FDB- I want to start with an apology. Last chapter was good, according to my reviewers. If this story is just brain shit, then last chapter, in my opinion, was diarrhea. Pretty long diarrhea, too. 56KB. Of course, all the chapters are typed up in Times New Roman, size 18, Justified, and with hanging indent set at ½ inch, so they'd be pretty big files. Longest: Chapter 10 at 67KB. Shortest: First at 30KB. So far I've used up 600KB, give or take, flushing the toilet of my brain. Hope no one gets caught in the backwash…
Anbu713: I'm glad you accept my apology. I need to realize that it is truly an honor to have such a devoted fan. Terribly sorry, I just let my 3 inch fuse get to me.
Fionara: New reviewer! Yay! Now…first I get Wakka out of character, then Auron. Don't worry. All will be answered in the last few chapters.
Chapter 11: And it won't leave me alone. Pt. 2
I've heard that falling asleep in the snow isn't a good thing, but I did fine. I had Rikku there with me. God, I love her. I didn't really dream, and soon woke, having only slept for about thirty minutes. Everyone else was waiting for me.
We went on past the hotspring. I still couldn't bear to look Yuna or Lulu in the eye. I felt so embarrassed. Why did Auron do that? To see if I would call him an old man? To see if I would slip, inviting the wrath of an Al Bhed psychopath upon me? Damn him.
We walked into a strange area. And I'm talking Grade-A fucked up, here. There was a pond off to the side, but the center of it was raised up. It looked like a geyser in slow motion, except it was a solid column of water. And the wall. What the fuck? It looked like there were human bodies stuck into the wall, kinda like the weird statue I saw in the Chamber of the Fayth back in Bevelle. Freaky…
"Those are Fayth," Yuna pointed out. "A summoning! Someone is using these Fayth! Someone is drawing energy from all of them!"
"This many?" Rikku asked. "Is that possible?"
"Who wields power on this scale?" Lulu pondered. "And what could they be calling?"
"Hey!" Rikku yelled at Auron. You know something, don't you? Spill the beans!"
"Look not to others for knowledge. This is your journey, too."
Whatever. I shouldn't say anything, as tempted as I am to do so. I walked over and touched one of them. It...felt like skin. Skin. Fucking skin… Damn… Things that send shivers down your spine. It's on up there with Seymour's voice and his Aeon, Anima. It felt…weird. Not the Fayth, that was just shit-my-pants fucked up. No, I'm referring to the tingling running up my arm. It felt like an itch you can't quite reach. It was there, just more annoying than painful.
Okay. Now it's painful. It felt like the time I was visiting family down south. I reached out to feel what an electrical fence was like. I was lucky to get out of it alive. My grandpa got me off of it before it caused too much damage. But my grandpa isn't here right now. And this hurts like hell. I didn't have time to scream, or call out, and next thing I remember was Rikku's worried face as I passed out.
I was in the abyss again. Wonder what Hoody wants. And why the hell did he bring me here with those Fayth? What the hell?
"Why didn't you jump?"
And there he was. Right behind me where he always is.
"If you're so powerful you can tell I didn't jump, you should know the reason."
"You can still go home. And take Rikku with you. All without the jumping. Just say the word, and both of you will be on your world."
I can go home? And take Rikku with me? Sorry. But I made a promise. "Sorry, kid. No deal."
"But why? You can go home. You've done what you were sent to do, so go home."
What the fuck? 'I've done what I was sent to do'? I was sent to help Yuna right? I'm not done, Sin is still alive. "Listen, kid. I have no idea what the hell you're talking about, but I'm not done. I have things to do. So until I'm done, fuck off."
He was silent for a few seconds, letting it steep in his mind. He finally answered. "If…that is how you feel. I won't try to change your mind. Goodbye, Jamison."
At least three things in a single moment struck me as weird. One: That was the first time anyone had called me by my full name since I got here. Two: When I came to, I didn't have that nauseated feeling of being thrown. Three: The kid said 'Goodbye'. And he said it in the creepiest, solemnest voice possible. Like I was making a horrible mistake. Maybe I was. Maybe he's fucking with me. I'll probably never know.
I came to with a cold rag pressed to my forehead and something like a thick gel on my arm. I opened my eyes, and Rikku was there with the rag on my face. Yuna was slowly wiping the gel off my burnt arm. Burnt? Yes, my arm was covered in burn scars up to the elbow. Why the hell did the kid do that?
"You're awake!" Rikku said.
"Yeah, and I have the worst headache. Got anything for it?"
Yuna gave me some medicine for it and we moved on. I was to preoccupied with what the kid said to notice much of what happened from that point. Was something going to happen to me? Am I going to die? Impossible. He wouldn't let me…wait. He said I was done with what I was sent to do. If I die, I get sent home, or I die for real. I can't let that happen. He sent me here to protect Yuna, and maybe I was only supposed to be with her until Macalania, but I'm going to stick through it. Yuna may need me.
We emerged from the cave in one piece, thank God. The sun was setting, and it bathed everything in a beautiful glow.
"They'll be upon us soon," Auron said. "She has sent fiends to test our summoner's strength."
"Who is "she"?" Yuna asked.
"Yunalesca."
"Lady Yunalesca?"
"In Zanarkand, she awaits the arrival of the strongest."
"She...is still alive?"
"As much as Mika and Seymour."
"I see."
"Lost your nerve?"
"No," Yuna said adamantly. "Nothing frightens me now."
Auron chuckled to himself. "Braska would be proud."
"Then...I must not let him down."
Why do I get the feeling we're being watched? You know the feeling. The feeling that you've got a pair of eyes drilling into the back of your skull. That was what I felt. And what Auron felt as well. He pushed me out of the way just as a HUGE…thing landed right where I was standing. It looked like a huge winged bull. At least, that was the only thing that could come close to describing this monstrosity.
I drew Tetsusaiga…duh. What, you expect me to do, bite it? Anyways, I soon discovered that the Wind Scar was just like biting it. Didn't do much good. Nothing did. It was like Seymour all over again. The damn thing just kept healing itself. Yuna waved her wand at it and then ran. It looked like some sort of barrier appeared around the things head. Next time it tried to heal itself, the spell got reflected back over to Tidus. I guess that's what Yuna wanted to happen. After that, it was cake and pie. It went down after Yuna summoned Bahamut and used this kickass attack called Mega Flare.
I was just plain tired when the thing finally dissolved. I sheathed Tetsusaiga and leaned up against the cliff. The others were of doing there thing, but I ad too much on my mind to care. It bothered me that the Fayth wanted me to go home. Why did he want me to go home when he sent me here to protect Yuna? I guess she didn't require my services after Macalania, and that's why the kid wanted to send me home. Well, he'll just be getting more bang for his buck. I'm gonna stick with Yuna to the end.
"Whatcha thinkin?" Rikku giggled in my ear.
"The kid wants me to go home so badly. Why? He sent me here to protect Yuna, but he wants me to go home. He said that if I left now, you could come with me."
"I bet your world's pretty cool."
"Yeah, once you get past the pollution, crime, murder, politicians, my world is pretty sweet. Where I come from sucks, but there are other places to go. I been thinking about moving to Canada. Nice place, nice people. I don't know…" By then I was just mumbling to myself. I probably lost Rikku by 'politicians', but I just loved the sparkle in her eyes.
"Is there any machina in your world?"
"More than most of us know what to do with."
We kept laughing until we came to a cliff overlooking a huge city. Then Rikku just burst into tears and confronted Yuna.
"Yuna, I say no! If we go down there, then you'll..."
"Rikku... You're a true friend, and I thank you, but... I must go...down, to Zanarkand."
"I'm not saying we shouldn't go. But shouldn't we think about it some more? There's gotta be some kind of way we can save you, Yuna!"
"All my life, I knew this moment would come."
"Yunie..."
Yuna rushed to Rikku and threw her arms around her. "Thank you, Rikku. Thank you for everything."
"Don't say that, Yunie! It's not over yet!"
"Tell Cid thank you."
"No... You can tell him yourself."
"Please..."
"Yunie, don't say that because...we're gonna see each other again, okay?"
Rikku really cares about Yuna. It was evident right there. I don't think anyone here wants Yuna to die. Not even me, and I haven't known her but for a week. Something about her just…seems to raw people to her. It kinda…makes people like her. I don't know if it's her optimism or her determination, but it's something.
Yuna walked on with Kimahri, but Tidus found a sphere lying on the ground that he had seen fall from Yuna's pocket. Out of curiosity, he clicked it on and watched it.
"Sir Auron. Kimahri told me...when my father wanted me taken from Bevelle to Besaid... It was you who told Kimahri, right? I had always wanted to meet you someday. I am truly glad that I had that chance. Having you as a guardian was so great an honor I don't know how to thank you. Perhaps if I defeat Sin, that will be my thanks to you. That's what I'll do. Yes. I will challenge Sin. I will defeat Sin. If you are all there watching this, then I guess Sin is already gone. And so am I, I suppose. Anyway, I just wanted to say: Sir Auron, I thank you.
"Kimahri... Do you remember the first day we met? I was only seven. My father had defeated Sin, and all Bevelle was celebrating. Everyone was saying what a hero my father was. I was so happy. But when night came, it occurred to me. My father had defeated Sin and now he was dead. Now, I was all alone. I couldn't sleep, so I wandered into the town, away from the celebrating crowds. I stood on the bridge in Bevelle where my father and I had parted. Standing there, alone, I could see the fields where he had fought Sin.
"Then, you appeared, Kimahri. You said you were looking for the daughter of Braska, remember? At first, I was so scared. Until I realized what a gentle person you are. You weren't used to talking to children. When I told you I was Braska's daughter...you said you would take me as far from Bevelle as you would. That it was the wish of a man facing death. I think...I cried then. Because that...that was then I knew my father was dead...and I would never see him again. You just held me, without saying a word. I cried after we got to Besaid, too. When you tried to go after leaving me in care of the temple...I held on to you, crying, "Don't go, don't go!" And you listened, Kimahri. You stayed. Kimahri, thank you. Thank you so much. And I've always liked your broken horn.
"Wakka, Lulu: I'll never forget my days spent with you, growing up in Besaid. We always played together, us and Chappu. That's why I was always so happy, I think. And when you refused to let me become a summoner and I did it anyway...I'm sorry. I've always wanted to apologize. You know, when you tried to stop me then-really, I was happy. I could tell you really cared about me. You were like my big brother and sister. No... I think you really were my big brother and sister. What else... I love watching you play blitzball, Wakka. I even love it when you scold me, Lulu! Really!
"Our newest guardian…Jamie. I've never met anyone quite like you. I haven't known you that long, so I don't have that much to say. I have noticed that you keep your distance from us. I'm not quite sure why, whether it be that you're shy, you don't feel comfortable around other people, or you don't want to be attached to anyone when you go home. I can understand. But Jamie…I…I hope you find happiness in your life. I really do.
"Now...Tidus. Star player of the Zanarkand Abes! You are... I am... Well, um... I'm glad...I'm glad that we met. We haven't even known each other that long, but... It's funny. So this is what it feels like. It's a much more wonderful feeling than anything I had ever imagined. Wonderful...but it hurts, sometimes. I wonder. I...I just want to say, thank you for everything. Maybe...maybe that's why it hurts. When I... When I think about us never being together again at all... I'm afraid. No, I shouldn't say that. I'll do that part over. Um..."
"Whatcha up to?" Tidus asked.
She hit the nail right on the head for me. I have found happiness: Rikku. I love her, and I don't want to leave her. I have warmed up to the others, but not so much. I guess, I still feel uncomfortable around crowds. Force of habit, I suppose. We walked on, Yuna unaware that we had watched her sphere, and set up camp for the night.
No idea why, but Tidus took it upon himself to regale us with a great tale. That tale being everything that had happened up to that point. I will still never understand that numbskull.
FDB- This thing has been very long in the making. Okay, there have been a few reviews since the beginning of this chapter. Here they are.
Cor Strike EX- Yes, I am lazy. I did NOT want to play the whole game from the beginning and write down every single line in the entire game. And what the hell are you talking about 'Draco'? You haven't got anything posted, unless it's on another site. Let me know where it is. I'm interested.
Rollercoaster217- Glad you broke habit and read this. Glad you love it.