Fantasy Thunder Chapter Ten: Kappa
By Blue Dragon
Kappa, there's a freak. Far too obsessed with women. . . HEY! We attack today!
Esthar Garden was soon at Trabia. The students had been excited to meet some old friends; especially Selphie and other Trabia transfer students. Afterwards the garden had made its way to Galbadia Garden, which was hidden in the mountains around the D-District Prison.
When Nida had asked the next destination, Oren had sighed.
Nida wondered why. He couldn't be depressed about the crowds; there was more than enough space for them in Esthar Garden.
"Nida, where I will go there is no way that the garden can take me, but thank you for your help. Could you make an announcement asking Tidus, Yuna, Wakka, Lulu, Cloud, Tifa, and Rinoa to come to the conference room? I would also like you to clear the place out over the intercom"
Nida gave a nervous glance across the bridge to Squall, who nodded his hair. Nida had always been hesitant when talking to Oren because he couldn't seem to trust that blue glow. He felt that someone should ask him. Could it be a Zatach thing?
"All students in and around the conference area please clear temporarily. Tidus, Yuna, Wakka, Lulu, Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockheart, and Rinoa Heartily please report to the conference room." Nida said over the speaker.
Oren turned his head to Squall.
"I would like you there too" he said.
The two left the bridge and went to the separate room on the twelfth floor; the conference room. The people called were just finishing the elevator ride into the middle.
"That was fast," said Squall.
"Elevators are virtually everywhere, you know. Its hard not to get here fast" Rinoa explained.
The eight people took their seats at the long oblong table, Oren remained standing at the head.
"What I'm about to tell you all will be very easy and very hard at the same time. I have the power in me from the inheritance of Omega to bring a few people back from the farplane. From those of you that don't know, that is a dimension into the world of the dead that is accessible from Spira"
Oren looked more nervous.
"Currently we are a few feet around one, right under us in the sand. There is a cavern that also has the same effect as the farplane.I can't explain what it is very well. Yuna, would you mind?"
She took a short breath, slightly startled that she had been recognized.
"The farplane is a place where spirits of the dead roam and images of them can be seen through thought. Although I didn't know there was more than one"
"Nicely put. Now in this cavern it is very similar to the farplane on Spira. You heard what I was saying before. It will take a while to train you all until you are more of a match, but in the meantime we need auxiliary troops to back us up. The most powerful I can think of are Sephiroth, Seymour, and Ultimecia"
The group cringed and their faces became bitter.
"I don't know much, but I do know that Pyros and his men plan to attack today, very soon. So, can I have your cooperation? Please? I beg of you, they may be horrible enemies, but you must tolerate their presence. I will send them back when their time is up"
Cloud stood up and spoke.
"I still don't think that you know these guys like we do, but if you insist you have to agree to let us stop them by any means necessary if they go crazy."
"Agreed" Oren said immediately.
"Oren?" Lulu addressed him.
"Yes?"
"How did you know Pyros' men were attacking?"
". . . I'll tell you when the time comes. It's actually rather embarrassing"
Lulu was not one to pursue evaded topics.
"Well when are we going?" Cloud asked.
"Now, if you want"
In a flash of blue the party was in the dark.
"Geez! You have to teach us how to do that," Tidus said from an unknown position.
"I will, believe me. Now everyone think lovely thoughts"
The group was eager to comply and the room light up.
Everyone save Wakka, Lulu, Tidus, and Yuna jumped back. Pyreflies floated everywhere and the ground gave way to a steep slope of immense beauty, flower fields and streams and even a strange blue sun.
"Where are we?" Squall asked.
"Now you are seeing pyreflies that wandered from Spira" Oren explained.
"Wandered from Spira?" Yuna questioned.
"Yes. Pyreflies travel all over the universe and gather at secret places like this unreachable by things with any less power than a Zatach. This is somewhere in this planet's core. And I recommend you take out your weapons."
No one realized what he was talking about, but all was remembered when they noticed Oren walking to the edge and glowing blue.
"Et un stilla mor pavelor."
He chanted with his hands clasped together.
"Et un stilla mor pavelor.SEYMOUR!"
Tidus' group tensed at the sudden mention and stood on end ready for a fight.
After a few seconds, they relaxed.
"Nothing happened" Lulu noted aloud.
"That's strange" Oren looked around, the blue leaving his body. "He is nowhere to be found! This should have worked somehow."
"Well I'm actually kind of glad that it didn't wo-wo-woah!" Tidus changed his mood in mid-sentence. For behind the group, in a sudden flash, a familiar half-Guado half human man with spiky blue hair and recognizable veins on his forehead appeared. There was only one detail in the appearance that made everything much easier and stranger at the same time. The arrival that they expected to be hostile was actually. . .
"He's sleeping!" Wakka stated the obvious. The former maester was asleep in a pile, eyes closed, seemingly innocent.
"What the he-" Yuna immediately put a hand over her mouth. She had been so surprised that she had actually come close to defiling her careful discipline.
Oren had no input however, as he was calling the next to the world.
"Et un stilla mor pavelor. . . ULTIMECIA!" This time the effects were more immediate. A chair landed on the ground. Two carefully manicured hands were holding a newspaper. . . and the owner didn't seem to even look up. Squall almost dropped his gunblade and chuckles echoed. Ultimecia seemed so preoccupied that she didn't even notice.
"We will alert her later, I need her like this for now." Oren said briefly.
Then, Oren began what was really most feared.
"Et un stilla mor pavelor. . . SEPHIROTH!" Cloud had dropped his sword and Tifa her guard because they really didn't expect much from Sephiroth, seeing as the other two were simply being silly, but when he came, they were surprised. At the time he was in the middle of a practice slash with the Masamune. And because of that the second he appeared. . .
SHHIIINK
The sword held by Sephiroth curved down in an arc and smashed the ground directly to the left of Cloud into nothing.
The fighter instinctively grabbed his sword and jumped back.
"You missed!" He said, aggressiveness in his voice. Making his presence known was a grave mistake.
"What? What? Well if it isn't Cloud, my beautiful worse half, what are you doing in the world of the dead?"
Sephiroth hadn't quite grasped where he was.
"So I find that you are here? What did you say about me?"
Cloud, with a scowl on his face pointed to the decimated ground.
"I said you missed"
His face twisted into the fowl expression of hatred that was all too familiar.
"Well that's too bad!" He slammed his sword downwards in another arc, this time actually aiming at Cloud.
With catlike reflexes he sidestepped, but only because he was more alert this time.
"I thought you had died! But I'll have to take care of you personally, I see"
"I beat you once and I can beat you again" Cloud's sword began glowing and Tifa retreated to the sidelines. Everyone picked up the hint and cleared the area.
"Omni--"
"Sephiroth?" Ultimecia peeked from over the newspaper and looked at the silver-haired titan.
"Where is that familiar thwack? I thought that you were practicing your sword skills?
Did you stop?"
Sephiroth sheathed his sword and turned to face her.
"In case you haven't noticed, wretch, we are in the world of the living. Something's 'up', and you haven't even looked up. And that wannabe bad- guy" he jerked a thumb at the still sleeping Seymour "has completely given up on becoming any stronger. He spends his days sleeping. I actually care about eliminating our foes, and I have actually trained for this day, so I recommend that you use your magic on your foes and pull a rabbit out of your hat or something"
Ultimecia dropped the paper and floated to her feet, her normal red dress completely visible, the makeup on her face gone, her hair down normally, and no shoes.
"Well who are they?"
Rinoa redrew the Shooting Star and Squall took Lionheart back out of its sheath.
"You must be kidding me. I couldn't beat them even when I could transform and you want me to fight them normally? I think not. Sephiroth, we're here for a reason so you had better calm down and find out that reason."
Squall was actually quite surprised at the sensible and cooperative attitude his former enemy rendered. He knew nothing about Seymour or that Sephiroth character, but he didn't think that his fear was really a fear anymore.
Seymour started to toss and turn, and then woke up.
"Ahhh!" he yelled like Tidus never thought he would. At first he thought it was because of him, but then, he noticed it was because his face was drenched in sweat as if from a bad dream. He wiped his face with the back of the Guado Maester garments that he had worn so often. Then he took one look at Tidus and looked like he was going to throw up.
"My nightmare came true!" he jumped impossibly high for any other being and landed behind Ultimecia's dress, trying to hide.
"Who is responsible for this? Did you bring me here to get me killed again? I find once enough. Just leave me be, I don't wish to have my naps interrupted."
Sephiroth walked over, looked him over like he was analyzing him, and then kicked his boot into his backside.
"OOF!"
"Heh heh heh."
"SEPHIROTH! WHY DID YOU KICK MY HINDQUARTERS!"
"You lazy baboon. You cower in fear against those that you once controlled. You're a coward. And your outfit sucks. Very badly I must say. It is no wonder they killed you, fashion blunder! They killed you because you look like a priest!"
Yuna started giggling. Seymour looked at her as if a bully had busted him in front of his girlfriend.
"W-well Cloud killed you because you look like a pimp!"
The laughter immediately subsided and everyone gasped as Sephiroth looked him right in the eye and picked him up by the collar.
"What did you say, punk?"
"Leave him alone" Ultimecia said stepping away. "You do look like a pimp"
"Well, you look like a whore!"
Everyone gasped again.
Ultimecia put a hand over her mouth and her evil eyes widened dangerously, but
Sephiroth didn't look satisfied.
"An ass whore!" He pulled Seymour and backed away.
"Stay away my ass!" He said protectively.
"You. . . you. . . you. . . "
"Enough. It's about time I intervene. I was worried that you characters would kill my friends, but now it seems you'll kill each other. This would have been good, two months ago, but now we need you so calm down and listen up."
The three turned to Oren.
"Okay, I'll tell you what we need. . . "
Sephiroth nodded his head.
"And who the hell are you?"
"I'm the guy that brought you back. And I can send you back if you know what I mean.
Now I need you too. . ."
"How do we really know?" Seymour asked. "You could have done something else and claim power over us, we have no verification"
"Well, I could revive maybe one more. Any requests?"
"AERIS!" Cloud yelled with renewed vigor, but at the same time, Tidus yelled. "SIR AURON!"
"Aeris? I thought I killed that bitch for good. . . " Sephiroth muttered loudly so Cloud could hear.
"Shut your damn mouth Sephiroth!" Cloud pointed his sword at him provocatively.
"What are you going to do? Impale me with that ridiculous haircut of yours?"
Tifa tried to stifle a laugh. Sephiroth looked at her in satisfaction. Cloud looked in anger and she was immediately quiet.
"If Auron died of natural causes, and this other was killed, then it wouldn't be fair" Yuna put a hand on Tidus' shoulder.
"I don't know what makes you all think I'll just let this happen. I'll simply call Meteor to kill you all and withdraw energy from the planet again. Mr. Insignificant was a fool for bringing me back"
"That would be right if you were on the same planet." Oren said to Sephiroth. "Calling Meteor won't work here. Besides, the black materia is gone."
". . . Shut up"
"Et un stilla mor pavelor. . . AURON!"
"Hey!" Tifa yelled.
Oren hadn't heard the decision, lost patience, and chose Auron.
Wakka suddenly stood up ready to welcome the legendary guardians presence.
With a flash the familiar dark figure in the red cloak and sunglasses ran at an all out sprint to what they soon noticed was. . . Seymour, seeming to prepare for a spell.
SLAAASH!
Blood flew as a ball of energy flew out of Seymour's hand and disappeared, daunted by the quick thinking guardian.
"Darn Spirans! I was going to blow them all sky high! You always interfere--what in Yevon's name?"
Seymour was standing face to face with Auron, staring right into his golden eyes, but something was wrong.
"Sir Auron?" Yuna asked expectantly, hoping that he would turn to face them and they could reunite.
When he did turn, she was shocked. This Auron appeared to be twenty to thirty years younger.
"A pleasant surprise" he said in his voice that was once deep and dark, but now one of early adulthood. The scar that one ran the length of his eye had disappeared.
"Surprised?" said Oren, still glowing. "Technically, I bring the person back to the way they were right before they died. The Auron you knew had aged a quick ten years from being in the farplane, then ten more from being on Spira as an unsent. So now he appears probably twenty or twenty-five, seeing as that was when he actually died. . . "
He found Auron staring at him.
"Who might you be?"
"I'll introduce myself later. I still actually have power for three more people--"
"AERIS!" Cloud yelled almost before Oren could finish.
"I thought you were just a geezer!" said Seymour.
"I thought he was just an old fart," said Sephiroth.
Auron showed no reaction, but went to reunite with his friends.
"Sir Auron!" Yuna embraced him. "You're so young. . . and handsome"
"HEY! He's not that good-looking. Gawd. You leave a girl alone and. . . this? I didn't know you hated me. If you wanted to dump me--"
She started blushing furiously and shook her head.
"Never! You were just returned to me and--I wouldn't--I'd never--"
"Take it easy! It was just a joke!" Tidus put his hands up defensively.
"Boy, Rikku would be happy to see you OUCH!" Lulu elbowed Wakka hard in the ribs.
"Damn, ya?"
"Et un stilla mor pavelor. . . AERIS!"
***
Jecht and Braska swam around in the farplane, looking for Auron who had seemingly disappeared.
"Where did that geezer go? I thought he said he wouldn't move to another part?" Jecht was a hair short of furious.
"I'm sure there must be some explanation. He wouldn't pull me from my wife if he wasn't going to be at the meeting spot." Braska thought aloud.
"I got a wife down here too. He's probably just jealous because the only person he has is that one who's hand he refused. She's been on his ass forever"
". . . I'd rather you didn't speak that way"
"Heh. I forgot, summoners have to be big goody-goodies. You're no worse than that crybaby son of mine"
"You were cold to him even in the minutes of your death?"
"My death? I never died!" Jecht lied.
"You got here somehow, my friend" Braska countered.
"HEY! I could leave here whenever I wanted"
"Try"
". . ."
"?" Braska gave a questioning look.
". . . "
"Well?"
". . . "
"Spira to Jecht?"
"I'm trying, okay!"
***
"Alright, Eta, Theta, Iota, Kappa?" Farfy walked back and forth in front of the four.
"Here." Eta said. Her hair was crystal blue, flowing behind her matching outfit.
"Here" Theta paced around feeling his wrist. He was a taller, stronger, one with an urge to face Oren. He felt his wrists, where the Theta generator was. He felt a strong urge to avenge Omega, who had been his best friend. He wore the standard white uniform with matching boots, contradictory to his dark complexion.
"Here" Iota said in the smooth voice that always made Farfy shiver. So gentle yet so cold. . . A beautiful killer, she had the highest elimination record and was known for never getting a scratch in battle, as well as ever cutting her long black hair that was contradicted by the white outfit she wore like Theta.
Kappa didn't say here. He was just gawking at all the females.
"Uh, here" he said after a while. He was just fifteen really, very young. Everyone else was usually between the ages of thirty and thirty-five, so he was the youngest. This was a fact: Kappa could easily have killed everyone in Alexandria when Alpha through Zeta were there. Not only that, but also he and his other four companions could have killed
Alpha through Zeta single handedly. Unless Oren and his army, if they could even be called that, had a trump card, then they were as good as dead. Kappa was a kid with messy blonde hair and green eyes that had a wild streak in them. He refused to wear a uniform, just a pair of jeans and a white shirt. Pyros had eventually decided that he would act as a spy, but unfortunately that trick had only worked once the time when he tried to kill Oren and Jessica three years ago disguised as an escaped Zatach, which he actually was.
***
"Et un stilla mor pavelor. . . JECHT! BRASKA!"
Tidus and Yuna's jaws basically hit the ground. Had Oren found energy for more? They didn't pay attention to Cloud and Tifa.
"Oh my God" Cloud and Tifa said at the same time. Standing before them with her eyes closed waving her soft auburn hair was the one they had cried over losing. The anger from Sephiroth lifted and diminished. Their problems seemed to eliminate themselves, and the two stared for two seconds at the miracle in a pink dress. Aeris Gainsborough's life had completely removed anything they had felt and replaced it with one wonderful and amazing feeling. Joy.
For a few seconds none of the three moved, and then they rushed to each other in a flurry of emotions. Without waiting, all three found themselves in a deep embrace, tears running down their cheeks.
"Aeris. Tell me its really you" Cloud tightened his embrace at the thought of his countless dreams.
"Tifa, Cloud, I was watching you from the lifestream, but its so much better to see you here. I missed you both like nothing else"
They hesitantly withdrew from the embrace.
"Who brought me here?"
Cloud still holding a wide grin pointed at Oren, who was on the ground panting. He held up his hand.
"Thank me. . . later. . . tired. . . " he lay on his back as he tried not to fall asleep.
"Zatach. . . don't need. . . " he fell asleep and began snoring lightly.
Meanwhile, Yuna and Tidus were having emotional frenzies. Yuna, who hadn't seen her father alive in ten years, was now looking at him seemingly not a day older.
Tears rolled down her eyes in immense joy. First Tidus, Auron, Jecht, and her father?
All doubts about Oren were erased. If a man could be so kind as to do all this, he could not possibly mean any harm. In a few seconds, Yuna became ten years younger.
"Daddy?"
Braska had been staring at his hands, wondering where he was. He didn't care when he saw Yuna.
"Yunie? My little Yunie? My goodness, you're my size!"
She rushed into his arms, hearing her sob softly against his chest. She pinched him sharply on the chest.
"Yow" was all he said.
"You're here. Daddy. . . " The light sobs became uncontrollable.
"Oh, Yuna. It breaks my heart to hear you cry. After so long, I never thought I would hold you again, only watch from the farplane."
She held her head up in amazement.
"Watch?"
"Of course." He continued to embrace her.
"Let me see your eyes, Yunie"
She exposed her brilliant eyes, one green and one blue.
"Heavens! You're eyes are just as pretty as before."
"Daddy. . . "
"You've grown into quite a woman, Yuna. I'm glad I can be with you."
Jecht crossed his arms and looked at Tidus, not excited because he had only died recently.
"Well if it isn't my crybaby, fat-ass, big-headed boy." Jecht said in the same voice that Tidus had once taken offense to.
"My always-drunk, no-good, tan-as-hell, geezer of a dad? Come here!" Jecht's eyes widened when Tidus tackled him with a bear hug.
"What the hell? I thought you hated me?"
"I do. But I like you more than I hate you dad" Tidus kept a straight face without crying.
Somehow he felt that this was supposed to happen, as if he wasn't excited because he expected this.
"You're not going to cry, are you? You always cry. I'm going back if you cry again, I-"
Jecht stopped himself in mid-sentence and started crying himself.
"Who am I kiddin'? My son loves me!" He released tears that he had bottled up.
"Dad, are you crying?"
Jecht looked up through tears and said sarcastically:
"No, I have a speck of dust in my eye the size of Braska's ego"
"I heard that, Jecht"
"I know"
Cloud, Tifa, and Aeris were chatting busily and happily like schoolyard kids, all youth and happiness restored. They almost forgot about the steaming form of Sephiroth, clutching the hilt of the Masamune almost to the point of breaking.
"Hey, I am still here! Do not ignore me!"
Cloud and Tifa cringed, fearing that Aeris would be traumatized at the voice. But, she simply turned and smiled.
"You tried killing me, but not only did you foil your own plan, but you made my presence more appreciated and enjoyable. I have almost half a mind to thank you"
That got Sephiroth good and angry. He turned to his allies for support.
"Don't look at me, I'm just a priest!" said Seymour.
"I'm just an ass-whore, ignore me" Ultimecia twirled in her red dress and turned her nose up.
"Hey, I'm a pimp, we can work things out"
Tidus, Yuna, Jecht, Braska, Auron, Wakka, and Lulu had formed a small cluster by now.
Jecht took one look at Auron and gasped.
"Not fair! I still look like a geezer, and you guys look ten years younger"
"Don't forget you didn't age when merging with the final aeon. You're still ten years behind your time"
"Perhaps he just ages faster than the two of you" Lulu didn't intend it, but Auron and Braska started chuckling over a very angry Jecht.
Oren was soon able to get up.
"Everyone, I am glad that I was able to bring together your allies, and also, what I'm hoping to be formal enemies. But--"
"Hey!" Sephiroth poked a finger into Oren's chest, surrounded by Seymour and Ultimecia.
"I will not ally at all. Don't think that I wouldn't hesitate to murder you all, some of you again!" He gestured to Aeris, who couldn't help but wince.
"Sephiroth and friends, you are very powerful, are equipped with great magic, and can fly. You might actually stand a chance against--"
"Me"
The crowd turned their hair to a boy much younger than anyone else, of about fifteen, blonde hair, and normal clothing.
"You know me, Oren," he said simply.
"Kappa" Oren responded quite as simply.
"Yep. You're 'auxiliary' has a reason to fight"
Oren looked at the three not-so-good persons and nodded.
"As you can see, he plans on dealing a lethal blow to the party here, so it is actually a good thing that I brought you back when I did. He plans on going after you first, so you really have no choice"
Ultimecia put a hand on her chin as if in deep thought, then her two black wings sprouted completely from her back and she slowly took flight, her body glowing with black static.
Seymour followed this example by moving himself into his second transformation. He became laced and covered with steel and an intricate design like a peacock tail behind him. He was able to hover above the air.
"Then let him try to even touch us," he said in a robotic voice.
Tidus and his partial party were surprised that he could still do this.
"What the heck?" Jecht questioned casually.
Sephiroth decided that he had stayed normal enough, and went to the form that he planned revenge in. White feathers framed his face, his cloak dissolved off of his chest leaving it bare, and his lower portion an one arm were replaced with angelic feathers.
Kappa eyed them, took his hands out of his pocket, and then took a look around him.
There're some nice girls, I'll leave them alive, and their friends for a while I guess.
He stared around him once more, took a long look at the three flying enemies, and closed his eyes for a split second before a violent flash.
Everyone on the ground including Oren tried to prepare for some form of defense, but couldn't muster up the strength. As a matter of fact, they couldn't move at all. Kappa snapped his fingers and everyone save the airborne characters couldn't even move their eyes to seed the golden energy scythes at their necks.
"Listen, I could just think it, and all of your heads would have gone rolling across the floor. I could have beaten you all at once save those three, and even with your friends it wouldn't have been much. If I come back, it will be with Iota or Lambda, and I won't feel guilty for killing you all. But, let me tell you, I would have killed you all if there weren't so many ladies around. The next time I come back, you all won't live to see any of my friends. You have to become a lot stronger, even to beat a kid like me." He paused in his speech and looked Oren directly in his immobile eye.
"Oren" He let everyone know that that was his name.
"I'm going to get you for killing Omega." His eyes flashed and somehow he moved.
"You may kill me eventually, but let's get one thing straight. I didn't kill Omega!"
"No one believes your lies. You can admit it already" With an anticlimactic disappearance, Kappa left them alone, everyone mobile once again.
Sephiroth calmed down, and fluttered back to the ground, his clothes reappearing.
Ultimecia tucked her wings back in and landed, and Seymour lost his metal exterior. The others figured that they could relax.
"Everyone, I will return you to garden. Lulu, Wakka, I called you here for a reason so please stay."
Oren waved a hand and everyone materialized back to Esthar Garden.
"Lulu, Wakka, what I am about to tell you will be shocking. It is about Chappu"
________________________________________________________________________
AN: You probably think Chappu's coming back too, huh? We'll just see about that.anyhow, in response to a review, Selphie isn't the librarian; the command for a librarian just came after she registered her name for something else. Also, I found that I thought this fic was long, but other fics have 33% more chapters, and up to 11000 more words a chapter! To compete with this, I will finish my other fic, and write a new one called The Trinity. It is an FFX fic for you FF lovers. It will have a lot of chapters and average whopping 15000 words a chapter. What's it about? I'll post it in three to six days, so just look for Blue Dragon, and The Trinity now and then if you like FFX. I'm doing this not just to compete with certain authors.*cough cough Frank Verderosa and Jeremy Chapter cough cough*, but I also need a third fic to support me, even longer than this. Anyway, I'll still update this one regularly and.I'll just shut up now. This AN is a little too long. . .
By Blue Dragon
Kappa, there's a freak. Far too obsessed with women. . . HEY! We attack today!
Esthar Garden was soon at Trabia. The students had been excited to meet some old friends; especially Selphie and other Trabia transfer students. Afterwards the garden had made its way to Galbadia Garden, which was hidden in the mountains around the D-District Prison.
When Nida had asked the next destination, Oren had sighed.
Nida wondered why. He couldn't be depressed about the crowds; there was more than enough space for them in Esthar Garden.
"Nida, where I will go there is no way that the garden can take me, but thank you for your help. Could you make an announcement asking Tidus, Yuna, Wakka, Lulu, Cloud, Tifa, and Rinoa to come to the conference room? I would also like you to clear the place out over the intercom"
Nida gave a nervous glance across the bridge to Squall, who nodded his hair. Nida had always been hesitant when talking to Oren because he couldn't seem to trust that blue glow. He felt that someone should ask him. Could it be a Zatach thing?
"All students in and around the conference area please clear temporarily. Tidus, Yuna, Wakka, Lulu, Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockheart, and Rinoa Heartily please report to the conference room." Nida said over the speaker.
Oren turned his head to Squall.
"I would like you there too" he said.
The two left the bridge and went to the separate room on the twelfth floor; the conference room. The people called were just finishing the elevator ride into the middle.
"That was fast," said Squall.
"Elevators are virtually everywhere, you know. Its hard not to get here fast" Rinoa explained.
The eight people took their seats at the long oblong table, Oren remained standing at the head.
"What I'm about to tell you all will be very easy and very hard at the same time. I have the power in me from the inheritance of Omega to bring a few people back from the farplane. From those of you that don't know, that is a dimension into the world of the dead that is accessible from Spira"
Oren looked more nervous.
"Currently we are a few feet around one, right under us in the sand. There is a cavern that also has the same effect as the farplane.I can't explain what it is very well. Yuna, would you mind?"
She took a short breath, slightly startled that she had been recognized.
"The farplane is a place where spirits of the dead roam and images of them can be seen through thought. Although I didn't know there was more than one"
"Nicely put. Now in this cavern it is very similar to the farplane on Spira. You heard what I was saying before. It will take a while to train you all until you are more of a match, but in the meantime we need auxiliary troops to back us up. The most powerful I can think of are Sephiroth, Seymour, and Ultimecia"
The group cringed and their faces became bitter.
"I don't know much, but I do know that Pyros and his men plan to attack today, very soon. So, can I have your cooperation? Please? I beg of you, they may be horrible enemies, but you must tolerate their presence. I will send them back when their time is up"
Cloud stood up and spoke.
"I still don't think that you know these guys like we do, but if you insist you have to agree to let us stop them by any means necessary if they go crazy."
"Agreed" Oren said immediately.
"Oren?" Lulu addressed him.
"Yes?"
"How did you know Pyros' men were attacking?"
". . . I'll tell you when the time comes. It's actually rather embarrassing"
Lulu was not one to pursue evaded topics.
"Well when are we going?" Cloud asked.
"Now, if you want"
In a flash of blue the party was in the dark.
"Geez! You have to teach us how to do that," Tidus said from an unknown position.
"I will, believe me. Now everyone think lovely thoughts"
The group was eager to comply and the room light up.
Everyone save Wakka, Lulu, Tidus, and Yuna jumped back. Pyreflies floated everywhere and the ground gave way to a steep slope of immense beauty, flower fields and streams and even a strange blue sun.
"Where are we?" Squall asked.
"Now you are seeing pyreflies that wandered from Spira" Oren explained.
"Wandered from Spira?" Yuna questioned.
"Yes. Pyreflies travel all over the universe and gather at secret places like this unreachable by things with any less power than a Zatach. This is somewhere in this planet's core. And I recommend you take out your weapons."
No one realized what he was talking about, but all was remembered when they noticed Oren walking to the edge and glowing blue.
"Et un stilla mor pavelor."
He chanted with his hands clasped together.
"Et un stilla mor pavelor.SEYMOUR!"
Tidus' group tensed at the sudden mention and stood on end ready for a fight.
After a few seconds, they relaxed.
"Nothing happened" Lulu noted aloud.
"That's strange" Oren looked around, the blue leaving his body. "He is nowhere to be found! This should have worked somehow."
"Well I'm actually kind of glad that it didn't wo-wo-woah!" Tidus changed his mood in mid-sentence. For behind the group, in a sudden flash, a familiar half-Guado half human man with spiky blue hair and recognizable veins on his forehead appeared. There was only one detail in the appearance that made everything much easier and stranger at the same time. The arrival that they expected to be hostile was actually. . .
"He's sleeping!" Wakka stated the obvious. The former maester was asleep in a pile, eyes closed, seemingly innocent.
"What the he-" Yuna immediately put a hand over her mouth. She had been so surprised that she had actually come close to defiling her careful discipline.
Oren had no input however, as he was calling the next to the world.
"Et un stilla mor pavelor. . . ULTIMECIA!" This time the effects were more immediate. A chair landed on the ground. Two carefully manicured hands were holding a newspaper. . . and the owner didn't seem to even look up. Squall almost dropped his gunblade and chuckles echoed. Ultimecia seemed so preoccupied that she didn't even notice.
"We will alert her later, I need her like this for now." Oren said briefly.
Then, Oren began what was really most feared.
"Et un stilla mor pavelor. . . SEPHIROTH!" Cloud had dropped his sword and Tifa her guard because they really didn't expect much from Sephiroth, seeing as the other two were simply being silly, but when he came, they were surprised. At the time he was in the middle of a practice slash with the Masamune. And because of that the second he appeared. . .
SHHIIINK
The sword held by Sephiroth curved down in an arc and smashed the ground directly to the left of Cloud into nothing.
The fighter instinctively grabbed his sword and jumped back.
"You missed!" He said, aggressiveness in his voice. Making his presence known was a grave mistake.
"What? What? Well if it isn't Cloud, my beautiful worse half, what are you doing in the world of the dead?"
Sephiroth hadn't quite grasped where he was.
"So I find that you are here? What did you say about me?"
Cloud, with a scowl on his face pointed to the decimated ground.
"I said you missed"
His face twisted into the fowl expression of hatred that was all too familiar.
"Well that's too bad!" He slammed his sword downwards in another arc, this time actually aiming at Cloud.
With catlike reflexes he sidestepped, but only because he was more alert this time.
"I thought you had died! But I'll have to take care of you personally, I see"
"I beat you once and I can beat you again" Cloud's sword began glowing and Tifa retreated to the sidelines. Everyone picked up the hint and cleared the area.
"Omni--"
"Sephiroth?" Ultimecia peeked from over the newspaper and looked at the silver-haired titan.
"Where is that familiar thwack? I thought that you were practicing your sword skills?
Did you stop?"
Sephiroth sheathed his sword and turned to face her.
"In case you haven't noticed, wretch, we are in the world of the living. Something's 'up', and you haven't even looked up. And that wannabe bad- guy" he jerked a thumb at the still sleeping Seymour "has completely given up on becoming any stronger. He spends his days sleeping. I actually care about eliminating our foes, and I have actually trained for this day, so I recommend that you use your magic on your foes and pull a rabbit out of your hat or something"
Ultimecia dropped the paper and floated to her feet, her normal red dress completely visible, the makeup on her face gone, her hair down normally, and no shoes.
"Well who are they?"
Rinoa redrew the Shooting Star and Squall took Lionheart back out of its sheath.
"You must be kidding me. I couldn't beat them even when I could transform and you want me to fight them normally? I think not. Sephiroth, we're here for a reason so you had better calm down and find out that reason."
Squall was actually quite surprised at the sensible and cooperative attitude his former enemy rendered. He knew nothing about Seymour or that Sephiroth character, but he didn't think that his fear was really a fear anymore.
Seymour started to toss and turn, and then woke up.
"Ahhh!" he yelled like Tidus never thought he would. At first he thought it was because of him, but then, he noticed it was because his face was drenched in sweat as if from a bad dream. He wiped his face with the back of the Guado Maester garments that he had worn so often. Then he took one look at Tidus and looked like he was going to throw up.
"My nightmare came true!" he jumped impossibly high for any other being and landed behind Ultimecia's dress, trying to hide.
"Who is responsible for this? Did you bring me here to get me killed again? I find once enough. Just leave me be, I don't wish to have my naps interrupted."
Sephiroth walked over, looked him over like he was analyzing him, and then kicked his boot into his backside.
"OOF!"
"Heh heh heh."
"SEPHIROTH! WHY DID YOU KICK MY HINDQUARTERS!"
"You lazy baboon. You cower in fear against those that you once controlled. You're a coward. And your outfit sucks. Very badly I must say. It is no wonder they killed you, fashion blunder! They killed you because you look like a priest!"
Yuna started giggling. Seymour looked at her as if a bully had busted him in front of his girlfriend.
"W-well Cloud killed you because you look like a pimp!"
The laughter immediately subsided and everyone gasped as Sephiroth looked him right in the eye and picked him up by the collar.
"What did you say, punk?"
"Leave him alone" Ultimecia said stepping away. "You do look like a pimp"
"Well, you look like a whore!"
Everyone gasped again.
Ultimecia put a hand over her mouth and her evil eyes widened dangerously, but
Sephiroth didn't look satisfied.
"An ass whore!" He pulled Seymour and backed away.
"Stay away my ass!" He said protectively.
"You. . . you. . . you. . . "
"Enough. It's about time I intervene. I was worried that you characters would kill my friends, but now it seems you'll kill each other. This would have been good, two months ago, but now we need you so calm down and listen up."
The three turned to Oren.
"Okay, I'll tell you what we need. . . "
Sephiroth nodded his head.
"And who the hell are you?"
"I'm the guy that brought you back. And I can send you back if you know what I mean.
Now I need you too. . ."
"How do we really know?" Seymour asked. "You could have done something else and claim power over us, we have no verification"
"Well, I could revive maybe one more. Any requests?"
"AERIS!" Cloud yelled with renewed vigor, but at the same time, Tidus yelled. "SIR AURON!"
"Aeris? I thought I killed that bitch for good. . . " Sephiroth muttered loudly so Cloud could hear.
"Shut your damn mouth Sephiroth!" Cloud pointed his sword at him provocatively.
"What are you going to do? Impale me with that ridiculous haircut of yours?"
Tifa tried to stifle a laugh. Sephiroth looked at her in satisfaction. Cloud looked in anger and she was immediately quiet.
"If Auron died of natural causes, and this other was killed, then it wouldn't be fair" Yuna put a hand on Tidus' shoulder.
"I don't know what makes you all think I'll just let this happen. I'll simply call Meteor to kill you all and withdraw energy from the planet again. Mr. Insignificant was a fool for bringing me back"
"That would be right if you were on the same planet." Oren said to Sephiroth. "Calling Meteor won't work here. Besides, the black materia is gone."
". . . Shut up"
"Et un stilla mor pavelor. . . AURON!"
"Hey!" Tifa yelled.
Oren hadn't heard the decision, lost patience, and chose Auron.
Wakka suddenly stood up ready to welcome the legendary guardians presence.
With a flash the familiar dark figure in the red cloak and sunglasses ran at an all out sprint to what they soon noticed was. . . Seymour, seeming to prepare for a spell.
SLAAASH!
Blood flew as a ball of energy flew out of Seymour's hand and disappeared, daunted by the quick thinking guardian.
"Darn Spirans! I was going to blow them all sky high! You always interfere--what in Yevon's name?"
Seymour was standing face to face with Auron, staring right into his golden eyes, but something was wrong.
"Sir Auron?" Yuna asked expectantly, hoping that he would turn to face them and they could reunite.
When he did turn, she was shocked. This Auron appeared to be twenty to thirty years younger.
"A pleasant surprise" he said in his voice that was once deep and dark, but now one of early adulthood. The scar that one ran the length of his eye had disappeared.
"Surprised?" said Oren, still glowing. "Technically, I bring the person back to the way they were right before they died. The Auron you knew had aged a quick ten years from being in the farplane, then ten more from being on Spira as an unsent. So now he appears probably twenty or twenty-five, seeing as that was when he actually died. . . "
He found Auron staring at him.
"Who might you be?"
"I'll introduce myself later. I still actually have power for three more people--"
"AERIS!" Cloud yelled almost before Oren could finish.
"I thought you were just a geezer!" said Seymour.
"I thought he was just an old fart," said Sephiroth.
Auron showed no reaction, but went to reunite with his friends.
"Sir Auron!" Yuna embraced him. "You're so young. . . and handsome"
"HEY! He's not that good-looking. Gawd. You leave a girl alone and. . . this? I didn't know you hated me. If you wanted to dump me--"
She started blushing furiously and shook her head.
"Never! You were just returned to me and--I wouldn't--I'd never--"
"Take it easy! It was just a joke!" Tidus put his hands up defensively.
"Boy, Rikku would be happy to see you OUCH!" Lulu elbowed Wakka hard in the ribs.
"Damn, ya?"
"Et un stilla mor pavelor. . . AERIS!"
***
Jecht and Braska swam around in the farplane, looking for Auron who had seemingly disappeared.
"Where did that geezer go? I thought he said he wouldn't move to another part?" Jecht was a hair short of furious.
"I'm sure there must be some explanation. He wouldn't pull me from my wife if he wasn't going to be at the meeting spot." Braska thought aloud.
"I got a wife down here too. He's probably just jealous because the only person he has is that one who's hand he refused. She's been on his ass forever"
". . . I'd rather you didn't speak that way"
"Heh. I forgot, summoners have to be big goody-goodies. You're no worse than that crybaby son of mine"
"You were cold to him even in the minutes of your death?"
"My death? I never died!" Jecht lied.
"You got here somehow, my friend" Braska countered.
"HEY! I could leave here whenever I wanted"
"Try"
". . ."
"?" Braska gave a questioning look.
". . . "
"Well?"
". . . "
"Spira to Jecht?"
"I'm trying, okay!"
***
"Alright, Eta, Theta, Iota, Kappa?" Farfy walked back and forth in front of the four.
"Here." Eta said. Her hair was crystal blue, flowing behind her matching outfit.
"Here" Theta paced around feeling his wrist. He was a taller, stronger, one with an urge to face Oren. He felt his wrists, where the Theta generator was. He felt a strong urge to avenge Omega, who had been his best friend. He wore the standard white uniform with matching boots, contradictory to his dark complexion.
"Here" Iota said in the smooth voice that always made Farfy shiver. So gentle yet so cold. . . A beautiful killer, she had the highest elimination record and was known for never getting a scratch in battle, as well as ever cutting her long black hair that was contradicted by the white outfit she wore like Theta.
Kappa didn't say here. He was just gawking at all the females.
"Uh, here" he said after a while. He was just fifteen really, very young. Everyone else was usually between the ages of thirty and thirty-five, so he was the youngest. This was a fact: Kappa could easily have killed everyone in Alexandria when Alpha through Zeta were there. Not only that, but also he and his other four companions could have killed
Alpha through Zeta single handedly. Unless Oren and his army, if they could even be called that, had a trump card, then they were as good as dead. Kappa was a kid with messy blonde hair and green eyes that had a wild streak in them. He refused to wear a uniform, just a pair of jeans and a white shirt. Pyros had eventually decided that he would act as a spy, but unfortunately that trick had only worked once the time when he tried to kill Oren and Jessica three years ago disguised as an escaped Zatach, which he actually was.
***
"Et un stilla mor pavelor. . . JECHT! BRASKA!"
Tidus and Yuna's jaws basically hit the ground. Had Oren found energy for more? They didn't pay attention to Cloud and Tifa.
"Oh my God" Cloud and Tifa said at the same time. Standing before them with her eyes closed waving her soft auburn hair was the one they had cried over losing. The anger from Sephiroth lifted and diminished. Their problems seemed to eliminate themselves, and the two stared for two seconds at the miracle in a pink dress. Aeris Gainsborough's life had completely removed anything they had felt and replaced it with one wonderful and amazing feeling. Joy.
For a few seconds none of the three moved, and then they rushed to each other in a flurry of emotions. Without waiting, all three found themselves in a deep embrace, tears running down their cheeks.
"Aeris. Tell me its really you" Cloud tightened his embrace at the thought of his countless dreams.
"Tifa, Cloud, I was watching you from the lifestream, but its so much better to see you here. I missed you both like nothing else"
They hesitantly withdrew from the embrace.
"Who brought me here?"
Cloud still holding a wide grin pointed at Oren, who was on the ground panting. He held up his hand.
"Thank me. . . later. . . tired. . . " he lay on his back as he tried not to fall asleep.
"Zatach. . . don't need. . . " he fell asleep and began snoring lightly.
Meanwhile, Yuna and Tidus were having emotional frenzies. Yuna, who hadn't seen her father alive in ten years, was now looking at him seemingly not a day older.
Tears rolled down her eyes in immense joy. First Tidus, Auron, Jecht, and her father?
All doubts about Oren were erased. If a man could be so kind as to do all this, he could not possibly mean any harm. In a few seconds, Yuna became ten years younger.
"Daddy?"
Braska had been staring at his hands, wondering where he was. He didn't care when he saw Yuna.
"Yunie? My little Yunie? My goodness, you're my size!"
She rushed into his arms, hearing her sob softly against his chest. She pinched him sharply on the chest.
"Yow" was all he said.
"You're here. Daddy. . . " The light sobs became uncontrollable.
"Oh, Yuna. It breaks my heart to hear you cry. After so long, I never thought I would hold you again, only watch from the farplane."
She held her head up in amazement.
"Watch?"
"Of course." He continued to embrace her.
"Let me see your eyes, Yunie"
She exposed her brilliant eyes, one green and one blue.
"Heavens! You're eyes are just as pretty as before."
"Daddy. . . "
"You've grown into quite a woman, Yuna. I'm glad I can be with you."
Jecht crossed his arms and looked at Tidus, not excited because he had only died recently.
"Well if it isn't my crybaby, fat-ass, big-headed boy." Jecht said in the same voice that Tidus had once taken offense to.
"My always-drunk, no-good, tan-as-hell, geezer of a dad? Come here!" Jecht's eyes widened when Tidus tackled him with a bear hug.
"What the hell? I thought you hated me?"
"I do. But I like you more than I hate you dad" Tidus kept a straight face without crying.
Somehow he felt that this was supposed to happen, as if he wasn't excited because he expected this.
"You're not going to cry, are you? You always cry. I'm going back if you cry again, I-"
Jecht stopped himself in mid-sentence and started crying himself.
"Who am I kiddin'? My son loves me!" He released tears that he had bottled up.
"Dad, are you crying?"
Jecht looked up through tears and said sarcastically:
"No, I have a speck of dust in my eye the size of Braska's ego"
"I heard that, Jecht"
"I know"
Cloud, Tifa, and Aeris were chatting busily and happily like schoolyard kids, all youth and happiness restored. They almost forgot about the steaming form of Sephiroth, clutching the hilt of the Masamune almost to the point of breaking.
"Hey, I am still here! Do not ignore me!"
Cloud and Tifa cringed, fearing that Aeris would be traumatized at the voice. But, she simply turned and smiled.
"You tried killing me, but not only did you foil your own plan, but you made my presence more appreciated and enjoyable. I have almost half a mind to thank you"
That got Sephiroth good and angry. He turned to his allies for support.
"Don't look at me, I'm just a priest!" said Seymour.
"I'm just an ass-whore, ignore me" Ultimecia twirled in her red dress and turned her nose up.
"Hey, I'm a pimp, we can work things out"
Tidus, Yuna, Jecht, Braska, Auron, Wakka, and Lulu had formed a small cluster by now.
Jecht took one look at Auron and gasped.
"Not fair! I still look like a geezer, and you guys look ten years younger"
"Don't forget you didn't age when merging with the final aeon. You're still ten years behind your time"
"Perhaps he just ages faster than the two of you" Lulu didn't intend it, but Auron and Braska started chuckling over a very angry Jecht.
Oren was soon able to get up.
"Everyone, I am glad that I was able to bring together your allies, and also, what I'm hoping to be formal enemies. But--"
"Hey!" Sephiroth poked a finger into Oren's chest, surrounded by Seymour and Ultimecia.
"I will not ally at all. Don't think that I wouldn't hesitate to murder you all, some of you again!" He gestured to Aeris, who couldn't help but wince.
"Sephiroth and friends, you are very powerful, are equipped with great magic, and can fly. You might actually stand a chance against--"
"Me"
The crowd turned their hair to a boy much younger than anyone else, of about fifteen, blonde hair, and normal clothing.
"You know me, Oren," he said simply.
"Kappa" Oren responded quite as simply.
"Yep. You're 'auxiliary' has a reason to fight"
Oren looked at the three not-so-good persons and nodded.
"As you can see, he plans on dealing a lethal blow to the party here, so it is actually a good thing that I brought you back when I did. He plans on going after you first, so you really have no choice"
Ultimecia put a hand on her chin as if in deep thought, then her two black wings sprouted completely from her back and she slowly took flight, her body glowing with black static.
Seymour followed this example by moving himself into his second transformation. He became laced and covered with steel and an intricate design like a peacock tail behind him. He was able to hover above the air.
"Then let him try to even touch us," he said in a robotic voice.
Tidus and his partial party were surprised that he could still do this.
"What the heck?" Jecht questioned casually.
Sephiroth decided that he had stayed normal enough, and went to the form that he planned revenge in. White feathers framed his face, his cloak dissolved off of his chest leaving it bare, and his lower portion an one arm were replaced with angelic feathers.
Kappa eyed them, took his hands out of his pocket, and then took a look around him.
There're some nice girls, I'll leave them alive, and their friends for a while I guess.
He stared around him once more, took a long look at the three flying enemies, and closed his eyes for a split second before a violent flash.
Everyone on the ground including Oren tried to prepare for some form of defense, but couldn't muster up the strength. As a matter of fact, they couldn't move at all. Kappa snapped his fingers and everyone save the airborne characters couldn't even move their eyes to seed the golden energy scythes at their necks.
"Listen, I could just think it, and all of your heads would have gone rolling across the floor. I could have beaten you all at once save those three, and even with your friends it wouldn't have been much. If I come back, it will be with Iota or Lambda, and I won't feel guilty for killing you all. But, let me tell you, I would have killed you all if there weren't so many ladies around. The next time I come back, you all won't live to see any of my friends. You have to become a lot stronger, even to beat a kid like me." He paused in his speech and looked Oren directly in his immobile eye.
"Oren" He let everyone know that that was his name.
"I'm going to get you for killing Omega." His eyes flashed and somehow he moved.
"You may kill me eventually, but let's get one thing straight. I didn't kill Omega!"
"No one believes your lies. You can admit it already" With an anticlimactic disappearance, Kappa left them alone, everyone mobile once again.
Sephiroth calmed down, and fluttered back to the ground, his clothes reappearing.
Ultimecia tucked her wings back in and landed, and Seymour lost his metal exterior. The others figured that they could relax.
"Everyone, I will return you to garden. Lulu, Wakka, I called you here for a reason so please stay."
Oren waved a hand and everyone materialized back to Esthar Garden.
"Lulu, Wakka, what I am about to tell you will be shocking. It is about Chappu"
________________________________________________________________________
AN: You probably think Chappu's coming back too, huh? We'll just see about that.anyhow, in response to a review, Selphie isn't the librarian; the command for a librarian just came after she registered her name for something else. Also, I found that I thought this fic was long, but other fics have 33% more chapters, and up to 11000 more words a chapter! To compete with this, I will finish my other fic, and write a new one called The Trinity. It is an FFX fic for you FF lovers. It will have a lot of chapters and average whopping 15000 words a chapter. What's it about? I'll post it in three to six days, so just look for Blue Dragon, and The Trinity now and then if you like FFX. I'm doing this not just to compete with certain authors.*cough cough Frank Verderosa and Jeremy Chapter cough cough*, but I also need a third fic to support me, even longer than this. Anyway, I'll still update this one regularly and.I'll just shut up now. This AN is a little too long. . .