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.
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Author's Notes: Pretty long chapter, but necessary since this is the last chapter before the duel finale. Thanks to all my loyal reviewers. I appreciate it so much! I'm hoping to have the first chapter of my next story posted by next week as well. Anyway, here is chapter 34!
SILVER WINGS 3: Back Into My Arms
by akksgurl
Chapter Thirty-Four: Three's Company
Are you sure you love him?
His words rung in her ears in a mantra as Yuna and Shuyin made their way out of the Luca Hospital and to the ship bound for Macalania. They rung in her ears as they made their way unhindered through the abandoned woods and into the Calm Lands. She heard them as they crossed Mt. Gagazet and finally reached Zanarkand. She wished they had just taken the airship, but she wasn't quite sure where Gippal had put the keys and she wasn't about to waste time looking for them. It only took a few more hours anyway, but it was a few more hours in which Shuyin could pointedly ignore her – favoring, instead, to play absently with the blade of Tidus' sword - and Yuna was forced to hear that scathing suggestion repeating over and over.
Are you sure you love him?
Two years ago, she would have said yes without a second thought. She wouldn't have ever questioned it. Yet, with everything that had happened since her pilgrimage, she wasn't so sure anymore. She missed him desperately and yet she was scared of him. She was scared of what he'd do to her if she saw him again. Her hand unconsciously went to her cheek where the bruises were fading fast. The last time she saw him, things didn't go so well. Maybe that was when she had started questioning their love.
And yet, she knew she loved him. Deep inside, buried deep down under her disappointment, her anger, and her resentment she knew she loved him. She loved his crooked smile, his bright blue eyes that were filled with the kind of life she had always longed for. She loved how he crinkled his nose when he laughed and how in the right sunlight his light splattering of freckles lit up on his cheeks. She wanted to see that now, but whenever she looked over all she saw was Shuyin. It was Tidus' body, but it wasn't Tidus. She didn't even see Tidus next to her anymore. Whenever she looked at the blonde next to her, her mind's eye flashed to a tall and muscular blonde that she knew so long ago. The same blue eyes, but minus the freckles. A bit taller and a lot more conceited, but with a kind gentleness that had forced her to ignore the former. She didn't even see Tidus anymore…
And that's what scared her.
Would she ever see him again, or would she forever be haunted by the visage of Shuyin Bacohl even after he went to the Farplane to rest?
Lenne's house was in the distance, and Yuna silently trudged toward it. Shuyin was a few feet behind her, but he might as well have been a few miles. It was strange to have gone this long without a word, but she knew instinctively that he was angry with her. She just didn't know why.
"Where'd you leave it?" he asked gruffly as he followed her into the house.
Yuna bent down to retrieve it from the floor where she had dropped it in a panic just a few days earlier, "Here it is."
"Fine." He snipped, "Let's go."
Yuna frowned. She'd had enough of this. She didn't know what his problem was, but she was determined to find out, "What is your problem, Shuyin?"
He didn't reply, but she saw him tense even though he didn't face her. His back muscles tightened and she swore if it was possible, steam would have come out of his ears.
What was wrong with him?
"Shuyin…? I asked you a question." He still didn't reply and she took a deep breath and spoke again, "Shuyin…"
"STOP IT!!!" he suddenly shrieked, spinning around wildly. Yuna jumped, afraid he was going to hit her but then she noticed tears hiding in his eyes that he was afraid to let fall.
She frowned, "Stop what?"
"Stop calling me Shuyin." He hissed, stuffing his hands in the pockets of Gippal's pants and frowning.
Yuna raised an eyebrow, "What do you want me to call you?"
"How about my name?" he snapped, sarcastically.
Yuna gasped and took a massive step back. She eyed him in shock, staring at him until she noticed that she wasn't breathing, "…Tidus…?"
"Are you disappointed?"
"No, of course not!"
Tidus shrugged and gave a disbelieving grunt. Yuna watched him as he turned from her and suddenly everything made sense. She suddenly knew why he had asked her if she'd be upset if Tidus never came back. She knew why he had been ignoring her during their trip.
She stifled a gasp. That was why he had kissed her.
Are you sure you love him?
"Tidus…" she began, stepping toward him.
He lifted a hand to keep her away, "Just leave me alone, Yuna. I'm really…confused right now."
She didn't listen. She just started speaking without thinking, "If you would have just spoken to me. I mean…it's not like I wouldn't have known. I'd know you anywhere." She giggled uncomfortably, "Well, unless someone is doing a really convincing job of being you. But you do a convincing job of being him too. I especially liked the angsty part. You could be an actor. I mean, I would really…"
"Stop it." He ordered, firmly but quietly. He looked at her then and she felt even more stupid for not realizing the difference. Even through it all, Shuyin's eyes still shown with this confidence that never faded. Tidus' eyes always lacked it. They lacked it even more now.
"Tidus…I'm sorry for not realizing."
"It's not your fault." He replied with a sigh, "I didn't even realize it at first. I'm still not quite sure."
Yuna bit her lip, "I'm sorry, but I don't understand."
He pointed to the front door, "I was looking for Zaon. You had just moved in here and let me come in. We hadn't seen each other since their wedding where I'd made such a mammoth fool out of myself with those two girls but you let me in anyway. Then you asked me if I liked cheese…" he smiled a little and the sighed.
Yuna let her mouth fall open but she didn't say anything as Tidus began to pace around the room. He stopped in front of the sofa, "You jumped on me here after our first date, but the first time we actually…" he took a ragged breath, "Allyn was spying on us."
"…how…?" managed Yuna.
"I don't know." He replied, "I know more than that. I know about a life I don't think I ever lived. The life of the guy I'm based on."
Yuna just stared at him as he continued to pace, but say nothing. None of this made any sense. Was Gippal right? But that was impossible. Maybe the merger had completed? That had to be it. There was no way Gippal was right. That would be too ridiculous to comprehend.
She was shaken back to reality by the realization that Tidus was talking again, "The last thing I remember clearly is trying to find Shuyin. I could sense that something bad was happening, but I couldn't find him in the dark. I heard him shouting at something and I followed his voice to find him yelling at this dark figure that was trying to convince him to go somewhere. I was so scared for you, so I screamed for Shuyin's attention. He ran to me and when our hands touched, I woke up."
"You woke up remembering his life…"
"Yeah." Tidus said, lifting his eyes to hers, "Do you think the merger happened? Do you think it's all over?"
Yuna shrugged, "Maybe, but that doesn't explain that figure. Do you know who it was?" she silently hoped that he did but when Tidus shook her head she frowned, "Gippal has this theory…" she began quietly. She hadn't wanted to tell him or Shuyin about this, but if it was true than they deserved to know.
"So do I…"
Yuna was surprised by this, "What's your theory?" Maybe it made more sense than Gippal's?
"I remember that I…" he paused with a frown, "Shuyin was really upset. He couldn't deal with everything that had happened so when he was alone in the cave, he started talking to himself. He would plan out the perfect ways to get revenge once he got out of the cave. The one he really liked was using Vegnagun to blow Bevelle away. He thought it'd be really funny irony for him to destroy them with the weapon they'd killed Lenne to protect. He thought of it as a way for Lenne to get her revenge too."
Yuna nodded, "That would have been ironic…but where's your theory?"
"I'm getting there," Tidus said in a half tease, allowing his mouth to form a small smile before returning to it's frown, "I remember that I…Shuyin over the few weeks he was trapped started to talk – not only to himself – but also to Allyn and Reiber's corpses. Finally, he started hearing this voice in his head. This voice telling him that all he needed to do was say the word and it'd be done. There were times after that when he'd pass out in one place and wake up what felt like moments later in another. And when he died, it felt like half of him was missing when he crossed into the Farplane." He stopped and looked at her, "What's Gippal's theory?"
Yuna's eyes widened in surprise, "I thought we were talking about your theory."
"But I want to hear Gippal's first."
She frowned but answered, "Multiple Personalities."
"I think so too."
Yuna wanted to scream at him but realized that if Tidus believed it too, than there had to be a reason. She stifled her urge to shriek and simply said, "Gippal thinks you're just one of the personalities."
"Well, we both know that's not true. I'm a dream of the fayth." He answered simply, "I was the fayth's answer to his promise to Lenne." He reached for her hand and pulled her close to him, "This is what I think. Shuyin couldn't deal with it and created that other person – the guy he was yelling at – so that he could hide away and not have to deal with anything. When he died, the guy didn't go along because he wanted to do what Shuyin had only dreamed about doing. The fayth made me to send to you because Shuyin was only half a person and they couldn't send broken goods to you." He let out a pained smile and then continued, "I'm the dream of Shuyin before everything went to hell and back. Before he couldn't deal with it."
"But that doesn't explain how Shuyin knows the stuff that he did. How he killed all those people. Or how you know Shuyin's life!
"Well, we know from what I told you that the guy Shuyin was yelling at is back in his head. It'd stand to reason that Shuyin would suddenly "remember" doing all those things, even though he didn't. Kinda a 'mini-merger'." He shrugged, "And the same goes for him and me."
"So now you remember three different lives?"
"No…I don't know anything about that guy. Just Shuyin and me. I know the stuff that guy made Shuyin do and what Shuyin thinks he did, but anything that Shuyin doesn't know, I don't know. Like, I don't remember that guy coming into existence, but I remember the Crimson Squad massacre like it was yesterday."
"Did that guy control you?" she asked, immediately wishing she hadn't. What if he hadn't been controlling Tidus? What if Tidus had hit her on his own? She wasn't sure if she wanted to know that.
Tidus frowned, "Yes." He admitted, "I couldn't control myself and all I felt was this horrible sadness and this uncontrollable anger." He reached out to touch her cheek gently, "I'm so sorry…"
Yuna collapsed into a heap on the floor, more out of exhaustion than relief and Tidus sat down next to her, "This is just so confusing…" she whined, rubbing her temples firmly to forgo the headache that was beginning between her eyes, "I just…I don't understand this. Why is Seymour back? Why is this happening to you? Why?"
"Asking why is pointless." Tidus said with a tender smile, "We've got to focus on how. How are we going to make this mess go away?"
"Can it?"
He shrugged and kissed her forehead gently, "I love you," he replied quietly, "So yes…it can. We can do anything if we do it together."
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Rikku jumped up excitedly, "Let's go kick some Seymour booty!"
"Not yet, Polly-Anna," Gippal teased, pulling on one of Rikku's braids gently until she plopped back next to him.
"Who's Polly-Anna?"
Paine grunted in annoyance, "That's not important right now, Rikku. What is important is trying to figure out who brought Seymour back. Even if we beat Seymour, this person would just be able to bring him back again if we don't take out the source."
"We've got to get some help." Seifer stated simply, scratching his cheek in thought, "As much as I hate to admit it, Puberty-Boy and his motley crew are good. We should get their help."
"Puberty-Boy?" Rikku asked, "Who's that?"
"Squall."
Gippal frowned and lowered his voice, "I hate to tell you this, Seifer, but Squall and Rinoa have gone missing."
Raising his eyebrow, Seifer asked, "Gone missing? How? When?"
"We're not sure. Wakka just called and said that Zell, Quistis, Irvine, and Selphie can't find them anywhere. There are signs of a slight struggle where Squall was sleeping, but nothing else."
"Just a slight struggle?" asked Seifer, suspiciously. He shook his head firmly, "Squall would have put up more than a slight struggle if some 'bad guy' tried to take him out." He ran a finger thoughtfully over the scar that went between his eyes, "Trust me…I know…"
"Well, I'm just delivering the facts."
"And I'm telling you that there's more to this than an abduction." Seifer stated, "Squall had to have been taken by surprise. By someone he trusted. And he certainly wouldn't have let someone hurt Rinoa without putting up a major fight." He sighed, "He's got a one track mind when it comes to that gi…"
Seifer sat up suddenly, jaw dropping. He lifted his hand to his mouth in shock. It suddenly made sense. Paine stared at him, "What?"
"I know who's behind this…"
It was Rikku's turn to sit up suddenly, "You do?!"
"I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner…" Seifer hissed quietly, shaking his head as if to curse his own stupidity. He lifted his eyes to the group, "I always thought Ultimecia seemed familiar to me. When she had me under her control, I felt like I knew her. I think that's why I went with her so easily. Normally I'm a stubborn son of a bitch but for some reason I wasn't that time."
"Who is she?" asked Paine, completely ignoring Seifer's admission and going straight for the heart of the matter.
Seifer questioned, "Do you remember what I was told? Not about Tidus, but about the blind lion?"
"Yes."
"The blind lion catches no owl." He sighed, "When I first met Rinoa, she was working with a resistance group called…The Forest Owls."
Rikku squealed, "Rinoa is Ultimecia!!"
"I think so." Seifer said with a sigh, "And Squall is the blind lion. He can't see what she is. Well," he paused with a smirk, "Considering the fact that she probably kidnapped him, I'm sure he sees now."
"We've gotta find Yuna and Shuyin...er…Tidus…er…the blonde guy!" Paine said, tripping over not only her words, but Gippal's sneakers which were strewn in the middle of the room, "They've got to know about this. If Ultimecia took Squall, there's got to be a reason."
"Do you think it's the same reason she took LeBlanc?" asked Gippal as he stood up too.
"Maybe…"
The quartet rose to their feet. Gippal quickly pulled his sneakers on and then they walked to the door, "We'll contact Kimahri. Maybe he's seen her."
"If not, we'll try Tromell." Suggested Rikku.
Gippal nodded and reached for the doorknob, "And if that doesn't work we'll…"
"Murderer…"
Cid was staring menacingly at Gippal. He was accompanied by four burly Al Bhed men. The five of them were standing on the doorstep, obviously just about to knock when Gippal opened the door.
"Pop!" Rikku shrieked, "We don't have time for this right now. We have to go!"
Cid raised an arm to stop her escape. His eyes traveled to Paine and Seifer and opened in surprise but then he focused back on Rikku, "You and…the undead…" he said, motioning toward Paine and Seifer, "may go. Gippal cannot."
"And why not?" Rikku demanded, arms akimbo.
"Because he's under arrest."
Gippal felt a sense of cold dread go down to his toes at the look in Cid's eyes as he said those words. It was a sense of triumph. He had found something out and the only way that was possible was if Seymour had talked. Tromell wouldn't have willingly ruined him. He couldn't speak, but Rikku certainly could and at that present moment was making full use of her vocal abilities.
"Are you insane?" she asked her father, pushing at his chest to clear the way, "We've got more important things to worry about than your pathetic grudge."
"More important things that seeing that the man who destroyed home suffers for what he's done?"
Rikku groaned in exasperation, "Gippal didn't have anything to do with that!"
"Actually, he did." Cid said, smirking triumphantly at Gippal, "I received a telephone call today telling me that if I wanted to find out who lead the Guado to Home, all I needed to do was talk to Tromell." Rikku paused and Cid continued, "Tromell didn't oust Gippal on his own, but when I asked him if Gippal was responsible, Tromell's silence spoke volumes to me."
Rikku's momentary silence was gone as quickly as it had come, "You're being stupid. Gippal wouldn't do anything like that." She grabbed for Gippal's hand and pulled him a few steps forward, "Tell him he's being ridiculous!"
Gippal wanted so badly to lie. He wanted to deny the accusations until his last breath. But he couldn't. The more he lied, the worse it would be when the truth came out. He hadn't meant for anything to happen. It just had. He sighed, "It's true, Rikku. I led the Guado to Home."
He heard Paine's gasp and Rikku's yelp as she wrenched her hand from his as if it was burnt. She fixed her wide green eyes on his, "…what…?"
"He just confessed, Rikku." Cid stated, motioning toward his burly Al Bhed, "Arrest him, boys."
Gippal raised his hands to ward them off, "Wait a minute Cid." He said, causing the men to pause, "We've got the potential end of the world on our hands. We're just going to try and find Yuna and Tidus. Seymour is back. So is this psycho sorceress. We've got to deal with that first."
"You deserve prison time!"
Gippal shrugged, "You've waited two years. What's a few more hours?"
Cid was thoughtful for a moment and then he called his men off, "On one condition, murderer. We come with you and arrest you as soon as this is over."
"Deal."
"Well then…" Cid said with a smug smile, "Let's go."
Paine and Seifer followed Cid and his burly men out but neither Gippal nor Rikku moved at first. She was still in shock and Gippal saw that, but he also knew if she would just let him explain then everything would be okay. He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she backed away, lifting tear-reflected eyes to his, "Please…don't touch me…" she whispered before she turned to follow the others out of the room leaving Gippal no alternative other than to do the same.
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Light shone into the small room and awakened Nooj abruptly. He felt LeBlanc stir beside him but he gently put his finger over her mouth to keep her silent. The outline of Seymour was blatant and behind him was Rinoa/Ultimecia.
"Wakey wakey!" the female said in a Rikku-esque voice, oozing perky out of every word, "It's almost time! We've got to get the three of you ready!"
"Ready for what?" Nooj demanded.
She stared at him in the dark, "You don't remember me, do you?"
"Should I?"
She shrugged, "No matter. You'll remember me – and our love – soon enough."
Nooj seriously doubted that. He'd never seen this woman before in his life. Yet…maybe she wasn't referring to this life, but another. It didn't really matter, though. Nooj wasn't going to leave LeBlanc and shack up with a lover from a past life. It just wasn't going to happen.
As Seymour made his way toward them with the keys to release Squall and LeBlanc from their bonds, Nooj waited for his chance to strike out and carry out the plan the three of them had laid out.
Their escape depended on what was going to happen within the next few minutes.
Seymour stopped just short of Squall, standing an equal distance between the former and Nooj and LeBlanc. He looked over his shoulder at the woman behind him and she nodded, lifting her hands, "Sleep…sleep….sleep…." she chanted quietly.
Nooj wanted to curse loudly at his bad luck, but instead he felt his eyelids drooping and he couldn't fight to keep them open. He sank into oblivion…
The next thing he remembered was feeling his arms and legs in shackles. He lifted his lids to find that he had been chained to a wall. He quickly located Squall and LeBlanc – both starting to wake up – chained to two cement slabs that lay in the middle of the room. The next thing Nooj realized was that he was in the Zanarkand Chamber of the Fayth. He didn't have time to figure out how they had gotten there or even where the cement slabs had come from. He didn't even think much when he saw Seymour come around the corner wielding a gigantic sword, twice his size. Ultimecia was behind him, but she wasn't carrying anything. Yet, her presence was even more frightening than the sight of the sword.
"Why are you doing this to us?" LeBlanc shrieked, squirming against her chains.
Ultimecia smirked and walked toward her, "Shut up, or I'll have Seymour dice you before it's time for that."
"If you're going to kill me anyway, why should I be quiet, love?" snipped LeBlanc back.
"Because, when I plan on killing you it will be swift." Replied Ultimecia, "If you make me have him cut you now, it'll be slow and tortuous so that you'll die exactly when I need you to."
LeBlanc wisely shut her mouth.
Ultimecia went to Squall then, and ran a hand gently over his face, "I always loved your face. So handsome…" she whispered and then sighed, "It's too bad your soul isn't the right one. We might have had some fun if it was."
It was in that instant that Nooj realized what was going on.
LeBlanc and Squall weren't going to make it out of this mess. But he was. Because he was the soul she longed for. He should have figured it out long ago. Everybody else seemed to have a past life. Now he realized that he did too. And Ultimecia was going to sacrifice the two people before him so that he'd get that life back.
With that realization, Nooj realized that he needed to distract her. There had to be a way to keep her from carrying through with her plans until his friends could find them. He knew that they must be looking for him. He just needed to give them more time.
"How did I die?" he asked her, quietly. He was trying to give the impression of suddenly coming awake after a long sleep. He wanted her to think that he was beginning to remember. When he saw her eyes light up, he knew he was doing a good job.
"Are you beginning to remember me, my love?"
Nooj kept himself from cringing at the 'my love' remark and forced himself to nod, "I'm not sure. I think so…"
It seemed to be working. He was so grateful that she had momentarily forgotten about everything else, but he had forgotten about Seymour. The man grunted gruffly, "You've got to be joking. You can't honestly believe him. He's just trying to get you to let them go."
Nooj wanted nothing more than to jump down the man's throat, but to his surprise Ultimecia did it for him, "Don't talk about him like that!" she shouted, "You don't know what he's remembering and what he's not remembering."
Seymour threw the sword on the ground, "I won't watch you do this. You're just throwing everything away and I won't be a party to it!"
"Fine, go! I don't need you anymore anyway!"
Seymour glared at her, "Fulfill our bargain, and I'll be happy to go."
She groaned and lifted her arms to him, "Fithos…lusec….vecos…venosec…." she hissed quietly, her fingers moving in time with the words. Nothing appeared to happen and yet Seymour smiled.
"Thank you." Seymour said, touching his chest in an almost reverent way, "Now that I'm back to normal, Yuna will pay for what she's done."
"Go." Ultimecia stated, pointing at the door, "I don't want to look at you anymore."
He shrugged, "Fine by me. But don't say I didn't warn you. He's a shrewd one."
"Go!"
Nooj said a silent thank you as Seymour stormed from the room. Now he only had to convince Ultimecia to let him go and that'd be one problem out of the way. She pressed her body up against his and Nooj stifled a groan of disgust. She ran her tongue over his ear, "Tell me what you remember…"
Nooj cursed in his mind. He didn't remember anything. He was making it all up. He stared at Squall in panic, pleading for help. Squall nodded and mouthed two words. Nooj quickly said, "Falling stars…"
Ultimecia pulled back and smiled, "The falling stars on the night we met. It was so romantic."
"Absolutely."
"Anything else?"
Nooj decided to push the envelope a bit and leaned in to whisper, "Release me, and I'll show you…"
Ultimecia pressed eager fingers against his waist, "I don't need to untie you for that."
"But it'd be better, don't you think?" he hissed back, trying to hide his disgust, "I want to touch you, hold you, hug you…"
"Do you remember the first time you hugged me?" she asked as she let his arms loose.
He peered over her at Squall, but this time she noticed and spun in time to see Squall mouth the word 'Timber'. Her eyes were flashing in fury as she turned back to Nooj, "Seymour was right. You are lying to me!"
Nooj was in a panic. He felt his heart was going to beat out of his chest. This was not good! He opened his mouth and stammered, "It's not like you think, my sweet. Squall was just…helping me…supplying me with the …uh… information so you wouldn't be disappointed."
Her fury calmed for a moment, "So you do know who you are…?"
"Yes!" he cried, pouncing on that hope, "I just am a little rusty on the details."
She gave him a weak smile, "Well, once this is over you won't be rusty on any details."
"What are you going to do?"
"You're going to be getting your body back once I perform the chant and stick a sword through this little bitch's gullet." She turned to walk away from him, but Nooj grabbed her arm. She turned her angry eyes on him, "What are you doing?"
Nooj put on his most disarming smile, "Let's wait for that for a little while." He suggested, "I just can't wait another minute to touch you."
He saw jealousy flash in LeBlanc's eyes but had to ignore it as Ultimecia came sauntering seductively toward him, "You really can't wait just a few more minutes?"
"No…"
She was within his reach now and he grabbed her with both arms. His first instinct was to snap her neck, but his legs were still in shackles and the key was on the other side of the room. He needed her alive to reach it. So, stifling a groan of disgust, Nooj pulled her into a passionate kiss.
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Tidus held Yuna firmly in his arms for several minutes. It was almost as if he was afraid of letting her go. Yuna was content to be in his arms again. It felt like an eternity since he had held her like this.
She looked up into his eyes and answered his smile with one of her own. She still wasn't sure what was going on. Tidus was holding her, and yet Shuyin was holding her as well. Inside Tidus' eyes she could see the pain of two lifetimes, although he hadn't lived one of them. So, in some strange way Lenne had gotten Shuyin back.
"What are you thinking?" he asked her.
She nuzzled his neck, "How much I love you."
"I love you too." He replied, pulling her closer to him and kissing her neck softly, "So much…"
Reluctantly loosening his grip on her, Yuna gazed up into his eyes, "This isn't over yet, you know. We still have to deal with Seymour." She grinned, ruefully, "Not to mention that I have a few choice words for a certain fayth…"
Tidus laughed quietly, "Eh, leave ol' Bruttam alone. Everything'll be fine. He can't change what's passed."
"But look what he's done to us!"
"But we're together again." He retorted, "It's all worked out okay."
Yuna nodded, "We are together…but for how long? An hour? A day? A week? When will I lose you again?" she sighed and stood, stretching her long limbs against the growing tenseness, "We need to get rid of Seymour if I'm to ever stand a chance of having you forever."
"I know we need to get rid of Seymour," Tidus conceded, rising with her, "but he's not the reason this is happening again. Ultimecia is the one that brought Shuyin back. The shadow did it the first time, but Ultimecia did it this time. She's the one we need to get rid of."
"But…she's dead!" Yuna cried, turning in frustration and pulling on her hair, "Shuyin was saying the same thing to me, but you killed her. I just don't understand."
"Yuna…we both know that the dead are capable of controlling the bodies of others."
Yuna nodded, "I know you mean Rikku. I mean…it makes sense, I just don't know who she'd be using now. Or what her plan would be."
Yuna sighed again and sat down on the arm of the sofa. Her mind was going a mile a minute and showed no signs of stopping. She just wanted this to be over, but knew it wouldn't be until she could unravel this mystery. Her mind traveled back to when she had met Lady Ultimecia for the first time in Bevelle. The woman had made her uncomfortable, mentioning Tidus like she knew what it was like to lose someone.
Yuna remembered seeing Tidus kill her. Rikku had passed out just seconds afterward, so it stood to reason that it was then that Rikku was possessed. Yet, Rikku was fine now. Everybody around her seemed fine. So who was Ultimecia using? Was she using Seymour? Yuna shook her head in answer to her own question. Seymour wasn't the type to be used. If he was helping her, he had his own reasons for it.
Why would Ultimecia want LeBlanc…? It just didn't make any sense. She was obviously from the dream world, so why didn't she take Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Selphie or any of the others…?
Rinoa…!
Yuna gasped. Why hadn't she realized it before? She had noticed the startling similarity between the two, but had pushed it from her mind without really thinking about how strange it was. She turned her eyes to Tidus, "Rinoa…"
"Rinoa? What about her?"
"I should have paid more attention to it." Yuna replied, standing and walking toward him, "They look so much alike…like…they're the same person."
Tidus lifted a brow, "The same person?" he frowned in thought, "I remember seeing her with Seymour back during your pilgrimage when we were in Luca. I thought Rinoa looked like her too the first time I saw her." Then he paused, "Shuyin…Shuyin saw her too…"
"He did?!"
"He saw her briefly at a party for Squall. Squall was dancing with her."
Yuna bit her lip and began to pace. She had long since noticed that pacing helped her think and she employed that practice now, "Bear with me. I'm thinking out loud." She said to Tidus as she began to talk, "If Shuyin remembers seeing Ultimecia with Squall, then that means that Ultimecia is from real Zanarkand and is over 1000 years old!" she stopped, "But that would mean that Squall is 1000 years old too…"
"Not necessarily." Tidus suggested, "Maybe the Squall we know is a dream of the one that lived a long time ago. That's what I always thought."
"You're right…" Yuna said, shaking her head at her own stupidity, "I looked Squall up. He and all the other people you were with are dreams of the original group. They were Yunalesca's guardians when she fought Sin."
Tidus smiled, "Quite a crew."
"Quite…" Yuna agreed, continuing her pacing, "So then Ultimecia never died? Maybe being a sorceress gives you that ability. She never died, but Squall – her love – did."
"And she is back to get him back!" Tidus finished her thought with relish, pumping his arms in the air, "I think we got it!"
"I think so too." She said, happily, but sobered, "But how is she going about it? Why not just take Squall and go? Why do all this?"
Tidus frowned in thought, "She wouldn't want the Squall we know. He's not the man she loves. He's a dream. He's different. She'd want the one she fell in love with and she'd also want to look the way he would remember her. So she must be controlling Rinoa's body. And she would need Squall's body."
"And she needed Shuyin because he knew how to bring souls back…"
"Exactly…"
Yuna bit her lip, "But he didn't help her."
"So she got Seymour…"
"But what does Seymour know about this?" she asked.
"Probably nothing," Tidus replied, "But all great evils have a Plan B. He was probably hers. I mean, maybe with Shuyin's help the switch would have been clean, but now it has to be messy."
"Maybe…" conceded Yuna, "but the question now is, who would Squall be in this time?"
Tidus leaned back against the wall and sighed, "Well, considering that both of us ended up being very similar to the way we used to be, I'd wager that it'd be the same for him. Squall is a quiet…"
"So was Baralai…Nooj is that way…Gippal definitely can be when something is bothering him…Brother…Buddy…"
"Squall is a loner…keeps his thoughts to himself mostly…"
"That fits Nooj, Buddy…heck, even Isaaru!" she sighed in exasperation, "We need to go about this another way. Everybody has at least one of Squall's characteristics and the person with none of them just might be the guy we're looking for."
"Who says it's a guy?" teased Tidus.
Yuna glared at him good naturedly, "You really want to make things difficult, don't you?"
He came toward her and pulled her into a tight embrace, "I'm just trying to make the best out of a bad situation." He replied, kissing the tip of her nose gently.
"I know…"
He pressed his lips gently against her own and Yuna stifled a moan as a loud curse echoed just outside the house. Tidus and Yuna dropped to their knees and crawled silently to the window, peering carefully out.
Seymour was bending to lift an errant boulder which he had slammed his foot against in his hurry across the road. Yuna bit her lip. He certainly seemed angry, but she couldn't figure out why. Had he been dismissed by Ultimecia?
He cast an angry glare back in the direction of the old blitzball stadium before continuing his angry pace up the hill and out of their sight.
Tidus looked at Yuna and she at him before they both smiled. Tidus grabbed her hand, "I think we know where to find our sorceress…"
"I think so too." She replied, turning and quickly retrieving the borrowed book she had come to get. She grinned at Tidus, "Just in case we need it…" she explained and at his nod, she followed him quietly out of the house and toward the stadium.
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It was a tense hour in the cockpit of the Celsius. Cid's burly guards kept their guns focused on Gippal's head as if afraid that he'd suddenly attempt to run. It wasn't like he had anywhere to go. Without wings, he'd just plunge to his death. He'd rather take his chances in the Al Bhed court than die a coward.
He tried to catch Rikku's glance, but she kept her eyes firmly away from his own as she sat stiffly on Shinra's chair. Her back was ramrod straight and her face was partially masked by a shadow that cascaded across her right side, but Gippal could see that she was struggling not to cry. He hated knowing he'd upset her. He wanted nothing more than to rush to her and explain it all away, but he didn't think she'd listen.
And even if she did, he'd be shot before he could get up…
Why hadn't he just told her before? It was a question that had been plaguing him since they had boarded the Celsius to search for Yuna. But it had the same answer as the question about his parentage…because he was scared. He still hadn't discussed how he came to be Baralai's brother or who his parents were. That too hung between them in unspoken question. He had to make things right…
Without paying much heed to the burly Al Bhed, Gippal leaned forward, "Rikku…" he whispered to gain her attention.
Cid glared at him, "Sit up! Leave her be. You've done enough."
He caught Rikku's eyes and pleaded silently for just a moment of her time. He just needed to explain, and then if she didn't forgive him he'd understand. He just didn't want her to damn him without an explanation. She stood slowly, her eyes never wavering from his own, "It's all right, Pop. I think he does owe me an explanation."
Cid glowered at Gippal but told his men to let him stand. He pointed a finger in Gippal's face and Gippal had to stifle the urge to bite it, "I'll be right here. Don't think I won't hear her scream."
"Do you actually think I'd hurt her?" retorted Gippal, more stung by the accusation than angered by it, "I love her…"
"Bah!" was Cid's response. Gippal didn't even bother to continue the argument. The man was incorrigible and it was best to just let the subject drop. The person he needed was Rikku. She was the only one whose opinion mattered.
He followed her silently up the stairs and into the hall just beyond the bridge where she stopped. The look in her eyes told him that she wouldn't deal with any bull-shit. She wanted the truth and that's just what he was going to give her.
"I know what you must be thinking…" he began.
She shook her head, "No. I don't think you do."
"You think I'm a killer…" he continued, frowning as the words poured from his mouth, "A liar, a fraud, a user, a cheat…"
Rikku shook her head again and then, to his surprise, took his hands in her own, "I'm thinking that you're the man I love." She said, gently, "I'm thinking that I'm furious with you for not telling me, but I figured it was the same as your being half Yevonite. You were ashamed of your part in it." She touched his cheek gently, "I know you wouldn't have done it on purpose. Seymour had them follow you, didn't he?"
"Yes." He admitted quietly, lowering his eyes as shame took over him at the memory of that horrible day. He had to tell Rikku the whole truth before it burned a hole inside of him, "It was my first – and only – assignment as a Crimson Squad member. I was to intercept Yuna and her guardians as they made their way through her pilgrimage. I was supposed to kidnap Yuna and take her to Seymour, then…" he paused and swallowed hard, "…kill her guardians."
"Kill…?"
Gippal nodded sadly, "I said I'd do it, but realized as soon as I walked out the door that, order or no order, I couldn't kill you or anybody else." He sighed and leaned his weight against the nearby wall, "I made my way back to Bikinel and when I got to the Moonflow, I felt like I was being watched. I stopped and looked around, but saw no one and kept going. I think that's when they started following me."
"Probably…"
"I spoke to Auron at Bikinel and told him what I'd been ordered to do. Then on of the panicked workman came running up, shouting that Home was under attack."
Rikku took in a ragged breath and leaned into his chest, her forehead firm against it. He felt her shake her head, "I can't believe Pop is determined to get you for something you didn't do." She said, "You couldn't have stopped them from following you. They would have found us anyway if they were determined." She sighed and looked up at him, "We should just tell Pop what you told me. He just has to understand."
"He won't, Rikku." Gippal replied, pushing a stray strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, "We both know he won't."
"So we're just going to let him arrest you?"
"Let's just get this whole mess taken care of first, and then we'll deal with your father."
Rikku groaned but nodded, "I suppose you're right. One thing at a time…"
"Exactly."
"Hey you two!" Paine's head shot in from the door, "We're over Zanarkand. Yuna and Shuyin or Tidus or whoever are heading toward the blitzball stadium."
"Let's do this." Rikku cried, "Time for some bloodshed!"
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"Shhh!" came the hissed command and the rest of the group was silent. Crouching down low, he peaked his head into the stadium entrance and saw nothing but black. He turned back, "They must be in the Chamber of the Fayth." He whispered, "We've gotta be quiet and quick about it."
The woman next to him nodded, "I agree. We have to take them by surprise if we're going to save the victims."
Footsteps came from just beyond the hill and he pulled on her hand and waved for the others to follow. Rushing quietly into a corner, they waited in the dark for the intruders to show themselves. The sunlight was shining from their backs, but he distinctly saw a blonde head, followed by a brunette. His eyes caught on shining light from the hip of the blonde and he gasped.
Chappu's sword…
His brother's sword…
Tidus and Yuna made their way down the rocky incline, holding onto each other for balance. The small group was still hidden in the darkness and it was obvious to him that they hadn't noticed. He stood slowly and made himself known to them.
Yuna gasped, "Wakka! What are you doing here?"
"We could ask you the same question…" came Lulu's response as she extricated herself from the darkness as well. Behind her, slowly and almost hesitantly, came Irvine, Selphie, Quistis, Laguna, and Zell – the remnants of Tidus' dream world residents who weren't missing and presumed dead.
Wakka eyed Tidus suspiciously, "Eh…which one are you now, ya?"
"I'm back to normal, Wakka…" Tidus replied with a grin, "Well…mostly."
"What do you mean mostly?" asked Lulu with a raised brow.
"He remembers being Shuyin, which is weird but then again, I remember being Lenne." Answered Yuna.
Laguna shrugged, "I don't know what's going on." He said, "All I know is that I want to get this mess over with." He lifted his gun and Irvine did the same, "Let's get going."
"Are you sure they were heading this way?"
"Yes!"
"Well I don't see them."
"Will you shut up?!"
Yuna spun around, the sound of the voices shocking her when she recognized the stern tone of Paine. Her eyes had to adjust to the light, but she saw her then. Paine – looking no worse for wear than she had been the last time she'd seen her. Just behind Paine was Seifer and Yuna could tell from the shocked gasps, that the dream residents had held about as much hope for Seifer as she herself had done for Paine.
Rikku, Gippal, Cid and two Al Bhed's she'd never seen before completed the ensemble. She grinned, "Reinforcements…"
"Yunie!" shrieked Rikku as she fairly flew the rest of the way and held her cousin in a tight hug, "I'm so glad you're okay. We didn't know where to look so we started flying everywhere and then we saw you and Shuyin heading this way so here we are!"
Yuna extricated herself from the hug, "It's not Shuyin…" she said with a huge smile, "It's Tidus."
Rikku gaped at the blitzer, "For how long this time?"
"Hopefully it'll be permanent." He replied, giving her arm a squeeze, "I'm much like Yuna now. I remember Shuyin's life so hopefully he won't be taking over completely anymore."
Yuna tuned out the rest of the conversation as she slowly approached Paine and Seifer. For having been 'dead' in the Farplane for over two weeks, her friends looked surprisingly good. Yuna stared at them and then finally managed, "…how?"
"We've got Baralai to thank." Explained Paine, "He got us into the Glen just in time."
"But…why were you…?"
"We wanted to talk to the fayth. And we did. We found out some very interesting information about Tidus and Shuyin, but it can wait. We've got to deal with the end of the world as we know it first."
"I think Rinoa is Ultimecia." Yuna said.
Seifer shrugged, "Then that makes two of us."
Yuna hugged Paine, "I'm so glad you're okay. You too Seifer." She smiled and then turned to Wakka and Lulu, "So how'd you two end up here?"
Wakka smiled, "Lu's pretty smart. Just told her what we knew, and she figured it out all by herself."
"Impressive, Lulu."
"Thanks."
Yuna gazed from one face to another. The old, the young, and the in-between. All of them had come for one purpose and for one purpose only – to stop Ultimecia from doing whatever she planned to do. Yuna felt like laughing. Every time she saved the world, she had a bigger group of people to rely on. What would happen the next time? Would she have an entire city?
She hoped she'd never have to find out.
She took a deep breath. Everyone was looking at her expectantly. It must be the time for her 'let's go get 'em' speech. She spoke slowly and determinedly, "We don't know what Ultimecia's plan is. We don't know what Seymour's plan is. We don't know if the missing people are alive or dead? We don't know if Rinoa really is Ultimecia or if it's just a coincidence. Heck, sometimes we barely know one another – or ourselves. But we do know one thing…" she grinned and gazed from one face to another once again before she finished, "It ends here."