Author's notes: Shortly, here, this'll be done. ::sniffles:: I'm sad to
see it go.
---***---
Caleb spread his hands on the finished surface of the wood table. They were in the war room, seldom used by the generals in the City of the Elves, Silverwood, but one of their number was missing. And judging by the size of the drow-demon raid on Silverwood for Ailani, she would be sorely needed for her powers as a healer and a wizard. For if - when, Caleb scolded himself - when Ailani returned here, Aubrey would surely send an army to retrieve her.
His son was sitting in one of the chairs; his normally clearly green eyes were reddend with crying. Next to him, Seymour was comforting Yuna, who was also crying. Alastair and Rikku were also there, the elvish ranger looking unflappable as always and the Al Bhed thief's expression a mixture of anger and sadness. They would have a bare three days or so, by Caleb's reckoning, before they would have to leave for Bloodmoon.
"So," he said softly. "You all know what you have to do?"
His eyes met with five pairs of emotional eyes and he nodded. "Very well then. You will leave tomorrow at dawn - "
Rikku flew to her feet. "We need a chance to grieve, you know?" she said.
Caleb looked levelly at her. "Grieve for what?"
Rikku lowered her eyes. "Well.. maybe grieve isn't the right word. But we need more than a day!"
He sighed. "I wish I could give you more than that, Miss Rikku. But time runs short for Ailani."
Rikku sat again; to his surprise, Alastair leaned forward and patted her on the shoulder. Caleb boxed his surprise for the moment. "In any case..I will make sure you all are outfitted as finely as you can be. Dismissed."
---***---
Calix wandered down to the city, a little unhappy about having no time to set his thoughts in order but knowing his father too well. Caleb would never give the enemy more time than he thought necessary; never enough for the opposition to do anything with. Finding himself at the stables, he slid it open and walked down the aisle to the biggest box stall they had, the one that housed Nenya. It came complete with an ungated run out to the pasture, where most of the horses were now. Calix expected the stall to be empty, but found Nenya inside.
Nenya was standing sorrowfully in the back of his stall, looking out towards the pasture. His coat, shining like silver just a few hours before, was now dulled. The spark in his eyes had gone out as well, and when he moved to weakly nuzzle Calix's ear, his movements were slow and pained. Calix stroked the soft neck. "You miss Ailani too, don't you?"
The stallion snorted, trying valiantly to toss his mane and stamp. Calix winced at the obvious effort behind those movements and patted Nenya's neck again. "We're going there tomorrow. Do you want to come?"
The stallion bobbed his head up and down in as close an assent as he could get without speaking, though Calix had long ago decided Nenya was smart enough to speak if he wanted to. He gave Nenya a final pat, filled his feed and water troughs, and left, his head down low and his hands in his pockets.
---***---
Seymour was pacing along the outdoor promenade, occasionally emitting a thoughtful sort of 'hm.' Yuna watched him with more than a little trepidation. Caleb had called Seymour aside and had told him what he knew of the layout of Bloodmoon, and where Ailani would be found. But it was not this that Seymour was thinking about.
The last spell the Planet had given him was a spell of release - the key to the lock on a great power. Seymour knew that there was no such spell that was in common circulation; the Planet must have made it on its own. The question as to why the Planet had done so was debatable. It could be that the 'key' was to the 'lock' of the thing that could destroy Bloodmoon and free Ailani, but it didn't seem like that. The Planet was also trying very hard to tell him that the spellkey fitted into the lock on a particular person. Aubrey? He wasn't sure.
Finally Yuna, dizzied somewhat by his pacing and now very anxious, went up and grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Seymour," she asked softly. "What's going to happen to Ailani if we fail to rescue her?"
Seymour smiled down at her, though it was only a smile on his face. "Don't worry. Ailani will be all right." He repeated it to himself softly, because he needed to believe it as well. "She'll be all right."
Yuna seemed to pick up on his doubt because she put her arms around him and began to cry - quietly, as was her nature. Unable to stop himself, Seymour cried as well. After a time, Yuna spoke.
"What'll happen if Ailani.?"
Seymour shook his head. "I don't know."
She looked out over the city. "Will she be all right?"
Seymour shook his head again. "I don't know, love. But Ailani is a strong woman, very strong both mentally and physically. Reminds me of someone."
Yuna smiled at him. "Me?"
He nodded. "Ailani is your mirror - albeit her outward image is different." Seymour looked to the west, where he knew Bloodmoon tower stood amid clouds of roiling steam and ash, poking out of a volatile mix of scalding hot springs and toxic pools. "And I know she has the best of both of us."
---***---
Rikku paced unhappily; the cooling midafternoon sun feeling pleasant against her desert-tanned skin. In the shadows, Alastair watched her bemusedly. The elf had a good two hundred years on her, though they looked the same age. Only where Alastair had spent most of his 200-odd years honing his fighting skill, Rikku had been learning how to use the machina she'd salvaged with her fellow Al Bhed. Her mind was her weapon; and Alastair knew that in the end the mind would win over the muscle. But she was pacing wrong, and Alastair, seeing a chance for humor, stepped out of the shadows. Rikku jumped in pretend fright.
"Don't scare me like that, ya know?" she said angrily. "I thought you were one of those nasty demon things."
Alastair raised an eyebrow. "Nasty demon things?" he repeated. Rikku nodded vehemently.
"Though you're a little pale..well, a lot pale for them. They're scary.."
"What, the drow?" Alastair drew himself up, not meaning to take offense but doing so. "I am not to be compared to the drow! Nor is any other elf in the Silver City."
Rikku shrugged. "You spend so much time hiding from the sun that a person would think you are."
"I thought you were beyond such childish things.."
Rikku mimicked his stance. "Yeah, and I suppose a great swordmaster such as yourself would know what such childish things are?"
Alastair growled. Rikku giggled. "You're cute when you're upset."
He turned his back. "You are immature!" This only made Rikku laugh harder. A clatter from above them made both the ranger and the Al Bhed look up, Rikku stuffing the fist that didn't have the Godhand on it into her mouth to stifle her giggling. Calix's head appeared at one of the windows.
"Will you both quiet down?!" he yelled at them. Alastair frowned and Rikku took her fist out of her mouth.
"Will you stop moping?!" she yelled back up at him, her hands on her hips.
"You do not tell the prince what to do!"
Rikku threw her hands up into the air. "You are both so depressing!"
---***---
The part of Aubrey's mind that still contained vestiges of a conscience was sulking.
It had once again gotten into an argument with Demon Aubrey, had once again lost a little more of itself to the darkness. And now it was very upset.
The time of prophecy was near, Demon Aubrey had said in his usual bad mood. Human Aubrey had replied that Ailani, or the Daughter of Dreams, would use the Steed of Air to overpower the darkness and would so save the world as her mother had.
Demon Aubrey had smiled that evil, fang-filled smile, and said that that was not how it was going to be, that since the prophecy had been laid down mankind had been given free will - Choice, it said, was always what changed the prophecy.
Human Aubrey had replied (waspishly, he decided to add to his thoughts) that it was the job of the aeons to keep the goals, or destinies, of the people in line. Demon Aubrey had said that the time of the aeons was ended and that Choice would reign again.
Choice was the downfall of humanity, Demon Aubrey had continued, and when Choice had been given to the peoples of the Planet, then his father's time had come. Choice had given them debauchery, malice, destruction, and rebellion. Until then they had done as the spirits of the land had commanded without a thought towards their wishes.
Human Aubrey had then retreated back to its ever-shrinking corner of Aubrey's consciousness, and pouted.
The time of prophecy was upon them, Human Aubrey thought with a final nod to itself.
---***---
Caleb spread his hands on the finished surface of the wood table. They were in the war room, seldom used by the generals in the City of the Elves, Silverwood, but one of their number was missing. And judging by the size of the drow-demon raid on Silverwood for Ailani, she would be sorely needed for her powers as a healer and a wizard. For if - when, Caleb scolded himself - when Ailani returned here, Aubrey would surely send an army to retrieve her.
His son was sitting in one of the chairs; his normally clearly green eyes were reddend with crying. Next to him, Seymour was comforting Yuna, who was also crying. Alastair and Rikku were also there, the elvish ranger looking unflappable as always and the Al Bhed thief's expression a mixture of anger and sadness. They would have a bare three days or so, by Caleb's reckoning, before they would have to leave for Bloodmoon.
"So," he said softly. "You all know what you have to do?"
His eyes met with five pairs of emotional eyes and he nodded. "Very well then. You will leave tomorrow at dawn - "
Rikku flew to her feet. "We need a chance to grieve, you know?" she said.
Caleb looked levelly at her. "Grieve for what?"
Rikku lowered her eyes. "Well.. maybe grieve isn't the right word. But we need more than a day!"
He sighed. "I wish I could give you more than that, Miss Rikku. But time runs short for Ailani."
Rikku sat again; to his surprise, Alastair leaned forward and patted her on the shoulder. Caleb boxed his surprise for the moment. "In any case..I will make sure you all are outfitted as finely as you can be. Dismissed."
---***---
Calix wandered down to the city, a little unhappy about having no time to set his thoughts in order but knowing his father too well. Caleb would never give the enemy more time than he thought necessary; never enough for the opposition to do anything with. Finding himself at the stables, he slid it open and walked down the aisle to the biggest box stall they had, the one that housed Nenya. It came complete with an ungated run out to the pasture, where most of the horses were now. Calix expected the stall to be empty, but found Nenya inside.
Nenya was standing sorrowfully in the back of his stall, looking out towards the pasture. His coat, shining like silver just a few hours before, was now dulled. The spark in his eyes had gone out as well, and when he moved to weakly nuzzle Calix's ear, his movements were slow and pained. Calix stroked the soft neck. "You miss Ailani too, don't you?"
The stallion snorted, trying valiantly to toss his mane and stamp. Calix winced at the obvious effort behind those movements and patted Nenya's neck again. "We're going there tomorrow. Do you want to come?"
The stallion bobbed his head up and down in as close an assent as he could get without speaking, though Calix had long ago decided Nenya was smart enough to speak if he wanted to. He gave Nenya a final pat, filled his feed and water troughs, and left, his head down low and his hands in his pockets.
---***---
Seymour was pacing along the outdoor promenade, occasionally emitting a thoughtful sort of 'hm.' Yuna watched him with more than a little trepidation. Caleb had called Seymour aside and had told him what he knew of the layout of Bloodmoon, and where Ailani would be found. But it was not this that Seymour was thinking about.
The last spell the Planet had given him was a spell of release - the key to the lock on a great power. Seymour knew that there was no such spell that was in common circulation; the Planet must have made it on its own. The question as to why the Planet had done so was debatable. It could be that the 'key' was to the 'lock' of the thing that could destroy Bloodmoon and free Ailani, but it didn't seem like that. The Planet was also trying very hard to tell him that the spellkey fitted into the lock on a particular person. Aubrey? He wasn't sure.
Finally Yuna, dizzied somewhat by his pacing and now very anxious, went up and grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Seymour," she asked softly. "What's going to happen to Ailani if we fail to rescue her?"
Seymour smiled down at her, though it was only a smile on his face. "Don't worry. Ailani will be all right." He repeated it to himself softly, because he needed to believe it as well. "She'll be all right."
Yuna seemed to pick up on his doubt because she put her arms around him and began to cry - quietly, as was her nature. Unable to stop himself, Seymour cried as well. After a time, Yuna spoke.
"What'll happen if Ailani.?"
Seymour shook his head. "I don't know."
She looked out over the city. "Will she be all right?"
Seymour shook his head again. "I don't know, love. But Ailani is a strong woman, very strong both mentally and physically. Reminds me of someone."
Yuna smiled at him. "Me?"
He nodded. "Ailani is your mirror - albeit her outward image is different." Seymour looked to the west, where he knew Bloodmoon tower stood amid clouds of roiling steam and ash, poking out of a volatile mix of scalding hot springs and toxic pools. "And I know she has the best of both of us."
---***---
Rikku paced unhappily; the cooling midafternoon sun feeling pleasant against her desert-tanned skin. In the shadows, Alastair watched her bemusedly. The elf had a good two hundred years on her, though they looked the same age. Only where Alastair had spent most of his 200-odd years honing his fighting skill, Rikku had been learning how to use the machina she'd salvaged with her fellow Al Bhed. Her mind was her weapon; and Alastair knew that in the end the mind would win over the muscle. But she was pacing wrong, and Alastair, seeing a chance for humor, stepped out of the shadows. Rikku jumped in pretend fright.
"Don't scare me like that, ya know?" she said angrily. "I thought you were one of those nasty demon things."
Alastair raised an eyebrow. "Nasty demon things?" he repeated. Rikku nodded vehemently.
"Though you're a little pale..well, a lot pale for them. They're scary.."
"What, the drow?" Alastair drew himself up, not meaning to take offense but doing so. "I am not to be compared to the drow! Nor is any other elf in the Silver City."
Rikku shrugged. "You spend so much time hiding from the sun that a person would think you are."
"I thought you were beyond such childish things.."
Rikku mimicked his stance. "Yeah, and I suppose a great swordmaster such as yourself would know what such childish things are?"
Alastair growled. Rikku giggled. "You're cute when you're upset."
He turned his back. "You are immature!" This only made Rikku laugh harder. A clatter from above them made both the ranger and the Al Bhed look up, Rikku stuffing the fist that didn't have the Godhand on it into her mouth to stifle her giggling. Calix's head appeared at one of the windows.
"Will you both quiet down?!" he yelled at them. Alastair frowned and Rikku took her fist out of her mouth.
"Will you stop moping?!" she yelled back up at him, her hands on her hips.
"You do not tell the prince what to do!"
Rikku threw her hands up into the air. "You are both so depressing!"
---***---
The part of Aubrey's mind that still contained vestiges of a conscience was sulking.
It had once again gotten into an argument with Demon Aubrey, had once again lost a little more of itself to the darkness. And now it was very upset.
The time of prophecy was near, Demon Aubrey had said in his usual bad mood. Human Aubrey had replied that Ailani, or the Daughter of Dreams, would use the Steed of Air to overpower the darkness and would so save the world as her mother had.
Demon Aubrey had smiled that evil, fang-filled smile, and said that that was not how it was going to be, that since the prophecy had been laid down mankind had been given free will - Choice, it said, was always what changed the prophecy.
Human Aubrey had replied (waspishly, he decided to add to his thoughts) that it was the job of the aeons to keep the goals, or destinies, of the people in line. Demon Aubrey had said that the time of the aeons was ended and that Choice would reign again.
Choice was the downfall of humanity, Demon Aubrey had continued, and when Choice had been given to the peoples of the Planet, then his father's time had come. Choice had given them debauchery, malice, destruction, and rebellion. Until then they had done as the spirits of the land had commanded without a thought towards their wishes.
Human Aubrey had then retreated back to its ever-shrinking corner of Aubrey's consciousness, and pouted.
The time of prophecy was upon them, Human Aubrey thought with a final nod to itself.