Chapter 24: So...The Plot Thickens
God, another delay. I don't want to go into all of the details of my life, but once again, misfortune
has struck me down. Now that I have a new computer that doesn't suck, and a reliable internet
connection, I'm going to try to update more often. Dammit, I'm ready to get to the sequel!!!
Sorry I'm not doing my typical going through everyone's reviews thing, but I want you all to know
that I appreciate them very much. I read through all 92 again, just because. It's amazing how some
of us have held conversations through them. However, if you want, you can im me on aol at
auronsbabe (ha ha). MSN: auronslittlesecret@hotmail.com (Ha ha again) or visit my webby
(http://auron-a-go-go.net) (Ha ha for a third time) I love you all! With these three methods you can
get my lazy ass into gear and working on this story and the sequel!
********
The eight travelers faced Mika, ruler of all Spira, and to a one they found it was hard to keep their
disgust hidden, even Wakka.
"What do you mean, Yu Yevon?" Tidus asked angrily. "You mean all that crap about Sin being
Spira's punishment was a load of bullshit?"
"The people of Spira needed a reason for Sin!" Mika shot back, his voice warped with age. "No
one believe that one summoner had caused all of this!"
"So you made up a pack of lies and handed them over with a smile." Ophelia's face darkened. "So
my father died so that you could keep your precious little made-up position in a religion that has no
real basis. You sick bastard. How many summoners have died, so that you crazy people can keep
power? Too many, if you ask me, and I'll be damned if I become one of them. You tell us how to
get to this Yu Yevon cat or I'll blow this place apart!" She held up her staff, showing she meant
business.
"You cannot defeat Yu Yevon! Sin is eternal! You are all fools to think of such a plot." Mika
started to grow transparent, pyreflies swarming from his chest. "You will bring the destruction of all
Spira!"
***********
"If you ask me, Mika was coo coo anyway," Ophelia said, fiddling with her hair. They were back
aboard the airship, planning on hitting all the places marked on the map for the legendary Celestial
Weapons, and were now gathered in the long open hallway above the bridge. "I mean, he knew the
truth and he still spread the lies?"
"Power can be a valuable commodity," Auron said, turning from where he stood at the window.
"Once received it is very rarely relinquished without pain."
"I can't believe it," Wakka's voice sounded hollow. "Dis can't be happening."
"Sorry, Wakks," Rikku said, shaking her head. "It's true. I guess we Al Bhed were right all along.
Sin didn't really have anything to do with machina after all."
"You got a point, ya?"
"So, what do we do after finding these weapons?" These were the first real words Lulu had spoken
to the group since the night that Othello had confronted her, and there was a heavy pause in the air
before Tidus took the initiative.
"We go after Sin and kick his ass."
"But it's your dad," Rikku said, a little shocked.
"Believe me, this is NOT a hard decision for me to make." Tidus jumped up from his seat on the
floor. "We need a plan. Auron?"
Auron raised a brow. "You ask me?"
"You're the old guy in the room."
Auron snorted. "We wait and think. We observe. That is all we can do, for the moment."
"That's not good enough! While we're standing around scratching our asses, Sin could destroy all
of Spira!" Tidus scowled. "I'm not gonna let my old man do that!"
"Do you have a better plan?"
*******************
They split up the next morning, each group of two being dropped off in a different location than the
others, a copy of the map firmly stuffed into pockets. It had been agreed the night before that
splitting up into groups of two would be much more efficient than staying together.
So, Auron and Ophelia found themselves back at Mi'ihen Highroad, right next to Rin's travel
agency. Ophelia smiled to herself, realizing this was the first place she and Auron had really met,
since the time when she was a child didn't count. After all, he'd been OLD then.
She stood by the chocobo corral, petting one particularly friendly bird while he went in and payed
for a room. It would be for when they came back that night, and then they would move on to Djose,
because the map indicated that there was something interesting in that general direction.
***************
Ten hours later, Ophelia was hot, dirty, and fantasizing about hot sloppy......................water, what
else? Get your minds out of the gutter! She trudged behind Auron, her feet aching like she'd been
stabbing them with blunt needles. She could just see the travel agency ahead, and kept the thought
of a nice long warm bath in mind with every step she took. She couldn't remember being so tired.
Auron glanced back over his shoulder, noting her pale pallor. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, just as soon as we get to the agency, all will be well." Auron didn't buy it, given how she
looked so.......transparent. Transparent?
"Ophelia!" he barked. Her head jerked up, and he noticed he could see straight through her. What
the hell was happening?
Ophelia straightened, as though listening to someone speaking, and then nodded, wearily. She
leveled her gaze with Auron's, and he realized her eyes were shining with unshed tears. "See you
around, Auron." She slowly began fading, until only her vague outline remained. Auron watched
in horror, as even that disappeared, leaving him alone on the dust road as the sun sank behind the
horizon. He said nothing, didn't move, couldn't breathe, sure she would reappear, saying, "Ha! Got
you, didn't I??" But the light faded from the sky, and the stars started to appear in the darkening
sky. The sound of fiends in the underbrush drug him from his trance, and he looked around,
realizing night had fallen on the highroad, and he was alone, and severely outnumbered. In a daze
he headed toward the agency, wondering what had just happened. Did she go somewhere else? Was
she dead? Did she go back to that strange world she had appeared from?
****************
One month later: Sin has been defeated.
"She did that for you, Auron, and this is how you thank her?" Yuna snatched the saki bowl from
the drunken man, and slammed it down onto the table. "You have got to shape up!"
"Why?" The one word was slurred into three sylables. Yuna sighed and sat down next to him,
trying once again not to lose her temper with Auron. For nearly a month he hadn't seen a single
sober day. He'd even gone into battle with Yu Yevon shitfaced.
"Because this is not the way she would want you to spend the time she's given you." Yuna sighed.
It would be nice if Auron could wake up and realize he wasn't the only one who'd lost Ophelia.
She'd been a sister and friend to them all, and now, and now......
"She did this so that you could have the time that was stolen from you. Six months ago you
wouldn't have cared if she was gone. But you love her, I know you do. So honor her memory by
moving on as best you can, and try to lead a happy life. You know she wouldn't want it any other
way. She hated for anyone to be sad."
**************
Luca Stadium, Two years later.
"Y. R. P. In position. It's showtime, girls." A male throat being cleared made Rikku wince, and she
sighed. "Yes, and you, too, A."
God, another delay. I don't want to go into all of the details of my life, but once again, misfortune
has struck me down. Now that I have a new computer that doesn't suck, and a reliable internet
connection, I'm going to try to update more often. Dammit, I'm ready to get to the sequel!!!
Sorry I'm not doing my typical going through everyone's reviews thing, but I want you all to know
that I appreciate them very much. I read through all 92 again, just because. It's amazing how some
of us have held conversations through them. However, if you want, you can im me on aol at
auronsbabe (ha ha). MSN: auronslittlesecret@hotmail.com (Ha ha again) or visit my webby
(http://auron-a-go-go.net) (Ha ha for a third time) I love you all! With these three methods you can
get my lazy ass into gear and working on this story and the sequel!
********
The eight travelers faced Mika, ruler of all Spira, and to a one they found it was hard to keep their
disgust hidden, even Wakka.
"What do you mean, Yu Yevon?" Tidus asked angrily. "You mean all that crap about Sin being
Spira's punishment was a load of bullshit?"
"The people of Spira needed a reason for Sin!" Mika shot back, his voice warped with age. "No
one believe that one summoner had caused all of this!"
"So you made up a pack of lies and handed them over with a smile." Ophelia's face darkened. "So
my father died so that you could keep your precious little made-up position in a religion that has no
real basis. You sick bastard. How many summoners have died, so that you crazy people can keep
power? Too many, if you ask me, and I'll be damned if I become one of them. You tell us how to
get to this Yu Yevon cat or I'll blow this place apart!" She held up her staff, showing she meant
business.
"You cannot defeat Yu Yevon! Sin is eternal! You are all fools to think of such a plot." Mika
started to grow transparent, pyreflies swarming from his chest. "You will bring the destruction of all
Spira!"
***********
"If you ask me, Mika was coo coo anyway," Ophelia said, fiddling with her hair. They were back
aboard the airship, planning on hitting all the places marked on the map for the legendary Celestial
Weapons, and were now gathered in the long open hallway above the bridge. "I mean, he knew the
truth and he still spread the lies?"
"Power can be a valuable commodity," Auron said, turning from where he stood at the window.
"Once received it is very rarely relinquished without pain."
"I can't believe it," Wakka's voice sounded hollow. "Dis can't be happening."
"Sorry, Wakks," Rikku said, shaking her head. "It's true. I guess we Al Bhed were right all along.
Sin didn't really have anything to do with machina after all."
"You got a point, ya?"
"So, what do we do after finding these weapons?" These were the first real words Lulu had spoken
to the group since the night that Othello had confronted her, and there was a heavy pause in the air
before Tidus took the initiative.
"We go after Sin and kick his ass."
"But it's your dad," Rikku said, a little shocked.
"Believe me, this is NOT a hard decision for me to make." Tidus jumped up from his seat on the
floor. "We need a plan. Auron?"
Auron raised a brow. "You ask me?"
"You're the old guy in the room."
Auron snorted. "We wait and think. We observe. That is all we can do, for the moment."
"That's not good enough! While we're standing around scratching our asses, Sin could destroy all
of Spira!" Tidus scowled. "I'm not gonna let my old man do that!"
"Do you have a better plan?"
*******************
They split up the next morning, each group of two being dropped off in a different location than the
others, a copy of the map firmly stuffed into pockets. It had been agreed the night before that
splitting up into groups of two would be much more efficient than staying together.
So, Auron and Ophelia found themselves back at Mi'ihen Highroad, right next to Rin's travel
agency. Ophelia smiled to herself, realizing this was the first place she and Auron had really met,
since the time when she was a child didn't count. After all, he'd been OLD then.
She stood by the chocobo corral, petting one particularly friendly bird while he went in and payed
for a room. It would be for when they came back that night, and then they would move on to Djose,
because the map indicated that there was something interesting in that general direction.
***************
Ten hours later, Ophelia was hot, dirty, and fantasizing about hot sloppy......................water, what
else? Get your minds out of the gutter! She trudged behind Auron, her feet aching like she'd been
stabbing them with blunt needles. She could just see the travel agency ahead, and kept the thought
of a nice long warm bath in mind with every step she took. She couldn't remember being so tired.
Auron glanced back over his shoulder, noting her pale pallor. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, just as soon as we get to the agency, all will be well." Auron didn't buy it, given how she
looked so.......transparent. Transparent?
"Ophelia!" he barked. Her head jerked up, and he noticed he could see straight through her. What
the hell was happening?
Ophelia straightened, as though listening to someone speaking, and then nodded, wearily. She
leveled her gaze with Auron's, and he realized her eyes were shining with unshed tears. "See you
around, Auron." She slowly began fading, until only her vague outline remained. Auron watched
in horror, as even that disappeared, leaving him alone on the dust road as the sun sank behind the
horizon. He said nothing, didn't move, couldn't breathe, sure she would reappear, saying, "Ha! Got
you, didn't I??" But the light faded from the sky, and the stars started to appear in the darkening
sky. The sound of fiends in the underbrush drug him from his trance, and he looked around,
realizing night had fallen on the highroad, and he was alone, and severely outnumbered. In a daze
he headed toward the agency, wondering what had just happened. Did she go somewhere else? Was
she dead? Did she go back to that strange world she had appeared from?
****************
One month later: Sin has been defeated.
"She did that for you, Auron, and this is how you thank her?" Yuna snatched the saki bowl from
the drunken man, and slammed it down onto the table. "You have got to shape up!"
"Why?" The one word was slurred into three sylables. Yuna sighed and sat down next to him,
trying once again not to lose her temper with Auron. For nearly a month he hadn't seen a single
sober day. He'd even gone into battle with Yu Yevon shitfaced.
"Because this is not the way she would want you to spend the time she's given you." Yuna sighed.
It would be nice if Auron could wake up and realize he wasn't the only one who'd lost Ophelia.
She'd been a sister and friend to them all, and now, and now......
"She did this so that you could have the time that was stolen from you. Six months ago you
wouldn't have cared if she was gone. But you love her, I know you do. So honor her memory by
moving on as best you can, and try to lead a happy life. You know she wouldn't want it any other
way. She hated for anyone to be sad."
**************
Luca Stadium, Two years later.
"Y. R. P. In position. It's showtime, girls." A male throat being cleared made Rikku wince, and she
sighed. "Yes, and you, too, A."