The creature shifted and stirred in his weakened state, he looked up through a brim in his eyes, open simply one narrow slit. It was enough for the ronso, however, to perceive the bright blue colour flooding through the irises like waves of the clearest water. The reptile saw the blurry figure of an enormous, muscular and furry creature, darker than onyx itself. Floating hazily I his mind remained the thoughts of those visions that had been attacking his mind lately. But this was no human, he was taller, broader and younger than the wise man of his images. A ronso. Tidus was pulled abruptly into the reality of his moment, of his time.
"Kimahri…" Tidus attempted with a weakened voice, before loosing consciousness again.
The lance stopped inches from his heart, the tip touching he scales, shaky, the hand sustaining it trembling as if the bearer had seen a ghost. This odd feeling, the sensation of recognizing filled him, and some curious de ja vu attacked his senses. The powerful lance was thrown aside, and Kimahri picked up the reptile with his large, clawed hands. The feline humanoid galloped as quick as his legs could carry him through the thick layer of snow.
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"You have to go Lya, at least until this threat is eradicated!" Tidus explained, his strong hands taking a hold of Lya's fragile, pale ones.
"Tidus, no!" the girl complained, her greyish green eyes were puffy and red, flooding with tears.
"You have to listen to me, go to the mountains, get away from the sea, get to Gagazet. I promise you I'll go search for you when we destroy this evil." Tidus promised solemnly, squeezing at Lya's hand so gently, so lovingly, his eyes glancing at her adoringly.
"Oh… please Tidus, take care!" Lya gave in with an strangled sob, arguing was futile and she knew that.
The two lovers embraced into a tight hug, gently allowing salty tears to blend with the other's tears. Tidus inhaled that soft scent so characteristic in her, the aroma of fresh wind, of freedom, of wilderness. Pulling her away, the girl bid a silent farewell with a luminous glimmer in her eyes. It was a brief second, but enough to say everything they felt through the empathy of their feelings. Lya turned around and vanished rapidly into the woodlands that formed the park where they had been sharing a peaceful Sunday afternoon. The boy took in one deep breath, inflating his lungs and chest. Immediately, he exhaled such air and turned around. There was a match, a blitzball match he had to play, and he was almost late already.
The game was always slightly violent, punches, kicks and usually a bite or scratch was bound to happen. The air was strangely tense and the game flooded with blood. Tidus felt his arm itch where one rather aggressive Elf had bitten him until blood poured from the gashes. His waist and various parts of his chest, legs and arms were also sore from kicks and punches. The ball spiralled towards him, this was his glorious chance to perform the always useful and personal spiral shot.
The boy stopped the ball with his chest, smiling sadly and commenting to himself about another bruise for the collection. Continuously, the boy pushed the ball upwards towards the surface, short strands of silvery hair floating around his forehead and tickling his ears. Propelling his body upwards with his strong muscles, the boy leapt out of the water like a dolphin, made a backwards spin on the air and tensed his leg's muscles to kick the ball with all his strength. It never came.
Bright blue eyes opened like saucers when he saw, there, in the horizon, the most terrible creature he had ever seen, not even in his wildest and most terrible nightmares. It resembled an enormous whale, of chaotic proportions. Hidden behind a thick, blurry wall of water, the beast could not be seen with clarity, but a million eyes, in a face similar to a spider's began to glow. Tidus had not had time to react before the brute being shot beams of either magic, either a newly created weapon, at the city. Buildings collapsing, people running frantic, the cold night becoming flaming hot, thick and non breathable from the dense smoke born from the flames expanding quickly. Tidus saw the stadium beginning to collapse, the pillars destroyed, the walls burst with the terrible strength of this weapon. He fell along with the stadium.
"I guess it has started…" thought the boy, concentrated, while feeling his body suddenly very cold from the wind, which was licking every corner of his humid skin. Suddenly, such cold vanished, and his body was filled with a renewed energy, warmth spread through every inch of skin, flooding through his veins like a medicine to his despair.
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The blue eyes fluttered open so softly, tenderly, the dream and the sensations that came with it were still fresh in his mind. Tidus realized he had been wrapped into a warm and comfortable quilt, laid onto a soft cushion, and placed close to a fireplace, where he would be warm. Once fully awake, Tidus examined the surroundings, examining every inch of the place. It was a cottage, blocks of grey stone intertwined with thick tree trunks formed the walls and the ceiling. It was rather dull and simple, decorated with animal skins spread throughout the floor, and walls, heads with glossy eyes staring at Tidus menacingly. There was a wooden table, a tall bed formed out of thick logs, chairs and some devices to cook and keep food. As all houses during that time, mayor needs were to be done outside, for technology didn't allow such advances.
"Ah, you are awake!" the door slammed open abruptly, a gust of wind sneaked inside strongly, carrying snowflakes into the cottage.
Tidus looked at the opening, and one large ronso came inside, carrying on his back a small deer like creature with a blank head and a tongue lolling out rather creepily. The being was wrapped in the thickest skins, it had two amber eyes, a lion like face and a broken horn on his forehead. The reptile glanced at the creature curiously, perhaps analyzing the situation, debating whether he should speak or not. The broken horn brought him some stray memories, some lost thoughts about the pilgrimage, that same ronso that had accompanied them throughout the whole journey.
"Don't act all silent boy, it's normally me the one who refuses to speak!" commented the creature in the largest amount of words he had ever put together in a sentence.
"How do you know I can talk?" inquired Tidus rather weary towards the ronso.
"Ah, well, consider yourself lucky that you spoke to me, or I would have done my wall a favour with your head." Commented the ronso placing the deer down onto the floor.
"I talked? And what did I say?" the lizard creature asked staring at the ronso, pacing his words carefully. Tidus was positive this was the same ronso, but couldn't affirm it, so he considered precaution was a good ally.
"My name!" grunted the ronso seriously, not taking his eyes off his work where he was tearing and opening the poor deer.
"Kimahri!" Tidus stood up, but immediately collapsed on a heap, emitting a rather pained whine at the burning feeling on his right leg.
"Look, I have seen weirder things than a talking fiend, but what I have never encountered is a talking fiend that knows me, who are you?" Kimahri turned around to face the reptile, his face, chest and hands were full of the blood that emanated from the creature.
"If I ever told you, you wouldn't believe me!" Tidus looked down sadly, glancing at his clawed hand. Memories of strong, pale hands filled his memories, clear like life itself, and blurry like memories.
"Listen boy, I don't trust humans, much less fiends, so give me a reason, one single reason not to make you join this stag in my stomach!" Kimahri was threatening now, which was scary but understandable, fist clenched and eyes piercing the Vihur's blue ones.
"Ok, OK!" Tidus screeched to protect himself from the imminent attack, "I'm… Tidus." The boy confessed after a few minutes of tense pause, of thick silence.
More minutes of equal silence followed, minutes in which Kimahri's amber eyes gazed deeply into the Vihur's clear, aqua and bright blue ones. Seconds in which the wind howled with sad and depressive moans, in which the blizzard slapped and collided against the cottage with violence. Tidus began to nod reaffirming, and he was almost ready to explain the whole story, inflating his chest proudly to tell all he knew. All that air was thrown out when Kimahri, after a few seconds observing the creature, burst and exploded into a terrible roar of laughter, the largest and most amusing sign of Kimahri's humour behind the stoic figure. Tidus glared at him, hurt and rather angry, crossing his paws and lowering his head shamefully.
"Now that is a good one, a talking Vihur that claims to be Tidus! Remind me to thank Garith for that wonderful liquor of his!" Kimahri commented with another snort of laughter.
"I told you, I knew you wouldn't believe me!" Tidus barked rather hurt and ashamed.
"It's all to fantastic to believe, but don't worry my friend, you've fallen on my good side, you're safe with me." Kimahri explained continuing with his work in tearing the deer to pieces for more easy cooking.
"I can prove it I'm Tidus, Kimahri!" the Vihur barked again, now more eager.
"How? And no saying you know the pilgrimage very well my wizard friend, everyone knows about the pilgrimage!" Kimahri didn't turn around from his work, the slaughtered being had been already disposed of his skin.
"No, but fight with me!" the Vihur growled eagerly, "And I'm no Wizard, that's Rikku…" He remarked in a silent murmur that passed unnoticed.
"Fight with you? With that leg? You surely have lost one light up there!" Kimahri glanced at the being for a few seconds, then began to take the animal's organs out.
"It's not about hurting us, it's just about getting me in a state of ecstasy!" explained Tidus shifting slightly on his laying position.
"What a ridiculous fight, I know some herbs that have the same effect!" commented Kimahri calmly, now separating the long legs from the body.
"I'm being serious Kimahri, I don't know why but whenever I feel strong emotions I change into my human self, somehow!" Tidus explained more loudly, trying to catch or even impress the ronso's attention.
"Don't be such a fool Vihur, Tidus was a dream, the Fayths stopped dreaming so he is gone, end of story!" Kimahri, now exasperated with the lizard, said rather roughly.
"I swear I am Tidus, for Rikku!" snarled the reptile now standing up with some effort.
"How absurd, Tidus would never swear for Rikku, he loved Yuna!" Kimahri sighed now more patient with the animal.
Tidus felt his blood boiling, out of rage, out of shame, love, a mixture of emotions flooding through his veins, consuming his soul. The animal leapt onto the large humanoid feline, claws and fangs ready, not to tear, slash or kill, but to frighten and impress. Kimahri was an expert in dealing with predators, knife in hand, he turned around as fast as lightning itself, took a firm grip on Tidus' throat and placed the tip of the knife against the soft skin of the neck. The body froze, blue eyes glanced at the ronso with a watery spark, rosy lips expanded on a knowing smile, and strands of golden hair fell humidly against the forehead.
"I told you!" vocalized Tidus through an strangled voice.
"Agh!" bellowed the ronso throwing the knife aside and releasing Tidus abruptly, his amber eyes bulging out, "Then you were saying the truth!" he commented weakly.
"Yes, unfortunately…" the boy commented weakly when a flash of bright light engulfed him, replacing the human body with the white reptile, "I can only maintain my human form for as long as my strong emotions last!" Tidus said shrugging his reptilian shoulders so naturally it was as if he had done it many times.
"And just what were you doing here? So close to inhabited areas!" inquired the ronso calmly, now accepting the fact that Tidus was actually alive.
"Ah, well, I was going to Zanarkand, where this dragon lives, I was told that if I fight with it from dawn till sunset I might become human forever, it's worth a try!" Tidus commented sadly, looking at his clawed paws rather angrily.
"You might die, a dragon is no funny thing!" Kimahri commented calmly, staring at the boy as if he had gone crazy.
"It is a risk I have to take, you…you just don't understand how frustrating it is to see the woman you love fall on the arms of another man, one stunningly attractive, galliard, wise, charming man. And I… I can't do anything because I am an overgrown lizard!" growled Tidus clawing on the floor with exasperation.
"Wait, wait a minute, tell me everything from the beginning, because I'm not understanding a thing!" Kimahri snapped raising his blood stained hands to make his point clear.
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Rikku stood outside, where a stream seemed to have appeared magically. Hazy fogs floated calmly around this refreshing place, talking and chatting animatedly. One of them waved a calm hello with a whiff of mist. Rikku waved a hello as well, but she wasn't as cheerful and happy as she had been, actually she was as low an sad as when Sinh was defeated, as when Tidus vanished into the clouds.
Laethos observed her from the shadows of one tree, his silver hair sparkled and blazed so brightly under the gentle touch of an envious moon, yet his bright blue eyes were full of worry, sombre and shady, concerned for the girl. He approached her lightly, with gentle paces, eyes fixed on the small, delicate figure. Situating his body next to her, the man proceeded to observe the stream, the depths of a luminous night, the gentle chiming of stars reflected on the singing water.
"Wonderful night!" commented Laethos calmly, gazing into the lake, but never getting too close.
"Yes, it is lovely." Rikku commented sadly, her hands gripping each other, her fingers tangling nervously.
"Shouldn't you be studying? Your last trial is in two days." Laethos looked down at the girl with worry.
"I couldn't concentrate." Rikku said rather coldly, her voice dull, mechanic.
"Rikku, look, I can't lie to you, ok?" said Laethos glancing at her through the most worried eyes, through that loving glance so similar to the sparkling gaze Tidus often sent her. That made the trick, catching the girl's attention, and finally she looked at the man long enough to realize his words, that intense gaze…those watery blue eyes, as if a part of the ocean had been caught inside them. Ocean eyes.
"Rikku, I love you, ok? But so does Tidus. He has gone to Zanarkand to fight the dragon, Soletha, in order of recovering his humanity, only to be with you. It is dangerous, but he will do it just for you, because you are more important to him than his life." Laethos explained, taking a hold of Rikku's arms, firm yet softly.
"No… NO!" Rikku bellowed in a loud, frightened shriek, and she turned around confused, searching panicked for the door.
"Rikku, Rikku, wait!" Laethos gripped her arms more firmly, making her look at him, "Listen, Tidus wanted you to finish the trials, ok? But I'm promising you something, if you want to make the trial tonight, do it, but once you have done it I myself will take you to Zanarkand so you can help Tidus." Laethos smiled at the girl gently, softly, with an admiration only he could feel, his pale, strong hands caressing the girl's shoulders softly.
"Why would… you do that?" inquired the girl with a nervous hiccup.
"Because, the same as to Tidus, you are more important to me than myself!" Laethos explained with a loving, gentle smile in his beautiful features.
Rikku collapsed onto his arms and broke into a fit of violent sobs. Her body convulsed and she was gently wrapped and engulfed by the man's strong arms, who caressed and rocked her comfortingly. Rikku felt terrible, she loved Tidus, undeniably, and she felt attracted towards this man's mystery but only that. However, both were willing to give their happiness and their lives for her. Suddenly, Rikku felt so selfish, so egoistical and egocentric that she wished she could go back to the day before she met Tidus again and avoid that path. That way nothing like this would have happened, and she would be happy remembering the gentle and valiant boy who had caught her heart and saved Spira.
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The Vihur inhaled one rather profound breath, exhaling it then into a long, nostalgia filled sigh. His ocean eyes closed into one relaxed, yet painful expression. The pain of his leg's wound had vanished, forgotten in replacement of the suffering that hammered his heart so terribly. Slowly the leathery eyelids opened to gaze at Kimahri once again. The ronso's expression was hieratic, severe, serious and stiff like a statue's, yet his eyes were glimmering with some emotion, such was the soul's window.
"So you have embarked in this crazy quest, probably throwing yourself into your death, just to have a chance with Rikku?" inquired Kimahri seriously, staring at the reptile with pity.
"In a way, yeah. However, I am also tired of this existence, you know?" Tidus mustered, glancing down miserably.
"No, I don't." Kimahri punctuated, paying great attention to the words Tidus might want to let flow.
"Well, I was happy, damn it! I was happy with my Vihur life, hunting, sleeping, and so on! Then she came and turned my world upside down, making me remember my human life, for what? Having me fall in love with her, and see how she flirts with that gorgeous man, or whatever he is!" Tidus blurted out, his stabbed heart flooding all the venom it contained.
"I see!" Kimahri mustered silently, urging the reptile to go on silently, letting him expulse all the pain and grief in his heart, knowing this would heal him and allow him to see a different, cleared view of things.
"Then there are this crazy dreams I'm having about Zanarkand, about the time Sinh arrived and destroyed my city. It might seem normal at first but there is this whole bunch of crazy guys that speak about them in terms such as Guardians, about a war humans are leading, and so on. Then there is a whole group of people I seem to know in my dreams, but I don't have a clue of who they are!" Tidus snapped annoyed and confused with his situation.
"Dreams?" Kimahri pricked his ears at the mention of various terms, "Who are these people?" he inquired carefully, his attention full on the reptile.
"I don't know, Yethas a valiant teenager girl, Aerun this pesky brute, the Chief Vaslek, and there is Lya, who I believe she is my wife." Tidus began explaining, commenting on those characters that had been more influent in his dream, "You know? She is very pretty, with those amber greenish eyes, her silvery hair touching her pale skin, that sweet smile… I wonder what happened to her?" suddenly, Tidus gaze had sparkled into a vivid, curious expression, his mind unable to differ between reality and dream.
"For how long have you been having those dreams?" inquired Kimahri cautiously, shifting in his sitting position to calm the uncomfortable tickling that ran through his lower ends.
"For like forever, but that is normal, it's normal to have dreams about your home. Just they are becoming more frequent…" Tidus commented thoughtfully, gazing into the depths of his mind, gathering a knot of confusing events.
"I think you should come and see something." Kimahri commented seriously, standing up and walking towards the entrance door.
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Laethos glanced at the two combatants with calm, observant eyes, hence a glint of worry sparkled in the very depths of the clear, watery orbs. The battlefield was the very same room in which he and Rikku had shared a dinner, and a rather pleasant dance. That was the night Tidus had fled to search for the dragon himself, the night both discovered they loved Rikku.
"Rikku, this is the third and last trial, not passing it will mean being suspended, and you will not have license to use the magick of transformation. The fight will happen by using with wisdom and art the animal spirit in a full body transformation. The winner will be determined if the opponent faints, is unable to transform, shape shifts back into human or another form, uses unqualified magick, or surrenders. May the fight begin!" Laethos serious and strong, however gentle, voice boomed into the room with thundering potency.
At such order both fighters leapt forward like rabid dogs, pouncing against the other with the fury gathered and released, belonging to their animal spirit. A black panther appeared where the boy had once been, the same haze Rikku had battled so many times before. She transformed as well into the shape her animal spirit had granted her, making her grow in size rather alarmingly for the panther. A golden eagle expanded an enormous wingspan, of approximately three to four metres. The face, the tip of the wings, the chest and stomach, and the tip of the tail were white like snow, yet a crest over the head, back and body, wings and beginning of the tail glowed and sparkled with the brightest and most brilliant gold, each feather sparkling like the sun itself.
The eagle extended the murderous sharp claws, opening the bony fingers perilously. The stunned panther didn't have time to react to the attack. The servant had known the girl would be a bird, he never considered she would become a bird big enough to eat a big cat whole. With a hiss and an acute moan, the panther was stabbed with the claws, sharp like knives, and thrown against the floor. Rikku then flapped her way up, spiralling over Laethos' and the animal's head calmly, yet vigilant.
The panther felt blood pouring from the wounds, a pain soaring through his chest and sides as the gashes palpitated with each heartbeat, releasing the precious fluid. His black coat was stained in deep crimson, the fur was sticky, plastered against the silvery white skin. Hissing with anger and attempting to ignore the pain, the animal stood up precariously and glanced, weakly, at the enormous bird. She was wonderful, a beautiful being with green, spiralled eyes, and large enough to carry a human on her back.
Rikku considered this was her fight. The panther had not expected that first attack and was badly injured. Blood dripped onto the tiles as the animal inhaled painful and ragged breaths. The girl granted permission to the knowing and experienced spirit to gain control of her mind. The eagle screeched loud and clear, a sharp melodious voice yet one that signalled of her triumph. Closing her wings only slightly, the animal soared over the High Priest's head and headed towards the panther, beak slightly open, almost dripping with eager. The wounded animal galloped at full speed across the room, escaping the agile and murderous being, running with all his might to evade the deadly attack.
"No, Rikku, don't let the eagle control you!" whispered Laethos to himself, seeing all humanity vanishing from the bird.
The eagle had almost caught the mammal, nearly there, her beak clacking rather nervously, expecting the sweet blood warming it with it's hot, metallic flavour. Almost there, her attention so focused on the panther she didn't get to see the threat, the trick. Her human mind relying on the bird, the eagle relying on herself and bothering only about the prey. The panther leapt, bounced against the wall, and leapt over the enormous shape of the prey bird. The eagle bounced as well against the wall, hence head first and without the elegance of the large feline.
Rikku collapsed onto the tiles, suddenly regaining control of her body, realizing what a mistake it was to let the eagle control the powerful body. The panther was now in a privileged position, with the bird sprawled on the floor, confused and slightly disoriented. He licked his lips, touching the sharp fangs with tender care and love, glancing at the animal through his amber eyes. The panther leapt, agile and elegant like all felines were, retractile claws out and ready to tear and slice.
Maybe it was luck, maybe it was instinct, or maybe simple intuition, but luck had it that Rikku was to realize of the attack in time. Her eyes fluttered slightly, and the blurry vision focused on the increasing figure of the panther, his drooling mouth and the gleaming, yellow eyes. The eagle screeched with all her might, and flapped her left wing strongly, and the strength of a wing was nothing to joke about. The panther was propelled sideways, and the startled and already injured body collided against the floor painfully, making him gasp at the increasing pain, and the lack of breath.
Rikku lost no time to think about her actions, or about her good reflexes. She stood up rapidly and managed to impulse her body upwards using her powerful wings. Closing her claws and keeping her head and beak very sharp and straight, the eagle kept flapping towards the ceiling, seeking refugee into the heights. The eagle flew until the very glass was basically touching her beak, then she turned around and faced the floor, searching for the panther, planning the final attack on the intelligent and treacherous animal.
Then she saw it, the drawing on the floor, the impressive picture made out of tiles like a mosaic. Her eyes grew wide, and a gleaming sparkle appeared in them, amazed and startled all the same. Drawn right on the floor, with the accuracy of a picture, were two dragons, two very wonderful dragons of the purest white Rikku had ever seen. Their manes were silvery and golden, and they were cuddled into a gentle, sweet position. Their beautiful faces were gazing at each other, and their eyes glimmered with the love they contained, the female's were of a greenish amber, and the male's were of a crystalline, bright and vibrant blue.
Tidus was the sudden image that flashed in her mind, Tidus and that murderous dragon that threatened to destroy him, unwillingly, maybe, protecting himself, but would do that without any remorse. That was all her feeble magick needed to collapse and vanish. Her concentration had fled from the focus of her transformation, her unaccustomed body shifted back, wings vanished, feathers disappeared in a sparkle of magick dust, and her thin claws fattened to human legs. The body, lacking any method of flight, fell on a heap to the far ground. The girl screamed loud and clear as the picture of the ground faded onto the blurry image of colourful tiles, image that melted into the darkness of unconsciousness.
"Rikku!" Bellowed Laethos, standing up abruptly from his seat and extending a hand towards the girl.
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To Be Continued…
AN: OK, how are you liking it? It's almost there, getting closer to the end now, and a lot of things will be cleared, I promise. Things such as those dreams, which might, or might not be revealed in the next chapter, and things such as…ah, well, pay attention to the next chapters and you will find out. Please read and review, and don't forget to check my other stories.