Yaaaay! Lots of people liked the last chapter, so I made a really quick update! This one isn't going to be as long, sadly, but it'll be chocked full of emo-ness and Kevi:D So jump on for the ride and enjoy…

Blue Wings Part II

Adrian could hardly contain her surprise as she saw the huge creature in front of her, destroying fiends all around them. And what shocked her more was the fact that none other then Maester Seymour was controlling the beast.

"I-It's an Aeon…" murmured Ashnigh, stepping forward. Adrian turned to face her and nodded.

"I feel it too," she agreed with Ashnigh. "That…thing is definitely an Aeon that's not located in the sacred temples of Spira. It's obviously some sort of fayth."

"I wonder…where Maester Seymour could have obtained such a powerful beast," wondered Ashnigh out loud. "It must have been a very strong Fayth that could make that powerful beast."

"Its name is Anima."

The group turned to see none other then Albatross, Lairon, and Katrina walking towards them, relatively unharmed. It had been Albatross that had spoken. "Anima is Maester Seymour's aeon. No one else has ever been able to have the Fayth obey them."

"It's so creepy!" Juka muttered, shivering. "Are those human arms around its neck?"

"Be quiet," Adrian snapped harshly to Juka. "It's amazing. I…want it. I'll find a way for the Fayth to obey me!"

"I doubt that you'll find where the Fayth is located," Albatross laughed. "Anyway, thanks to Maester Seymour, the attack is over. Let's get out of here while we still can!"

"Right!" nodded Tai, and the group began to move out towards the exits of the stadium.

"Lady Adrian!" The group was stopped abruptly by a group of Crusaders blocking their path. One of them saluted to Adrian and she stepped forward. "I'm sorry to stop you Lady Adrian, but I'm…I'm afraid…"

"You want me to send the dead?" Adrian asked bluntly.

"Yes. The numbers were…relatively small, but we'll still need any summoners we can find," the Crusader Captain told her.

"I'm in a hurry," Adrian muttered. "But I'll do it. Show me to them."

"Good!" the Captain sighed, content. "Y-Your guardians may come along if they wish. I understand they may not feel well enough, but--"

"We'll come," said Ashnigh, smiling. "Adrian will want us there, right Adrian?"

"Whatever," Adrian muttered. "I don't really care. You can go off and eat cotton candy if you like."

"I've got to go see some friends!" Luna said abruptly. The group turned back to Luna, still eyeing her torn hat and broken glasses. They hadn't said anything more since her outburst and killing of the monster, and she hadn't brought it up. "I'm going to go! Bye-bye!"

With that, Luna ran off towards the other side of the stadium, leaving the rest of the group with the Crusaders.

"Show me the first victims," Adrian demanded. The Crusaders hastily nodded and led Adrian and her group of Guardians out of the stadium.

They were greeted by wailing people and crying children, now orphans. In the middle of the town square were hundreds of bodies, clothes draped over them. Slowly, people were brought forward to identify the dead. A woman, seeing an older man, obviously her father, under a sheet, burst into tears and had to be taken away by a Crusader.

"This is horrible," Juka murmured, her eyes wide with shock.

"Never seen a joint funeral?" Adrian remarked bitterly. She stepped forward and drew her staff, walking up to the Crusaders in front of the pit of death. "Would you like me to send them now?"

"B-begging your pardon, milady," one of the female Crusaders bowed apologetically. "But we first need to notify the relatives of the deceased."

"How long will that take?" Adrian asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Not very long!" The Crusader assured her. "We only have two more bodies to identify! And they were together, so we'll be killing two birds with one stone…pardon…pardon the unintentional pun."

"Good," Adrian muttered. "Then I'll be out of here all the faster."

"What's the news, Adrian?" Tiffa asked as the group walked over to her.

"They have to identify two more bodies, then I can send them," Adrian told her. "They were together too, so either someone identifies them both, or they're John and Jane Does."

"So we wait until someone comes forward to claim them?" Spiler asked, blinking slightly. "Man…this is horrible."

"I wonder who they're related to," Ashnighed murmured, offering the two anonymous corpses a prayer. "I feel so sorry for their family members."

"Maybe no one's here," said Juka. "But we can't wait around for them for these people to be sent."

"Why not?" Tiffa asked. Ashnigh looked at her reproachfully.

"Because if we don't send them, then their souls will transform into fiends!" Ashnigh said, frowning. "You should at least know that!"

"Excuse me!" Tiffa remarked sarcastically, and Lairon pushed in.

"Let's not fight girls," he smiled, hugging Ashnigh. "It's all right. Everything will turn out just fine."

"Lairon's right," Albatross smiled, stepping forward and looking at the bodies. "I mean, it's not as if we know them."

"Hey you! Stay away from those bodies!"

"Have some respect!"

Adrian and the group whipped their heads around to see none other then Briu lifting up the two sheets and looking under them. Crusaders rushed over to pull Briu off, and when they did, the group could see Briu's face was as white as a sheet.

"B-Briu…what's wrong?" Juka asked.

"I-I…I was r-r-right!" he shivered, pointing at the now uncovered bodies. "Look!"

The group did look at where Briu was pointing, and as they saw the two corpses, they all gasped simultaneously.

Lying there amongst the rest of the dead were none other then Kevi's mother and father.

Luna had met her destination and had found who she was looking for. It was none other then Auron. Auron wasn't alone however. Next to him was the blonde blitz player from the game. He was looking rather confused; Auron looked rather forlorn.

"Wait!" Luna called to Auron. "Wait Mr. Auron!"

Auron remained silent as Luna came up to him. When she tugged at his sleeve, he turned to the blonde blitz player and nodded. "Wait for me outside. This won't take long."

"Uhh…whatever, Auron!" The player nodded, shot a look at Luna, who did not return it, and ran outside, his blue sword in his fist next to him.

"What do you want?" Auron asked her, coldly.

"You broke your promise!" Luna snapped, her eyes dark. "People died! You broke your promise!"

"I could care less about your 'promise'," said Auron. "Leave me be."

"People died!" Luna frowned. "You said you'd protect them!"

"I did," Auron muttered. "To the best of my ability. I'm only mortal." Auron turned around and faced the now angry Black Mage. "Why are you so angry with me? I thought you liked dead people."

"Luna doesn't like dead people," Luna shook her head. "And dead people don't like Luna! Except for you Auron! You're Luna's only friend!"

"I'm not your 'friend'," Auron said. "I have business to attend to. Leave me."

With that, Auron turned on his heel and left Luna in the stadium, following the blonde warrior from before. Luna frowned after Auron, and her canines began to grow again. Her eyes became tiny, and her hair started to rise.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. Luna's hair fell and her eyes grew back to their normal shape. She exhaled, as if relieved. "Mr. Auron…we'll see each other again. Then I'll say that I'm sorry."

Luna gave Auron's back a final look, then ran away towards the other end of the stadium. "He won't take the news so well," Luna frowned. "Too bad."

"Oh my gosh!" Juka screamed, averting her eyes from Kevi's dead parents. Ashnigh covered her mouth and looked at her feet, obviously sick.

"What…what the hell?" Adrian asked, taking a step back from shock.

"I-It can't be!" Tiffa gasped, obviously shocked as well.

Simultaneously, the group turned to look upwards at Kevi. He hadn't said a word so far, but the expression on his face could tell exactly what was on his mind.

He was blank; his mouth agape and his eyes mere dots in the middle of the white material surrounding them. He was as pale as a ghost, and his arms were limp and looked dead.

Finally, he gulped, as if wetting his throat in order to say what he was about to shout out.

"MOM! DAD!" Kevi rushed forward and grasped the bodies with his arms, hugging their lifeless forms close. Tears were flowing freely down his cheeks, unashamed and gushing. "SAY SOMETHING, OH MY GOD!"

"Hey you! Get away from those bodies!" Two Crusaders ran over to pull Kevi off, only to have Adrian's staff block their path. They looked over at the dark summoner, and she shook her head.

"Don't move him…" she murmured, a hint of compassion in her voice.

Ashnigh was crying as well, and Lairon had already gathered her into his arms and was rocking her back and forth. Tears were in Juka's eyes as well, and Tiffa had looked away to make sure no one could see her face. Spiler had his hand on Briu's shoulder, and Briu looked as though he was trying hard to control his emotions. Tai was biting his lip, doing his best to not say anything in case his words might betray the tears forming in his eyes.

"MOM, DAD, OH GOD PLEASE WAKE UP!" Kevi screamed again, his goggles dropping off his face, revealing his bare eyes, still full of tears.

"I'm sorry, kid…" The Crusader stepped forward, grabbing Kevi's arm. Kevi batted him off and the Crusader didn't try again. "But we've got to send your parents."

"NO!" Kevi shook his head. "You're not taking them anywhere!"

"Kevi!" Adrian called and Kevi looked up, tears still in his eyes, his goggles still on the ground. "Get up."

"You're not taking them!" Kevi snapped, hugging his parents again. "You're not taking them, you witch!"

Adrian narrowed her eyes, walked slowly over to Kevi, and gave him a sharp kick in the stomach, making him reel off of his parent's bodies. The gang gasped at this sudden violent action, and Kevi looked up, rubbing the place where Adrian had kicked him. "I hate hypocrites," Adrian snarled, walking over to Kevi. "Follow your own advice and stop acting like a kid! You've have enough time to grieve, so move on."

She raised her staff into the air and stepped into the middle of the ring of bodies. Her black sleeve fell to her shoulder, and her bare arm was revealed. The rings on her fingers glowed, as did the black jewel embedded in her staff. Adrian swung the staff to her feet and began her graceful sending dance.

But it was different then most dances in the fact that it was almost dark and angry. Most sending dances were calm, quiet, and beautiful to watch. Adrian's seemed more like a sentence then a release to the Farplane. She swung the staff violently and quickly, her eyes closed in deep concentration. Her shoes kicked up and she twirled the staff around her head as the pyreflies began to swim around her, rising from the bodies and floating into the sky.

Reirana and Yeinin's spirits floated into the air and Kevi watched them go, his tears now dry, his face blank with shock and desperation. He looked down at their bodies to see his blue goggles still between their bodies, wet with his tears and resting serenely, as if keeping watch over them.

The dance ended, and the pyreflies rose towards the Farplane. The bystanders dried their tears and started to move away with their families. The Crusaders began to gather the bodies.

Adrian stepped out, her staff still in hand, and looked at her guardians. "How did I do?"

"Excellent," Ashnigh smiled at her, drying her tears.

"It seemed so dark," Juka observed, and Adrian turned to look at her. "Were you angry while you danced?"

"No."

"You seemed--"

"We're already behind," Adrian muttered. "But it's going to be dark soon. Starting out now, especially with all the fiend activity that might still be around, is useless."

"I never thought I'd hear you say that we should wait," Tai muttered.

"I think it has to do with Kevi," Spiler whispered to Tai, and the two of them eyed Kevi, who was still on the ground in shock. "He needs to time to recuperate."

As if on cue, Kevi stood up, making the group step back in fear of what he might do next. Kevi remained silent. He walked over to his parent's bodies, paused, looked at them, and then picked up his goggles.

He placed then over his eyes and turned to stare at the group. "I'm going to go think…see you later." With that, he turned and walked down the path to the docks, his hands stuffed into his pockets, his head low.

"Poor Kevi…" Ashnigh murmured.

"So tough…to lose his parents like that," Spiler murmured.

"I-I'm going after him!" Juka announced, turning to her companions. "Kevi's all depressed, we can't just leave him out there!"

"He's not going to jump into the sea or something," Adrian muttered.

"Aren't you being a little cold?" Juka barked back. Adrian's eyes met hers and the two stared one another down.

"It's none of your business how "cold" I am, as you say it," Adrian shook her head. "I'm afraid that Kevi's problems are things he himself has to get over. He should consider himself lucky that I'm allowing him this time."

"Lucky?" Juka asked. "How can you be so heartless? Look, Kevi may act tough, but he's still just a teenager inside! Like you and me!"

"I never considered myself a child," Adrian muttered. "You, however, are a different story."

"I don't care if I'm a child!" Juka snapped back. "But Kevi does! You told him to take his own advice and stop acting like a kid!" Her eyes grew dim, and she fumbled the next few words that left her mouth. "B-but if crying o-over your parent's death makes you a child…" She looked up at Adrian and stared her straight in the eye. "Then I'd rather be a kid then be heartless!"

For the first time, Juka saw Adrian act surprised at what she had said. She easily regained her composure and turned away from the girl. "Ashnigh, come with me."

Ashnigh looked nervous, but slowly followed Adrian up the stairs and towards the stadium. Juka watched them go, then ran off towards the docks.

"Hello!"

The group looked up to see none other then Luna running down the stairs, passing Adrian and Ashnigh. She looked slightly ruffled, but her usual grin was still plastered onto her face.

"Hello-wello!" Luna said again, jumping into the ring of people. "Why is everyone so down?"

"Luna…" Briu began. "Kevi's parents…they were killed in the attack."

"Oh!" Luna gasped. "So they were the ones. I told Kevi he shouldn't have said what he said, but he went and said it."

"This isn't the time for 'I told you so's," Tai snapped to Luna. "Kevi's parents are really dead!"

"But I did tell him!"

"That's not the point. You're being unsympathetic."

"Unsympathetic?" Luna asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"It's when you lack sympathy," Spiler explained.

"What's sympathy?" Luna asked. The group looked at one another, obviously very confused.

"It's…uhh…when you feel sorry for someone else and you're kind to them, I guess," Tai shrugged. "Kind of hard to define."

"Oh!" Luna smiled. "Well I'll try to have more 'sympathy' in the future."

"Speaking of unsympathetic…" Spiler muttered, looking upwards at where Ashnigh and Adrian had left. "Where do you think those two are?"

"Ashnigh…" Adrian muttered, looking at the ground with a sour expression. "When my parents died…I didn't shed a tear."

"It was four years ago…" Ashnigh reminded Adrian. "Your parents were killed in an attack by Sin. You were away at the time, training for your Summoner duties."

"When I was asked if I wanted to go to their funeral…" Adrian sighed. "I said no. It was one year, seven months, and twenty-two days before I saw my parents' graves."

"But who's counting?" Ashnigh joked, and Adrian sent her a dark look.

"I was counting," Adrian murmured. "I counted until the number got so high that I didn't think I could stand it anymore. I didn't owe my parents anything. But still, that guilt that welled up inside me was tearing me apart. I had…never felt anything like it."

"It's okay…to want to see your parents, Adrian," Ashnigh assured her, putting her arm on Adrian's shoulder.

"But it wasn't okay for me," Adrian muttered. "I had betrayed whatever internal promises I made to myself to never care about those people. But, in the end, I went to their graves, holding in tears for their souls.

"Am I truly heartless?" Adrian asked. "Do I truly not care about those around me?"

There was a pause as Adrian looked to where the sphere pool once stood. Ashnigh looked at her, then slowly opened her mouth to speak. "That pain you felt…" Ashnigh said, "was not guilt, Adrian."

Adrian turned to her pseudo-sister, eyebrow cocked.

"It was love."

"Please! I never felt love for those people," Adrian scoffed, shaking her head.

"I remember…" Ashnigh smiled. "A long time ago, when we were at the temple. You were in Black Magic training, and you had just been put in a spar with a more advanced student."

"Fire!" Adrian, aged around eight, cast the spell directly at her opponent, only to have him side step the blow and ready his own staff.

"Fira!" Adrian gasped as the spell hit her straight across the face, knocking her backwards.

"The winner!" the instructor announced, pointing to Adrian's opponent, who was looking quite pleased with himself. Meanwhile, Adrian was on the ground, holding her singed face.

"Adrian!" Ashnigh, fourteen years old, ran over to Adrian and cast a quick spell on her face. "There you go, you'll be fine."

"I want my mommy!"

Ashnigh looked down at the tiny Adrian to see something that she never thought she would see. Adrian was bawling. Tears were rolling down her chubby eight year old face, and her cheeks were red. "I want my mommy! I want my daddy!"

Adrian blushed as Ashnigh finished the story. "I was small, and the burn hurt. I must have been delirious."

"You were a serious child," Ashnigh smiled. "Never cried over anything. That's why I was so surprised when I saw you sobbing like that. It was just a small burn, and it was already healed." She paused. "I think that you were truly crying out for your mother and father out of loneliness."

"Perhaps…" Adrian shrugged. "So what are you trying to say Ashnigh? That I'm weak?"

"No," Ashnigh shook her head and smiled up at Adrian. "I'm trying to say that you're not heartless. That those tears that you never shed for your parents were simply invisible. You've been crying for four years."

Adrian turned around, looking at Ashnigh. "I don't want…to keep crying."

"Maybe water will turn them off," Ashnigh smiled at Adrian.

Slowly, but surely, tears formed in Adrian's eyes and fell down her face. She didn't make any sounds of choking or wheezing, and her expression did not change. She simply stood there and let the tears fall from her eyes, as if someone had turned on a faucet.

Adrian stood there, and cried, not making any sound that would betray her inner emotions.

"Kevi!" Juka called, running through the docks, looking for the blue-clad axe man. "Kevi, where the heck are you?"

"Juka, you're making a big racket."

Juka looked over to see none other then Kevi sitting, his boots dangling only inches above the water, the soles wet from the incoming tides. He was staring downwards at his lap, his eyes hidden from view.

"Kevi! There you are!" Juka smiled, running over to Kevi. "Kevi, are you okay?"

"My parents are dead, and I'm the reason. You think I'm okay?"

"Huh?" Juka looked at Kevi, confused. "Whatcha talking about? You're not the reason! The fiends…well…you know…"

"They asked me to sit with them," Kevi muttered, his hands clenched and shaking. "If I had just sat with them, then I would have been able to save them, I know it!"

"That's not true!" Juka shook her head violently. "You might've been killed as well!"

"And those things I said…" Kevi muttered. His hand went to his head, and he grasped his hair. "The last things I ever said to them were full of hatred and spite!"

"I'll speak to him like an adult, cause that's what I am!" Kevi snapped. "I'm tired of you treating me like a little kid! I'm old enough to take care of myself!"

"But Kevi--" Yeinin began.

"Just shut up!" shouted Kevi. "I hate the way you guys treat me! I wish that you would just mind your own damn business!"

"Just mind your own damn business!"

"Mind your own damn business!"

"Your own damn business!"

"The next thing I know, they're dead!" Kevi shouted. "How could I have said that to them? They died, thinking that I hated them!"

"Did you…did you hate them?" Juka asked.

"No! No, of course not! I loved them! Sure, they got on my nerves sometimes, but that doesn't change the fact that they're my parents and I…I love them," Kevi was crying now, tears rushing down his face. He resembled a small child, crying over an injury or a lost toy.

"I'm sure they knew that!" Juka told Kevi earnestly. "The fayth told them I bet!"

"What do you know?" Kevi snapped bitterly, turning to Juka, his eyes red and vicious. "Just shut the hell up about things you don't understand!"

"I understand one thing!" Juka snapped. "And that's that parents will always love their children! No matter what!" Juka frowned at Kevi. "And y-you're not doing your parents justice to say that they thought bad things about you in their final moments!"

Kevi frowned, turning away from Juka.

"They know you didn't mean what you said!" Juka assured him. "Kids say stuff they don't mean all the time! And adults do it too!" She took a deep breath, waiting for Kevi's reply.

"…How am I ever…ever supposed to get over this?"

"Well!" Juka smiled. "You're…you're just going have to feel this way until you don't feel this way anymore! That's what my family always does!"

Kevi sighed. "You're crazy, kid."

"Heh!" Juka grinned, sitting down next to Kevi and trying to reach the water with her feet. "Maybe I am!"

Kevi and Juka watched as pyreflies flew through the air, circling one another as they rose towards the sky and made their way towards the Farplane. Two stopped, circled each other, then flew towards Kevi.

Kevi's eyes widened as the pyreflies circled his head, gently touched his cheeks, then rose into the air and rejoined the rest of the group.

"Hey!" Juka smiled. "Look! They just said hi!"

"Nah," Kevi shook his head, and Juka looked up to see he was smiling. "They just said 'We love you.'."

Juka smiled, kicked off her shoes, and jumped into the shallow end of the water. "Maybe they did."

The End! Yay for emo! Go, go, emo rangers!

Uhh…don't ask. Anyway, I've got loads of writing to do. I'm on a deadline! See you all later!

Until then,

Ciao for now!