HEY GUYS! glomps everyone

Everyone: Get off of us Sammy.

Sammy: gets off Well, finally, it's here! Chapter 7!

Shades of Wings

Chapter 7 – Orange Wings

Ack...I'm listening to "Dancing Through Life" on the Wicked Soundtrack and what Fiero's(sp?) saying is making me want to gag. But this soundtrack is cool. Enough of that crud.

CHAPTER TIME!

"BWAHAHAHA!" Tai laughed harder than a bunch of 3rd graders watching a documentary on "Human Reproduction" the minute the Cloister doors were closed. Finally, once he had caught his breath, he eyed Kevi, "Not one girlfriend in eighteen years? Only eighteen years old? I guess your high and mighty attitude was shot to pieces back there, eh?"

"I've never had a high and mighty attitude," Kevi snapped back, obviously in a piss of a temper, "And have you ever had a girlfriend?"

Tai blushed and avoided the subject, "Well, I think from now on, you shouldn't be acting like our leader!"

"Well, who would YOU like to be leader?" Silence filled the hall as the usually ice cold Kevi began to melt, "YOU?! Okay everyone, Tai's leader!"

"Hey, I never asked for that!" Tai insisted

"Well then maybe you should shut up!"

"Guys..." Juka intervened.

"Out of the way kid," Kevi growled.

"I am NOT a kid!" she stamped her food on the icy ground.

"YOU'RE A KID, LIVE WITH IT DAMMIT!" Kevi shrieked in Juka's direction, making her eyes widen and begin to water.

'I...I won't cry..." she thought, trying to hold the hot tears back, 'Not in front of him...it'll only prove he's right...' She tried to act as cool as the icy caverns they were in, but Tai must have noticed her watery eyes. He drew his long sword and held it in front of him.

"You. Me. NOW." The defiant challenge to Kevi made the entire group grow silent.

"Tai..." Adrian began, but was cut off by the loud CATHUNK as Kevi lifted his large axe off his back.

"I think it's time I taught you some manners..." He stared down Tai with ice cold eyes.

"You're one to talk!" Tai spat, his aura growing like a flame.

"Touché," Kevi mused, but once again, his cold appearance reaffixed itself, "Let's go!"

Kevi stood still, axe drawn as the battle began. Tai, already perspiring from anticipation held his sword in front of him. "What's the matter?" Kevi called to him, "Afraid?"

"EAT THIS!" Tai, enraged by the insult, stormed forward, ready to strike, "HYAH!" Juka covered her eyes as the blade came down –

On a block of ice. Kevi had dodged the blow easily and had gotten out of the way as if Tai was some slow fly buzzing around his head. "Kid...this axe may be heavy, but your sword is way heavier..."

"DON'T CALL ME A KID, I'M THE SAME AGE AS YOU DAMMIT!" Tai ran forward again, this time with new rage and speed! He brought his sword down too fast for Kevi to dodge, so instead, Kevi lifted up his axe and the sword struck the metal pole that he was holding onto. He easily pushed Tai off and faced him down.

"Even with your max speed, I can still defend against you way too easily," he explained to the enraged guardian, "Try finding my weak point before you blindly attack." He smirked, "I've already got yours figured out."

"Oh yeah?!" he screamed, "PROVE IT!"

"If you wish." In a flash, Kevi had disappeared and was behind Tai, striking his legs with the broadside of his axe, sending Tai flying into a cavern wall. "Your legs are open."

"That's cheating!" Tiffa intervened, "Striking below the belt."

"Umm...before we get into the suggestion of that saying," Kevi grimaced, "You really think that a fiend is going to care about the rules?" Tiffa remained silent. "That's what I thought. Ready to give up yet?"

"No way!" Tai, bloodied and beaten got up, "You made a girl cry! My dad told me that when someone makes a woman cry they have to pay!"

"You have a good dad," Kevi smirked, "I wish my old man would learn something from yours. But anyway..." Kevi drew his axe for another go, "Second round!"

"I think...I've figured out your weak point..." Tai breathed and Kevi chuckled.

"What's that?"

"I'LL SHOW YOU!" Tai lunged forward, then jumped straight over Kevi, planning to slash his back where his axe couldn't get to, "I'VE GOT YOU!" He brought his sword down and—

Fell back as Kevi kicked him straight in the face, making him careen backwards into another ice wall. Kevi chuckled slightly, "Give up, you can't win...you want to know my weak point?" Tai nodded weakly. "I don't have a weak-point. THAT's my weak-point."

"One more go!" Tai got up again, bloodied from the impact, but ready to fight again, "This time I WILL beat you!"

"You're stupider then you look," Kevi shook his head, "Come at me then."

"HYAH!" Tai threw his sword blindly again at Kevi and he gave a "tsk" sound.

"Don't you ever learn?" he sighed and lifted up his axe pole to have the sword strike against it—

And clatter to the floor. "What?!" Kevi asked, wondering where the wielder had gone.

"Over here!" A voice from above screamed. The group looked up to see Tai, hanging from a block of ice on the wall, coming down at Kevi, leg extended to connect with the axe wielder's face!

"Not bad!" Kevi smirked as Tai came down, "Too bad for you!" He dropped his axe and jumped into the air. Tai's foot did connect with his face, but so did Kevi's with Tai's face. The two went back, Tai smashing once again into a wall, Kevi only sliding back slightly. "Smart kid," he wiped a bit of blood of his chin, "But you forgot to take into account our physical strengths. You're lanky and skinny, I'm stronger than you, so of course, my kick would have more power."

"It was worth a try," Tai spat his blood onto the ground, "And after being knocked into so many walls, I noticed that block of ice there."

"You bet it was worth a try," Kevi nodded, "But you lost, take it like a man."

"I plan to." Tai helped himself off of the icy rubble to Ashnigh who quickly healed them both.

"But..." Kevi sighed, "You have a point." He walked over to Juka and kneeled, "I must be punished for making a girl cry." He looked up at Juka, "Hit me."

"What?!" she asked, blushing, "Bu-but I don't wanna!"

"I must be punished," he told her.

"Bu-but..."

"If you won't hit him I will," Spiler stepped forward, Blitzball ready to pound the crap outta Kevi.

"Save some meat for me," Briu extended his spear.

"Umm...umm...fine you guys can hit him for me!" Juka exclaimed all in one breath and Kevi's eyes opened up quite wide.

"Wh-what?!" he asked, looking at the cackling Guado and Blitzball player.

"WAHAHAHA! SMACKDOWN TIME!" Juka, Tiffa, Ashnigh, Luna, and Adrian all sighed and rolled their eyes as the two continuously beat up Kevi.

"OW, OW, OW, OW, OH CRAP, OW!"

"AHHH STRESS RELIEVER!"

"YA KNOW, I COULD MOVE AND KILL YOU BOTH, OW!"

"DO NOT BREAK YOUR OATH YOU GIRL-MAKER-CRYER!"

"HOW LONG DOES THIS GO ON?! OW!"

"UNTIL WE ARE SATISFIED PEASENT!"

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

"Boys," the girls sighed simultaneously and walked onto the rest of the Trials.

Kevi, now healed thanks to artistic license, and the rest of the group continued down the icy hall they had managed to make from the sphere puzzle they had solved. As they walked down, Juka leading the way, Juka slipped on a patch of ice, sending the entire group sprawling down the hall. "Idiot!" Kevi snapped, "Watch where you're walking!"

"You-you're so mean..." Juka turned to face him, eyes watering, "I...I'm going to cry again..."

Spiler and Briu brought out their weapons and eyed Kevi devilishly...

"NO NO DON'T CRY!" Kevi told her, thinking that another beating from the two would kill him.

"Please," Juka rolled her eyes, "Like I'm going to cry again! I'm a guardian remember? I need to protect Miss Morbid here, not cry my eyes out!"

"I see..." Adrian sighed, not thinking about the "Miss Morbid" comment.

"Look!" Juka pointed laughing towards the door to the cloister, "We made it!"

"Quick..." Adrian pushed Juka out of the way, leaving her very ticked, "Let's go."

"Why are we in such a rush?"

"I can feel another summoner's presence here," Adrian's lips pursed. "And if it's who I think it is I will be quite put out..."

"Damn," Adrian muttered as they reached the door and out came Praika, Michiku and Zarai standing near the stairs waiting for her, Praika looking victorious.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Adrian," she smiled, "Just back from getting Shiva. Seems I beat you to her."

"Seems...so..." Adrian sighed, eyes very small and dangerous, "If you don't mind Praika I do have to get my next aeon."

"Not yet..." Praika smiled, "I want to test this new one's strength. How about a duel? Of aeons of course. Not to the death."

"A duel in the Cloister of the Fayth?" Ashnigh spat, "Have you no shame?"

"Plenty," Praika told her, then turned back to Adrian, "So...are you in or out?"

"Don't let her petty threats get to you Adrian," Ashnigh warned, "She's trying to lure you into a tr--"

"In."

"You've been lured."

"Fine then...but you know," Praika raised her eyebrows, "There's no way you can win. I have two aeons, and you have only one. Think about it."

"Well technically Praika...we each only have one," Adrian smiled ever so slightly, "Have you already forgotten Lord Braska's teachings? Maybe it was because you were staring at that boy during class?"

The group, even Michiku and Zarai snickered slightly and Praika blushed, "Fine! I know the rules. Two of the same kind of aeon may not face each other. Then I'll use Shiva and you can use Bahamut!"

"Fine by me," Adrian smiled. "You go first, I insist."

Praika growled, "You've mocked me for the last time Adrian!" She smirked, "BAHAMUT!"

"What?!" Briu yelled, "That's cheating!"

"Really Lady Praika," Zarai commented as the Aeon was called forth, "I must advise against this..."

"Well Adrian, your turn..." Praika nodded to her, Bahamut standing in all his glory next to her, and Adrian scowled.

"I have no aeon to call..." she breathed heavily, "You know that the same aeon can fight itself."

"Really...then I guess you'll have to forfeit," Praika laughed.

"Only because you maliciously cheated!" Adrian spat.

"Only because YOU don't have the strength to get here before me!" Praika told her. "Now I guess I'll just dismiss my--"

"FIRE!" Adrian cast and Bahamut was knocked slightly back. Praika blinked twice, as if astounded by what Adrian was trying to do, "I'm not out yet...if I can defeat this aeon then you'll have no other choice but to summon Shiva! Then it'll be a fair fight!"

"Just try to beat him!" Praika told her, "Bahamut! Attack!" Bahamut lurched forward, ready to punch Adrian straight across the tunnel! Adrian became braced for the impact and –

CLANG! Adrian blinked and looked up to see that Juka, of all people, had stepped forward and deflected the blow! "What are you doing idiot?!" She asked.

"Praika's cheating," Juka explained, "So use me as your aeon!" Adrian looked at her as if she was crazy, "I'm not crazy!" she told her. "I can fight him!" She ran forward and sliced Bahamut's leg, doing minor, yet still efficient, damage.

"Yeah, right!" Spiler told her and ran forward, "Adrian, use me next! It'll still be fair if you only use one at a time right?"

"I...I guess..."

"That's cheating!" Praika yelled.

"Oh yeah and you're one to talk!" Tiffa snarled.

"I must advise against this entire thing," Michiku tried to stop her summoner.

"Michiku, out of my way!" Praika huffed, her face turning red, "Fine! Who cares if you use your stupid guardians! Bahamut can still win!" She turned to the Behemoth of an aeon, "Attack them!"

"It's my turn!" Spiler told them and tried to dodge Bahamut's kick, but instead got knocked back, "Ow!" he rubbed his head as he skidded on the ice, "That smarts..."

"Luna!" Adrian yelled and Luna ran forward, "Blizzard!"

"Righto!" Luna nodded and formed the energy in her hands, "Blizzara!" Bahamut got knocked back considerably from the powerful spell and the group looked at Luna in amazement. "Well...umm...the ice is making it more powerful!" She explained, then giggled.

"Who cares?" Juka asked, "We're winning!"

"Grrrr..." Praika growled as she saw her aeon being pummeled by a few loser guardians. "Fine then!" She snapped and raised her wand, "You think you're really smart don't you?"

"Only compared to some..." Adrian smiled.

"Well," Praika spat, "You fools have unlocked Bahamut's Overdrive attack!" She pointed her staff at the Aeon before her, "Bahamut! MEGA FLARE!"

Bahamut, in a grimacing nod, leaned down and implanted his claws into the ground. Standing on all fours, he began to gather energy in his mouth.

"Crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap," Briu started cursing under his breath.

"What are we supposed to do now?!" Tiffa asked, "I doubt the throwing knives trick will work again!"

"Praika stop!" Adrian told her, "This entire place will be destroyed!"

"Only if you don't stop Bahamut!" Praika told her, laughing haughtily.

"Fine!" A voice came from the back of the cavern, and the group turned to see it had been Tai that had spoken, "Then we WILL stop it!"

"Don't be an idiot!" Spiler exclaimed, "We're dead, doomed, roasted! YOU try and stop that thing!"

"I WILL!" Tai screamed and launched himself into the air! Using the same technique from his duel with Kevi, he latched himself onto a ceiling ornament and aimed his sword at Bahamut, "COMET DROP!" He screamed and let go of the ornament! He let himself fall, sword extended, until it sunk into Bahamut's head! Bahamut screamed in pain and dispersed into hundreds of pyreflies, only to be resummoned by Praika when her energy was back up.

"Nice move dude!" Briu exclaimed to the red haired sword wielder.

"Special Overdrive Move?" Kevi guessed and Tai nodded.

"My dad taught it to me..."

"If my dad ever taught me anything then I would fear for my life," Kevi rolled his eyes, but then shot them straight back at Praika. "Well Missy, you lost Bahamut...I guess now Adrian will have to fight you with Bahamut against Shiva..."

"Damn!" Praika stomped her foot, "I had you too!"

"BAHAMUT!" Adrian wasted no time in calling her own Bahamut Aeon to the field. He glared at Praika, as if aware of the cheating she had done on the battle field. "Well Praika...are we going to stand here all day, or are we going to fight?"

"I'll give you a fight!" Praika growled, "SHIVA!" Out of her wand came the white ice spikes that formed to reveal Shiva. In all her glory, the blue and white woman with flowing blue tresses landed to face the gigantic aeon before her. "ATTACK!" She yelled, and Shiva launched herself forward to give a spinning kick to Bahamut. "See!" She snapped as Shiva came back, "I'm not done yet!"

"Silly...silly Praika," Adrian smiled, almost wickedly, "You forget. Shiva has an element, ice. Bahamut has no element. But he does have the power to call on any elemental attack that he wants..."

Praika's eyes flew open at that comment, "Oh...no..."

"That's right," Adrian told her and raised her staff, "PREPARE TO LOOSE! FIRA!" Bahamut launched the spell and Shiva was thrown back. "Shiva is ice...so of course...fire would affect her more than usual."

"But...but that means," Praika bit her lip, "That I can't win..."

"Oh please!" Michiku stepped forward and eyed Praika. Everyone looked at her, amazed that she had broken out of her serene attitude, "I am NOT going to sit by and watch you feel sorry for yourself at a time like this!" She rolled her eyes, "Don't you remember? Elements work the other way too! Shiva can heal herself with her Blizzard spell!"

"Oh!" Praika nodded, "You're right!"

"Oh course she's right!" Zarai sighed, "Praika, if you're going to beat Adrian, you've got to show some backbone girl!"

"Fine, fine, fine, I get your point," Praika insisted to them, "Shiva! Blizzara on yourself!" Shiva cast the spell and the group could see the damage being healed. "This isn't over yet Adrian!"

"Actually, it is over!" A voice from the shadows came and both groups looked to see where it had come from. As the three people walked forward, the group saw that it was a Yevon Priestess, one with brown blonde hair and dark black eyes. She wore a green yevon robe, like the two girls behind her. They all wore the traditional head dress. The other two girls were both black haired. One had darker skin than the other and wore glasses. The other was shorter than the first and had brown dark eyes. "This is UNACCETABLE!"

The two girls blushed and called back their aeons quickly. They bowed to the priestess and she looked at them with annoyed eyes, "Solve your petty squabbles outside of this holy place!" She stepped forward. "I don't think you know who I am. My name is Mandama, I'm a traveling Priestess of Yevon."

"I'm Elizaba!" the dark haired tall girl spoke, waving.

"And I'm Isase!" The other shorter girl waved as well.

"We're following Miss Mandama here because she travels all over Spira!" Elizaba explained, "You see, we travel all over Spira fighting for animals rights, especially dolphins!"

"I found their cause to be quite noble," Mandama nodded, "But enough of this!"

"There she goes again," Isase rolled her eyes.

"You will get your aeon and leave!" Mandama commanded to the group, "This is a disgrace to Lord Braska's name!"

"I understand ma'am," Praika nodded, then turned to Adrian, "We'll settle this later."

"You bet," Adrian mouthed back, then stormed into the Cloister of the Fayth.

"We'll be on our way then," Mandama sighed to them and then went out of the cloister, followed by Isase and Elizabe, who waved pleasantly. Praika, Michiku and Zarai walked out after them, leaving the guardians alone to wait for their summoner.

After about an hour of waiting for Adrian, the dark summoner finally emerged from the door, looking exhausted. "I did it," She sighed, "I got Shiva..."

A/n's: WOOHOOOO! There we are, took forever, but here it is! I hope you all enjoy it!

Oh...hee hee hee...this is to annoy all my friends...post the cutest pairings in your next review.  Put at least 3 please! Heee heee heee....

MOOHOOOHAHAHAHA TIME TO ANNOY MY FRIENDS UNTIL THEY COME AFTER ME AND KILL ME! Wait...