I am warning you now… This chapter contains Yaoi! For those of you who might not know what that is, it's male on male action, but this is a T+ story, so I kept it…pretty clean. YES it IS SIGNIFICANT to the story. Why? Well, keep reading and you'll find out.
By the way, to the person who asked me in the reviews: No, Ava's weapon is not based off of Assassins Creed. I have always been a huge fan of the arm blades, but yes, her blades and her fighting style is reminiscent of AC. Thanks everyone who reviewed!
Chapter 3
Forever is never long Enough (Part 2)
"You haven't eaten since Besaid?" Lulu's incredulous tone was like a knife. Suddenly Ava was five again, being scolded for something she didn't quite understand. Perhaps that was a natural talent though, she would guess from how Lulu always held herself – a natural parent.
"I get seasick," Ava said, "I was a fool to eat in Besaid!" They were still on the boat, waiting for it to return to the docks. Ava was sitting against the railing, eating a piece of bread that Lulu happened to have on her. It wasn't much, but it was enough. The food was gone in minutes.
"Yuna," Lulu turned her exasperated tone to the Summoner, "What happened?"
The Summoner was silent for a moment, then shook her head. "Tidus and I went to go to the Café, where I had heard that Sir Auron was a-"
"Auron?" Ava looked up. Something about her had changed, her eyes had turned violent. She stood suddenly, and judging by the startled look on the face of the two women, she didn't appear happy, "He's here? In Luca? Right under my nose… Damn you Damien, why do you always have to be right."
"Th-That's Sir Auron!" Yuna corrected with a certain amount of bravado that seemed to be rare for her.
Ava folded her arms solidly over her chest, "He'll be the Late Sir Auron if I ever get my hands on him." She spat, walking to the bow, the docks coming up close.
Yuna appeared to be ready to say something, when her air changed and something seemed to change, "You…knew Sir Auron?" she asked, coming up behind the scornful woman.
"No." she spat, clenching her jaw, "I knew the fake Auron. I knew the kind that made promises and sought adventure. I knew the Auron that had your back whenever you needed him."
"That sounds a lot like the Sir Auron I've heard of." Yuna breathed, her good nature clashing with Ava's distinct rage.
"Don't believe everything you hear, lady Yuna." She said. The boat came to a stop, and everyone filed out. "The man is a cruel liar, he abandoned me when I needed him most, and I paid dearly for my overly trusting nature."
"Auron's not like that!" Tidus's voice cut through. Ava ignored him.
As they moved down the docks, she felt more questions in the air when they saw the blitzball reel on the screen above them. Technically, Ava had stayed for the first round. She still had the opportunity to leave, now that the Summoner was safe…but the promise of Auron made her foolishly cheat danger, just as her friend had foretold.
The Aurochs were tied up, two and two, and Wakka didn't appear to be in the best of conditions. Ava sighed.
"Hey!" Yuna turned as Ava was walking away, "Where are you going?"
"Lady Yuna," she sighed, "Meet me at the steps to the Mi'hen Highroad after the game is over. I have more business to take care of." She sighed, closing her eyes, "Await my return and…I will consider following you as a Guardian, should you so desire." She turned and continued walking.
(Warning: Yaoi ahead!)
Ava was on her way up towards the entrance to the Mi'hen Highroad when she came across a rather interesting scene. Hands in her pockets as she made her way up, she heard two familiar voices. Curious about their hushed tones, she hopped up and managed to peek over the top of the steps, to watch the scene going on…
It was the Crusaders from Kilika. She strained for names for a moment, but then realized she had never gotten them. She watched, though, with innate interest.
The smaller of the two, the one with the dark hair and skin paced the ground uneasily, nervous about something. His face was twisted with disparity, his eyes dark with a sea of emotions. It was strange, that this one had such emotional eyes for a Crusader. "Sir," he began, "I don't have a good feeling about this!"
The red haired man sighed and shook his head, folding his arms over his chest. Ava studied his face, deeply etched with a practiced mask. She almost couldn't see the same worry in him, "Gatta," he began, "Leave the formalities. We're friends here." He sighed, "Now, what don't you have a good feeling about?"
Gatta gritted his teeth, "I just…I don't feel good about this operation, I'm worried about it." He hugged himself, everything about him showing obvious and distinct insecurity.
"I've been in operations like this before." The larger said, walking up to his comrade. He reached out and patted the boy's head with his hand, and kept it there, "I feel good about this. Sin is going to die."
Gatta reached up and took his friend's wrist, guiding it down to cup the side of his face. Ava blinked, as things clicked in her mind. "Sin is always reborn, Luzzu. Sin always comes back, he takes lives wherever he goes and he doesn't care who he takes! I can't let him take you!"
Luzzu's eyes filled with pain. Ava realized then and there that he knew the most probable outcome of whatever was going to happen. She had seen that look before, and a mixture of hatred, anger and resentment rose in her chest. This man was going to do whatever necessary to protect the other…even if it meant hurting him beyond all belief.
Even if it meant destroying a huge part of him to do so…
Ava felt sick to her stomach, and clenched her hand around the base of the concrete. Memories flashed, and made her roil with new anger, but this wasn't her story, and this wasn't her time to interfere. The scene continued.
Luzzu didn't answer Gatta. Both Ava and Gatta could see it in the man's eyes, the darkness and the fear… Luzzu leaned down and took Gatta's lips in a gentle kiss, making the smaller man swoon, and for a split second, forget his own worries and fears. His hand tightened around Gatta's face, prompted him closer as he pushed him back to deepen their kiss.
Ava trembled. She choked back tears of rage and sorrow. A particularly vivid flashback revealed a rock in Luzzu's hand, and the pain returned in Ava's head. The darkness, the uncertainty.
She could take no more. She ducked down, and ran with all of her power towards the stadium, forgetting why she had come to this place anyway. If she ever saw Him again, Yevon have mercy, she would kill him with her bare hands…
(End yaoi scene!)
Turns out, the Aurochs made it to the finals. Ava was mildly and pleasantly surprised as she stood at the very top of the dome, on the concrete stepping overlooking the stadium. The wind was strong, and there was a distinct scent in the air. One that always preceded trouble. As she listened, she heard first the wild cheers of the people as the Aurochs and the Goers played, then she listened further. She heard the Maesters discussing matters amongst themselves, further still, she heard something peculiar. The low snarl of a monster, a fiend.
More fiends could be heard now, rattling around in cages, pulling against tethers. The woman came back to reality, just in time to watch Wakka shoot the final attempt. The score was tied three to three, only seconds left in the game. There was a terrible sound, and the entire stadium shook for a split second as fiends poured in through the openings to the stadium.
Taking a deep breath, Ava prepared herself. She knew something bad was going to happen, it always did. Shrieks ensued, the buzzer rang, the Aurochs won the game in the final seconds, but the victory was bittersweet. Everything happened at once.
The air around Ava shook, the ground quivered again with a new power as a red ring appeared on the ground, expanding out. Symbols touched the ground as she ran, and leapt off the side of the edging, falling a good distance before she was swept up onto the back of a rather large monster. Beneath her feet were blackened feathers, a grotesque creature that resembled something of an enormous raven, with massive back talons and one long clawed arm. Where the other arm would have been, black sludge oozed like blood. Only one red eye was visible, and feathers fell as he flew through the air.
"Rael!" Ava said, balancing on his back. The monster growled, a deep and low rumbling that reverberated through the air, "Take care of the flyers, I'll get the crawlers down below!"
The beast growled again, then roared and swept downward, hugging the side of the stands for a moment as Ava leapt off. She had her blades drawn and lashed out at the closest dingo as he made a dash at her. Fiends were everywhere, and Ava didn't know how she would go about protecting all of the people.
Above her, Rael struck with precise accuracy and blinding speed, killing many of the creatures in a single blow. Ava turned, and started to work methodically, with swift, killing blows. She cut down fiend after fiend, rushing to the sound of the closest scream when…
The flash of a red coat caught her attention, the flickering gleam of the silver katana flashed in the air as a Garuda fell from the air, taken down by Tidus, Wakka and…
"AURON!" For a split second, the entire stadium seemed to go silent. The man in the red coat looked up from behind thin dark shades and caught sight of Ava. She couldn't pinpoint the emotion in his eyes, no, eye…one eye, the other was gone.
Fear and anger rocked through her, her vision wavered and her blades overflowed with some strange magic. Auron recognized the violence in the woman's eyes, and stepped back, prepared to run when a horrendous shriek split the air, clear enough to break Ava of her spell.
She looked up and away from the man, snarling, and caught sight of Rael. The blackened monster roared again before a resounding CLINK snapped through the air. Ava watched in horror as Rael was blasted backwards, falling from the air from the power of the unknown explosion. Confused and suddenly frightened, she twisted and turned to seek out the source of the blast when she caught sight of the gruesome Aeon who stood across the stadium. Garbed in chains and a fearsome shell, with a blue haired Guado and…
The Aeon's gaze narrowed on Ava, "Oh SH-" CLINK!
It was like being hit with…well, Ava didn't know what. One second, she had been standing there, the next, she had been crushed into the bleachers which had bent under the force. Blood dribbled from her lips, and her entire body had gone numb… She realized that she couldn't move.
"Ava!" the voice was so foreign to her, and yet so familiar. Like a dream. She could have sworn that she had simply imagined it.
Rael's roar cut through her numbness, and the woman shook her head, groaning out some. The great beast landed in front of her, and Ava was lifted from the twisted metal. He set her down, and she stumbled weakly, trying to find her balance. "Quickly Ava, before it can strike again."
Ava reached out and climbed onto the beast's back, and he took off before she had a solid grip. "Straight up," she wheezed, "I can't take another blast like that." She turned and watched the monster narrow its eyes again, and she closed her eyes as she heard the inevitable…
CLINK
Rael was knocked sideways, and Ava fell. She watched in horror as the stadium floor came up faster than she had desired. Fear roiled in her chest. She released a scream that she couldn't hear, and seconds before she hit the ground, everything went…dark…
I'm dead… thought Ava weakly, I failed, I died. That thing just killed me dead. Thank you so much, Damien, for talking me into this. I'm too young to go to the farplane just yet! I have so much to live for! Killing Sin, killing Auron, taking down Bevelle, killing Auron… I have too much to live for!
Ava awoke to pain. A very distinct, throbbing, aching, teeth grinding pain. She gasped out and shifted to try and escape it, but her body exploded only in more throbbing, furious pain. She gasped out, reeled and squirmed, and more pain flared through.
Something cold struck her, and she recoiled from it before she was gasping for air. Someone had dumped water on her. "Wake up, fool," the creaky old voice was distant and weak, but it grew stronger, "You're not dead yet, now get up."
Ava gasped some more, and slowly turned herself over onto her stomach, and pushed herself up, onto her knees, and opened her eyes. "Oh, my head," she croaked, then winced, "Oh, Yevon, everything hurts!"
"You're such a baby." The elderly woman couldn't have been taller than five feet, hunched over, squash-faced, thick browed and gray skinned. Ava didn't know what to think or say, so she just blinked and made a strange rasping sound. "And not even a thanks, young lady. Saving your life, you ungrateful lout."
"Hey, hey, old lady, I didn't know you saved me," she groaned again, holding her head as the world spun, "A fall like that, I thought I was a goner for sure."
"You should have been. Shattered your spine, broke all your ribs, both shoulders and arms, cracked your skull." The old lady huffed, a grumpy sound as Ava staggered to her feet, "I almost couldn't piece you back together, you were such a mess. You need to be more careful, my dear."
Ava's thoughts were finally returning to her, and she shook her head, "Who are you, anyway?"
Another grumpy huff. The old woman shuffled past Ava, hands folded behind her hunched back. "You're a lucky one, Ava." She muttered, "Or perhaps very, very unlucky. You've lived the life of a hundred men. You've seen horrors others can't imagine. You've watched countless innocent people die. And to what end? The others before you are gone, and only you remain."
"Hey!" Ava shouted, "What's your point old lady?"
"I am not an old lady. I am the Oracle." She stamped her foot, and the sound echoed through the empty bottom of the stadium, "And you don't have time to be standing here asking me questions! As you waste time talking to me, your fate is walking away."
"Me – you're the one doing the talking, Grandma!" Ava shot, "And what do you mean 'my fate is walking away?' Sheesh, why can't my life make any sense!?"
"Your fate is with the Summoner. And more importantly, with your Guardian."
Ava blinked, "My Guardian?"
"STOP wasting TIME." Ava jumped at the old lady's surprising bark, "Go, Go! The Lady Summoner awaits."
Ava stumbled towards the exit, still confused.
"No TIME to WALK!"
Ava growled, "Shut up Grandma!" The woman threw her arms out, and Rael appeared beneath her, lifting her up on his back. The monster growled, and snarled, then beat his wings and took off into the air. Ava was confused, but didn't argue. She never argued the fact that her life often made no sense. "How are you feeling, Rael?" she croaked, patting the beast's head.
Rael growled as he swept out of the stadium, and soared towards the entrance to the Mi'hen Highroad. The distance was surprisingly short by air, and Ava stumbled to the ground as her beast settled at the top of the steps.
She was indeed a sight. Still sore and broken, she limped down the steps, looking at each anxious face who watched her as if she had two heads. There was a wide gash at the top of her forehead, a good amount of dried blood along the side of her face, and her eyes were unfocused, possibly from the concussion. Tidus, Lulu, Wakka, Kimahri, Yuna…
She stopped three steps from the bottom, her blades flicked out. "You," she snarled. At her back, Rael growled and bared his teeth, standing. Black sludge dripped to the floor. "How. DARE. You…"
Yuna jumped between Ava and Auron, arms outstretched, "STOP!" she breathed. The rest of the Guardians snapped into defensive stances, but Ava's gaze held unwavering to the eyes of the eldest of the Guardians. The man who had changed so much since she had last seen him. But she didn't care. She just wanted to watch him die.
"Do not stand between this, Yuna." Ava's hands quivered when a shock of pain exploded in the back of her head, the aftershock sending her to her knees. She released the locks on the blades, sheathing them to grip the back of her head. Still trembling, she growled.
A large hand grabbed her shoulder. She tried to shrug it off, but tipped to the side and dropped to the steps. "Damn you Grandma, I thought you said you healed me…" The world spun again.
"Yuna," Auron's voice was deeper than she remembered. More steady. More…she couldn't describe it. "Heal her,"
She jerked up, "I don't need her help!" Ava snarled, lashing out with one hand to grab at Auron's throat. She clutched his flesh and looked up into his eyes as a surprised gasp came from the other Guardians. Ava cinched her jaw and tightened her grip, struggling to stay up, to keep this strength. "How long…?" Ava growled. Auron made no move to answer, "HOW LONG!?" she roared.
Her grip on his throat loosened just enough to allow him to talk. His eyes showed no fear. No anger. Only some indescribable emotion, the same that she had seen in Luzzu's eyes earlier that very, very long day. "I…" his voice was soft, "I don't know."
Ava snarled and pushed forward, digging her nails into his neck now, careful not to cut off his air passages just yet. "Two…and a half…" she took a deep breath, "Two and a half years, I waited for you. On those cold peaks of Gagazet." His eyes wavered with something, once more she couldn't describe, "You abandoned me there, Auron. I trusted you and your fool promises."
He was silent.
"Well?" she growled, staring to cut off his air now, "Do you have anything to say? Any final words?"
"No," he said, "I said them ten years ago."
Ava flew into a rage then a dark, clawed hand grasped her, and wrenched her back. She lay there, panting as the rage ebbed slowly, "I hate you." She growled weakly.
"You have every reason to." Auron stood, and turned, "Yuna, please heal her. She has taken a lot of damage."
"But, Sir Auron she-"
"Once she calms down, she will be fine." His words were steady, unwavering. Auron knew he couldn't trust Ava, he was only displaying more of that acute ability to lie. But, she couldn't figure out why he would lie about this. Ava wanted him dead, so why would he…
The world wavered again. A cool air brushed over her, and headache ebbed away slowly. She looked at Rael, who kept one enormous clawed hand over her, but stared intently at Auron. Nobody seemed to be able to say anything, but finally Rael perked up, "Ava will not harm. She will protect."
Ava grumbled, then dropped her head back against the cement steps and closed her eyes. Rael's hand vanished, and the entire beast faded away in a soft light.
Alright, I realize it's probably confusing, but the questions will be answered soon. Halfway through chapter 4, no, the story hasn't died yet!