DISCLAIMER: I do not own FFX, FFX-2, FFVIII or any of the characters and locations affiliated with it. I do, however, own the story "Silver Wings", "Silver Wings 2: 1000 Confessions" and all references to dialogue not originated by Square-Enix.
DO NOT COPY MY STORIES!!
If anyone wants to post my stories anywhere else, please just ASK and then give me credit for writing it. Email akksgurlyahoo.com with any requests.
Author's Notes: Internet issues postponed this latest installment, but it's finally here and hopefully my Internet connection won't die on me again. Rikku's pissed and what she does sets up the rest of the story. Enjoy!
SILVER WINGS 3: Back Into My Arms
by akksgurl
Chapter Twelve: Hell Hath No Fury
"What the hell is going on?!" Rikku shrieked again, fury rising in her body like a tidal wave threatening to destroy all that lay in its path. Her eyes focused in ire on the two figures struggling to make themselves presentable and scrambling to their feet to face her.
"Uh…Ri…Rikku…well, we…uh…" Gippal stammered, spinning to his side slightly. Rikku heard the unmistakable sound of a rising zipper and shrieked in fury again, throwing a handful nearby pebbles at the tall Al Bhed who tried unsuccessfully to dodge them.
"Slut!" she screamed at him, running down from the hill, kicking at his shins with her small feet, "Man whore!!"
"Rikku!" Yuna cried, taking a step toward her cousin as she continued to take out her fury on Gippal's shins.
Rikku spun in anger at her cousin, her eyes wide with rage. Waving her finger in Yuna's face like a weapon, she hissed, "And YOU! I thought you were better than this!" she motioned wildly at Gippal before shouting, "He's not Tidus! He's just a man whore who couldn't keep it in his pants if his life depended on it!"
"Hey!" Gippal retorted, "I sure as hell kept it in my pants with you!"
Rikku sneered, "Only because I made you!"
"Rikku…" Yuna whispered quietly, regaining her cousin's attention, "Things just got out of hand with us, but we didn't mean to…"
"Oh, you didn't mean to!" Rikku said sarcastically, "Well that just makes it all better then!"
"I was upset!" Yuna continued, desperately, "The Praetoress tried to convince me that Tidus was still alive. She was playing on my emotions and offered to help me get him back in exchange for my help. I was just upset."
Rikku shook her head, "Excuses again, Yuna? You were upset?!" Rikku stood facing her cousin, arms akimbo, and said, "What was your excuse when you slept with Shuyin? Was it because he was doing such a good Tidus impersonation that you couldn't see past the end of your nose?" she narrowed her eyes, "And just what were you doing with Seymour while we were all at Home watching it get destroyed?
Rikku saw her cousins' lower lip quiver but instead of feeling immediate remorse, Rikku felt triumphant. Yuna opened her mouth to speak but Rikku silenced her with a motion of her hand, "I don't want to hear it." She announced, her eyes traveling from Gippal to Yuna in sheer contempt, "You two deserve each other. I'm just glad Tidus isn't around to see this…"
Without listening for their replies, Rikku turned and stalked off toward the Celsius, anger still boiling in her veins. She needed to calm herself down and think about her next move. If Yuna didn't want Tidus back, then to Hell with her. Rikku had liked Tidus once, but she'd lost him to Yuna. She had stepped aside when she saw how much he loved Yuna and Rikku believed Yuna loved him in return, but now she wasn't so sure. Tidus deserved better than Yuna and she deserved better than Gippal.
"What was all that screaming?" Paine asked as she made her way down the plank and onto the Zanarkand streets.
"Where were you earlier?" Rikku asked.
"I was at the stadium helping with the rebuilding." Replied Paine, "So tell me, what was that shouting about?"
Rikku took a breath and retold the tale of her day – excluding the part about the Farplane - until she reached the part where she caught Yuna and Gippal together. Paine let out an audible gasp and Rikku nodded, "My feelings exactly." She said.
"But why would Yuna…?"
"I don't know…" Rikku whispered dropping to a sitting position on the ground and letting her mind wander back to her happy intentions upon leaving the Farplane. She was going to tell Yuna and then YRP was going to find Tidus and bring him back to live happily ever after with the woman he loves. Now…
"The Praetoress tried to convince me that Tidus was still alive. She was playing on my emotions and offered to help me get him back in exchange for my help. I was just upset."
Rikku's eyes flew wide and she stood up just as suddenly as she had sat, "I've gotta go!" Rikku cried, running in a mad dash toward one of the smaller airships that the Al Bhed workers used.
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Sorceress Rinoa Heartilly paced back and forth in the main room of the Bevelle temple with a scowl on her face. She had hoped that Yuna would return quickly. The time for her plan to come to fruition was within the hour and for the first time; Rinoa was beginning to wonder if she would be able to succeed in her efforts.
Rinoa's long flowing robes trailed the ground and her hair was pulled up tightly beneath a pointed hat that clung tightly to her head. She didn't want Squall to recognize her. Even though her Squall was dead, this Squall was an exact copy of him in every way. If she looked too familiar, he'd realize it. His heart would tell him that it was her and he wouldn't kill her. That just couldn't happen.
She made her way down a twirling set of stairs that led into an underground castle beneath even the deepest reaches of the temple where Vegnagun had been housed. Being built on the edge of the Farplane had distinctive advantages. Rinoa knew that she wouldn't have far to go when her time came and for those SeeDs she destroyed in her effort to die by Squall's hand, they wouldn't have far to go either.
All was in readiness for the final battle. She just needed to wait for the connection with Ellone to begin. Ellone didn't want to help her, just as she hadn't wanted to help Shuyin but the girl was going to nonetheless. In the end, Ellone was a fayth that wanted the best for all involved and she knew that the ultimate death of the sorceress was in the world's best interest – both the real world and the dream world.
Rinoa cursed silently as she made her way back to the upper level of the temple. Yuna wasn't there yet.
"Where the hell is she!" Rinoa cursed to herself as she paced back and forth. She needed Yuna. Yuna would bring Tidus back and that needed to happen. Death wasn't the end of Rinoa's plans.
Death was only the beginning…
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Seifer Almasy's hand was firmly gripping her hip and his other held the shimmering gunblade menacingly at her neck. She didn't want to struggle too much for fear of rising his ire further.
This wasn't the 18 year old she had spent a summer with. This wasn't the guy with the hope of vanquishing evil and saving those in need.
She didn't know this man at all…
"......Seifer." she whispered, her eyes connecting with the figure that lay ahead, "No more...Please?"
He seemed to react slightly to her as he stopped in his rapid movement toward the awakening sorceress, Adel. He held his head close to hers and smelled the fragrant scent of her hair, "Rinoa..." he whispered, quietly, loosening his grip on her ever so slightly.
"Seifer!!! NO!" came a voice tearing through the silence that was starting between the two. She felt his hand tighten its grip on her as she recognized Squall's voice and realized Seifer had as well.
Seifer's face hardened as he saw his nemesis and the other teens storming in to save her, "Rinoa and Adel! The sorceresses as one!" Seifer shouted, "Watch closely, Squall!"
She felt force at her back as Seifer tried to shove her toward the sorceress who was still in the confines of her tomb but rapidly engaging in her escape. She tried to prevent it. She planted her feet firmly on the ground and pushed back on him just as hard as he pushed on her, but it was for nothing. His last shove forced her to her knees in front of Adel.
As Adel began to move and force the walls of her tomb to break around her, she stared in slack jawed fear. She found herself unable to move as the hands of Adel, with claw-like nails, ripped through their confines and came toward her.
"Gotta save Rinoa!" she heard Zell shout as Adel began the merger between the two of them.
"Just go for Adel!" Squall commanded.
She could see her friends bracing themselves for the battle, weapons glinting in the light as Adel finished junctioning her. Irvine aimed his gun straight at Adel and all Rinoa could do was scream.
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"Hello?!" Rikku called, her voice echoing along the walls of the Bevelle hallway. Her footsteps seemed to pound down the hall as she walked stealthily along. She wasn't really sure why she was there and at the same time she knew exactly what she was doing.
"You are not Yuna. Who are you?"
Rikku stopped in mid step and stared at the shadowy figure that stood several feet away from her in the narrow hall. Trying to quell the quiver in her voice, Rikku said, "My name is Rikku. I'm Yuna's cousin. I'm here about…Tidus."
"Why hasn't Yuna kome?"
"She doesn't believe you…" Rikku whispered in response, "but I do. He wasn't in the Farplane when I visited."
The sudden onset of light in the enclosed space blinded Rikku temporarily and when she regained her vision, the Praetoress was practically on top of her, "She knows he wasn't in the Farplane and yet she still doesn't believe what I tell her?"
"She doesn't know about the Farplane…"
"Why not?"
Rikku narrowed her eyes at the memory of Gippal and Yuna in a coital position on that hill in Zanarkand. Tidus was still alive and thinking that Yuna was this wide-eyed innocent that loved him more than life. Rikku had once believed that too, but no more. And it was time that Tidus knew the truth too…
"Enough about Yuna…" Rikku said, "She told me that we can have Tidus back in exchange for us helping you. I'm here to do whatever you want."
The woman raised an eyebrow at the thin blond in front of her as if weighing her options. Rikku didn't know who this woman really was or how she came to know where Tidus was, but she didn't care at the moment. Her main concern was getting to Tidus and saving him from whatever fate had befallen him. After several moments, the Praetoress smiled, "Very well. If you wish to replace Yuna then so be it."
"What do you need me to do?"
The dark eyes glowed with an evil glint as she stared into Rikku's green orbs, "We will be traveling to the dream world where I will see my beloved again. It is there that we will find Tidus and he will be returned to you. After my plans come to fruition, I will need a host. Will you be that host?"
Rikku wrinkled her nose in confusion, "What's a … host?"
"Swear to be my host…" said the Praetoress, ignoring Rikku's question, "Swear or this deal is off."
"I swear…"
"Very well then," the Praetoress said, turning on her heels to backtrack down the hallway she had just come up, "Let us be going."
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With the battle between the teens and Adel finished, Tidus felt immense relief. Seifer was sitting in a solemn state at the corner of the room guarded by Zell and Irvine and Squall practically tripped over himself to reach Rinoa who had begun to collapse as a result of her interaction with the defeated sorceress but after a few moments, she regained her ability to stand by herself and stood swaying in confusion for several moments as the rest mulled about waiting for something to happen.
As was usual, Laguna had the perfect timing to show up after the important things had been completed. It'd been that way since Tidus was a child. He couldn't remember a time when Laguna was actually around for an important event when it was actually happening.
"Ellone, now's your chance!" Tidus' uncle shouted at the girl who had followed him in. Tidus watched as Ellone closed her eyes and focused her energies which made Rinoa faint dead away to the floor. He saw concern crease Squall's brow but it was quickly nullified with Laguna's next demand, powers on Rinoa. Rinoa faints. "Ok, Ellone. Just get Rinoa back."
"I...was inside Adel..." Rinoa whispered as she regained consciousness, "The young Adel..."
"Ultimecia's inside Adel. Exactly as she wanted." Laguna said with a smile, "Ok, this is the showdown folks! Time compression is about to begin. Love, friendship, and courage'! Show'em what you got!"
Laguna turned to leave but was stopped by Ellone's grip on his wrist. He waited a moment as she walked over to Tidus and touched his face tenderly, "I'm so sorry for what I did…" she whispered to him, "but you'll be home soon and it'll make up for my being too weak to go against him."
Him? Tidus was confused for a moment until he realized who Ellone was talking about.
"Shuyin?" he whispered to her and she nodded. He gave her a half smile, "It's okay. Whatever you did, I understand."
"Thank you…"
Ellone turned and made her way toward Laguna who nodded at Tidus with a smile and turned to escort Ellone from the room but it must have been too late for that. Tidus let out a horrified scream as the room began to melt around him. His feet lost their grip on the ground and he slipped back and slammed into Seifer who subsequently slammed into Squall as the group tumbled head over heels into a hole in the floor.
"W-Where do we go!?" Irvine shouted.
"Yo! Where are we supposed to go!?" screamed Zell.
The melting room was quickly replaced by a pool of water and for the first time since ending up back in the dream world, Tidus felt at home. He swam along easily, helping a few of the stragglers who were having more trouble, including his illustrious uncle who didn't seem happy to be there at all.
Rinoa's voice quivered as she spoke, "I'll...Probably disappear..."
Tidus seconded her thoughts with quiet ones of his own. He barely knew these people. His only hope was that he already knew that he didn't exist so maybe that made things better.
"Just stay by my side." Squall said to Rinoa, "I won't let you disappear!!!"
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"Rikku!" Yuna shouted as she and Gippal stormed onto the Celsius after deciding just how they were going to calmly speak to Rikku about what had transpired between the two of them.
"Rikku!" Gippal called in echo to Yuna's shout.
Paine appeared in the doorway of the elevator with a frown on her face, "She's not here." She replied, "And even if she was, I don't think she'd want to see either of you."
Yuna frowned deeply, "She told you then, I guess."
"I just can't believe it, Yuna. How could you do something like that?" she asked her friend, then she cast a look at Gippal, "You I can believe, but not Yuna…"
Gippal sneered at her, "Gee…thanks."
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Tidus gaped at the huge building that lay at the end of their massive journey through compressed time. They had called Ultimecia's home a 'castle', but this wasn't a castle. This place was anything but a castle. At first glance most would assume it was a castle, but Tidus recognized the patterns that played in the sky above it. That wasn't sky, though. That was a floor. Staring hard through the clouds, Tidus saw the pathway he had taken to help Yuna get Bahamut during her pilgrimage.
"Bevelle Temple…" he whispered to himself, a grin broadening on his features, "I'm home…"
"Ultimecia's reign...We have to end it now." Squall said, oblivious to Tidus' epiphany.
Tidus barely listened as Squall started barking orders to those nearby. He just stood, staring at the sky with a silly smile on his face.
He was home…
Suddenly, and with no warning, Tidus let out a shrill whistle that brought the entire entourage to a silent stare. Squall glared at him and then smacked the back of his head, "Do you want to get us killed?!"
Tidus spun and grinned, "I'm home! This isn't a castle!" he cried, "This is Bevelle Temple!"
"Whatever…" Squall replied, rolling his eyes.
"Hey, guys…" Selphie began, "…where's Seifer?"
"Maybe he gave up after we beat his ass, again!" Zell said triumphantly, punching the air a few times for good measure until Seifer emerged from the nearby bushes, causing a frown on the martial artist's face.
"I had to take a leak. Is that okay, Chicken-Wuss?" asked Seifer, using the nickname that annoyed Zell to no end.
Squall glowered at the blonde and then looked at Laguna, "Do you have your gun with you?" he asked the older man. At his nod, Squall nodded in return, "Keep an eye on him. He's wanted for questioning when we get back to Garden." Then turning his attentions to everyone else, "Whatever Tidus says is inconsequential right now. Be this Ultimecia's castle or Behell Temple…"
"Bevelle!"
"…Whatever…" Squall replied, "It doesn't matter. What matters is that Ultimecia is in there and we're bringing her down."
"Yeah!" came the cheers from the group as they made their way toward the doorway, but Squall stopped them sort.
He smiled slightly at Tidus, "If you're so sure that you know this place…" he said, "Then lead the way…" and with a sweeping motion of his hand, he allowed Tidus first entrance.