Worry was her first sensation, her first reaction, fear for the Vihur's well being. It was such an strange event, such an unnatural event considering the nature of Vihurs that Rikku's worry was understandable. Once the glow subsided, leading to the same twilight before the whole phenomenon had taken place. Rikku dared to open her eyes, to see the outcome of the brilliance, to find out what had happened, and maybe to see nothing changed at all, only her imagination playing crazy tricks on her eyes. Whatever she expected however was not what she was seeing for, in the centre of the clearing, utterly confused stood… Tidus.
Indeed, that was half of what Rikku was expecting for Tidus had been the luminous star irradiating the brightness that sparkled on the plant's glassy leaves, and blinding the rest of nature with his luminity radiated. The half Rikku was not expecting was to see Tidus standing in human flesh, in human appearance, with a look of utmost confusion in his eyes. Blue orbs gazed intently at the human hands that had suddenly appeared where his sharp claws used to be, mind examining every inch of his body, of his tan flesh, studying the possibilities of this event being nothing but another of the dreams that tormented his uneasy nights.
"Is this real?" Tidus inquired to himself, in human form his voice being much clearer, that same voice Rikku got to know so well and dream of hearing again.
"I don't know!" the girl answered, as confused as the boy was, staring at him with admiration, absorbing every inch of his person, realizing it was the same Tidus he got to know and love.
The boy turned to look at the woman, pulling his eyes off his hands, his gaze inquiring truth, seeking knowledge, searching for answers to the numerous questions that were blooming into his mind. Rikku would have loved to answer all of them, but her own gaze was a simple and concise answer to the boy, she was as utterly confused as he was. Shock first, fearful next, for the fangs who had been momentarily forgotten, and who were as startled as the two humans had pushed aside their shock and decided to go on with their hunt. The large alpha used the second at which Tidus was gazing sideways to the girl to attempt a sneak attack on him, hence their treacherous nature. The alpha male leapt onto the boy, jaws open wide, claws ready to slash, and fangs drooling with anticipation.
"Tidus watch out!" shrieked Rikku unable to do much than to warn the boy .
No, she could do something else. She could grant him the only weapon she had carried along for her personal defence. The sword which had once belonged to him. Rikku used all her strength to throw it at him. The sword flew, glinting, sparkling in the twilight, releasing a fragmentation of colours, minuscule rainbows as the rays of sun penetrated the watery surface with its tender, golden rays. A manly hand took hold of the sword, and loosing not a second Tidus stroke at the flying fang with the sharp surface of the liquid blade.
It was a moment were there is no moment at all, for the stunned wolf had been attacked in the same fashion he had loved so much, by treason. He surely had not expected that manoeuvre, and it was not planned or thought out, yet simply improvised as the circumstances disposed. Sadly, it had proven to be more efficient than he thought, hence he would never be able to put it in practice. The blade, thrown forward with strength, slashed the body of the fang leaving a deep gash that burst and cut vessels, the wound being long from neck to tail. The beast collapsed onto the floor as time returned to normal, and crimson fluid poured from the enormous wound, bleeding to death in matter of seconds. The pireflies that represented the soul of the being began to float, flying up to the sky, vanishing into the upcoming night and releasing the captive soul of this mortified creature.
The rest of the fangs, seeing their leader gone, scattered and retreated from the battle. Tidus shook his hands, now humid and dirty with the blood released from the murderous and threatening beast. Leaving this matter onto a second plane, the boy turned around to focus the crystal blue gaze onto the spiralled green eyes of the Al-Bhed. She was smiling widely, surprised, startled at the presence of the boy in human form, and tears began to itch at the corners of her eyes, this ones of joy. Tidus was also delighted, still unable to believe that he was human again, yet not even bothering now to question himself why of the miracle.
The boy dropped the sword to gain in movement, leaving it laying on the floor without any worry. He ran towards the Sorceress Apprentice, wanting to hug her, wanting to kiss her, and wanting to scream to the world how much he loved her now that he was human. Rikku's arms were open like a white bird's wings, ready to receive the boy into the embrace.
A flash of brightness, a luminity of unimaginable intensity, a star fallen from the heavens, for the pale light had the silvery ice brilliance of an astro. Rikku recoiled startled, and her eyes urgently searched for Tidus once the brilliance subsided. Standing where the human had once been was a white Vihur, gazing around himself with a very surprised gaze, and apparently alarmed at the fact that he was such reptilian creature. The creature looked at the sorceress lastimously, tail down, eyes dull and lacking all light, all joy and happiness. The Vihur let his head hang down sadly, he hadn't learnt how to cry but the grief was such that he felt his heart about to burst any second know. The young girl, feeling now the Vihur's despair, kneeled before him and placed a hand on his shoulder. The being raised his head to gaze at the girl with concern.
"Don't worry Tidus, we already know you can turn back to human! We will find a way to make it permanent, I promise!" the girl affirmed with a reassuring smile, then, under the startled and troubled heart of the Vihur, Rikku pulled him to a tight, comforting hug.
Past the accident, their paces brought them to a location they had been oblivious of its existence: a tower of Magick. Their eyes looked up, and up at the immensity of the colossus before them, and the proud magnificence it represented by its sole presence. It had a pentagonal structure, surrounded by gates that delimitated the only area that was not wild in the Macalanian floor. The terrains resting besides it was a large clearing lacking all forms of trees, where mirages could be seen. Dragons that flew and were gone the next second, storms that rested placidly over one flooded area, and a gentle moon that floated animatedly, dancing with glittering stars.
The edification was built in boulders that were of the palest, finest rock they had ever seen, stone that glittered like diamonds where the sun managed to caress it gently. ON each peak of the structure bloomed a long peak with a sharp edge, like a lance, standing proudly, and slightly inclined to the outside. It had the very same pale bluish colour of the ice, hence it was permanently there. From the very center of the structure bloomed a tower, one that rose taller than they had ever seen, and which exploded in a five petal edelwise at its tallest peak. Two ribbons of glass ran around the surface, spiralling and encircling the tower tenderly, delicately.
However, the fact that made them gap in extreme awe was the material that seemed to build the tower. It wasn't like anything they had ever seen, for the tower itself seemed to be built out of night and starlight, and moon rays, all merged into a physical illusion which was permanent and solid like Spira itself. Indeed it was a dark structure, of a velvety blue, sparkled here and there with millions of glittering stars, and striped with silvery rays of light that waved and floated like diffracted sun sneaking past oceanic water.
"Whoa!" ventured Tidus with a numb, startled voice, faded at the magnificence and beauty of the wondrous structure before them.
"Lets go!" Rikku said, shaking her soul from the beauty she would never forget, beginning her paces towards the entrance of the tower.
The gates where open, but Rikku admired the delicate carvings representing a serpent dragon and an enormous eagle like, both face to face in an aggressive pose. She ignored the function of this tower, and had never heard of it either, but found the patter very accurate with the image of the place. Tidus knew little is nothing about magick, hence ignored the delight Rikku had upon observing the place and the contents.
The couple made it through the door, which was also open to the surprise of the two. This were the same as the gates, hence smaller, and built out of silver, or so Rikku thought upon seeing the polished surface shinning so brilliantly. They walked past then and entered into a large, circular chamber. Rikku thought she was dreaming, for everything was far too magickal and fantasious to be real. The rays of sun that sneaked past the diamond like walls diffracted into millions of colours, and a twilight of swirling rainbow sparkled before their eyes, immersing them into an illusion of peace and quiet.
The room itself had little detail, apart from the fact that it contained more luminosity than they had ever seen, even outside. Statues of various animals, ridden by wizards and witches, watched after a path that snaked like a serpent across the room, until it dived into a closed door. The path was recognizable since it was the only solid thing in the whole chamber. Indeed, marble and glass tiles seemed to float over a pool of crystalline water, clear like a fresh morning.
The door at the end opened delicately, and a man emerged from it. He was young, younger than most would have thought, rounding his early twenties. He was dressed in a long tunic, this one was pure white, engraved with symbols that seemed like runes. Such symbols were sewed in silver, same as the enormous phoenix that was drawn on the chest of his tunic. A silver rope engulfed his waist, acting like a belt, and on such was kept tenderly a wand, a pale wooden wand finished in a sparkling, diamond jewel, the handle shaped like a bird with the wings stretched forward. He wore a silver cloak that reached up to his ankles, and fell delicately, swaying gently with each movement. The face hid a hint of tan, his blue eyes sparkled greatly in the twilight, and his brown hair fell in short strands over his forehead, hiding the silvery band he was wearing, and keeping the pale diamond in the middle away from light.
"Hello, welcome to the Tower of Mirage!" the man started in a clear, young voice, "my name is Laethos, and I am the High Priest of this place!" the man finished with a radiant smile, showing the white, pearly teeth.
"Hello, I am Rikku, and this is my companion and friend, Ocean Ice!" Rikku explained with a clear, calm voice, hence her excitement was very apparent.
"Approach me, do not fear!" Laethos urged them motioning towards him with both hands, "I see you are a Witch, and I believe you have come to learn the secrets of Shapeshifting!" he finished.
"Shapeshifting?" snapped Rikku, stopping dry in midway, having walked half the path and having been startled by the contents of the towers teachings.
Tidus stared at her, but remained silent, after all they didn't know how far they could trust this mysterious priest.
"Indeed!" began Laethos walking towards the frozen girl, "the lost art of Shapeshifting! You are given ten days to learn from us! On the third day of your stance, you will pass your first examination, on the fifth your second, and the final trial will come on your tenth day!" Laethos finished, reaching Rikku and the Vihur with calm, paused steps.
"I want to learn!" gasped Rikku through ragged, excited breaths. After all, Shapeshifting was considered an art lost in time and space, something that existed but nobody remembered.
"Come with me then!" said the man turning on his heels, and walking back the sinuous path, and through the door.
The trio walked through an spiralled staircase, the bright tiles and the glossy boulders were replaced by dark, grey and monotonous boulders. As they reached the first basement, the man motioned at a dull, wooden door framed with black nails, resting placidly and undisturbed at their right.
"That is your room, the Vihur can stay there while you study, that way you will focus mainly in your task without distractions!" Laethos stole a knowing glance from the pale creature that accompanied them.
"All right, stay Ocean!" she said severely, acting like an owner who was telling her dog to obey a very important order.
Tidus stared at the woman with disbelief. What was wrong? Was she so ashamed of the creature he had turned into? Or was it simply her mistrust towards the priest? She should know better, after all she was a Witch in Training, and had already visited various other towers. However he acted obediently and remained still and tranquil, sitting on the floor and wagging his tail like a dog would. The two vanished back into the staircase, but Rikku, excited as she was, stole a stray glance from the Vihur. Now Tidus felt better.
Three or four more floors directed the two towards the library. Laethos guided the girl inside it. It was a circular chamber as well, but way much smaller. Fresh light poured from the small windows that decorated the wall in intervals. Shelves of dark wood were crowded with books, flooded with all sorts of knowledge Rikku had ever known. There were some tables, hidden behind the shelves, and a vast extension free of all furniture where people could practice the spells without destroying anything.
"You will find everything on the shelf of the centre, the one which's wood is lighter than the rest. Good luck, Rikku, I will see you in two days!" the man said giving the girl a sparkling smile.
Rikku nodded at the man and blushed lightly, such an elegant young man, so attractive, the way his hair spiked up at some points, and fell down into a curtain at others. She was being foolish, but felt attracted towards the High Priest.
Tidus yawned, feeling bored already. He had considered investigating the place, only to entertain himself. Maybe going outside and taking a nap under the fluctuating moon, or the stormy cloud. Maybe he would do both, or how about going up the highest point of the tower? What would be there?
"Hello, Tidus!" said a voice behind him, one familiar voice that spoke with some sort of delight and wisdom only possible in the owner.
To Be Continued…
AN: Ok, more surprises around, this was an exciting chapter, the first half at least, I guess the second half was slightly boring. Anyways this is a crucial part of the story, and I'm sure you will like it. Oh, I also wanted to apologize for the delay, I've been out for my holydays. Hope you are enjoying this, cuz I am enjoying writing it, .