AN: ACK ACK ACK!!! i had a wave of inspiration and i HAD to write this chappie! of course, it doesn't exactly explain to the fullest all the ideas jumping around in my head, but it maybe the next chappie...well, i may not have time to write so much anymore 'cuz i got a job. yes, a slacker supreme got a job. oh well! posts may be a little spaced out, but the quality won't be spacy, i hope....READ AND REVIEW!!!
SA
Ch.15 Unlikely Savior
Yuna stared at the ceiling above her, eyes unfocused and seemingly somewhere else entirely. Rikku sat in a chair next to her cousin's bed while the others moved the Bevelle survivors out of the airship. They had landed in Luca, one of the last remaining strongholds against the tide of chaos. Deeming it safe, Paine had instructed all the non-Gullwings or world leaders to leave quickly. Rikku was worriedly watching Yuna as she stared mindlessly at the ceiling. Her green and blue eyes were so different, so hostile when they looked at you. The blonde Al Bhed had thought Yuna would be the last person to go crazy in this situation. But, then again, Rikku didn't really know the feeling of watching the man you love being snatched aaway from you twice. Rikku could only sit there and wipe away her own tears, hoping to whatever powers-that-be that Yunie would come back to her okay; that Yunie's MIND would come back, that is.
Within the insanity gripped mind, Yuna was playing the scenes in which Tidus disappeared, both of them, over and over again. Each time Tidus disappeared, she slipped further into the dark fog that was consuming her mind. She had no clue what was going on around her or even if anything WAS around her. Her only concern was staring at the images of Tidus in her mind. Every once and a while, something would be wrong with one of the moments within her memories. Auron would be standing next to Tidus on Cid's airship right before the blonde dream took off running into oblivion. Auron was standing behind Tidus with his hand on the boy's shoulder, smirking, as the pyreflies consumed his form. The teeny things that were off about the images were starting to anger Yuna, even in her insane state. She knew when something wasn't right despite the fact that any time she spoke it was of the dead people taking over the world.
Suddenly, as her anger slipped through her mind, overtaking the images of Tidus and making its own place, every memory her mind could recall rushed into her thoughts. The day her father left for his pilgrimage, the day she took up summoning in Besaid, the day she fell down the steps of the temple chasing Wakka, the day she became a Summoner, the night she had her first conversation and much, much more. Anything and everything that happened on her pilgrimage flashed across her mind's eye in rapid succession. Glimpses of Seymour in his various stages of insanity, each one of her guardians in agony at the thought of losing her, Tidus in the glowing blue light of the Sphere Spring in Macalania the night they finally kissed. This image threw her mind into spasms and she sat up in her bed, a scream tearing out of her.
Rikku jumped out of the chair she was sitting in and leapt onto Yuna's writhing body. She had been trying to tear her hair out or smash her head; either way, Rikku stopped her with her petite form. "Yunie! YUNIE! What is it? What's wrong? Please tell me..." She sobbed into Yuna's suddenly still shoulder. "Please." Rikku whispered, shaking with her tears. Yuna's crazy eyes looked down on her with what could've been recognition. She seemed to be fighting the fog that had gripped her mind and driven her insane. Just as she was about to make a revelation, Brother's voice boomed over the PA system. "Rikku! Get down here, on the double! We need you on the bridge, pronto!" Yuna slumped slightly, her head lolling to the side and her eyes closing again. Rikku stood and wiped her tears off her cheeks. She stood there and stared at her beloved cousin for a minute before hurrying off to do Brother's bidding.
Yuna's mind immediately filled with the loud memories of all the people she had helped over the years. Facing of people desperate for her assistance or merely needing her to wipe out a few pesky fiends for them. Children, senior citizens, grown men and women; thousands of faces she had seen and all these people she had met in her time as a Summoner and as a sphere hunter. So many voices. It was getting loud in her head. She couldn't hear him anymore, the whistle that was Tidus. She couldn't hear it anymore. Where was he? Why wasn't he there with her, protecting her from her insanity? Where was he? Just as the crescendo of panic reached its peak, a voice spoke to Yuna through her mind. It wasn't a voice she had ever heard before, but it was soothing nonetheless. It was speaking and it sounded faraway; Yuna wished her other thoughts would shut up so she could hear the new voice. Suddenly, as if by her own power, all the memories roaring in her head stopped. Dead silence fell around her thoughts and all that could be heard was the new voice. Now Yuna could make out what it was saying.
"Child of light, follow me to the land of sands. I will grant you the power you need to reclaim your dream. Child of hope, follow me to the exiled island and I shall give you the thing you need to bring this dying world salvation." The soothing voice was obviously male and sounded somewhat familiar to Yuna. As the man spoke, her mind cleared of the insanity fog that had fallen, dulling her thoughts and making her crazy. Clarity seized her mind and she realized what the man was telling her to do. Go to Bikanel Island and find him so she could get the power she needed to find Tidus AND save the world. She wasn't quite sure how the two tied together yet, but she was filled with hope suddenly. "Where in Bikanel?" She asked the voice. A moment of silence followed in which Yuna could swear she heard the voice humming a song she hadn't heard since her pilgrimage. "You will hear my song and find the place of worship where I reside. I have no time left to speak with you; hurry!" Yuna sat up in bed again, a little surprised at the panic in the calm voice's last statement.
Standing up and shaking off the last effects of a Stop spell, she hurried to the lift. Her mind was filled with the one hope that she had to cling to. Some mysterious power was calling her to Bikanel and she wasn't going to ignore it. It promised her salvation and she wasn't about to refuse this. A fleeting image of Tidus as she had last seen him made her stop mid-step to the lift. 'Tidus...' She thought, putting her hand over her heart as if that was going to stop it from pounding like it was. Like that was going to stop the pain that was ripping through it. Taking a deep breath and pushing aside the tears welling up in her eyes, Yuna took a few confident strides onto the lift and pressed the button to go to the bridge.
Rikku, who had just been spoken to by an odd voice in her head, was standing near the computer Kuron used on the ship. She was gripping his shoulder for support; what was that creepy guy trying to tell her to do? Go to Bikanel? Why? To save the dream and the world? She felt Kuron's hand on hers and she shook herself out of her thoughts. Her eyes found his and she felt a jolt of joy. He looked so concerned about her, like she was the only thing he cared about. Smiling a little, Rikku leaned down and kissed him gently, to reassure him that she was fine. He lifted an eyebrow, but didn't complain about the way she showed her normality. Paine walked over to where the blonde girl was just standing back up. Her eyes held a furious question and she pulled Rikku over to the side of the bridge, away from the murmuring crowd. "Rikku, I just heard a voice in my head. It told me to go to Bikanel so it could grant me with powers. I-" "You too? That just happened to me!" Rikku whispered back with the same urgency. Paine nodded as if she suspected that much. "What should we do about it? People aren't going to exactly jump at the voices in our heads as authority figures."
Rikku was about to say something when a voice she didn't expect to hear rang across the bridge with a reassuring authority and calmness. "Brother, set a course for Bikanel Island! We have an appointment there we have to make it to. Let's go Gullwings!" Rikku and Paine ran over to Yuna where she stood, pointing out of the Celsius and onto Bikanel. 'Yunie!" "Yuna!" They cried at the same time, both smothering her in a bear hug. A slight chuckle rose in the bridge. "Are you sure you're ok? I mean, is everything better now?" Yuna smiled down at her blonde cousin gently and nodded. "I'm fine. I just needed time to sort through some thoughts, is all." Paine regained her composure and fixed Yuna with a piercing look. "So you heard the voice, too?" Yuna nodded, her eyes getting distant as she thought of the voice. 'I trust it. I think we should go and see what it means by 'power'." With that and a reassuring smile, Yuna hurried down to speak with the world leaders and Brother about the plan. Rikku and Paine stood there and watched her with awe written on their faces.
No one thought to question Yuna, especially when she was backed up by an adamant Paine and a slightly less enthused Rikku. The YRP trinity was back in action and the Celsius was on its way to Bikanel Island to see what the mysterious voice had to offer. Yuna stood waiting on the deck, wringing her hands nervously and pacing. Rikku and Paine watched, a little confused and thrown off by this. An hour ago, the former high summoner had been 100% sure about this voice. Now it seemed like she wasn't quite so sure anymore. Just as the sands of the desert isle slipped into view, Yuna spun around. A question formed on her lips that remained unspoken because Paine shouted loudly all of the sudden. "Yuna! Don't even say it! I know exactly what you're thinking and we can't think anything like that right now. You know we have to trust ourselves even if that means trusting some freaky voice." The usually quiet, stern warrior glanced back at Rikku who nodded, stepping up to Yuna. "Yunie, this may be our only hope to get Tidus back and stop all this crazy business around Spira." The spunky blonde paused for a second, thought, and then a smirk climbed onto her lips. 'And besided, what do we have to lose? Its not like we have much left around here to destroy." Rikku indicated the desolate desert they were landing on and the sarcasm in her words echoed Lulu.
Yuna smiled, a confident look crossing her face. "You guys are right. What's the point in worrying? Let's just go!" Trading mischievious glances, the three girls leapt off the still landing Celsius. Their laughter echoed onto the deck and off into the desert. As Yuna stood and brushed some sand off her shorts, she heard Gankee call down to them. "Where do you think you're going, ladies?" All three girls looked up to see Gankee, Kuron, and Kimahri standing above them. Yuna was about to call out to them, telling them to come along when a sudden urge to go it alone took her over. Rikku and Paine seemed to share her sentiments when they both waved and took off running into the dunes. Yuna shrugged up at the boys and followed her two friends, trying not to think about how silly this whole venture seemed.
Kuron sighed heavily as he watched Rikku and the others run away. Gankee crossed his arms and sighed as well. Kimahri grunted, a smile on his cat-like features. Kuron caught this and gaped at the Ronso Elder. "How can you be smiling at a time like this? We've got less than a week to figure out how to save Spira and our three best chances of doing that are running off to who-knows-where right now! Its not funny!" Gankee placed a sobering hand on his brother's shoulder and shook his head. Kimahri turned to go back into the ship, tossing a vague comment over his shoulder. "They are strong. They know what they are doing. Eventhough Yuna is sad and worried about Tidus, she still goes on. Trust in that strength." Then the big blue beast was gone onto the lift, whooshing off to the bridge. Kuron was about to start yelling about the philosophies of animals when Gankee started to speak.
"I'm worried, Kuron. Worried about father." Kuron choked on his rant and stared at his twin for a moment. He felt the emotions he had been quelling rise up into his throat suddenly. "Yeah, I am too." He whispered, sitting on the deck surface with a thud. Gankee sat beside him and lazily traced some of the painted-on lines that made up the intricate pattern on the surface. Kuron gazed out at the desert thoughtfully for a moment before speaking again. "Do ya think he'll come back? Or do ya think he's-" "No! I'm sure he's coming back. I'm sure..." Gankee trailed off and joined Kuron study of the horizon. Their only true hope lay in the three girls rushing off into the desert, following the advice of a vaguely familiar voice. This seemed to trouble both of them greatly.
Yuna, Rikku, and Paine stood in the middle of sandstorm, desperately trying to continue moving. After sprinting away from the ship, they remembered that they had no clue where they were going. Before any of them could panic or even think about turning back, a shockingly famliar voice singing a horribly familiar song filled their minds. Upon hearing the song she never thought she'd ever hear again, Yuna silenced her laughter, her words, even her thoughts and strode on purposefully. The Hymn of the Fayth strummed in her head and heart like a bittersweet fanfare. She knew the voice was leading her to where she needed to go. Her feet were doing the voice's bidding now. Rikku and Paine seemed to be in the same boat as Yuna because they walked in step with her, never speaking. Now, though, they were fighting the sandstorm valiantly, their eyes burning, their breath labored. They didn't know where they were or even what direction they were facing. They were utterly lost and yet, not. Suddenly, Rikku fell to the ground, screaming something about giving up. Paine and Yuna yanked her back up onto her feet and they continued on. This was no time for weakness, they seemed to know this.
After what seemed like too long, the sandstorm died down. When the girls had managed to rub all of the sand out of their eyes, they were floored by what they saw. A ruined building that looked like it belonged in Zanarkand sat sticking out of the sand at an awkard angle. It was obviously recently uncovered by the sandstorm, sand still pouring out of empty windows and doorless doorways. "What is this?" Rikku muttered, confused as to why this ruin hadn't been discovered before now. Paine stared at the building in awe, speechless. Yuna stepped forward and almost collapsed when she saw a familiar face within a glassless window in the ruin. "Yunie?" Rikku cried, grabbing Yuna's shoulder as the girl shivered slightly. "What is it? What did you see?" Paine asked, glancing where Yuna was staring. "You didn't see her?" Yuna gasped, pointing at the building with a shaky hand. They both shook their heads. Before any of them could speak another word, the Hymn intensified in their minds and they began walking again.
When the three girls had reached in innermost chamber of the building, the singing stopped. It was black as night inside that room and none of them knew what to do next. It seemed liked this had been some crazy goose chase after all. Paine was about to suggest that they leave when the voice they had all heard in their heads spoke again. "Wait. Please don't leave yet." The Gullwings girls flinched as a light flooded the room, illuminating their speaker. Rikku gasped, Paine shook her head, and Yuna made a choked noise in her throat. The voice that had summoned them there was one of the last people any of them would've suspected. Yuna mentally chided herself for not recognizing the voice earlier. Her mismatched eyes filled with tears at the sight of him. She took a few steps forward and whispered a single word. "Daddy...?"
AN: WHOA!!!! BRASKA??? what does everyone think of that little twist? huh huh HUH? it was originally going to be Lenne summoning them, then Seymour, then Yuna's mom, and then i finally settled on Braska. his story was easier to explain in my head. anyhoo, i need a little input here because although i have an IDEA of where i want the story to go, i don't REALLY know how i want it to get there. so, here's a question for all you readers to answer in a review: would you like to see the return of all the aeons? if yes, would you be willing to accept a whole new generation of fayths? PLEASE REVIEW AND ANSWER THIS! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!!!!
SA
SA
Ch.15 Unlikely Savior
Yuna stared at the ceiling above her, eyes unfocused and seemingly somewhere else entirely. Rikku sat in a chair next to her cousin's bed while the others moved the Bevelle survivors out of the airship. They had landed in Luca, one of the last remaining strongholds against the tide of chaos. Deeming it safe, Paine had instructed all the non-Gullwings or world leaders to leave quickly. Rikku was worriedly watching Yuna as she stared mindlessly at the ceiling. Her green and blue eyes were so different, so hostile when they looked at you. The blonde Al Bhed had thought Yuna would be the last person to go crazy in this situation. But, then again, Rikku didn't really know the feeling of watching the man you love being snatched aaway from you twice. Rikku could only sit there and wipe away her own tears, hoping to whatever powers-that-be that Yunie would come back to her okay; that Yunie's MIND would come back, that is.
Within the insanity gripped mind, Yuna was playing the scenes in which Tidus disappeared, both of them, over and over again. Each time Tidus disappeared, she slipped further into the dark fog that was consuming her mind. She had no clue what was going on around her or even if anything WAS around her. Her only concern was staring at the images of Tidus in her mind. Every once and a while, something would be wrong with one of the moments within her memories. Auron would be standing next to Tidus on Cid's airship right before the blonde dream took off running into oblivion. Auron was standing behind Tidus with his hand on the boy's shoulder, smirking, as the pyreflies consumed his form. The teeny things that were off about the images were starting to anger Yuna, even in her insane state. She knew when something wasn't right despite the fact that any time she spoke it was of the dead people taking over the world.
Suddenly, as her anger slipped through her mind, overtaking the images of Tidus and making its own place, every memory her mind could recall rushed into her thoughts. The day her father left for his pilgrimage, the day she took up summoning in Besaid, the day she fell down the steps of the temple chasing Wakka, the day she became a Summoner, the night she had her first conversation and much, much more. Anything and everything that happened on her pilgrimage flashed across her mind's eye in rapid succession. Glimpses of Seymour in his various stages of insanity, each one of her guardians in agony at the thought of losing her, Tidus in the glowing blue light of the Sphere Spring in Macalania the night they finally kissed. This image threw her mind into spasms and she sat up in her bed, a scream tearing out of her.
Rikku jumped out of the chair she was sitting in and leapt onto Yuna's writhing body. She had been trying to tear her hair out or smash her head; either way, Rikku stopped her with her petite form. "Yunie! YUNIE! What is it? What's wrong? Please tell me..." She sobbed into Yuna's suddenly still shoulder. "Please." Rikku whispered, shaking with her tears. Yuna's crazy eyes looked down on her with what could've been recognition. She seemed to be fighting the fog that had gripped her mind and driven her insane. Just as she was about to make a revelation, Brother's voice boomed over the PA system. "Rikku! Get down here, on the double! We need you on the bridge, pronto!" Yuna slumped slightly, her head lolling to the side and her eyes closing again. Rikku stood and wiped her tears off her cheeks. She stood there and stared at her beloved cousin for a minute before hurrying off to do Brother's bidding.
Yuna's mind immediately filled with the loud memories of all the people she had helped over the years. Facing of people desperate for her assistance or merely needing her to wipe out a few pesky fiends for them. Children, senior citizens, grown men and women; thousands of faces she had seen and all these people she had met in her time as a Summoner and as a sphere hunter. So many voices. It was getting loud in her head. She couldn't hear him anymore, the whistle that was Tidus. She couldn't hear it anymore. Where was he? Why wasn't he there with her, protecting her from her insanity? Where was he? Just as the crescendo of panic reached its peak, a voice spoke to Yuna through her mind. It wasn't a voice she had ever heard before, but it was soothing nonetheless. It was speaking and it sounded faraway; Yuna wished her other thoughts would shut up so she could hear the new voice. Suddenly, as if by her own power, all the memories roaring in her head stopped. Dead silence fell around her thoughts and all that could be heard was the new voice. Now Yuna could make out what it was saying.
"Child of light, follow me to the land of sands. I will grant you the power you need to reclaim your dream. Child of hope, follow me to the exiled island and I shall give you the thing you need to bring this dying world salvation." The soothing voice was obviously male and sounded somewhat familiar to Yuna. As the man spoke, her mind cleared of the insanity fog that had fallen, dulling her thoughts and making her crazy. Clarity seized her mind and she realized what the man was telling her to do. Go to Bikanel Island and find him so she could get the power she needed to find Tidus AND save the world. She wasn't quite sure how the two tied together yet, but she was filled with hope suddenly. "Where in Bikanel?" She asked the voice. A moment of silence followed in which Yuna could swear she heard the voice humming a song she hadn't heard since her pilgrimage. "You will hear my song and find the place of worship where I reside. I have no time left to speak with you; hurry!" Yuna sat up in bed again, a little surprised at the panic in the calm voice's last statement.
Standing up and shaking off the last effects of a Stop spell, she hurried to the lift. Her mind was filled with the one hope that she had to cling to. Some mysterious power was calling her to Bikanel and she wasn't going to ignore it. It promised her salvation and she wasn't about to refuse this. A fleeting image of Tidus as she had last seen him made her stop mid-step to the lift. 'Tidus...' She thought, putting her hand over her heart as if that was going to stop it from pounding like it was. Like that was going to stop the pain that was ripping through it. Taking a deep breath and pushing aside the tears welling up in her eyes, Yuna took a few confident strides onto the lift and pressed the button to go to the bridge.
Rikku, who had just been spoken to by an odd voice in her head, was standing near the computer Kuron used on the ship. She was gripping his shoulder for support; what was that creepy guy trying to tell her to do? Go to Bikanel? Why? To save the dream and the world? She felt Kuron's hand on hers and she shook herself out of her thoughts. Her eyes found his and she felt a jolt of joy. He looked so concerned about her, like she was the only thing he cared about. Smiling a little, Rikku leaned down and kissed him gently, to reassure him that she was fine. He lifted an eyebrow, but didn't complain about the way she showed her normality. Paine walked over to where the blonde girl was just standing back up. Her eyes held a furious question and she pulled Rikku over to the side of the bridge, away from the murmuring crowd. "Rikku, I just heard a voice in my head. It told me to go to Bikanel so it could grant me with powers. I-" "You too? That just happened to me!" Rikku whispered back with the same urgency. Paine nodded as if she suspected that much. "What should we do about it? People aren't going to exactly jump at the voices in our heads as authority figures."
Rikku was about to say something when a voice she didn't expect to hear rang across the bridge with a reassuring authority and calmness. "Brother, set a course for Bikanel Island! We have an appointment there we have to make it to. Let's go Gullwings!" Rikku and Paine ran over to Yuna where she stood, pointing out of the Celsius and onto Bikanel. 'Yunie!" "Yuna!" They cried at the same time, both smothering her in a bear hug. A slight chuckle rose in the bridge. "Are you sure you're ok? I mean, is everything better now?" Yuna smiled down at her blonde cousin gently and nodded. "I'm fine. I just needed time to sort through some thoughts, is all." Paine regained her composure and fixed Yuna with a piercing look. "So you heard the voice, too?" Yuna nodded, her eyes getting distant as she thought of the voice. 'I trust it. I think we should go and see what it means by 'power'." With that and a reassuring smile, Yuna hurried down to speak with the world leaders and Brother about the plan. Rikku and Paine stood there and watched her with awe written on their faces.
No one thought to question Yuna, especially when she was backed up by an adamant Paine and a slightly less enthused Rikku. The YRP trinity was back in action and the Celsius was on its way to Bikanel Island to see what the mysterious voice had to offer. Yuna stood waiting on the deck, wringing her hands nervously and pacing. Rikku and Paine watched, a little confused and thrown off by this. An hour ago, the former high summoner had been 100% sure about this voice. Now it seemed like she wasn't quite so sure anymore. Just as the sands of the desert isle slipped into view, Yuna spun around. A question formed on her lips that remained unspoken because Paine shouted loudly all of the sudden. "Yuna! Don't even say it! I know exactly what you're thinking and we can't think anything like that right now. You know we have to trust ourselves even if that means trusting some freaky voice." The usually quiet, stern warrior glanced back at Rikku who nodded, stepping up to Yuna. "Yunie, this may be our only hope to get Tidus back and stop all this crazy business around Spira." The spunky blonde paused for a second, thought, and then a smirk climbed onto her lips. 'And besided, what do we have to lose? Its not like we have much left around here to destroy." Rikku indicated the desolate desert they were landing on and the sarcasm in her words echoed Lulu.
Yuna smiled, a confident look crossing her face. "You guys are right. What's the point in worrying? Let's just go!" Trading mischievious glances, the three girls leapt off the still landing Celsius. Their laughter echoed onto the deck and off into the desert. As Yuna stood and brushed some sand off her shorts, she heard Gankee call down to them. "Where do you think you're going, ladies?" All three girls looked up to see Gankee, Kuron, and Kimahri standing above them. Yuna was about to call out to them, telling them to come along when a sudden urge to go it alone took her over. Rikku and Paine seemed to share her sentiments when they both waved and took off running into the dunes. Yuna shrugged up at the boys and followed her two friends, trying not to think about how silly this whole venture seemed.
Kuron sighed heavily as he watched Rikku and the others run away. Gankee crossed his arms and sighed as well. Kimahri grunted, a smile on his cat-like features. Kuron caught this and gaped at the Ronso Elder. "How can you be smiling at a time like this? We've got less than a week to figure out how to save Spira and our three best chances of doing that are running off to who-knows-where right now! Its not funny!" Gankee placed a sobering hand on his brother's shoulder and shook his head. Kimahri turned to go back into the ship, tossing a vague comment over his shoulder. "They are strong. They know what they are doing. Eventhough Yuna is sad and worried about Tidus, she still goes on. Trust in that strength." Then the big blue beast was gone onto the lift, whooshing off to the bridge. Kuron was about to start yelling about the philosophies of animals when Gankee started to speak.
"I'm worried, Kuron. Worried about father." Kuron choked on his rant and stared at his twin for a moment. He felt the emotions he had been quelling rise up into his throat suddenly. "Yeah, I am too." He whispered, sitting on the deck surface with a thud. Gankee sat beside him and lazily traced some of the painted-on lines that made up the intricate pattern on the surface. Kuron gazed out at the desert thoughtfully for a moment before speaking again. "Do ya think he'll come back? Or do ya think he's-" "No! I'm sure he's coming back. I'm sure..." Gankee trailed off and joined Kuron study of the horizon. Their only true hope lay in the three girls rushing off into the desert, following the advice of a vaguely familiar voice. This seemed to trouble both of them greatly.
Yuna, Rikku, and Paine stood in the middle of sandstorm, desperately trying to continue moving. After sprinting away from the ship, they remembered that they had no clue where they were going. Before any of them could panic or even think about turning back, a shockingly famliar voice singing a horribly familiar song filled their minds. Upon hearing the song she never thought she'd ever hear again, Yuna silenced her laughter, her words, even her thoughts and strode on purposefully. The Hymn of the Fayth strummed in her head and heart like a bittersweet fanfare. She knew the voice was leading her to where she needed to go. Her feet were doing the voice's bidding now. Rikku and Paine seemed to be in the same boat as Yuna because they walked in step with her, never speaking. Now, though, they were fighting the sandstorm valiantly, their eyes burning, their breath labored. They didn't know where they were or even what direction they were facing. They were utterly lost and yet, not. Suddenly, Rikku fell to the ground, screaming something about giving up. Paine and Yuna yanked her back up onto her feet and they continued on. This was no time for weakness, they seemed to know this.
After what seemed like too long, the sandstorm died down. When the girls had managed to rub all of the sand out of their eyes, they were floored by what they saw. A ruined building that looked like it belonged in Zanarkand sat sticking out of the sand at an awkard angle. It was obviously recently uncovered by the sandstorm, sand still pouring out of empty windows and doorless doorways. "What is this?" Rikku muttered, confused as to why this ruin hadn't been discovered before now. Paine stared at the building in awe, speechless. Yuna stepped forward and almost collapsed when she saw a familiar face within a glassless window in the ruin. "Yunie?" Rikku cried, grabbing Yuna's shoulder as the girl shivered slightly. "What is it? What did you see?" Paine asked, glancing where Yuna was staring. "You didn't see her?" Yuna gasped, pointing at the building with a shaky hand. They both shook their heads. Before any of them could speak another word, the Hymn intensified in their minds and they began walking again.
When the three girls had reached in innermost chamber of the building, the singing stopped. It was black as night inside that room and none of them knew what to do next. It seemed liked this had been some crazy goose chase after all. Paine was about to suggest that they leave when the voice they had all heard in their heads spoke again. "Wait. Please don't leave yet." The Gullwings girls flinched as a light flooded the room, illuminating their speaker. Rikku gasped, Paine shook her head, and Yuna made a choked noise in her throat. The voice that had summoned them there was one of the last people any of them would've suspected. Yuna mentally chided herself for not recognizing the voice earlier. Her mismatched eyes filled with tears at the sight of him. She took a few steps forward and whispered a single word. "Daddy...?"
AN: WHOA!!!! BRASKA??? what does everyone think of that little twist? huh huh HUH? it was originally going to be Lenne summoning them, then Seymour, then Yuna's mom, and then i finally settled on Braska. his story was easier to explain in my head. anyhoo, i need a little input here because although i have an IDEA of where i want the story to go, i don't REALLY know how i want it to get there. so, here's a question for all you readers to answer in a review: would you like to see the return of all the aeons? if yes, would you be willing to accept a whole new generation of fayths? PLEASE REVIEW AND ANSWER THIS! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!!!!
SA