The Shattered Calm

Chapter 2: A Summoner's Hatred

Spira'sSentry- Thank you for your encouragement. Well here's chapter 2 for you!

Eriks leadinglady- Don't you fret my friend. And thank you for your review it made my horrible day bearable. And here you are chapter 2! Sorry for it being a little long for the update by my profile is a bit messed up and it wouldn't let me upload stuff.

Yuna awoke the next morning to the sound of Rikku calling her name. She rose up to a sitting position and gazed about the room, Rikku was nowhere in sight. She heard Rikku's voice again only this time it was over the intercom. Rikku told Yuna to head to the bridge because there was some sphere waves coming from outside of Zanarkand. Yuna got up and brushed her smooth brown hair and went up the elevator to the bridge.

As Yuna rose up on the elevator she could hear some voices over the intercom but couldn't quite place them. Then yelling shot over it and she realized who it was 'Rikku and Brother are fighting again' she thought as the elevator came to a stop at the bridge.

Yuna ran down the corridor to the bridge where everyone was gathered. Rikku and Brother were shouting in Al Bhed at each other and Buddy was in the middle trying to break it up. Shinra was quietly working at his desk. When Yuan entered the room Brother stopped shouting and stiffened up as Rikku kicked him in the shin. Buddy just shook his head.

Paine was standing in her dark corner as usual eyeing Brother and Rikku. Yuna glanced around the bridge and saw Paine leaning up against the wall. "Are you alright Paine? Are you sure you should be up and about?"

Paine glanced up and Yuna. "I'm as fine as I can be with these two and their relentless fighting." Rikku turned to Paine and shot her a dirty look with her tongue out.

Yuna smiled at Paine's remark and walked down the echoing stairs on the right side of the bridge. She looked at Buddy as if wanting to know something as she drew closer to the middle of the room. Buddy realized that Yuna was trying to find out about the sphere waves and answered the unasked question. "We picked up some sphere waves from outside of Zanarkand in the shadow of Mt. Gagazet." He returned to his set.

Yuna stood there for a moment not moving. She was thinking of Zanarkand and of the last days she had with him. Her thought was broken when Rikku called to her and was waving a hand in front of her face. Yuna shook her head, her silky hair flipping this way and that. Then she moved over to Buddy past Brother who was basically gawking at her.

Buddy turned towards Yuan as she approached him. "I'm sorry Yuna but if you want to check the sphere waves out I can't get us close to it. We'll need to land somewhere out of the way." He informed.

Paine looked over to Yuna who was deliberating to go or not. Yuna pivoted on her heel and faced Paine and Rikku. "Well, do you think we should go?"

"I'm always up for an adventure!" Rikku cried as she started to bounce on her heels.

"If you two are going I should go to keep an eye on Rikku." Paine stated in her emotionless voice pushing away from the wall. Rikku shot another evil look at her.

Yuna laughed as she looked at her two friends. "I guess we'll go and find that sphere!"

Buddy turned back around and typed in the coordinates and the Celsius took off flying through the clear blue sky towards Zanarkand.

Yuna paced around the bridge on their approach to Zanarkand. She had been there before, a year ago, but she still felt uneasy bringing up old memories. "Yunie are you alright?" Rikku's hyper voice broke Yuna's trance. She gazed up at her cousin and then back to the floor.

Rikku's usually cheery expression transformed to a sad one at her cousin's mope mood. She walked over to her cousin's side and put her tanned arm around Yuna's shoulder. "You know, you shouldn't be so sad on a mission cuz then you'll have no fun." Rikku tried to comfort Yuna but to no avail.

Buddy then announced that they were nearing Zanarkand and should get their items together. Yuna got her two pistols out of the cargo box next to her bed that she had forgotten to pick up after her rude awakening. Paine collected some potions and Rikku bounced around the bridge awaiting their arrival at Zanarkand. Shinra said that there were stronger fiends here than in any of the surrounding areas and they should take special caution and gave Yuna a little flying scout machina than looked like a firefly.

The Celsius rested upon a small patch of flat land in the middle of endless spires and other obstacles. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine strode out of the Celsius and activated the little firefly machina. It flew around them and beeped a lot. Then it began to scan the areas around them at a distance of a few hundred feet to where they stood. As they walked the flying scout revolved around them scanning the area for fiends.

The surrounding area was a gigantic maze of ruins and debris all made of some sort of bluish gray stone. The walkways consisted of the same material; they wove around in between all the ruins and were in rather good shape for being in ruins. The three companions continued their search for the sphere in the massive ruins walking around aimlessly for some time.

Rikku rounded a corner to find a massive bird-like fiend awaiting them. It had black feathers fluttering around its massive body and wings. There was black fog coming out from its colossal jaws. It had a short stubby tail draped in the same deep black feathers as the rest of its body. Its two glowering yellow eyes focused on Rikku causing fear to shudder through her body.

Yuna soon caught up to her fear-inflicted cousin to see the massive bird fiend hovering above her. Paine soon followed and drew out her skull sword and raised it ready to attack. Yuna followed in suit drawing her two pistols out of their leather holsters. She aimed them at the birds fluttering throat and fired a flaming bullet at it. The shot rang through the ruins awaking Rikku from her fearful daze. She immediately took out her red orange daggers and rushed to the huge bird.

The bird lashed out with its massive hooked teeth at the charging Rikku. She dove out of the way as the bird's teeth bit into the old dirt. Paine ran in to assist her friend with her sword trailing at her side. She brought it up into the bird's chest slashing a large gash. The bird fiend reared its terrible head and let out a deafening screech of pain causing the three friends to cover their ears in pain.

The fiend's dark wings began to glow a dark bluish purple. Yuna fired a bunch of consecutive shots into one of its wings but it was in vain. The bird fiend took its wings back and shoved them forward causing it to be pushed back ten feet. A strong wind assailed the three sphere hunters and rolled them along the cold hard ground till they smashed into a spire. Rikku was separated from Paine and Yuna on the other side of the bird and a lot farther away.

Yuna crouched on her knees and winced in pain. Her back felt like it was on fire and she collapsed to the dusty ground. Paine didn't get up because of her injuries the previous day had come back ten fold. Rikku plucked herself up off the ground and gazed at Yuna and Paine. 'Great! That big meanie knocked Yuna and Paine out.' She thought as she grabbed her daggers out of the ground and rushed at the fiend's back.

The bird fiend didn't notice Rikku running up behind it because it was flapping over to the incapacitated Yuna and Paine. Rikku leapt up onto its stubby tail and ran along its spine up to the beginning of its neck. The fiend thrashed about trying to topple the thief off its vulnerable back. Rikku grasped onto its dark feathers and held on for her life as the fiend's thrashing became increasingly violent. She managed to only hold on with one hand as she dug one of her daggers into the fiend's back. It let out another cry of pain and tossed Rikku off onto Yuna.

Rikku jumped off of Yuna as she dropped a potion for her cousin and ran away from her. The bird followed her and left Yuna and Paine alone. Yuna drank the warming liquid inside the vile giving her strength as soon as it ran down her soft throat. Rikku ran circles around the fiend and dropped a potion at Paine's side. Paine couldn't even move so Yuna crawled over to her and helped her drink the healing solution. Paine could now move on her own but not very well, she still winced in pain. She gently slipped out one of the potions she stored before they exited the Celsius and gulped it down. Most of the pain went away but she still couldn't fight up to par.

The bird was completely distracted by the circling Rikku and let the two injured ones recover. Rikku began to breath hard after a few moments of revolving around the fiend. She finally leapt at the bird's head and glanced her daggers off its teeth. 'Grrrrr! That big meanie!' She thought as she cartwheeled out of the way of another of the fiend's attacks. She ran onto a small piece of debris and back flipped onto the bird.

The bird flew high into the darkening sky with Rikku as its passenger. Rikku glanced around nervously as she rose up higher and higher on the fiend's back. Wind rushed past her ears with a screech making her curl up into a ball for a moment. She started to panic as the bird stopped and just hovered in the cooling sky.

Then the bird began to roll to the side slowly. Rikku ran and grasped onto its right side as it flipped on its left. Then she leapt up onto its back as it continued to spin. The bird stopped again for only a moment before plunging out of the sky. Rikku flew up in the air from the sudden plummet and she soon caught up to the falling fiend. Gripping to the fiend's black feathers as she landed on it with a softened thud she praying for her life. The fiend stopped abruptly as it neared the ground causing Rikku to bounce up and come crashing back onto it.

Yuna rose to her feet as the fiend returned back to the ruin riddled ground. Rikku bounced off of it as it came to its stop and was tossed onto a bluish gray pillar. She rolled off it as she landed on top of it. She landed face first on the ground below smearing dust upon her vibrant face. Yuan rushed over to her cousin and cradled her head up and let her drink a southing potion.

Yuna rested Rikku against a piece of debris and drew her pistols. She began to fire rapid shots into the fiend. The pistols raged as shot after shot rang from the barrels. As the fiend was struck with each individual bullet its body gave way to each. The bullets were wearing the fiend down as it began to descend to the ground sticking its talons into the dusty earth. Yuna didn't stop her relentless assault of bullets until the fiend flapped over to her and tossed her aside with its massive jaws.

Out of nowhere a blade pierced the bird fiend's head and it fell to the ground leisurely. Paine stood with her skull blade covered slightly with purple blood dripping off of it. Pyreflies began their harmonious ascent into the air to the farplane. Rikku stood up and strolled over to Yuna who was on her knees with her guns at her sides. Rikku helped up her cousin to her feet. Yuna plucked her guns up and spun them on her index fingers and slipped them into their holsters.

"Is everyone alright?" Yuna queried in her soft voice. Rikku smiled and bounced around as normal and Paine just stood there putting away her sword.

Rikku went over to Yuna's side. "Looks like it Yunie!" Putting her arm around Yuna's shoulders.

Paine looked away form the two cousins and spoke, "Let's get moving."

"Right!"

The three of them continued their search for the sphere through the vast ruins. They encountered a few other bird and lizard like fiends but they were easily slain and the three sphere hunters continued on. They searched for hours and still no sign of a sphere. The night came on quick after their encounter with the giant bird fiend and it soon became extremely cold in the shadow of Mt. Gagazet.

Rikku was shivering in her yellow bikini top and short green shorts. "Burrrrrr! It's so cold out here Yunie." Paine glared at her. "We know."

"You don't have to be a meanie, you know."

They continued to travel through the empty ruins for another hour. Then over the communicator Buddy's voice sounded. "It's getting very cold down there maybe you should return to the Celsius and call it a night. We can bring it over and drop the rope ladder."

Yuna stopped and looked at her friends. "Well, maybe we should call it a night, you know. It is getting colder every minute.

"I agree with Yunie. Let's go back to the Celsius." Rikku shivered.

Paine glanced at Rikku. "Fine then let's just abandon out mission." Paine turned back and started walking again.

"What do you think is up with Paine today Yunie?" She whispered to Yuna.

Yuna turned to the shivering Rikku. "I…don't know." She shivered too.

The two cousins followed their disgruntled friend through even more endless ruins in the deepening cold. Nothing caught either of their eyes as they strolled throughout the ancient ruins. The companions encountered a few small fiends that they quickly dealt with and moved on. Still nothing was interesting, every ruin looking the same as the one before almost as if they were walking around in circles. They finally came upon something that caught Rikku's eye.

"Yunie! Paine! Look!" She pointed to a small moss grown chest and bounced over to it.

Yuna and Paine followed their hyper friend to the dull chest. "Looks like just another treasure chest to me, nothing special about it." Paine stated gazing at the ordinary chest.

Yuna went over to the chest her cousin was huddled over and lifted the latch unlocking it. Then she pushed open the top part of the chest with a chill hand. A bright orange glow shot out of the chest as the top flew open. The light soon diminished and revealed the Gullwings prize. It was an ordinary orange treasure sphere than contained something recoded on it.

Rikku snatched it up into her cold hands and slipped it into a pouch. "We should get back to the Celsius so Shinra can work on this sphere so we can watch what we found! Call buddy and have him pick us up Yunie."

Yuna signaled to Buddy to come to snatch the three sphere hunters out of the clutches of the chill winds. The Celsius was soon overhead and the same rope ladder unfolded down to the three girls. Rikku was first on the ladder and then Yuna followed by silent Paine.

As the ladder was cranked up a sharp and strong tug pulled at the Celsius. The three sphere hunters turned a glance at the ground over their shoulders. They saw a massive behemoth fiend wrenching on the end of the ladder with its two colossal paws. Rikku almost lost her balance at the first tug and her right hand and left leg slipped off of the ladder. Yuna put a steadying hand up to the bottom of Rikku's shoe and aided her to gain her balance back.

The behemoth relentlessly yanked at the rope ladder to the point where Yuna and Rikku thought that it would break and come crashing to the ground. As that thought flashed through both of their minds Shinra's little flying scout machina flew in next to the behemoth and scanned it. The machina beeped a few times and then flew in front of the behemoth's mouth and flew straight threw its teeth and down its throat.

A few more beeps were uttered from within the behemoth's belly. Then it beeped ten times as if counting down. The fiend exploded as the beeping rose to ten sending pyreflies flying everywhere. They continued on to the farplane in their harmonious flight.

When the three sphere hunters were safe inside the Celsius Rikku ran over to Shinra and queried him about that machina that had just saved their lives. Paine fell back to her same dark corner and Yuna just stood in the center of the bridge and Brother leapt from his seat to check on Yuna as Buddy struck him in the back of the head.

Shinra spun around in his seat after Rikku left him and rested upon the back. "It will take me a while to decipher this sphere so you might as well get some rest."

Rikku yawned at the mention of rest and tore off for the elevator. Paine slowly but surely pushed off of her wall and walled slowly to the elevator. Yuna soon followed them after a few moments of thought heading to her comfortable bed, she was tired and some sleep would work wonders. She lay down under her silky sheets and closed her bi-colored eyes and drifted into a sweet slumber.

She had no dreams of him that night. She for once got a thorough and gentle sleep. Relaxing with the night sounds of crickets and the soft hum of the airship as it hovered.

Yuna awoke the next day to a beautiful golden sunrise with birds chirping melodiously in the clear azure sky. She strolled herself over to the washroom and took a long warm shower letting the warm water cascade down her soft skin. She walked over to her dresser after taking her leave from the warm waters and picked up her ruby colored brush and smoothed out her silky brown hair. She unwrinkled her gunner clothes as she slipped into them.

Paine was standing in the doorway to the bedroom/bar. She saw Yuna's happy and relaxed expression as she descend the clanking stairs towards her. "Someone seems to be happy and relaxed today." Paine stated, as Yuna got closer to her.

Yuna smiled. "You know, for once I actually got a good nights sleep and I feel great."

Rikku came clamoring down the corridor to the bedroom/bar after leaping off the elevator. She stopped next to Paine and smiled as she saw Yuna's face. "Wow, you seem happy this morning Yunie!"

"She could actually sleep because you weren't snoring last night." Paine jested.

"Hey! You big meanie!" She went and stood right in Paine's face.

Yuna broke up the confrontation. "Hey, stop it you two." She said in a calming voice.

Rikku backed off of Paine as Paine let a small grin slip. Rikku walked back to the elevator, slumped over. She suddenly leapt into the air and spun around. "Yunie, I almost forgot! Shinra is done decrypting that sphere and he said we could watch it now!"

"Right!"

Yuna ran to her cousin's side and stepped onto the elevator. Paine leisurely pushed herself away from the doorway and followed the two cousins. They reached the bridge in a matter of seconds after Paine took her good old time walking to the elevator. Rikku tore down the corridor and leapt off the rail and landed in the center, as Yuna often dose. Yuna followed her cousin in suit. Paine walked in her usual way.

Yuna walked over to Shinra following Rikku's bouncing steps. Paine filed in behind the two. Shinra spun around in his seat and looked at Yuna. "Wanna watch the sphere?" Yuna nodded and he twisted back and activated the sphere.

Wavy lines covered the screen and a bit of static blipped around the screen. Most of the static cleared revealing a gigantic city lit up with thousands of lights. A lot of the buildings were sphere shaped and long causeways ran throughout the length of the massive city. No people filled the lit up paths throughout the city. Nothing filled the huge screens adorn on the sides of some of the colossal buildings. The city looked completely deserted except for the thousands of lights illuminating the ghost town.

Rikku glanced at Yuna. Yuna was focusing on the sphere so much she didn't notice Rikku staring at her. "Yunie, is everything all right?"

Yuna snapped out of her trance. "Huh? What?" She shook her head clearing her thoughts. "I was just thinking."

Rikku had a look of concern on her face. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong Yunie?"

Yuna gazed into her cousin's eyes. "I was just thinking about something he said be for he left, about Zanarkand. His description fits this city."

"Oh! Well lets keep watching!" The two of them turned back to the sphere.

A massive explosion shattered the quite recording engulfing a fourth of the city in its orange flames. Screams shot through the shattered air piercing the watcher's ears. A horde of machina came creeping out of the crater left by the explosion and scurried about the long causeways. People came out of the gray smoke after the machina. They were wielding rifles as they ran after their machina. About a thousand strong of these soldiers came rushing behind their machina army.

A cry could be heard as the massive army swept over the quiet town. "Bevelle! Bevelle has come!" Another blast silenced the scream.

"Hey! I though Zanarkand was destroyed by Sin not Bevelle, right?" Rikku commented.

Yuna nodded. "Bevelle keeps many secrets." Paine added.

"Your right!" They changed their focus back to the sphere.

Machina sprung forth from the other side of the city to confront the massive hordes of Bevelle. Soldiers filed in behind their machina, guns raised. The Bevelle warriors and machina rounded the corner and meet the city's defenders. The defenders opened fire upon the Bevelle intruders as they rounded the lit corner. Large turrets mounted upon the roofs of the near by buildings opened fire sending huge shells at the invaders throwing many of them a sunder. Machine guns upon tripods blazed at the invading Bevelle soldiers. One after another the Bevelle intruders fell prey to the defenders' bullets and shells.

A strange figure that was clad in off white and green robes appeared in the crowd of the Bevelle soldiers. He did some strange hand motions, which Yuna realized were summoning motions. A burning glyph appeared below the summoner as the ground burst into flames and burst into the chaotic air. Yuan and Rikku noticed that it was the summoning of Ifrit. Ifrit rose into the air and smashed the rocks and flames around him away with his powerful claws. The ground shook slightly as he landed upon the paved ground. The Bevelle soldiers cheered when the summoner summoned Ifrit.

The massive turrets mounted upon the buildings were ordered to fire on the newly summoned Ifrit. Shells were flung threw the air and slammed into Ifrit's side. The shells burned away on impact. Ifrit charged up a massive ball of red-orange flames around his right claws. Lifted it up and spiked it at one of the building turrets. It exploded as the flame ball slid threw it and flew back around smashing into another of the turrets, knocking it down onto the defense line.

All of the city's defenders opened fire at Ifrit, removing their fire from all other targets. Ifrit was on an unstoppable rampage smashing through the boundaries of the defenders. They were powerless to stop the rampaging Aeon. It killed so many of their men and machina before someone stepped in to their aid.

A woman scantily clad in bark blue and white garments. She preformed a few motions and then large spike of ice came crashing down from the dark sky forming a kind of prison. A reflective figure gently floated down into the prison of ice. The figure became visible and tossed a cloak like garment away as the ice shattered. Yuna and Rikku noted that it was Shiva.

Shiva lifted her elegant left hand and cast a powerful ice spell on the rampaging Ifrit. Ifrit stopped in its tracks as the ice assailed it. It turned to face Shiva and gave out a load roar. Shiva provoked Ifrit with a gentle hand movement. Ifrit leapt, spinning, into the air and came plummeting down upon Shiva. She avoided Ifrit's attack with a small sidestep. Shiva raised her right hand to the sky and brought it down dropping a large clump of ice onto Ifrit's head. Ifrit collapsed to the ground motionless ice cascading down around it. Pyreflies began to rise from the dematerializing body.

The Bevelle intruders backed down at the defeat of their beloved Aeon. The defenders of Zanarkand fired rapidly at the retreating enemies. A loud cheer shot from the defenders after the last of the Bevelle soldiers rounded the corner and fled away from their city. They praised the summoner and raised her upon their shoulders parading her around the street.

"Thank you Lady Yunalesca!" Soldiers cheered for their heroic summoner. "You are the best summoner ever!"

The crowd paraded around the streets in a fantastic celebration for their victory. The once deserted streets were now filled to their maximum capacity with loud cheering fans. Yunalesca was paraded around all of Zanarkand. The bright lights lit up the celebrating city as a few scattered fireworks brightened the dreary night sky.

The retreating soldiers of Bevelle fled into the nearby mountain Gagazet. The soldiers filed up trudging through the deep white snow. Their heads were hung low as they made their treacherous march back to Bevelle.

The summoner that had summoned Ifrit back in Zanarkand was filled with fiery hatred of Yunalesca. 'How? How could I lose to the likes of her? I am the greatest summoner there is in Bevelle. Dose this mean our mighty capital has a flaw? NO! I will seek her out and defeat her to set things right. Besides if I don't my superiors would have my head.'

A soldier ran up to the summoner. "Summoner Issark, sir, are you okay?"(Yeah I'm bad at making up names)

Issark shook his head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking." The summoner kept his head low.

The solder walked beside the summoner. "It's not your fault sir. She just played the elemental weakness of your Aeon. Next time you can defeat her."

Issark looked over at the soldier. "Yeah, I guess so. Well, thanks you're a good soldier."

The soldier did some motions, the praise be to Yevon thing, and walked away leaving the summoner to wallow in his failure alone.

The sphere became veiled in static and wavy lines. "Awwwww! It went out." Rikku whined.

"So Zanarkand wasn't destroyed in that fight." Paine stated the obvious.

"Guess not."

Yuna was lost in thought as Rikku and Paine conversed a bit about what they had seen. 'So, Lady Yunalesca wasn't so bad before Sin came around. She was taken as a hero to the people of Zanarkand. That's just so different from the Yunalesca we encounter in Zanarkand three years ago. I wonder what drove her to madness.'

"Yunie? Yunie?" Rikku was waving her hands in front of Yuna's face. "You there?"

Yuna shook her head. "Yeah, I'm here.' Yuna reported.

Well there you have it chapter 2. Hope you liked it. Please R&R. Feel free to give criticism, I want to know if there is anything I should change. And to all you LOD fans out there check out my other story "Bardel's Fury". Also Check out "2 Fallen Gods, and a Guardian Angel" By Anbu713 (a FFX fic) and for all u D&D fans out there Check out "The Dragon War" By lightningwizard.