AN: Chapter 3 is up! Don't forget to read! Shinra is cute, isn't he?
Disclaimer: I don't own it. Sigh…
Chapter 3
Back on the Bridge Rikku bounced down the stairs clearly happy again. The others only shrugged their shoulders at her sudden change of attitude. "Tidus!" Shinra said excited and ran up to him. The blond Blitzer chuckled. "Yeah? What's wrong Shinra?" The genie boy reminded him very much of his own little brother. He tugged at his robe. Tidus leaned down a bit with a raised eyebrow. "Gippal and Nooj told me that you are a Fayth! So, you can turn into an Aeon?!" Tidus laughed lightly and placed his hand on the boy's head moving it in a circle. "Yup! But only with the help of a Summoner." Shinra fought of the hand on his head laughing and held it tight immobilizing it effectively. Tidus felt Yuna's confused, curious and concerned gaze on the back of his head.
"Why a Summoner?" Shinra asked curiously. Tidus thought for a second how to answer that question probably. "To turn into an Aeon I need to be summoned from a Summoner. When I'm an Aeon the Summoner controls me and my power. Only a Summoner can turn me back. If she or he does it too late I cease to exist. Because to full my transformation my life force is sucked dry. To get my energy back I need to rest for awhile after I turn back to normal. Mmmh, I guess that was all. Does that answer you question?" Shinra nodded. "Fascinating! How do you look like as an Aeon?" Tidus chuckled nervously. "Is that so important?" "I want to know, too!" Rikku piped in jumping from one foot on the other. "I have to admit, it would be interesting." Paine said calmly. Tidus rubbed the back of his head. "Ahem, I don't know…" He mumbled in uncertainty.
"Tidus…" Yuna said in a sweet voice. He turned to her. She tugged at his arm with puppy dog eyes. "Tell me." He sighed. Tidus really couldn't say no to her. She was just too cute. "I'm not exactly sure how I look like as an Aeon. It's not like I looked in the mirror when I transformed, you know?" His brows furrowed in deep concentration. "Maybe we can help." Nooj said calmly. Gippal nodded and crossed his arms. All eyes turned on them. "After all we saw you once as an Aeon." Gippal added. "Alright, guys." Tidus replied and made an offering gesture in their direction. "How do I look like as an Aeon?" Nooj and Gippal looked at each other deciding who should speak. Finally the Machine Faction leader spoke up.
"You are like a big wolf with a flatter nose. Your high is around this thunder throwing horse Aeon that almost destroyed my new home how ever his name is…" "Ixion!" Yuna interrupted blushing when everyone looked at her. Gippal cleared his throat and continued. "Where was I? Oh, right! Your fur is more like floating water, mostly white mixed with some yellow and glowing blue markings on it. Your tail is like that of a fish ending in a bunch of hair blue like the water. At the right front leg is a blue armband loosely wrapped around and at the bottom of your back legs are small flippers. On your back are three another flippers one close to your tail the other two close to your sides at your front. You have a long blue lion mane and on your head is an armor like plate with a ring at it. At the ring is a cloth like thing wrapped around both ends floating back till your tail. You have eyes without iris or white, They are blue and flow like the ocean. It's fascinating to look into them. But you are not only beautiful to look at. You have sharp claws and even sharper fangs, deathly for your enemies. That's it, I guess. Or do you want to add something Nooj?" The man with the metal leg shook his head.
"Sounds cool." Rikku said with her mouth agape. "Can we see it, pleeease?" She asked clapping her hands together with a pleading gaze. Tidus chuckled nervously. "I don't think that's possible, Rikku." "Ohh, why not?" She pouted and crossed her arms stubbornly. Tidus rolled his eyes and held up one finger. "First, I would need a Summoner for that." He held up his second finger. "Second, she or he needed the right training and that had only Zanarkand's Summoners." He held up his third finger. "Third, I would need to trust this Summoner completely because I literally lay my life in her or his hands. So, you see you aren't even coming around the first condition. Just forget it, Rikku." "Ohhhh!" Rikku whined and held her head down.
"I could do it." Rikku's head immediately shot up in excitement. "Yeah, YUNIE! You can do it!" The young Al-Bhed girl cheered. Tidus turned to his love in concern. "I thought you retired." He stated. She smiled at him. "I don't care! I like to see you as an Aeon, too! Don't forget that you can't say no to me!" Yuna said and waggled her finger in front of his face. Tidus sighed in defeat. "Mhm, alright but I need to show you the way of Zanarkand's Summoners." "Hiya! That will be awesome!" Rikku shouted happily and danced on the spot. Yuna giggled at her childlike behavior. "The training will probably take a month." Tidus throw in. Rikku stopped in the middle of her dance and lowered her head in disappointment. "Why? What can be so hard that Yunie, didn't learn already? She was a Summoner! The best!" Tidus suppressed a snort. If she knew! Instead he pursed his lips and looked with furrowed brows at her. "Maybe but there is still much she can learn and needs to learn until she can summon me." Rikku crossed her arms with a defiant stare. "I doubt that. What can be so hard about you? The other Aeons she could call, too!" Tidus growled lightly at her stubbornness but kept his calm.
"That's exactly the point, Rikku! She called the Aeons! She didn't summon them! That's a great difference!" "I don't understand." Tidus sighed in exasperation and ran his fingers through his hair. How could he explain that to her? "Really, I can't explain that to you but maybe…Brother! Yna fa ypuja dra Suuhvuf?" Brother turned slightly in surprise and answered. "Oac!" Tidus nodded contently and said. "Myht rana!" "Fro?" He whined. Tidus growled annoyed. He had no nerve to argue with the tattooed Al-Bhed in the moment. "Zicd tu ed!" Brother grumbled something under his breath but obeyed starting to land. "You speak Al-Bhed?" Yuna asked surprised. Tidus grinned cheekily at her. "Yeah, it's not that hard once you know how." "I'm impressed." Paine said suddenly startling Tidus. "You are not as stupid as I thought." Tidus frowned at her. "Thank you, I guess." She nodded in acknowledgement and turned away again. Yuna giggled next to him. Tidus raised his eyebrow at her. "What? Did I do something funny?" He asked irritated. "That was a great compliment, Tidus! At least for Paine." The crimson-eyed girl snorted. "Don't think too much of it. I only stated a fact." "Of course." Yuna giggled. Paine narrowed her eyes dangerously at the High Summoner. "Yuna…" She warned lowly. Yuna giggled a bit more and hid behind Tidus. He looked with a raised eyebrow at her and shrugged.
"Fa'ja myhtat." Brother said rather annoyed. "Good." Tidus said and turned around. "If you want to see a real summoning you need to follow me now." He jogged up the stairs and went to the lift. Everyone besides Brother followed him. Curious and excited expressions were around him. Tidus felt a bit nervous. It was awhile since he summoned something and then he had a staff. Without one it was rather hard. He frowned. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea at all. "So, you are a Summoner, too? I thought you were a Fayth?" Yuna asked somewhat confused. Tidus looked thoughtful down at her cocking his head to the side. "That's because I'm-was the Lord of Zanarkand and Summoners stand above the Fayth, the Guardians in Zanarkand's society. Because of that I needed to at least learn the basics of summoning to get a Summoner. Otherwise I hadn't been able to get Lord of Zanarkand." She made an "Aha!" face and followed him outside the Celcius, still pondering his explanation.
They walked after him over to the Moonflow. He thought for a second what he could summon when he had a great idea. Tidus grinned widely. "Wait here and watch." He said to the others. The blond Blitzer stripped off his hunting rifle with the leather strap and took out his sword. He frowned at it. Caladblog still had this eerie red color. Maybe it was only his imagination. He took of his hiking boots and fiddled under his robe until the two straps holding his sword sheath up came loose. They dropped to the ground, shortly followed by his robe. Only his necklace was still around his neck and his arm guard at his arm. He could see Yuna's eyes wander down to his well toned chest before she ripped them forcefully up again. He chuckled inwardly. A blush lingered on her cheeks how it so often did since he returned.
Without further hesitation he stepped onto the water of the Moonflow. The liquid was cool under his foot soles nice against the warmth of the hot temperature of the weather. "Can all Summoners walk on water?" He heard Rikku suddenly ask in astonishment. Tidus smiled. "Yes, they can." Yuna answered her. "Wow! How do you do it?!" Rikku asked in excitement. Yuna hesitated. "I'll tell you later, Rikku." Rikku sighed in disappointment. Tidus shook his head in amusement.
When he was sure that he was far enough from the coast he took a deep breath, closed his eyes and held his sword parallel up to his body. "Balance, Tidus." Lenne had said to him long ago. "It's all about balance and a calm mind." He smiled fondly at the memory. Tidus returned his thoughts to the task at hand. What he wanted to do was one of the most complicated things a Summoner can do. His eyes snapped open and he took a step back, letting go of his sword. It hovered in the air and remained there.
First phase of the summoning complete. He thought and licked his lips in concentration. Tidus stretched out his hand over the Moonflow and softly hummed. In his mind he heard the answering call of the Pyreflies. They floated out of the water surrounding his hand in a strange dance. He kept on humming and stepped up to Caladblog. Tidus placed his hand on the blade's surface. One after one the Pyreflies left to circle the sword in their strange dance. Caladblog began to glow in their eerie light but still the red wouldn't go away. The Pyreflies didn't seem to mind.
Second phase of the summoning complete. He whispered in his mind. Tidus felt the drain of energy the summoning had on his body but ignored it firmly. He wasn't finished yet. The blond Blitzer carefully gripped the handle of the sword as not to disturb the Pyreflies or all his work would be for naught. Tidus choose the Moonflow as summoning place out of a reason because of the water. A Summoner doesn't need water but Tidus wasn't the best Summoner and every Summoner can summon in some regions better. He swung his sword around. The Pyreflies didn't leave. If something went wrong he would get seriously hurt and he wanted to get around that as far as possible. He looked down at his reflection in the water. Tidus placed the tip of Caladblog on the surface in the middle of his chest. He blew on the blade. The Pyreflies floated into the water around the reflection and altering it after Tidus' will. Sweat appeared on his forehead. It was exhausting. His reflection changed and finally looked like Lenne. Even then she glanced sternly at him. He was about to call a memory of a dead person. Difficult but not impossible. She would shake her had at his irresponsibility.
Third phase of the summoning complete. Tidus thought satisfied. Just one last step and for the bystanders it was one of the easiest but in reality it was the worst. He needed to force the Pyreflies to give his summoning a real form and pull, in this case the memory of Lenne, out of the in-between world he put her in. Normally a Summoner went over that step but it was easier with it in it. He took back his sword and reached down placing his hand on the surface of the water. The Lenne reflection did the same. Their hands touched. Tidus carefully trusted his fingers under the water's surface and felt the slippery cold fingers of Lenne. He grabbed her hand and pulled. Water splashed over him and when he heard her sharp intake of breath he knew he did it.
Fourth phase of the summoning complete. He was grinning stupidly in his joy. Tidus did it! He guessed he got better over the years. But he was still an amateur in contrary to Lenne. He heard gasped from the coast and knew they saw her too now. "Hey, Lenne! I do need a favor of you!" She looked with a frown at him. "Idiot!" She said rubbing her temples. "You know how dangerous such summonings are!" Tidus rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "I know sorry but I wanted to show them a real summoning! And they want to see me as an Aeon!" She sighed closing her eyes for a second and shaking her head. "Big Bro, someday you get yourself fatally injured and I won't be there to help you. Be more careful next time, alright?" Tidus nodded eager anticipation in his eyes. He loved it to be an Aeon! She sighed again and moved some meter away from him. "Let's begin, Tidus! You know what to do!"
"Yup!" He said and got ready, throwing Caladblog to the coast. Lenne took out her summoning staff holding it in front of her. At her first step he began to hum the hymn of the Fayth. She twirled her staff in a circle. He felt the change immediately take over. His hair changed its color from sun kissed to an ocean blue and on his skin began to appear his fur overgrowing his normal skin. Lenne twirled another time and he kept on humming. It was a strange tickling feeling when his fingers grew together and got sharp claws. His teeth turned into deadly fangs and his face slowly changed into a muzzle. Lenne took a step forward and barely touched the water's surface with her staff when she moved it in an arc. Tidus got on all his fours and took fast breaths when his torso changed. His eyes turned completely ocean blue and a tail began to form. Tidus still hummed the hymn of the Fayth keeping in the rhythm of Lenne's dance but it sounded now more like a purr. She took another step forward kneeling down while she twirled around herself.
His Aeon form was now almost complete. Only his flippers and the armor plate on his head still grew and he got bigger. Lenne came to a stand back in her original position and he ended the hymn. His transformation was complete and the songstress was exhausted. Tidus turned to her and trotted concerned over. She patted his muzzle in reassurance. Lenne motioned with her head to the coast. "Let your friends look at you and then we turn you back." Tidus nodded in understanding waggling his tail in excitement like a dog would do. Lenne rolled her eyes. His blue eyes settled on the humans at the coast who all looked in astonishment and wonderment at him. In his Aeon form his vision was tinged with blue, everything he saw in human form now looked different. Yuna was still beautiful beyond compare. He needed to fight the urge to run over to them. Tidus didn't want to frighten them. Lenne followed him slowly. The Aeon stopped in front of his friends and awaited anxiously their reaction.
"You are beautiful." Yuna stated with wide eyes and hesitantly reached her hand out for him. His ears took in every little fluctuating octaves of her voice and he purred. She blushed. He lowered his head to let her touch his muzzle. She weaved her fingers in wonderment through his fur that floated like water around them. He was cool to the touch only his skin underneath the hair was warm. Tidus couldn't resist his animal instinct to lick her cheek in affection. She flushed an even deeper red but smiled none the less. A small crowd had formed around them looking at him in curiosity. Fear they lie off when they saw the High Summoner stroke the strange animal. A small child ran up to Tidus giggling. He looked at the kid and sat down letting it climb on his head. The mother almost lost conscious at the sight. More children ran up to him and tugged at his fur and long, pointed ears. The only indication that he felt discomfort was the slight twitching of his muzzle.
"Tidus, it's time." He heard Lenne call to him. Tidus shook a bit and got the children to climb of off him giggling. He turned around and trotted to the songstress. She smiled gently and patted his muzzle. With a swing of her staff she quitted the summoning and Tidus felt his body returning to human. He stretched his paining muscles. The blond Blitzer had almost forgotten how it hurt after he turned back. Lenne waited calmly for him to stretch his aching muscle. Tidus looked up and met her meaningful stare. "Alright." He said with a sigh and picked up Caladblog. "Time to cancel the summoning." She nodded in approving.
"Goodbye, Sis." He said and twirled his sword. She smiled and he heard her faintly say before she dissolved into Pyreflies again. "Goodbye, Big Bro." A bittersweet smile crossed his features. He missed her. Another sigh and he dropped on his back. "Tidus!" He heard Yuna shout in concern. She sprinted to his side and kneeled down next to him. He looked at her through half-lidded eyes. "A summoning and being summoned at the same time is much too exhausting for my taste." He stated groggily groaning lightly. His muscles still throbbed in pain. Yuna lightly ran her fingers through his hair. "Let's bring you back to the Celcius." She looked up at her friends pleadingly. Buddy sighed. "Alright, guys, let's carry him." Simultaneous groans could be heard before Tidus felt hands grab him and lift him up. That was the last think he remembered before falling asleep out of exhaustion.