Disclaimer: There are several .hack references here. I don't own .hack, so whatever. No lawsuits, I'm 'just a kid'. One with too much time on his hands, but so what?
Guadosalam:
Everyone else was waiting at the gates to another city. It looked like it was part of a tree. "What took you so long? Busy flirting, ya?"
I gave Wakka a death glare. Auron shook his head silently, and looked at me, warning me off. I sighed, and returned Suicune and Erastrani. That seemed to catch Rikku's interest. She whispered to me "is that machina?"
I nodded. She tried to take a pokeball, but I kept grabbing her hands when she tried. She was a lot faster than Auron. Finally, I held on to one of her hands. "Meanie!"
"They're mine in the first place!"
She tried to use her other hand, and I grabbed that one too. "All I want to do is look!"
Auron turned around. "Children…"
I let go of her hands (people might jump to conclusions about that), but kept an eye on her. She kept on looking at my pokeballs. I think she wanted to disassemble one. Problem was, I didn't have any spares. I'd sold all of mine previously. So I'd have to prevent her from doing anything stupid.
&&&&&
I swear, I saw Yuna smiling at me when I walked in. I rolled my eyes, and whispered in her ear as I passed "your cousin is nuts, you know that?" They'd talked about that when the guys (except for me) were out of earshot.
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When I turned around, a Guado was talking to Yuna. I arrived in time to hear "Oh, I beg your pardon, I am called Tromell Guado. I am in the direct service of our leader, the great Seymour Guado. Lord Seymour has very important business with Lady Yuna." At the mention of Seymour, my right hand automatically balled itself into a fist, cracking softly. Yuna seemed surprised. "Business with me? Whatever could it be, I wonder?"
I rolled my eyes. "Pokedollars to gil that it has something to do with you and him, Yuna."
Tromell gave me a look that promised doom if I said anything else. Well, I guess that was the intent. But a guy with green hair and a beard doesn't scare me. Actually, I burst out laughing. "Please don't try that on me. I'll bust a rib from laughing!" He seemed to recognize me. "Lord Seymour told me of you. He said you were quite strange. I see he was correct."
"Yup yup! That's Icewind, alright!" Rikku. I'm not sure if I like her, or want to strangle her. It's hard to tell. But sometimes... forget it.
Tromell lead the way to Seymour's place. On the walk, Rikku taught Tidus and me how to customize equipment. I guess she always needs something to do. I really didn't listen too much, I'd done something similar before.
&&&&&
He led us to a banquet hall. Tidus was talking to everyone. Rikku was eating the fruit they'd set out. It wasn't too bad, actually. It had a bit of a kick to it, compared to the fruit and berries I was used to.
Kimahri and Auron had the same opinion as I did – Seymour is trouble. I'd just never known that they kept it to themselves. I admit, it was kind of funny to watch Yuna hush Kimahri.
Anyway, I didn't participate with the conversation when Seymour entered. When we entered the sphere room… Tidus said it was Zanarkand. It WAS impressive – but I'd been to Zanarkand now. It was ruins. But I didn't say that to anyone, Seymour had already explained that.
When Seymour took Yuna aside, and said something to her, I knew what he was after. Especially when Yuna came back blushing.
Rikku peered into her face. "Wow! Your face is beet red!"
Tidus looked worried. "You okay?"
Yuna said breathlessly, "He...he asked me to marry him!"
I didn't say anything. I was restraining myself. In fact, I walked about thirty feet away, and waited at the door.
But I was there when he (Seymour) left. Tidus was upset, it was easy to tell, as I rejoined them (I didn't want to be within earshot when Seymour was nearby) "Come on, let's just get on with the pilgrimage! I mean, marriage?"
Rikku was smiling. "Hmmm. Jealous?" I added, "Kinda sounds like it…"
Tidus looked at the two of us, his face a half-frown. "What? No way! We gotta defeat Sin. Romance can wait!"
Rikku and I exchanged a glance. "Yup. Jealous." We said that together, too. He ran off to catch up with everyone else. I still trailed everyone else. Rikku gave me an unreadable look, and went to catch up with the rest of the group.
&&&&&
I closed my eyes, and felt a tear trickle out. I had followed them up to a point. When they said they were going to the place where the dead were sent… I felt torn. I wanted to see her… but at the same time, I didn't. I didn't want to see her again… unless I could finally let go, and say goodbye. I wasn't ready yet.
Rikku sat down next to me. "Don't you want to go in?"
I shook my head, and brushed away the tear track. "Yes… but no. I don't want to see Her, until… I can apologize… and move on. I'm not sure if I'm ready yet."
She smiled. "So who's the big mystery girl? An old girlfriend?"
"My fiancée." Rikku gasped, and I waited for a moment before I continued "she was murdered… a while ago."
Something glimmered in her eyes, but I don't know what. "I'm… sorry."
I sighed. "For what? It wasn't anyone's fault. I did the best I could…" I trailed off. It was true. I'd done everything I could TO protect her. She didn't blame me for her death. I just had refused to accept it. Survivor's guilt, they called it.
The hurt… it had lightened again when I realized that. I HAD done my best. She wouldn't want me to suffer anymore. Suicune might have told me that a dozen times, but I needed to figure out that myself.
"Uh… what happened to her?"
I sighed. "Greed. There's a criminal organization in my world called Team Rocket. They're the nastiest bunch of criminals I've ever encountered. They wanted the whole world… and the power of the legendary pokemon… like Suicune."
"Why? Is she superpowerful, or something?"
I nodded. "That's her. She's… very powerful. My girlfriend… Ashley… Suicune came to her. She's never said why, but she wanted to be caught by her. Ashley… well, she's always wanted someone like Suicune in her life. I knew that it was a risk, but I loved her… I didn't want to refuse her dream."
I cleared my throat, and continued. "The problem was… well, that risk got us. Team Rocket found out about us, and that we had Suicune. They attacked us, and… gunned her down. Three bullets to the heart… seven to the head. She died instantly. I didn't even get to say goodbye… Suicune broke out of her ball, and somehow forced me to come with her. We escaped the attack… but… I just wanted to die. I'd failed my… I'd failed her. I thought she'd hate me, that I couldn't… save her… or do anything. So all I wanted to do was die… so I could apologize."
Rikku had tears falling from her eyes by the end of it. I sighed again. "I'm not proud of what I did… after that. Sorry, Rikku. I didn't want to force my pain onto you." I walked off, looking for the store. They had some potions I wanted to try out, and see if I could create something with.
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&&&&&
The red and white sword glowed softly, and it's colors shifted. It went from red and white to blue and white – Great Ball colors.
&&&&&
Yuna came out of the Farplane looking determined. She looked at Rikku, and stopped. "Rikku… why are you crying?"
Rikku shook her head. "Icewind told me about his fiancée." She sniffed.
Tidus's jaw nearly dropped. "He told you about that?"
Rikku nodded "Uh-huh."
&&&&&
I sat waiting at the exit of Guadosalam. The potions I had bought were lain out in front of me, and I was trying to think up an effective combination to put on a power-up item. I already had enough 'heal and recharge' pendants, enough for all my pokemon.
I never did cover what they held, did they? I'll go over it, since I've got nothing better to do.
Psymachine is holding a modified pendant similar to the one that I had given to Yuna. It's a mix of a 'heal and recharge' pendant, with a ground-up Quick Claw. It makes him faster, and heal as well. He's the only one that's shown any ability to use it, though. Everyone else can't (or won't, I don't know). Mindstrike has a special Focus Belt I'd gotten from a fighting tournament that he won. It raises his defensive stats (both special and normal) by some, and has the effect of sometimes preventing him from passing out.
Balrog has a very special item. It hangs on a pendant, like most my items (otherwise, they couldn't hold them). It prevents confusion, raises his defense, and slightly raises his special attacks. That one I didn't make. She did. I don't know HOW Ashley did it, but she did.
Erastrani has a dragon-fang like pendant. It increases her recharge rate of energy by a great deal (she's very fond of Hyper Beam, but it wears her out), and also raises her defense by some. Sunseeker has a Miracle Seed that also weakens fire and ice attacks. I've offered to make her something else, but she refuses to let go of that seed. Ever.
Oh, and don't forget Suicune. She herself has another pendant. In it is a crystal bottle full of Mystic Water, crushed Nevermelt Ice, and the smashed remnants of a 'heal and recharge' pendant. As you can guess, she gets an increased an increased punch with ice and water attacks, and heals. But for some reason, she also gets an increased resistance to grass, fire, water, ice, and psychic (don't ask why for that one) attacks… at the cost of a weaker resistance to lightning. It's one of the reasons she's not too fond of it.
I glanced at my sword again. It was weird that it had changed to blue and white. I guess that it became more powerful, or something like that.
It reminded me of a Great Ball. I guess the thing was 'evolving', for reasons of its own.
Tidus eventually came, walking towards me. "Uh… what are you doing?"
I shrugged. "I'm trying to think of a combination of what to mix these things with… to make an enhancement item. Designed for humans this time, rather than pokemon."
His eyes widened. "You can do that?"
I shrugged. "Been doing that. I just need an idea of what to make everything of, and how well that'll work. Auron could use more speed, you could use a bit more magical resistance, Rikku a LOT more power in her strike… Wakka needs the ability to pierce baddies, Lulu could always use more magic power, same for Yuna – or something that helps the Aeons… and I could use something that helps me get those 'overdrives' you guys show off with…"
Overdrives were something I envied. They had these attacks that they could use, that I could never pull off. Wakka could add elemental attacks to his shots, Lulu hurl multiple spells… each of them had something.
Tidus scratched his head. "It's not that hard, you know. You just let yourself do it."
I shrugged, hardly moving. "That's part of the problem. Unless something dredges up bad memories, I really don't GO crazy…"
Shelinda walked up to us, as I trailed off. "My... Was the lady summoner not with you?" I looked at Tidus, who shook his head. "No. She's at Seymour's place." I forgot myself again, and my fist cracked loudly.
Shelinda looked irritated. "That's "Maester Seymour." Or "Lord Seymour."" I rolled my eyes automatically, cracking my left knuckle this time.
"Oh, I'll be careful. Sorry."
Shelinda nodded. "That's all right. Maester Seymour left Guadosalam a short while ago."
I didn't do anything this time, while Tidus looked incredulous. "You serious?"
"I believe he went to the temple in Macalania. Maester Seymour is also the high priest of that temple."
Tidus said something about telling the others, and ran off. Shelinda looked down at me, then said something to herself. "Do you have a problem with Yevon?"
I shrugged, not really paying too much attention. "Oh… not really. Just the prejudice, hate, stupidity, and blind faith they try to instill. Oh, and did I mention the bastards in power that I've encountered so far have only been interested either in Yuna or my pokemon… because they wanted to use them as weapons, or as a pawn in their games?"
She stepped back from me. "You don't mean that. Surely you don't. You can't be an Al Bhed…"
I snorted, cutting her off. "Thanks for proving my point."
She didn't seem to understand. I narrowed my eyes, shrugged, and sighed. "It'll make sense later. Especially after Sin's dead. If you ask the right questions." She gave me an odd look, but I didn't say anything else. Eventually, she walked off.
I quietly said as she walked away "these wicked webs we weave… this treachery, betrayal… all under Skeith, the terror of death… when will those of power learn that there never is a good time to play games with their power?"
Skeith, the terror of death… Sora, huh? I nodded softly. "Yea, Sora. Sora, who had great power, and was turned into a pawn by Morganna. For his arrogance… and betrayal… he became the terror of death, destroying the goddess of the dawn. Even the hero of the bracelet had trouble destroying that one."
The wind blew softly around me, but it didn't say anything. It was the equivalent of having arms wrapped around me… loving ones. I smiled weakly in appreciation. "Thanks. That means a lot to me."
"Uh… what were you talking about?"
I looked up from the ground. Tidus and everyone else were standing there, looking at me in shock. I shrugged. "What, expected something different? Me being the usual tough guy?" I snorted softly. "Ashley didn't fall in love with that side of me, you know. It never really existed until she died. Call it a way of coping… one I used to deal with loosing her." I sighed, and slowly packed up what I'd left out. Once everything was packed up, I walked out.
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&&&&&
Lulu shook her head, her hand on her head. "He's different than before."
"He is. When I was talking to him while everyone else was in the farplane… something changed. It's like he became another person!"
Yuna looked at Auron. "Sir Auron… what do you suggest we do?"
Auron watched the figure as he walked away. "Watch him carefully."
Yuna nodded quietly. Rikku whimpered under her breath.
