Final Fantasy X and PlayStation are owned by Square Enix and Sony, respectively, meaning they do not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Final Fantasy X storyline (such as Rayne and Marcus) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.
(Armor and Kaje)
Several battles later, the group came across Gatta and Luzzu. The two Crusaders seemed to be arguing, and the three Spiran islanders of the group felt it a bit of a familial duty to intervene, if necessary. They drew closed quietly, though taking into consideration the noise Gatta was making, stealth wasn't necessary.
"Bur, sir, I came all the way from Besaid to fight!"
Luzzu turned away and evenly replied, "Orders are orders."
Gatta clenched his hands and gritted his teeth, "But sir…!"
Luzzu turned back around to say something, but paused when he saw the group. Gatta turned as well, and the two Crusaders looked over them. When Luzzu's eyes met Rayne's, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. She abruptly turned away and stared at the cliff wall as the argument continued.
'His eyes… have the look of someone who… has already accepted their fate. He knows… he knows that he won't survive. Oh, Luzzu…' She wrapped her arms around her stomach and clenched her eyes shut.
"Wakka, there may not be another chance for this; there is something I need to tell you."
"Luzzu, no!"
"Luzzu!"
Lulu and Rayne both turned to the Crusader, who refused to meet their eyes. Wakka looked between the three, slowly asking, "What's goin' on here?"
Luzzu glanced in Lulu and Rayne's directions, still refusing to look at them. "I am sorry." He then drew himself to his full height and looked squarely at Wakka. "I am the one who convinced Chappu to enlist."
Lulu gasped and Rayne turned away again, her fingers digging into her stomach. 'Damn…'
There was a moment of silence, followed by Wakka muttering several curses under his breath and the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Rayne heard Tidus shout, "That's enough, Wakka!"
Rayne turned back to see Tidus holding Wakka back, Luzzu crumpled under their feet. Wakka stumbled backwards and glared at the man, "Chappu said… Chappu said that after the game, he was gonna propose to Lulu. Then one day, just like that, he goes and becomes a Crusader, and leaves her alone."
"Chappu… Chappu also said," Luzzu gritted as he stood, "That being with your girl is good, be keeping Sin far away from her is better."
Wakka growled and turned to Lulu, "Lu, you knew?"
The Black Mage nodded and Luzzu chuckled, "She hit me, too."
The ex-blitzer then turned to Rayne, "Lady Rayne?"
Rayne didn't acknowledge him, and Luzzu sighed, "She found out about it early and tried to talk him out of it. When she couldn't, she turned one me and…"
Rayne shifted a little and spoke in a quiet voice, "And I completely pummeled the crap out of him." She turned back at glared at the Crusader, "Turning someone down a road that leads only to certain death is a great shame, but begetting someone out of wedlock is even greater, and that fool just happened to do both."
Luzzu dropped his head and was silent. A moment later, Lucil rode up and called for the Crusader to report to his post. He was just about to obey the command when Yuna ran out in front of him and held her arms out wide, "Sir Luzzu, no!"
Rayne heard Auron sigh, "Yuna, let him go. The man has already chosen his fate."
The summoner looked at her guardian with wide, entreating eyes, then lowered her head and backed away, allowing the doomed man to walk passed. When he was nearly out of earshot, Wakka ran forward and called out to him, "Hey, you better not die out there, you hear?!"
Luzzu turned back and chuckled grimly, "So you can hit me more?"
Wakka nodded and raised his arm, "Lots, lots more!"
The Crusader chuckled again, then turned and walked onto the lift, disappearing a moment later as the platform raised out of sight. Rayne watched him go with eyes filled with sorrow, her fingers still digging into her stomach.
"Rayne…"
She looked down at Yuna, who was looking up at her with grief-stricken eyes, "Will you still cry for me?"
Rayne closed her eyes and wrapped one arm around the young girl, "Always, hun, but not right now. Something tells me that there will be many more to cry for when this whole operation is over."
Yuna nodded and hugged her guardian, face pale. They stood like this for a moment before Tidus softly called out, "It's time."
They turned to him to find the whole group watching them, similar expressions on their faces. Yuna sighed and wiggled out of Rayne's grasp, walking to head the group. She paused briefly to turn and nod to her guardians, who nodded back and set off after her, Rayne trailing in the back.
'The eyes of one whom as acknowledged and succumbed to their fate before they have met it. How many more such eyes will we have to see before the end of this operation and before the end of the pilgrimage? Will Yuna's eyes ever look like that? Tidus's? Wakka's? Lulu's? Kimahri's? Auron's? ...Mine?'
When the group stepped off of the lift, they were met with the sight of miles upon miles of machina weaponry. Great cannons and guns were nestled into the shelves of the rocky cliffs, lattice networks of stairs and ladders connecting all routes. Al Bhed and Crusaders alike were walking among the paths above, and below on the thin strip of beach the Chocobo Knights were falling into their formations, swords and lances glittering in the overcast light.
Wakka glared at all of this and walked over to the edge, head swerving back and forth. He growled and glared at the closest cannon, "Stupid machina weapon!" He kicked it, froze, and then fell backwards clutching his foot and howling in pain.
Rayne shook her head and followed Yuna as she walked on, the young summoner seemingly oblivious to her guardian's pain. The young summoner looked around her in horror, multicolored eyes scanning over people and objects in fascination and fear. Rayne could understand her reaction; how had so many been amassed for this occasion? How long had this effort been advertised? How long had Yevon been apart of this?
They soon arrived at a blanketed wall, where they found Gatta posted sentinel. He saluted and grumbled lowly, "The operation is about to start. Please, take your places."
Tidus walked up to the disgruntled young man, "You still upset?"
"Of course!" Gatta shouted, spreading his feet and clenching his hands, "This is what I have been looking forward to for as long as I have been a Crusader, and they put me here! I want to show all of them, and Luzzu, that I can fight!"
"If you want to prove yourself, you must first complete the tasks you are given." Auron said, stepping forward to look Gatta in the eye.
The young Crusader grumbled and resumed stood back at attention, resentment and anger still evident in his eyes.
When the party had walked off, Rayne stepped up to Gatta and whispered in his ear, "Gatta, even if you don't understand now, know this; where you are is probably the best position for you. It is true that you have a duty here, but until you straighten yourself out, this position is no more than you deserve. Besides, Luzzu is only thinking of your protection, and deserves more than your anger."
She then walked through the entrance, leaving Gatta brooding. On the other side, she ran into a horrific sight that froze her. Auron. Being hugged. By another man. A really fat man. A really fat, bald, pale man. Auron didn't like he was enjoying himself look too much, but he made no move to remove the man.
When the man pulled himself away from Auron, he looked him up and down, "Auron, good to see you. Ten years now, isn't it?"
Auron chuckled, "Kinoc. I see time has changed you."
Rayne shook her head and heard Lulu mumbling something to Tidus, so she inched her way over and listened. "Wen Kinoc, a maester of Yevon."
'Gah!' Rayne frowned and stepped back. 'More masters. They're everywhere! Then again, I suppose I should expect no less from disciples of Yevon.' She then tuned back into Auron and Kinoc's conversation. She listened for a few moments before she backed away, shock and disgust evident on her face. Auron was turning away from Kinoc when he noticed her and walked over.
"Rayne?"
She growled and backed away, "I really need a walk right now, before I bash that man's teeth down his throat."
Auron nodded and let her walk away, watching silently as her hands clenched and unclenched repeatedly. On the other side of the blanket wall, Rayne saw O'aka standing in the shadows, talking to a soldier. She walked over to him just as the soldier walked off, several Potions in his hands but a scowl on his face. She turned back to the merchant, "O'aka, are you taking advantage of this?"
The merchant looked up and grinned at her, shoving Gil into his purse, "You bet I am. These 'Operation Mi'ihen' prices are going to make me a fortune!"
Rayne narrowed her eyes, but quickly shook off her anger. 'It's useless to get frustrated with him, he has no clue.' "Listen, could I have another look at your wares?"
O'aka nodded, a puzzled expression on his face, "Sure, but whatever for?"
She looked at several bulky bundles behind him, "Armor."
He nodded and took the bulky bundles off of his back, rolling them out onto the ground, "What kind?"
Rayne crouched, "Magic type, but not rings or bangles. They don't tend to like me much."
He nodded, "Alright, I got several other types here, but I suppose it really depends on how they react to you." He laid out several bunches of necklaces, a few piles of circlets, some belts, and a couple of corset-looking breastplates. Rayne looked at the corsets and raised a brow.
"You serious about these?"
The merchant looked at what she was pointing to and nodded, "Yeah, those're really old. Them types ain't been in much use since a thousand years ago in the Holy City, but there are still a few makers, though they're really more collectables than actual armor. I carry a few around, though, just in case."
Rayne nodded skeptically and reached for the necklaces, not prepared for what was to happen next. When her hand was only two inches away, the necklaces gained lives of their own and leaped at her, chains of various colors and thicknesses wrapping around her wrist. Then, several charm bearing necklaces slithered up her arm and began to tear into her skin, blood running down her arm. Rayne yelped and began yanking the chains off of her arms, vaguely noticing O'aka's hands joining in to help tear them away.
When they had all been removed, Rayne took a Potion and rubbed it all up and down her arm, "Alright, so we know that necklaces aren't the way to go." When her wounds had faded, she looked reluctantly at a pile of circlets. "Well, here goes nothing."
She reached out and picked up a simple silver band. The metal was cool, and none of the other circlets reacted. She heard O'aka breath a sigh relief ("So far, so good, then"), but she ignored him and set the circlet on her head. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the metal constricted sharply to grip her head and began to burn her scalp. Her hands flew to her head to rip the diadem off, the smell of burning flesh invading her senses. A few moments later, the circlet fell back onto the canvas, its red hue quickly fading back to silver.
Rayne sighed and pulled out another Potion, wincing as she rubbed the gooey liquid onto her crispy and flaking forehead and hands. "Well, at least it spared my hair."
Before she could touch the belts, O'aka's hand stopped hers and she met his worried eyes, "You sure you want to keep doin' this?"
She snorted and brushed him off, "Any injures these give me can easily be repaired by a Potion. Besides, I'm already halfway through, and either the belts or the breastplates are bound to work." 'Though I do hope it's the former…'
She had no such luck, though, for when she reached out for an ornately decorated leather belt, it coiled back and arched like a snake, the metal buckle facing her and the thin metal latch flickering like a tongue. She pulled back slowly, then quickly as the belt struck at her. When the belt was sure that she wasn't going to make any further attempts to grab it, it fell limp and returned to its simple belt appearance. 'I am so glad that shopping back home was never this bad, or I would have been scarred early on in life.'
The corsets being the only armor left, Rayne looked at them with disdain. "You have got to be kidding me."
O'aka chuckled sympathetically, "Sorry, love, but that's it. It's either the plates, or some other armor O'aka hasn't gotten, and that's not possible."
Rayne sighed and reached out for one of the corset-like apparatus, half praying for it to explode on contact. She was surprised to find it make of thick, hardened leather. "How do you wear these?"
"Um… I think you just put it on over your normal clothes, like an over shirt or a vest."
"Problem with your theory, O'aka," She held the armor in his face, "This has no shoulder straps."
He chuckled nervously, "Well, when all of the laces are done, it really should hold itself in place."
Rayne groaned and stood, "Help me with it, then." She took off her jacket and held the front of the armor to her chest, turning to allow O'aka a chance at the cords. She felt his fingers work deftly at them, lacing them through the holes and pulling tightly as he went. "Get it too tight, merchant, and it'll be your fingers."
He chuckled and worked on, making sure to leave a bit of slack. When he was done, Rayne found herself wearing a tan leather breastplate with accented beige outlining. It was long enough to cover the mesh of her dark blue shirt, but left her bags hanging free in easy access. It was slimming to her waist and broadened a bit at the bust, holding her shirt tight against her skin on her upper chest. Rayne was still praying that it would have a violent reaction.
Five minutes later, Rayne reluctantly paid O'aka for the armor and shrugged her jacket back on, using the zipper for the first time, ever. She grumbled her thanks and walked away, deciding to meander among the machina while her mind turned to more pressing matters.
'Alright, so the only reason Yevon is supporting this operation is so a large number of non-Yevonites will be eliminated. Damn, I knew Yevon was screwed up, but this?... This is monstrous. And Kinoc and Seymour both looked so… pleased at thinking about all of those deaths. Like two kids watching a one-sided game of dodge ball from the sideline. It's sick…'
She didn't notice that she was clenching and unclenching her hands until she felt something drip off of her fingers and looked down, watching as her blood soaked into the sand. 'If only that were the only blood that need be shed this day. …Where are my gloves?' She dug her gloves out of a pouch, not bothering to heal her hands as she pulled the cloth over her bleeding skin.
She was about to zone out again when something tugged hard on her braid. Thinking she had gotten it caught on a cannon or a rock, she was shocked when she turned and found a young teenage boy, kneeling and clutching her braid. She could tell from his dress that he was Al Bhed; he was wearing the basic Al Bhed jumpsuit and goggles, and his hair went down to his ears. She wasn't sure how to handle the situation. 'What's the point of yelling at him if he probably can't understand me?'
He pulled on her braid again and she knelt frowning. The boy then held her braid in front of her face and pointed at it, grunting. Rayne quirked a brow, "Yes, that is my hair. You're pulling it, and it hurts. Please give it back." She spoke slowly, hoping he would understand.
The boy grunted and pointed at her braid again, shoving it further into her face and forcing her look at it more closely. She then noticed he was pointing at her beads. 'Rikku's beads. The beads of an Al Bhed. Rin recognized them, too.'
She took the braid from his hand and pointed to the beads, "Al Bhed."
The boy grunted and nodded.
Rayne pointed to the braid again and said, "Rikku."
The boy balked a bit and muttered, "Rikku?"
She nodded, "Rikku…" She paused and leafed around through her Al Bhed, trying to remember a few words. "Rikku… ec so…vneaht. Gah, is that even right?!" She screamed at the sky.
The boy snapped her out of it by grabbing her shoulders and giving her a brief hug. "Vneaht uv dra Al Bhed. Vneaht uv dra Al Bhed."
Rayne was a bit shocked, but she hugged the boy back and silently translated what he had said. ''Friend of the Al Bhed.' I guess they need all of the friends they can get…'
After a moment, the boy let her go and began to speak in, surprisingly enough, broken Spiran, "Listen. Tell… Rikku… that… Kaje… s-said he… sents his… muja. Please?"
Rayne smiled and nodded, "Yes, Kaje, I will."
"Rayne!" They both turned to see Auron standing close by, "Let's go, the operation is about to begin."
Rayne nodded and turned back Kaje, hugging him briefly, "Goodbye, Kaje."
"Rana," He handed her three purple pamphlets, "Al Bhed primers." He then hugged her, whispering into her ear, "Bnao vun sa."
Rayne stood and backed away, watching as the young boy walked back to his cannon, sitting in his seat and looking over the leavers. After a brief moment, Rayne turned and walked to Auron.
"You alright?"
She looked at him, not bothering to hide the tears that were glistening in her eyes, "Yevon will pay for this."
Auron nodded, his eye steely, "That they will."
Rayne looked around her, eyes passing over all of the people and equipment one final time. She then set her eyes forward and glared at the Command Center, "Let's get this over with."