Chapter Three: Return Of The Leblanc Syndicate
Amanda's Ramble:
Amanda: First, let me address my first reviewer. long pause How the hell am I a copycat? And why were you too chickenshit to leave your email so that this could be discussed privately instead of out here in the public, so that I have a chance to humiliate you? Not very smart of you, dear. How can I copycat a story I created? It's not possible. The sequel to Lovely Dreamer is just that, a sequel, so of course some of the same characters will make an appearance. Christ, why are some people so stupid? So, unless you want to present truth that I'm a copycat (which there is none, because this story idea is MINE), then keep your mouth shut. Thank you.
Lianna: Yes, a sequel! Wheee! Of course there will be more. I couldn't just leave poor Auron all by his lonesome.
The 1 who thought he got away: I'm glad you liked the first story. Once again, I couldn't just end the saga there. There must be more! And lots lots more! Hee hee, besides, I wanted to make Ophelia a Gullwing, anyway, so she could wear the cute outfits. Plus, think about Auron wearing the sphere changes. O.O Let's think about the gunner or Lady Luck one for this. XD
Auron: I don't find that amusing.
Amanda: Aww, you know we want to see you in those booty shorts.
Auron: /.O
They gathered in the bridge, and Ophelia didn't miss the look that passed between Rikku and Yuna as she and Auron entered, still hand in hand. Jeez, guaranteed, they'd corner her later and want to know every detail of the conversation.
Buddy turned in his seat. "We're picking up sphere waves from those ruins they found at the top of Mt. Gagazet."
Rikku facevaulted. "Y'mean we're going to have to climb up there?"
Ophelia agreed silently. It would take days to get to the top. What was the good of using machina now if you still had to climb a mountain like that? "Nah," Buddy turned back to his screen, waving a hand at Rikku. "We'll drop you off at the top. Go take a nap or something while we're waiting."
Rikku stuck her tongue out at Buddy's back and turned to Ophelia. "Well, we've got to get you all suited up. C'mon." She grabbed Ophelia's free hand and drug her away from Auron, and she giggled as she almost tripped over her own feet. When she regained her balance, she followed Rikku to the elevator, aware that Yuna was close on her heels. Paine was also coming, but only because Yuna was dragging her much the same way Rikku had Ophelia. Well, they certainly were eager to get back into her private life, weren't they?
The four of them were cramped in the small space, and much to Ophelia's dismay, being the shortest, she was breast level with everyone, and nearly suffocated on the ride down to the cabin. She supposed if she were male or at least, attracted to females, it would have been very pleasant, but as it was, she wasn't, and she couldn't breath. So, it was a great relief when the doors of the elevator slid open and they all started out. She was able to reach fresh air again, and stood breathing a moment before following the others to the cabin.
The door shut and they were alone in the cabin, with the exception of the hypello behind the bar. Yuna walked a few paces away from Ophelia then turned on her heel, and Ophelia knew the inquisition was about to begin.
"So....You and Auron talk?"
Ophelia sighed, and took a decidedly Auron-like pose. "Yes."
A few long moments passed. "And?" Yuna put her hands on her hips, giving Ophelia an impatient look.
"We talked." Rikku nudged her ribs. "Oh, alright already! We yelled at each other, then we talked. Everything's okay now, I think."
"Looks like you were doing a little more than talking to me," Rikku said with a sly grin. Ophelia flushed, making her cousin and sister giggle. "That was awful cozy for just 'talking'."
"Shut up, Rikku. I thought you were going to get me 'suited up'." Ophelia crossed her arms and glared at the other two. "Can't you control them?" she asked, directing her look at Paine.
"They don't listen to me. I gave up a long time ago." "Okay, okay!" Rikku dug around in her satchel and pulled out a flat stone tablet, it's surface traced with many interconnecting curved grooves. Colored marbles were set into some of the pits on its surface.
"What's this?"
"A sphere grid." Yuna came up and took it from Ophelia. "These marbles are dresspheres. When you want to use one, you just press on it. In yours you have, let's see." Yuna inspected it a moment. "Ah. Songstress, gunner, thief and warrior. That's the only ones we have right now."
"Uh, so I just push it?" Ophelia took the sphere grid and looked over it again, picking the sphere in the far right. She pressed it, and was surrounded by blinding light. When she could open her eyes, she glanced down at herself. "What the hell is this?" She was wearing nothing more than underwear in her opinion. Brightly coloured underwear, and she was holding rounded blades. "No. See? This is not jiving." She pushed the marble again sighed with relief to be back in her black leather. "I'll worry about it later."
"What's wrong with the theif outfit?" Rikku gave Ophelia a pouty look.
"Nothing, if you don't mind showing off everything you've got. We all know I'm a super prude." She stuffed the grid into her own satchel. "C'mon, let's get back to the bridge."
Ophelia gazed at the floating ruins above the peak of Mt. Gagazet, in awe. "It's hard to believe something this big stayed hidden for a thousand years."
"Well, not everyone had an airship two years ago." Rikku said as she bounced farther up the trail. With an envious sigh, Ophelia followed, gingerly inching along. God, she hated heights. Her steps were slow, and she put one foot before the other, carefully making sure not to look down. She saw Auron up ahead, and smiled to herself. It was odd, not seeing him in his usual red jacket and collar. He now opted for something similar to her own black leather catsuit, if a bit baggier. But his glasses were still firmly in place, and his boots were still the same. She edged her way next to him, glancing up.
"Auron? You okay? You're looking a little....green." Auron shot her a dirty look and took a deep breath. He did, in fact, look green. "C'mon? What's wrong?" Her face creased with worry, and she placed a hand on his arm. Auron glanced around to make sure the others were out of earshot. He leaned down, pulling her closer, and she shivered when his warm breath brushed her ear.
"I'm......I'm....Well, I don't like heights." Ophelia patted his arm. "Boy, do I understand. Let's get moving. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave."
Auron hefted his blade onto his shoulder. "Agreed." They moved along together, and Ophelia found herself wishing he still wore his red jacket, so she'd have something to cling to. But his outfit at the moment didn't allow for her to do so, as most of it hugged him like a second skin. So she just stuck close to his tall form, firmly keeping her eyes between his shoulder blades. After Yuna's slip earlier, she was taking no chances.
She saw Rikku, Yuna, and Paine enter the ruins, scrambling up the rubble, and swallowed. Why had she agreed to come again? Oh, right. Auron. She rolled her eyes. The things she had done for that man. How many times was it now, that she'd been nearly killed? How many times had she followed him into the gaping mouth of hell just because she loved him? Many. They reached the rubble, and Auron stood aside, letting her start climbing first, most probably to be there behind her if she happened to slip. Always the guardian, she thought with an inward smile.
They made it to the top, to a wide, cracked platform. Ophelia took a deep breath, and steadied herself with the masemune. Why in God's name did it have to be at the top of the mountain? She glanced over at Auron, who looked just as relieved to be in an area wider than a man's shoulders.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Dullwings." The five turned as one to see the woman who's stolen Yuna's dresssphere fanning herself.
"Ah," Yuna said, a brow raised. "The thief."
"What'd you do, follow us up here?" This garnered the woman's gaze to Ophelia, and she leaned more on the masemune, crossing her arms on it's hilt.
"Well, it seems as though you four have called in the big guns. I suppose amateurs like yourself would need the help of a famous sphere hunter like her." She jerked her thumb in Ophelia's direction.
"Oh, I didn't think the great Leblanc would have noticed my little exploits." Ophelia's mouth curved in an evil grin. "After all, I'm just a blip on the radar." "I hardly call Ninoc a blip on the radar," Leblanc shot back, frowning. "You've been sucking up every sphere in Spira."
"Ninoc?" Yuna eyed her a moment. "That's you?" When Ophelia nodded, Yuna shook her head. "But Ninoc is always all over Spira. How in the world do you travel so fast?"
"Hello? Living aeon here. Wings." Ophelia turned back to Leblanc. "And just why did you follow us up here? Can't find spheres on your own?"
Leblanc sputtered. "Like I said, amateurs. You have no concept of what it takes to be a true sphere hunter." Just then, Ormi and Logos came up behind her.
"You was right, boss."
"Indeed. Following them has paid off splendidly." Leblanc turned red as Rikku and Yuna giggled, and Paine and Auron took eerily alike poses of amusement. Ophelia only smiled and straightened.
"Well, am I going to have to kick your ass again, Leblanc, or are you going to tuck your tail between your legs and slink away, and leave the job to the real professionals?" She slung the masemune over her shoulder and grinned. "I so hope it's the former."
Leblanc snorted. "Your wish is my command, luvs." She began casting a spell, but before she could finish, Ophelia rushed up and, with more agility than any of her former traveling companions knew she had, hit Leblanc square on the head with the butt of the masemune, knocking her out cold.
"Well," Ophelia said to a shocked Ormi and Logos, "tell your boss it was fun when she wakes up. Laters." She waggled her fingers at them with a wide grin and started back up the trail, seemingly leaping over the crack in the platform with ease. Once on the other side, she took a deep breath and climbed a set of stairs onto a small ledge, sensing the others behind her.
"Well, which way do you suggest we go....Ninoc?" Auron asked, amusement prevalent in his voice. Ophelia rolled her eyes and scanned the territory.
"That way." She pointed into the gaping mouth of an old building. "I guarantee you it's shortcut to the top." They entered, and began moving through, following Ophelia's lead.
"You've been here before," Paine stated.
Ophelia nodded. "Yeah, but it started storming like crazy before I got to the top, so I hightailed it out of her in a hurry. Even living aeons die when slammed against rocks." She jumped over a pit and kept moving, letting the others follow. They moved through the crumbling building in silence, and when they were back in the open air, Ophelia breathed a sigh of relief. "That place looked like it could fall apart at any second."
Rikku yelped. "Why didn't you say anything."
"As long as we kept moving we were alright. I didn't see any point in saying anything." She turned to keep walking up the path, but two divebeaks came from nowhere and cornered her. "Great," she muttered, leveling her sword.
"No, we have to use the dresspheres!" Yuna cried. "You'll be too slow with that sword." Ophelia barely caught the last part, as a divebeak swooped in on her to peck a chunk out of her flesh, and she dived out of the way.
"Here goes nothing," she mumbled, pulling out the little slab of stone and pressing one of the stones at random. The blinding light encircled her once again, and this time she paid attention to what was happening. The magical wind ripped her clothes to shreds, but before anything was exposed, they were quickly replaced by new ones. She landed on her feet, and found herself in short denim shorts and a light purple camisole, high boots, and a half-skirt in darker shades of purple. The masemune had disappeared, leaving her with two small pistols. She noticed Rikku and Auron changing to the same dressphere, and Yuna in another, the same Leblanc had worn as Yuna's imposter.
It was a quick battle, and the two blinded divebeaks quickly exploded into pyreflies as Auron's last shot rang out. Ophelia sent him a quick glance and thought, He always was sexy in tight jeans. Bad Ophelia, you need to get moving!
"Okay..." she said, as she deactivated the dressphere. "That's definitely different. Let's get moving. You want to get that sphere, don't you?"
Ophelia sat nursing the cut on her shoulder from the huge Boris, waiting for Shinra to finish analyzing the sphere. "Damn crab. Why couldn't he have just spat bubbles?" "Why don't you just heal yourself?" Yuna cocked her head to one side. Ophelia nodded and cast a quick healing spell on herself, rotating her shoulder after the flesh melded back together.
"Don't know why I didn't think of that." She sighed, fingering the shredded leather of her suit's left shoulder. "'Course, there's no repairing this." She stood and stretched, all at once tired. This spherehunting gig gets old really fast," she said on a yawn. "Hey, where's everybody else? You know, Lulu and Wakka and Kimahri?"
Shinra turned in his seat and shook his head. "You really are clueless."
Ophelia shot him a dirty look. "And you're a snot nosed brat. But seriously. I haven't heard anything about them."
"Are you sitting down for this one?" Yuna asked, grinning. Ophelia raised a brow and motioned for Yuna to continue. "Wakka and Lulu are married."
Ophelia's mouth dropped open. "No. Are you serious? How in hell did that happen? Last I remember, they were at each other's throats."
"Hmm.." Rikku said mockingly, stroking her chin, "where has that happened before."
"They've been married a while now. And here's the big kicker, and the reason they're not here." Yuna leaned forward as if telling a big secret, her eyes wide. "Lulu's pregnant!"
Ophelia gasped. "They're going to have a kid? That's just freaky. I really have missed tons. What about Kimahri, what's he up to?"
"He's the ronso elder, now. We'll have to go visit him in a bit, so you can catch up with him."
Ophelia shook her head in amazement. "It's hard to take it all in. After all, a few months ago, I was thinking about how nice it would be to get back to the travel agency on Mi'ihen and take a bath, and when I pop back, everything's all topsy turvy. I mean, there's machina everywhere these days, and people are traveling and laughing. It's so odd."
"That's the twilight dream of the Eternal Calm," Auron commented, from his seat on the stairs. "On the surface, things appear to be peaceful, the way everyone wanted, but turmoil roils just beneath." "Okay, then, Mr. Gloom and Doom," Ophelia said, rolling her eyes. "And just what is this turmoil you're talking about?"
"New Yevon and the Youth League are already at each other's throats, two years into the Calm." Auron stretched his legs out and crossed them at the ankles, leaning over on the stairs to prop his chin in his hand. "Both want spheres, for very different aims. New Yevon wants to keep their contents secret from the rest of the world, while the Youth League wishes to share them with everyone, to give a better understanding of Spira's history."
"So, Yevon's back up to its old tricks, I see. Not that I've paid it any attention. I've kept myself clear of politics."
"Amazing, with you being who you are," Paine commented.
Ophelia shook her head. "That's the reason for the fake name. Everyone seems to be wondering what happened to poor summoner Ophelia, so it seemed best to go undercover. I wasn't going to let myself get pushed one way or the other. Seems like a whole lot of nothing, if you ask me."
Shinra turned in his seat. "I'm done with this sphere if you guys are done gossiping." Ophelia stuck out her tongue and went to Shinra's station with the others, and they grouped close around for a good look at the sphere's contents.
Besaid was wonderful. That was Ophelia's first thought, as they made their way through the woods surrounding the tiny village. She'd never had the chance to visit before, so she was soaking in every detail. It really was a lush tropical paradise, full of colors and sounds and smells enough to overwhelm a person, if they didn't keep their wits about them. After all, there were still fiends on the island, though not in the quantity she was sure had come before the defeat of Sin.
She kept pace with Auron, much like in the days of her pilgrimage, though they didn't speak on the trek to the village. She silently wondered what he must be thinking, and snuck a look up at him. His gaze was focused straight ahead, his face unreadable. Damn the man. Even without his collar, he could still keep a straight face. She turned back forward and kept a watch out for fiends, which was now a force of habit, as she had been traveling alone for the last two months.
They reached the village about mid day, and Ophelia resisted the urge to run off and explore, following the others to a familiar figure stepping into the sunlight and out of the shadows of the temple's overhang. She felt a grin part her lips as she took in the red hair and familiar blitzer's uniform, and that rediculous armguard. Nope, he certainly hadn't changed much, but he was getting slightly chubby about the middle, which made Ophelia chuckle silently to herself.
"Wakka!" Yuna ran forward and nearly toppled the red head with an enthusiastic hug, and a familar "Whoa!" was heard. The others caught up, and Yuna bounced away excitedly.
"I'm really sorry I ran off like that, Wakka."
"Ah," Wakka said, waving it off. "I figured you was alright. Lu was the one about to go into hysterics, ya?"
Yuna gave a guilty smile. "Oops."
"Wakka." Of course Auron would greet someone like that, Ophelia thought, rolling her eyes.
"Hey, Sir Auron. Didn't expect to see you." He turned to Rikku. "What's up, kid?"
"Aww, look at you, Tubby." She said, nudging him in the ribs.
"Hey, hey. I'm gonna be a father soon. Gotta have a little more presence." His gaze narrowed a moment on Paine and Ophelia. "And you two?"
"Oh!" Yuna laughed. "I'm sorry. This is Paine. She's a Gullwing. And this," she said, gesturing to Ophelia, "is someone you won't believe is back."
Wakka scratched his head. "Uh, we've met?"
"I would think so, Wakka." Yuna rolled her eyes. "Does the name 'Ophelia' mean anything to you?"
Wakka's eyes widened in recognition. "You're here, ya?" Ophelia nodded silently, and found herself pulled into a crushing hug. "Jumpin' shoopufs, maybe now Kimahri will calm down and stop being so hard on himself, ya?"
Ophelia would have answered, but she couldn't breathe. Wakka finally released her, and she felt the blood rush back into her head. "Damn it, Wakka, are you trying to kill me?" she laughed, when she could speak.
"Sorry, ya." He grinned sheepishly. "Hey, you better go see Lu, ya? She's been worried sick about you. I got some things to do."
Ophelia was the last to enter the tent, and felt her nerves set themselves on edge. After all, there was bad blood between herself and Lulu, and she didn't know how the black mage would react to seeing her again.
"Yuna, I was so worried." Lulu stood and embraced Yuna tightly, and when she stepped back, Ophelia could see her obvious new addition.
"I'm sorry, Lulu. But...I just had to go."
"I understand." Lulu patted Yuna's arm. "Auron," she said, bowing her head in greeting to the older man. He nodded back, and a dirty little thought crossed Ophelia's mind.
Since when are they on a first name basis?
Lulu gave Rikku a quick hug, and let her gaze pass over the obvious two additions to the group with mild interest before it returned to Yuna. "Take a walk with me, Yuna."
Ophelia sat outside the tent, waiting for Yuna to return, finding the dark interior too oppressing. She didn't hum to herself, as she once would have, but instead rested against one of the posts, her gaze unfocused. All sound had been tuned out, and she was now deep in her own thoughts, mulling over the changes in Spira. It was surreal, everything that was the same, and everything that was different.
Without realizing it, she was on her feet and headed toward the temple. It wouldn't hurt to pay a visit to the chamber of the fayth that would have been hers, could it? And to pay a visit to her father's statue, whom she wished, for the first time, was still here.
The temple was dark, and, strangely enough, there was a single ethereal voice singing the hymn of the fayth. She raised a brow, but paused before her father's statue, and laid a hand against the stone robe.
"Dad," she whispered, "I feel...out of place. Would you, if you were here?" She bowed her head a moment before moving on and up the stairs leading to the cloister of trials. She moved through with ease, as the cloister was open, and soon came to the anteroom of the chambers of the fayth. One door stood open, the other, closed. It seemed disheartening in a way. The priests shouldn't have left it that way.
She moved up the steps to the closed door, and was more than a little surprised when the door slid upward. On guard, she stepped though it, and the door slid shut again, making her jump. Was she trapped?
She shook her head and moved forward into the opening where ghostly light streamed through, nearly having a heart attack at seeing the fayth floating there.
"You.....you're supposed to be gone," she said, coming to stand before it.
"Lady Mage, we can't leave without you finishing what you were born to do," the male fayth said. "You're job is not yet finished. Come, and pray. The answers will come, in time."
It was getting dark. Auron narrowed his gaze through the growing shadows, a frown pulling at his mouth. "Where could she have gone?"
Rikku shrugged. "Maybe she went to the temple?"
"I've checked it. She's not there."
Just then, a figure came sprinting through the dark, and the torchlight from the front of Wakka and Lulu's tent lit Ophelia's face. Her eyes were wide, her pallor pale.
"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit," she was muttering as she ran past them, into the tent. Auron and Rikku shared a look before stepping in after her.
"Yuna, we got a BIG problem," Ophelia sputtered, once inside. Yuna looked up from where she was sitting next to Lulu, her eyes wide.
"The Leblanc Synidcate?"
"Oh, to hell with Leblanc. It's much bigger than a sphere rivalry." Ophelia took a deep breath, and Auron realized she was close to collapsing.
"Lulu, do you have an extra seat?" Lulu pointed, her eyes focused on the trembling girl before her, and Auron went to get it, nearly having to force Ophelia into a sitting position, as she was completely rigid.
"Alright, what's wrong?"
"You....you had to have seen it...It was...so wrong...but..." She was hysterical. Anyone could see that. Yuna came over and knelt before her.
"Take your time."
A few minutes passed while Ophelia collected herself, and she closed her eyes for most of it, just breathing. Finally, she opened them once more, and looked around. "The fayth....It was waiting for me....after all of this time."
"What?" Yuna's eyes widened. "But the fayth were sent, with the defeat of Sin."
"Not mine. Apparently, I'm not done. Look at me, the last summoner in Spira." Hysterical laughter bubbled up from deep inside, and earned a strange look from Lulu.
"How can fayth still be in the temple. There was only one other person who could have the other fayth, and she's-"Lulu stopped, her one visible eye widening. "Ophelia?"
Finally, Chapter 3 is finished.
Amanda's Ramble:
Amanda: First, let me address my first reviewer. long pause How the hell am I a copycat? And why were you too chickenshit to leave your email so that this could be discussed privately instead of out here in the public, so that I have a chance to humiliate you? Not very smart of you, dear. How can I copycat a story I created? It's not possible. The sequel to Lovely Dreamer is just that, a sequel, so of course some of the same characters will make an appearance. Christ, why are some people so stupid? So, unless you want to present truth that I'm a copycat (which there is none, because this story idea is MINE), then keep your mouth shut. Thank you.
Lianna: Yes, a sequel! Wheee! Of course there will be more. I couldn't just leave poor Auron all by his lonesome.
The 1 who thought he got away: I'm glad you liked the first story. Once again, I couldn't just end the saga there. There must be more! And lots lots more! Hee hee, besides, I wanted to make Ophelia a Gullwing, anyway, so she could wear the cute outfits. Plus, think about Auron wearing the sphere changes. O.O Let's think about the gunner or Lady Luck one for this. XD
Auron: I don't find that amusing.
Amanda: Aww, you know we want to see you in those booty shorts.
Auron: /.O
They gathered in the bridge, and Ophelia didn't miss the look that passed between Rikku and Yuna as she and Auron entered, still hand in hand. Jeez, guaranteed, they'd corner her later and want to know every detail of the conversation.
Buddy turned in his seat. "We're picking up sphere waves from those ruins they found at the top of Mt. Gagazet."
Rikku facevaulted. "Y'mean we're going to have to climb up there?"
Ophelia agreed silently. It would take days to get to the top. What was the good of using machina now if you still had to climb a mountain like that? "Nah," Buddy turned back to his screen, waving a hand at Rikku. "We'll drop you off at the top. Go take a nap or something while we're waiting."
Rikku stuck her tongue out at Buddy's back and turned to Ophelia. "Well, we've got to get you all suited up. C'mon." She grabbed Ophelia's free hand and drug her away from Auron, and she giggled as she almost tripped over her own feet. When she regained her balance, she followed Rikku to the elevator, aware that Yuna was close on her heels. Paine was also coming, but only because Yuna was dragging her much the same way Rikku had Ophelia. Well, they certainly were eager to get back into her private life, weren't they?
The four of them were cramped in the small space, and much to Ophelia's dismay, being the shortest, she was breast level with everyone, and nearly suffocated on the ride down to the cabin. She supposed if she were male or at least, attracted to females, it would have been very pleasant, but as it was, she wasn't, and she couldn't breath. So, it was a great relief when the doors of the elevator slid open and they all started out. She was able to reach fresh air again, and stood breathing a moment before following the others to the cabin.
The door shut and they were alone in the cabin, with the exception of the hypello behind the bar. Yuna walked a few paces away from Ophelia then turned on her heel, and Ophelia knew the inquisition was about to begin.
"So....You and Auron talk?"
Ophelia sighed, and took a decidedly Auron-like pose. "Yes."
A few long moments passed. "And?" Yuna put her hands on her hips, giving Ophelia an impatient look.
"We talked." Rikku nudged her ribs. "Oh, alright already! We yelled at each other, then we talked. Everything's okay now, I think."
"Looks like you were doing a little more than talking to me," Rikku said with a sly grin. Ophelia flushed, making her cousin and sister giggle. "That was awful cozy for just 'talking'."
"Shut up, Rikku. I thought you were going to get me 'suited up'." Ophelia crossed her arms and glared at the other two. "Can't you control them?" she asked, directing her look at Paine.
"They don't listen to me. I gave up a long time ago." "Okay, okay!" Rikku dug around in her satchel and pulled out a flat stone tablet, it's surface traced with many interconnecting curved grooves. Colored marbles were set into some of the pits on its surface.
"What's this?"
"A sphere grid." Yuna came up and took it from Ophelia. "These marbles are dresspheres. When you want to use one, you just press on it. In yours you have, let's see." Yuna inspected it a moment. "Ah. Songstress, gunner, thief and warrior. That's the only ones we have right now."
"Uh, so I just push it?" Ophelia took the sphere grid and looked over it again, picking the sphere in the far right. She pressed it, and was surrounded by blinding light. When she could open her eyes, she glanced down at herself. "What the hell is this?" She was wearing nothing more than underwear in her opinion. Brightly coloured underwear, and she was holding rounded blades. "No. See? This is not jiving." She pushed the marble again sighed with relief to be back in her black leather. "I'll worry about it later."
"What's wrong with the theif outfit?" Rikku gave Ophelia a pouty look.
"Nothing, if you don't mind showing off everything you've got. We all know I'm a super prude." She stuffed the grid into her own satchel. "C'mon, let's get back to the bridge."
Ophelia gazed at the floating ruins above the peak of Mt. Gagazet, in awe. "It's hard to believe something this big stayed hidden for a thousand years."
"Well, not everyone had an airship two years ago." Rikku said as she bounced farther up the trail. With an envious sigh, Ophelia followed, gingerly inching along. God, she hated heights. Her steps were slow, and she put one foot before the other, carefully making sure not to look down. She saw Auron up ahead, and smiled to herself. It was odd, not seeing him in his usual red jacket and collar. He now opted for something similar to her own black leather catsuit, if a bit baggier. But his glasses were still firmly in place, and his boots were still the same. She edged her way next to him, glancing up.
"Auron? You okay? You're looking a little....green." Auron shot her a dirty look and took a deep breath. He did, in fact, look green. "C'mon? What's wrong?" Her face creased with worry, and she placed a hand on his arm. Auron glanced around to make sure the others were out of earshot. He leaned down, pulling her closer, and she shivered when his warm breath brushed her ear.
"I'm......I'm....Well, I don't like heights." Ophelia patted his arm. "Boy, do I understand. Let's get moving. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave."
Auron hefted his blade onto his shoulder. "Agreed." They moved along together, and Ophelia found herself wishing he still wore his red jacket, so she'd have something to cling to. But his outfit at the moment didn't allow for her to do so, as most of it hugged him like a second skin. So she just stuck close to his tall form, firmly keeping her eyes between his shoulder blades. After Yuna's slip earlier, she was taking no chances.
She saw Rikku, Yuna, and Paine enter the ruins, scrambling up the rubble, and swallowed. Why had she agreed to come again? Oh, right. Auron. She rolled her eyes. The things she had done for that man. How many times was it now, that she'd been nearly killed? How many times had she followed him into the gaping mouth of hell just because she loved him? Many. They reached the rubble, and Auron stood aside, letting her start climbing first, most probably to be there behind her if she happened to slip. Always the guardian, she thought with an inward smile.
They made it to the top, to a wide, cracked platform. Ophelia took a deep breath, and steadied herself with the masemune. Why in God's name did it have to be at the top of the mountain? She glanced over at Auron, who looked just as relieved to be in an area wider than a man's shoulders.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Dullwings." The five turned as one to see the woman who's stolen Yuna's dresssphere fanning herself.
"Ah," Yuna said, a brow raised. "The thief."
"What'd you do, follow us up here?" This garnered the woman's gaze to Ophelia, and she leaned more on the masemune, crossing her arms on it's hilt.
"Well, it seems as though you four have called in the big guns. I suppose amateurs like yourself would need the help of a famous sphere hunter like her." She jerked her thumb in Ophelia's direction.
"Oh, I didn't think the great Leblanc would have noticed my little exploits." Ophelia's mouth curved in an evil grin. "After all, I'm just a blip on the radar." "I hardly call Ninoc a blip on the radar," Leblanc shot back, frowning. "You've been sucking up every sphere in Spira."
"Ninoc?" Yuna eyed her a moment. "That's you?" When Ophelia nodded, Yuna shook her head. "But Ninoc is always all over Spira. How in the world do you travel so fast?"
"Hello? Living aeon here. Wings." Ophelia turned back to Leblanc. "And just why did you follow us up here? Can't find spheres on your own?"
Leblanc sputtered. "Like I said, amateurs. You have no concept of what it takes to be a true sphere hunter." Just then, Ormi and Logos came up behind her.
"You was right, boss."
"Indeed. Following them has paid off splendidly." Leblanc turned red as Rikku and Yuna giggled, and Paine and Auron took eerily alike poses of amusement. Ophelia only smiled and straightened.
"Well, am I going to have to kick your ass again, Leblanc, or are you going to tuck your tail between your legs and slink away, and leave the job to the real professionals?" She slung the masemune over her shoulder and grinned. "I so hope it's the former."
Leblanc snorted. "Your wish is my command, luvs." She began casting a spell, but before she could finish, Ophelia rushed up and, with more agility than any of her former traveling companions knew she had, hit Leblanc square on the head with the butt of the masemune, knocking her out cold.
"Well," Ophelia said to a shocked Ormi and Logos, "tell your boss it was fun when she wakes up. Laters." She waggled her fingers at them with a wide grin and started back up the trail, seemingly leaping over the crack in the platform with ease. Once on the other side, she took a deep breath and climbed a set of stairs onto a small ledge, sensing the others behind her.
"Well, which way do you suggest we go....Ninoc?" Auron asked, amusement prevalent in his voice. Ophelia rolled her eyes and scanned the territory.
"That way." She pointed into the gaping mouth of an old building. "I guarantee you it's shortcut to the top." They entered, and began moving through, following Ophelia's lead.
"You've been here before," Paine stated.
Ophelia nodded. "Yeah, but it started storming like crazy before I got to the top, so I hightailed it out of her in a hurry. Even living aeons die when slammed against rocks." She jumped over a pit and kept moving, letting the others follow. They moved through the crumbling building in silence, and when they were back in the open air, Ophelia breathed a sigh of relief. "That place looked like it could fall apart at any second."
Rikku yelped. "Why didn't you say anything."
"As long as we kept moving we were alright. I didn't see any point in saying anything." She turned to keep walking up the path, but two divebeaks came from nowhere and cornered her. "Great," she muttered, leveling her sword.
"No, we have to use the dresspheres!" Yuna cried. "You'll be too slow with that sword." Ophelia barely caught the last part, as a divebeak swooped in on her to peck a chunk out of her flesh, and she dived out of the way.
"Here goes nothing," she mumbled, pulling out the little slab of stone and pressing one of the stones at random. The blinding light encircled her once again, and this time she paid attention to what was happening. The magical wind ripped her clothes to shreds, but before anything was exposed, they were quickly replaced by new ones. She landed on her feet, and found herself in short denim shorts and a light purple camisole, high boots, and a half-skirt in darker shades of purple. The masemune had disappeared, leaving her with two small pistols. She noticed Rikku and Auron changing to the same dressphere, and Yuna in another, the same Leblanc had worn as Yuna's imposter.
It was a quick battle, and the two blinded divebeaks quickly exploded into pyreflies as Auron's last shot rang out. Ophelia sent him a quick glance and thought, He always was sexy in tight jeans. Bad Ophelia, you need to get moving!
"Okay..." she said, as she deactivated the dressphere. "That's definitely different. Let's get moving. You want to get that sphere, don't you?"
Ophelia sat nursing the cut on her shoulder from the huge Boris, waiting for Shinra to finish analyzing the sphere. "Damn crab. Why couldn't he have just spat bubbles?" "Why don't you just heal yourself?" Yuna cocked her head to one side. Ophelia nodded and cast a quick healing spell on herself, rotating her shoulder after the flesh melded back together.
"Don't know why I didn't think of that." She sighed, fingering the shredded leather of her suit's left shoulder. "'Course, there's no repairing this." She stood and stretched, all at once tired. This spherehunting gig gets old really fast," she said on a yawn. "Hey, where's everybody else? You know, Lulu and Wakka and Kimahri?"
Shinra turned in his seat and shook his head. "You really are clueless."
Ophelia shot him a dirty look. "And you're a snot nosed brat. But seriously. I haven't heard anything about them."
"Are you sitting down for this one?" Yuna asked, grinning. Ophelia raised a brow and motioned for Yuna to continue. "Wakka and Lulu are married."
Ophelia's mouth dropped open. "No. Are you serious? How in hell did that happen? Last I remember, they were at each other's throats."
"Hmm.." Rikku said mockingly, stroking her chin, "where has that happened before."
"They've been married a while now. And here's the big kicker, and the reason they're not here." Yuna leaned forward as if telling a big secret, her eyes wide. "Lulu's pregnant!"
Ophelia gasped. "They're going to have a kid? That's just freaky. I really have missed tons. What about Kimahri, what's he up to?"
"He's the ronso elder, now. We'll have to go visit him in a bit, so you can catch up with him."
Ophelia shook her head in amazement. "It's hard to take it all in. After all, a few months ago, I was thinking about how nice it would be to get back to the travel agency on Mi'ihen and take a bath, and when I pop back, everything's all topsy turvy. I mean, there's machina everywhere these days, and people are traveling and laughing. It's so odd."
"That's the twilight dream of the Eternal Calm," Auron commented, from his seat on the stairs. "On the surface, things appear to be peaceful, the way everyone wanted, but turmoil roils just beneath." "Okay, then, Mr. Gloom and Doom," Ophelia said, rolling her eyes. "And just what is this turmoil you're talking about?"
"New Yevon and the Youth League are already at each other's throats, two years into the Calm." Auron stretched his legs out and crossed them at the ankles, leaning over on the stairs to prop his chin in his hand. "Both want spheres, for very different aims. New Yevon wants to keep their contents secret from the rest of the world, while the Youth League wishes to share them with everyone, to give a better understanding of Spira's history."
"So, Yevon's back up to its old tricks, I see. Not that I've paid it any attention. I've kept myself clear of politics."
"Amazing, with you being who you are," Paine commented.
Ophelia shook her head. "That's the reason for the fake name. Everyone seems to be wondering what happened to poor summoner Ophelia, so it seemed best to go undercover. I wasn't going to let myself get pushed one way or the other. Seems like a whole lot of nothing, if you ask me."
Shinra turned in his seat. "I'm done with this sphere if you guys are done gossiping." Ophelia stuck out her tongue and went to Shinra's station with the others, and they grouped close around for a good look at the sphere's contents.
Besaid was wonderful. That was Ophelia's first thought, as they made their way through the woods surrounding the tiny village. She'd never had the chance to visit before, so she was soaking in every detail. It really was a lush tropical paradise, full of colors and sounds and smells enough to overwhelm a person, if they didn't keep their wits about them. After all, there were still fiends on the island, though not in the quantity she was sure had come before the defeat of Sin.
She kept pace with Auron, much like in the days of her pilgrimage, though they didn't speak on the trek to the village. She silently wondered what he must be thinking, and snuck a look up at him. His gaze was focused straight ahead, his face unreadable. Damn the man. Even without his collar, he could still keep a straight face. She turned back forward and kept a watch out for fiends, which was now a force of habit, as she had been traveling alone for the last two months.
They reached the village about mid day, and Ophelia resisted the urge to run off and explore, following the others to a familiar figure stepping into the sunlight and out of the shadows of the temple's overhang. She felt a grin part her lips as she took in the red hair and familiar blitzer's uniform, and that rediculous armguard. Nope, he certainly hadn't changed much, but he was getting slightly chubby about the middle, which made Ophelia chuckle silently to herself.
"Wakka!" Yuna ran forward and nearly toppled the red head with an enthusiastic hug, and a familar "Whoa!" was heard. The others caught up, and Yuna bounced away excitedly.
"I'm really sorry I ran off like that, Wakka."
"Ah," Wakka said, waving it off. "I figured you was alright. Lu was the one about to go into hysterics, ya?"
Yuna gave a guilty smile. "Oops."
"Wakka." Of course Auron would greet someone like that, Ophelia thought, rolling her eyes.
"Hey, Sir Auron. Didn't expect to see you." He turned to Rikku. "What's up, kid?"
"Aww, look at you, Tubby." She said, nudging him in the ribs.
"Hey, hey. I'm gonna be a father soon. Gotta have a little more presence." His gaze narrowed a moment on Paine and Ophelia. "And you two?"
"Oh!" Yuna laughed. "I'm sorry. This is Paine. She's a Gullwing. And this," she said, gesturing to Ophelia, "is someone you won't believe is back."
Wakka scratched his head. "Uh, we've met?"
"I would think so, Wakka." Yuna rolled her eyes. "Does the name 'Ophelia' mean anything to you?"
Wakka's eyes widened in recognition. "You're here, ya?" Ophelia nodded silently, and found herself pulled into a crushing hug. "Jumpin' shoopufs, maybe now Kimahri will calm down and stop being so hard on himself, ya?"
Ophelia would have answered, but she couldn't breathe. Wakka finally released her, and she felt the blood rush back into her head. "Damn it, Wakka, are you trying to kill me?" she laughed, when she could speak.
"Sorry, ya." He grinned sheepishly. "Hey, you better go see Lu, ya? She's been worried sick about you. I got some things to do."
Ophelia was the last to enter the tent, and felt her nerves set themselves on edge. After all, there was bad blood between herself and Lulu, and she didn't know how the black mage would react to seeing her again.
"Yuna, I was so worried." Lulu stood and embraced Yuna tightly, and when she stepped back, Ophelia could see her obvious new addition.
"I'm sorry, Lulu. But...I just had to go."
"I understand." Lulu patted Yuna's arm. "Auron," she said, bowing her head in greeting to the older man. He nodded back, and a dirty little thought crossed Ophelia's mind.
Since when are they on a first name basis?
Lulu gave Rikku a quick hug, and let her gaze pass over the obvious two additions to the group with mild interest before it returned to Yuna. "Take a walk with me, Yuna."
Ophelia sat outside the tent, waiting for Yuna to return, finding the dark interior too oppressing. She didn't hum to herself, as she once would have, but instead rested against one of the posts, her gaze unfocused. All sound had been tuned out, and she was now deep in her own thoughts, mulling over the changes in Spira. It was surreal, everything that was the same, and everything that was different.
Without realizing it, she was on her feet and headed toward the temple. It wouldn't hurt to pay a visit to the chamber of the fayth that would have been hers, could it? And to pay a visit to her father's statue, whom she wished, for the first time, was still here.
The temple was dark, and, strangely enough, there was a single ethereal voice singing the hymn of the fayth. She raised a brow, but paused before her father's statue, and laid a hand against the stone robe.
"Dad," she whispered, "I feel...out of place. Would you, if you were here?" She bowed her head a moment before moving on and up the stairs leading to the cloister of trials. She moved through with ease, as the cloister was open, and soon came to the anteroom of the chambers of the fayth. One door stood open, the other, closed. It seemed disheartening in a way. The priests shouldn't have left it that way.
She moved up the steps to the closed door, and was more than a little surprised when the door slid upward. On guard, she stepped though it, and the door slid shut again, making her jump. Was she trapped?
She shook her head and moved forward into the opening where ghostly light streamed through, nearly having a heart attack at seeing the fayth floating there.
"You.....you're supposed to be gone," she said, coming to stand before it.
"Lady Mage, we can't leave without you finishing what you were born to do," the male fayth said. "You're job is not yet finished. Come, and pray. The answers will come, in time."
It was getting dark. Auron narrowed his gaze through the growing shadows, a frown pulling at his mouth. "Where could she have gone?"
Rikku shrugged. "Maybe she went to the temple?"
"I've checked it. She's not there."
Just then, a figure came sprinting through the dark, and the torchlight from the front of Wakka and Lulu's tent lit Ophelia's face. Her eyes were wide, her pallor pale.
"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit," she was muttering as she ran past them, into the tent. Auron and Rikku shared a look before stepping in after her.
"Yuna, we got a BIG problem," Ophelia sputtered, once inside. Yuna looked up from where she was sitting next to Lulu, her eyes wide.
"The Leblanc Synidcate?"
"Oh, to hell with Leblanc. It's much bigger than a sphere rivalry." Ophelia took a deep breath, and Auron realized she was close to collapsing.
"Lulu, do you have an extra seat?" Lulu pointed, her eyes focused on the trembling girl before her, and Auron went to get it, nearly having to force Ophelia into a sitting position, as she was completely rigid.
"Alright, what's wrong?"
"You....you had to have seen it...It was...so wrong...but..." She was hysterical. Anyone could see that. Yuna came over and knelt before her.
"Take your time."
A few minutes passed while Ophelia collected herself, and she closed her eyes for most of it, just breathing. Finally, she opened them once more, and looked around. "The fayth....It was waiting for me....after all of this time."
"What?" Yuna's eyes widened. "But the fayth were sent, with the defeat of Sin."
"Not mine. Apparently, I'm not done. Look at me, the last summoner in Spira." Hysterical laughter bubbled up from deep inside, and earned a strange look from Lulu.
"How can fayth still be in the temple. There was only one other person who could have the other fayth, and she's-"Lulu stopped, her one visible eye widening. "Ophelia?"
Finally, Chapter 3 is finished.