Alright, second world is almost done! Yay!
Hope you enjoy!
Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!
Final Fantasy IV © to Square Enix!
Sasuke and Hinata © to Yamichaos27!
Luna © to Nintendoman01!
My OCs © to me!
Chapter 20: Land of Twin Moons- Determined
"Good." Auriel untied the girl. "We're going to need all the help we can get."
"What's the plan?" Hinata handed her sister something to drink as Cuore rubbed her temples.
Fluvia looked at the teal-haired girl. "The high priest will know she's missing soon. She might have to pretend to be still under his control." She knelt down, looking Cuore in the eyes. "My name is Fluvia. I'm so sorry that I was accidentally helping the man who controlled you. I didn't… I'm sorry."
"It's fine…" Cuore said, looking at the girl. "So, this priest was controlling me… what about Mom?"
"Mom is sleeping. He's got this cult convinced that you two are these moon goddesses called Aiday and Aiman. You were acting all… emotionless like when I was little."
The older girl nodded. "Well, I can act like that again if needed, but I don't want to. How do we get Mom?"
Auriel glanced out the tent flap. Her brother still stood on stage, surrounded by the other musicians, who had… seriously? Had he started a dance party with the cultists?
Yep.
Well, at least it was distracting.
"The lunar eclipse is tomorrow night, right?"
"Yes."
"We do it then." Auriel smirked. "Out Alaric in front of everyone. Hinata, you can summon Leviathan and Asura right? They're the king and queen of the eidolons."
Cuore nodded. "Hina, if you summon Lord Leviathan, I can summon Lady Asura. Then we can free Mom."
Fluvia nodded. "Just freeing her would just anger the others, but the king and queen eidolons calling Alaric a liar might do it. And, maybe Lady Asura can free your mother's mind."
"We'll be close to the stage to take Alaric should he try anything."
"Yeah."
"Aiday?" They all froze at Alaric's voice.
Fluvia paled. "Oh no…" She quickly covered Cuore's face with the veil before glancing at the others. "Let me take care of this. You just… sit still and look… blank."
Cuore nodded, her face shifting to a blank expression, one she'd had for many years in the past.
Pushing open the tent, the mage forced a smile. "High Priest, she's here. Our newest members only wished to ask her some questions. I was with them the whole time, and honestly-" she glanced at the still raging party, "it was a bit loud."
The priest, a panicked expression fading from his eyes, smiled. "Oh, good. I was worried something had happened to our dear goddess. Thank you for taking such good care of her, Fluvia."
"It is my pleasure. Though, I think today may be far too exciting for her. She may need to retire for the evening."
"Alright." He glanced around, waving down a guard. "Tiran, take Lady Aiday to her tent and make sure she is not disturbed."
"Yes sir." The guard waited for Cuore to stand up and to follow him away.
Fluvia went after them, as did Alaric.
Eventually, the party died down and, a now very popular, Eldar slipped into the tent. "So, did it work?"
"Perfectly, and we now have a new ally."
The next day passed quietly, for the most part. The people around seemed almost frantically jovial in setting up for the festivities that night. Too bad they wouldn't get the celebration they were promised.
The trio helped set up, though all of them made sure that at least one of them had eyes on Cuore all day. The girl did play the part well. And Fluvia stayed close to her as well.
But then the night turned to dusk-
All the people walked up to the top of the mountain, to the area before where Rydia slept.
While it took a little bit, and a bit of help from Eldar's new minstrel friends, they managed to find a spot near the stage.
As night began to fall, they could see the shadow of the earth begin to cover the larger of the moons, the true moon.
From where she stood, close to Alaric, Cuore couldn't help but glance over at her mother, who still slept in the chair.
Eventually, as the sun's last rays reached across the sky, the priest stood up before the group, raising his hands. "Friends! Family! We have come to celebrate the ascension of Aiday and Aiman, and the true power of the moon coming to the sky. Our lady has slept for too long, and now she will rise to her true power."
The crowd cheered. All but the five who knew the truth.
Cuore glanced back at her mother before her eyes met Hinata's.
The younger girl looked at Auriel and Eldar.
Eldar pulled out his notebook.
Task 1: Get food and drink (prob Auri's job)(Check)
- Auri goes during dinner(Check)
Task 2: Find Ms. Rydia (prob ask creepy mage chick bout that) (Check)
- Also ask creepy mage chick about moon thing(Check)
Task 3: Fix Cuore's brain (eidolons will do something) (Check)
- Write song about moons (make it mushy)(Check)
- Find a lute (DISTRACTION TIME) (Check)
- Talk to Cuore about moons and get her alone(Check)
- Summon Asura to help fix brain(Check)
Task 4: Save Ms. Rydia (maybe eidolons can do things)
- Interrupt eclipse
- Eidolons help (Cuore summons one, Hinata other)
- Expose him!
Task 5: KICK BUTT
Time to get this party started.
He nodded.
Auriel summoned a valari, pointing it at the ground. "Aerora." She whispered.
WHOOSH!
Dust and dirt kicked up, coating the air in brown. People around them coughed.
"What is th-"
Cuore pulled Hinata onto the stage. "Now!"
The older girl held out her hand as her sister held up her sword.
The dust faded as a silver light surrounded the two of them.
"LEVIATHAN!"
"ASURA!"
From Cuore's hand, a soft yellow and green swirl erupted into the air, shining amongst the blue water that cascaded from Hinata's blade. The energies swirled together in the air before coming apart and forming into the bodies of Leviathan and Asura.
The sea serpent, flying in the air, massive in scale, glowered down at the now terrified crowd.
His wife, Asura, all three of her heads switching around until the angry one focused, glowed yellow.
"HEAR ME HUMANS!" Bellowed the Leviathan king. "You are all being deceived. This 'priest' is nothing more than a con! There is no Aiday and Aiman! Only Cuore and Rydia, two summoners he kidnapped and put under a spell to control them. He fooled you all with his lies!"
Alaric's face paled as he stepped away from the furiously glowing eyes and razor-sharp teeth of Leviathan.
Floating down to where Rydia sat, sleeping, Asura placed two of her arms on the woman's head. "Wake."
A yellow glow covered Rydia before she gasped, her eyes shooting open. "C-Cuore!?"
"Mom!"
Rydia and Cuore ran to her, wrapping their arms around her just as Eldar and Auriel climbed onto the stage.
Fluvia walked up beside them, turning to the scared, confused, and somewhat angry crowd. "I saw the truth last night… Alaric has lied to us. I do not know what he had planned, but… it cannot be good. Please, flee this place! Never return! Get as far from him as you can.
"I would do as she says!" Leviathan towered over the crowd. This, was not a request.
The people turned and began to hurry down the mountain, some running, some not. Many glanced back. Scared, confused, and furious at being deceived. But none would dare to contest the word of the eidolon king.
Asura and Leviathan fixed their gaze on Alaric, who knelt on the ground.
"Have you nothing to say, HUMAN?"
Rydia tried to stand up, her legs collapsing from lack of use.
"Heh…"
All eyes turned to Alaric.
"Heh heh… heh heh heh… ha! Ha! Hahahaha!"
His shoulders shook as laughter began to burble from his lips.
"What's so funny!?"
"You think you've won… but you know nothing, children! You know not to whom you speak!" He looked up as the eidolons began to fade, the summons spent. "YOU KNOW NOTHING!"
His eyes glowed a dark red as his skin began to shift colors, turning a deep blue color as his neck began to elongate, his arms turning into long, spindly limbs, dripping with a soft blue mist. His feet vanished, becoming a solid form that floated above the ground.
"No…" Rydia clasped at her daughters. "Z-Zeromus…!?"
"Zeromus(1)!?"
Auriel summoned her other weapon. "You mean the guy who tried to destroy this world before!?"
Rydia nodded, her legs shaking. "His malice… his malice lives as long as evil does!"
The spirit of Zeromus rose up, towering over them, the voice that escaped the blue monster echoing, sounding as if many people spoke together at once. "We will bring about this world's demise! And you will help us, for you belong to us! This world is ours!"
"Not on your life!" Stepping away from her mother, Hinata held up her katana. "I am Hinata Kazekiri! Daughter of Rydia and Sasuke! And, as they did before, I will defeat you!"
"Sasuke… that wretched swordsman…"
Eldar summoned his guitar. "Cuore, get your mom away from here!"
"We can help!"
"She can't." Fluvia came over, grabbing Rydia. "I'll take care of her. You help."
"Ok."
Auriel stepped closer to her two friends as Cuore came to Hinata's side. "We can take hi-"
An orange glow shot out from the girl's feet, shooting up around her and the others.
"Get him, Auri!" Eldar yelled as he held out a hand. His hand shining with deep orange energy.
An ethereal hand seemed to guide the girl's hands forward as flames began to curl up her arms. "So this is the power of Zhuque! TAKE THIS!" A torrent of flames burst from her arms, the glow shining brighter around each of her friends.
Zeromus began to writhe and scream as the flames engulfed him.
"Don't like that, do you!?" Eldar laughed as he pulled out the red pick for his guitar. "Then have some more!" Strumming the instrument, flames whirled around him before shooting out, hitting the monster.
Zeromus threw out one of his long arms, the limb extending as it reached out. The hand slammed into Hinata, pinning her to the ground.
"Hina!" Cuore held up her hand. "IFRIT!"
From the ground erupted a mountain of flame as the fire eidolon reached out, his own flaming hands grasping the arm of Zeromus. "Hellfire!" Flames curled up Zeromus's arms, burning the main body.
"Take this!" Managing to pull her arms free, Hinata coated her blade in wind. Plunging something that looked like a yellow fang into her blade, lightning began to crackle amongst the wind. "LIGHTNING STORM!" A swirling tornado of wind and lightning slammed into Zeromus's face as she wriggled out from his grasp.
Ifrit vanished as Eldar laughed. "Ha! Eat that Sucker!"
As the blue face of Zeromus loomed over them all, his body began to shake.
"WATCH OUT!" Rydia called from behind.
"BIG BANG!"
From his two hands, a small orb appeared before it shrunk, vanishing.
For a moment, nothing.
Then…
BOOM!
An explosion sent the four kids flying backwards as searing heat assaulted them on all sides.
Auriel's vision went white for a moment.
Her eyes came open to see the burnt, and injured form of her brother before her. Around them, the stage, all the décor for the ceremony lay in smoldering ruins. Hinata and Cuore lay near one another, barely moving.
As she looked up at Zeromus, she saw, him… flicker.
His form.
For a moment, she saw the body of Alaric.
This wasn't the true Zeromus. He was just using the body of Alaric.
"We tire of your games." The spirit loomed over them again, seeming far bigger as the four tiredly looked up. "You will all die now."
He held up his arms, once more starting to create the orb for Big Bang.
"NO!"
"Wait!"
Rydia stumbled in front of the teenagers. "I WILL NOT LET YOU HURT THEM!" From her arms, a soft, steady mist began to come, filling the area as a roar shook the air.
Cuore and Hinata smiled as a white dragon appeared in view. "Grandma(2)!"
The Mist Dragon loomed up to her full height, glaring down at Zeromus.
"Radiant Breath!"
A mist of light filled the air, just as Zeromus seemed to release the spell, but it faltered… No explosion.
The blue form flickered before letting out a scream.
The form melted away, leaving Alaric to fall, landing onto the ground.
Alone.
Powerless.
Rydia shuddered as the Mist Dragon vanished before she collapsed.
"M-Mom!"
"Cura!" Fluvia ran around the group, curing everyone.
Alaric grunted. "No… I-I I won't let you win!" Around him, the form of Zeromus began to flicker into view. His eyes stared up at Rydia. "I warned you! As long as evil exists, I will live."
"What do we do?"
"W-we have to run." Fluvia grabbed Rydia's arm.
Pushing herself to her feet, Auriel grit her teeth. "No! If we can't kill him, we trap him!" She turned to Rydia. "He's a spirit, right? Then he needs a container." The woman nodded.
As the image of Zeromus flickered to Alaric for a moment, Eldar grabbed his sister's arm. "Sis, the amulet!"
"Good call." She flashed him a quick smile.
"Got it!" Hinata held out her sword. "FIRE!"
As the form flickered to Alaric, a burst of flame exploded against his chest, shattering the amulet.
"No!" He cried, grabbing up the pieces. "I-I need this!"
"Fool!"
"We need to give him a container." Auriel turned around. "Something small, he can't do much in. Something that will hold him inside."
Rydia clutched her chest as it heaved. "Someone will have to be the vessel… If it's just a container, he'll find a way out, but if someone can hold back his consciousness and not allow him control, it will keep him contained. And we, we can give them to the eidolons."
"Who…?"
Hinata felt something touch her foot. She looked down to see little Whytney staring up at her. The creature chirped something, making the girl's eyes go wide.
"No! Whytney, I won't let you do that!"
The little creature gave the girl's leg a hug before turning to the now fading Zeromus. It barely took a step before Hinata grabbed it.
"I won't let you sacrifice yourself!"
"Whytney's offering to be the vessel." Cuore reached forward, taking her sister's arms. "Hina, it's the best way…" Whytney chirped again. "And she wants to do it… to save you and this world."
"But…"
Taking the girl's other arm, Auriel sighed. "Hinata, let her go." Even though she couldn't understand the baby eidolon, she could see the determination in its little eyes.
As Zermonus seemed to almost fade away, their chance to trap him going as well, Hinata closed her eyes, a tear falling from them.
"O-ok."
As she opened her arms, Whytney hobbled forward, holding out her little arms to the spirit.
The red eyes of Zeromus zeroed in on the little creature. "A willing vessel!" The spirit charged down, drawing into the baby eidolon. Falling back, Whytney thrashed as she chirped.
"Whytney!" Running forward, Hinata grabbed her. "Hold on… don't let him win."
After a bit of thrashing, the whytkin finally settled. Her eyes popped open, this time red. She chirped weakly.
"Y-you did it? You have him contained?"
The creature nodded.
Walking over, Cuore knelt down. "He wanted a willing host, not a vessel. She has his spirit, but he doesn't have control." Holding up her hand, Cuore waited until Asura appeared before them. "Lady Asura…"
"I know." She floated downward, scooping up the little whytkin in her hands. "You're a brave little one, you know that?" She smiled sadly before looking up. "We will take good care of her."
"Thank you."
Hinata, stumbling to her feet, looked up at her friend. "Whytney… I-I'm gonna miss you."
"You can visit her. I promise." Asura allowed the weak whytkin to sit up in her hands.
Whytney chirped, waving to her friend before the eidolons vanished.
For a moment, Auriel felt the world around her fade as she found herself on the edge of the volcano once more. The form of Zhuque flying over her.
"You have done well. You did not give up, and held the course when those around you seemed to rest control from you in your mind. You stayed determined to the task at hand And you saw another so determined to save those she loved, that she would give it all up for them."
A feather fell down, touching Auriel's arms before the light covered her again.
"What's the power this time? Something cool like that fire attack?"
"You shall see."
The vision faded to the sound of sobbing. Hinata sat beside her, sobbing into Cuore's arms.
Alaric sat up, clutching at the remains of the amulet. "Why!? Why!? What have you done!?
"Shame." Behind him stood a man, the same soldier who escorted Rydia the night before, Tiran.
"You…?"
Tiran smirked before a burnt orange glow covered his body and he turned into an old man. "Surprised," came the raspy voice, "did you expect me instead?"
The glow covered him again, and the guise of the old man vanished as well… revealing-
"AZUL!?"
The boy tipped up his hat, smirking. "Hello there, Auriel. Do you like my new abilities?"
"You…"
"Now, Alaric, as per our deal, I'll be taking the collateral. You know, since you broke the amulet. As you know, you break it, you bought it."
Alaric's eyes widened. "Wait! No!"
The amulet shards began to glow. Alaric screamed as they exploded, taking him with it.
"Ah, so much easier than doing it myself." He pulled on his gloves, a smile on his lips.
"What did you do!?"
He smirked. "Oh, nothing. Just keeping to a deal Alaric and I made. After all, the darkness of this world has been vanquished, so the world needed it back, to maintain balance." He pulled out a piece of paper. "And our contract is now complete." The contract began to glow a purple before lavender flames licked up the sides, incinerating the contract.
"And by the way." The burnt orange glow seemed to worm its way up from the ground, covering him. "Thank you for the new powers, Auriel." He pulled out a paper. "I'll add it as a favor to your contract." He wrote it down as the girl pushed herself up to a sitting position.
"My… contract?"
"Yes. Don't worry, I'll present it to you later. I'm sure you'll be interested." Tapping his chin, his grin widened. "Though, you do owe me a bit too… I mean. I did deal with Alaric. But you did take Zeromus. Honestly, such a shame." His eyes glanced over at Rydia. "That spirit really wanted you for a vessel, summoner. He had this grand plan to possess you and destroy this world. But, took bad his spirit was far too weak with such a paltry vessel." He pocketed the paper before grinning. "Farewell, virtue." He vanished into a dark corridor.
"I hate that guy."
"Same, El."
Rydia stumbled over to her daughters. "Hina." She hugged the little girl before looking up at Auriel. "How did you..?
"We're on a mission, and we were led here. You've… been missing for almost a month."
"A month?"
"The captain was so close to leaving his post to find you."
Rydia smiled. "I'm glad he didn't. He probably would've just charged in when he found us."
"Oh yeah."
Cuore sighed, looking up from her little sister. "Then, can we go home, Mom?"
"Yes," Rydia smiled, "we can… if I still have my star shard."
Fluvia walked over. "What does it look like? I can go try and find it while you rest."
"A glowing star-like object."
The mage rushed off as Auriel and Eldar walked over. Rydia smiled, glancing down at her daughter with a sad smile. "Thank you all for rescuing us."
"Don't mention it."
"It was our pleasure."
Soon, Fluvia came back with the star shard to see Hinata finally stopped crying, sitting quietly with her family. "It was in Alaric's tent." She handed it to them, bowing her head. "I'm sorry for all I've done to help him. I didn't know that you were being controlled."
"It's alright. Thank you for helping save us."
The mage bowed before she walked off, her arms wrapped around herself.
"Wait," Rydia stood up, "go to the Village of Mist. That's where I'm from. If you have nowhere to go, they'll welcome you."
"Th-thank you, miss."
"You're welcome, and thank you again."
Again, Fluvia bowed before rushing away.
"You know." Eldar lay down. "Why don't we just rest here and then leave… I don't know about you ladies, but I'm beat."
"Sounds good to me."
"You sure you'll be ok using the shard?"
"Hina," Rydia cupped her daughter's face, "we'll be fine. Thank you for worrying about us, but I think we'll be ok." She planted a kiss on the girl's forehead. "I'm very proud of you. I know your father will be too. And I know Whytney is proud of you and happy she could keep you and this world safe for the future to come."
Cuore nodded with a soft smile. "Yes. You did wonderfully."
"Thanks…"
Rydia stood back up, smiling at the other two teens. "Take care of her, though she might be the one taking care of you."
"Sounds about right."
"Tell the captain and Dad that we're ok."
"We will."
The two women looked at one another before placing their hands on the star shard. In a flash of light, they vanished up to the stars.
"Guess we should keep going as well."
"Yeah." Eldar stretched. "Let's move it… I want to take a nap."
"You just finished a nap!"
"I want another."
"Gosh, you're worse than Dad sometimes!"
"Where do you think I get it from?"
"Oh, shut up."
Hinata let out a sigh. She could almost feel the absence of her little friend. But… she couldn't help, after taking the time to think, that she was proud of her whytkin friend.
Sasuke stared up at the soft sunrise of Radiant Garden.
He couldn't help but wonder where his family was. He trusted Rydia and Cuore, but being gone so long… all he wanted to do was go find them, but he couldn't just leave his post. He was the captain.
Shing.
A light bounced through the sky. Not an uncommon sight sometimes.
His heart leapt.
Maybe.
Just maybe.
The light touched down in the square.
"Dilan, I'll be right back."
The other guard nodded, his eyes holding a small glimmer of hope. Hope that their captain's family would return.
Legs pounding against the pavement, Sasuke ran down to the square. Before he even turned the corner he heard-
"Rydia! Cuore! You're back!"
"Yes, it's nice to be home, Yuffie."
Skidding to a stop as he entered the square, he saw them. The woman he'd fallen for all those years ago. She looked tired and her hairpin she'd always worn was missing, but there she was. Beside her stood his adopted daughter. Her eyes smiling more than her mouth, but that was pretty normal, in public at least.
Cuore saw him first.
"Dad!"
Then Rydia.
"Sasuke!"
His feet carried him closer and closer until he wrapped his arms around them. His voice, now wet like the tears in his eyes, came quiet and soft. "Y-you're home… You're home…"
Hope you enjoyed!
Footnotes:
(1) Zeromus is the final boss of Final Fantasy 4.
(2) The Mist Dragon in FF4 was killed, and therefore Rydia's mother died with it, as their souls were connected. When Rydia was able to summon the Mist Dragon, Yamichaos27 basically has it so that part of her mother's spirit is still within the dragon.
VAs:
Spirit of Zeromus- Matthew Mercer (Ira, Game Master, Yusuke Kitagawa, Kagaya Ubuyashiki)