Authors Note: Ok, another chapter... this one took longer because we have
family over from England ( Anyway, as for the OOCness, I know its hard to
swallow, but I think the best way to know more about a person is to see
what they are like in a personal crisis. Baralai's crisis is building up
in this story, so he has gone from Nice, to nasty and now he is finding out
who he really is inside. I hope you can all tell by the end of this
chapter who it is I'm setting up to take Evil Baralai's place as the
villain in this story. But for all of you guys who have said you like
Baralai evil, there's more of that to come in later chapters too. ( So I
hope this explains it all a bit more.
DISCLAIMER: If I owned Final Fantasy or anything associated with it, do you think I'd be writing fanfic?? (Actually I prolly still would cause its fun and I enjoy getting reviews.. the good and the bad*hint hint* )
Virago was in Macalania Woods, at the Spring. It was near dusk, and there was no sound to be heard but the trickle of the spring. She looked around, cautiously surveying the area. Why was she in the woods? Of all places...
She realized she was wearing her full amour and her sword hung at her hip. "A dream...But this feels so real..." she said quietly to herself. She bent down and grabbed a handful of dirt. While she was looking at it she realized the ring was now on her finger. A perfect fit. *Odd* she thought. Then she heard footsteps behind her. For some reason she suddenly felt scared. Dropping the dirt, she stood and walked a little way into the darkness of the woods, out of the view of whoever was coming. She could still see the Spring and the small clearing in front of it. She crouched low, hand on her sword, waiting. Then she saw someone she did not expect to see. Tidus.
He walked into the clearing and sat down. He waited for five minutes, and just as Virago was about to get up and go and say hello, he looked around at the woods and she was sure he stared right at her, but his gaze then continued as he turned around at more approaching footsteps. Virago turned too to see who it was. She saw someone who she expected to see even less than she expected to see Tidus. It was Shelinda.
*This dream is just getting stranger and stranger...* Virago thought to herself as she drew her sword out an inch, as the traitor approached her friend, Yuna's lover, and sat next to him.
"Hey Shel. How's things?" Tidus asked with an awkward smile.
"I'm great Tidus. Everything is perfect... Well at least it is now..." Shelinda moved closer to Tidus. He leaned away from her.
"Shel, why did you ask me here? Alone...? I'm really pretty busy with Yuna these days, I can't keep running off and not telling her where I'm going..."
"For Yevon's sake... Does anyone ever stop talking about her... It's always 'Yuna this' or 'Yuna that'. She's not that great you know." Shelinda found a rock and threw it into the Spring. It made a plopping noise that seemed unnatural and for some reason really irritated Virago. Shelinda continued. "Anyway, like I was saying, I didn't come here to talk about Yuna... I came here to talk about us..."
"Us?" Tidus' look was almost laughable as he turned to face her. He was always good at making goofy expressions. Virago let out a snort of concealed laughter. Then bit her fingers when Shelinda looked around.
"Yes Tidus... 'Us'..." She said as she turned back to him and grabbed his hand. "I love you Tidus. I always have. Ever since I first met you. I'm almost certain you feel the same about me. Am I right Tidus? Am I?" Shelinda looked at him and held her breath.
Tidus took his hand out of hers and stood up. "I'm sorry Shel, but no, I don't. I love Yuna. I always have and I always will. You're a great friend but I just ... I don't feel that way about you. I'm sure you understand Shel, I practically came back from the dead for Yuna. What she and I have, no one could match... I'm sure you understand..." He looked down at Shelinda who suddenly got up and walked towards the waters edge. She stood silently for a minute. Finally Tidus spoke again. "Shel, I'm sorr...."
"NO!" She screamed as she spun around to face him. The viciousness in her voice made Virago jump slightly, and she drew her sword out another 2 inches. "No I don't understand, Tidus. I love you. Isn't that good enough for you? Aren't I good enough for you??? What makes Yuna so damn special?" Shelinda was pacing irately back and forth in front of the Spring with her hands on her hips. Tidus sighed and smiled to himself, apparently thinking of all the things that made Yuna 'special'. Shelinda could see that she was taking the wrong approach to this, she changed her tone. "And besides," she continued "that Baralai seems to have a thing for Yuna. He's the Praetor you know, and what the Praetor wants, the Praetor usually gets. It wouldn't surprise me if he asked for her hand in marriage soon. And she would have to oblige." She stopped pacing and turned to face Tidus, who gave a short laugh.
"Shelinda, I have fought and killed a person of high ranks within Yevon... You know yourself Seymour's fate. And I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. And besides, Baralai knows Yuna loves me and not him. The whole of Spira knows it. If Baralai loves her then he would know the struggle she has had to get me back, and he would never dream of taking away what she has worked so hard to receive. Baralai is a good man... Besides, I thought you two were kind of an item..."
"Baralai is a damn fool!" Shelinda stamped her foot in frustration. She was getting nowhere, and she hoped it wasn't going to end the way she had promised herself it would if he rejected her. "I've been gone almost a week, and he hasn't once thought to CommSphere me. I told him I loved him, and he said 'I love you too Shelinda.' Yeah? Well love is keeping in contact for fucks sake..." She swore.. Something Tidus had never heard her do before. She had always been so sweet and friendly.
"Shel, what's the matter? You've changed..."
"Changed?? You want to know why? I'll tell you why." She said angrily. "The man who says he loves me ignores me for a week, and the man that I love says he doesn't love me he loves so stupid damn skank with delusions of grandeur who couldn't wear less clothes unless her name was Rikku. And I just spent all my gil on this damn ring for you and now you wont even want it..." Shelinda thrust her hand into her pocket and drew out a ring. Even from her hiding spot under the trees, Virago could see that the ring was the same ring that she herself wore on her finger... Virago looked down at the ring now and noticed its glow had brightened even more. Her thoughts were interrupted by Tidus' voice.
"It's really beautiful Shel... But I couldn't take it. It's not right... Shel I'm really sorry. I can't accept it... I have chosen to be with Yuna, and you can't change that." he said pushing her hand away from him. Shelinda looked down at the ring in her trembling hand.
"Fine, whatever. You know you would have been better off with me than Yuna... You will both regret this..." She said with such malice that Tidus took a step back.
"Look Shel, I think you should go... I have to wait here for the Celsius..." Tidus walked to the edge of the clearing furthest from Virago and faced the Spring. Shelinda, who was now standing to the right and a bit behind Tidus said nothing... She wrapped her fist around the ring, then opened it again and stared at the ring for a few seconds. Then she did something that Virago didn't expect. She put the ring on. She reached under her coat and took something out. Because of the way she was facing Virago couldn't see what it was, but the look on her face was one of wickedness, and this worried Virago. She drew her sword silently all the way out now.
It wasn't until Shelinda was almost a meter away from Tidus that Virago saw what was in her hand. As it caught in the light of the now setting sun, it flashed dimly. It was a blade. Suddenly Shelinda's words 'You will both regret this...' came into Virago's mind. *Shelinda is going to kill Tidus!!!* She thought, standing abruptly. With her sword in her hand she ran towards the pair.
"TIDUS!! LOOK OUT!!" she screamed, but he didn't turn around. The faster she ran towards him, the further away she seemed to get. Just as she burst out of the woods into the clearing, Shelinda was upon Tidus, with the knife ready. Virago screamed again for Tidus to look out, but again, they heard nothing, not even Shelinda looked around. With a stealth that Virago had never seen before, Shelinda drew the blade out to the side, and threw it inwards and upwards into Tidus' side.
"No!" Virago screamed, as she swung her sword to swipe through Shelinda. But as her sword connected to Shelinda's side, Shelinda vanished. Dumbfounded, Virago stood for a moment trying to figure out what had happened. Then she realized... Having not connected with Shelinda, the swing of the blade had kept going, and looking with horror down the length of the weapon, Virago realized it had sliced its way almost 7 inches into Tidus' chest. He looked at her as he struggled for breath and a small trickle of blood came out the side of his mouth. He dropped to the ground, which left Virago standing over him, holding the sword.
"Shit!" she cried, as she threw the sword away and knelt down beside Tidus. "Hold on Tidus, just hold on!" She ordered. She tried frantically to stop the bleeding from his chest, then realized that there was no wound where Shelinda had stabbed him. Not so much as a scratch. "Shit... Shit, shit SHIT!" she kept saying as the bleeding continued and Tidus' face went ghostly pale. He looked up at her.
"Why? Why have you done this to me??" He asked with beseeching eyes.
"Me? I... It was Shelinda, didn't you see her?" Virago tried to explain, but as she spoke Tidus' eyes rolled back into his head and he went limp in her arms. "No.... Oh Yevon no..." She whispered as she lay him down and stood up slowly. As she stood there looking at the young man's body, Pyreflies started to rise out of him and swirl around her. She reached her hand up as one stopped and hovered in front of her. As she lifted it, she realized the ring was now blazing with light. She stared as one of the Pyreflies seemed to vanish into the gem, then watched in horror as they all seemed to get sucked one by one in to ring. Now the ring glowed so fiercely that she could no longer look at it; like white fire engulfing her hand.
Then she heard it. Soft it was at first, but growing steadily louder. Laughter. Louder and louder it got.
Finding her sword on the ground, Virago lifted it up now. "Who's there? Show yourself, coward!" She spoke the words but the laughter didn't stop, nor did anyone come out. It got louder and louder until it seemed to be coming from Spira itself. She dropped her sword and gripped at her throbbing head.
"Stop it!!" she screamed. "Stop it now!!" She fell to her knees as the noise around her seemed to shake her bones.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Suddenly she was back, standing in the small dark room with the stretcher and the small bathroom-ette. There was a figure standing in front of her and in a panic, she threw a solid punch. As it connected and pain shot through her hand, she realized she was no longer dreaming, as Baralai dropped to the floor, clutching at his now bleeding nose...
DISCLAIMER: If I owned Final Fantasy or anything associated with it, do you think I'd be writing fanfic?? (Actually I prolly still would cause its fun and I enjoy getting reviews.. the good and the bad*hint hint* )
Virago was in Macalania Woods, at the Spring. It was near dusk, and there was no sound to be heard but the trickle of the spring. She looked around, cautiously surveying the area. Why was she in the woods? Of all places...
She realized she was wearing her full amour and her sword hung at her hip. "A dream...But this feels so real..." she said quietly to herself. She bent down and grabbed a handful of dirt. While she was looking at it she realized the ring was now on her finger. A perfect fit. *Odd* she thought. Then she heard footsteps behind her. For some reason she suddenly felt scared. Dropping the dirt, she stood and walked a little way into the darkness of the woods, out of the view of whoever was coming. She could still see the Spring and the small clearing in front of it. She crouched low, hand on her sword, waiting. Then she saw someone she did not expect to see. Tidus.
He walked into the clearing and sat down. He waited for five minutes, and just as Virago was about to get up and go and say hello, he looked around at the woods and she was sure he stared right at her, but his gaze then continued as he turned around at more approaching footsteps. Virago turned too to see who it was. She saw someone who she expected to see even less than she expected to see Tidus. It was Shelinda.
*This dream is just getting stranger and stranger...* Virago thought to herself as she drew her sword out an inch, as the traitor approached her friend, Yuna's lover, and sat next to him.
"Hey Shel. How's things?" Tidus asked with an awkward smile.
"I'm great Tidus. Everything is perfect... Well at least it is now..." Shelinda moved closer to Tidus. He leaned away from her.
"Shel, why did you ask me here? Alone...? I'm really pretty busy with Yuna these days, I can't keep running off and not telling her where I'm going..."
"For Yevon's sake... Does anyone ever stop talking about her... It's always 'Yuna this' or 'Yuna that'. She's not that great you know." Shelinda found a rock and threw it into the Spring. It made a plopping noise that seemed unnatural and for some reason really irritated Virago. Shelinda continued. "Anyway, like I was saying, I didn't come here to talk about Yuna... I came here to talk about us..."
"Us?" Tidus' look was almost laughable as he turned to face her. He was always good at making goofy expressions. Virago let out a snort of concealed laughter. Then bit her fingers when Shelinda looked around.
"Yes Tidus... 'Us'..." She said as she turned back to him and grabbed his hand. "I love you Tidus. I always have. Ever since I first met you. I'm almost certain you feel the same about me. Am I right Tidus? Am I?" Shelinda looked at him and held her breath.
Tidus took his hand out of hers and stood up. "I'm sorry Shel, but no, I don't. I love Yuna. I always have and I always will. You're a great friend but I just ... I don't feel that way about you. I'm sure you understand Shel, I practically came back from the dead for Yuna. What she and I have, no one could match... I'm sure you understand..." He looked down at Shelinda who suddenly got up and walked towards the waters edge. She stood silently for a minute. Finally Tidus spoke again. "Shel, I'm sorr...."
"NO!" She screamed as she spun around to face him. The viciousness in her voice made Virago jump slightly, and she drew her sword out another 2 inches. "No I don't understand, Tidus. I love you. Isn't that good enough for you? Aren't I good enough for you??? What makes Yuna so damn special?" Shelinda was pacing irately back and forth in front of the Spring with her hands on her hips. Tidus sighed and smiled to himself, apparently thinking of all the things that made Yuna 'special'. Shelinda could see that she was taking the wrong approach to this, she changed her tone. "And besides," she continued "that Baralai seems to have a thing for Yuna. He's the Praetor you know, and what the Praetor wants, the Praetor usually gets. It wouldn't surprise me if he asked for her hand in marriage soon. And she would have to oblige." She stopped pacing and turned to face Tidus, who gave a short laugh.
"Shelinda, I have fought and killed a person of high ranks within Yevon... You know yourself Seymour's fate. And I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. And besides, Baralai knows Yuna loves me and not him. The whole of Spira knows it. If Baralai loves her then he would know the struggle she has had to get me back, and he would never dream of taking away what she has worked so hard to receive. Baralai is a good man... Besides, I thought you two were kind of an item..."
"Baralai is a damn fool!" Shelinda stamped her foot in frustration. She was getting nowhere, and she hoped it wasn't going to end the way she had promised herself it would if he rejected her. "I've been gone almost a week, and he hasn't once thought to CommSphere me. I told him I loved him, and he said 'I love you too Shelinda.' Yeah? Well love is keeping in contact for fucks sake..." She swore.. Something Tidus had never heard her do before. She had always been so sweet and friendly.
"Shel, what's the matter? You've changed..."
"Changed?? You want to know why? I'll tell you why." She said angrily. "The man who says he loves me ignores me for a week, and the man that I love says he doesn't love me he loves so stupid damn skank with delusions of grandeur who couldn't wear less clothes unless her name was Rikku. And I just spent all my gil on this damn ring for you and now you wont even want it..." Shelinda thrust her hand into her pocket and drew out a ring. Even from her hiding spot under the trees, Virago could see that the ring was the same ring that she herself wore on her finger... Virago looked down at the ring now and noticed its glow had brightened even more. Her thoughts were interrupted by Tidus' voice.
"It's really beautiful Shel... But I couldn't take it. It's not right... Shel I'm really sorry. I can't accept it... I have chosen to be with Yuna, and you can't change that." he said pushing her hand away from him. Shelinda looked down at the ring in her trembling hand.
"Fine, whatever. You know you would have been better off with me than Yuna... You will both regret this..." She said with such malice that Tidus took a step back.
"Look Shel, I think you should go... I have to wait here for the Celsius..." Tidus walked to the edge of the clearing furthest from Virago and faced the Spring. Shelinda, who was now standing to the right and a bit behind Tidus said nothing... She wrapped her fist around the ring, then opened it again and stared at the ring for a few seconds. Then she did something that Virago didn't expect. She put the ring on. She reached under her coat and took something out. Because of the way she was facing Virago couldn't see what it was, but the look on her face was one of wickedness, and this worried Virago. She drew her sword silently all the way out now.
It wasn't until Shelinda was almost a meter away from Tidus that Virago saw what was in her hand. As it caught in the light of the now setting sun, it flashed dimly. It was a blade. Suddenly Shelinda's words 'You will both regret this...' came into Virago's mind. *Shelinda is going to kill Tidus!!!* She thought, standing abruptly. With her sword in her hand she ran towards the pair.
"TIDUS!! LOOK OUT!!" she screamed, but he didn't turn around. The faster she ran towards him, the further away she seemed to get. Just as she burst out of the woods into the clearing, Shelinda was upon Tidus, with the knife ready. Virago screamed again for Tidus to look out, but again, they heard nothing, not even Shelinda looked around. With a stealth that Virago had never seen before, Shelinda drew the blade out to the side, and threw it inwards and upwards into Tidus' side.
"No!" Virago screamed, as she swung her sword to swipe through Shelinda. But as her sword connected to Shelinda's side, Shelinda vanished. Dumbfounded, Virago stood for a moment trying to figure out what had happened. Then she realized... Having not connected with Shelinda, the swing of the blade had kept going, and looking with horror down the length of the weapon, Virago realized it had sliced its way almost 7 inches into Tidus' chest. He looked at her as he struggled for breath and a small trickle of blood came out the side of his mouth. He dropped to the ground, which left Virago standing over him, holding the sword.
"Shit!" she cried, as she threw the sword away and knelt down beside Tidus. "Hold on Tidus, just hold on!" She ordered. She tried frantically to stop the bleeding from his chest, then realized that there was no wound where Shelinda had stabbed him. Not so much as a scratch. "Shit... Shit, shit SHIT!" she kept saying as the bleeding continued and Tidus' face went ghostly pale. He looked up at her.
"Why? Why have you done this to me??" He asked with beseeching eyes.
"Me? I... It was Shelinda, didn't you see her?" Virago tried to explain, but as she spoke Tidus' eyes rolled back into his head and he went limp in her arms. "No.... Oh Yevon no..." She whispered as she lay him down and stood up slowly. As she stood there looking at the young man's body, Pyreflies started to rise out of him and swirl around her. She reached her hand up as one stopped and hovered in front of her. As she lifted it, she realized the ring was now blazing with light. She stared as one of the Pyreflies seemed to vanish into the gem, then watched in horror as they all seemed to get sucked one by one in to ring. Now the ring glowed so fiercely that she could no longer look at it; like white fire engulfing her hand.
Then she heard it. Soft it was at first, but growing steadily louder. Laughter. Louder and louder it got.
Finding her sword on the ground, Virago lifted it up now. "Who's there? Show yourself, coward!" She spoke the words but the laughter didn't stop, nor did anyone come out. It got louder and louder until it seemed to be coming from Spira itself. She dropped her sword and gripped at her throbbing head.
"Stop it!!" she screamed. "Stop it now!!" She fell to her knees as the noise around her seemed to shake her bones.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Suddenly she was back, standing in the small dark room with the stretcher and the small bathroom-ette. There was a figure standing in front of her and in a panic, she threw a solid punch. As it connected and pain shot through her hand, she realized she was no longer dreaming, as Baralai dropped to the floor, clutching at his now bleeding nose...