Well, after another week, another chapter is out! And now, the reviews!
Iron Reaver: Innocent, you say? Sure. Rikku's 15, you expected...what, exactly? Anyway. Actually, yes. 2 shown this chapter, as well as one for Tidus. Don't worry, everyone else's show up soon.
Daniel Wesley Rydell: Hmmk. Whatever you say.
anbu713: Well, Tidus is stupid, but not as stupid as Wakka. Plus, it just kinda fit right in. And yes, I did update quicker than normal, after writing the Farplane scene I got inspired.
beastboy-had-a-brain: Thanks. I hadn't actually intended to make Ben and Rikku a couple just yet, but as soon as I saw one of Tidus' lines, I just couldn't resist doing it. And adding some self-humiliation in as well.
ArticunoNeo: Actually, yes, Yuna does say that. Kinda hard to imagine poor, naive Yuna saying something so...bluntly. But there ya go.
Fic-luva: Hey, and welcome to Destiny's Call! Sorry to hear you decided not to write one, but glad you're reading mine. Hope it doesn't disappoint!
MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: Hehe, he will. Shortly. Maybe, 2-3 more chapters till the temple. And I didn't know it was just a beta version. I'll be intrigued to see the Buffy/DB crossover, that seems interesting, even if I haven't seen Buffy that much. An FF8 SI would in an interesting thought, I'm tempted to do one myself, but this one is hard enough.Dunno about a double spell attack or anything like that, the closest I can think of that I have planned is his final finishing move. There will be a very interesting move showing up later, assuming I can think up a decent name.
Jiranto Valsis: I sent you an e-mail detailing part of my response, so I'll just sum it up here. I hadn't originally planned to make them a couple as of yet, but after I saw one of Tidus' lines at Guadosalam, I just could not help but write that part. As well as humiliate myself, as I said above.
missmanga90: It's okay, and thanks.
Now, without further delay, on with the story!
Chapter 21—Yevon's Unity
"Oh no...we're here." Rikku says, as we approach the end of the short trail leading out into the Thunder Plains. The whole area is one big, black storm cloud, making it appear more dusk than daylight. Lightning strikes occasionally, some hitting the lightning rod towers scattered around the area, but some hitting the ground itself.
"It'll be okay. We're gonna get through here quick." I tell Rikku, hoping to comfort her some. The look she gives the area, combined with the cringe after another bolt hits, tells me this won't be an easy feat.
"How are we supposed to cross that?" Tidus asks Lulu.
"See the lightning rod towers?" she replies, pointing. "The lightning is drawn to them...hopefully."
"That's comforting..." I say, starting to hate this area a little myself.
"We head north, not too near and not too far from the towers, ya?" Wakka says, Lulu turning to everyone again.
"Meaning we should avoid wide, open areas." she says, just as thunder roars again, and a lightning bolt strikes the ground a few hundred meters from us, causing Rikku to let out a short cry and cower.
"I think I forgot something in Guadosalam." she says, turning back to the path.
"Nice knowing you." Auron says, and I almost laugh, but decide against it.
"Okay, okay! I'll go!" she replies, and we take our first step out onto the plains.
I've always hated lightning storms, and this area just seems to be one big lightning storm. So, it's no surprise that I'm more annoyed than scared. The thunder is so loud, and so often, that I can barely hear myself think. The fact that Rikku has my upper arm in a death grip as well doesn't help.
"I don't like this, I don't like this, I don't like this at ALL..." she mutters, walking along side me, clinging to my arm tightly.
"Rikku, I promise, it's going to be..."
I'm abruptly cut off by a lightning bolt striking the ground, about 10 meters from us. Rikku screams, and grabs onto my side, burying her face into my shoulder. The only thing I can do is somewhat hug her back, and try to comfort her.
"I really think we should hit the next tower now..." I say, running to the next tower. Everyone else is either beside or in front of me. As we approach, I see the one thing that just completely kills my day.
"Ah, good day!" Shelinda says, doing the prayer gesture.
"Hi there." Tidus replies, as we approach her.
"Is it true?" Shelinda asks, turning to Tidus. "I heard that Maester Seymour and Lady Yuna are to be wed! It's such great news! I have to tell everyone!"
I can almost see Tidus' eye twitching at that statement, as he speaks again.
"Where'd you hear that?" he asks.
"From the Guado. They were all very excited!" she replies, and I think I do see Tidus' eye twitch this time.
"I'm afraid you heard a little wrong. Yuna's gonna turn him down." he says, and I look over at Yuna, who remains silent.
"Oh, really?" Shelinda says, sounding a little disappointed.
"Yep! No wedding!" Tidus replies, a little too eagerly if you ask me. Shelinda's face falls even more, as she speaks.
"I see...that's unfortunate. People would've rejoiced all over Spira." she says, sighing. Nodding, we walk past her, continuing on down the plains.
After a few minutes, we seem to be almost at the end of the first stretch. I can see a building in the distance, so that's a good sign. Suddenly, two lightning bolts strike the tower in front of us at once, causing Tidus and Yuna to gasp, and Wakka to laugh. Rikku just clenches onto my arm even tighter.
"Whoa! That was a close one!" Wakka says, laughing, as Lulu turns to him.
"Stop kidding around." she says, and Wakka quits laughing.
"Yes, ma'am..."
"Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh..."
Turning to Rikku, I look at her oddly. "Something wrong, Rikku?" I ask, and Rikku just continues to laugh, nervously. "Ok, that's really starting to creep me out..." I say, as another bolt of lightning strikes a tower. Rikku screams, and falls to her knees, covering her eyes. Suddenly, she grabs onto both of my legs, looking up at me.
"I wanna go home! I hate lightning! I hate thunder! Let's go rest over there! Please?" she says, pointing to the building nearby.
"This storm never stops. Better to cross quickly." Auron says, before I can say anything. Rikku lets go of my legs and stands up, looking at Auron.
"I know, but...just for a little while?"
"Heh, well? What now?" Tidus says, and Auron just sighs, as we continue to walk towards the building. As we approach, and near the front door, Rikku stops, causing me to stop as well.
"Pretty please? Just a few minutes?" she asks, everyone ignoring her and continuing to walk. "I'm scared of lightning! Let's rest, please? Pretty please? I'm too young to die!" she continues, and everyone continues to walk, ignoring her still.
"It's okay, Rikku. We'll be fine." I tell her, but she ignores me.
"You're mean...cruel! Your moms would be ashamed of you!" she says, as the group walks down a hill, almost out of sight. After a moment, they walk back towards us. "Are you having fun doing this to me?" she asks, and Auron sighs again.
"Fine, we rest. She's worse than the storm." he says, and I can almost see Rikku relax, walking inside the building, which appears to be another of Rin's travel agencies. Walking inside, Yuna walks up to the desk, and talks to the clerk, while all of us stand aside.
"Thank you." Yuna says, before walking down the hall.
"Uh, Yuna?" Wakka says, looking at the summoner walk into her room.
"It's not like her." Lulu says, causing me to look at the group.
"You're right. It's not like her. Something's wrong." I tell them, only somewhat noticing that Tidus has walked down the hall, and is now listening, ear to door, to Yuna's room. Suddenly, I hear a yelp, and laugh, noticing Tidus fall completely into Yuna's room.
"I got it, I got it." I tell the group, chuckling the whole way down the hall.
"I...well...it's nothing, really. I...I just, uh..." Tidus stammers, as Yuna stands up and turns the sphere that she was watching off. Tidus doesn't see me standing behind him, but Yuna does. She doesn't say anything, however. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have come in. H-Hey! Wasn't that that Jyscal Guado guy?" Tidus asks, looking at the sphere. Yuna just nods, looking around the room.
"The sphere is his will...it says, "Take care of my son."
Tidus looks confused for a moment. "His son...? Seymour?" he asks, and Yuna nods. "Well, I know one way to take care of him." It's all I can do to not laugh and blow my hiding right there.
"I'm sorry." Yuna says, and walks towards the doorway of the room. I move quickly, so that Tidus can't see me, as Yuna exits. I give a slight grin, before noticing Tidus walk up and examine the sphere. I creep up behind him, unsheathing my sword, and slowly placing it beside his neck. Tapping him on the shoulder, Tidus turns...to meet the blade of my sword, directly below his chin.
"If I had been a fiend, you would be missing your head right now." I say calmly, and the look on Tidus' face is priceless. "What were you doing, anyway?" I finish, sheathing the sword again.
"Yuna...Yuna was acting funny, s-so..." he stutters, and I hold up a hand.
"That's her business. Not ours. Now, let's go." I say, my voice carrying no emotion. Tidus glances back at the sphere, then back at me, before slowly nodding and following me back to the main hall.
"It's not stopping, is it?" Rikku asks Auron, as we re-enter the main area.
"Don't tell me you were hoping it would." Auron says, staring more at the door than Rikku. Another bolt of lightning strikes, and Rikku shrieks, falling to the ground. "Fine. Stay here." Auron says, walking out the door as I walk over to Rikku, letting her grab onto my shoulder once again.
"All right, already." she says, seemingly talking to no one in particular, as Auron has just exited. "But! You didn't have to say it like that, you know? You could be more comforting or something! You know, try to cheer me up? You just don't get me at all, do you?" she continues, finally noticing Auron has left. "Hey! Are you listening?" she says, walking to the door and yelling through it. Yet another bolt cracks across the sky, and Rikku huddles a little, shaking, but doesn't scream. "I'm not scared! I'm not scared, you hear!" she yells, obviously trying to talk to the thunder and lightning. Shaking my head, I walk over and nod at her, causing her to smile slightly, then cringe as another peal of thunder rumbles across the air. Looking at Yuna, she nods, and we all exit the building, heading towards the second half of the Thunder Plains.
The rest of the trip is pretty uneventful, a few random fiend battles, and such, until something bad shows up. Namely, a trio of Iron Giant fiends. This...will not be pretty.
"Uh oh..." I say, noticing the fiends approaching us. Thinking a moment, I try to remember what I know about Iron Giants. Special move is a jumping, downward strike, and they are very strong. As well as resilient. "Oh boy." I mutter, as we all drop into attack stances. Lulu takes the first move.
"Thundara!" she yells, casting the second tier Black Magic on the first fiend. It staggers a little with the hit, but stays on its feet, and rushes us, swinging the massive sword across. Everyone ducks, just in time to see the second fiend leap into the air, and down at Yuna. Yuna screams, before getting knocked out of the way by Tidus.
"Haste!" I cry, using the magic on myself, before thinking a moment, and calling another spell. "Slow!" This magic slows the first Iron Giant considerably, but the third has other plans. Running at me, surprisingly quick for short, armored legs, the fiend swings downward, and I roll out of the way, unsheathing my wakizashi as well to help. Charging the fiend, I slash at the armor plating, but it only leaves small scratch marks. Giving what I think is the fiend equivalent of a laugh, the thing swats me away, as the second fiend hits Wakka.
"Take this!" Tidus exclaims, before he charges the fiends, slashing once, then twice on the first, then twice on the second, and twice more on the third, with his Slice and Dice Overdrive.
"I'm summoning!" I hear Yuna yell, and everyone stands back, as she begins to summon Valefor, except the pattern below her is glowing more brightly than usual.
"That must be Grand Summon..." I say, dodging another strike from the first Giant before retreating.
"Energy Ray!" I hear Yuna yell, and Valefor flies up, launching the beam of power at the three fiends, knocking them back with scorch marks on their armor. After a moment, the fiends decide to gang up on Valefor, and despite the aeon's best efforts, it goes down, dissipating away.
"We need more power! Renzokuken!" I yell, charging the third fiend with both swords drawn, slashing away eight times before jumping back. Smiling, I notice not one, but two new finishing moves. One I recognize, and one I don't.
"Fated Circle!" I cry, sheathing the wakizashi and jumping into the air, bringing the katana close to me and spinning around, before launching a white, disc shaped energy beam at the trio, striking all three of them, and knocking them back again.
"Man, these things are tough!" Wakka says, looking over at Lulu, who has been pelting the trio with second tier magic. Kneeling down, she tries to catch her breath, exhausted from the continuous use. Rikku moves close to the fiends, her fear temporarily forgotten, before she turns around, and then looks back at them, hurling something at them, which causes a chain reaction of Blizzard spells to go off, 2 or 3 on each of them.
"Power Break!" Auron cries, running up and slashing the first fiend once again, the thing finally falling down, and bursting into pyreflies. The other two fiends roar, and jump into the air, bringing both swords down on Auron, knocking him out instantly.
"Auron!" I yell, now even more angered at the fiends. Wakka quickly runs over, digging in his pockets for a Phoenix Down, as I turn back to the trio of Iron Giants. Growling, I unsheathe the wakizashi yet again, and go into another Renzokuken, targeting the second fiend now. After 6 slashes, I back off, and use the other finishing move I have learned.
"Phase Shift!" I bellow, as my body suddenly goes transparent, somewhat like the Hero items from FF8. Glaring at the second fiend, I run up, and bounce off the ground, jumping up and almost through its head in my transparent state, landing on the other side, as I become physical again. The fiend turns, and its head falls right off its body, the body falling and exploding into pyreflies a moment later. Now, there's only the third fiend to deal with.
"Come forth, Ixion!" Yuna cries, and everyone runs back, as her rod suddenly glows with lightning. A portal opens behind her, and she turns, a beam of lightning extending from the rod into the portal, as a jagged horn extends from the portal. Giving a motion with the rod, Ixion breaks free of the portal, and lands in front of her, as she smiles, giving the final command.
"Aerospark!" she calls, and Ixion's horn suddenly glows, as he tilts his head back, then slashes it forward, a crescent-shaped lightning disc flying from it, and cutting the body of the third Iron Giant in half, the halves falling and dissolving moments later. The aeon dissipates back to the realm it came from, as we all regroup.
"Everyone okay?" I ask, and everyone nods, Lulu wincing a moment as she drinks something; I assume some sort of magic replenishing item. "That's good, those things were brutal. We better get out of here, and fast." I say, walking towards the end of the plains, and Rikku nods furiously, running beside me, as the others walk right behind me.
Thankfully for us, nothing else attacks us before we reach the other side. As we're about to leave the plains, Yuna stops, and turns to us.
"Everyone...wait." she says, as we all look at her.
"What's up?" Wakka says.
"I have something to tell you." Yuna continues, as Lulu and Rikku step forward a little.
"Here?" Lulu says, Rikku nodding furiously.
"We're almost out of here! Let's go!" she insists, and Yuna turns to her, her eyes somewhat pleading.
"I have to say it now!" she says, as Auron looks around, noticing a lightning rod tower a few dozen feet from us.
"Over there." he says, pointing to the tower, and we all run over quickly, before Yuna continues, taking a deep breath before she starts.
"I've decided...to marry." she says, and Lulu nods.
"I thought so." Lulu replies, as Tidus somewhat hangs his head, but no one notices, as they're too focused on Yuna.
"So, you've decided to marry Seymour." I state, more to myself than anyone else.
"B-But why? Why'd you change your mind?" Wakka asks, confused.
"For Spira's future...and Yevon's unity." Yuna replies, pausing a moment before continuing. "I thought it would be the best thing to do."
"That's not good enough." Auron says, and I sigh. Apparently, Tidus and I aren't the only ones openly opposed to Yuna's marriage.
"Wait, is it...is it because of Lord Jyscal?" Lulu says after a moment. Tidus snaps his fingers, connecting the dots instantly.
"That sphere!" he exclaims, and Auron's eyes narrow, as he approaches Yuna.
"Show me." he instructs, but Yuna shakes her head, turning away from the monk slightly.
"I can't." she says softly, staring at the ground, then back at Auron. "I must speak to Maester Seymour first. I truly am sorry, but this is...this is a personal matter." she says, Auron nodding slightly in understanding.
"You're kidding, ya?" Wakka says in disbelief.
"As you wish." Auron states, turning away from Yuna.
"I'm sorry." she says, and Auron turns his head to look at her again.
"Just one thing." he tells her, and she seems to understand immediately, nodding.
"I won't quit my pilgrimage." she replies, and Auron nods.
"Then it is...fine." he says, beginning to walk away, but Tidus walks up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Wait a minute, Auron! You don't care? I mean, you're not going to stop her?" Tidus exclaims, beginning to get angry.
"No, I'm not." Auron replies, as calm as ever. "As long as she is willing to face Sin...all else is her concern. That is a summoner's privilege. As long as she journeys." Wakka nods in approval, as Tidus seems to go even redder in the face.
"But that's..." he trails off, finally giving a short growl and turning away from Auron.
"You mean to say that's not right. Don't you." I say, causing Tidus to turn back to me. "Well, I don't happen to believe it's the right decision either, but that is Yuna's decision. We must respect that, no matter what." Tidus seems even more annoyed by my comment, but says nothing, as Wakka walks up to Yuna.
"Yuna, just one question. Can't you just talk to Maester Seymour? You've got to marry him?" Wakka says, and I mentally sigh.
'That was two, but whatever.' I think, as Yuna answers.
"I don't know. But I think it is the right thing to do."
"Okay, I guess." Wakka says, walking away as Rikku approaches Yuna, putting her hands on Yuna's shoulders.
"Yunie..." she begins, but gets interrupted by a loud crash of thunder. "Quiet!" she hisses, looking up at the sky a moment, before looking back at Yuna. "I wish we could help somehow, some way!" she says, and I suddenly realize a hidden meaning to those words, but don't say anything.
"It's okay...I'll be fine." Yuna says, looking at Rikku and putting a hand on her hand. Auron decides to break up our little discussion at this point, walking into the middle of us and pointing towards the exit.
"Next, we're going to Macalania Temple. Yuna can talk with Seymour there. We guardians will wait until they're done, and plan our next move. Understood?" he says, and everyone nods, beginning to walk towards the exit to the plains.
'And I can finally give Seymour the beatdown he so rightfully deserves.' I think to myself, as we leave the volatile region.
Well, only a few more chapters till Macalania Temple! Next up, is Macalania Woods. Then Lake Macalania, where a series of interesting events happen. You'll have to keep reading to find out! Until then, please review, and good day to all!
