Author's Note: I did this on the same day and might I add that this chapter contains my favorite part... just can't think clearly anymore. I have lots and lots of things to do but anyway... read and review this!!!
Chapter Eleven
Rally Point...
"Praetor Baralai! The Celsius is hailing us." Baralai looked over at the guy on the control panel. "What are they doing here?" Baralai immediately went towards the soldier's panel and accessed answered their hail. "What are you guys doing here!? You're putting yourselves in danger!" Another sermon from the oh-so-protective praetor of New Yevon, "Hold yourself up, Baralai..." Buddy answered with a smile. "We've got orders from Rikku to help out... I guess the old Gullwings itching for adventures is beginning to rub up on everybody in this airship..."
Baralai stopped and blinked in a very profound way at the Gullwings on screen view. "You can't stop us Baralai..." Yuna said; holding on to her ground fiercely. Seeing the looks on their faces, Baralai gave up and sighed in defeat. "Okay. You win." He smiled back at them and looked over at his shoulder. "Somebody wants to talk to you Yuna... He'll be leading the ground assault with Nooj." Yuna stopped and looked around the corners of the screen wonderingly until a blue fur appeared on sight.
"Kimhari!" Yuna greeted; half surprised and half happily at the sight.
"Rikku is back... Yuna looks well... Kimhari glad." The Elder's whiskers raised fairly into a very odd smile.
"You're fighting too, Kimhari?" Yuna asked worryingly at him.
"Yes... Kimhari sees future in peace but never in war."
"I understand Kimhari..." A heartfelt smile tugged on Yuna's lips. Kimhari has been a very awesome guardian and she perfectly knew that nothing bad would happen to him or to the other Ronso.
"Take care Kimhari..." Yuna answered with a smile as the Ronso nodded at her happily.
"Kimhari will see Yuna's children..." An unexpected note, hit Yuna's head immediately, making her face turn uncannily red. "Er..." Yuna stuttered her words out, "Thanks..." When Yuna looked back at Tidus, he too, was obviously turning red from Kimhari's comment.
"Okay!" Baralai's voice loomed into the audio of the panel. He was chuckling amusingly at the Ronso's comment. "Let's save those things for later, okay?" Baralai winked at Yuna. The summoner knew exactly what the praetor was getting at with those annoyingly glittering eyes of his. "Baralai!?" Yuna warned with a pout.
"I was only joking!" Baralai chuckled and then looked towards somebody who called him. "It's time to go, Yuna..." Baralai nodded at her and finally switched the screen off to continue on with their mission. "Turn your audio on so you would know what's happening in the other ships..." Baralai's voice was picked up in audio.
"Done. We've pick everyone up in audio mode..." Shinra reported from his panel and smiled. "It's show time, then."
The Spiran Legion immediately sped away towards the island. Ready to slice and dice the Black Knights into smithereens...
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Falcon Island...
The dark morning sky rumbled as flashes of lightning appeared in the skies of Spira. Rain was beginning to pour down on Falcon Island but the one standing near the waterfalls seem not to feel the cold tears of the sky. Rexus tilted his chin up and looked directly into the waterfall as if seeing something in there. There was nothing behind the waterfalls but it was the only thing that calmed his senses for the past few weeks. Honestly, he hasn't been thinking clearly.
"We got them on radar, already..." Louise suddenly appeared out of nowhere, carrying an umbrella to shield herself from the nasty rain.
"Prepare to intercept..." Rex said, half-heartedly giving orders to her sister. He didn't even notice that Louise was already looking at his back in a very seriously odd and different way this time.
"Celsius is among the leading airships heading towards here..." Louise shrugged and formed the smallest, possible smile on her lips. "I just thought that you might want to know."
The Celsius... The name rang through Rex's ears, making him look over at his shoulder towards his sister. I wonder why she isn't suggesting to capture Yuna this time... He threw in a skeptical look at the brook ahead of him. Maybe she didn't see this coming at all... Rexus nodded at her without turning to face his sister. "Prepare to assassinate the high summoner..." Louise sighed and nodded at him before turning around to head towards the chateau. "I'll check tell a troop of soldiers to go with me... I'll make sure to do this the right way..."
"Wait!" Rexus immediately shouted in a commanding tone, making Louise raise a very amused eyebrow. "I'll... I'll take care of the assassination this time... You... you can... go and help Riley with the defenses..." With their backs turned against each other, Rex didn't know that Louise was grinning amusingly and contently at everything. He fell for it... She thought and began walking away from where her brother was thinking.
"He actually fell for it!" She muttered happily when she was clearly out of sight from her brother.
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"Approaching the hostile zone..." An Al Bhed looked towards Baralai with a questioning look. "They're aware of our presence!" The Al Bhed shouted back at the praetor, making everyone aware of the immediate danger.
"Prepare to fire..." Baralai ordered calmly and sat down on his seat. "This is just as Aeris predicted..." He muttered and contacted the other units: airship, navy fleet and ground units were alarmed of the danger that they're currently in now. "This is Odyssey..." Baralai said and looked towards the approaching airships of the Black Knights, "Open fire!"
"Roger!" Every unit answered in chorus, barking out orders to open fire at the approaching enemy. This was indeed, like the machina war that happened over a thousand years ago... but this time, they're not fighting over a complete nonsense... they're fighting for the whole Spiran Nation... they're fighting to unify the whole of Spira... They are all fighting hand-in-hand; overcoming whatever differences they have with each other... be it their personality or racial differences.
"Fire!!" A deafening booming sound rang through the air as each airship finally shot out for their targets...
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"Yikes!!" Buddy shouted as Brother evaded an approaching missile heading towards their way. "This would be more difficult than I thought it would be!" He snorted and concentrated on the controls. "We've got company!" Shinra shouted as the intruder alert rang throughout the bridge. "We'll take care of it..." Tidus immediately sprang up to his feet and ran with the others towards the deck. "Yuna-"
"I'm going!" Tidus was cut off when Yuna snapped the words out of her mouth.
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When the deck's door opened, a shocking scene surprised the hell out of them... a bunch of troops were sticking up their guns towards Yuna. Immediately, Tidus and the others shielded her and prepare to fight. "Not if I'm still alive!" Tidus shouted and glared at the soldiers angrily.
"No..." Aeris voice loomed calmly around the deck, making the soldiers flinch in surprise. "You have to get through me first..." Aeris pulled her weapon out of her side and poised it properly in an attack stance. "Do not provoke me to hurt anyone of you... Leave this airship immediately." She said, emphasizing each word carefully to the soldiers who were now completely at a loss of words. After a few seconds of confused glances at each other, one of the soldiers looked at their back calmly as if waiting for an order...
Aeris saw a familiar figure standing on the back most part of their assault team as he nodded in confirmation.
"Sorry!!" A soldier shouted at Aeris as they began to attack them, half of what they truly have. They couldn't stand fighting against their own squad commander but since their leader was in supreme command, they have no choice but to follow whatever orders that they receive.
"YUNA!!" Tidus shouted, alarming the rest of the Gullwings into their direction.
The summoner is continuously struggling to break free from one of the soldier's grasp. Without wasting any time, Aeris ran towards the direction along with Rikku. "Aeris! I'll keep them away!" Paine shouted as she continuously slashed her blade around, hurting each soldier that even dared approach them.
"Hi-ya!!!" Rikku lounged herself upward and thrust a fist towards Yuna's capturer. She hit him directly on the abdomen, making him fall back on the deck's flooring. "Take that you meanie!" Rikku shouted and then focuses on covering Yuna from any possible attack. When Tidus saw that Rikku couldn't possibly handle all the attackers at the same time, he immediately flew over to their position to take up the open flank of Yuna, giving her a human fortress that was enough to fend off any enemy.
Clang!!
A soldier suddenly dashed towards Rikku and began attacking her with a huge gun-like sword, swishing and banging it around dangerously. Judging from the way that the soldier moved, Rikku knew that he meant complete business. Their fight was continuously ensuing in complete heat until finally, the weapon of the Black Knight soldier was intercepted by Rikku's pair of blade, locking it in a tight bond that seem like a victory for the female Al Bhed... Or so she thought.
By one swift movement and a flicker of the pair of dangerous sapphire eyes, the soldier immediately shifted the hilt of his sword into a counter-clockwise movement, whirling Rikku's weapons up in the air and catching it with a hand at a time. Rikku stared in shock at the soldier who was towering above her, glaring down furiously. She didn't know why but she suddenly felt like his gaze was somehow penetrating through her... something in his eyes were telling her to stop doing something but she just couldn't place her finger unto it...
Snapping back to reality, she immediately raised her fists and lounged forward again to strike the opponent. Unfortunately for her, he evaded... making her hit the empty space. Seeing the opportunity, the soldier immediately grabbed her on her waist and jumped away from the Celsius.
Everybody saw the whole scene and the Black Knights retreated after their leader. Yuna was exasperated and planned on jumping after them again. "Yuna!" Paine grasped her wrist tightly, stopping her from jumping down the height. "But Rikku-!" Yuna looked down from the Celsius and saw them increase in altitude. It's definitely suicide if she decides on jumping at this height. Understanding what Paine meant, Yuna looked at the others who were looking down from where Aeris and the Black Knights jumped in. "Let's go!" Yuna shouted and began running down towards the bridge.
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"How're we doing?" Tidus immediately inquired as the remaining boys on the bridge busily fiddle with their panels. "Not good. They're continuously firing out cannons and stuffs at us... Baralai and the other airships are in trouble and I don't know how long we could stay in this condition." Buddy reported and began tapping his panel's buttons. After a minute of complete silence, his brows burrowed and started back at Brother. "Missile at three o'clock!"
Brother's eyes widened in horror as he steered the airship away from the missile just in time before the impact. Everyone sighed in relief after tumbling on either side of the Celsius from the unexpected maneuver.
"Odyssey to Celsius..." Baralai's voice rang up from audio signals. "Pull back now... we have to pull back. If we continue this we're all dead meat..." The transmission stopped and everyone heard a long and shaky sigh. "I should've taken your advice Aeris... We should've waited and strengthen our forces..." Everyone stopped and then looked outside of the glass ceiling of the bridge. Explosions due from missile impacts are covering the cloudy skies of Spira. Never has anyone seen a battle like this after the machina wars between Zanarkand and Bevelle... and everyone knew why.
It was a terrible sight...
"Where is Rikku?" the color on Brother's face were drained as he frantically searched the room for his sister again. "Where is Rikku!?" He asked even louder, eyeing each of them. "Ahhhrrrggghhh!!!" Brother stomped towards the communication link and goes bonkers. "We have to turn back! We have to rescue Rikku! She was abducted by those bastards!" Brother continuously babbled at the audio link between the airships sending a lot of worries towards Baralai and the other captains.
"Brother, calm down!" Aeris shouted and then marched towards the audio. "Cancel that Baralai..." Everyone shot her a questioning gaze. "I'm not really sure of anything right now but about Rikku's kidnap..." She stopped and then looked at everyone in the room; locking a gaze at Yuna. "I can assure you that she's safer than anyone of us will be if ever we decide to turn back and face those nasty air troopers again. We have to regroup." She said and stared pleadingly at Tidus and Yuna. "Believe ME." She insisted.
"You've been planning without us knowing again..." Tidus raised a very quizzical look at her, raising the corner of his lips into a half smile.
"I wouldn't go straight to that..." Aeris grinned at him and then nodded towards Paine and Shinra's direction. "And I think Yuna knows a little bit of something about it too..."
Yuna looked flabbergast and pointed her forefinger at her chest. "Me?" She tried recalling every conversation that she had with Aeris but failed to see or realize any valuable connection. "I don't get it..." She frowned and looked questioningly over at Paine.
"You'll get it soon, Yuna." Paine chuckled and then nodded towards the blinking panel of Buddy's controls. "It looks like we have to formulate a new strategy plan." She smiled and took the initiative in stalling the others back to the original issue on the assault.
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Rikku and her abductor landed on both of their feet. "Why do you always have to get in the way!?" The soldier angrily pulled his mask down, revealing a face that Rikku would never fail to forget even for just a second. "You cantankerous meanie!" Obviously, the Al Bhed hasn't forgotten how much she had hated this arrogant man. "Why won't you kill me right here then!?" She shouted as she followed him back towards the inner part of the chateau.
"Why!?" Rikku follows him around: through the entrance, through the halls and archways that led towards where she was previously been kept. She shouted continuously but fail to receive anything but the deafening silence from the sapphire-eyed knight. "Why won't you!? If you're telling me that I'm such a big mess to your plans then why won't you end my nosing around right now!?"
SLAM!!
The door slammed opened revealing a flabbergast Riley and Louise on the other side of the hallway, making way for the quarreling Rikku and Rexus. She was still blabbering without a pause while Rex continuous on walking towards the east wing of the fourth floor. Louise stared at them rather amusingly as they disappeared out in the juncture, walking up another batch of staircases. "Well..." She sighed in contentment as she glanced up at her brother. "Aren't they a sight for sore eyes..." She sighed and turned to the soldier on duty on the side, giving him a playful punch on the chest. "Don't you think so?"
The soldier grinned gingerly, "Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" Though the amusement was presently in his eyes also, the way that the soldier carries himself professionally was more dominant than anything else. "Is this also a part of your 'master plan' Louise?" Riley interrogated curiously with a broad smile spreading across his face.
"Just a side dish, actually..." Louise continued to walk on the opposite direction of Rikku and Rex. "But I don't think that it'll do anyone any harm to knock some sense into the stubborn head of those two." She sighed in disbelief and rolled her eyeballs in disappointment. "Cripes... are they stubborn."
"They remind me of someone..." Riley's lips twitched as his eyes glittered down on her sister meaningfully.
"Why thank you..." Louise smiled in a sarcastic delight, continuing her duties for that day. Inspired at the thought that her plans are working out perfectly as always...
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"Regrouping in about a week..." Nooj said, looking at the papers that were neatly set on Baralai's table. "Are these the enlisted people that are willing to fight?"
He received a nod from Baralai and Gippal. Noojo suddenly flew his gaze towards the Gullwings. "Are you sure that Rikku would be safe in there?"
Aeris delightedly smiled, "My sister will take care of her while she's stayin." She let out an amused chuckle. "If she's under my protection, my sister would see to it that she's being treated well... under the penalty of death to anyone who causes her any hurt..." She frowned over at Gippal for a split second and then smiled to avoid further interrogation.
"I guess this whole week would be busy for all of us then..." Gippal eyed them with his remaining eye and stared at each of their faces. "We'll get Rikku back again from this craps."
Aeris and Paine grunted making the others chuckle guiltily, knowing that they still hold grudges against the Machine Faction leader. "Whatever..." Aeris and Paine answered him unison as they began focusing their attention on Baralai.
"Very well then..." The Praetor amusingly stared at Gippal and then back to Aeris and Paine. "Let's get this over it..."
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"Why won't you answer me!!!?" It was official. Rikku was losing her senses and decided to take necessary acts of violence if he continues on ignoring her questions. She's going to give him five more and if he doesn't answer... that's it...
That's totally it...
"Why won't you just kill me and let go of Yuna!?" She shouted, counting one mentally.
"I don't know!" Rex finally snapped as he pushed her in the room, shutting it close with a loud slam.
"Why don't you know!?" Count numbers two. He did answer her but it didn't hit the right spot for Rikku's taste. "I'm sure that you have your reasons but you're just being a meanie!!!" Count numbers three. Three down, two to go...
"I told you I don't know! I don't really know so stop bugging me! Please!" He shouted. Rikku made another mental note, count numbers four. If this last question of hers doesn't work, she's going to explode on him and make him fight her whatever the cost is. She doesn't care anymore. All that she knows is that she cares more about his reason than anything else that is present in this state.
"All that I'm asking is one reason!!! WHY WON'T YOU ANSWER ME YOU BLOATED SELF-CENTERED EGOISTICAL MEANIE!!!!!!!!??????" The last and final count of Rikku, if he still doesn't answer that, cripes knows what she would actually do. Rex made a motion towards the door and sighed heavily as if stopping himself from doing something harsh to her. And by doing that, he already pissed Rikku off to her limits making her explode and march towards him.
"YOU'RE ARROGANT, SELF CENTERED AND MEAN, YOU MEANIE!!!!!!!" She finally shouted on the top of her lungs, making all control on Rex's senses snap away as he whirled around and pin Rikku on the wall. He grasped her tightly on her shoulders and pressed his lips against her in a swift movement to shut her continuous blabbering with the light pressure of his mouth.
Push him... Rikku's head swirled in confusion. Sending messages to pull away but her body has grown limp at his slightest touch. Get away from the meanie! He's just like the other guys! The voice inside her was already screaming but her body refused to do what her mind tells her to do. She was trapped. She knows what to do but found no will nor strength to do so...
After a few minutes that almost felt like an eternity to Rikku, Rex pulled, half an inch away from her and whispered, "Shut up already..." Rikku stared up at him in surprise. Not waiting for another reply, Rexus dropped a light kiss on her lips and pulled away from her; turning a heel and began walking straight out of the room.
Click!
Rikku blinked once... twice... she was surprised at what just happened between them. She just realized that he was being totally unfair to her in all ways. After realizing how much she was affected by that "dumb" kiss, she frowned and tried to dismiss the thought immediately. Slowly, she felt her knees go weak as she walked slowly towards the bed and sank down nervously, forcing out a pout.
"That meanie..." She stopped and touched her lips thoughtfully with a small smile. Realizing the thing that she was doing, she shook her head in disagreement. "Ooooh... why am I acting like an idiot!?" She scolded herself and lay back down on her bed, covering her face with the fluffy pillow. "It's just a dumb kiss..." She finalized and tried to sleep the thoughts away.
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Author's Note: I know it's too short... I'm really not good at rush work... But anyways... Read and review!!!! :)