Disclaimer : I don't own anything.
Note : Well, I'm coming closer to the end of this fic. Soon, there will be a second interlude, if you will, that deals with how the earth Rangers are dealing with things as well as explaining more about the evil that was mentioned in the previous interlude.
And for a seemingly note of randomness…. I love cherries… and Blake, but he's JuseaPeterson's, so… and Hunter… But yeah, GO CHERRIES! (crickets can be heard)
Uhhh….Ahem, on with the fic…
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(Celsius Cabin, Blake's POV)
That concert had been….weird. I'd say interesting, but I honestly felt more creeped out by what happened than anything else. What started as a simple speech ended up as two women speaking through one body. Then what looked like a normal song began showing flashing images of what I now recognized as Zanarkand, Vegnagun, and two people. From listening to Tori's broken explanation, I got that they were Zhane and Karone.
And now… I was sitting on a bed in the cabin, holding Tori against me as she rested in my lap with her head buried under my chin. When I'd run to her at the end of the song, I'd picked her up as she sobbed and carried her here, while Cassie followed me and Dustin raced to the bridge, hoping for some sort of explanation.
Tori had calmed down a lot, but still sniffled and hiccupped a bit as she rubbed at her damp face, leaning more into my touch and giving me a soft, grateful smile. "Tor." I whispered as I caught her eye after another moment.
Sniffling a bit more, she shook her head and sighed a little, being obviously emotionally drained after that little episode. "I'm all right… I'm fine. It's passed now." She assured me as she cuddled into my embrace more.
Dustin finally came running back and raced up the stairs to the beds. Once he reached Cassie's side, he stopped and bent over as he began to pant heavily.
"What did Ethan say?" Cassie asked in her trademark monotone as she finally tore her eyes from my exhausted Tori.
Wait…my exhausted Tori? I thought as my eyes widened a bit. Looking down at the tired angel in my arms, I felt my face warm up and a smile play at the corners of my lips.
Waving his arms dramatically, Dustin launched into an over enthusiastic explanation as he gave us all confused looks. "Umm, he said it might be some kind of, uh, interference with the sphere waves. Tori's dressphere and the sphere screen reacted with each other and…" Stopping, he scratched the back of his head nervously. "The consciousness burned into the dressphere was projected onto the screen!" Then he shrugged and looked even more lost. "Or something like that…"
"Okay…" Cassie said slowly, looking as lost as I think the rest of us felt. "But that doesn't explain why it happened."
He nodded slowly before shaking his head and shrugging a bit. "When I asked, he said, 'I'm only a kid'."
"It's Karone."
We all turned our attention to Tori as she slowly moved and stood up, looking at us all with tired, red rimmed eyes. "I was singing her feelings. During the song, I could feel them building up inside until they just….burst."
"So the people we saw…" I mused out loud, remembering the vision of the blonde man, Zhane, and the blonde woman, Karone being shot. "Were Karone and…Zhane?"
Shaking her head, Cassie moved to the stairs with Dustin following behind her. "Everyone's waiting. Let's go." She said simply as they left.
Turning to Tori, I frowned a little as she looked lost in her thoughts. "You sure you're ok?" I asked in concern.
She nodded slowly with a slight troubled look on her face. "Her feelings… She never got to tell Zhane how she felt."
With that, she quickly shook her head and offered me a small smile as she changed back into her Gunner dressphere. Walking to a small ledge that hung just over the lower part of the cabin, she winked before jumping down.
Despite her smile, I knew this was really bugging her, and so, it bugged me. I only hoped we could get this all sorted out and stop Zhane from destroying Spira. Following her, I jumped from the ledge and went to the elevator, taking it to the bridge to find Zordon there with the others. When he saw us, he smiled and bowed in respect to Tori.
"'Twas a magnificent melody, my Lady." He said as he looked at her with shining eyes. "The onlookers were all quite enchanted."
Nodding, she bowed in return and gave him a small smile. "If it brings Spira together, even a little, then I'm glad."
He sighed and nodded his head vigorously. "Indeed, I believe it shall. As you sang, not a soul could help but realize the folly of their tiresome squabbling. Fists once raised in anger became welcoming hands offering solace to a tearful neighbor." His smile turned sad as he nodded his head. "I must admit that I too, shed my share of tears the moment that Karone appeared."
Tori gasped and I felt my eyes go wide. "You know Karone?" I asked doubtfully. I mean, if she died 1000 years ago, then how could he know her?
He nodded again. "Of course. Would you like to hear-"
"Yes!" Tori cried, unintentionally cutting him off. "Tell us, please!"
Chuckling a little at her enthusiasm, he nodded. "Where to begin?" He seemed to think about it a moment before nodding to himself as he came to a decision. "About a thousand years ago, Karone was a popular Songstress in Zanarkand. The talk of the town, you might say. In more peaceful times, she might have lived out her years as a performer. But the times, and her talents, did not allow such a thing to be. You see, Karone's gift for singing was matched only by her talents as a Summoner."
Now it was my turn to gasp and Tori's face went pale. So, Karone was not only a singer, but also a Summoner? I remembered learning about the war that took place so long ago, and how so many Summoners had to take the front line to protect Zanarkand and it's people.
"When the machina war began, all Summoners were sent to the front lines."
Sacrificed in vain. I thought darkly, thinking of the 1000 years Sin ravaged Spira and killed so many.
"Zanarkand was hopelessly outnumbered, and Karone knew she would not return home alive. Nonetheless, she was prepared to lay down her life to protect her people. Yet there was one person who refused to let Karone die. Yes, he would do anything to protect her. He was…" Zordon stopped and scratched his head as he struggled to think. "A young man, Karone's lover." He finished with a sad sigh.
"Zhane?" Dustin guessed quietly.
Zordon shook his head slowly and sighed. "I…don't know. His name has been lost to history." He said quietly. "Whatever his name, the youth endeavored to steal the enemy's machina weapon and save Karone. However…"
"It didn't exactly go well." I muttered quietly, thinking of what we all saw during Tori's song.
"The lovers met a truly tragic end. Those images we all witnessed are most certainly a record of their last moments together." He said as he walked to the elevator. Taking it down to the engine room where the ramp was, he left the airship as we all thought about what he said.
"So Zhane was Karone's lover." Cassie said with a thoughtful frown.
"I think I can kinda understand how he felt…" Dust said as he walked over to Tori and took her hands, looking at her with big, sad, green eyes. "…Trying so hard to save someone. Two years ago, I was the same way. Trying to find some way… some way to save you." He said as tears welled up in his eyes.
"We were the same way." I said as I walked over and wrapped my arms around her waist, resting my chin on her shoulder.
"That was enough." She said quietly as she looked into Dustin's eyes and squeezed his hands, leaning more into my embrace. "Knowing that you are on my side… I'll always be grateful to you."
"I think Karone might have felt the same way." Cassie said with a soft smile as her eyes glazed over a bit and she stared into space. "The man she loved, he struggled to save her. He fought to his very last breath for her. I think that Karone's final words might've been happy ones." She looked at us all and her smile grew a little. "'I love you'."
Tori let a few tears escape and I tightened my hold on her briefly before pulling away and taking her hand gently in my own.
"Yes, there is a connection." She said softly before frowning and shaking her head. "But wait… Everything is all wrong! He never heard. The one person she wanted to tell… He never heard her words!"
Suddenly, an alarm rang out through the ship and Adam typed a few commands into his panel before it shut off. "Well, waddaya know? It's Cassidy's gang. They want to see Tori. I'll have them wait in the engine room." He said with a little grin.
Even though, technically, Cassidy and her gang were allies now, Brother and Adam still didn't like or trust them. At least, it was good to know she wasn't still moping around in her room.
With a sigh, I followed Tori to the elevator, taking it down to the engine room to speak to Cassidy. Walking in, she raced up to us and waved her fan in front of her face as she held out a sphere.
"I've been hunting around since we last met, and I've come across a rather peculiar sphere. It shows my Carlos-baby!" Then she huffed and rolled her eyes. "For some reason, that chump, T.J. is also there, but I'm afraid it's from some years ago, so it's no good to us now." Handing it over, I noticed it was another red sphere. Tori took it with a small nod and placed it in her pouch for safe keeping.
"How about you? Have you tracked down my Carlos-baby yet?" she asked hopefully.
Tori seemed to bite her lip a moment before she sighed and nodded. "He's in the Farplane. I saw him there with Marah." She admitted.
Cassidy gasped in horror before screeching. "The Farplane?! What is he doing in a place like that?!?" she demanded in a high pitched voice as she paced the room in a frenzy.
"I think he's searching for T.J. and Vegnagun." She said softly.
"Oh, so T.J's the one pulling Vegnagun's strings! I should have known!" she said as she got a look of understanding and glared into space.
Tori shook her head quickly and raised her hands in defense. "No, that's not it at all! How do I explain….?" She wondered to herself.
Raising her own hand, Cassidy rolled her eyes and huffed. "Never mind, I don't have time for this. Boys, we're going to the Farplane!" she commanded as both Bulk and Skull cowered behind her.
Bulk began to whine and shake his head as a look of utter terror crossed his face. "Anything but that, boss!"
"We're no match for that sort of opponent!" Skull agreed as he got on his knees and shook his head with his hands up in front of him, pleading.
"Now don't be silly." She said in a dramatic, overly lovesick voice. "The power of love conquers all!" She was obviously thinking of Carlos when she said that, if her dreamy expression was anything to go by. "It's decided! We're going to save Spira!"
Tori grinned happily, obviously glad for the encouragement and help, and nodded as she saluted Cassidy. "Yes, ma'am!"
"Then, let's get this tanker moving!" Cassidy called as she led the way back to the elevator that took us to the bridge.
As we entered the bridge, Ethan spun around in his seat to give us a confused look. "This is strange." he said as he waved us over.
Walking over to his console, Tori nodded at him to continue. "What is this?" he asked himself quietly as he regarded his screen. "Looks like a transmition, but it's pretty weak."
"Oh?" Tori asked cluelessly, trying to get him to explain.
"I'm getting signals from the commsphere we dropped in that hole, but I can't seem to connect." he explained with a shake of his head as he typed a few commands.
That's when Cassidy walked over and sighed as she raised her fan. "Enough, little boy." she said haughtily. "Move aside." As we moved out of the way, she struck the machina with her fan and managed to give it a strange energy boost, which was just what it needed. "See? It connected." she put in with a smug grin.
Ethan gasped as an image of the Farplane was shown. "Inconceivable!"
Marah appeared on the screen with a slightly impressed look as she looked up at the hovering machina. "Impressive machina! An invention like this could change the world. Whoever came up with this is a genius." she appraised with her hand on her hip.
"She's got good taste." Ethan said with a grin as he typed up some commands.
Laughing quietly to herself, Marah continued. "Guess I'm a genius, too, for fixing it! Anybody home?" she called with a wave.
"Marah!" Tori cried happily.
Ethan shook his head and sighed. "I don't think she can hear us."
"No response." Marah said in disappointment, confirming Ethan's guess. "Hm."
"Some genius." Carlos scoffed as he limped into the screen's view.
"Carlos-baby!" Cassidy cried in a happy voice.
"If you're done playing, let's go." He said with a raised eyebrow to Marah who suddenly seemed to hesitate.
Shaking her head, she offered him a weak grin. "Chill out." She said flippantly as she shrugged a little.
Grinning at her with his eyebrow still raised, Carlos tilted his head a bit. "Lost your nerve?" he shot at her teasingly.
Glaring at him, she huffed. "Hey, we're talking about Vegnagun here." She said in defense, her face paling a bit. "How the hell do you fight that thing? We can't even walk up to it without it freakin' out."
"Or making it mad." Carlos agreed seriously. "But I've got a plan."
"And if it doesn't work?" she asked carefully, her voice shaking the tiniest bit.
Shrugging again, he turned his back to her. "Death will be my apology." He said with an emotionless look on his face.
Shuddering a bit, she glared at him again. "Whatever. When a Deathseeker dies, that's no apology. What about Cassidy?"
Looking thoughtful, Carlos turned back around. "Well, she-"
Suddenly, the sphere cut out and everyone gasped in surprise. Everyone except for Cassidy that is, who was thoroughly horrified that it stopped when it did. "W-Why did it just cut off like that?" she demanded once again, in a high pitched voice as she stomped her foot. "Just when he was getting to the juicy bits!"
"It's not my fault." Ethan defended himself with a slight glare and shrug.
Shaking her head, she glared at him and huffed. "What a piece of junk!" she cried. "Forget it." Suddenly regaining her calm, she put in an airy look and turned to her companions. "I'll go ask him myself."
They left the bridge, heading off the ship and leaving us to ourselves.
"What about the Gullwings?" Brother asked in his heavily accented voice.
Tori, who had been quiet this whole time, suddenly spoke up with a troubled yet determined look on her face. "I think that we should help Carlos and Marah. But first…" She gave me an apologetic and hopeful look and I could only stare back in confusion. "I want to talk to Zhane. I have to tell him how Karone felt."
I suddenly understood. He seemed to believe she was Karone, because of the dressphere, and might have to approach him as her. She might have to say 'I love you' to him, and that's why she looked so troubled.
It hurt me to think of her saying those words to someone else, even if she didn't mean them, but I knew that, for the sake of Spira, she had to try. Giving her a small nod, I pushed my jealousy and pain back, forcing myself to be supportive for her. I knew she loved me, as I loved her. I would do anything to protect her, to help her.
Blinking a moment, I realized how Zhane must have felt. The woman he loved was in danger and he wanted to save her. Really thinking about it, I knew that if I had been in his place, I would've done the same thing.
"I'm sure he'll understand." Tori's words brought me back to the present and she was looking at the others as she continued to explain. "But…how? We can't exactly make an appointment." She said the last bit, seemingly to herself.
"We'll just have to jump into one of those holes." Cassie said with a shrug.
Dustin nodded and gave a reproachful look to Tori. "Together this time." he said pointedly.
Tori blushed and nodded sheepishly as she looked at the others. Turning to me, she gave me a questioning but somewhat less troubled look before smiling slightly and nodding a little.
"Roger!" Brother said as he put in the coordinates to our next stop. "Gullwings! We move out! Celsius, full speed ahead!" he cried excitedly as he took off from the Thunder Plains and we began our last leg of our journey.
End of Chapter 4
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Well there you have it. One interlude, one chapter (of the game script thus a few more chapters in the fic…)… (Sighs) Still a bit to go…
Hope you like it.
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"We got a call from Besaid. It seems Kelly and Skyla had their babies."
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Please R+R. All comments are appreciated.
Thank you.
Tenshi.