Author's Notes:

Wow. 6954 words. That's how much I wrote the other day. Granted, some of that was disclaimer, and some of it was flashback, but still... wow. Four chapters. Final Trinity is coming. I don't own Final Fantasy or any of its characters.

Chapter Fifty Two

Ancients

The Yenta Pree aspect known as Ephain watched coldly from the open tent flap the departure of half of Rufus' army. She managed a look of complete disdain and contempt for everyone that marched away, her eyes always scanning for the Cetra witch. In a way, Ephain thought should thank this Aeris for spurning Rufus and driving the ambitious makeshift Cetra into the arms of the Tali Hishna. And in every other, she felt she should destroy the Cetra, calling down lightning and fire to incinerate her where she stood.

But she couldn't do that. Not yet. Rufus, though she loathe to admit it, still had feelings for Aeris, and he would retaliate if she were harmed. Her death would have to come later, when Rufus was finished being molded.

"Come away from there," Rufus said from behind. "You'll only scare more soldiers to her side. They mustn't see you. Not yet."

"I beg to differ. Let them all gaze upon the Yenta Pree, and know what it is to face the Tali Hishna."

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she suppressed the urge to lash out at Rufus as he physically pulled her from the tent flap and closed it behind her. Outrage filled her. No one touched any of the Yenta Pree.

Her other two aspects felt her anger and helped fuel it. They did not approve of her decision to take Rufus in, and they let her know through the Link how much they wanted her to kill him now. He was a threat. A danger. He would betray them.

She shoved the intruding thoughts aside and focused on the man in front of her. The coldness in his face that he had shown to Aeris was gone, replaced by a more peaceful look. He almost even smiled, and she found herself almost smiling back.

She remembered when she had found him just two days ago after he had left the safety of his encampment, screaming in a fit of rage.

The blond man let out another bellow of anger as he stumbled past the line of machines surrounding his camp. Ephain watched it coldly, and readied her staff. Soldiers all around her watched the scene with an expression of mixed interest. They half wanted to rush down and slay this man they had seen as a devil in battle, and they half wanted to see what sort of madness had overcome him. She recognized the madness the man was suffering. She could almost smell the alcohol on him from where she stood in the safety of the cliffs. The Tali Hishna, though anxious to rush down and kill him, stayed their hand. Despite the first probing elements of the limitless hordes of the Tali Hishna being comprised wholly of the most fanatical and loyal, even they knew when to draw in their zeal where the Yenta Pree were concerned.

He must be killed, Ephain heard one of the aspects of the Link say. Probably Veishan. That was his solution to everything.

There was a hesitance to the second voice through the Link, but eventually Dweir said, Agreed.

Ephain mused at the idea. Dweir was known for using his illusions to manipulate and control people. And yet, he agreed with the never so subtle solution that Veishan had put forth. She had always been the middle ground, a compromise between brute force and overuse of subtlety. And her two counterparts were both demanding the use of force.

On a whim, she decided to ignore them both and continued to watch the strange man. He yelled at any of the men who followed them, and most backed away. When three of them did not and continued to step forward, obviously anxious to make him return to camp and save him from his inebriated state and its foolish actions, the man produced a long, metal rod from under his coat and pointed it at them. They immediately ducked down, and the sound of thunder filled the air.

The Tali Hishna ducked, fearful of the weapons of the surface dwellers, but Ephain allowed no emotion to betray her. She simply watched as the man came closer towards the dusty area that was littered with the remains of many of her warriors.

"Come on!" he screamed. "I killed my father, you white dogs! What makes you think I won't kill you? I'll kill you all! All of you!"

Ephain could barely make sense of his ramblings, knowing he was strong with drink. Instead, she watched impassively four hours, until finally he dropped the thunder-stick and collapsed, weeping.

Something had happened to him. What, she didn't know, nor particularly care. But she saw an opportunity. She could kill him now as Dweir and Veishan, her two Yenta Pree brothers, had suggested. Or, she could take a different path.

She made a gesture of her staff and let out a small surge of power and began to levitate. She floated down from the Cliffside and towards the fallen man. And as she got closer, her eyes widened.

He's beautiful, she whispered through the link.

Veishan hissed, and Dweir made no sound. He probably already knew what she had planned.

Before she even landed, the man stopped moving. She could see his face, but his eyes were closed. Even so, he said to her, "Have you come to kill me?"

"No," she said.

"Why not? I am your enemy." He opened his eyes and got to his knees, drawing his sword as he did. "I will kill you if you don't."

She laughed, even as she sent a spell to scan his origins. The man was Cetra, but… not quite. His powers were rudimentary at best, barely tapped, but there was potential there. Not enough to be allowed into the Link and become Yenta Pree by the over-exacting Veishan, but enough to be of use.

Kill him! Do not let your foolish attraction do something equally foolish! Veishan screamed. Dweir still seemed silent. Perhaps he was busy with his own manipulations?

Ephain moved a hand forward to the man's face and gently touched his golden hair. She'd never seen hair like it before coming to the surface. Always before it had been white.

"Why do you wish to die?" she asked the man.

"There is nothing for me. You will win, I will never get my Empire. And she has rejected me. Nothing for me at all. Just kill me."

"Do you know what I am?"

"You are the Yenta Pree. You are Death." Even as he spoke the words foretelling his doom, he smiled at her.

A smile played on her lips, and some of the coldness faded from her eyes. There was something about this man… she could use him. Yes. Use his Cetra potential, turn him into a pawn. Even show him how to obtain the Mark of Blood Letting. That was easy enough.

"You are wrong. I am Ephain, and I am your saviour."

The memory, oddly enough, was a fond one. She had taken him in, and in two days trained him how to gain the Mark of Blood Letting. He proved an amazing pupil, and all the while, Veishan screamed for his death. Ephain honestly thought he was jealous.

Much like she was jealous of Aeris. She didn't bother to deny her attraction to Rufus. He was ambitious, intelligent, charismatic and powerful. His combat skill alone had earned her respect. In a year, he would be powerful enough with his Cetra magic to rival Veishan. Of course, Veishan was the weakest of the Yenta Pree, but his power was still impressive, even if he handled the Link poorly and still referred to himself as 'we' and allowed her own and Dwear's voices to speak when he did so.

Ephain looked down at Rufus' hand gripped her shoulder and frowned at him. "Do not touch me. None are allowed to touch the Yenta Pree."

"That's not what you told me last night," he said.

She allowed herself to smile. The night previous, another fond memory, tainted only by Veishan intruding with his anger over the Link.

"Veishan hates you," she said.

"He hasn't even met me, and already such animosity. My, my. Not a very friendly man, is he?"

"No more friendly than you. And he has met you."

"Oh?" Rufus asked.

Ephain nodded. "Through the Link. He can see everything I see, feel everything I feel. He knows my every thought. And I know everything he does as well. We share everything through the link. Mind, spirit, body, powers. Everything."

Rufus smirked. "Ah, so he felt last night, hmm?"

If it were possible for a Yenta Pree to blush, Ephain would have done so. "There's so much you don't understand. Our history, our culture, our powers, everything. Veishan hates you because you are Cetra."

"So are you," he said accusingly.

"But we're Cetra who have been touched by Mother. We follow her Cause."

"And what is her 'Cause'? She's dead."

"So you have told me," Ephain said, "and so Veishan himself has confirmed. He fought the one with the large sword, the one who helped with Mother's death."

"Cloud Strife," Rufus growled.

"What is it about this 'Cloud' that angers you so? You and Veishan both hate him, and he manages to keep the reasons concealed from the Link."

"He defeated me," Rufus said. "He defied me, beat me, and took what was rightfully mine."

"You mean Aeris?" Ephain asked coldly.

"She doesn't matter now. Forget her. I am trying. The Tali Hishna are my future now. I wish no part of her."

"Is that so?"

Rufus didn't bother answering with words. He leaned forward and placed his lips on hers. For a man so outwardly cold and cruel, he was surprisingly warm and gentle as he kissed her, leaving it feather light and affectionate.

"Rufus…" a female voice said from the doorway.

Ephain broke the kiss and whirled at the sound of it, her staff appearing in her hand and summoned up her energy to strike the Cetra witch down that had just intruded on them.

Aeris held up her own staff, and a gold nimbus began to surround her. Ephain did not fear her magic. It was defensive only. Useless.

"Stop!" Rufus commanded, and both women immediately lowered their weapons, their auras of power fading.

"I thought you said you didn't care for her," Ephain sneered.

"I don't. What are you doing here, Aeris? I told you to leave. This is Tali Hishna territory now."

"I came to ask you one last time to abandon this course of action," she said. Her eyes never left Ephain's. "Please, Rufus, come with me."

"And what can you offer me, Aeris?"

"Nothing but your salvation."

Rufus' voice betrayed no emotion. It was nearly monotonous in its cadence. "Then you offer nothing that I want."

Aeris moved as if to try to grab Rufus' shoulders and try to shake some sense into him, but Ephain moved and blocked the Cetra's path, her eyes blazing with internal power. Inwardly, she could hear Veishan, as usual, calling for violence, while Dweir seemed content to watch how the situation played out.

"Please, Rufus?" Aeris asked.

"Leave us. I wish no part of you. Tell the world of my coming. Tell everyone that the Tali Hishna are coming. Remember how I betrayed the cause. If I ever see you again, and you still continue to fight me, then I will kill you."

Aeris looked as if she had just been slapped. And Ephain smiled. Rufus was hers, and Aeris knew it. Just to pour salt into the wound, Ephain leaned over and kissed her lover once more. The Cetra turned and fled, and Ephain laughed as she did.

Author's Note:

Erg… I hate Original Characters in fanfiction so much. Unfortunately, you have to use them at some points. The Tali Hishna, the Triad, Takkin, Gerald, the Elders… arg! When I did Search For the Promised One, I managed the entire story without a single OC. Now I have a plethora of them. Oh well. PE is bigger than SftPO ever could have been, and the need for OCs reflects that. Ah well. I hope I explained 'the Link' well. I'm afraid it didn't come out as well as I'd hoped…