Floral Fallal

Packing up from Kilika was something I was used too, but packing up for a journey we don't know much about the objective is a weird feeling. The sunrise was smooth, heartwarming. For the first time, I felt sure of myself. I went into my room and picked up my black coat with a light blue strings. Kyo and I decided to change colors. She changed to red as I changed to blue. I felt sad leaving home. Being an Al Bhed is not easy. I quit covering my eyes with goggles after Kyo rescued me from a gang of Yevonites. It was the worst and best day of my life.

Flashback

"Hey kid!" I heard them say. I went around the corner as my coat swayed with the wind. I forgot my goggles! Now they saw my eyes and knew who I was. I was in Bevelle wanting to see what was so special about Yevon. I was just curious, could anyone blame me that I wanted to know what everyone worshipped. My people believe that Sin didn't come because of Machina. If you were Al Bhed, you would know how many uses Machina can do. If you don't, you wouldn't know how we feel when people hate us each and everyday. Those people were getting closer. I was looking behind me, seeing if my stalkers would catch me. I wasn't looking and I crashed to this girl. I fell, but I quickly pulled myself and her up.

"Are you okay?" I said. She looked in my eyes, and her face was shocked.

"You are…" she said. I was scared.

"No more chasers!" I said running again. She looked at me with a sort of confusion. She was then knocked down by my stalkers.

"What is this? Knock down Kyoka day?" She said getting up. She then heard.

"Catch that filthy unworthy fool!" She heard them say. I kept running, wet tears dripping off my sweaty face. I didn't have any weapons. I couldn't create a distraction. I kept running until it was a dead end. I put my hands to my face and cried some more. I turned my back to edge of the wall and let my back slide off it.

"Fryd tet e tu?" I said in Al Bhed. (What did I do?) The bullies already caught up to me. They stood at the corner of the alley. I stood up from the ground tears falling like raindrops on glass as I spoke.

"Oui tuhd ghuf fryd oui yna tuehk!" I said in Al Bhed once more. (You don't know what you are doing!) They got closer and closer and lifted up a fist at me. They punched with all their might. After seven hits I could already feel bruises and blood on my face. When they were through, they spit in my face.

"Dirty blood," they said as they left the alleyway leaving me to die. They then stopped. It was the same girl I bumped into! What is she doing here?

"Think you have the right to almost kill an Al Bhed? Well then I have a right to kill you!" she said with anger in her face. She pulled out a kunai with chain and swinged at one person giving him a critical cut as he fell. She finished her attack bye swinging while in the air at one and then knocking another one of his feet. She then cut him on his chest. She put her weapon away. She walked towards me.

"Fhed," I said in a small voice. They seemed to hit me so hard I couldn't speak.

"I am Al Bhed," I said with a little more tears in my eyes. She put her hand my head gently and said, "Its okay." Everything then turned black. I awoke at the sound of her and a gentle voice. I didn't my eyes though. I had a feeling they would sting really bad.

"He was injured. Wait, let me say it differently. HE WAS ALMOST BEATEN TO DEATH!" She said.

"Well I have nothing against Al Bheds, but we shouldn't get attached to this kid," She said.

"He is not a kid, he is around fifteen," She replied. One of them sighed.

"Look. We will have to leave on this pilgrimage soon. We can't be late," she said.

"But if I leave with you, who will take care of him," she said. The other girl stayed silent.

"When do we start?" she asked.

"In about two weeks," the other one replied.

"He might get better," my rescuer said once more.

"Okay. Lets make a deal, if he gets better, we will talk to him and see if we could take him with…" I didn't hear the rest. I guess I was too tired and injured to stay awake any longer. When I awoke, I was in a tan walled room with some nice furniture. I sat up on the bed and saw they took of my jacket and gave me a couple of bandages. It was weird I wasn't in some sort of medical clinic. Someone then opened the door. It was her.

"Well it turns out you woke up a whole week after your beating," she said smiling. I looked down at the blanket I was under. If I hadn't left my goggles at home, I wouldn't have been noticed in the first place. "Listen, we don't have anything against Al Bheds, so don't worry" she said. I looked up at her.

"It was all my fault for getting in trouble," I said. She looked at me weirdly.

"Why? You eyes?" she asked. I nodded with depression.

"Well anyways, thanks for saving me, but if my eyes have been covered, you wouldn't be dragged in this mess," I said keeping my head down. She sighed.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Alan," I replied.

"I'm Kyoka, but you could call me Kyo for short," she said. "Lift up your face," she said with a gentle voice. I slowly lifted up my head. She looked in my brown eyes.

"I could barely see them if I don't pay attention," she said. I smiled. This girl named Kyoka really cared about me.

"Who is the other girl you were talking to about a pilgrimage?" I asked her.

"Who? Oh, her name is Lenne," she told me. "Listen, you can come with us on the pilgrimage on two conditions," she said holding up two fingers.

"What?" I asked her.

"You must have some expertise in fighting, and you must swear an oath to never attack our summoner," she said, glimpsing her eyes with seriousness. I nodded.

"I promise," I said. She nodded as well and then got up from the bed and headed towards the door to tell Lenne.

End of Flashback

It wasn't a long time before Chanel showed up and decided to join our pilgrimage. I believe that it was in Luca. It also turns out they were long lost friends many years back.

"Alan! It's time to get aboard the airship. You ready?" Chanel called through the door.

"Yeah! I'll be right out!" I yelled back. I grabbed my bag of items I would need. Now when I think about my beating, I am so happy I encountered it because if I didn't I would still be taking orders from Cid. I left the door of our house and climbed the ladder going aboard The White Phoenix.

"Kyoka, are we stopping at a place before Macalania or are we heading straight there?" I asked as the door of the airship closed.

"No, we are going straight to Macalania, If Austin and Jason pilot us there correctly," she said giggling. I grinned. We walked towards the bridge.

"Hey guys!" I said to our two pilots. The young boy turned his seat.

"Hey! We should be at Macalania in a few hours," he said.

"Fhed, IF no disruptions occur during our trip, we should arrive in about four hours," he said. I left the bridge and went into the mini-elevator. I pressed the cabin button. The elevator carried me up and then stopped at the cabin. Machina…so good these days. When it stopped I went and chose a room. They were all a good size, it contained a bed, a sphere, and a mirror. I dropped my bag on the bed and collapsed on it as well. This is my new life. After protecting Lenne from danger, after getting beaten up, after being excluded from regular people as an Al Bhed, look what happened? I am flying the skies on a new adventure.

Someone then opened the door. It was Chanel and Kyo.

"We thought you might want some company," they said sitting down on the bed.

"Lenne?" I asked.

"She is in the engine room with a book on spells. I guess she thinks Lady Shiva will quiz her or something," Kyo said.

"Let's check on her, I said as I got up," they both nodded we went back into the elevator and then reached the engine room. She was sitting down with a white book.

"Hey Lenne," Chanel said. Lenne looked up and smiled.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked.

"We wanted to give you some company," I said. She giggled and said, "Thanks." Kyo looked at the book once more.

"I don't think Shiva will give you a test to complete," Kyo said.

"Well, you should always be prepared. Besides, why did Shiva leave anyways," she asked with some disappointment.

"I wish I knew," Kyo said. We invited Lenne too lunch and a good lunch it was. We then heard in the intercom that we were to land. Chanel, Kyo, Lenne and I ran to the bridge. The sight was beautiful. Snow sprinkled softly as the green pine trees added color to the white. I looked at Lenne, she looked the most touched out of all of us. We landed next to the temple.

"If you guys need to go somewhere, we will be right here," Jason said.

"You are not coming?" Lenne asked.

"No it is better that we stay here and stand guard. We already had one thief try to break into the White Phoenix," Austin said. Lenne nodded and continued down the ramp of the airship. I was freezing. Luckily, Kyo supplied me with a jacket. We reached the doors of the temple.

"Well, we're here," Lenne said. She pushed the doors and the doors opened. Even inside it was freezing.

"To tell you the truth, they should consider torches here," I said rubbing my hands on my arms constantly.

"Lady Shiva like is cold, it needs to be in her temperature," Lenne said.

"Oh," I said. The trials were already done and we just had to walk. We reached the doors of the faith. And their, sitting on a chair of ice sat Shiva. We walked faster to the center of the room.

"Lady Shiva," Lenne said. Shiva stood up.

"I foresaw you coming here. What is it that you need?" she said in a gentle voice. Lenne and Chanel looked at each other. It turns out Shiva didn't know why they were there.

"Well, we came to ask you about the resent attack of Sin," I said. Shiva looked at me, and then smiled.

"You did well to come to me as I know so much from 1000 years ago," she said. She stood up from her icy throne and swirled her hand a couple of times, spoke a few words and then spun around and suddenly the room turned cold. We were transported to a flower place.

"Welcome to the Farplane. I call this section of The Farplane, Floral Fallal.

"Floral Fallal?" I asked.

"Fallal means destiny in aeon language?" she said pointing at the flowery field we stood at. I nodded.

"It also means to face you fears," she said. Kyo turned around.

"What do you mean?" she asked intently. Shiva turned to her.

"To defeat the shadow, you must have no fear. I myself must not accomplish this task because I will fail," she said putting her hand on her chest referring to her. "Which is why I brought you all here," she said. Everyone turned. "Come," she said. She walked towards a waterfall. "Who would like to go first?" she asked. Everyone looked at each other. Finally Lenne stepped forward.

"For Spira, I'll go first," Lenne said. Shiva nodded and pointed her hand at the waterfall for her to step in. Lenne looked back at us. We smiled in a "It's okay, we'll be there."

Lenne's Point of View

I slowly went towards the waterfall. I couldn't feel the waterfall but still I ventured on. Past the waterfall was just darkness.

"That's it. I think I should go back and ask Shiva…" I was cut off as sounds of gun shots. She turned around shocked.

"Well if isn't my past," I said with a sad face. She saw herself and…, "SHUYIN!" I said. There he was…holding me, then the lights turning. There were the yevonites.

"Maybe I should've gone to the farplane when I had the chance," I said. I tried to close my eyes but something kept me from closing them. Woah! Now I was forced to

watch it. And when I looked away. It was there! I grabbed my thin brown hair with frustration, anger…and sadness. The worshippers of Yevon lined up between me and Shuyin. I looked into the eyes of Shuyin. I had looked on the ground. I then looked at him smiling in a "I'm sorry" sort of way. The yevonites shot and Shuyin and me and we fell to the ground. I put my hand on my mouth with sadness. Tears then began to fall as I tried to look away.

"Stop…Stop!" I said yelling. I even fell on the ground looking for help. I then saw the blood in my chest in the picture I was looking at, I died before and now I am unsent. Suddenly, the room turned black.

Back to my point of view

Shiva kept closing her eyes ever since Lenne went into the waterfall. She then finally opened her eyes.

"Lenne has completed her task. She waits on the other side. Chanel seemed to look more confident.

"I'll go," she said. Shiva nodded and again pointed at the waterfall.

Chanel's Point of view

I didn't even feel the waterfall falling on my head. I even looked at my clothes, nothing was wet. I saw a black hole behind the waterfall. I stepped forward with caution. Who knows what was on the other side. I stepped in a pitch black room. I felt like going on. Suddenly in front of my eyes was a place I never wanted to see again. It was a weird cabin in the exact middle of the woods.

"Man…why this?" I said with depression. I then saw a girl so similar to me walking slowly to the cabin. She was carrying a card.

"Me," I said. As I opened the door the picture suddenly changed. I was strapped to a board, eyes closed. I then heard an old voice.

"Well, the blood sample was a twenty out of twenty. She is perfect for the luck," it said from the other side of the door.

"So this is what they did when they knocked me out," I said with tears in my eyes. "I didn't want to be Lady Luck…you tricked me," I said once more.

"Now we will begin the mental operation," he said. I frowned.

"Whatever, now you are dead and you regret the day you did this to me," I said. I finally noticed I was commenting. I giggled. Suddenly, my eye's vision turned black.

Back to mine

Again, Shiva had her eyes closed. She smiled.

"Chanel completed her task more successfully then Lenne," She said. She turned around from the waterfall and looked at us.

"Next?" she said. I wanted to have Kyo relaxed so I stepped forward.

"I'll go," I said. She nodded and again pointed at the waterfall. I walked slowly towards the falling water. It didn't feel like anything. I still ventured towards the water and towards the hole. It was pitch black. Al Bheds weren't used to this cold place. Suddenly, a huge picture came to my eyes. It was me! It was another attack from the yevonites to me. This time...at home. Yevonites invaded the Al Bheds most protected place. My home…my sanctuary…my sacred place. I was only a kid back then. I didn't know what to expect. Fortunately, my parents hid me in Cid's ship which took off. I looked at myself in the picture in my eyes.

"So young, so hopeless," I said tears falling. I again looked at myself in the so small box I hid in. I developed a bit of claustrophobia which means to be scared of enclosed spaces. I only hoped for the best. Now I know what to do. Suddenly my eyesight went black.

Kyo's Point of View

I looked at Shiva. She closed her eyes. What was she doing to my buddies? I hope not driving them nuts.

"Alan completed his task well," Shiva said with her back still on me. She turned around. "Are you ready?" she asked.

"How do I know it isn't a trap?" I asked. Shiva turned once more and went towards the edge of the cliff.

"I wouldn't have done this if I didn't have fear," Shiva said. I was confused.

"Huh?" I asked. Shiva turned around with icy blue tears falling.

"You see, when you go in there, you're worse fears will come to life.