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.
PLEASE NOTE: "PaineOfBevelleSairysSkyeWind" is a fic stealer!! Watch out for her. She is also known as "Paine" and "Paine of Spira" I am sure I am not the only one she is stealing from so be sure to keep an eye out for my fics as well as others on other sites. She has been known to post on apocalypse.com, adultfanfiction.net, and nfiction.com.
Author's Notes: Normally by this point in the story I'm beginning to wrap things up to work my way toward the end but this time around, I'm just getting to the good stuff so this story will be longer than the previous ones in this trilogy. I hope you all enjoy chapter 18.
SILVER WINGS 3: Back Into My Arms
by akksgurl
Chapter Eighteen: Between A Rock and A Hard Place
She was staring at him when he opened his eyes, unsure of his surroundings. The hard ground at his back made it uncomfortable for him to stay lying where he was and he carefully rose to a sitting position, but never once did her eyes waver from his visage.
He cleared his throat uncomfortably and feigned a smile, "Hello, Rikku."
She grinned broadly, "It worked…"
"What worked?" he asked, suddenly very unsure of what she was planning to do to him and equally unsure of how he got here in the first place. Wasn't he supposed to be gone…?
She rose to her feet and extended her hand to help him to his. Taking it carefully, she pulled him to a standing position and then stared at him again, "You don't know who I am…but I know all about you."
He cocked his eyebrow, "I…don't know you?"
She shook her head, "We never met before, although I dated your cousin for a while. I came to know more about you, however, through your adventures here a few months ago."
Backing up cautiously, he glared at her, "You stay away from me."
"Oh come on, Shuyin. Don't be such a baby!"
Gasping in shock, he gaped openmouthed at the girl in front of him, "Who are you?!"
She smiled at him and turned around slowly as if modeling her clothes, "Well, I'm obviously not Rikku. My name was Rinoa Heartilly but nowadays I go by Ultimecia."
"And you say you dated my cousin?"
"You know…Squall..." she said sarcastically before sobering, "I was with him for a while. We helped Zaon and Yunalesca defeat Sin but…"
"Did he die?"
She nodded, "But not from Sin. He was killed afterwards, right in front of me." She stared at him, "He was recreated in the dream world along with everyone else – including me."
"Well, it makes sense seeing as how you're dead."
She rolled her eyes at him, "I'm not dead, you idiot. I'm a sorceress and as such, I am immortal. I can, however, switch bodies and possess when I want and that's what I'm doing with Rikku. The stupid girl swore to be my host without even questioning what that was."
"So you have to get permission?"
"No!" Ultimecia snapped, "but I do sometimes so that I can have something to look back on and laugh about."
It was Shuyin's turn to roll his eyes at her. He didn't need this crap. If she could possess anybody then what did she want him for? She already had a body. She didn't need his...-er…Tidus'…- anyway.
"I'm out of here." He said with a wave as he turned away from her and saw suddenly that she meant business. Gippal's crumpled body on the ground was lying exactly how he remembered Baralai's laying except Gippal's was covered in thick, red blood. Without taking his eyes off of the man, Shuyin whispered, "Is he dead?"
"He wasn't a few minutes ago," she replied, "but anything could have happened by now."
"What do you want from me? Why are you doing this?"
Ultimecia took a place beside him and stared at Gippal as well although Shuyin was certain she was marveling at her handiwork rather than basking in the dread that was bubbling up inside of his stomach. She glanced at him askance and replied, "As much as I loathe admitting it, your evil matches mine and I need your help in order to complete my plans."
Shuyin shook his head violently, "I'm not evil."
"What…?" Ultimecia asked sarcastically, "Are you just confused…? In love, maybe…?" she scoffed at him, "What you did was evil – plain and simple – and I find myself admiring that trait in you. Sleeping with another man's girlfriend, killing an innocent, threatening the life of said girlfriend, sending your alter-ego back to where he came from…" she grinned, "Brilliant…"
"I only did it because I was going to vanish!" he cried, "I couldn't deal with that, but I got over it and…and…" he stopped, staring into her eyes, "How did I get here?"
"I told you before that I'm a sorceress," she replied, "A little wave of my hand and I can bring anybody back that I want. Zaon…Yunalesca…Skirpa…even your precious Lenne."
"How do you know all this? How do you know about them?!"
"I know all…"
Shuyin stared at Gippal, his hands starting to tremble, "Why did you do this to Gippal?"
A wide and evil grin spread on the face of the woman next to him as she replied, "I needed some insurance. Either you do what I want you to do willingly, or I make you…"
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"He's over here!" Quistis shouted behind her as she – along with her fellow dream residents, Yuna, and Wakka ran to where she had left Seifer with Tidus, "I left Tidus with him."
Yuna stopped, "Maybe I shouldn't go then…." She suggested but Wakka just shook her head and pulled her along.
"This isn't about you guys right now. That Seifer guy might need your help, ya."
"Right…" said Yuna with a nod.
The group continued along the rocky path, past the waterfalls and the shrine to which travelers prayed for safe passage until they reached the overpass where Seifer had been left. Quistis saw him, still squatting where she'd left him, but…
"Where's Tidus?" asked Squall as he looked around.
"I don't know…"
"It doesn't matter right now!" Rinoa said, running toward her ex-boyfriend until she was a few feet behind him, "Seifer…are you okay?"
Seifer looked at her and smiled, "Hey, Rinny. Why wouldn't I be okay?"
"Quistis said you…"
"You started screaming like you were in pain!" Quistis interrupted, stalking toward him, "Was it just an act? And what did you do with Tidus?!"
Seifer sneered, "I didn't do anything with him instructor. I haven't seen him."
"Where did he go?!"
Seifer shrugged and squinted his eyes in confusion, "I don't know…Everything's really fuzzy right now."
Yuna nervously played with her fingers as all around her Tidus' dream world acquaintances argued and pointed blame for Seifer's strange malady and Tidus' disappearance. Finally, she had enough and shouted, "Will you all just shut up?!"
The silence was such that a pin could be heard slamming against the ground as all eyes focused on Yuna. With a sigh, she said, "I'm sure Tidus just wandered off by himself seeing as how Seifer is fine. He's probably on the Celsius or by the beach or something."
Seifer made an arrogant gesture toward Yuna and said to Quistis, "See…she's not worried."
Quistis sneered, "Well, why don't you tell me why you can't remember where he went then?"
Seifer shrugged, "I don't know why I can't remember. I just don't, but I'm sure Yuna is right. Tidus probably just wandered off."
"Exactly," Yuna said in response, nodding quietly as if trying to convince herself that the growing worry in her stomach was something she could ignore, "I'm going to go and find him."
"I'll come with you, ya."
"We'll go too." Squall said, speaking for his group and before Yuna could say another word there was a procession forming toward the beach and she found herself forced to keep moving or be lost in the fray.
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"How do you intend on making me?" Shuyin asked after several moments of silence.
Ultimecia grinned and stepped over Gippal's blood soaked body, sauntering confidently toward the bar to pour herself a shot of bourbon, "Tidus is just so angry at Yuna and Gippal these days. Imagine finding his way back to her only to be told that she was messing around with her cousins' man…" Ultimecia turned back to him and used Rikku's mouth to form a grin, "How horrible!" she said, feigning horrification.
"Yuna wouldn't do that." Shuyin said simply.
"Oh yes she would," Ultimecia replied, "and Tidus knows it." She stopped and stared at him for a moment, "Do you remember what I told Tidus or can you not access his memories anymore?"
Shuyin glared at her, "What I remember is really none of your business."
"So you can't access them…" answered Ultimecia of her own question, "No matter. It's not important. You'll still do what I want you to do."
"And why are you so sure of that?"
Ultimecia stepped toward him again, letting her foot slam into Gippal's left hand. Shuyin cringed as he heard bones cracking beneath the weight but the man didn't move and he felt a lump forming in his throat.
Was Gippal dead…?
"Tidus is so angry at Gippal. Tidus blames Gippal for the rift between him and his beloved." She let her eyes wander Shuyin's form before she grinned and whispered, "Now Tidus is found alone in a room with Gippal's bloody and decrepit body…" she hissed, "Do the math…"
"Tidus?! Are you in here?!"
Shuyin gasped and backed up but Ultimecia was right in front of him, pinning him to the wall, "Don't be in such a rush there, handsome." She whispered in his ear like a lover, "Playtime is just beginning."
"What do you mean?" he choked back, his eyes torn between Gippal's body and the eyes that Ultimecia used to peer at him.
"You can't get away with this without my help. You're covered in his blood and you're in the room with his body." She stared at him, "Everyone will think you are guilty. It's a much more foolproof plan than when you framed Gippal…"
"I didn't mean to…"
"Hush yourself." She ordered, "I will help you get out of this if you promise to help me."
"Tidus?!"The footsteps were getting closer now and Shuyin found it hard to breathe, "What do you want me to do?"
"We'll worry about that later." She replied, releasing him, "For now, just know that as long as you play my game I'll get you out of here a free man and, providing you play your cards right, I might be of a mind to give you your girlfriend back too." She held his gaze for several seconds, "Do we have a deal?"
The doorknob slowly began to turn and Shuyin fixed a panicked stare on it before looking back at Ultimecia. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If he said no, he'd be sent to jail for a crime he didn't commit. Even worse, he could be killed by the furious people about to storm in. If he said yes, he stood a chance and – no matter how many times he tried to convince himself otherwise – the chance of having Lenne back was quite a tempting bargaining chip. Swallowing his pride, he nodded hesitantly in agreement, wishing with all his might that he was back in Zanarkand with Lenne before all of this shit started to happen in the first place.
Why did this always happen to him?!
"Excellent…" Ultimecia whispered as a pale white light started to form around Rikku's body, "Then I'll see you soon, dear Shuyin…"
And it was almost surreal. The door flung open and Rikku's limp body slammed into the floor at the same time as all eyes stared at the sight before them. Gippal's bloody body, Rikku's thin form, and a trembling and crying blonde blitzball player covered in blood, knowing that he'd just made a deal with the devil.