontented look but still they got on the hover craft and took to the exit of the Mi'ihen Highroad.
6
They reached the end and gave the Machina back to the lady who was waiting for it.
"Well, guess we are walking Mushroom Rock then." Oguri said cracking his knuckles. They walked on to the dusty rock that formed Mushroom Rock road. No fiends in sight.
"The Al Bhed really are working hard." Yuna said noticing the lack of fiends and abundance of machina. So they walked through to Djose with no problem due to the machina protection.
"Yunie!" A girly voice yelled in excitement and a blonde woman ran over to them. Followed by a man with pure red hair.
"Rikku, oui'na cdemm yh yddnldeja pymm uv cihcreha ar?" ("Rikku, you're still an attractive ball of sunshine eh?") Oguri said jokingly
"Rao! Drydc so feva!" ("Hey! That's MY wife!") Matsuo yelled at him pretending to be angry before hugging Oguri and Yuna "My cousins! I have missed you!"
"Where did you learn Al Bhed?" Rikku asked Oguri.
"Why, from your gracious brother. He is back to speaking it as his primary language."
"You were with Brother?"
"And Buddy. They flew me around on the Celsius for a while, and-"
"Yea! I heard you left my poor Yunie all by herself, had her worried and what not!"
"Yea thanks Rikku. Just what I need more guilt over it."
"So what brings you here to us?" Matsuo interrupted
"We want you" points to both of them, "To join us on an Epic Adventure!" Oguri said grandly and seen them look at each other apprehensively. "What? So me and Yuna came all the way here from Besaid, all for nothing? And here I thought I could make use of your thieving skills." Oguri shrugged "Guess I'll have to employ someone else's skills and possibly get killed because their skills aren't up to par…" Oguri smiled secretly as they took his bait.
"Fine I'll go." Matsuo said with a hint of frustration.
"Then I'm going too!" Rikku interjected "I would never ever never never miss a chance to spend time with my favorite-est cousin in the world!"
"Awe Rikku! That's so sweet." Oguri said grinning really wide.
"Not you. Yuna!" Rikku said punching his arm playfully. All arrangements were made with the Al Bhed at Djose temple. They would watch Matsuo and Rikku's son for them while they were gone and teach him about the machina and other mechanical things. Rikku and Matsuo said goodbye to Spence and both kissed him then rejoined Yuna and Oguri and the four of them left to Bevelle, which was north of them. They would have to travel through the Moonflow, Guadosalam, The Thunder Plains, and Macalania Woods to get there but that was not a challenge to the four of them. They walked down the path that would lead them to Moonflow. The path cleared by the Al Bhed made the trip go smoother.
"I helped to make this road safe." Matsuo said to Oguri and Yuna, "When the mission was completed I started the goal, First Mushroom Rock-Djose and then, Spira!" He shouted to the sky.
"You're too overly dramatic." Rikku said sighing and patting Matsuo on his shoulder.
"Ha, Next you'll be saying that I'm gonna get a swelled head."
"Behave you two. I'm starting to think I got Lenne and Spencer here with us instead of you guys." Oguri said scolding the two. Rikku shrugs and then puts her arm around Matsuo's waist.
"Aww come on, you aren't my dad." Rikku said smirking, Oguri sighs.
"Might as well be."
"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?" Oguri keeps walking, "Come on tell me! You're such a big meanie." Rikku said pouting, Matsuo laughs at Rikku and the four of them continue onwards to Moonflow and Guadosalam.
They walked down the old dirt road leading up to the Moonflow then Yuna started to muse to herself.
"To think, not 18 years have passed since summoners have walked this exact road pulling ever closer towards their inevitable demise. And not 16 have passed since I myself put an end to the pointless cycle of death." Oguri looked at Yuna astonished.
"Wow babe that is really deep stuff. It really does make ya think." Oguri looked up towards the sky and doesn't talk the whole way to the Shoopuff.
"Rides the Shoopuff?" The Hypello operator asks
"Yes please, Four." Oguri replies to him
"All Aboards?" The Hypello yells out so the foursome boards a Shoopuff to cross the Moonflow. Oguri is still quiet and zoned out which bothered Yuna. The four of them docked on the other side of the river, got off of the Shoopuff, and then started walking towards Guadosalam, another city Yuna had not seen since she had to save Spira from Shuyin and Vegnagun.
"I wonder how Leblanc is doing." Rikku thought out loud.
"Last I heard she is with Nooj and they are expecting." Oguri replied
"No way!" Rikku nearly screamed out of excitement.
"Yup. But we are not gonna bother with them now, Maybe on the way back." Oguri said much to Rikku's dismay. Their trek through Guadosalam was a short one as it was a small town. Rikku insisted on stopping at the Farplane but Oguri ignored her request and turned towards the Thunder Plains walking away angrily.
"What did I do…?" Rikku asked slightly hurt at Oguri's reaction
"Nothing, he is just got a lot on his mind honey." Yuna reassured her.
7
Oguri stood at the edge of the Thunder Plains waiting for the rest of his group. 'I feel kinda bad for snapping at Rikku… but I cannot face my parents… not yet' His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his companions footsteps coming up to him. "I'm sorry for snapping at you Rikku." Oguri said turning to Rikku.
"Huh? Oh, it's quite alright. I shoulda listened when you said we are going straight through." She tensed up as lightning struck a nearby tower.
"It's alright, the Al Bhed have perfected the towers. It's perfectly safe to traverse these plains. Well… except for the damn fiend problem. The Al Bhed has been working on that too but there are still a few stragglers hanging about causing trouble." Oguri assured Rikku who was still vaguely afraid of lightning. So they ventured forth into the Thunder Plains. They traveled a good distance until the Travel Agency was in view. Then a Spine Drake pounces in front of them all and reveals its teeth while snarling at the lot of them.
"No problem." Oguri said winking at Yuna.
"Hardly worth our time." Matsuo agreed. Oguri unsheathes his Wakizashi; Yuna pulls her Tiny Bees, Matsuo his rifle and Rikku her thief knives. The drake readied its attack rearing back its head and flinging fire ball at Oguri, which he easily dodges, Yuna then unleashed a barrage of bullets which barely nicked the thick hide of the beast,
"Here let me try." Matsuo said leveling his rifle then blasting six holes in it causing it to release a startled cry of pain. Rikku ran up to the beast first slicing across with her right then turning she stabbed the beast with the left. Oguri ran and ran his sword through the beast effectively finishing it. It fell to the ground and dispersed into pyreflies which Oguri promptly absorbed and then they proceeded to the travel agency.
"Welcome to Rin's travel agency, how may I be of service to you today?" the lady at the counter asked Matsuo as he bought supplies for him and Rikku against Yuna's telling them that there was enough already. Oguri went outside standing under the awning to avoid getting any wetter from the storm. He watched the lightning strike the towers nearby and he started to think again of his past that he had kept secret from everyone for so long. 'How despicable,' he thought 'that even my beautiful, loving wife for whom I owe several happy years of mine to, doesn't know but a few scraps about me.' He turned to go inside but Yuna was right behind him. Oguri jumps a little out of surprise.
"What's wrong baby?" Yuna asks looking genuinely concerned and upset.
"Nothing. I'm fine, just admiring the lightning. It's amazing." Yuna gave him an uneasy look "I promise." Oguri went to get Matsuo and Rikku but they came out of the door just as he got there.
"Ready Alpha?" Rikku asked Oguri.
"Alpha?"
"You are the leader here, so that makes you the Alpha." Oguri shrugs and they all went towards Macalania Woods, their next destination. They arrived at the entrance of the woods and proceeded into the middle where they decided to camp for the night. After everyone was asleep Oguri found he could not so he went off to the spring, he found its tranquility soothing. He sat quietly on a tree root that was exposed; eyes closed and feeling his surroundings with his senses. His half meditation was broken when he heard the water's surface break. He quickly opened his eyes to see Yuna in the water coming towards him.
"What are you doing awake at this hour darling?" Oguri asked surprised to see her.
"I could ask you the same. I wasn't really asleep, I could get to sleep so I decided to try by listen to your breathing but you got up and left. You would have gotten away if I had been asleep"
"It's not like I was trying to run away. I just wanted to come here; it's nice to be here when I wanna think about things."
"You should tell me. I know you're keeping things from me. I can see the sorrow in your eyes. Even at home I saw it." Oguri sighs
"Well I guess it is about time I tell you about my past. One, my parents died when I was only 5. Sin attacked Kilika Island, that's where I was born and raised. I met two of my best friends there and when I was sixteen we left on a pilgrimage cause Rena, I actually developed a kinda crush on her, decided to become a summoner so me and our other friend Oster were chosen to be her guardians. Now he wanted to be hers but he didn't know she was falling for me. She told me after she acquired Bahamut, but I digress, I was killed by Sin when I was seventeen-"
"What?" Yuna almost screamed out of amazement and disbelief.
"Yes, no thanks to Rena and Oster. I'll tell you the whole story."
8
"Well here we are, the Calm Lands!" Oguri said gleefully as the three of them emerged from Macalania Woods
"I thought we would never find our way outta there." Oster said sighing with relief Oguri clapped his back and smiled at Rena she smiled back; her smile always made Oguri feel really good.
"Well, what are we waiting for; we'll never get to Zanarkand at this rate." Rena said to the boys and started down the hill
"Hey, wait up!" they cried in unison running after her. After about an hour they reached the rest stop (there was no Rin then to set up travel agencies) and Oster plopped on to ground.
"Wow that was a lot of fiends." He said trying to start a fire for their camp.
"Yea, but there is no way in hell they were anywhere close to a match for us." Oguri said smirking.
"Um… Guys? There is one that maybe could out match us." Rena said trembling and pointed towards the coast. The clouds were swirling and darkening and the back of a formidable beast started to crest out of the water. Suddenly Sin was upon them in all its ferocious glory. Oguri ran forward to face the beast,
"No problem guys, we can do this. I know we can." But before a response could happen sin readied its Giga-Graviton. Oguri braced himself for this attack as Gravity based attacks hardly did anything he had learned through previous experience. But whether it was him being too young to remember the first time or sheer arrogance clouding his judgment, he forgot what the Giga-Graviton could do and he felt a crushing sensation then he was shot backwards into the air, falling to land after a few feet. The life fading from his body he turned his head enough to see Oster pulling Rena towards Mt. Gagazet the both of them fleeing to its safety leaving him behind and then the peaceful blackness of death filled his vision and he lay still never to know the fate of his love and his best friend.
9
Yuna sat still letting everything she just heard sink in. After what seemed like forever she was able to speak. "They… just left you behind. Like it was nothing?"
"Yes. That's part of the reason I am an unsent. My hatred for both of them kept me bound to Spira instead of going on to the Farplane. But as fate would have it I awoke in the Calm Lands but too late. They had both been gone for 500 years. The reason I didn't want to go to the Farplane is… well… I don't wanna face my parents. It's like I'm a kid who broke curfew, I don't know how I'll explain why I haven't been to see them when I was alive let alone 500 years later."
Yuna sat still again, this time longer. "Well I think you should go to see them after we come back from our "epic adventure" as you call it. We can meet each other's In-laws and you can make peace with yourself and your parents. "Oguri sat back putting his arms up behind his head
"Yea… I guess… I'll think about it." He climbed down into the water and walked over to Yuna, putting his arms around her waist and kissing her. "Well let's go back to camp and sleep. We have stayed up long enough and we need all the sleep we can get." And that's exactly what they did. Oguri was asleep before his head touched the ground.
Oguri woke up to the sound of fire and metal clinking together. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he went out to investigate the noise and saw Matsuo stirring a ladle in a small metal pot.
"Bout' time you woke up." Matsuo said tasting the curry. "The women folk are already up and about. Ya know Girl time and all that jazz."
"Mhmm." Was all Oguri could muster for an answer. He would have more energy after breakfast. Was it even breakfast? For arguments sake he decided it was brunch and called it good. He wanted to feel fancy anyway. After a few spoonfuls of curry Oguri was awake. He despised spicy but it sure had some wake up power.
"So when do you think the girls will be back?" Oguri asked, Matsuo just shrugged then looked up and replied,
"Now I'm guessing." Then the girls came to the fire and sat next to their respective man, dishing themselves out some curry to eat.
"Whew, am I starved." Rikku announced loudly to everyone "I could eat a whole Shoopuff and still ask for dessert." Oguri and Matsuo laughed at this and enjoyed the company of each other and the girls.
The group finally left Macalania after a few hours walk and were confronted by the gargantuan city of Bevelle. Oguri put his foot on the road that lead up to the city's gates and gave a spiting grin to Yuna who looked at him puzzled.
"I proved you wrong. Stepped foot in Bevelle and am currently not being shot." Yuna just rolled her eyes as Oguri laughed to himself and they all started working on a plan on how to enter Bevelle. Finally they came to a solution, using Yuna's political status and the ignorance of the soldiers' ignorance of Oguri's appearance to get into Bevelle, and then, avoiding the Praetor, they could easily steal the Gems and sneak out again before anyone realized what was going on. So they walked up to the gates with everyone they passed bowing to Yuna and praising her.
"Wow, I'm not used to this anymore." Yuna said under her breath. The gates opened revealing to the four the grand city of Bevelle Matsuo was the most in awe as he had never seen this city before being married to an Al Bhed. Once inside they all went to the temple passing many people who just smiled and bowed to Yuna. At the main door two soldiers were standing guard but they let the group past without a word, just bowing to Yuna.
"Well, we're inside. Now what?" Rikku asked impatiently
"Now we need to get to the Praetor's chamber."
"What?" Yuna, Rikku and Matsuo all said in disbelief.
"So we have to avoid the Praetor, and get into his chambers?" Yuna asked still shocked
"Yup. Now you're catching on." Oguri said grinning "so who is volunteering to provide the distraction?" the other three looked at him uneasily then Rikku approached one of the priests.
"Is the Praetor available currently?"
"No he is away on business in-"
"See, simple as that." Rikku said returning to the group. "Now, me and Matsuo will go and retrieve any gems we find, and you two will stay and keep watch, okay?" but before either Yuna or Oguri could answer the two thieves were gone. After about thirty minutes they returned and the four hurried out of the building before anyone could notice. When they reached the exit to Bevelle which lead to Macalania Rikku handed Oguri a brilliant purple gem which he happily accepted "
Five outta seven. Heck Yea!" Oguri said excitedly holding it up to the sun light. He gripped it firmly and started to glow before fading away, turning invisible much to Rikku and Matsuo's surprise.
"No wonder he wanted that thing so bad!" Rikku said amazed as invisible Oguri messed with a pedestrian making his way to the temple