Well, at last I update, eh? LOL Very unusual for me to go a few weeks without updating, but I just got over my sickness like yesterday. Longest I've ever been sick. Hope I don't take that again for a looong time to come. LOL I took this chpt to kind of explain a few things and such. And do I ever pray that this chpt makes sense. I have to go back and reread this story. Make sure everything's coming together. Well, enough of my big mouth. On with the chpt.
The mist slowly crept atop the ground as the mistress stepped forth, her cape swaying with her every movement. She heard a gasp from behind and turned abruptly to find her Gatekeeper there behind her.
"Mistress!" the Gatekeeper cried out in astonishment. "You are your true form!"
"Not exactly." The mistress said as she approached her Gatekeeper. "There is one soul that I still desire! It is the soul that is needed for me to become whole as my lover is.
The one soul that contains such pureness, which can burn straight through the very core of anything that threatens its existence!" She then turned away. "I once tried this, but failed miserably."
"How was it that you were able to take on such a formation, if I may ask?" the gatekeeper asked suspiciously.
"The dark one." The mistress said bluntly.
"My sorceress!" The Gatekeeper nearly shouted. "Mistress, why is it that she allowed you to consume her soul? You wield power that is far beyond the means of any who are here in the Realm of Souls!"
The Mistress of Death turned around abruptly, pointing her finger at her Gatekeeper. "SILENCE!" The Gatekeeper stood very still and quiet "You mean to question my authority?"
"No!" the Gatekeeper spoke quickly. "But, Mistress, are you aware that by consuming the soul of the dark one that you have obtained- -"
"I am very well aware of what I have obtained." The mistress assured her. "And with the consumption of the other soul that I seek, I will have control over the souls of pure light and pure dark. And shall I take my rightful place beside my lover."
The Gatekeeper nodded her head in agreement. "Does this mean you will no longer seek my services?"
"Don't be a fool, Gatekeeper!" the mistress said. "You are not relinquished from your services to me! There is only one elemental fiend left, however, choose wisely. There is only one who's stronger than the dark one." The Gatekeeper listened very closely to whom the mistress of death was about to suggest. "Send forth The Doppelganger of the Raven." The Gatekeeper's eyes flew open widely. "And may he break the very ground that be the foundation of Spira!"
"Very well." The Gatekeeper said.
"And if all else fells, remember that it shall be you who then takes on the one whom is so pure." The Gatekeeper just nodded her head. "Now, go! Send forth the Doppelganger and may he stop this summoner. And do not fail me Gatekeeper or it shall be your soul that I consume next." She softly cackled a bit. "You would make a decent collection to the ones that make my very existence whole." The Gatekeeper then turned and walked away.
Meanwhile, off someplace else in the Realm of Souls, Tidus is frail from exhaustion and in this case, it isn't good at all because disaster could strike at any given time.
Tidus sat on the ground with Excalibur near by him as he pants from complete exhaustion. What he did defied the rules between the two worlds. He tempted fate that night he sealed a kiss of pure devotion upon his lover's lips. But how exactly did he manage to become real? How does he even exist when he is supposed to be a dream?
Lenne an Shuyin knelt down in front of Tidus as they watched him in worriment.
"Tidus- -" Lenne trailed off
"They're safe." Tidus panted.
"Well, that's good, but why are you this exhausted?" Shuyin asked.
"I managed to kiss Yuna." Tidus said though exhausted breathes.
"You what!" Shuyin asked. "Tidus, how- -"
"I don't how I managed to do it." Tidus said. "All I know is that I felt her lips upon mine, Shuyin. I haven't felt such a thing since the night. . ." Tidus let his mind wander a bit before finishing his statement. "The night we kissed for the first time." Lenne smiled at the mere sounds of those words as she looked to Shuyin who looked at her and then back to Tidus. "I wanted to do more than just kiss her. I wanted her completely."
"How did you manage to- -" Lenne began, however, was interrupted.
"To become real?" came a voice from behind the trio as they quickly looked in the direction from which the voice had come from.
"You!" Tidus shouted.
"Long time no see, eh?" the being asked.
"Two years so to speak." Tidus said with some sarcasm in his voice.
The spirit of Bahamut came forth out of the thickness of the mist the surrounded all.
"I'm sure you have many questions. Few I can answer, few I cannot." The boy said. "Choose your questions wisely, my friends, for I have limited time."
"Limited time?" Tidus asked
"Yes." The boy spoke. "If his mistress should find out I am here, I could very well lose my soul to her, for she is the soul reaver."
"His mistress?" Shuyin pondered as the boy nodded his head. "Who is he?"
The boy grew silent for a momen. "We do not speak his name. By speaking his name, you seal the fate of your soul, for he will seek out the one whom spoke his name and take their very essence of life."
"Well, if you can't tell us of these strange beings, then what can you tell us?" Lenne asked "Can you tell us how Tidus managed to kiss Yuna and how he is even here in this dimension with us?"
A sly smile played upon the boy's features. "Indeed, I can." The trio listened on eagerly. "We, the Fayth, managed to preserve his memories, however, we cannot fulfill what the Lady Summoner's wishes within her heart and that is for him to come back to her. Our powers have been rendered useless because of the differences in the dimensions."
"And what is this difference?" Tidus asked. "Where am I?"
"You're in the Realm of Souls, which lies beyond the heart of the Farplane where Vegnagun once dwelled."
Lenne gasped as well as Shuyin. "Vegnagun."
"I know of that huge machine! That's not of my concern!" Tidus said as he stood up. "I wanna know how I was able to kiss Yuna! How was I able to become real even if it were only for a moment?"
"Yuna." The boy said simply before at last fading away.
"Hey, wait!" Tidus shouted as the boy faded away completely. "I hate when that happens."
"Well, we know a few things." Lenne said. "Guess we're going to have to find out the rest ourselves and help Yuna along the way."
"This strange woman is gonna strike again at any give moment and I'm still too weak to go to Yuna!" Tidus said with concern in his voice.
"Don't worry about a thing." Lenne said.
"If Yuna's in trouble, we'll be there for her." Shuyin said with a reassuring smile.
Meanwhile, in Besaid, the reconstruction of the village was in full swing where a few were complaining about the work.
Brother was struggling to pull a single board when Rikku walked by carrying three of then on her shoulder. Brother looked at her and snarled his nose up a bit.
"Rikku!" Brother shouted at her. "I demand you come here!" Rikku kept walking on as she rolled her eyes in the back of her head. "Come here and carry this board! As your leader, I command- -" Brother felt a hand upon his shoulder and fell silent. He turned to see Yuna and his face turned crimson.
"Why don't I help you out?" Yuna asked with a small giggle as she picked up the small board, placed it on her shoulder and headed for the hut that was being repaired.
A wide, goofy grin played upon Brother's features as he watched Yuna like a love struck puppy, which in this case he was. He laced his fingers together and placed them over his heart as he continued to watch her.
"Oh! Look at my beautiful Yuna!" Brother said "She so strong, so brave. . ." Yuna lowered the board onto the ground as she leaned down a bit and Brother's mouth dropped and his eyes widened "And so damn fine!" Someone then nudged him from behind, which sent it sprawling to the ground.
"What you say, brudda?" came a stern voice as Brother stood up and turned around only to come face to face with Wakka who crossed his arms over his chest.
"I-I-I uhhhhh I-I" Brother stammered.
"How about showing Yuna a little more common courtesy and respect and a lot more sense on your part, ya?" Wakka scolded. "You sick, perverted. . . chocobo!" Brother stiffed his lip at that comment, turned around and wailed out as he sprinted away. Wakka just scratched the back of his head and shrugged his shoulders.
Three days have come and gone. . .
A few huts have been rebuilt, however, the completion of the town was far from being done. Yuna and the others had stayed and helped out a lot, but had to get going, for she had a journey that had yet to be complete.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright!" Yuna asked as she, Rikku and Paine approached the Celsius where she then turned to Lulu and Wakka.
"We'll be fine." Lulu assured her. "You needn't worry about us."
"You got bring back blitz boy, ya?" Wakka joked. "Hey, maybe I can get him to rejoin the team, ya?" Yuna giggled as Lulu shook her head.
"GULLWINGS!" Brother shouted over their headsets and all three of the girls yelled out as they placed their hands over their ears.
"Errr!" Rikku muttered a bit.
"Hurt time!" Paine said as she sprinted aboard followed by Rikku where seconds later Brother shrieked out over Yuna's headset followed the sound of footsteps.
Yuna giggled and then looked to Lulu and Wakka. "Well, my journey continues. Pray that I find him soon." And with a group hug, Yuna turned and quickly ran aboard the airship, which then set flight. Lulu and Wakka waved goodbye as they watched it fly out of sight.
Where shall Yuna's journey take her next? Who did this Gatekeeper send forth and will this Mistress keep a low profile or only cause more chaos on Yuna and her friends and for the rest of Spira?
