Disclaimer: I don't own FFX-2
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Thaaaaaaaaankies Black-Eyed Mistress for being my first reviewer 3 3 3 3 3
-- Bevelle, Screening Chamber --
They had been waiting for nearly an hour for Baralai to greet them. Yuna was agitated; nothing ever stayed peaceful in Spira for more than a few years, it seemed. As if sensing her confused emotions, Tidus gently placed his hands on her shoulders, whispering words of comfort into her ear.
The Screening Chamber had a vaulted ceiling, cream colored walls and maroon curtains decorating the interior. The majority of the room was circular, save the north wall, which was flat. On this wall was a giant screen, taking up the entirety of it. A little ways away sat a high glass table, and atop of it, a sphere. The rest of the room was bare, save for a small table housing liquid refreshments; there was no where for the guests to sit. All in all, the colors added to a comforting atmosphere. But not comforting enough to keep you from being aware of what was happening.
Paine leaned on a wall in the far side of the room, gazing around with a concerned look in her eyes. Gippal lazily walked around the chamber, obviously eyeing the drinks. Tidus and Yuna stood near the entrance, glancing up at the screen and taking in the contents of the room.
'Paine, Nooj, Leblanc, Gippal, Lulu, Wakka... This might be serious. Or maybe, just personal...?' Yuna shifted her weight to one foot.
Noticing the final guests' presence, Leblanc sauntered over to the couple. "Hello, loves," She smiled, waiting for a response. When none came, she continued, "What do you think Baralai wants, hmmm? He and Noojie have been here for hours now; I'm glad for some company, however small," Leblanc gave another sickening sweet smile to Tidus, who glared at her.
Pinching him for being rude, Yuna asked, "Nooj has been here for hours? Did you hear anything? I hope Spira isn't in danger again..."
Leblanc giggled. "Oh, no no, love. I think it has something to do with a project Baralai was overseeing, but I can't be sure. Noojie wouldn't let me into the meeting," She looked a little distressed about this.
"He wants us to see the sphere," Paine had moved behind Yuna, listening in on the conversation. She paused for a moment. "If it's so dreadfully important, he should have been here an hour ago."
"Quit complainin', Dr. P." Gippal grinned from the far side of the room, making Paine narrow her eyes. "Heh... Guess we'll have to wait and see what's in it."
"Care for some refreshments?"
All eyes snapped toward Baralai, who had entered through a fairly well hidden door. He slowly made his way toward the drinks. Offering a cup to Gippal, he said, "Sorry I kept you all waiting; there was some business I had to attend too." When his old friend hesitated in accepting the drink, Baralai laughed. "Don't worry; it's quite healthy. Sugarless, in fact."
"Calorie free, artificial flavoring, and cancer-in-a-glass. No thanks, I'll pass." Gippal smirked.
"Since when did you become a healthy eater?" Paine muttered.
"Are we ready to get down to business?" Baralai interrupted. The majority of the guests nodded solemnly, save Paine, who was glaring at Baralai, Nooj, who had found something interesting to stare at on the ceiling, and Leblanc, who was steadily gazing at Nooj.
As this was as much attention that Baralai was bound to ever get, he continued. "Ever since New Yevon and the Youth League have allied, business in Bevelle has been steadily increasing. Spirans are flocking there, since it is now the allied headquarters. It has lost much of its religious atmosphere. We have been steadily running out of available living space. Some of my advisors suggested that I had some land cleared out." The praetor paused. "I have given a grant to begin the process of removing Macalania Woods, which will-"
"You what?" Lulu hissed, interrupting him.
Yuna stepped forward, looking Baralai in the eyes. "You are cutting down the Woods..?"
"What the hell would that possibly benefit?" Paine snapped.
"I- well- they were going to die out anyway," the praetor lamely finished. Judging by his tone of voice, Baralai wasn't quite sure of his actions either.
Nooj stayed unwavering in the background, silent and unaffected by the news. He had obviously known about the situation before hand.
"How could you do that, you stupid, ignorant idiot!" Leblanc spat out, earning herself a disappointed glare from Nooj.
"Leblanc, if you are going to sit there and shout insults at me, you may leave." He calmly stated. Leblanc made no move to leave. "I oversaw the operation myself, in case there were any... unnatural disturbances." Baralai added, more confident.
Tidus and Wakka looked at each other and sneered at this remark. "Which there were..." Baralai added quietly.
Silence encompassed the chamber.
Moving slowly toward the lone sphere, Baralai activated it. "This was taken on the second operation of clearing out Macalania Woods. It was recorded by one of my assistants, a man named Leije."
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Leije rode on a hoover, a little ways away from the main machina, recording mainly Baralai's. From what had happened on the last operation, Praetor Baralai had insisted upon catching a recording of everything that went on.
The main machina was about twenty feet high, decked in red and black paint. The body of the machine was roughly circular, with the front being covered by five inches of bullet proof glass. Through this you could see a few of the drivers, and beside them stood Baralai. He looked a little worse for wear, considering the circumstances. Two rather large metal arms stuck out from the sides, huge razors at the end of the limbs. Behind the main machina trailed three smaller versions of the original.
The machina advanced toward the prussian trees, branches intertwined with one another. The blades met wood; the sickening screech of the blades tearing through the trees echoed throughout the vast forest. A loud thump, and the razors stopped. One down.
---
Yuna could hardly breath; she just couldn't take it. Her thoughts were chopped up, she couldn't even form sentences. 'So many memories... recklessly destroyed... just trees... but the memories?... Our first kiss... cut down like lumber...'
---
Al Bhed workers were mainly present; they handled machina with ease, and had little attachment to these woods. Non Al Bheds had been reluctant to work on the destruction of Macalania Woods, and the Al Bheds were willing to do it for less pay, too. They were a little shocked when one of their own threw herself into the path of the blades.
"Please stop! Please..."
Yelling and screaming could be heard from within the machina, the commotion temporarily stopping the work. The blades came to a halt inches from the woman's face.
Distant voices in Al Bhed could be heard: "Is she crazy?"
"Who is that?"
"Arrest her!"
A woman could be heard sobbing in the background. "Please, I don't think I c-can fix anymore damage. Not by myself!"
Baralai attempted to exit the main machina as quickly as possible. Reaching the ground, he approached what apparently seemed to be an Al Bhed woman from far away.
"Miss," Baralai called out; the woman turned to flee. As he got closer, he noticed that although she was blonde and tan skinned, the lass had curly hair. An unusual trait for an Al Bhed, if that's what she was. Her hair flowed down her back, reaching roughly the middle. She seemed to be attired in a pale yellow dress, which seemed to be made of a very strange material. Grabbing the woman's shoulder, Baralai felt the dress. It was made of... flower petals? He roughly turned her around to face him.
"Miss, please wait-" He stared in to a large pair of Al Bhed eyes. Or, what he once assumed to be Al Bhed eyes. But they weren't green anymore. They were silver.
It was Rikku.
---
Baralai paused the sphere and looked around the chamber. The silence stretched. Everyone stared at the screen, not making a sound. Yuna was completely baffled. 'Rikku? Could it be? That didn't look like her. She didn't look Al Bhed! Since when has she cared about Macalania Woods? Why were her eyes silver? Why was she wearing that? Why did she just disappear? Why did she sound so solemn, and look so serious? Why didn't she tell us she wasn't dead?'