Author's Notes: Disclaimers for FFVII included here as well, and for The
Mists of Avalon and FFX. The usual. Whee! Memorial Day weekend, three
days off, meaning TWICE the chapters for ya! Other than that, nothing else
except for my ignoramus of a computer to want to turn "Avalon" into
"Abalone" ^.^ Heehee, silly computer.
Calix's horse's hoofbeats definitely had a little bounce to them as they headed down the shady track to their home of Silverwood. Alastair breathed a prayer to the Elfin gods that they had made it across the ocean and to the great continent of Anash without harm. Ailani's horse, ever alert, pricked his ears and trotted easily, the other horses hard put to keep pace with him. Again Calix wondered where exactly Ailani had gotten such a horse, wizard-bred and magic-trained. Wizard horses sold for millions of pounds of gold on any market, and for Ailani, away from the halls of Avalon and wandering an unknown land, to have so much money was unusual.
Around them, the huge trunks of the silverwood trees for which his home city was named towered. Out of the branches of one, a guard dropped, blocking their path. He bowed when he realized that it was his prince.
"Prince Calix, it is good to have you home!" The guard cried in the Elfin tongue. "King Caleb was indeed worried.but have you succeeded in your plans?"
Calix grasped Ailani's horse's bridle and brought it forward a step. "I give you Lady Ailani of the Holy Isle of Avalon, former wife of the demon Aubrey."
The guard made the protective sign against demons. "She was wed to that demon?"
Calix nodded gravely. "And she is the worse for it too.would that demons who are banished remain so!"
"King Caleb will be pleased to welcome her into Silverwood, indeed," the guard said, and leapt lightly from ground to branches until he was again hidden from sight.
Calix led them forward again, the track sloping downward, until finally they came to the eastern edge of the City of Silver and Light, Silverwood. Fairy-fire lit the houses and the lamps, and elves lined the streets, bowing as the little procession passed them. Ailani was looking around with an expression of awe on her face, and her horse too was bending his neck around, but with an expression that clearly said, home.
They ascended a staircase that spiral up the trunk of a silverwood tree, coming to a small plateau upon which the palace was built. Calix was let through, the elves on the walls watching them and staring most curiously at Ailani; the blue crescent, freshly painted on her brow, appeared to glow in the magical light.
The palace was made of silver-white stone, marble, and glowed softly. The entire palace was imbued with the magical power of generations of elf rulers, and emitted a faint hum. Their horses were led away, and Calix again led them up the steps to the throne hall of the High King of the Elves, Caleb Gwydion, his father.
Entering the throne hall brought whispers and glances from the elves present in the hall at that moment. The fact that the head of the phalanx of elves, priestess, and panther was their prince generated some; the blue crescent on Ailani's forehead drew most. The three knelt before the throne, upon which was seated a great elf man, with brown hair and forest- green eyes. Ailani could tell this was Calix's father; they had the same aura, and they had the same eyes.
Calix rose, and motioned for Ailani to stand also. She did, her priestess robes making her look taller than her six feet warranted. Her blue hair tumbled unchecked, and the little sickle knife of her initiation hung on one side of her waist. Caladbolg hung on the other. This sword's hilt was her handrest currently, as Calix said, "Father, I give you Lady Ailani, Priestess of the Holy Isle of Avalon, daughter of Yuna de Braska of Besaid in Spira."
"I could tell she was priestess when she entered the room, Son," King Caleb answered. "The symbol on her brow says as much. Come, Lady Ailani, let me get a good look at you." Ailani walked forward a few steps, her expression nonchalant. King Caleb laughed.
"Well, Son, she is as you said. It has been long since the High Court of Silverwood has been graced with a Priestess of Avalon; indeed, too long. Come, tell me - who sits as Lady of the Lake?"
"Lady Cassara, Your Highness."
"Lady Cassara.I remember her from the last time I was at Avalon, to see the serpents tattooed on my son's wrists - indeed, she was young then, but she had much potential. I am glad she now is Lady. But," and here he paused, looking hard at Ailani, "What of you? Why are you not now on that Holy Isle?"
Calix cleared his throat. "Father, Lady Ailani is much tired from her journey. Please, we may discuss such things on the morrow, but not tonight."
King Caleb nodded, all royal again. "You are right, Son. Alastair, show Lady Ailani to a room - one with a window, please. And Son - rest, also."
All three bowed, and exited into the heart of the palace.
~*~
Aubrey looked around at the shadowed figures standing in the large room of his mansion. "You know what to do?"
"Bring the priestess, kill the elf-prince," many voices hissed. Red eyes glowed from under the cowls of some cloaks, while others glowed an evil purple. One, in robes embroidered with a spider, stepped forward.
"Lord Aubrey - the priestess is of Avalon. We will not be able to touch her without being burned or killed."
"Then tie her, hit her unconscious, I do not care!" the demon prince screamed. "Just get her back to me!"
The assembly nodded and left by various means, out into the night. Aubrey sat back, and smiled. By the end of the next year, Ailani would be back and would be carrying his child, the heir to the throne of Tartarus, and he would have all things under his control.
~*~
The island was barren, the raw life of the Planet sucked out of it and put to the glowing pool of green liquid that now occupied the space were a town known as Mideel had been. The pool held the substance called "Mako." Once used by a corrupt corporation to produce energy, this substance had been seen by a certain Summoner and her guardians near a mountain called Gagazet, and near to the ruins of the great metropolis, Zanarkand. Now, this pool was the only sign that anything having to do with the fayth was anything more than a statue, a hunk of lifeless rock.
The Mako bubbled happily away to itself as it spewed the prone figure of the man out of the pool. Its Mother had told it that this man needed to be sent back to undo what he had done in his life, and that if he succeeded also in the task set before him, she would grant him forgiveness. Now he was on a quest to redeem himself in her eyes.
The lifeless form twitched, and the man stood. Wiping the thick liquid from his oddly lavendar-blue eyes, he looked gratefully back at the pool, mouthing a thanks. Then he set about cleaning himself up, running his fingers through his shortened hair and straightening the robes that the Planet had given him. Why, except for the hair, he was himself again. And as he stared into the tidepool before him, and before the great eagle came and bore him away to the mainland, one name formed on his lips:
"Yuna."
Calix's horse's hoofbeats definitely had a little bounce to them as they headed down the shady track to their home of Silverwood. Alastair breathed a prayer to the Elfin gods that they had made it across the ocean and to the great continent of Anash without harm. Ailani's horse, ever alert, pricked his ears and trotted easily, the other horses hard put to keep pace with him. Again Calix wondered where exactly Ailani had gotten such a horse, wizard-bred and magic-trained. Wizard horses sold for millions of pounds of gold on any market, and for Ailani, away from the halls of Avalon and wandering an unknown land, to have so much money was unusual.
Around them, the huge trunks of the silverwood trees for which his home city was named towered. Out of the branches of one, a guard dropped, blocking their path. He bowed when he realized that it was his prince.
"Prince Calix, it is good to have you home!" The guard cried in the Elfin tongue. "King Caleb was indeed worried.but have you succeeded in your plans?"
Calix grasped Ailani's horse's bridle and brought it forward a step. "I give you Lady Ailani of the Holy Isle of Avalon, former wife of the demon Aubrey."
The guard made the protective sign against demons. "She was wed to that demon?"
Calix nodded gravely. "And she is the worse for it too.would that demons who are banished remain so!"
"King Caleb will be pleased to welcome her into Silverwood, indeed," the guard said, and leapt lightly from ground to branches until he was again hidden from sight.
Calix led them forward again, the track sloping downward, until finally they came to the eastern edge of the City of Silver and Light, Silverwood. Fairy-fire lit the houses and the lamps, and elves lined the streets, bowing as the little procession passed them. Ailani was looking around with an expression of awe on her face, and her horse too was bending his neck around, but with an expression that clearly said, home.
They ascended a staircase that spiral up the trunk of a silverwood tree, coming to a small plateau upon which the palace was built. Calix was let through, the elves on the walls watching them and staring most curiously at Ailani; the blue crescent, freshly painted on her brow, appeared to glow in the magical light.
The palace was made of silver-white stone, marble, and glowed softly. The entire palace was imbued with the magical power of generations of elf rulers, and emitted a faint hum. Their horses were led away, and Calix again led them up the steps to the throne hall of the High King of the Elves, Caleb Gwydion, his father.
Entering the throne hall brought whispers and glances from the elves present in the hall at that moment. The fact that the head of the phalanx of elves, priestess, and panther was their prince generated some; the blue crescent on Ailani's forehead drew most. The three knelt before the throne, upon which was seated a great elf man, with brown hair and forest- green eyes. Ailani could tell this was Calix's father; they had the same aura, and they had the same eyes.
Calix rose, and motioned for Ailani to stand also. She did, her priestess robes making her look taller than her six feet warranted. Her blue hair tumbled unchecked, and the little sickle knife of her initiation hung on one side of her waist. Caladbolg hung on the other. This sword's hilt was her handrest currently, as Calix said, "Father, I give you Lady Ailani, Priestess of the Holy Isle of Avalon, daughter of Yuna de Braska of Besaid in Spira."
"I could tell she was priestess when she entered the room, Son," King Caleb answered. "The symbol on her brow says as much. Come, Lady Ailani, let me get a good look at you." Ailani walked forward a few steps, her expression nonchalant. King Caleb laughed.
"Well, Son, she is as you said. It has been long since the High Court of Silverwood has been graced with a Priestess of Avalon; indeed, too long. Come, tell me - who sits as Lady of the Lake?"
"Lady Cassara, Your Highness."
"Lady Cassara.I remember her from the last time I was at Avalon, to see the serpents tattooed on my son's wrists - indeed, she was young then, but she had much potential. I am glad she now is Lady. But," and here he paused, looking hard at Ailani, "What of you? Why are you not now on that Holy Isle?"
Calix cleared his throat. "Father, Lady Ailani is much tired from her journey. Please, we may discuss such things on the morrow, but not tonight."
King Caleb nodded, all royal again. "You are right, Son. Alastair, show Lady Ailani to a room - one with a window, please. And Son - rest, also."
All three bowed, and exited into the heart of the palace.
~*~
Aubrey looked around at the shadowed figures standing in the large room of his mansion. "You know what to do?"
"Bring the priestess, kill the elf-prince," many voices hissed. Red eyes glowed from under the cowls of some cloaks, while others glowed an evil purple. One, in robes embroidered with a spider, stepped forward.
"Lord Aubrey - the priestess is of Avalon. We will not be able to touch her without being burned or killed."
"Then tie her, hit her unconscious, I do not care!" the demon prince screamed. "Just get her back to me!"
The assembly nodded and left by various means, out into the night. Aubrey sat back, and smiled. By the end of the next year, Ailani would be back and would be carrying his child, the heir to the throne of Tartarus, and he would have all things under his control.
~*~
The island was barren, the raw life of the Planet sucked out of it and put to the glowing pool of green liquid that now occupied the space were a town known as Mideel had been. The pool held the substance called "Mako." Once used by a corrupt corporation to produce energy, this substance had been seen by a certain Summoner and her guardians near a mountain called Gagazet, and near to the ruins of the great metropolis, Zanarkand. Now, this pool was the only sign that anything having to do with the fayth was anything more than a statue, a hunk of lifeless rock.
The Mako bubbled happily away to itself as it spewed the prone figure of the man out of the pool. Its Mother had told it that this man needed to be sent back to undo what he had done in his life, and that if he succeeded also in the task set before him, she would grant him forgiveness. Now he was on a quest to redeem himself in her eyes.
The lifeless form twitched, and the man stood. Wiping the thick liquid from his oddly lavendar-blue eyes, he looked gratefully back at the pool, mouthing a thanks. Then he set about cleaning himself up, running his fingers through his shortened hair and straightening the robes that the Planet had given him. Why, except for the hair, he was himself again. And as he stared into the tidepool before him, and before the great eagle came and bore him away to the mainland, one name formed on his lips:
"Yuna."