A Generation of Aeons
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X or X-2
Last Time:
The lights came on as they entered, displaying the chaos of the room they had left behind that morning.
Takoire scratched his head sheepishly. "Why don't I cook tonight? It'll be good. I promise."
He began to move away until Lenne caught his hand, pulling him back. "I can't lose you again…"
The guardian gazed at her with soft and reassuring eyes, kissing her softly. "I love you…" Takoire whispered. "You're everything to me."
"I love you, too," Lenne answered, continuing to hold onto him.
"I don't want you to go tomorrow. I don't want anything to happen to you…"
She pulled away only far enough to look at him, smiling a sad smile. "You said the same thing to me before I took the Cheribum's test… Stay with me tonight?" Lenne looked up at him as she said it, her hands on his uniform. Somehow he had gotten a uniform that fit him perfectly, and her summoner's brand had been embroidered into the fabric. Her fingers found their way to the line of hidden buttons, undoing the topmost.
"Lenne…?" He looked down on her hesitantly, struggling with himself as he became lost in her pleading eyes. "Lenne, I don't think…"
"Please…"
He looked away for a moment, breathing out deeply. "Are you sure…?"
"Stay with me tonight?" she repeated, an earnest look in her eyes.
Takoire finally nodded, leaning back to reclaim Lenne's lips as she undid the rest of his buttons one by one…
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He sat alone, not even bothering to turn on the lights in the room. He mostly did it because he liked the darkness, and the quiet it brought with it, that and he didn't want to wake up the person only a room away.
Outside it was even darker, but it wouldn't be long before the sun returned to the sky. The stars had disappeared, and the birds were beginning to chirp slowly, almost as if they were tuning, getting ready for their morning song. The proclaimed Guardian of the Ages had not a slept a single second all throughout the night. He had laid awake, staring at the ceiling, a million thoughts running through his head.
There were no indications that there was anyone else in the room, but his training and instincts told him otherwise. In the past few years, whenever that particular instinct was turned on, he would immediately become aggressive, reaching for his sword; but in this particular time, it brought a smile to his face.
"How come you aren't in bed?" he asked, not needing to turn around to know who it was.
She walked out in front of him. "I could ask you the same thing, Takoire." Lenne pointed to the couch he sat on. "Do you mind?"
Shaking his head, he smiled a sad smile. "Not at all." Taking the seat next to him, she leaned against him casually as he wrapped his arms around her, leaning over to kiss her softly. "Now tell me again why you're not asleep."
"Because you're not," she answered easily.
"So?"
"Why'd you leave bed?"
He kissed the top of her head. "Because I didn't want to wake you. You needed some sleep."
She scoffed. "So do you."
He smiled at that. He had to. Letting his head rest against hers, he sighed. "I love you."
"I love you, too." She looked behind her and kissed him again, tenderly.
He pulled back, looking into her eyes. "I want you to promise me something, Lenne, no matter what it is."
Lenne looked at him strangely. "I promise I will if I can."
Takoire brushed a strand of hair from her face, trying to freeze this picture of her in his mind, hoping to never forget it. "If something happens to me tomorrow-" she tried to interrupt him just then, but he held a finger to her lips, "-if something happens to me tomorrow, I want you to get on with your life. I want you to get married and have a family. I want you to be happy, Lenne."
"Takoire," she fumbled, "I'm only really happy when I'm with you."
"Promise me," he replied sternly.
Reluctantly, she nodded her head. "If I can. I promise."
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Instead of the Bahamut, which was still currently under repair, they were flying inside of the Valefor. It was the most important mission since the conflict with Sareth began, but it had the smallest detail assigned to it.
There were only six aboard, and one was not even a passenger, but simply the pilot. Two of the three leaders of the Council of Factions were among the passenger list, Sir Garren and High Summoner Lenne. The Crimson Knight of Besaid as well as the Head Summoner of Suzaku Darka with the Deputy Head of the Gullwings, Gaia, sat next to him. The last was seated next to his summoner, a faithful guardian.
"Sir Garren?" the pilot said, turning his head over his shoulder so that they would hear him.
"Yes?"
"We'll be in Guadosalam in a few minutes, sir. Where do you want me to land?"
Garren stood up behind the pilot, pointing to the main city entrance, still slightly a ways off. "Just over there, it should be safe. The minute we get off you can back off and head to Besaid. I know you're not exactly ecstatic to be here."
"Thank you, sir," the pilot answered uneasily. "But what about you? I can't just leave you here without a way out."
The Crimson Knight of Bevelle started making his way back to his seat. "If the mission succeeds, we'll be able to call you back. If it doesn't, you should stay as far away as possible. Tell the council that if they don't hear back from us within two days, it's worst case scenario." Sitting back down across from Lenne and Takoire, and in turn, next to his twin, he leaned back in the chair. "The Council has a main force ready in case… in case something happens."
Darka nodded. "Good."
"Have you guys figured out what the third object is?" Garren asked.
"No. The damn prophecy doesn't help us with so much as a description. We have no idea what we're looking for. It could be anything," Takoire admitted bitterly.
The Al Bhed Crimson Knight sighed heavily. "Then we'll just have to go for every piece of jewelry Sareth has so we can stabilize your ring." Takoire and Lenne stared at him with half disbelief. "What? You think we didn't know what you guys were up to?"
Takoire shook his head. "Did everyone know about it?"
"Just us!" Gaia chirped. "It'd take an idiot not to notice or take the chance! Lenne wants you to stay. You want you to stay! You can stay because of your ring, which is originally the reason why you can't stay in the first place, but that's okay because if we can get the third object we can stabilize it; and then you and Lenne can be together, and then Sareth will go away, and everyone'll live happy ever after and-"
"Gaia…" Darka suddenly voiced, as if bringing her back to reality.
"Oops. Cunno…"
"But…" Garren interrupted, clearing his throat suspiciously, keeping his sister from apologizing for another ten minutes, "I think that pretty much explains the game plan. Plan A: stop Sareth. Plan B: get third object, stabilize ring. Plan C (worst case scenario): destroy third object if Sareth gets it first."
Takoire nodded, cocking his head. "Yeah… I knew that would have to be the case if Sareth ever got a hold of it. I've known it since before you even existed. Wow…" he suddenly paused, "that made me sound really old."
"Well…" Lenne started, teasing him slightly, "if we count the day you were born until now, you're over a thousand years old."
Gaia smiled mischievously. "You might be too old for Lenne, Takoire. There's a chance that my aunt and uncle might not approve of her going out with an older man…"
Takoire didn't answer but only smiled. He could see why Lenne loved her family so much. He'd never met anyone quite like them; they were the exact opposite of a family he once had. He liked these people. He wanted this life. He wanted to stay with them. He wanted to stay in this time with Lenne.
The Valefor touched down on the ground, and the airship's main doors opened.
"Good luck!" the pilot yelled to them as they stepped off.
The airship's doors closed behind the group of five, and a strong gust was kicked up; as the dirt settled back down, it revealed the abandoned city of Guadosalam.
The city had obviously been left in a hurry, random items and goods lay scattered across the walkways. Doors to stores had been broken into, leaving a trail of glass and goods out from them.
Darka's face contorted slightly to show his anger. "The city was ransacked."
They continued on to the Farplane entrance. "At least before Sareth got a hold of the thieves," Takoire added. "Where do you think he got the extra nasty ones?" It was meant as a joke, but the words were ironically true.
Garren glanced over his shoulder. "Darka, where'd you post Vidina?"
"He's in charge; he is my new deputy commander. If anything happens to us, he's in charge of the Besaid branch." He paused, as if almost amused. "I had to wrangle and almost knock him unconscious for him to stay behind though. He wasn't happy."
Garren nodded. "It's better for him to stay behind, don't you think, Lenne?"
The high summoner had stopped in her tracks, standing motionless, not answering.
"Lenne?" Takoire came up behind her, touching her gently on the shoulder. She turned slowly, and what the guardian saw made him jump back slightly.
A strange mixture of light and darkness had encompassed the high summoner. Her silver chokin necklace shined brightly as well as the brand on her wrist. Lenne's mismatched eyes of green and ocean blue were now giving off an alien aura that matched what had surrounded her but more intensely.
Her voice had been manipulated and now gave off a feeling of infinite knowledge and wisdom. "Takoire II. Son of Lord Takoire I and the Lady Kaira. Nephew of the Maester Arheist."
Takoire took another step back, this time a glint of anger in his eyes. "It seems the aeons have taken a more active role lately."
"Lenne's being possessed?" Gaia asked, seeing such a thing for the very first time.
"Yeah…" he muttered back, "and to top things off, it's the Cheribum himself possessing Lenne."
Darka nearly fell over, tripping over nothing. "The Cheribum? he asked, staring directly at Lenne. "He hasn't been seen since the aeons first came three years ago."
"Yeah…" Takoire muttered for the second time. "It has to be a miracle though, because the Cheribum never bothers to help with anything!" The volume of his voice grew with each word.
"You are angry with me," the Cheribum stated blatantly.
"You're damn straight I am angry with you!" he yelled back, marching up to Lenne's body. "I know what you're damn purpose is! It's to screw up peoples' lives! If you weren't in Lenne's body-"
"-now is not the time for your spite of me, Takoire II. I come to offer you my help. You, Guardian of Ages, cannot stay on the Farplane long without your ring reacting with the pyreflies."
The guardian's anger grew. "Then why the hell don't you just tell us what the third object is and make our lives a whole lot easier!" The guardian's voice and anger now echoed through the empty city. "Once upon a time, I respected you! I respected the aeons' power! I thought that their presence would better mankind, but I was proven wrong! I don't need your help!"
"Your pride and anger blind you, Takoire," the Cheribum responded calmly. "But in some ways… you are right. The aeons have a great debt to pay, and therefore, I will help you, whether you wish it or not. I will shield your ring from the Farplane's energies so that you may stay in this time. But I cannot hold it for long. It is already against the will of the universe that I do so."
At once the aeon's presence disappeared as quickly as it had come. The strange white and black aura came from Lenne, leaving her to fall over slightly.
"Cuz!" Gaia leapt forward, supporting Lenne.
"Are you okay," Takoire began, suddenly the exact opposite of what he had been seconds ago.
Lenne nodded, as if nothing had ever happened. "I'm fine… actually."
"Do you remember what happened?" Darka inquired.
"Everything," the high summoner confirmed. "I don't even feel drained."
Garren eyed her carefully. "Are you still okay to go?"
She grimaced. "As ready as I'll ever be." The group started back off again, but Takoire stayed where he was. "Hey…" She touched his face softly, but he turned away quickly as if her touch burned him.
"I shouldn't have done that."
Lenne stepped in front of him, forcing him to look at her in the eye. "Somebody once told me that you shouldn't bottle up your feelings inside because it does more damage than you think." She looked up at him earnestly, kissing him tenderly as he responded lightly. "We'll do this together, okay?"
Before joining the others, he nuzzled her slightly. "Thank you." Takoire took her hand, placing a kiss on it before lacing it with his own.
She smiled at him, and jogged, catching up with the group. They followed the walls of Guadosalam until they entered the entrance to the Farplane. Lenne gripped her guardian's hand tighter as they stood together on the platform, in awe of the endless field of flowers and the sound of rushing waterfalls. It never changed, but it always seemed to make her stand in awe.
"What do we do now?" Gaia asked, her voice laced with confusion.
Takoire shrugged innocently. "Jump."
Darka raised an eyebrow.
"Are you kidding?" Garren forced himself to ask.
"Don't worry," Lenne's guardian answered, "it's easier than climbing anyway," and without another word, he ran off the ledge with Lenne in hand.
Garren, Gaia, and Darka soon joined them in a chorus of umphs.
"Everyone all right?" the Al Bhed Crimson Knight called out.
Takoire picked a flower from his black uniform, acting as if he was disgusted. "I don't think flowers really fit me."
A male voice chuckled. "Just like you… always thinking about just yourself."
"Would you expect anything less from the star player of the Zanarkand Abes?" a female voice added easily.
Lenne froze. "I know those voices…"
"Yeah…" Takoire agreed, "especially since I was engaged to one of them."
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Author's Notes:
Final Revision