The group landed just outside of Luca. Stepping off the airship, Gippal looked around. No one was there, so he waved everyone else off after him. They knew they would have to be careful walking around, since they were all assumed to be dead and didn't want rumors spreading before they could explain themselves. Rikku stood just at the top of the steps into Luca, hands on her hips.
"The Highroad's really quiet." She noted. "Not even the hover pilots are here. I wonder what's going on?" She asked no one in particular. Turning around, she crept up to the top of the stairs, careful to keep from being seen by anyone below. Looking down, she saw only a young Ronso female sitting on the bench. There was no one else there. "Something's definitely up." She decided. Yuna looked down the stairs for a moment, and then grinned.
"I think it's time we got out the Gullwing's prized costumes once again." She told them. Everyone looked confused, but after a moment, both Rikku and Paine caught on.
"Good idea Yunie!" Rikku said excitedly. Paine sighed.
"Those things aren't very comfortable." She complained. Rikku gave her a look, she shrugged, and the three girls changed into their Mascot dresspheres. Seeing them dressed like that, Melody burst into giggles. Grinning, Baralai walked up to Paine.
"That's hot." He told her. Paine narrowed her eyes and waved her Tonberry knife menacingly at him.
"You guys stay here, we'll go check out what's going on." Yuna ordered.
"Wait!" Melody called, trotting up to them. "Can't me and Sora come too? No one here would know who we are, would they?" She asked pleadingly.
"I don't see why not." Paine answered. Rikku giggled and started at a run down the stairs, catching her foot on a step and tumbling the rest of the way down. The Ronso at the bottom of the stairs stared at her as she scrambled to her feet. Yuna skipped up to the bench, giggling.
"Have a happy day!" She greeted the Ronso, who looked like she thought the whole group of them were crazy. Melody smiled apologetically at her and the five of them were off. At the bottom of the next set of stairs was Luca's main square, which was just as oddly empty.
"Maybe there's a blitzball game on." Rikku suggested, though they all knew that even if there was, there'd still be people around. The only person there was an old man loitering around the benches.
"There's no game on." Shinra's voice told them over the comm.. Yuna sighed.
"There's something weird going on here, that's for sure." She noted. Paine crossed her arms.
"We might as well go check the stadium anyways." She decided, walking across the square.
They reached the stadium with very little happening, and still meeting no one on their way. There had been two men who looked like they were Kilika natives sitting on the docks, but that was it. The stadium seemed even more deserted. There wasn't a soul in sight, no shopkeepers, no one manning the ticket booths, no fans hanging around the front gates, no security guards, no one. Rikku frowned.
"This is kind of creepy guys." She told them. Sora sighed.
"What about that shopping district we stayed in? There has to be people there, at least people working. We could ask them what's happening." He suggested. The others thought this was a good idea. There was a moment of silence and stillness as the girls watched Sora expectantly. He grinned sheepishly.
"Well, uh, you guys lead the way. I, uh, don't know how to get there." He said. Paine snickered and started walking, the others following her.
Turning a corner, Melody found herself in a very recognizable place. She paused in surprise. Sora looked back at her.
"Are you okay?" He asked. She shook her head to clear it, then nodded.
"I think so. It's like déjà vu of something…" It certainly felt like déjà vu, but usually the sensation lasted for only a split second. This time, though, the feeling wasn't going away. As they walked down the street, images kept flashing before her eyes. The same stores, but they were open, and there were people everywhere. In all of the memories, she was laughing with Rikku and Yuna and Paine, and another blonde woman dressed in pink. She shook her head again and kept walking. Sora was watching her with concern.
"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked, walking next to her. She sighed.
"I went shopping here, with Yuna, Rikku and Paine, and another woman." She paused, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to remember it. "A hotel…" She murmured. Her eyes flew open and she looked down one of the side streets. "That's the one, isn't it?" She asked, pointing. Sora blinked in surprise.
"You remember?" He asked urgently. She sighed again.
"A little. I keep seeing images in my mind, but they still don't mean anything." She answered. Then a sudden thought occurred to her. That girl in the mirror…"Sora, do I have any connection to the Heartless?" She asked. Sora nodded sadly.
"You, well, you are part Heartless. Usually it's under control, but if something panics you, it starts to show." He told her. She bit her lip.
"What about a blonde girl?" She asked, cringing at how stupid the question sounded. Sora blinked at her.
"A…blonde girl? I mean, there's Rikku…and we were traveling around with LeBlanc before Nooj was injured, but there's no special connection or anything." He explained slowly. "Why do you ask?"
"I looked into a mirror, and my reflection turned into a Heartless, and then a blonde girl. I don't think I've ever met any girl like her before, but she still seems really familiar." She told him. Sora shrugged.
"I guess it's one of those things that doesn't have an explanation." He said. A shout from the girls ahead caught their attention. Five men dressed in New Yevon uniforms were attacking.
"Hey!" Sora and Melody shouted at the same time, running towards them. Two of the men left the group attacking the Gullwing girls and ran at them. The first one to reach them swung the butt of his gun at them. In an instant, Sora had his Keyblade in his hand, and blocked the attack. Melody's body worked without her even realizing what was happening. She ducked and jumped, flying towards her assailant and kicking him. He fell backwards and she tumbled over him, somersaulting to her feet. She stepped back, surprised at herself. The three men that had been left with Yuna, Rikku and Paine were all down. The last man standing dropped his weapon in surrender. Paine crossed her arms, though she looked anything but intimidating in her Tonberry suit. Rikku pulled off the head of her Cait Sith suit and glared at him.
"What was that about?" She asked angrily. The man stared at her.
"I, but…" He muttered, looking curiously at the women still hidden beneath the Tonberry and Moogle costumes. He rubbed his eyes, looking back at Rikku. "Bnehlacc Rikku?" He asked. Rikku nodded.
"That's me!" She announced. The man blinked at her.
"But, you were dead…" He said slowly.
"Yeh, we thought so too for a while there." Paine answered, pulling her Tonberry head off. The man gave her a sidelong look. Yuna sighed and pulled her Moogle head off.
"I'm here too." She said. The man stared at her.
"I have to tell them! The fighting's already started!" He cried, breaking off at a run. Melody stepped to the side and tripped him. He fell forward and Sora grabbed him.
"Hang on, what fighting? What are you talking about?" He demanded.
"Is Master Baralai here too?" The soldier asked.
"And Gippal and Tidus." Rikku answered. "Now explain." She ordered. The man jumped to his feet.
"When Nooj returned to Spira without the rest of you, a few in New Yevon became furious, claiming that he'd killed our Master and Lady Yuna to sabotage New Yevon efforts. We all thought they were crazy, but a few in the Machine Faction began to say that he'd killed Gippal and Rikku to ensure that the Youth League was the ultimate power in Spira. After that, it didn't take long for most people to join the rally against the Youth League. It's all about to boil over!"
"That's crazy talk! Nooj would never have hurt us!" Rikku shouted. Yuna frowned.
"Poor Nooj, I can only imagine the effect it's having on him." The man beckoned for them to follow him, and they started at a run down the streets of Luca back towards the Celcius.
"The Youth League members defended Nooj to the end." He told them as they ran. "Most of the Machine Faction has stayed out of it, but the New Yevon and their Al Bhed allies are launching a full assault on Guadosalam!"
"What!" Yuna, Paine and Rikku cried at the same time. Racing up the steps, the others looked surprised to see them in such a state.
"Get on the ship now!" Paine ordered. They all scrambled inside, and the Celcius was instantly off to Guadosalam.
The airship pulled to a bumpy stop, and the group raced off the ship and burst into Guadosalam. There was chaos everywhere. A mass of Youth League warriors were guarding the door to the mansion were Nooj apparently was, while a mass of New Yevon warriors launched assault after assault on them.
"Hey!"
"Stop!" Their shouts were useless. Getting an idea, Rikku pushed her way through the people, up the ramps to the very top of Guadosalam, with everyone else close on her heels. Skidding to a stop, she pointed at her cousin.
"Yuna, waterga!" She shouted over the din. Yuna nodded, changing into Black Mage. In a moment, she cast waterga over the crowd, and a wall of water splashed down over everyone. There was an instant of silent surprise, which Paine took full advantage of.
"HEY! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU ALL THINK YOU'RE DOING!" She yelled over them, clearly angry. There was further silence, and she continued. "No one is dead, and even if we were, you can't fight each other over it!"
"Paine's right, we're not dead, but you can't use every little thing as an excuse to rekindle the old anger against each other." Baralai said. As he spoke, all the Youth League members began to shout again, more or less shouting 'I told you so's.
"SHUT UP OR I'LL DUMP MORE WATER ON YOU!" Yuna shouted. The group went completely silent once again.
"Hey, I'm disappointed in you guys! I know every single one of us can remember a time when we were outcasted and blamed for the bad that happened to the world, and now you're doing it to others?" Gippal spoke, glaring at the small band of Machine Faction members in the crowds.
"Now, stop the stupid fighting, we need to get inside to see Nooj!" Rikku said. With that, the group walked proudly back down the ramps and towards the house, the crowds parting for them as they walked, still silent in shock. When the doors were slammed shut, Elma turned to the older man she'd been fighting a moment ago.
"Did that really just happen?"
……………………
Hey guys! I'm sorry the updates are taking so long. Discrete Math is like hell on paper, which isn't helped by the fact that I have a crazy teacher. Anyways, I'll try! RnR