Thankyou all for the revews!!! You know the Mandain Sari song? (the laa-la-la-la thing) now think back in FF9 on the title screen where it has 'new game' and 'continue'. You know the tune that plays there? It also plays in Ipsen's Castle, and Oeilvert.) If you do, keep it in mind. If you don't then think again. (or simply e-mail me and I'll show you a site where you can listen to it.) In this fic the tune will be known as 'Terra's Song', you have to imagine someone's singing it in the la-la-la way. (Now I'm gonna take a deep breath and...)
To Kingpin: Yes, Terra is drawing verrrry close..
To Raiden Tribal: No need to call someone else to draw them all, I can do them myself. I'll send you them when I'm done drawing.
To Kawaii Mimi-chan: Your back!! Yeah, i'd like to see any pictures you draw of Zidane, pleaaase ^_^.
To Sparks: I think something was wrong with Fanfiction.net when you tried to review chapter 9. I couldn't even post last chapter!!
To Kingleby: Thanx for the info on your 'Ghost Helpers' fic, and your new one!!! (HINT HINT EVERYONE!! READ GHOST HELPERS!! IT IS VERY GOOD!!)
To Sakura-chan, Aquarius-Gal, and Solarious: Thank you for reviewing!!
Chpt 11 : Taharka of Ipsen's Castle
Sarah felt foamy water wash over her body, and then draw away again. She ached all over, and she could taste blood in her mouth. She opened one eye painfully as a red environment flooded her vision, to which her eyes snapped shut again.
("... I can't feel my left wrist.. now I come to think of it I can't feel my legs either..") Sarah summoned her body to move, only to receive the screams from her nerves in all four limbs.
("Where am I?") She dared to open her eyes again, the red light had decreased and focusing had become easier. She was on the shore of the Forbidden Continent, and the red desert sand mixed freely with the yellow grains of the beach. There were boards and pieces of wood everywhere, and when one piece was washed up beside her, everything flooded back..
("That board reads 'The Sussurus'!!!")
~~* Flashback *~~
Iifa in his Zidane form stretched his six wings out into their full size, making the Terran symbols rotate around him faster in a giant circle. The red eye above him moved over the octopus and shone red light onto it's wet, slimy back. Then Zidane shouted something into the sky, and threw his hands like when you cast magic towards the beast. Sarah felt energy rip through the air, the boat and her body. Everybody and everything was thrown backwards and the ship was breaking into wooden boards and shards. Sarah tried to see what Zidane was doing, but only saw intense light. She heard Mariah scream as waves finally ripped the boat from the water. With everyone on it. Sarah knew no more.
~~* End of Flashback *~~
".. The ship was destroyed?" Sarah finally dragged her legs forward in an attempt to get up, still to no avail.
("I feel like someone's broken my legs..") Sarah looked at her legs by tilting her head up, but they didn't seem to be damaged at all. It was when she looked down at her left wrist that she began to worry. It was covered in purple marks and it required agony to move.
"I have to get up.. come on Sarah, get up.." She spoke to herself as her legs finally served her justice and held her to her full height. The sun was setting and cast a red tint of light everywhere. Sarah looked around once more, making sure to cradle her left wrist with her right. She spotted the mast about a hundred feet ahead of her, with the blue and white sail ripped as it snaked around the shore in the faint breeze. This scene was all too familiar. This had happened on the Blue Narciss aswell.
("I promise myself I will NEVER ride on a ship again..") Sarah cursed in her head. The waves washed onto her legs gently, soothing the aching pain of her shoeless feet (which she guessed had fallen off into the sea.) The water was tinted with black and red. Blood and Ink.
"Someone must have died aswell as that octopus... it's ink is everywhere.." In a quick motion she felt sick, hungry and thirsty - and the pain in her legs and arms came shooting back.
"Ahh!" Sarah dropped to the floor once more. "My wrist... gods it hurts!!!" She clutched the bruised and broken wrist to her stomach, feeling the throbbing and stinging pain of naked bone against skin.
"Where is everyone?!" She almost shouted into the silenced air. No reply. Then came the feeling of loneliness, and the fear of being stranded by yourself.
("Did everyone die?! Where are they? Why am I the only one here?! What happened to Iifa?") A creeping feeling of emptiness came to her.
("I-Is Iifa dead..?") She wouldn't believe it. She couldn't, for her sanity's sake.
"IIFA!!! IIIIIIFFAAA!!! WHERE ARE YOU?!" She screamed immediately. "IIIIIFFFFAA!!!" Her words came out as a high pitched crackle in the throat, making her sound as if every drop of moisture had been drained from her mouth.
("Pull yourself together, Sarah. He can't be dead, he's the Angel of Death..") After a while contemplating, she began to walk toward the west, hoping to find another member of the crew she had been with.
************************
("~I've been walking for nearly five hours... yet everyone seems to have been wiped off the face of the earth..~") Iifa looked around the beach, the smell of ink from the octopus and blood from it's veins lingered in the air. Some planks of smashed wood from 'The Sussurus' still floated up and down the shore as Iifa sat down on the nearest sand-dune.
("~After I changed into Zidane.. I felt the Invincible's presence.. and it blew up the octopus using my power.. Why the hell is everyone randomly borrowing my power?! First Kuja, now the Invincible?! I bet Kuja's up to something... I don't care he he keeps sending me those stupid memories, I don't need them!~") Iifa looked back from the trail he had walked. It was lined with black and silver feathers which had fallen off as his transformation ebbed away, and left him with no feathers, but his clothes still remained in tact; strangely. But one thing had been bothering Iifa; the fact that his tail was no longer a hazy brown - it was a deep, shadow black colour. It had also got an inch or so longer. He picked his swaying tail from the floor and inspected it for a while, finding no clue at all to how it had changed.
("~Weird.. I'll have to ask my master about it when I get back to Terra...~") He dropped his tail and stood up once more, taking in one last look of the beach.
("~ I wish I knew where Sarah was... If anything happened to her; I'd destroy myself before I destroy this planet..~") Iifa looked solemnly at the fading light on the horizon, he had to find her.
("~ I can sense Oeilvert's presence nearby here... The elders there can find people using their powers, maybe they can help me.. As well as telling me what the hell is going on..~") Iifa slid off the sand-dune and up a rocky pass on the north of the beach.
("~I'm coming, Sarah... Don't you dare die on me...~")
************************
Sarah felt the wind lift her raven hair on the currents it made. She had walked up and down the beach she had landed on twice, with no sign of anyone.
("I have to get help.. The pain of my wrist is killing me..") An idea popped into her head. She had enough power for one small spell, and she would do anything to stop the pain in her wrist.
"This is so stupid.. What the hell.." She reached for a small soft potion in one of her pockets and poured it on her wrist. It stung like a thousand bees... She hissed in pain and let a spell flow to her right hand.
"Stona!!" She said, still feeling the affects of the soft. The pain quickly stopped as the whole of the left arm from the elbow down turned to stone.
"That's better.. Oh no.." She quickly had to adjust to the weight of her new granite arm as it pulled her down.
"Oh your so damn SMART Sarah!!" She could have slapped herself if she had a hand free. As she was taught, if two anti-stone items or spells were used in unison, then the negative affect would be initiated. She quickly tore off some of her skirt and made a make-shift sling to take the weight.
"Well.. It's better than pain.." She definitely preferred the weight of her granite arm to the nerve slicing pain she had felt earlier. As she regained her composure and her new weight, she saw something in the distance.
"Huh? What's that?" She focused more at the black object. "It's a castle... but it's upside down. Weird.. Maybe everybody went to shelter in there!" The new hope lifted her mind a little as she walked jaggedly towards it. As she came closer to the structure, she realised that it was surrounded by tall cliffs, which she was ontop of..
"Wait a minute.. I recognise this place.. It's upside down, surrounded by tall cliffs, on the forbidden continent... This is Ipsen's Castle! I'm miles away from Oeilvert!" She ran to the edge of the cliff and looked at the peculiar shaped structure.
"Hah! I remember reading about this castle in a book on Ipsen. He discovered the site.. but never went in.." She smiled at the memory of reading her favourite book.
"There's got to be a way down.." She stated to herself as a steep path came into her vision. It looked like it was natural, not man made, and you would risk breaking a leg on the way down.
"But Ipsen never had this!" She held up a rare potion known as Elixir from her back pocket and swallowed it whole. "That's the last of my potions... Okay..Here goes nothing!" She felt power flow to her hands once more.
"Bahamut! King of Dragons! I summon you from your place in the heavens! Aid me!" The sky shook as Bahamut tore across the sky and landed infront of his master.
"Could you give me a lift down please, Bahamut?" Sarah looked up at her summon, who then picked her up with his talons and flew down the cliff. Once they landed he vanished, she knew Bahamut never had the habit of staying longer than he was expected.
"Oh.. wait a minute.." She said to herself. "I'm the first one in this valley, so that means... This is Sarah's valley! And Sarah's Castle!" She did a brief victory dance on the spot.
"Y'HEAR THAT IPSEN!?" She roared. "THIS ISN'T IPSENS CASTLE!! THIS IS MY CASTLE! SARAH'S CASTLE! AHAHA!!" She felt the surge of happiness pass, and then looked at herself. She was standing with one fist shaking in the air, with her feet widespread with a mad grin on her face. She sweatdropped.
"Whatever..." Her fist dropped as she trudged into the castle feeling very stupid. When she entered, the sound of a soft, ancient melody drifted to her ears. She fell in love with the tune straight away. It sounded like someone was singing it, like people at Mandain Sari sung 'Mandain Sari's Song'. A voice suddenly entered her head.
("~You listen to the melody of Terra.. 'Terra's Song'..~") Sarah darted her head around, the speaker spoke fluent Terran which she thanked the gods she could understand.
"~Who's there?!~" She said gingerly.
"~I am, child...~" The speaker revealed herself. She was a beautiful woman dressed in blue clothes with flowing blonde hair. But she seemed distant..
"~W-Who are you?~" Sarah spoke, shocked by her sudden company.
"~My name is Taharka.~" The woman said gently in return.
"~That's a Terran name.. Are you a Genome?~" Sarah asked timidly. The woman smiled. "~No.. I am the guardian of this place. My earthly form would have scared you, Sarah.~"
"~How do you know my name?~" Sarah stepped forward, getting more and more curious about the mysterious woman standing before her.
"~Listen well. My duty here is to guard this place of history for my master, Garland. I was once a citizen of the great nation of Terra, but like the rest of my kin and race, I perished. Garland then brought me back by filling my soul into a prototype female genome, who could take two shapes. You see one before you.~" Taharka brushed her hair from her shoulders. "~The other form I keep for unwanted visitors. Garland informed me that you would end up here... and that you should stay here until Iifa collects you.~"
"~..Until Iifa collects me? Why are you telling me this, Taharka?~" Sarah said as Taharka beckoned her to follow her lead while she walked.
"~ I was told to inform you of everything. Garland knows that you are Iifa's only weakness. He has plans for you anyway..~" Taharka and Sarah swept through the castle's darkness as their talking echoed behind them.
"~Plans? Weaknesses? Is this to do with the Assimilation?~" Sarah questioned.
"~Yes.. You are the last step before the Assimilation can take place. Once you are taken to Terra and Iifa knows you are safe.. then he can freely finish the process of Gaia becoming Terra.~" Taharka looked Sarah straight in the eye. "~Garland knows that Iifa could well stop the Assimilation and turn against him if you are hurt in any way. That is why you are to be withdrawn from this place.~"
"~Wait a minute..question time!~" Sarah stood infront of Taharka. "~Why hasn't Garland tried to kill Iifa like he did Kuja, because Kuja fell in love with a Gaian, and got nearly killed for it! Why isn't Iifa or I being touched?!~" Sarah pointed a finger in accusation and suspicion.
"~Simply because Iifa is Garland's first and oldest creation. Iifa was favoured heavily over Kuja. Iifa was strong, powerful, wise and loyal, serving Garland for over 10,000 years without fail. But he was only a tree... never to move.. but he had a mind, and he talked with Garland many times over every matter. Kuja, whereas was a defect. He was strong, but nowhere near as strong as Iifa. He was also disobedient and destructive. That is why when the Life Crystal blessed Iifa with a soul, Garland caught it and placed it in a genome's body. Now he has his most loyal, faithful servant and friend in a moveable form. Thus Iifa became the Angel of Death and Soul Divider in one. Not only that, but Iifa can control his genome body and the Iifa Tree together at once.~" Taharka drew breath. "~Garland knew that the Iifa tree had a personality, and so when blessed with a soul, Garland fully expected feelings like love, hate and anger to course through Iifa. So when finding out Iifa had lost his heart to you, Garland didn't mind. Because he knew that instead of saving Gaia for you, he would put you on Terra and then put his mission first. His master's orders come first, so your life had to be saved by working around those orders, not over them.~"
"~I see... So what are these plans Garland has for me?~" Sarah continued walking with Taharka.
"~He wants your eidolons to find Kuja. We already have a young summoner doing just that, but she only has four eidolons and hasn't got very far.~"
"~What's her name?~"
"~.. Eiko Carol.~"
************************
"~Stop being so cryptic and tell me, dammit!! Where is Sarah and and the rest of the crew?!~" Iifa shouted in frustration at the white, talking faces of Oeilvert when they gave another enigmatic comment.
"~The Angel of Death comes to us in need. He is Iifa, soul of Terra.~" One of the faces expanded from the wall and spoke in a monotone voice, making Iifa scowl.
"~Just tell me before I get angry and do something I might regret..~" Iifa gritted his teeth.
"~He is the most powerful being on both worlds. He only has one weakness.~" More and more heads talked in the running commentary.
"~One weakness, for his heart is missing.~"
"~A black tail he has now, a sign of the heir.~"
"~W-What?! The heir to what?!~" Iifa shouted when his mysterious black tail was mentioned.
"~The heir to Terra. After Garland falls, Iifa will watch the souls of Terra.~"
"~Yes, he will carry on the assimilation.~"
"~But the assimilation cannot be initiated yet.~"
"~No, Garland needs to make sure his heir has an heir...~"
"~Yes, to take care of Terra. Once Iifa has taken this role he will be immortal.~"
"~He may do this by pledging to Terra his service. His heir must do this also.~"
("~Pledging to Terra..?~") Iifa pondered.
"~Then Iifa's heir will be immortal.. and once Terra's nations are revived..~"
"~Iifa and his descendants will be known as the supreme rulers of Terra..~"
"~And all on Terra will look to their advice and leadership.~"
"~Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a damn minute!~" Iifa interrupted. "~Your saying that I am the successor to Garland? I will watch Terra when he dies?!~"
"~That is correct.~"
"~..AND WHY IN HELL WASN'T I TOLD THIS?!~" Iifa yelled in confusion. "~NOBODY TELLS ME ANYTHING!!! SURE, I SPEND A FEW YEARS IN A COCOON, AND THE WHOLE OF DAMN TERRA AND GAIA HAVE DECIDED THAT THEY'LL BORROW MY POWER, MESS WITH MY HEAD AND CLAIM ME SUPREME RULER OF MY PLANET?! DAMMIT, WHAT JUST WERE YOU PLANNING, YOU BASTARDS?!~" Iifa drew breath after his explosion of anger.
"~You must not blame us, Iifa. Garland knew he could rely on you, so he passed all responsibility to you.~"
"~Yes. You must take responsibility from now on.~"
"~That is correct. You must know all and see all. You must hold the fate of everyone in your hand and do with them as you see fit.~"
"~Even now you fail to notice that your old friend Taharka and the one that is your weakness are walking straight into a trap.~"
"~A trap?! Sarah is with Taharka?! Where are they?! Where are they going?!~" Iifa rushed.
"~Taharka is taking your weakness - ~"
"~Her name is Sarah, dammit!~" Iifa interrupted.
"~...Taharka is taking Sarah to Terra where she thinks she will be safe from Kuja.~" The head continued.
"~Yes, Kuja will ambush them..~"
"~Sarah is injured too, and Taharka unable to use powers of any kind.~"
"~SARAH IS INJURED?! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO IN THE FIRST DAMN PLACE?!~" Iifa leapt off the platform and ran as fast as he could out of Oeilvert, hoping he could reach Sarah in time.
("~She's with Taharka.. so she'll be in Ipsen's Castle..~") Iifa grimaced in his failure to know where Sarah was. ("~ .. Some protector YOU are, Iifa.. Leaving Sarah vulnerable, open to attacks.. and injured as well.. ~") Iifa quickly found his bearings in the barren landscape, and concentrated hard.
("~I know I have the Evanesce powers of an Eidolon... it just takes concentration to use them..Maybe it'll help if I transform..~") Iifa thought as his feathered form took over his body, making him feel ready for anything.
("~Now for Sarah..~") He grinned his signature evil grin and vanished, only to appear three miles away to the north. This was travelling in style.
************************
"~Oh no!!~" Sarah cried as the petrify spell started to evaporate off her arm. Taharka inspected her broken wrist as Sarah winced at the pain.
"~Hmm.. this is serious. I don't think a simple Cura or Curaga spell will cure this.~" Taharka said with a melancholy tone in her voice.
"~Is there anything you can do?!~" Sarah was becoming desperate.
"~Once we get to Terra I'll get Mikoto to inspect it.~" Taharka pushed Sarah into the portal, and followed her through until the blue light of Terra enveloped them. Sarah forgot her pain once she saw the beauty of the tall blue spires, and the sky, which was the deepest blue she had ever seen.
"~I-It's beautiful..~" Sarah gasped.
"~Yes.. I haven't been home in a while... I forgot how marvellous it looks on a day like this.~" Taharka looked fondly around them.
"~I haven't been home in a while either, Taharka..~" Both girls spun around to see the silver haired genome stand casually on the path to Bran Bal.
"~Kuja!!~" Both Taharka and Sarah said in unison.
"~Yes.. the one and only me.. I see you brought Iifa's so called 'only weakness' here, Taharka... how pathetically loyal of you..~" Kuja mocked.
"~My allegiance to Garland will always be strong, defect!!~" Taharka spat.
"~Hmm, touchy today, aren't we? So, Sarah.. how do you think Iifa would react when I hand him your head? Do you think he would like it on a silver platter?~"
"~Shut-up, you bastard!! When Iifa finds you he'll tear you limb from limb!!~" Sarah screamed.
"~Oh.. so sure? Do you think he'll be angry if I did this?~" Kuja raised his hand and threw a flare spell at Sarah and Taharka, throwing them forty feet backwards on the path. Sarah lifted her good hand and felt her chest. From what she could guess, he had broken two ribs and the rest of her left arm. Taharka hadn't broken anything, but seemed in severe shock all the same. They were both bleeding heavily.
"~Well, I don't see Iifa anywhere... He should be more careful with his toys, and he shouldn't leave them around for me to play with..~" Kuja smiled. Sarah swore he was insane.
"~Now I end this. The assimilation will be cancelled once Iifa looses track of you, Sarah, for he will search all of Gaia and Terra for you.~"
"~You are mad, Kuja!~" Taharka pulled herself up off the ground. "~Once Garland gets here you will die under his or Iifa's hand!!~"
"~I don't think so.~" Kuja smirked.
"~How did you know we were coming here?!~" Sarah barely managed to talk in her excruciating pain.
"~Oh... a little bird told me..~" Kuja put in finger to his cheek in thought. "~It's a shame.. because you and the little bird got on quite well!~" Kuja clicked his fingers, calling someone. Mariah stepped out from the side of the path with the look of guilt, and shame on her face.
Sarah's face turned into a scowl.
"~You traitor!!~"
Another cliffhanger?! I know, I love em. Next chapter... What the hell happened to everyone else?! By the way, I am now in the process of drawing my characters!! I'll tell you when I'm done drawing, so if anyone wants to see them (please?) just e-mail me. Thankyou!!
To Kingpin: Yes, Terra is drawing verrrry close..
To Raiden Tribal: No need to call someone else to draw them all, I can do them myself. I'll send you them when I'm done drawing.
To Kawaii Mimi-chan: Your back!! Yeah, i'd like to see any pictures you draw of Zidane, pleaaase ^_^.
To Sparks: I think something was wrong with Fanfiction.net when you tried to review chapter 9. I couldn't even post last chapter!!
To Kingleby: Thanx for the info on your 'Ghost Helpers' fic, and your new one!!! (HINT HINT EVERYONE!! READ GHOST HELPERS!! IT IS VERY GOOD!!)
To Sakura-chan, Aquarius-Gal, and Solarious: Thank you for reviewing!!
Chpt 11 : Taharka of Ipsen's Castle
Sarah felt foamy water wash over her body, and then draw away again. She ached all over, and she could taste blood in her mouth. She opened one eye painfully as a red environment flooded her vision, to which her eyes snapped shut again.
("... I can't feel my left wrist.. now I come to think of it I can't feel my legs either..") Sarah summoned her body to move, only to receive the screams from her nerves in all four limbs.
("Where am I?") She dared to open her eyes again, the red light had decreased and focusing had become easier. She was on the shore of the Forbidden Continent, and the red desert sand mixed freely with the yellow grains of the beach. There were boards and pieces of wood everywhere, and when one piece was washed up beside her, everything flooded back..
("That board reads 'The Sussurus'!!!")
~~* Flashback *~~
Iifa in his Zidane form stretched his six wings out into their full size, making the Terran symbols rotate around him faster in a giant circle. The red eye above him moved over the octopus and shone red light onto it's wet, slimy back. Then Zidane shouted something into the sky, and threw his hands like when you cast magic towards the beast. Sarah felt energy rip through the air, the boat and her body. Everybody and everything was thrown backwards and the ship was breaking into wooden boards and shards. Sarah tried to see what Zidane was doing, but only saw intense light. She heard Mariah scream as waves finally ripped the boat from the water. With everyone on it. Sarah knew no more.
~~* End of Flashback *~~
".. The ship was destroyed?" Sarah finally dragged her legs forward in an attempt to get up, still to no avail.
("I feel like someone's broken my legs..") Sarah looked at her legs by tilting her head up, but they didn't seem to be damaged at all. It was when she looked down at her left wrist that she began to worry. It was covered in purple marks and it required agony to move.
"I have to get up.. come on Sarah, get up.." She spoke to herself as her legs finally served her justice and held her to her full height. The sun was setting and cast a red tint of light everywhere. Sarah looked around once more, making sure to cradle her left wrist with her right. She spotted the mast about a hundred feet ahead of her, with the blue and white sail ripped as it snaked around the shore in the faint breeze. This scene was all too familiar. This had happened on the Blue Narciss aswell.
("I promise myself I will NEVER ride on a ship again..") Sarah cursed in her head. The waves washed onto her legs gently, soothing the aching pain of her shoeless feet (which she guessed had fallen off into the sea.) The water was tinted with black and red. Blood and Ink.
"Someone must have died aswell as that octopus... it's ink is everywhere.." In a quick motion she felt sick, hungry and thirsty - and the pain in her legs and arms came shooting back.
"Ahh!" Sarah dropped to the floor once more. "My wrist... gods it hurts!!!" She clutched the bruised and broken wrist to her stomach, feeling the throbbing and stinging pain of naked bone against skin.
"Where is everyone?!" She almost shouted into the silenced air. No reply. Then came the feeling of loneliness, and the fear of being stranded by yourself.
("Did everyone die?! Where are they? Why am I the only one here?! What happened to Iifa?") A creeping feeling of emptiness came to her.
("I-Is Iifa dead..?") She wouldn't believe it. She couldn't, for her sanity's sake.
"IIFA!!! IIIIIIFFAAA!!! WHERE ARE YOU?!" She screamed immediately. "IIIIIFFFFAA!!!" Her words came out as a high pitched crackle in the throat, making her sound as if every drop of moisture had been drained from her mouth.
("Pull yourself together, Sarah. He can't be dead, he's the Angel of Death..") After a while contemplating, she began to walk toward the west, hoping to find another member of the crew she had been with.
************************
("~I've been walking for nearly five hours... yet everyone seems to have been wiped off the face of the earth..~") Iifa looked around the beach, the smell of ink from the octopus and blood from it's veins lingered in the air. Some planks of smashed wood from 'The Sussurus' still floated up and down the shore as Iifa sat down on the nearest sand-dune.
("~After I changed into Zidane.. I felt the Invincible's presence.. and it blew up the octopus using my power.. Why the hell is everyone randomly borrowing my power?! First Kuja, now the Invincible?! I bet Kuja's up to something... I don't care he he keeps sending me those stupid memories, I don't need them!~") Iifa looked back from the trail he had walked. It was lined with black and silver feathers which had fallen off as his transformation ebbed away, and left him with no feathers, but his clothes still remained in tact; strangely. But one thing had been bothering Iifa; the fact that his tail was no longer a hazy brown - it was a deep, shadow black colour. It had also got an inch or so longer. He picked his swaying tail from the floor and inspected it for a while, finding no clue at all to how it had changed.
("~Weird.. I'll have to ask my master about it when I get back to Terra...~") He dropped his tail and stood up once more, taking in one last look of the beach.
("~ I wish I knew where Sarah was... If anything happened to her; I'd destroy myself before I destroy this planet..~") Iifa looked solemnly at the fading light on the horizon, he had to find her.
("~ I can sense Oeilvert's presence nearby here... The elders there can find people using their powers, maybe they can help me.. As well as telling me what the hell is going on..~") Iifa slid off the sand-dune and up a rocky pass on the north of the beach.
("~I'm coming, Sarah... Don't you dare die on me...~")
************************
Sarah felt the wind lift her raven hair on the currents it made. She had walked up and down the beach she had landed on twice, with no sign of anyone.
("I have to get help.. The pain of my wrist is killing me..") An idea popped into her head. She had enough power for one small spell, and she would do anything to stop the pain in her wrist.
"This is so stupid.. What the hell.." She reached for a small soft potion in one of her pockets and poured it on her wrist. It stung like a thousand bees... She hissed in pain and let a spell flow to her right hand.
"Stona!!" She said, still feeling the affects of the soft. The pain quickly stopped as the whole of the left arm from the elbow down turned to stone.
"That's better.. Oh no.." She quickly had to adjust to the weight of her new granite arm as it pulled her down.
"Oh your so damn SMART Sarah!!" She could have slapped herself if she had a hand free. As she was taught, if two anti-stone items or spells were used in unison, then the negative affect would be initiated. She quickly tore off some of her skirt and made a make-shift sling to take the weight.
"Well.. It's better than pain.." She definitely preferred the weight of her granite arm to the nerve slicing pain she had felt earlier. As she regained her composure and her new weight, she saw something in the distance.
"Huh? What's that?" She focused more at the black object. "It's a castle... but it's upside down. Weird.. Maybe everybody went to shelter in there!" The new hope lifted her mind a little as she walked jaggedly towards it. As she came closer to the structure, she realised that it was surrounded by tall cliffs, which she was ontop of..
"Wait a minute.. I recognise this place.. It's upside down, surrounded by tall cliffs, on the forbidden continent... This is Ipsen's Castle! I'm miles away from Oeilvert!" She ran to the edge of the cliff and looked at the peculiar shaped structure.
"Hah! I remember reading about this castle in a book on Ipsen. He discovered the site.. but never went in.." She smiled at the memory of reading her favourite book.
"There's got to be a way down.." She stated to herself as a steep path came into her vision. It looked like it was natural, not man made, and you would risk breaking a leg on the way down.
"But Ipsen never had this!" She held up a rare potion known as Elixir from her back pocket and swallowed it whole. "That's the last of my potions... Okay..Here goes nothing!" She felt power flow to her hands once more.
"Bahamut! King of Dragons! I summon you from your place in the heavens! Aid me!" The sky shook as Bahamut tore across the sky and landed infront of his master.
"Could you give me a lift down please, Bahamut?" Sarah looked up at her summon, who then picked her up with his talons and flew down the cliff. Once they landed he vanished, she knew Bahamut never had the habit of staying longer than he was expected.
"Oh.. wait a minute.." She said to herself. "I'm the first one in this valley, so that means... This is Sarah's valley! And Sarah's Castle!" She did a brief victory dance on the spot.
"Y'HEAR THAT IPSEN!?" She roared. "THIS ISN'T IPSENS CASTLE!! THIS IS MY CASTLE! SARAH'S CASTLE! AHAHA!!" She felt the surge of happiness pass, and then looked at herself. She was standing with one fist shaking in the air, with her feet widespread with a mad grin on her face. She sweatdropped.
"Whatever..." Her fist dropped as she trudged into the castle feeling very stupid. When she entered, the sound of a soft, ancient melody drifted to her ears. She fell in love with the tune straight away. It sounded like someone was singing it, like people at Mandain Sari sung 'Mandain Sari's Song'. A voice suddenly entered her head.
("~You listen to the melody of Terra.. 'Terra's Song'..~") Sarah darted her head around, the speaker spoke fluent Terran which she thanked the gods she could understand.
"~Who's there?!~" She said gingerly.
"~I am, child...~" The speaker revealed herself. She was a beautiful woman dressed in blue clothes with flowing blonde hair. But she seemed distant..
"~W-Who are you?~" Sarah spoke, shocked by her sudden company.
"~My name is Taharka.~" The woman said gently in return.
"~That's a Terran name.. Are you a Genome?~" Sarah asked timidly. The woman smiled. "~No.. I am the guardian of this place. My earthly form would have scared you, Sarah.~"
"~How do you know my name?~" Sarah stepped forward, getting more and more curious about the mysterious woman standing before her.
"~Listen well. My duty here is to guard this place of history for my master, Garland. I was once a citizen of the great nation of Terra, but like the rest of my kin and race, I perished. Garland then brought me back by filling my soul into a prototype female genome, who could take two shapes. You see one before you.~" Taharka brushed her hair from her shoulders. "~The other form I keep for unwanted visitors. Garland informed me that you would end up here... and that you should stay here until Iifa collects you.~"
"~..Until Iifa collects me? Why are you telling me this, Taharka?~" Sarah said as Taharka beckoned her to follow her lead while she walked.
"~ I was told to inform you of everything. Garland knows that you are Iifa's only weakness. He has plans for you anyway..~" Taharka and Sarah swept through the castle's darkness as their talking echoed behind them.
"~Plans? Weaknesses? Is this to do with the Assimilation?~" Sarah questioned.
"~Yes.. You are the last step before the Assimilation can take place. Once you are taken to Terra and Iifa knows you are safe.. then he can freely finish the process of Gaia becoming Terra.~" Taharka looked Sarah straight in the eye. "~Garland knows that Iifa could well stop the Assimilation and turn against him if you are hurt in any way. That is why you are to be withdrawn from this place.~"
"~Wait a minute..question time!~" Sarah stood infront of Taharka. "~Why hasn't Garland tried to kill Iifa like he did Kuja, because Kuja fell in love with a Gaian, and got nearly killed for it! Why isn't Iifa or I being touched?!~" Sarah pointed a finger in accusation and suspicion.
"~Simply because Iifa is Garland's first and oldest creation. Iifa was favoured heavily over Kuja. Iifa was strong, powerful, wise and loyal, serving Garland for over 10,000 years without fail. But he was only a tree... never to move.. but he had a mind, and he talked with Garland many times over every matter. Kuja, whereas was a defect. He was strong, but nowhere near as strong as Iifa. He was also disobedient and destructive. That is why when the Life Crystal blessed Iifa with a soul, Garland caught it and placed it in a genome's body. Now he has his most loyal, faithful servant and friend in a moveable form. Thus Iifa became the Angel of Death and Soul Divider in one. Not only that, but Iifa can control his genome body and the Iifa Tree together at once.~" Taharka drew breath. "~Garland knew that the Iifa tree had a personality, and so when blessed with a soul, Garland fully expected feelings like love, hate and anger to course through Iifa. So when finding out Iifa had lost his heart to you, Garland didn't mind. Because he knew that instead of saving Gaia for you, he would put you on Terra and then put his mission first. His master's orders come first, so your life had to be saved by working around those orders, not over them.~"
"~I see... So what are these plans Garland has for me?~" Sarah continued walking with Taharka.
"~He wants your eidolons to find Kuja. We already have a young summoner doing just that, but she only has four eidolons and hasn't got very far.~"
"~What's her name?~"
"~.. Eiko Carol.~"
************************
"~Stop being so cryptic and tell me, dammit!! Where is Sarah and and the rest of the crew?!~" Iifa shouted in frustration at the white, talking faces of Oeilvert when they gave another enigmatic comment.
"~The Angel of Death comes to us in need. He is Iifa, soul of Terra.~" One of the faces expanded from the wall and spoke in a monotone voice, making Iifa scowl.
"~Just tell me before I get angry and do something I might regret..~" Iifa gritted his teeth.
"~He is the most powerful being on both worlds. He only has one weakness.~" More and more heads talked in the running commentary.
"~One weakness, for his heart is missing.~"
"~A black tail he has now, a sign of the heir.~"
"~W-What?! The heir to what?!~" Iifa shouted when his mysterious black tail was mentioned.
"~The heir to Terra. After Garland falls, Iifa will watch the souls of Terra.~"
"~Yes, he will carry on the assimilation.~"
"~But the assimilation cannot be initiated yet.~"
"~No, Garland needs to make sure his heir has an heir...~"
"~Yes, to take care of Terra. Once Iifa has taken this role he will be immortal.~"
"~He may do this by pledging to Terra his service. His heir must do this also.~"
("~Pledging to Terra..?~") Iifa pondered.
"~Then Iifa's heir will be immortal.. and once Terra's nations are revived..~"
"~Iifa and his descendants will be known as the supreme rulers of Terra..~"
"~And all on Terra will look to their advice and leadership.~"
"~Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a damn minute!~" Iifa interrupted. "~Your saying that I am the successor to Garland? I will watch Terra when he dies?!~"
"~That is correct.~"
"~..AND WHY IN HELL WASN'T I TOLD THIS?!~" Iifa yelled in confusion. "~NOBODY TELLS ME ANYTHING!!! SURE, I SPEND A FEW YEARS IN A COCOON, AND THE WHOLE OF DAMN TERRA AND GAIA HAVE DECIDED THAT THEY'LL BORROW MY POWER, MESS WITH MY HEAD AND CLAIM ME SUPREME RULER OF MY PLANET?! DAMMIT, WHAT JUST WERE YOU PLANNING, YOU BASTARDS?!~" Iifa drew breath after his explosion of anger.
"~You must not blame us, Iifa. Garland knew he could rely on you, so he passed all responsibility to you.~"
"~Yes. You must take responsibility from now on.~"
"~That is correct. You must know all and see all. You must hold the fate of everyone in your hand and do with them as you see fit.~"
"~Even now you fail to notice that your old friend Taharka and the one that is your weakness are walking straight into a trap.~"
"~A trap?! Sarah is with Taharka?! Where are they?! Where are they going?!~" Iifa rushed.
"~Taharka is taking your weakness - ~"
"~Her name is Sarah, dammit!~" Iifa interrupted.
"~...Taharka is taking Sarah to Terra where she thinks she will be safe from Kuja.~" The head continued.
"~Yes, Kuja will ambush them..~"
"~Sarah is injured too, and Taharka unable to use powers of any kind.~"
"~SARAH IS INJURED?! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO IN THE FIRST DAMN PLACE?!~" Iifa leapt off the platform and ran as fast as he could out of Oeilvert, hoping he could reach Sarah in time.
("~She's with Taharka.. so she'll be in Ipsen's Castle..~") Iifa grimaced in his failure to know where Sarah was. ("~ .. Some protector YOU are, Iifa.. Leaving Sarah vulnerable, open to attacks.. and injured as well.. ~") Iifa quickly found his bearings in the barren landscape, and concentrated hard.
("~I know I have the Evanesce powers of an Eidolon... it just takes concentration to use them..Maybe it'll help if I transform..~") Iifa thought as his feathered form took over his body, making him feel ready for anything.
("~Now for Sarah..~") He grinned his signature evil grin and vanished, only to appear three miles away to the north. This was travelling in style.
************************
"~Oh no!!~" Sarah cried as the petrify spell started to evaporate off her arm. Taharka inspected her broken wrist as Sarah winced at the pain.
"~Hmm.. this is serious. I don't think a simple Cura or Curaga spell will cure this.~" Taharka said with a melancholy tone in her voice.
"~Is there anything you can do?!~" Sarah was becoming desperate.
"~Once we get to Terra I'll get Mikoto to inspect it.~" Taharka pushed Sarah into the portal, and followed her through until the blue light of Terra enveloped them. Sarah forgot her pain once she saw the beauty of the tall blue spires, and the sky, which was the deepest blue she had ever seen.
"~I-It's beautiful..~" Sarah gasped.
"~Yes.. I haven't been home in a while... I forgot how marvellous it looks on a day like this.~" Taharka looked fondly around them.
"~I haven't been home in a while either, Taharka..~" Both girls spun around to see the silver haired genome stand casually on the path to Bran Bal.
"~Kuja!!~" Both Taharka and Sarah said in unison.
"~Yes.. the one and only me.. I see you brought Iifa's so called 'only weakness' here, Taharka... how pathetically loyal of you..~" Kuja mocked.
"~My allegiance to Garland will always be strong, defect!!~" Taharka spat.
"~Hmm, touchy today, aren't we? So, Sarah.. how do you think Iifa would react when I hand him your head? Do you think he would like it on a silver platter?~"
"~Shut-up, you bastard!! When Iifa finds you he'll tear you limb from limb!!~" Sarah screamed.
"~Oh.. so sure? Do you think he'll be angry if I did this?~" Kuja raised his hand and threw a flare spell at Sarah and Taharka, throwing them forty feet backwards on the path. Sarah lifted her good hand and felt her chest. From what she could guess, he had broken two ribs and the rest of her left arm. Taharka hadn't broken anything, but seemed in severe shock all the same. They were both bleeding heavily.
"~Well, I don't see Iifa anywhere... He should be more careful with his toys, and he shouldn't leave them around for me to play with..~" Kuja smiled. Sarah swore he was insane.
"~Now I end this. The assimilation will be cancelled once Iifa looses track of you, Sarah, for he will search all of Gaia and Terra for you.~"
"~You are mad, Kuja!~" Taharka pulled herself up off the ground. "~Once Garland gets here you will die under his or Iifa's hand!!~"
"~I don't think so.~" Kuja smirked.
"~How did you know we were coming here?!~" Sarah barely managed to talk in her excruciating pain.
"~Oh... a little bird told me..~" Kuja put in finger to his cheek in thought. "~It's a shame.. because you and the little bird got on quite well!~" Kuja clicked his fingers, calling someone. Mariah stepped out from the side of the path with the look of guilt, and shame on her face.
Sarah's face turned into a scowl.
"~You traitor!!~"
Another cliffhanger?! I know, I love em. Next chapter... What the hell happened to everyone else?! By the way, I am now in the process of drawing my characters!! I'll tell you when I'm done drawing, so if anyone wants to see them (please?) just e-mail me. Thankyou!!