Disclaimer: Please read chapter 1.
Chapter 4: Falling Back
Jecht was flying back into battle from the Yevon Guard Headquarters. He had quickly flown home and had found his wife, Sheila, huddled in a little corner. He had to dodge a frying pan before she realized it was her husband. After pounding him, asking about her son, she flew into another rage as he told her where Tidus was. "YOU let him FIGHT?!"
"It was his decision", Jecht said, making a mental note to never listen to his son ever again.
"BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO HIM!"
"Hey! He's old enough to take care of himself! Wait 'till you find out what he did!" Jecht finally mollified Sheila enough to drag her to the fighter. On the way back, he was questioned about "what had happened to him" but he said he was a little too busy trying to keep them alive. Then, leaving his sobbing wife at headquarters, he had flown in hope of taking down a good number.
The air was thick with the cries of death and clouds of smoke. Jecht swept around, trying to take out as many as they were losing. They don't seem to be going for the buildings, though...what are they after? His head whirled around and spotted a woman. Atleast it looked like a woman. Her skin and hair were an unatural blue color and she was wearing a sash. Her other pieces of clothing almost hid spots on her skin which were coated with layers of ice. Good, they've brought out the Aeons. Jecht's chain of thought was distrupted abruptly when Shiva fired a Heavenly Strike at his fighter, encasing the wings in ice. Dammit! Don't those summoners mark a seal on these creatures?! The fighter started to lose altitude as Jecht frantically switched on the heating units. Shiva was closing in for a final blow and then it wouldn't matter how hot the fighter got because it would go out with a painful bang.
Just as Jecht lost hope and started to curse the engineers who didn't speed up the heating, another Aeon jumped up and rammed its sparking horn into Shiva's side. The women turned around in mid-air and sent a blast of ice at Ixion, shrieking. The horse-like Aeon ripped through the chilly attack with its horn and started to charged a bolt on the tip. Shiva, now looking alarmed, started to form a shield just as Jecht's heating units started to thaw through the magically enforced ice. He rose up, scraping the building tops, giving a sigh of relief, in time to see Ixion release an Aerospark. The glistering blades swirled to either side of Shiva, getting past her small shield. They hit her with a blinding crack and she hung, limp, in the air.
Jecht, his heart still hammering wildly, locked onto the paralysed form of Shiva, as he swept over the pair. He dropped a shell on her and saw Ixion galloping away towards another battle. Shiva, her face screwed up in pain, went out in a satisfying show of pyreflies. Well! That was a lot more fun than fighters, Jecht thought. But... perhaps he'd leave the Aeons to the Aeons.
Flipping up a scanner, he looked at the screen intently, which showed three red dots. One was blinking and it seemed to be moving away from a larger dot. The third dot was rooted to the spot, off to one side. Without Tidus realizing it, Jecht had set him a radio with a heat signature reader planted inside. What ever was going on, it wasn't good. Arrgh...the kid's near the bridge. What the hell is he doing on the other side of the city...? He's too far. I have to stick to the center and clean up the rest. Don't bite off more than you can chew kid...
Reluctantly, Jecht turned his fighter around and opened fire on another craft.
The Palace of Yevon was still under fire, but the enemies grew less and less. Despite the horrific deaths outside, Yu Yevon was still seated inside the warroom, his fingers placed placidly together. In the past hour, he had recieved reports and had said nothing but "aknowledged", "good work", and "dissmissed". But now his eyes were narrowed and his lips curled, pondering something. "Zaon!", he yelled, now, pressing a small button on the chair of his arm, turning around to face the monitor.
"Yes, Lord Yevon?", Zaon, who had been guarding the treasury, appeared on the screen.
"Is it safe?", asked Yevon, not bothering to make a preliminary greeting.
"Yes m'lord. There have been many invaders; their main attack force seems to be concentrated here, but my council is holding them off."
"Of course the attack force is concentrated there", Yevon said softly. "It's what they are after. But what concerns me, Captain, is why the scum has not been eliminated yet."
"...We have the situation, under control, m'lord", said Zaon, hesitantly. "Their forces are slowly retreating-"
"Slowly isn't good enough, Captain!", yelled Yevon, banging his fist on the chair. "They better be cleared out, now!"
"Yes, m'lord. They will."
"And Zaon...send a troop up to check on dear Yunalesca."
"Yes, m'lord", the bowing figure of Zaon, crackled out and the room grew quiet once more, save for the soft humming of Yu Yevon.
"Tina?! What are you doing here?!" Both Tidus and Lynn had their jaws dropped as they stared at the girl standing calmly on top of Ifrit's iced head.
"Well", she said, hopping down, "maybe you haven't noticed, but saving your life. What are you doing here, anyway?" She took once glance at the sword in his hand. "How many of those have you ever held in your life?"
"Shut up! The damned Bevellians destroyed the-"
"-dome. Yeah, I heard. Sorry", Tina had a whip curled onto her hip. She was wearing a tight, black, leather jacket and a skirt. Her boots when up to knees.
"Yeah, well...thanks for the assist", Tidus turned around and remebered that Lynn was crouched, terrified behind his legs.
"Hey, who's-", Tina started, but was quickly cut off as a cracking sound became apparent behind her. The trio looked on in horror as Ifrit's flaming hair re-ignited and the ice started to melt, pooling at its feet. Vapor rising from its skin, Ifrit gave them one malicious look and then jumped into the air, releasing another unearthly howl. "NO! It's gonna use the Hellfire!"
"RUN!", Tidus yelled as he grabbed Lynn's hand and rushed away from the building, Tina trailing behind them.
"No! Wait!", Lynn yelled as Tidus dragged her.
"What?!", quickly stopping and looking back at her. Tina caught up with them and looked between the two. "What are you stopping for?!" Throwing a look at the rising Aeon behind her, who was dripping flame from its mouth, she said, "He's not gonna give us another head start before he scorches us to the bone!"
"Lynn...?", Tidus said, uncertainly looking up at the source of the scarlet glow.
"I...have...to cast a...spell", Lynn said, panting. "We can't...escape it."
"HEY, GIRL! I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE, BUT I'M AT THE POINT OF SATURATION-!!" Tina was cut short by a "SHELL!" An aqua light illuminated their bodies just as Ifrit released a surging ball of flame. Ducking, the trio was enveloped in a flaming sphere, ensuing the explosion. Tidus coudn't breathe, the air was thick with humidity, scoching his nostrils. The searing heat... Suddenly, a large boulder came hurtling threw the flame, splitting the sphere apart. The rock missed its targets, but Tidus still felt the two girls wrenched from his grasp as they were shot down from the explosion.
Landing in heaps, the trio groaned, as one, whilist impending doom approached. Tina was the first one to sit up, seeming to marvel at the fact that she was alive. "Th-that spell! It saved us!"
"And fo-for all the g-good it did, we might a-as well be under the bottom of its foot", Lynn whimpered, as she crawled level with Tina.
"NO! I'm not going to sit here!", and with another groan, staggered to her feet, holding her arm which appeared to be broken, and yelled, "BLIZZARD!" The arctic wind swept swiftly toward Ifrit, only to become vaporish prey to the Aeon's infernal breath. Falling back down, defeated, Tina moaned in agony as her arm came in contact with the ground.
Lynn was shaking as she called out, "Tidus! Tidus...?" She had looked around to find Tidus in a peculiar state. He was on his feet, his blade drawn, eyes staring insolently ahead. Was he planning on attacking the thing?!!
"That's it, Aeon! I'm finishing you!" Suddenly, a soft orange glow started to emit from his body. It slowly got brighter, bathing the entire street in a warm radiance.
"Tidus-?" Tidus had swept the blade to his side and had rushed at Ifrit, a demonic glint in his eyes. Performing a quick cartwheel followed by a somersault, he brought his blade screaming down. In a desperate attempt, Ifrit shouded itself in a veil of flame, but roared an agonized, bestial cry as the sword cut through both the veil and its body. Finally, it slumped, lifeless onto the floor, its body fading away in a glowing cloud of pyreflies. The longsword fell from Tidus' hand with a clatter, as he too fell to the floor with a, "Mmm...", exhausted.
"Tidus!" Both Lynn and Tina had gotten to there feet and were running toward him, Lynn cradling Tina's arm. She knelt next to him and felt his pulse. Raising her hand, she started a healing spell, when a defeaning roar was heard above. Looking up, they saw a pair of lights from a fighter...
"Status, Zaon." Yevon was now more agitated, but his face showed nothing. He was standing at the monitor which presented Zaon.
"The Bevellian army is retreating. Their fighters are heading for the top of Gagazet as we speak. Our remaining fighters are preparing to dock and the medics-"
"Tell them to persue the enemy."
"Beg you pardon, m'lord?"
"Tell your troops to seek and destroy the remaining scum", said Yevon, spitting his words. Zaon hesitated at this and then said, "Yes, m'lord."
"What is the situation in the palace?"
"The enemy has been completly cleared and the medics and mages are healing the wounded. The people on the streets are being carried to the hospitals as we speak."
"And the treasury?"
"Safe, m'lord"
"Good", Yevon said in an icy tone.
"They left in quite a hurry, m'lord. It appears that we have won with few casualties", said Zaon, his own voice taking on a cold bite.
"Yes, yes, Zaon. Is Yunalesca well?"
"Yes. Apparently she had set an Aeon into the city to help the other summoners and troops."
"Tut, tut, m'dear. When will you learn?", said Yevon, smiling softly to himself.
Chapter 4: Falling Back
Jecht was flying back into battle from the Yevon Guard Headquarters. He had quickly flown home and had found his wife, Sheila, huddled in a little corner. He had to dodge a frying pan before she realized it was her husband. After pounding him, asking about her son, she flew into another rage as he told her where Tidus was. "YOU let him FIGHT?!"
"It was his decision", Jecht said, making a mental note to never listen to his son ever again.
"BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO HIM!"
"Hey! He's old enough to take care of himself! Wait 'till you find out what he did!" Jecht finally mollified Sheila enough to drag her to the fighter. On the way back, he was questioned about "what had happened to him" but he said he was a little too busy trying to keep them alive. Then, leaving his sobbing wife at headquarters, he had flown in hope of taking down a good number.
The air was thick with the cries of death and clouds of smoke. Jecht swept around, trying to take out as many as they were losing. They don't seem to be going for the buildings, though...what are they after? His head whirled around and spotted a woman. Atleast it looked like a woman. Her skin and hair were an unatural blue color and she was wearing a sash. Her other pieces of clothing almost hid spots on her skin which were coated with layers of ice. Good, they've brought out the Aeons. Jecht's chain of thought was distrupted abruptly when Shiva fired a Heavenly Strike at his fighter, encasing the wings in ice. Dammit! Don't those summoners mark a seal on these creatures?! The fighter started to lose altitude as Jecht frantically switched on the heating units. Shiva was closing in for a final blow and then it wouldn't matter how hot the fighter got because it would go out with a painful bang.
Just as Jecht lost hope and started to curse the engineers who didn't speed up the heating, another Aeon jumped up and rammed its sparking horn into Shiva's side. The women turned around in mid-air and sent a blast of ice at Ixion, shrieking. The horse-like Aeon ripped through the chilly attack with its horn and started to charged a bolt on the tip. Shiva, now looking alarmed, started to form a shield just as Jecht's heating units started to thaw through the magically enforced ice. He rose up, scraping the building tops, giving a sigh of relief, in time to see Ixion release an Aerospark. The glistering blades swirled to either side of Shiva, getting past her small shield. They hit her with a blinding crack and she hung, limp, in the air.
Jecht, his heart still hammering wildly, locked onto the paralysed form of Shiva, as he swept over the pair. He dropped a shell on her and saw Ixion galloping away towards another battle. Shiva, her face screwed up in pain, went out in a satisfying show of pyreflies. Well! That was a lot more fun than fighters, Jecht thought. But... perhaps he'd leave the Aeons to the Aeons.
Flipping up a scanner, he looked at the screen intently, which showed three red dots. One was blinking and it seemed to be moving away from a larger dot. The third dot was rooted to the spot, off to one side. Without Tidus realizing it, Jecht had set him a radio with a heat signature reader planted inside. What ever was going on, it wasn't good. Arrgh...the kid's near the bridge. What the hell is he doing on the other side of the city...? He's too far. I have to stick to the center and clean up the rest. Don't bite off more than you can chew kid...
Reluctantly, Jecht turned his fighter around and opened fire on another craft.
The Palace of Yevon was still under fire, but the enemies grew less and less. Despite the horrific deaths outside, Yu Yevon was still seated inside the warroom, his fingers placed placidly together. In the past hour, he had recieved reports and had said nothing but "aknowledged", "good work", and "dissmissed". But now his eyes were narrowed and his lips curled, pondering something. "Zaon!", he yelled, now, pressing a small button on the chair of his arm, turning around to face the monitor.
"Yes, Lord Yevon?", Zaon, who had been guarding the treasury, appeared on the screen.
"Is it safe?", asked Yevon, not bothering to make a preliminary greeting.
"Yes m'lord. There have been many invaders; their main attack force seems to be concentrated here, but my council is holding them off."
"Of course the attack force is concentrated there", Yevon said softly. "It's what they are after. But what concerns me, Captain, is why the scum has not been eliminated yet."
"...We have the situation, under control, m'lord", said Zaon, hesitantly. "Their forces are slowly retreating-"
"Slowly isn't good enough, Captain!", yelled Yevon, banging his fist on the chair. "They better be cleared out, now!"
"Yes, m'lord. They will."
"And Zaon...send a troop up to check on dear Yunalesca."
"Yes, m'lord", the bowing figure of Zaon, crackled out and the room grew quiet once more, save for the soft humming of Yu Yevon.
"Tina?! What are you doing here?!" Both Tidus and Lynn had their jaws dropped as they stared at the girl standing calmly on top of Ifrit's iced head.
"Well", she said, hopping down, "maybe you haven't noticed, but saving your life. What are you doing here, anyway?" She took once glance at the sword in his hand. "How many of those have you ever held in your life?"
"Shut up! The damned Bevellians destroyed the-"
"-dome. Yeah, I heard. Sorry", Tina had a whip curled onto her hip. She was wearing a tight, black, leather jacket and a skirt. Her boots when up to knees.
"Yeah, well...thanks for the assist", Tidus turned around and remebered that Lynn was crouched, terrified behind his legs.
"Hey, who's-", Tina started, but was quickly cut off as a cracking sound became apparent behind her. The trio looked on in horror as Ifrit's flaming hair re-ignited and the ice started to melt, pooling at its feet. Vapor rising from its skin, Ifrit gave them one malicious look and then jumped into the air, releasing another unearthly howl. "NO! It's gonna use the Hellfire!"
"RUN!", Tidus yelled as he grabbed Lynn's hand and rushed away from the building, Tina trailing behind them.
"No! Wait!", Lynn yelled as Tidus dragged her.
"What?!", quickly stopping and looking back at her. Tina caught up with them and looked between the two. "What are you stopping for?!" Throwing a look at the rising Aeon behind her, who was dripping flame from its mouth, she said, "He's not gonna give us another head start before he scorches us to the bone!"
"Lynn...?", Tidus said, uncertainly looking up at the source of the scarlet glow.
"I...have...to cast a...spell", Lynn said, panting. "We can't...escape it."
"HEY, GIRL! I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE, BUT I'M AT THE POINT OF SATURATION-!!" Tina was cut short by a "SHELL!" An aqua light illuminated their bodies just as Ifrit released a surging ball of flame. Ducking, the trio was enveloped in a flaming sphere, ensuing the explosion. Tidus coudn't breathe, the air was thick with humidity, scoching his nostrils. The searing heat... Suddenly, a large boulder came hurtling threw the flame, splitting the sphere apart. The rock missed its targets, but Tidus still felt the two girls wrenched from his grasp as they were shot down from the explosion.
Landing in heaps, the trio groaned, as one, whilist impending doom approached. Tina was the first one to sit up, seeming to marvel at the fact that she was alive. "Th-that spell! It saved us!"
"And fo-for all the g-good it did, we might a-as well be under the bottom of its foot", Lynn whimpered, as she crawled level with Tina.
"NO! I'm not going to sit here!", and with another groan, staggered to her feet, holding her arm which appeared to be broken, and yelled, "BLIZZARD!" The arctic wind swept swiftly toward Ifrit, only to become vaporish prey to the Aeon's infernal breath. Falling back down, defeated, Tina moaned in agony as her arm came in contact with the ground.
Lynn was shaking as she called out, "Tidus! Tidus...?" She had looked around to find Tidus in a peculiar state. He was on his feet, his blade drawn, eyes staring insolently ahead. Was he planning on attacking the thing?!!
"That's it, Aeon! I'm finishing you!" Suddenly, a soft orange glow started to emit from his body. It slowly got brighter, bathing the entire street in a warm radiance.
"Tidus-?" Tidus had swept the blade to his side and had rushed at Ifrit, a demonic glint in his eyes. Performing a quick cartwheel followed by a somersault, he brought his blade screaming down. In a desperate attempt, Ifrit shouded itself in a veil of flame, but roared an agonized, bestial cry as the sword cut through both the veil and its body. Finally, it slumped, lifeless onto the floor, its body fading away in a glowing cloud of pyreflies. The longsword fell from Tidus' hand with a clatter, as he too fell to the floor with a, "Mmm...", exhausted.
"Tidus!" Both Lynn and Tina had gotten to there feet and were running toward him, Lynn cradling Tina's arm. She knelt next to him and felt his pulse. Raising her hand, she started a healing spell, when a defeaning roar was heard above. Looking up, they saw a pair of lights from a fighter...
"Status, Zaon." Yevon was now more agitated, but his face showed nothing. He was standing at the monitor which presented Zaon.
"The Bevellian army is retreating. Their fighters are heading for the top of Gagazet as we speak. Our remaining fighters are preparing to dock and the medics-"
"Tell them to persue the enemy."
"Beg you pardon, m'lord?"
"Tell your troops to seek and destroy the remaining scum", said Yevon, spitting his words. Zaon hesitated at this and then said, "Yes, m'lord."
"What is the situation in the palace?"
"The enemy has been completly cleared and the medics and mages are healing the wounded. The people on the streets are being carried to the hospitals as we speak."
"And the treasury?"
"Safe, m'lord"
"Good", Yevon said in an icy tone.
"They left in quite a hurry, m'lord. It appears that we have won with few casualties", said Zaon, his own voice taking on a cold bite.
"Yes, yes, Zaon. Is Yunalesca well?"
"Yes. Apparently she had set an Aeon into the city to help the other summoners and troops."
"Tut, tut, m'dear. When will you learn?", said Yevon, smiling softly to himself.
