Sorry for the extreme delay. Onto Chapter 8.
Gullwings vs. Leblanc
I woke up with my dry tears on my face. I've been crying while I sleep for the past few days.
"What am I gonna tell Leblanc?" I asked myself waking up.
I felt incredible sorrow. It was as though knowing I was alive made me depressed. I've never felt so terrible in my entire life.
I've never thought I'd do it but I ran my left wrist over the blade of my rifle. I made several cuts. It hurt, but I kept doing it like I was caught up in madness or something. I eventually regained control of myself and stopped.
I had several cuts on my left arm, not deep but blood was running all down it. I cleaned out my self-inflicted wounds, wincing at the pain. I got dressed, covering my scarred arm with the armplate I always wore.
I walked to the main hallway and saw three female goons enter. None of them was Cora, probably still at Luca.
They seemed kinda shocked to see me. As if they didn't want me to.
"Something wrong?" I asked them.
One looked like she was going to speak but stopped. They just nodded.
They walked around. I went through Guadosalam and then to the Thunder Plains. This place was calming despite all the thunder and lightning.
"What am I gonna do?" I said to myself. "Could I run away? Chances are Leblanc wouldn't go after me. I could be my own man. How long would that last?"
This was tricky, that's for sure. I was doomed from the moment I ended up in Spira.
I saw a male goon run towards me just then.
"Hey! Boss needs you right now!" he shouted at me.
"Fine." I said blankly standing and walking back to her chateau.
I got there and went down to where all the rooms were, it was behind the wall in the dining room. I walked down one of the hallways and saw the three of them.
Yuna.
Paine.
and Rikku.
They must have been those three goons from earlier. They probably broke in to steal back that sphere we took from them. Now what do we do? If I let them go Leblanc will be furious, if I fight them than...I don't even want to know.
"Ashley! I was hoping we wouldn't find you." Yuna said right off the bat.
"We were hoping to not have to fight you." Paine added.
"As much as a meanie and a pervert you are I really don't want to fight you either." Rikku added.
This brought me to tears. Now they didn't want to fight me either, but my duty was to stop them. Wha-wha...
"WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!!!!????" I screamed at the top of my lungs so loud the gods could probably hear me.
"I'm supposed to fight you three, but I don't want to. What do I do?" I said suddenly feeling the scars on my left arm.
"Well let's just go easy on each other. Look at it as practice." Yuna suggested.
"That's the best we have to work with so far. Might as well." I said bringing my rifle up to face them.
I ran at the three of them. Yuna brought her guns to me, Rikku her knives, and Paine her sword. I kicked Rikku in her exposed stomach, turned, and shot a slug at Paine. She held her sword out and the bullet deflected harmlessly off it.
Yuna then shot me in the side twice. It hurt, I felt the bullets in me but I was still able to keep moving.
We traded blows with one another until I loaded that new ammo into my weapon.
I aimed upwards and fired. The slug exploded in the air and beams of light and shot down at them. They obviously felt it, but they kept going. I just gave up.
"Just go. I've had enough of this." I said putting my rifle away. "Please, I don't want to fight anymore. This conflict is killing me!"
"Ashley..." was all Yuna could say.
"Please just go." I told them moving to the side to let them pass.
They ran past me. Yuna stopped in front of me but I wouldn't look her in the face, my gaze was focused on my boots.
She whispered something to me and kissed my very lightly on the cheek.
I looked up and saw them running to wherever they needed to go.
What Yuna whispered to me was "thank you".
A couple minutes later I stumbled upon Leblanc talking with them. Were they gonna fight? She would most certainly want me to help.
"About time you showed up Aeon!" Leblanc shouted at me. "We were all talking about what to do next."
They showed me the sphere they had assembled. It showed a giant machine by the looks of it. And this guy who looked a little like Tidus but not an exact replica. Our plan was to go into Bevelle and destroy this Vegnagun.
"As much as I hate to say it we're working together." the boss said.
I smiled. I don't remember smiling in a long time. This was a dream come true. If we work together than we don't have to fight anymore. Thank god!
We all boarded their airship. Didn't look any different. I went to the cabin and sat on a bed and thought. I took off all my bulky armor and my rifle. My left arm was exposed. There were so many scars on it I didn't bother counting. I ran my right hand over each wound feeling where the blade sliced into my flesh. It made me sad.
"I'll bet you're happy." Paine said bringing me back down to reality.
"Yeah."
"What's that?" she said looking at my arm. I tried to move it away from her so she couldn't see what I did to myself, but I couldn't hide it for long. Once she took hold of my arm I gave up.
"What happened?" she said showing a look of concern.
"It's nothing." I told her.
"How did you get all these cuts?"
"I don't recall." I felt very embarassed.
"You did this didn't you?"
"yes" I replied softly.
She sat down next to me which kinda surprised me. I didn't expect Paine to be the compassionate type.
"I don't even remember why I did it. I was just tired of living here, I felt I had to take it out on myself." I explained to her.
"It's because you knew you would have to fight us. At least we're all working together so I bet you're happy."
I began to cry again. Not because of sorrow but because of joy.
"You probably want to be left alone." she said.
As she stood to leave I took ahold of her gloved hand. "No, you don't have to say anything, it would be nice to have some company right now." I told her. She sat back down.
I kinda just cried next to her for awhile. Then I told her if she wanted to she could leave. She didn't hesitate. Probably because she knew she didn't have to. Then Rikku walked in.
"What are you up to?" she asked, but not in an angry voice like I expected.
"Crying obviously." I told her. She didn't seem too surprised at the scars on my arm.
"I'll bet you're glad that we don't have to fight anymore." she said to me kneeling in front of me.
"I am. Why are you suddenly acting all friendly around me? You feeling ok?" I asked her smiling a little as the tears stopped.
"I'm not sure. I guess I felt sorry for you. You didn't want to fight us but you knew you had to. That took a lot I can guess." she said.
I began to notice her swirled eyes. All the Al Bhed have that trait.
I couldn't explain what I was feeling at that moment, but it felt strange.
"We'll be going to Bevelle tomorrow. You should probably rest. You can use my bed tonight." she offered.
"First you act nice to me and now you offer your bed? You sure I didn't hit in the head too hard?" I asked almost laughing a little.
"Well you're sitting on my bed right now. I'll probably have to clean it afterward. And I'm not sleeping with you either." she told me.
"Alright."
I eventually just hit the pillow and slept peacefully. I hadn't slept so well in days. I didn't cry myself to sleep either. Perhaps life in Spira was picking up.
I woke up and we all got off in Bevelle. It was a massive city! Much bigger than the game ever made it. I didn't care what we were here for. Just that we were working together and not fighting.
Gullwings vs. Leblanc
I woke up with my dry tears on my face. I've been crying while I sleep for the past few days.
"What am I gonna tell Leblanc?" I asked myself waking up.
I felt incredible sorrow. It was as though knowing I was alive made me depressed. I've never felt so terrible in my entire life.
I've never thought I'd do it but I ran my left wrist over the blade of my rifle. I made several cuts. It hurt, but I kept doing it like I was caught up in madness or something. I eventually regained control of myself and stopped.
I had several cuts on my left arm, not deep but blood was running all down it. I cleaned out my self-inflicted wounds, wincing at the pain. I got dressed, covering my scarred arm with the armplate I always wore.
I walked to the main hallway and saw three female goons enter. None of them was Cora, probably still at Luca.
They seemed kinda shocked to see me. As if they didn't want me to.
"Something wrong?" I asked them.
One looked like she was going to speak but stopped. They just nodded.
They walked around. I went through Guadosalam and then to the Thunder Plains. This place was calming despite all the thunder and lightning.
"What am I gonna do?" I said to myself. "Could I run away? Chances are Leblanc wouldn't go after me. I could be my own man. How long would that last?"
This was tricky, that's for sure. I was doomed from the moment I ended up in Spira.
I saw a male goon run towards me just then.
"Hey! Boss needs you right now!" he shouted at me.
"Fine." I said blankly standing and walking back to her chateau.
I got there and went down to where all the rooms were, it was behind the wall in the dining room. I walked down one of the hallways and saw the three of them.
Yuna.
Paine.
and Rikku.
They must have been those three goons from earlier. They probably broke in to steal back that sphere we took from them. Now what do we do? If I let them go Leblanc will be furious, if I fight them than...I don't even want to know.
"Ashley! I was hoping we wouldn't find you." Yuna said right off the bat.
"We were hoping to not have to fight you." Paine added.
"As much as a meanie and a pervert you are I really don't want to fight you either." Rikku added.
This brought me to tears. Now they didn't want to fight me either, but my duty was to stop them. Wha-wha...
"WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!!!!????" I screamed at the top of my lungs so loud the gods could probably hear me.
"I'm supposed to fight you three, but I don't want to. What do I do?" I said suddenly feeling the scars on my left arm.
"Well let's just go easy on each other. Look at it as practice." Yuna suggested.
"That's the best we have to work with so far. Might as well." I said bringing my rifle up to face them.
I ran at the three of them. Yuna brought her guns to me, Rikku her knives, and Paine her sword. I kicked Rikku in her exposed stomach, turned, and shot a slug at Paine. She held her sword out and the bullet deflected harmlessly off it.
Yuna then shot me in the side twice. It hurt, I felt the bullets in me but I was still able to keep moving.
We traded blows with one another until I loaded that new ammo into my weapon.
I aimed upwards and fired. The slug exploded in the air and beams of light and shot down at them. They obviously felt it, but they kept going. I just gave up.
"Just go. I've had enough of this." I said putting my rifle away. "Please, I don't want to fight anymore. This conflict is killing me!"
"Ashley..." was all Yuna could say.
"Please just go." I told them moving to the side to let them pass.
They ran past me. Yuna stopped in front of me but I wouldn't look her in the face, my gaze was focused on my boots.
She whispered something to me and kissed my very lightly on the cheek.
I looked up and saw them running to wherever they needed to go.
What Yuna whispered to me was "thank you".
A couple minutes later I stumbled upon Leblanc talking with them. Were they gonna fight? She would most certainly want me to help.
"About time you showed up Aeon!" Leblanc shouted at me. "We were all talking about what to do next."
They showed me the sphere they had assembled. It showed a giant machine by the looks of it. And this guy who looked a little like Tidus but not an exact replica. Our plan was to go into Bevelle and destroy this Vegnagun.
"As much as I hate to say it we're working together." the boss said.
I smiled. I don't remember smiling in a long time. This was a dream come true. If we work together than we don't have to fight anymore. Thank god!
We all boarded their airship. Didn't look any different. I went to the cabin and sat on a bed and thought. I took off all my bulky armor and my rifle. My left arm was exposed. There were so many scars on it I didn't bother counting. I ran my right hand over each wound feeling where the blade sliced into my flesh. It made me sad.
"I'll bet you're happy." Paine said bringing me back down to reality.
"Yeah."
"What's that?" she said looking at my arm. I tried to move it away from her so she couldn't see what I did to myself, but I couldn't hide it for long. Once she took hold of my arm I gave up.
"What happened?" she said showing a look of concern.
"It's nothing." I told her.
"How did you get all these cuts?"
"I don't recall." I felt very embarassed.
"You did this didn't you?"
"yes" I replied softly.
She sat down next to me which kinda surprised me. I didn't expect Paine to be the compassionate type.
"I don't even remember why I did it. I was just tired of living here, I felt I had to take it out on myself." I explained to her.
"It's because you knew you would have to fight us. At least we're all working together so I bet you're happy."
I began to cry again. Not because of sorrow but because of joy.
"You probably want to be left alone." she said.
As she stood to leave I took ahold of her gloved hand. "No, you don't have to say anything, it would be nice to have some company right now." I told her. She sat back down.
I kinda just cried next to her for awhile. Then I told her if she wanted to she could leave. She didn't hesitate. Probably because she knew she didn't have to. Then Rikku walked in.
"What are you up to?" she asked, but not in an angry voice like I expected.
"Crying obviously." I told her. She didn't seem too surprised at the scars on my arm.
"I'll bet you're glad that we don't have to fight anymore." she said to me kneeling in front of me.
"I am. Why are you suddenly acting all friendly around me? You feeling ok?" I asked her smiling a little as the tears stopped.
"I'm not sure. I guess I felt sorry for you. You didn't want to fight us but you knew you had to. That took a lot I can guess." she said.
I began to notice her swirled eyes. All the Al Bhed have that trait.
I couldn't explain what I was feeling at that moment, but it felt strange.
"We'll be going to Bevelle tomorrow. You should probably rest. You can use my bed tonight." she offered.
"First you act nice to me and now you offer your bed? You sure I didn't hit in the head too hard?" I asked almost laughing a little.
"Well you're sitting on my bed right now. I'll probably have to clean it afterward. And I'm not sleeping with you either." she told me.
"Alright."
I eventually just hit the pillow and slept peacefully. I hadn't slept so well in days. I didn't cry myself to sleep either. Perhaps life in Spira was picking up.
I woke up and we all got off in Bevelle. It was a massive city! Much bigger than the game ever made it. I didn't care what we were here for. Just that we were working together and not fighting.