Lulu's Secret
Disclaimer: FF 10-2 belongs to Square Enix.
Kai was standing in front of a glass cabinet, staring curiously at the locked up dolls his mother kept. He didn't completely understand why she kept them locked, but assumed it was because they were delicate, easily breakable in the rough hands of a child. What other reason could it have been? Either way they sure gave him a funny feeling, every time he walked by the glass he felt a weird sensation. Almost as if they were living things, eyeing him as he glided past. The Moogle doll was not inside the safely locked cabinet, he'd seen his mother keeping the doll on her person every time she went to work. Maybe it was her favorite?
The dolls left inside were interesting, but he really liked the Moomba. It's wild mane of hair and chunky paws amused him. If only he could somehow open the glass and just take a better look, maybe touch it even and feel how soft the material was.
"Kai, come eat your dinner." Lulus voice called from the kitchen, the child sighing and reluctantly leaving the locked up toys. How could his mom tease him so by having such fun looking things there to see but not touch? Unfair!
He plodded in, his nose enjoying the smell of fried potatoes and roasted meat. The food his mom made was so much better than the stuff they had fed him at the orphanage. He sat down next to his brother who was seated in a high chair. Lulu was spooning some mushy looking junk into the open mouthed Vidina.
"Whatcha feeding him?" Kai asked his mom, beginning to spoon his own yummy food into his hungry maw.
"Boiled carrots." She answered him, chuckling at the look Kai must have had on his face. That sounded as gross as it looked!
"Can we ask Mr. Praetor about another chocobo ride?" Kai inquired, his mouth talking with some food still in it.
"Don't talk with your mouth full. And it's not Mr. Praetor, you must be respectful and call him Praetor Baralai." Lulu corrected him, her hands busy wiping Vidinas face after he spat up a little. "Things are extremely busy right now, I don't believe he will have time to do any chocobo riding. You'll just have to wait, Kai." She explained, trying to get her youngest to eat more of the orange colored mush.
Kai rolled his eyes and gave a sigh. Grown ups were always telling him to wait! When was he ever going to be able to do anything fun on his schedule? Why did adults have to be the ones always in charge? He grumpily ate the rest of his dinner, wishing he had his own pet chocobo to go out and ride whenever he felt like it.
-0-0-
Baralai had contacted lady Yuna, he had explained what had happened to the Leblanc woman and pleaded for her to perform a sending. Even though she was no longer a summoner, she still held the power to send souls. Baralai was worried that with the violent way Leblanc had died, her soul might be angry and susceptible to turning into a fiend. The kind hearted Yuna agreed to meet the Praetor in Guadosalam, there he could personally help with calming the worried city, while Yuna preformed her spiritual task.
Lulu accompanied him, their faithful chocobo mount carried them there early in the morning, rushing through the fogged streets of Bevelle. Though Baralai enjoyed fog, this day was making it come off eerie, foreboding. His mind was filled with anxiousness as they rode on in silence, his mount now trotting through the pathways along the white trees of Macalania Woods.
"You are not alone in your task, Praetor." Lulu spoke up, shattering the silence between them. Her right arm was around his neck while the other rested in her lap. She had grown more comfortable being near him while in the saddle, not gripping the horn of the saddle for dear life like last time.
"Your presence will help keep my dread in check. The people living in Guadosalam need reassurance, living in fear is by no means healthy." He conversed with the black mage, truly glad that she had accompanied him.
She had reason not to, the thought of running into another confrontation with her ex husband came to mind. Yet here she was, willing to deal with the possibility of seeing Wakka, for Baralai's sake.
"Your voice alone will keep them calm, your presence has a positive effect on many people." She reassured him, trying to boost his confidence before their arrival.
The youthful faced Praetor smiled graciously at her compliment. "Does my voice calm you as well, Lulu?"
The mage blushed at the way he looked at her while asking his silly question. Her eyes turned forward, watching the trail ahead of them. His chest began to rumble, the man chuckling lightly at her, the mage humphed. Why did he sometimes cause her to feel so flushed? It was becoming rather silly, this butterfly feeling she got in her stomach at the way he sometimes looked at her. She was not some young mentally fogged girl, who got googlie eyed at any attractive man smiling at her!
"Stop it, Lulu!" She scolded herself.
"Stop what?" Baralai's voice called, his breath at her ear making a shiver run down her spine.
"It's nothing." She quickly responded, pissed at herself for speaking aloud and having the Praetor hear her.
-0-0-
Guadosalam wasn't known for its joyful atmosphere, but it did have some form of calmness. As they entered the city an unsettling feeling hit both Praetor and secretary, people were hiding in their homes. No sphere hunters even paced the streets.
They met with Yuna in front of the chateau, her face held great concern. She wore her flirty attire, looking slightly out of place holding onto her old staff. How long had it been since the last time she used it?
"Lady Yuna, thank you for coming. Shall we enter?" He gestured to the front door.
"The Farplane has a strong presence here, I'm worried that maybe something is off balance." Yuna confided to the two companions, her hand reaching for the door and going inside first.
The large form of Ormi the henchman was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Embalming spells had been used on the body upstairs, Leblanc's death having happened a day ago now. Even with the spell, a very sharp smell still wafted down to the people below.
"Good, you're here." The rounded man addressed them. "Logos is up there waiting." He informed them, the companions began to make their way towards the deceased and her other faithful subordinate.
They found Logos sitting down in a chair across from the covered body, his eyes holding a lost look about them. His head turned at the sound of their entrance, the lost look quickly placed with cold neutrality.
His long legged form stood, his arms crossing as he walked towards the three.
"You've finally arrived, now we can move forward and get down to. . . business." He had stretched at finding the right word used lastly.
"Of course, I'm sure you've all been worried. Lady Yuna is here to help as well, she'll make sure your mistress is properly put to rest by performing a sending." Baralai began to inform the other, watching a sadness rush through Logos face, which was covered quickly by a bow of his head.
"I once was a religious man, before signing on with our mistress. . . Even though I know Yevon has it's lies and deceit, I still want to believe that she's in a better place. Lady Yuna, you have a former Yevonites hope. The last he's got left, don't let her spirit turn. I'll never forgive you or myself if it's already to..." He kept his head down and pushed past them and stood just outside the door. "Just make things right." He spoke, his voice choked up sounding as he completely left them to it.
"I never knew he cared so much about her. I assumed she was just an employer." Baralai commented to the two living women in the room.
"Sometimes, when you work with someone long enough, you gain a bond. I will do my best to help him deal with his grief, by making sure her soul is truly sent." Yuna spoke, determined. Her arms raised with her staff in both hands, her body language indicating she was about to do the traditional dance for sending. Lulu and Baralai gave her plenty of room and watched in awed silence at the spiritually beautiful motions.
Unintentionally, Lulu found her lips humming the Hymn of the Fayth. The habit was there from so many past experiences with her summoner friend, Yuna. Her ears picked up the male tones of Baralai, he too was humming the Song of Prayer. The former summoner twirled and stepped lightly as she called for the soul of Leblanc to rest in peace.
After a few minutes, Yuna ended her sending and turned her attention to the Praetor and black mage. Her face still held a concerned look, as if she was uncertain if her skills still got the job done.
"We need to visit the Farplane, that's the only solid way to make certain she's sent." Yuna confided with the others, her body moving past them and out the door. Baralai and Lulu followed closely behind, wanting to witness the truth for themselves.
-0-0-