The end is in sight!
I'm uploading this just before I go to College otherwise this won't go off my mind. Oh well, enjoy!
"You sad?" Vanille chirped, carefully balancing a pair of plates on one wobbling tray, resting precariously in one hand.
After the Sylph had delivered their devastating news, everyone had left. Dajh to apparently tell Sazh, Cid to tell Hope and Asura.
"We might never remember," Vanille murmured, perky, yet her tone was tragic. She finished her sentence as she let the two plates fall neatly, just about in one piece, onto the table. Each contained a meal concocted from Gran Pulse plants, fruits, and several spices. It was a half-interesting, half-impressive mixture of a salad and a pie.
"Hard to miss something you've forgotten," Fang muttered, hiding her own feelings well, taking a bite of the meal.
"That's one way of looking at it," Vanille sighed, spooning another mouthful of her salad-pie-creation into her mouth
"That's your way of thinking about it," Fang chuckled, "Always looking on the bright side, huh?"
"The bright side would be remembering,"
"Yeah," Fang sighed, "The really bright side would be escaping this mess."
"That'd be nice."
The two ate in silence for a while longer.
"What is this?" Fang spoke up, waving a spoon full of green leaves in front of her, before gulping it down, "Tastes like Sylkis."
"It is," Vanille chirruped, "Lightning said-"
"Thunder."
"Alright, Thunder," Vanille giggled, "Said a couple of the chocobo greens were popular among humans too; you can buy Sylkis greens in shops, it's pretty popular."
"Never thought I'd say it, but these Cocoon vipers have good taste." Fang gulped down another spoonful of the Sylkis greens.
"Don't call them vipers," Vanille giggled, "they've got legs."
"Fine," Fang chuckled, "Who'd have thought we'd be friends with the people we tried to kill?"
"Not us," Vanille murmured, sad, "Ragnarok."
"Don't talk about it," Fang gripped her spoon tightly, knuckled turning white, before gradually relaxing, "Sorry Vanille, it just makes me sick. I refuse to be used like that again."
"With any luck, we won't be."
"Luck…that'll be the day."
"We're due for some!" Vanille laughed, "Well, the date's set."
"That it is," Fang let her spoon clang against the dish for a moment, before scraping up the little of the Sylkis greens that were left, "Next week and we're all going to Cocoon."
"To save the world!" Vanille dissolved into giggles at the corniness of the phrase
"Or die trying," Fang finished grimly
"Can we leave that bit out?" Vanille looked up, placing her spoon on her empty plate
"If you want," Fang scraped the last of her meal up, swallowing it, before smiling up at Vanille.
"I do,"
"I do too," Fang chuckled, before frowning, mumbling something
"What is it?" the redhead leant forwards
"Nothing," Fang relaxed her brow, "Just thought I remembered something."
"A wedding?" Vanille tilted her head, "You're not the only one with memory troubles."
"Snow's and Serah's probably."
"Probably, but it's a good sign, isn't it?"
"Hope so." Fang sidled around the table in her chair, getting close enough to put an arm over Vanille's shoulders.
"You think if we remember everything before we go to Cocoon, we'll keep the memories?"
"Maybe," Fang kissed Vanille on the cheek, "But we haven't remembered anything properly yet, just flashes. Weddings, fal'Cie…"
"Buildings and ships and ruins and crystal," Vanille sang, "And something with a lot of heads."
"Barthendelus?" Fang frowned
"Don't know," the redhead giggled, "Can't remember its name. Sounds about right though."
"Dammit!" Fang shouted, composure breaking for a second, during which, she pounded her fist on the table
"Fang?" Vanille frowned, sounding scared
"Sorry Vanille," she inhaled for a moment, "This is driving me crazy, memories just teasing me."
"I thought I was meant to tease you."
"That's not like you, I'm the one who says the double entendres"
"Uh-uh, there's no double with you."
"True enough," Fang chuckled
"What's for pudding?" Vanille tilted her head.
Fang raised her eyebrows.
Vanille giggled, "Told you so! It's never a double entendre with you, just an entendre."
"With you," Fang leant across, meeting Vanille's lips, "Do you blame me?"
Vanille mumbled something, feeling Fang crawl on top of her.
"What was that?" Fang whispered, husky, seductive, making a few very suggestive moves
"Um…no?" Vanille chirruped hopefully
"Good answer," Fang chuckled, moving down Vanille's body.
X
Vanille-2-the-Sylph hovered through the air, surveying the cities, moving along flash by flash. As she travelled, she took in all the sights, the sounds; remembering the world.
It was a habit she'd formed; it started the first day she regained control, she wanted to remember this new world, it might not be her Gran Pulse, but it was still a Gran Pulse, Cocoon Pulse maybe, and as such, it was still her home. She had to make up for how ever many lost years.
A small light illuminated a clearing in a forest so far below. Recognizing it, she dived, swooping silently into the clearing. There was the flash of a Sylph departing. Being sure to focus, she darted up to it, vanishing on the same spot and sliding through the ridges in space, to reappear the same location as the other Sylph.
"Hey Cid," Vanille-2 said, slowing to a halt just next to the other Sylph
"You followed me," he stated, "Are you just getting practice in, or was there a purpose to that?"
"You're getting nerves already?" the Gran Pulsian shrugged, forming a small seat out of rocks and dust, "It's a week until we get busy."
"Who said anything about nerves?"
"You did. We might not be able to read each others' minds, but we're still Sylph, it's easy to read your mood."
"I always act like this," Cid replied, keeping his voice level, facing forwards
"You don't, you really don't. You're blinking slowly, leaves are relaxed, and you sound different."
"You're counting how many times I blink?" Cid replied with quiet amusement
"See! You only respond to one part, any other time you'd answer fully."
"That doesn't mean I'm worried."
"Oh it does, why is it so hard for you to admit it?"
"Because it's a lie."
"Cid," Vanille-2 sighed
"Alright, I'm worried!" Raines snapped, "Happy now?"
"Not really. You shouldn't be."
"It's easy to say that isn't it? Not so easy to do anything about it."
"We've got a whole week before you actually need to be nervous. Besides, what will you actually be doing then? Taking the guys to the Cradle, the rest of us have to distract every single bleeding Sylph from here to Balamb."
"It's not that which is making me nervous," Cid responded, "It is the Sylph; any of them could appear right here, right now, and what could we do about it?"
"Run," Vanille-2 replied, vanishing and reappearing the other side of Cid, "Or fight, you did that Eidolon thing earlier?"
"I doubt I could do it again; it was fluke. I have no brand from which to call it, no way to summon the creature again. It was just the grace of Etro which allowed my survival that once. Also, fleeing would not work, you found me here after I moved."
"True," the other Sylph sighed, before brightening, "Say, want to play chase?"
"What?" Cid sighed wearily
"Chase, see if I can really run from you. I'll run, you follow.
"Fine, anything's better than moping," Cid slowly hovered up, nodding.
Vanille-2 Sylph vanished in a flash, the light of a diamond suddenly flaring up, before fading again. Giving her a couple of seconds, Cid waited, before darting towards that spot of air.
To be honest, he wasn't sure how he could follow other Sylph this way, he just could. The theory they worked with was that they warped by skimming across the boundaries of death, why they seemed to vanish and why there was a light, and by following, they followed the 'footprints' left in the light.
Cid reappeared far above Taejin's Tower. He looked around, sensing several Sylph footprints. Clever. She'd warped several times into this area, confusing the tracks. Concentrating, Raines picked out the most recent trail, using some Sylph instinct he'd kept with him, and slid along it.
A split second later, he found himself in some winding tunnels; his sense of direction told him he was somewhere in the Atomos dwelling, far from Oerba and the Archelyte Steppe. Reacting quickly, he rolled to the side, avoiding a stone as it fell; a stone no doubt loosed by Vanille-2. Deciding she was more inventive than he'd given her credit for, he followed. Flash. Huge sea, breathtaking. Flash. Adamantoises. Rolling from beneath a titanic foot, he once again vanished. Flash. Ice. Flash. Fire. Flash. Beneath an avalanche. Flash.
By now, he was a little bored; after the first few obstacles, things had dulled down, though he kept his guard up; he was being careful, he had to be, around any Gran Pulsian.
Flash. Rooftop. Flash. Cocoon, crystallized. Cid felt a momentary appreciation as he struggled to find a recent trail in the flood of Sylph tracks in this area, before he sensed something that felt a lot like Vanille's tracks, and he vanished again.
He found himself in the empty air this time; above a huge, empty desert. Cid flailed in the air for a moment, unable to sense any tracks, before he was suddenly pushed and pinned to the desert floor by a pair of Sylph leaves.
"What'd I tell you?" Vanille-2 spoke, just above Cid, "It isn't that hard, as long as you try."
"That doesn't mean I'll be ready for next week. I've been controlled by them too many times before. I don't want it to happen again, I won't let it happen again, but I don't know if I can."
"Only you can help yourself there," Vanille-2 let Cid get up, flashing along with him to Fang and Vanille's rooftop.
"Can you hear it?" Cid replied after a second
"Huh?" Vanille-2 paused, surprised and confused at the change of subject.
"Can you hear it? The Sylph?"
Vanille paused, still not completely sure.
"I can," Cid continued, "The Sylph in me. Before, it controlled me, now I'm in control, but I can still hear it screaming."
"We all hear it," Vanille-2 responded, solemn, "That's why we waited so long to contact you; those who regain their sense of self often lose it after a few days."
"I know I shouldn't," Cid admitted, "But sometimes it is just so tempting to give up. To give the Sylph dominance once more. I don't want to, but it's so maddening. One second's lapse of control, and every Sylph will know about us. We'd have scarcely a minute before they come after every one of us, and I doubt they'll be satisfied just killing Dajh this time."
"Then don't give up," Vanille whispered, taking Cid's 'hand' and vanishing with him.
X
Dajh-Sylph rode along the streets, a gently swaying motion, calming comforting. He didn't care what strange looks they got; he might look like a supposed fal'Cie atop a yellow bird, but while he was with Choco, it was more like he was once again Dajh, human, with his closest friend.
Dajh liked the other Sylph; well, those in the resistance. He felt a sense of belonging, of understanding, when among them. Each of them was unique, and yet they all shared something; the same situation and condition. The same, shared impossibility.
But in the end, none of it compared with his friend of several lifetimes, the ubiquitous Choco, just a pet to begin with, growing to the proud bird he now rested atop. Golden feathers, a beak like sunlight, and comforting eyes. What wasn't to like?
Quiet, Dajh gently drew Choco to a stop, just by Sazh's house. He'd started using the garage as temporary stables. The yellow bird nimbly hopped up onto the pavement, before using its thin legs to amble over to the garage. Dajh activated the system, and guided Choco inside.
"You're back then?" Sazh called out of a window, before hurrying around the house and exiting the front door.
"Yeah, hi dad," Dajh chuckled, twirling and hovering out of the still open garage.
"Whatcha do today?" Sazh paced up to Choco, stroking the bird's neck and receiving a chirp in response
"Got plenty of strange looks, fed him a few greens, went for a lap of the old race track,"
"Whoa, the race track? They've still got that?"
"Not really, I think everyone's forgotten about it; it's completely overgrown. Took a little effort to clear it, but worth it. The plaque's still there, right in the middle."
"The plaque of winners? I hope you added your name to it."
"Afraid not dad," Dajh laughed, "I did manage to beat my record on one run though."
"Nice job," Sazh ran his fingers down one of his son's leaves, "Sheesh, I'm never gonna get used to that."
"You won't have to," Dajh murmured, quiet
"Don't mention that, `k?" Sazh responded stiffly, changing the mood instantly, "I don't want to think about it."
"We can't ignore it forever, but sure, I'll pretend I won't vanish once we're done."
"Dajh…" Sazh sighed. "Alright, let's talk about something else. You see Vanille today?"
"Almost. I heard groaning noises from the house and decided to give it a miss."
"You know that never stopped you before."
"I'll give them a free run for once. People always run in on them, it' sonly fair to give them at least one o-"
"Don't finish that sentence," Sazh chuckled, "You seen Cid?"
"Nope. I don't keep track of every Sylph."
"Just wondering if you were practising for next week."
"Oh yeah, he was with us, wasn't he?"
"Don't look at me! You're supposed to be keeping track of these things," Sazh paused, "What was the plan again? I keep forgetting."
"It's simple. The Sylph resistance come out, make a dash for Cocoon, lead all the Sylph away, pincer back in on Cocoon, keep them all busy. We go to Orphan's Cradle after a little diversion, find whatever's keeping the Maker near, and stop it. Then you get the hell out of there, somehow."
Sazh noted Dajh's use of the word 'you'. "Right, and NORA keeps the Sylph distracted on Pulse; we all get into groups before goin' up there, make the Sylph think we're staying down here, before warping up to Cocoon."
"Perfect," Dajh twirled on the spot. "I thought you wanted to change the subject?"
"I just wanted to ask," Sazh lifted his hands up, in a mock-mercy gesture. "By the way, the history documentary's continuing in half an hour; you know, the one you saw yesterday, about us before. Want to see how wrong they are this time?"
"Sure" Dajh nodded, drifting back over to Choco as Sazh re-entered the house.
Dajh-the-Sylph perched on Choco's lightly feathered back, sending the chains of feathers that fell down from Choco's beak gently swaying. Choco let out a light 'Kweh', turning its head to rub against Dajh. The Sylph chuckled, marvelling how, while so different to human eyes, the chocobo had never forgotten him.
Gently, Dajh lightly stroked the yellow feathers that ran down the bird's neck, his favourite feeling. Choco cawed, brushing up against Dajh's small frame.
The mood changed as if a switch was thrown.
The chocobo's gentle murmurs turned to a sudden squawk of alarm, followed by a cautious silence. The ministrations performed by Dajh were forgotten, as the Sylph span around; looking through the now oppressive half-light in the temporary stables.
A new Sylph hovered in the air, just opposite him.
"So, you're Dajh," the Sylph spoke in the unmistakable, squeaky, high pitched tones of a Maker-controlled ghost
"I am," Dajh replied, keeping his tone guarded, turning over to he faced past Choco's tail feathers. The Sylph watched him.
"Odd, I cannot feel you. One of the uprising?"
Dajh knew well enough to keep silent
"Intriguing," the Sylph paused, "Why? Why would you turn away from us?"
"Because I can. I won't betray everyone I know by being controlled."
"Who said anything about betrayal? What of the advantages of being one with us? The knowledge of billions, the feeling of belonging, the memories…"
"I have friends. I've remembered them, and I won't forget."
"That's no bother. They could become Sylph too; you just have to ask," the most chilling thing was the ease, the almost childlike naivety with which the Sylph spoke.
"No!" Dajh suddenly shouted the word, hoping it would just sound like an angry outburst to the Sylph. "I'm fighting to stop anyone having to be Sylph."
"It's not all that bad." It paused, "You're fighting?"
Dajh stayed silent.
"What are you planning?" the Sylph's childlike intonation was replaced by an angry, interrogative sneer
Dajh kept silent, not trusting himself to speak. He'd already revealed too much with a throwaway remark.
"Dajh!" Sazh entered the garage, called by Dajh's earlier cry. He froze upon seeing the new Sylph.
"Another," the Sylph whispered, "We'll have to do this the quick way."
There were two flashes of light. The first was just a twinkle over Dajh: the next was a diamond around the Sylph. S that stranger vanished, the other light dimmed.
In its place was a large chunk of black, steaming stone. The rock fell too fast for anyone to react; the boiling mass of rock crashed down of Dajh and Choco. With a cry of momentary agony under the immense heat, Sylph-Dajh struggled to concentrated, though, a split second later, managed to flash, along with Choco away from the mass.
Dajh looked down. The rock had been heavy; even his deceptively strong Sylph body had felt the weight as it pressed him almost to the floor. He didn't dare think of Choco beneath him; the bird's feathers had been blackened by ash rubbing off the rock, especially around the head. The neck; the neck now sticking out at an unnatural angle.
"Tell me I'm imagining it," Sazh gasped.
Dajh fell off the still bird, rolling, spread out onto the empty pavement. Beside him, legs broken, feathers covered in ash, lay Choco. The bird's beak still faced forwards, unspoiled save for a mild crack running down one side. The eyes were closed by gravity. The feathers along the head were still a striking gold, mostly unspoiled by the heated stone. The feathers continued down the bird's thin neck. Up until an unnatural bend, a snap, caused by the crushing descent of the Sylph's rock.
Choco had died; and the thing that scared Dajh the most was the frightening ease with which it had happened; a lone thought, bored, to take the life of his closest friend.
Dajh let out a deafening shout, unable to find any other means to express the whorl of emotions within him. His voice cracked, deep tones giving way to the occasional squeak. For exactly one second, his voice was little more than a high pitched screech. Then he looked down, some tears falling onto Choco's soft feathers. Tense, Dajh looked up, eyes somehow glaring, cold, angry.
"Ah," he murmured, his voice the icy words of one of the Maker's Sylph.
Dajh seemed to fling himself backwards, shaking, shivering, before letting out another shout, once more in a deeper voice.
Several seconds passed, Dajh laying spread eagled, facedown on the ground. After that, Dajh looked up. If it was possible, he looked even paler.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, barely audible, "I lost control."
"Huh?" Sazh knelt down next to him.
"The Sylph- the Sylph know. About us. About everything."
A tense silence followed his words.
"We have to tell the others; we need to got to Cocoon now, before the Sylph retaliate."
With that, Dajh vanished.