Disclaimer: Lenne and Shuyin are properties of Square Enix. Everything else
is mine. So deal
A/N- I was really discouraged by the complete lack of reviews for chapter 3, but Im hoping people are still reading this! This chapter may feel short, but its mostly because it is a continuation of chapter 3..and three took so long to put out as it was, that I felt adding more would only delay the time I had to put up chapter 3. So here it is.Im sure you'll enjoy. PLEASE, R&R!
Chapter 4: Curtain Call
The trip to the plains was unusually silent. Gio couldn't sit still, and left our cabin every hour or so. The time of the concert was fast approaching, and I could see that Lenne was getting increasingly nervous.
"Do you think she'll be alright?", asked Lenne. I didn't really know what to say.maybe she wouldn't be alright. Thing's were so complicated with Bevelle. It took an amazing person to get in the way of things.but maybe that's what had to be done.
"It has to be done.a chance at peace". I still remember what she had said, my promise to her. Kaiyla's courage was staggering. Or was it stupidity?
"I'm sure she'll be fine". My answer wasn't too sincere; it didn't help much that I had a 5 minute lapse between her asking the question and my answer, either. "She'll be fine."
Cold sheets of rain beat against the glass windows of the cabin. The sky was a sad grey, and the plains looked desolate. The rhythmic motions of the train sent me into a deep and weary sleep.
"How could you.traitor!" I beat against the figure, which was shrouded in darkness. "Why?", the figure had vanished, leaving behind him what seemed to be an endless hallway. I saw Lenne running in the distance, and desperately tried to catch up with her. The hallway was cold and narrow, adorned with flags with which I was not familiar. "Lenne?". The more I ran, the farther away she seemed to be.
I turned down a corridor, and found a door sealed with a strange inscription. It beckoned for me. It seemed as though what I was searching for lay behind that door. The doors opened, and there it was. A towering mass, Cold and lifeless. It reeked of death and sorrow. "Lenne!"
"Shuyin, I love you", she began to cry. "Lenne it's alright, I'm here". I held her close.but something was wrong. She touched my face, "Goodbye". Blood began to pour fourth from her blouse, and she collapsed to the floor, lifeless. "NO!!".
"NO!!! Lenne!". I was back in the cabin.it was a dream.
Lenne looked as though she had been sleeping too "What is it??? Are you alright?".
I laughed to myself, "Yeah" I said, "only a dream".
We arrived to the plains on a wet, cold, stormy day. If that wasn't some sort of Omen, then I don't know what was. We stepped out of the cabin and onto the wet grass. Gio came trailing behind us, "It's crowded. Lotta people out there today".
We walked further down the grass, and arrived at the edge of a cliff. From that high up, we were able to see the entire area. The plains stretched for miles, dressed with tall mountains on either side. I looked down below us. There WERE a lot of people. It seemed as if every person from Zanarkand and Bevelle had come to see Kaiyla. The crowds were surging with ravenous fans.
Something caught Lenne's attention, "What's that??".
A massive blue wall had been place between the two groups, separating Bevelle from Zanarkand. The tension between the two was extremely high. If it hadn't been for that barrier..the war may have started right there.
The stage was still more than 10 miles away from where we stood, and Gio thought it would be wise if we took a rest. "Don't worry, we still have some time ta' kill".
Lenne lead the way to an overhang, and we placed our things down to rest. It really was amazing to finally see the plains up close. Lenne sat in awe, "I've always wanted to come here.I remember dreaming about this place as a child. It's so different than what I had expected.". I layed her down on my lap, and we sat silently listening to the rain, "me too".
I waited until Gio and Lenne had both fallen asleep, and then stepped outside into the rain. There was something dark in the air, I had felt it coming. Something terrible.something inevitable. I didn't know why, or even how.but for some reason, I knew that meeting Lenne, my nightmares, and even the concert were all connected. I had been warned repeatedly within my dreams to be careful.and yet here I was. In the most dangerous place possible. My eyes shifted again to the dull blue barrier, and my stomach turned. People were pounding fiercely on it, trying to bring it down with force. Something horrible was bound to happen. Kaiyla needed to hurry.
It was about 2 hours later when we resumed our walk to the concert. I turned to Lenne, "Hey.how are we supposed to get in?".
"You mean, past the people?" Lenne asked.
"Yeah.there are so many, it's gonna be impossible to break through that-"
She smiled, "Watch, and learn".
Before I could even finish my sentence, Lenne was dashing in between the angry crowds, pushing her way through to the stage. "Hey!! Wait up!".
It wasn't until halfway through our rampage that I realized we had lost Gio. It would be impossible to find him again with that large of a crowd.
"We're here!" we had finally reached the side entrance of the stage. It was surprisingly well built and intricate for such short notice. A steel grating was the only thing standing between me, Lenne, and Kaiyla.
"HALT!!". Well.that and about 20 guards.
Kaiyla appeared from behind the Iron grating, "It's alright. She is my sister"
The guards apologized, "yes ma'am! Sorry miss."
Before the guards even had a chance to remove the lock, the lights on the stage had dimmed, and the announcer had begun to speak. Lenne looked up at her sister, "I guess you have to go"
Kaiyla took Lenne's hand, and held it close to her, "Thank you Lenne. I'm sorry about everything that's happened..I'm going to make it up to you, I promise. But I must go, goodbye! Wish me luck!"
Lenne looked towards her sister, who was fading into the shadows, "..good luck"
The guards, now appreciating our status, lead us to the front of the crowd. Everyone was screaming and cheering for Kaiyla to appear. The spot lights appeared onstage, and the band was warming up. A platform raised from the bottom of the stage, lifting Kaiyla up into the sky. Everyone went wild.
Kaiyla held the mic up to her lips, and paused for all to become silent,
"Everyone.everyone is here today for a purpose". Lenne grabbed my hand, she was clearly nervous for her sister.
"Lovers..children..Mothers, Fathers..we've all lost someone close to our hearts due to the tragedies of war. Why should the lives of so many innocent be wasted? So much hatred and bloodshed..it will tear us apart, and there will be nothing left to thrive".
The crowd was completely silent as Kaiyla spoke,
"I won't stand for it any longer! What has happened to the days of peace? To the days when Spira was whole? This.. is a song about those days of peace, and happiness:
Kaiyla began to sing her song, enthralling all that heard her voice. It was working.for at least that one short moment, the war had disappeared. All that mattered was her song.
And then I saw it.it only took a second.and nothing could be done.
Slowly..and elegantly, as if carried by the wind, a small object landed at the foot of the stage. I grabbed Lenne and dove deep into the crowd.
An ear-splitting eruption followed, and the stage was engulfed in flames. Burnt flesh and warm blood spattered across the wet grass, and frantic, desperate cries were heard amongst the crowd. Dead bodies lay all around us, the skin seared off their backs from the heat. Some were still alive, begging for their misery to end.
"No!!! NO!!!!" Lenne was frantic. I held her close and tried to shield her from the massacre. The blue barrier came crashing down, and the two sides collided into each other. A massive war was unfolding before our eyes.
I grabbed Lenne and ran as fast as I could in the other direction. I stopped as I saw a small child.clinging to the breast of her dead mother. Begging her to wake up.
There was no time, I had to keep running.
I was tossed into the air from the force of another explosion, and lost my grasp of Lenne. I struggled to get off the ground, but hundred's of people toppled over me trying to escape. I saw her being crushed beneath a mass of fleeing people, "Shuyin!". I desperately tried to reach her hand.but it was just out of my grasp. A surge of people pushed by, dragging her farther away from me, "SHUYIN!! DON'T LEAVE ME!!".
I screamed in desperation as the battle took place around me. I tore through the crowds, desperately looking for her.but she was gone. The cold rain poured down, washing the warm blood from my face. I thought of the little girl.of Gio.of Kaiyla.and of Lenne. Then all went black.
"I'm sorry"
A/N- I was really discouraged by the complete lack of reviews for chapter 3, but Im hoping people are still reading this! This chapter may feel short, but its mostly because it is a continuation of chapter 3..and three took so long to put out as it was, that I felt adding more would only delay the time I had to put up chapter 3. So here it is.Im sure you'll enjoy. PLEASE, R&R!
Chapter 4: Curtain Call
The trip to the plains was unusually silent. Gio couldn't sit still, and left our cabin every hour or so. The time of the concert was fast approaching, and I could see that Lenne was getting increasingly nervous.
"Do you think she'll be alright?", asked Lenne. I didn't really know what to say.maybe she wouldn't be alright. Thing's were so complicated with Bevelle. It took an amazing person to get in the way of things.but maybe that's what had to be done.
"It has to be done.a chance at peace". I still remember what she had said, my promise to her. Kaiyla's courage was staggering. Or was it stupidity?
"I'm sure she'll be fine". My answer wasn't too sincere; it didn't help much that I had a 5 minute lapse between her asking the question and my answer, either. "She'll be fine."
Cold sheets of rain beat against the glass windows of the cabin. The sky was a sad grey, and the plains looked desolate. The rhythmic motions of the train sent me into a deep and weary sleep.
"How could you.traitor!" I beat against the figure, which was shrouded in darkness. "Why?", the figure had vanished, leaving behind him what seemed to be an endless hallway. I saw Lenne running in the distance, and desperately tried to catch up with her. The hallway was cold and narrow, adorned with flags with which I was not familiar. "Lenne?". The more I ran, the farther away she seemed to be.
I turned down a corridor, and found a door sealed with a strange inscription. It beckoned for me. It seemed as though what I was searching for lay behind that door. The doors opened, and there it was. A towering mass, Cold and lifeless. It reeked of death and sorrow. "Lenne!"
"Shuyin, I love you", she began to cry. "Lenne it's alright, I'm here". I held her close.but something was wrong. She touched my face, "Goodbye". Blood began to pour fourth from her blouse, and she collapsed to the floor, lifeless. "NO!!".
"NO!!! Lenne!". I was back in the cabin.it was a dream.
Lenne looked as though she had been sleeping too "What is it??? Are you alright?".
I laughed to myself, "Yeah" I said, "only a dream".
We arrived to the plains on a wet, cold, stormy day. If that wasn't some sort of Omen, then I don't know what was. We stepped out of the cabin and onto the wet grass. Gio came trailing behind us, "It's crowded. Lotta people out there today".
We walked further down the grass, and arrived at the edge of a cliff. From that high up, we were able to see the entire area. The plains stretched for miles, dressed with tall mountains on either side. I looked down below us. There WERE a lot of people. It seemed as if every person from Zanarkand and Bevelle had come to see Kaiyla. The crowds were surging with ravenous fans.
Something caught Lenne's attention, "What's that??".
A massive blue wall had been place between the two groups, separating Bevelle from Zanarkand. The tension between the two was extremely high. If it hadn't been for that barrier..the war may have started right there.
The stage was still more than 10 miles away from where we stood, and Gio thought it would be wise if we took a rest. "Don't worry, we still have some time ta' kill".
Lenne lead the way to an overhang, and we placed our things down to rest. It really was amazing to finally see the plains up close. Lenne sat in awe, "I've always wanted to come here.I remember dreaming about this place as a child. It's so different than what I had expected.". I layed her down on my lap, and we sat silently listening to the rain, "me too".
I waited until Gio and Lenne had both fallen asleep, and then stepped outside into the rain. There was something dark in the air, I had felt it coming. Something terrible.something inevitable. I didn't know why, or even how.but for some reason, I knew that meeting Lenne, my nightmares, and even the concert were all connected. I had been warned repeatedly within my dreams to be careful.and yet here I was. In the most dangerous place possible. My eyes shifted again to the dull blue barrier, and my stomach turned. People were pounding fiercely on it, trying to bring it down with force. Something horrible was bound to happen. Kaiyla needed to hurry.
It was about 2 hours later when we resumed our walk to the concert. I turned to Lenne, "Hey.how are we supposed to get in?".
"You mean, past the people?" Lenne asked.
"Yeah.there are so many, it's gonna be impossible to break through that-"
She smiled, "Watch, and learn".
Before I could even finish my sentence, Lenne was dashing in between the angry crowds, pushing her way through to the stage. "Hey!! Wait up!".
It wasn't until halfway through our rampage that I realized we had lost Gio. It would be impossible to find him again with that large of a crowd.
"We're here!" we had finally reached the side entrance of the stage. It was surprisingly well built and intricate for such short notice. A steel grating was the only thing standing between me, Lenne, and Kaiyla.
"HALT!!". Well.that and about 20 guards.
Kaiyla appeared from behind the Iron grating, "It's alright. She is my sister"
The guards apologized, "yes ma'am! Sorry miss."
Before the guards even had a chance to remove the lock, the lights on the stage had dimmed, and the announcer had begun to speak. Lenne looked up at her sister, "I guess you have to go"
Kaiyla took Lenne's hand, and held it close to her, "Thank you Lenne. I'm sorry about everything that's happened..I'm going to make it up to you, I promise. But I must go, goodbye! Wish me luck!"
Lenne looked towards her sister, who was fading into the shadows, "..good luck"
The guards, now appreciating our status, lead us to the front of the crowd. Everyone was screaming and cheering for Kaiyla to appear. The spot lights appeared onstage, and the band was warming up. A platform raised from the bottom of the stage, lifting Kaiyla up into the sky. Everyone went wild.
Kaiyla held the mic up to her lips, and paused for all to become silent,
"Everyone.everyone is here today for a purpose". Lenne grabbed my hand, she was clearly nervous for her sister.
"Lovers..children..Mothers, Fathers..we've all lost someone close to our hearts due to the tragedies of war. Why should the lives of so many innocent be wasted? So much hatred and bloodshed..it will tear us apart, and there will be nothing left to thrive".
The crowd was completely silent as Kaiyla spoke,
"I won't stand for it any longer! What has happened to the days of peace? To the days when Spira was whole? This.. is a song about those days of peace, and happiness:
Kaiyla began to sing her song, enthralling all that heard her voice. It was working.for at least that one short moment, the war had disappeared. All that mattered was her song.
And then I saw it.it only took a second.and nothing could be done.
Slowly..and elegantly, as if carried by the wind, a small object landed at the foot of the stage. I grabbed Lenne and dove deep into the crowd.
An ear-splitting eruption followed, and the stage was engulfed in flames. Burnt flesh and warm blood spattered across the wet grass, and frantic, desperate cries were heard amongst the crowd. Dead bodies lay all around us, the skin seared off their backs from the heat. Some were still alive, begging for their misery to end.
"No!!! NO!!!!" Lenne was frantic. I held her close and tried to shield her from the massacre. The blue barrier came crashing down, and the two sides collided into each other. A massive war was unfolding before our eyes.
I grabbed Lenne and ran as fast as I could in the other direction. I stopped as I saw a small child.clinging to the breast of her dead mother. Begging her to wake up.
There was no time, I had to keep running.
I was tossed into the air from the force of another explosion, and lost my grasp of Lenne. I struggled to get off the ground, but hundred's of people toppled over me trying to escape. I saw her being crushed beneath a mass of fleeing people, "Shuyin!". I desperately tried to reach her hand.but it was just out of my grasp. A surge of people pushed by, dragging her farther away from me, "SHUYIN!! DON'T LEAVE ME!!".
I screamed in desperation as the battle took place around me. I tore through the crowds, desperately looking for her.but she was gone. The cold rain poured down, washing the warm blood from my face. I thought of the little girl.of Gio.of Kaiyla.and of Lenne. Then all went black.
"I'm sorry"