**BY: KUROHIME**
(Even in the bright sunlight reflected off the beach sand, Alexander's body looked hauntingly pale. It should never be that way... and everyone knew it.)
JESS: I can't believe you did this....!
KURO: *solemny kneeling down beside Alexander* Thank you, Alexander.
ZIDANE: There's got to be something we can do for him.
KURO: There is. Jess, let me have his medallion.
JESS: What? Why?
KURO: Don't worry. He'll be okay. If a summon is this badly injured, dismissing him will help to keep his energy in stasis. He'll be fine, but we have to get him to a Healing Sphere before we have to summon him again. Otherwise....
VIVI: A Healing Sphere? Where can we find those?
KURO: Dagger will know. We need to get back to my place and take both Bahamut and Alexander there. They both need to be healed before we can go on.
JESS: *quietly* I've got to learn how to do it. He's my summon.
(Kuro nods and stands up. She leads Jess over to stand beside Alexander.)
KURO: I'll help you, if you need it.
(Jess nods resolutely. She takes the white medallion in her hands and holds it over the pale angellic form. The frantic emotions racing through her mind are betrayed in her eyes. Slowly, she closes them, and the tears begin to fall freely. Her medallion begins to glow as the dismissal begins.)
JESS: My angel..... thank you.... We'll heal you. I promise.
(Soft streamers of light begin to swirl around Alexander's body. His wings ruffle in what seems to be a supernatural wind. Slowly, his body dematerializes, and the energy begins to congeal into another ball of almost-tangible light. In one smooth, swift movement, it streaks into the sky. A moment later, it's gone.)
ZIDANE: No matter how many times I watch something like that, I'll never get used to it.
KURO: Neither will I. Heh-heh.
(Bob walks over beside Jess and puts a reassuring arm around her shoulder.)
BOB: He'll be okay, Jess. He's a summon. They're supposed to protect you like that.
JESS: I know. But I'm supposed to protect him, too. I didn't know he would take the entire fall for me. I shouldn't have let him do that.
BOB: It's what he's born to do, Jess. He would have taken the fall for any of us.
JESS: That doesn't make me feel any better about it, you know.
BOB: *shrugs* I can try. You know I'm right. *tries to manage a grin*
JESS: Darn you, Bob. *gives him a small smile in return*
BOB: How about you? You did take your own fall there, you know. Are you going to be okay?
JESS: Heh, I'll let you know how big the bruise is tomorrow morning when this is all over.
(Kuro comes over beside the two. She looks like she needs to tell them something.)
KURO: You two, I need to tell you something...
(Bob and Jess both blink in response.)
JESS: We're all still alive and we have two critically wounded summons on our hands? Not to mention we've destroyed the Leviathan summon?
KURO: No. Well, yes. That too.
BOB: *snickers*
KURO: We've still got big problems on our hands. Not only do we need to restore our summons... we're still in danger.
BOB: Naturally.
KURO: We may have gotten Bahamut back, but there's more to this whole problem.
BOB: Of course.
(Jess gives him a nudge. A hard nudge.)
BOB: *to Jess* Whaaaaaaaaat?!?
KURO: Come on. Let's get back to my apartment. I'll explain on the way.
BOB: You're driving!
(Back at Kurohime's apartment, everyone has gathered. Naturally, this has become a very cliche` group reunion moment. Kuro and Roy are once again joined at the hip, and Dagger and Zidane have practically been in each other's arms the whole time, too.)
ROY: Sakaguchi explained that there was a more powerful force controllling Bahamut from the Invincible. Bahamut was simply returning to that callling when he found you there.
BOB: I don't get it, though. Why was it only Bahamut? Jess found Alexander on the ship. Why wasn't he being controlled, too?
ROY: That's just it. That Ultima Mage you ran into was a summoner, too. They did have Alexander under their control until you freed him.
JESS: My poor Alexander...!
ROY: The reason why they didn't need enslave him is becasue he was already theirs. And that's why you were able to get Bahamut back with the collar. That managed to break the Invincible's hold.
DAGGER: It won't be long before the protection the collar gves him will wear off.
JESS: I don't think I really like the thought of that...
ROY: We have four of the eight summons.
VIVI: You mean we still have to find the other four? Shouldn't it be over, now that we've released all the summons from them?
ROY: Well, no. That would have made this a really short story. We couldn't end it there.
VIVI: Oh.
DAGGER: Roy does have a point, Vivi. But there's more to it than that. This happened once before. The power of the summons were collected by the Invincible in preparation for something much more devious.
VIVI: *shakes head vehemently* I don't even want to think about that!
ZIDANE: So what is happening to the Invincible? If it's still out there, why do we need all eight summons?
DAGGER: Even as we speak, that power inside the Invicible is growing in strength again. And now that it's lost Alexander, it will be looking for you, too, Jess.
JESS: I don't really think I like the thought of that, either!
ROY: We need to find all eight summons in order to protect them from the Invincible, and also to protect ourselves from it. *he turns to Kuro* And ultimately, we need all eight to destroy that power.
(Kuro blinks. She knows that he's found something out... something that she hadn't had the courage to tell him before. She drops her gaze before it becomes unbearable.)
ZIDANE: You're planning to destroy the Invincible by using the summons.
(It's more of a blunt statement than a question. Zidane knows, too.)
DAGGER: We can't let this happen again, Zidane. They weren't able to stop the Invincible the last time. If we can... we should.
(Zidane turns towards Dagger, his eyes pleading.)
ZIDANE: I don't want the three of you to die. Sakaguchi knew another way to do this. Don't you think we should ask him if there's another way?
BOB: *turning to Jess* ...... what?
JESS: ...........
(Roy looks at Kuro.)
ROY: *quietly* Dagger told me what happens if you have to destroy your own summon. Why didn't you tell me?
KURO: *just shakes her head* Because I'm an idiot.
BOB: Jess....? What's are they talking about?
JESS: *frowns* Sometimes when a summon is called, the summoner is forced to destroy it. It almost never happens. But it happened once, a long time ago. The eight summons were called, and used to destroy a power that only all eight together could control. But the only way they could do it was to absorb the power. They literally became one. All the summoners could do to put that power to rest was to use their combined strength and destroy their own summons.
(Kuro has overheard their conversation. She knows the history all too well.)
KURO: It destroys both the summon and the summoner.
BOB: *shaking his head* This is why I always hated history lessons!
ZIDANE: There has to be another way to destroy the Invincible. We'll find it.
KURO: *muttering to herself* I feel like we're living a part of Final Fantasy 10.
(Yuna comes into the room, followed by Tidus.)
KURO: I knew I shouldn't have said that.
TIDUS: Well, now we've got an even number! Besides, I think we might be able to help you find those last four summons.
End of Part I
(Even in the bright sunlight reflected off the beach sand, Alexander's body looked hauntingly pale. It should never be that way... and everyone knew it.)
JESS: I can't believe you did this....!
KURO: *solemny kneeling down beside Alexander* Thank you, Alexander.
ZIDANE: There's got to be something we can do for him.
KURO: There is. Jess, let me have his medallion.
JESS: What? Why?
KURO: Don't worry. He'll be okay. If a summon is this badly injured, dismissing him will help to keep his energy in stasis. He'll be fine, but we have to get him to a Healing Sphere before we have to summon him again. Otherwise....
VIVI: A Healing Sphere? Where can we find those?
KURO: Dagger will know. We need to get back to my place and take both Bahamut and Alexander there. They both need to be healed before we can go on.
JESS: *quietly* I've got to learn how to do it. He's my summon.
(Kuro nods and stands up. She leads Jess over to stand beside Alexander.)
KURO: I'll help you, if you need it.
(Jess nods resolutely. She takes the white medallion in her hands and holds it over the pale angellic form. The frantic emotions racing through her mind are betrayed in her eyes. Slowly, she closes them, and the tears begin to fall freely. Her medallion begins to glow as the dismissal begins.)
JESS: My angel..... thank you.... We'll heal you. I promise.
(Soft streamers of light begin to swirl around Alexander's body. His wings ruffle in what seems to be a supernatural wind. Slowly, his body dematerializes, and the energy begins to congeal into another ball of almost-tangible light. In one smooth, swift movement, it streaks into the sky. A moment later, it's gone.)
ZIDANE: No matter how many times I watch something like that, I'll never get used to it.
KURO: Neither will I. Heh-heh.
(Bob walks over beside Jess and puts a reassuring arm around her shoulder.)
BOB: He'll be okay, Jess. He's a summon. They're supposed to protect you like that.
JESS: I know. But I'm supposed to protect him, too. I didn't know he would take the entire fall for me. I shouldn't have let him do that.
BOB: It's what he's born to do, Jess. He would have taken the fall for any of us.
JESS: That doesn't make me feel any better about it, you know.
BOB: *shrugs* I can try. You know I'm right. *tries to manage a grin*
JESS: Darn you, Bob. *gives him a small smile in return*
BOB: How about you? You did take your own fall there, you know. Are you going to be okay?
JESS: Heh, I'll let you know how big the bruise is tomorrow morning when this is all over.
(Kuro comes over beside the two. She looks like she needs to tell them something.)
KURO: You two, I need to tell you something...
(Bob and Jess both blink in response.)
JESS: We're all still alive and we have two critically wounded summons on our hands? Not to mention we've destroyed the Leviathan summon?
KURO: No. Well, yes. That too.
BOB: *snickers*
KURO: We've still got big problems on our hands. Not only do we need to restore our summons... we're still in danger.
BOB: Naturally.
KURO: We may have gotten Bahamut back, but there's more to this whole problem.
BOB: Of course.
(Jess gives him a nudge. A hard nudge.)
BOB: *to Jess* Whaaaaaaaaat?!?
KURO: Come on. Let's get back to my apartment. I'll explain on the way.
BOB: You're driving!
(Back at Kurohime's apartment, everyone has gathered. Naturally, this has become a very cliche` group reunion moment. Kuro and Roy are once again joined at the hip, and Dagger and Zidane have practically been in each other's arms the whole time, too.)
ROY: Sakaguchi explained that there was a more powerful force controllling Bahamut from the Invincible. Bahamut was simply returning to that callling when he found you there.
BOB: I don't get it, though. Why was it only Bahamut? Jess found Alexander on the ship. Why wasn't he being controlled, too?
ROY: That's just it. That Ultima Mage you ran into was a summoner, too. They did have Alexander under their control until you freed him.
JESS: My poor Alexander...!
ROY: The reason why they didn't need enslave him is becasue he was already theirs. And that's why you were able to get Bahamut back with the collar. That managed to break the Invincible's hold.
DAGGER: It won't be long before the protection the collar gves him will wear off.
JESS: I don't think I really like the thought of that...
ROY: We have four of the eight summons.
VIVI: You mean we still have to find the other four? Shouldn't it be over, now that we've released all the summons from them?
ROY: Well, no. That would have made this a really short story. We couldn't end it there.
VIVI: Oh.
DAGGER: Roy does have a point, Vivi. But there's more to it than that. This happened once before. The power of the summons were collected by the Invincible in preparation for something much more devious.
VIVI: *shakes head vehemently* I don't even want to think about that!
ZIDANE: So what is happening to the Invincible? If it's still out there, why do we need all eight summons?
DAGGER: Even as we speak, that power inside the Invicible is growing in strength again. And now that it's lost Alexander, it will be looking for you, too, Jess.
JESS: I don't really think I like the thought of that, either!
ROY: We need to find all eight summons in order to protect them from the Invincible, and also to protect ourselves from it. *he turns to Kuro* And ultimately, we need all eight to destroy that power.
(Kuro blinks. She knows that he's found something out... something that she hadn't had the courage to tell him before. She drops her gaze before it becomes unbearable.)
ZIDANE: You're planning to destroy the Invincible by using the summons.
(It's more of a blunt statement than a question. Zidane knows, too.)
DAGGER: We can't let this happen again, Zidane. They weren't able to stop the Invincible the last time. If we can... we should.
(Zidane turns towards Dagger, his eyes pleading.)
ZIDANE: I don't want the three of you to die. Sakaguchi knew another way to do this. Don't you think we should ask him if there's another way?
BOB: *turning to Jess* ...... what?
JESS: ...........
(Roy looks at Kuro.)
ROY: *quietly* Dagger told me what happens if you have to destroy your own summon. Why didn't you tell me?
KURO: *just shakes her head* Because I'm an idiot.
BOB: Jess....? What's are they talking about?
JESS: *frowns* Sometimes when a summon is called, the summoner is forced to destroy it. It almost never happens. But it happened once, a long time ago. The eight summons were called, and used to destroy a power that only all eight together could control. But the only way they could do it was to absorb the power. They literally became one. All the summoners could do to put that power to rest was to use their combined strength and destroy their own summons.
(Kuro has overheard their conversation. She knows the history all too well.)
KURO: It destroys both the summon and the summoner.
BOB: *shaking his head* This is why I always hated history lessons!
ZIDANE: There has to be another way to destroy the Invincible. We'll find it.
KURO: *muttering to herself* I feel like we're living a part of Final Fantasy 10.
(Yuna comes into the room, followed by Tidus.)
KURO: I knew I shouldn't have said that.
TIDUS: Well, now we've got an even number! Besides, I think we might be able to help you find those last four summons.
End of Part I