Chapter Three: Tempest in the Brain

The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards

-Anatole France

"Sanity can be found in a comfy couch," he mumbled as he sank into the eggshell-white couch. His sore back groaned as he laid down on the couch, placing his shoulder blades together a loud crack filled the area. Sighing with heavenly relief at this action, he allowed himself to sink even further into the white cushions. Hugging a lone pillow, he rested his lips on the edge. The soft material brushed against his lips and left him trembling with lust but yet sadness. "Not worth going through that horrible mistake again," he whispered softly to the pillow that only reacted by being still.

"If only you could see the hurt and sorrow in my eyes. But you can't…you're just a simple and plain pillow. Figures that you would be the one to actually hear this, strange how life plays with you. All my life I have lived with the pleasures of knowing dark and deadly secrets. Vegnagun was my first, unless you count my finding of the maester's vying for power. Then more secrets flooded into my hungry mind, and look at me now. I'm having a conversation with a pillow," he countinued as he tapped his finger against the plush material.

Biting the pillow, with eyes slowly narrowing, he replied through clenched teeth, "Memories are just memories. Forgive and forget these broken promises…they were just more lies to add in my book." His tongue lightly touched the material and he tasted the dust. Enjoying the bitterness on his taste buds, he found himself slowly forgetting her. But he knew he would just remember her tomorrow and the next day after that. Closing his eyelids as he released the silent pillow from his teeth, he was interrupted by a rap on the door.

"Come in." the man straightened himself up to a sitting position as a familiar face peered through the door. Giving a warm smile to his friend, he beckoned him to come closer. "Isaaru…what a pleasant surprise. What's the occasion?" he asked as he watched Isaaru rub his hands nervously. Shifting his weight to his other leg, Isaaru cleared his throat as quietly as he could.

"Well…you heard of last night's disturbance, correct?" Isaaru stammered as he watched the man give him a concerned look and nod. "Well later on, early this morning, we found that your two sons are missing," he countinued in the same stammering voice. It seemed whenever Isaaru was talking to him, everything about him made Isaaru nervous and alert. Then again, it was the results of having that man negotiate you. He was a monster…the man before him was a monster deep inside. On the outside he is a gentleman and a wonderful leader. If only the world knew…

"My sons are gone? That's impossible, they have no idea where they are going," Baralai replied as he leaned against the couch's cushions. Than a thought began to poke at his conscience, what if the two pursued their questions about Trema's son and Seymour? "Hmm. This is quite unfortunate, but I know they will do fine. However, I will like to have a search party formed and ready to track down those two. Examine the Macalania Forest and even go further than that afterward," the praetor spoke calmly as he gave Isaaru a stern gaze.

"Of course, sir!" Isaaru nodded his head in a jerking fashion as he immediately scurried out of the room like a mouse. Baralai sat there with a questioning gaze but soon found himself getting up to stare a piece of parchment on the wall. He had to replace last night when he found it gone. Tracing his finger, he looked over at the map before him with interest. His eyes looked at every city, town, village, port, ect. for that one place that might hold that deadly sphere.

That sphere was one he wished not to be found in a million years. However, that never rid him of those nightmares that seemed to haunt him in his sleep. As always, the circumstance and climax were twisted and different that what truly happened. None of those nightmares were the same as the truth. Finally his eyes rested on Mt. Gagazet, where Seymour killed most of the ronsos. "It's possible…and I hate not taking chances," he sighed softly.

His finger soon traced a line to Bikinal Island where a certain somebody lived. "Or maybe there…" Finding his mind become hysterical with sudden rage and frustration, he spun around and headed back to the couch. Embracing the pillow, he whispered a silent prayer as he relaxed his tense muscles and mood. "So many years passed and I'm still furious with the fact that you're gone. Am I acting childish?" he asked softly to the warmly-lit room.

--

"Sometimes I wonder why I'm even doing this," the teen mumbled as his earring clanged together loudly. The boy beside him gave a pathetic whine at this, and placed a hand over his heart as if he was in pain. "Oh stop it with that look; I'm not one of those idiotic girls that can be swept off their feet. We just need to get out of this place pronto, because I saw two guards today in the forest. Farther knows…and unfortunately you are too stupid to realize that."

"Tatchi!" the boy groaned as those horrible stinging words matched his lips. "I get it, I screwed up. But we're ok now, all we need to do is head west and make a turn. Then presto we are in the Thunder Plains!" he added as he walked beside his brother in long strides. They made a quick turn and came face to face with a collapsed tree in a miniature lake.

It appeared to be the heart of the listening earth that waited for life to spring across the surface. The water was as smooth as a piece of glass and reflected the rotting but glittering trees that hovered around its edges. The collapsed tree appeared to be a part of the water and formed a bridge to the shore. Faint flashes of lights flickered on and off underneath the water. Along with those flashes were gnarly and tangled roots that glared from underneath the water.

"I'm going to check it out, stay here," Koruko broke the silence as he eagerly scrambled up the tree to examine the flashing lights. Tatchi huffed in anger as he took a seat by a wilting tree. Its silver leaves gently brushed against his cheek as if admiring the life that still thrived in him. This was a grey and lonely place, and an eerie feeling filled the area. "Hey! I found a sphere stuck in the tree's roots!" Koruko broke through his brother's trance as he clambered back to shore.

Almost falling into the frozen water, he finally made it. Sticking the silver sphere in his brother's face, he gave a grin. "See…I'm not so pathetic after all. Let's have a look at what this is," Koruko laughed as he sat by his annoyed sibling. Still catching his breath, he watched the sphere glow with life as it played the images stored within it.

Macalania Forest was in the background and everything seemed alive and full of life. The trees glowed with their own abnormal light and a powerful tree and temple stood in the middle of a glossy lake. A soft humming sound filled the air and seemed to be coming from the trees. The sphere moves downward and reveals a hunched figure in the darkness. The sphere gets a close-up and reveals an eighteen-year old teen with striking chalk-white hair.

It seems the teen doesn't realize that he is being watched, and all he is doing is hugging his knees to his chest. "I...I can't believe it. I saw it, with my own eyes. I saw the slaughter of millions before my two eyes! The blood that dripped on my hands, the blood that spilled from my allies, and the blood that rained down from the sky. An endless slaughter…and all Maester Kinoc did was shrug his shoulders and walk away," he ranted as he rocked back and forth slightly.

Eyes widened and quickly turned toward the sphere, "W-what? Who are you! What the hell do you think your doing!" Instantly the teen got to his feet and headed toward the recorder of this sphere. The sphere dropped and recorded two sets of shoes.

"Please don't hurt me. I was just doing some research on the Macalania Forest for Maester Seymour. Please, I mean you no harm," the recorder cried out and pleaded in pain. A long pregnant pause killed time before the teen released a heavy sigh.

"Maester Seymour?"

"Yes, yes! Maester Seymour is a kind and generous man who always thinks about others. He helps those who are willing to follow his powerful and peaceful ways," the recorder encouraged as a pair of feet backed a few steps away. The recorder's voice cracked when he neared the finish, as his body trembled with pure fear.

"Hmm, very well. Lead me to this Maester and I might not kill you, understood?" the teen replied in a smooth and icy voice. The recorder gave a trembling 'yes' before the sphere went black.

"That was a short one, I was hoping for something different. You know, the one where dad obtains a harem of woman…you get the point," Koruko sniggered as he closed his eyes. Tatchi grinded his teeth in deep thought as he looked at the pale, lustrous silver sphere.

"So that is what Seymour is like, a kind and generous maester. Or maybe it was just a show so dad wouldn't-"

"- beat the crap out of that guy. Sounds logical but how can we be truly sure? Should we look for more as planned?"

"Yes, we should. We'll just go to the Thunder Plains and than head to Guadosalam. I'm positive we might find something in Guadosalam..."

--

The stirring dust slapped them in the face as bolts of electricity penetrated the ground viciously. Rain pattered on their shoulders as they ran through the Thunder Plains. The thunder pounded at their eardrums as they struggled to find a place of refuge. None came, just the lightening towers that were failing to work at the moment.

The sound of shouts and cries over the thunder and rain brought their attentions to their left. A group of tough-looking people were busy fixing a tower. An averaged height woman was directing the men in a foreign tongue. Koruko was easily captivated by the woman's appearance. A skimpy denim skirt that hugged her hips and a thin yellow bikini top was what she wore. Her hair was placed up in a sloppy mess on her head, but something about it made him smirk with satisfaction.

"Koruko, come on. Let's go…she's way out of your league," Tatchi muttered into his ear, as Koruko was being pulled away by his brother. The woman turned and noticed the two with a shocked expression etched on her face.

"Ed'c...oui. Baralai? Fyed...pid drana ec dfu uv oui..." she called out as she dashed toward the two with curiosity. "Baralai? Hu...Ouin duu ouihk du pa res. Cu drah oui yna...so cuhc," she croaked out with happiness as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. Embracing the two stunned boys, she whispered thanks to those who watch over her. (1)

"Obviously this chick definitely digs us or just me," Koruko laughed after he was released from the sudden embrace. The woman just gave a startled and disgusted look. "Now, now, don't tell us that you weren't dazzled by my appearance. Just admit it, look into my face and admit how handsome and manly I am," he countinued. Tatchi grumbled under his breath and pulled his brother toward the path they were taking.

"You're disgusting, you know?" Tatchi hissed as he glanced behind his back to see the woman still shocked and standing still. "I think you killed her…great going." Tatchi attempted to keep his mind on the path before him, but that woman and her crew were quite a strange bunch. They all had blonde hair and tanned-colored skin. I guess they never swam out of the family gene pool.

"Always ruining my fun whenever I see a lovely specimen, Tatchi. Whatever happened to the saying, 'Drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.' You know what, don't even talk to me…I'm…I'm angry," Koruko whined as he allowed his brother to drag him toward Guadosalam.

"She's old enough to be our mother, for Yevon's sake. Anyways, what will father say when he heard you slept with a thirty-year old woman? If I was dad, I would want to commit suicide," Tatchi replied as they neared Guadosalam's entrance. He felt Koruko shiver beside him as those words slapped him in the face.

"Gross, never saw it that way. But you have to admit it; she was gorgeous for a thirty-year old lady. Anyway…I'm hungry," Koruko spoke thoughtfully as he placed a hand on his growling stomach. The minuet they entered Guadosalam, a peaceful and comforting wave of dryness and safety washed over them.

A tall and odd creature stepped toward them with a soft smile on its face. It bore long limbs and plant-like hair. On its smooth face were thin blue veins that seemed to give them a wild and defiant look. However, Tatchi felt a wave of awe fill him to the brim. They were beautiful with there odd and graceful features, especially their dark eyes that seemed to be shinning with newfound hope.

"Welcome to Guadosalam, home of the Guado and the location of a gateway to the Farplane. Meyvn Nooj has been expecting you for some time, please follow me," the creature smiled and nodded its head as it turned to lead the two to the entrance of a large house. Vines ran across the outside but not the door. That same eerie feeling Tatchi got in the Macalania Forest came back as the doors slowly swung opened. The stench of fear filled them as they stepped inside. For when they looked up at the stairs, they caught the very sight of authority and power. They only saw his back as he entered the room, but what really slapped them in the face was the man's snowy, white hair.

--

(1) Baralai? Fyed...pid drana ec dfu uv oui. It's...you. Baralai? Wait...but there are two of you... ...oui.

Hu...Ouin duu ouihk du pa res. Cu drah oui yna...so cuhc. No...You're too young to be him. So then you are...my sons.

A/N: The scene when Rikku spots them pisses me off! I just feel like it's crap...but I don't have the time to change it. My life is so busy now ever since we have been rehearsing for the musical, 'The Wiz'. Grrr, I'm so angry with myself...but I'll just make it up in the next chapter. I apologize for any spelling mistakes and so forth. Thanks for your patience.