Hey! It totally blew my mind about Marnela being dead at the end of the game; I couldn't remember it when I was writing the last few segments... Well anyways, I DO NOT OWN SQUARE ENIX OR FINAL FANTASY X-2!!!!!!! Now that that's taken care of, on with the story, eh?
====*====
"I'm going to die," Rikku moaned, the sun beating down upon her miniscule body. Logos was slumped over in heat and exhaustion, and hadn't said a word for quite some time. "There is no way Gippal could've gotten out this far into the desert by himself."
Sweat dripped down Rikku's radiating face as she fell to her knees, collapsing upon the hot sands. It mattered not to her anymore; all she wanted was to sleep... She heard Logos groan as he collapsed behind her, and she lay in the sand dreaming and awaiting a scorching end.
She opened her eyes. She was floating in the clouds! She gasped. Was this a dream? Could it be a dream? She flew around, eyes filled with wonder and amazement. Suddenly she saw Gippal. She flew over to him. He seemed to be suspended in midair.
She couldn't resist the urge to kiss him, and so she planted a peck upon his cheek. Suddenly the clouds faded into a hot desert sky and the world below her became the scorching dunes. Then she noticed that someone was carrying her.
"Well, that was a little out of the blue," Gippal said with a hearty chuckle. Rikku's face flared up with embarrassment. "I've never had someone kiss me when they're unconscious before."
"What?" Rikku asked, putting
on the innocence. Gippal merely grinned and laughed again. "I kissed you?"
"Yes, Rikku, you did," Gippal said. Rikku's face, still beet red, and did not falter its color. She was doing a very bad job at looking innocent.
"Oh..." was all she could mutter before she had to concentrate to resist the urge to smack herself. Gippal was carrying her in his arms, and she couldn't move her feet and her arms were achy. Then she finally got the guts to say something again. "Uh... Cunno?" she said.
"Hu ybumuko haatat (No apology needed)," Gippal replied. This only caused Rikku to blush harder. She looked down to the ground, and suddenly noticed something.
"Where's Logos?" she asked, relieved to change the subject. Gippal let out a loud laugh, and motioned for Rikku to look behind. She did, and she couldn't resist laughing.
A small band of Cactuars was supporting Logos from underneath, taking him gingerly across the sands like a crab. Logos was obviously still unconscious, and the Cactuars obviously quite annoyed to be stuck with such a job.
"Cactuars?" she asked, and Gippal nodded.
"They are some of the best workers, oddly enough. They can survive the heat well and have more strength than you can probably imagine," Gippal replied. Rikku nodded.
"How long did it take to find us?" Rikku inquired. Gippal looked down at a small watch on his wrist, and then turned back to his former girlfriend.
"About half an hour or so. Nhadala radioed me and told me that you were coming. When fifteen minutes had past from when she thought you'd arrive I got a little worried, so I set out looking for you. Looks like Cid's daughter forgot to bring some water bottles."
"Ah, Gippal, don't be mean," Rikku said with a smile. "Nhadala didn't tell us how long the trip would be."
"Don't worry. There is plenty of water at the camp. But I need you two to come see something I discovered earlier today," Gippal said. Rikku nodded, and suddenly she felt peaceful... and happy.
====*====
"Wow," Yuna said as Zanarkand loomed into the horizon. She sensed hostility, and could easily see it. Fiends leapt from towers and destroyed buildings, attacking each other and destroying the ruins. She could barely see the outline of a monkey which unfortunately was knocked out of view by an angry Behemoth, which frightened the former summoner.
"What the hell..." was all Tidus could say. He felt a strange sort of judicious rage spark within him, a feeling that made him want to pick up a stone and hurl it at the rampaging fiends. They were destroying the last remains of Spira's past...
"This worse than Kimahri thought," Kimahri said sadly. The Ronso Elder had proposed to tag along with the team when they had regrouped at Gagazet. Isaaru had decided to help them as well. He held his Spiritual Lance proudly, shimmering lightly. He had polished it with hot spring water to take off the marks the Flare attack of the Wintros.
Meow had somehow found her way into Isaaru's arms, and the guardian was petting her soothingly. He gazed into the horrific sight that was Zanarkand. "I have failed..." he murmured under his breath. Meow's eyes widened at this comment and she turned to him, eyes meaningful.
"What are we going to do?" Yuna asked. No one answered for at least another minute.
"Purge," Kimahri said. Yuna, Tidus, and Isaaru turned to him, eyebrows raised.
"You really think we should try to clear out all those fiends? It'll be risky business," Tidus said. "Not to mention we'll probably get killed halfway through there."
Yuna turned to him for a moment, and then looked down to her white boots. "It's certainly heroic, but it might turn out to be foolish. We need to see how strong the fiends are."
"No need," Isaaru said. "I was only able to kill one in a party of three before almost getting drowned. I had to flee at that point."
Yuna's eyes widened. "I don't know..." she murmured.
"Isaaru is one. We are four," Kimahri said. Meow gave him a nasty glare. "We are five," he said, correcting himself.
"You're right... I'm sure together we'd get far, but I certainly don't think we'll get to the end," Isaaru said doubtfully, looking down.
"We have to make a decision," Yuna said. "Either we turn back now or go on through."
No one said anything for what seemed like an eternity. "I say we go through," Tidus said finally.
"Kimahri agrees," Kimahri said. Meow let the party know her decision by meowing loudly and nodding her head.
"What about you, Isaaru?" Yuna asked. The edgy protector turned to her.
"It is my duty," he said slowly, then turned back to Zanarkand. "I swore to protect the spirits of those long gone. It's my turn to protect Zanarkand now that its true protectors are gone."
Yuna nodded. "Let's go," she said, and the party headed to the entrance, full of fear and eyes full of excitement.
====*====
"I'm scared!" Ormi blabbered out, nearly in tears. Maroda rolled his eyes.
"Calm down. It's just a lift," he said as the lift reached the bottom floor. "Maroda and Ormi, reporting in."
"We're in the turbine," said a fuzzy voice, and Maroda figured it was the praetor. But then again, he could never be sure.
"Okay. We'll set up the post in the Chamber of the Fayth. You guys continue looking for... whatever that thing is," he said shakily. The walkie-talkie turned off.
"Come on, you fat lug,"
Maroda said to a shivering Ormi. Ormi turned to him, his eyes slits. "We're
making an outpost that requires no scary machinery."
Ormi continued walking with Maroda, who stopped in the Chamber of the Fayth. "Okay. You set up a watch post. I'll keep constant surveillance on the hole," Maroda said.
Ormi nodded edgily, and the two began to watch for any signs of movement. This was going to be a long, long ordeal.
====*====
Paine, dressed in her Samurai's uniform, let out a short sigh as she snapped her fingers. The magical fiend before her lost its boost of magic power, and Baralai dispatched it with a swift swipe of his razor-ended staff.
"This is getting us nowhere. The farther we go in, the farther it'll take to get out," Paine said. "Face it, Baralai. We're stuck on this stupid turbine."
"Okay, I will," the praetor said. "But I know that something's here."
"Like what?" Paine asked. She
looked into the eyes of her friend. "Is it hostile?"
"Yes, very much so," Baralai calmly replied. Suddenly his eyes widened. "Was that sphere here before?"
Paine looked at a small white sphere glowing on the wall. "No," she said, shocked. Baralai walked up and touched it.
"That didn't do anything," he said flatly just as the turbine shook, descending rapidly into the ground. Paine shouted out in shock, lost her footing in the rapid speed, and felt herself plummet off the mechanical ledge she had based herself on.
The darkness was shooting around the turbine now as it bored into the ground, and she grabbed the edge as she began to descend. She was holding on with one hand. "Baralai!" she shouted. "Help!"
"What happened?" Baralai asked, his tone grave. A small beam of light illuminated the situation for a split-second before throwing the two back into total darkness. He grabbed her hand and began to pull as she did.
The next few seconds were all pandemonium for him. The turbine hit solid earth, causing a seismic shock which caused him to drop Paine's left hand. She was hanging on by a thread now. Her fingers began to slip. "Not now..." he groaned, mustered all of his strength and heaved her onto the ledge just as the darkness began to subside. Only when the light filled the room again did he notice that Paine had collapsed on top of him.
Paine smiled in a strange way, and then kissed the praetor on the cheek before standing up. Baralai's eyes widened, but he did not say a word. He grabbed his staff and began to help Paine onto the ground, which seemed a thousand feet below.
Paine smiled victoriously to herself. Had she just done that? Yes, she had, but it was justified... Or was it? She didn't know, but she couldn't wipe the grin from her otherwise emotionless face. It might be a thousand feet back to the ground, but it mattered not to her.
====*====
"WOW!" Rikku shouted as Gippal led her into the chamber. Its walls, ceiling, and floor were covered in glistening gold. Runes and glyphs were etched into the thick gold and sparkling like diamonds. At the end was a small golden pedestal, elegantly carved. And atop the pedestal was a glistening tawny orb.
"I all ready viewed the sphere," Gippal said. "I want you to see it, too."
Rikku nodded, ran to the sphere, and raised it so she could see its contents. She peered in to see at least a hundred Cactuars draped across the sands, and immediately remembered the spheres that Nhadala had found.
Suddenly something loomed into view. She saw two skeletal limbs, and immediately knew what the fiend was. It was Angra Mainyu, terror of the sands. Suddenly an unfamiliar voice began to speak in the sphere.
"You see, Marnela, your people dying at my hands? Release your kind to me and I shall save them, and you will live under the One of Flame. If not, you can rot away in the desert," it said. There was no reply. "You see the One of Flame approaches now, Marnela. Once I whistle to it, and it knows I am here, you must make your decision. Live under the One of Flame with your kindred, or be scorched to death by sun and the might of Hell's fire."
There still was no reply. Angra Mainyu crossed the dunes in a ghastly way that made Rikku shiver. An emotionless face leered behind its dark partners, and she was immediately filled with a terror that she had never experienced before. Suddenly she heard a shrill whistle. She heard the squeak of Cactuars, a gasp from the voice, and a crystal begin to form around Angra Mainyu just as the sphere faded out.
"Darn! Just when it was getting good," Rikku said, trying to bring some comic relief into the situation. But she had no emotion in her voice.
"That was how the Cactuars sealed Angra Mainyu," Gippal explained.
"How do you know?" Rikku inquired.
"A friend told me," he replied flatly.
"A 'friend'?" she repeated. "What kind of friend?"
"A Cactuar, Rikku," Gippal said, and she was immediately relieved. The large doors into the chambers opened, illuminating the room. A small figure of a Cactuar appeared, then walked in and took a position next to Gippal. The Cactuar was noticeably different from its brethren, as Rikku could see that it was tiny.
"Rikku, meet my good friend Tihpi."
====*====
"What's the weather like down at the beach nowadays?" Lulu asked Wakka, tending to a gurgling Vidina. He was currently gripping Moogi so hard Lulu was afraid the Moogle's head was going to rip off.
"Oh, it's nice," Wakka replied. Lulu smiled.
"How are Leblanc and the meyvn?" she inquired. Wakka gave her a long look.
"Oh, they're fine," he said. "I haven't seen them in a while though. I heard they went to look for spheres or something."
"Spheres? Hunters these days, can't even take a break for a honeymoon," Lulu said, shaking her head. Vidina giggled, squeezing Moogi tighter.
"Things have been pretty peaceful ever since that attack on the beach," Wakka said. Lulu nodded. "You'd think they'd wanna stay put, ya?"
"It would appear not," Lulu said, and then walked outside. She saw thick dark clouds on the horizon as Wakka joined her side.
"It's going to rain," Wakka said flatly. Lulu turned to look at her husband, Vidina now sleeping while squeezing Moogi. A small drop of water landed on Lulu's face as she leaned over and kissed her husband on the neck. Wakka smiled.
====*====
"Finally, we're here," Tidus said, exasperated. They had reached the entrance to the stadium. Sweat was streaming down everyone's faces except for Meow's, who was now resting in Tidus's arms. Yuna stared ahead. She had long since withdrawn her hood. It was much too hot for that.
"I sense something hostile," Isaaru said. The two turned to look at the had-been summoner.
"What do you mean?" Yuna inquired.
"Spirits have returned," Kimahri said, shaking his head. "The dome now is unsafe. Fiends are everywhere."
"We've all ready established that," said a tired Tidus. Yuna smiled a bit, and then turned to him. The five walked up the pathway into the dome, and Yuna remembered how afraid she had felt entering it for the first time. She felt those exact same feelings.
The moment they entered the doors they shut and locked with an ominous boom. Yuna cringed and looked ahead. Spirits of people long since dead floated around, reliving memories trapped within the pyreflies which were swarming like flies to a carcass. In a way, that made sense.
Suddenly Yuna felt something she remembered from so long ago, and his face appeared in her head, eyes burning with chaotic delight. He smiled, and she felt fear rising in her heart.
"We have to get out!" she screamed just as he began to appear. She had summoned him with the pyreflies... Now he was coming back to life.
"Why hello, Lady Yuna," Seymour said, pyreflies floating around his body. "It appears that we meet again."
"Seymour?" shouted Tidus and Kimahri at once. The Maester took no notice. His eyes were fixated upon Yuna.
"Spira is a dark and confused world, trapped in an unending spiral of death," he explained. "I can't let you pass."
"Seymour, go away!" Yuna shouted. He did not notice this comment, either. Why had she summoned him? Oh no... Her thoughts would become reality in this dome.
"I can't do that. The fun has only just begun," he said with his horrible, unsent laugh. Yuna cringed and watched as pyreflies began to cluster and make her thoughts come to life. Braska, Jecht, and Auron appeared, talking to each other. Maester Mika appeared, waving to an invisible audience. She couldn't stop thinking about everything in her journey...
A large group of Crusaders and Al Bhed warriors appeared, readying battle cannons. Maester Kinoc began to dictate battle strategy to thin air. Swarms of Al Bheds from Home began to appear, as did a shrieking Evrae. Ronsos appeared by the dozen, to the amazement of Kimahri. Then all the commotion stopped as Yuna collapsed, one last thought escaping her mind.
She appeared, silver hair cascading behind her graceful frame. Her white robes were elegant upon her body as she floated in midair. Her hands were gloved in white, and six white, feathered wings outstretched from her back, glowing slightly with a ghastly blue hue. Her eyes were blood red. Her feet were dainty, outstretching from under her robes. She was different from her memory, but it was definitely her.
"Now that you've entered your own mind, how will you fare?" Lady Yunalesca asked. The Al Bheds and Crusaders began to disappear. Auron, Braska, and Jecht followed suit. All that was left were the three Maesters, the first summoner, and Evrae. "You might have summoned our memories, but we are far past anything you can imagine."
"Yuna!" Tidus shouted, helping the last summoner to her feet. "We have to fight!"