A/N: Sorry for the wait. It took me a while to decide what to do with this chapter. There are only three chapters left in this story!!

-Chapter Sixteen-
To Zanarkand

"Will you be all right?" Evan asked quietly.

Piper nodded, her fingers tracing the fiery design on the wall. The airship they were on - the Celsius - was quite low tech compared to even the simple Dandilily. This was because it was over twenty years old, of course. She had wandered from the ship's bridge, not interested in hearing more of the reminisce between Aeris, Yuna, and the others. And because she was furious with her parents.
You're not going back to Zanarkand! Zalèa's words screamed in her mind. The hour or so of arguing had mostly washed over her. All she could think of was the look on Charis' face when the seven daggers neared her. I'm going to die, aren't I?
She just had a gut feeling that something was going to go wrong, no matter how many times the adults assured her they wouldn't let anything happen. But she was worried; she had distanced herself so much from Charis, she was afraid to look at her. And she had grown so close to Evan, Nari, and Zalèa, she was afraid to leave them. "I don't understand why we have to do this."

"That makes two of us," he said. "It seems so risky, and Neal would come back eventually."

Piper nodded again. The adults had explained why they were going to Zanarkand, and they in turn told the adults what they knew about Neal. But Charis had kept silent the entire time. What does she know that we don't? "Yeah, maybe." They made it to the cabin, the eerie silence had washed over the two again.

"STOP!" shrieked Aeris.

Piper spun around, looking at the door to the cabin. "Did you hear that?" she whispered.

"Hear what?" Evan looked at her worriedly, "Hey, are you okay?"

"What's the point in living?!" Yuna screamed back. "I nearly killed them! What will stop me from finishing the job? Death! That's what!"

Whimpering quietly, Piper covered her ears, squeezing her eyes shut. "Make it stop..." she cried, falling to her knees. She was overwhelmed with emotions; they weren't hers, but they were powerful.

"No! Death will bring misery to everyone on Spira!" Aeris yelled.

"Piper, what's wrong? I don't hear anything," Evan knelt beside her, "What do you hear?"

"Shut up! You killed Sephiroth too. For all we know, it was you who forced him to do your dirty work. But I don't need to know!"

"Make it stop!" Piper shrieked, sobbing loudly.

"What's wrong?" Charis peered over the top of the cabin

"Let me out of here!"

Piper cringed. She could feel the smoke clogging her lungs... the flames licking her feet.

"You must stop! That's enough!"

"Go get help!" Evan yelled.

"This is where we sat that night, the seven of us."

"Okay!" Charis began to run down the stairs.

"Vegnagun will make that all go away."

"I'll never forgive Sephiroth."

"Listen to my story... This may be our last chance."

"Words left unspoken for a thousand years..."

"Hey, use that if we get separated. Then, I'll come running, okay?"

"I'm all right... I'm fine, really. It's passed now."

"Lady Yuna, are you going to bring us the Calm?"

"No, stop! Stay away from him, traitors!"

"It's okay. We all miss her. Even after five years, I can... I can still see her face as she floated down her grave."

"The people and the friends that we have lost... and the dreams that have faded... Never forget them."

"I love you."

The voices and emotions were beginning to blend together. Everything was passing by... It was so overwhelming. And she didn't even know most of these people. And then it stopped. Piper inhaled deeply, her breath clogged with tears. Looking up, she saw she was still in the Celsius' cabin. Sobbing, she clutched her knees to her chest, trying to regain her own mind. She had seen so much. Her mother, Yuna, and so many people... And their feelings. Happiness, sorrow, joy, regret, love, hate... it was more than she ever knew possible.

It will all be over soon... a raspy female voice echoed in her mind.

"Who's there?" Piper whispered.

"It's just me," Evan said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

The copper haired girl closed her eyes, calming down. "Yeah," she lied. I don't think I'll ever be okay. Not yet, anyway.

"We've arrived in Zanarkand!" a bouncy male's voice called over the intercom.

Great.

"Maybe nothing'll happen," Evan suggested. He was obviously trying to cheer her up, but he was failing.

Or maybe, it'll all go wrong. Those were definitely her thoughts. "Then we'll just go home."

"You don't really think they'll make you go back, do you?" he looked at her, a tithe of despair in his eyes.

Piper smiled a little, "I'll go down fighting." Now that Ahriana and Sephianna were gone, she felt a bit safer in Spira.

"Oh good," he grinned, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"Hey!" she protested. She crossed her arms, looking up at him. Piper felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. It wasn't like she hadn't had a boyfriend before, but this was Evan. He was Nari's brother, and Zalèa's good friend. Besides, she didn't know how long she could stay in Spira before her parents dragged her home screaming.

"Don't worry, I don't bite," Evan teased.

Shaking her head, Piper slipped out of his grip, skipping ahead of him. "Sorry Evan, but long-distance relationships never work out. Time or distance." She stepped through the door, not wanting to look back. That was cruel, one side of her mind yelled at the other.

"It's great to see you again Paine," smiled Aeris.

"It's great to see you again Paine," Piper mocked under her breath. Just seeing her parents made her grit her teeth.

The silver haired woman Piper had met a few days before returned the smile, "It's been too long, Aeris."

Piper stood on the small balcony, looking down at everyone. Apparently, Charis hadn't gotten their attention long enough to let them know she was experiencing... all of their feelings. Whatever she had experienced had put her in a miserable mood.

"Come on Piper," Cloud beckoned, "We want to do this quickly."

Sauntering down the steps, Piper followed the large group of people off the airship. Almost protectively, Evan, Nari, and Zalèa stood beside her, and she was thankful they were her friends. The group stood at the bottom of the summit, gaping at the swirling vortexes that were Fayth.

"I don't believe it. They really are back," Tidus said in awe, looking up.

"But why?" asked Yuna.

"Because of Jenova," Aeris said quietly. She walked toward the giant rock, which was more like a statue, and gasped. "Yuffie..."

"Where?" Rikku's bouncy voice cried out as she skipped toward Aeris. "Oh my gosh..."

The two women looked at a certain statue on the giant rock of Fayth.

"She became a Fayth a thousand years ago," Charis answered, her voice dark and monotone.

"How do you know?" a curious Gippal questioned.

"The time-key took both myself and Yuffie to the time of the Machina War. We watched Zanarkand crumble beneath Sin and became Fayth for the summoning."

"And you still walk Spira?" Yuna looked at Charis, wide-eyed. "I sent all the Fayth to the Farplane after Sin was defeated!"

Charis smirked, a cruel, dark look for the innocent girl. "Simple. I am unsent. I resisted easily. I am only half a Fayth, after all." She spread her arms, a greenish aura emitting from her hands. "There's so much, you all don't know."

"Charis, what's going on?" Aeris demanded.

"If I were you, Ancient, I'd worry more about your family than the Kisaragi girl," she spat. Her aura flared around both hands and the same colored aura began to glow around Cloud and Piper.

"What's happening?!" Cloud hollered. Bending over, almost in pain, he growled menacingly.

"Help!" Piper cried. She felt her entire body lift off the ground, and she had no control over it. "Mom!" She didn't care how upset she was with them. Something bad was happening to her, and she didn't want to let it happen.

"Piper!" Evan, Nari, and Zalèa cried out in unison. They all rushed toward her, but were blown back by a small green force field.
"What was that?" the Al Bhed girl rubbed her head.

"Come now, Piper," Charis cackled, the green aura flaring brighter and brighter until it was blinding.

When the light finally faded, Piper and Charis were gone. No where to be found.

A/N: Two reviews... Well I'm still going to keep writing because it would drive me nuts to stop after this. To Saikia: I don't have any reviewers to steal!! XD To Emmy: Hey I haven't talked to you in like... two or three days! O.O I hope his anti-fluff wasn't too bad but I had to do it.
Well there isn't much left to write, I might not make this a trilogy like I wanted because I don't have any reviewers.
Always - Letselina