Life after Death
Chapter 16: Spider John and the Iifa Tree
LLL
A/n: This chapter is inspired by my favorite Music artist, Jimmy Buffett! It's inspired by one song in particular, called Ballad of Spider John. I like that song…Look up the Lyrics on his website (Margaritaville dot com, Drop down Jimmy Buffett, Lyrics, and the album is called Boats, Beaches, Bars, and Ballads.) and you'll see how it applies to the following chapter.
Loki: Ignore Malevalla. She's been listening to Jimmy Buffet for so much lately; she can't stop thinking about pirates and cheeseburgers. --;;
Mel: No true! Oo
Ryoko: Yes it is…
Disclaimer: I don't own FFIX, or any Jimmy Buffett references. -.- I'mma gonna go cry now.
LLL
I have a habit of eavesdropping.
I had taken my spot on the railing again, ignoring the rest of the world. Lilly walked past me, and hadn't even noticed me. She stopped in her tracks, and I turned to watch her. She was starring in front of her. She was starring at a tall, handsome looking man, and ace of spades tucked behind his ear. He looked like Hell's lost angel to me.
Lilly didn't move for quite a while, until the man in front of her finally spoke up. Though, I found it amazing neither of them had noticed me.
"Hey Lilly, don't even recognize ol' Spider?" He grinned awkwardly, messing with the card in his hair.
"John!" Lilly shouted out, running towards the man, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Woah! Last time I saw you, you didn't even say so much as a 'Hi'!" John returned the hug with a boastful smile.
"I found a soul!" Lilly replied, releasing herself from the man.
"Erm…excuse me…" I couldn't help but interrupt. Curiosity won over my wish to eavesdrop.
"Eh?" Lilly turned to face me and glared, silently telling me to speak my mind quickly.
"So, exactly when did you two meet?" I teased, plastering a fake grin on my own face.
"None of you business, Loki!" Lilly spat, glaring all the more.
"Actually, I'm one of the pilots on this airship!" John piped up. "Princess Eiko would have me take her to the black mage village every once in a while!"
"That's sweet!" I mocked, clasping my hands together.
"You're in love with a dead kid!" Lilly countered, taking a fighting stance.
"He's not dead!" I shouted back, jumping into a fighting position also.
"YOU'D BETTER NOT LOVE HIM!" Eiko's voice called out from…only Shiva knows where.
"So who exactly are you?" I asked, turning my attention back to John.
"I'm Spider John!"
And so, I stood there, speechless for a good minute.
"Um…I think your friend fainted…without moving…" John looked at Lilly, one eyebrow expressing his concern for my shock.
"She's just a fourteen-year-old brat! Ignore her!" Lilly stuck her tongue out at me, but I ignored her, finally getting my wits back.
"AAAAAAAAAAIIIII! Spider! I've admired your work since I was a kid!" I charged at him, wrapping him in my own hug. "Can I have your autograph, PPPPPLLLLEEEEAAASSSSEEE?"
"Wha…?"
"WHA? Loki, get off John!" Lilly shouted, grabbing my jacket by the collar.
"Noooo! Get off of me! Spiiider, please! The Tantalus crew would love it if I brought them back your autograph!"
"Why would those thieves have any interest in John?" Lilly spat, prying my back another inch.
"Ah, so you've heard of my robberies, have you?"
"Yes!"
And from there, the entire moment seemed to go by in slow motion. Lilly ceased to pull at my collar, and loosened her grip considerably. Spider seemed to have caught a mistake he made somewhere along the way, and he looked up at Lilly with horror. I hear Lilly begin to growl-a slow, quiet thing.
All of the sudden, I was tossed to the side, and I was witness to the fight the ensued.
"YOU! You told me, that when I found my soul, I had to come find you, to let you know! You made me think of you as some sort of saint!" Lilly reached down her dress and pulled out a leaf shaped locket. "YOU TOLD ME YOU"D SHOW ME EVERYTHING WHEN I FOUND YOU!" She yanked the locket off her neck, the chain splitting in half. She threw the object onto the deck, stomping on it. The glass like jewel shattered, leaving tiny bits of it scattered. "YOU were going to show me all the good things about Gaia!" Lilly turned heel and ran away, tears streaking down her cheek.
Spider hadn't even managed to get a single word in. He stood there, mouth wide, arm starched out in the direction Lilly had run, hand groping the air uselessly. It reminded me of one of those sappy love stories.
I stood up, brushed myself off, and followed after Lilly. I might not have gotten along with her well, but we were still friends, for the most part. This would be one mistake she might never forgive herself for. If this made her so upset, how devastating would it be to her, if she died, only to discover that the last words to someone she cared for were words of hate? By the time we got back to Gaia…Spider could be claimed by some other person! I wasn't about to let that happen.
I stopped dead in my tracks, noticing the sudden descent of the airship. I looked towards the front, and gasped at the size of the tree before us.
LLL
A/N: And so ends this chapter. Next one will be sadder, I promise you! But…poor Lilly!
I plan on writing the next chapter tonight, but don't cross your fingers.