ACT II: CALM BEFORE THE STORM


Chapter Twelve

After her and Quiluah's heart-to-heart, Ceres put in some more serious thought.

As of now, her plan consisted of her jumping on a boat to a land she knew practically nothing about. Aside from having a stadium similiar to the one in Zanarkand, she would be in a foreign place very different from the island she currently resided on. And from what she heard, it was a hub for all kinds of people.

She'd only been introduced to these islanders, all pretty-human by her standards. How would she fair with all those new people, foods, and customs? Will they all even speak her language?

"You're brooding."

"You're brooding," was her comeback. The words slipped out before she could even think about it.

Ceres crossed her arms and turned back upward back toward the glass ceiling in the front of the temple.

"Very mature of you."

Quilua was sitting a couple feet away from Ceres, leaning against the wall. His legs were partially crossed with his eyes closed, long hair falling around his face. If not for occassional comments, she'd have thought he was asleep.

"There's a hell storm outside and we don't know if the village is okay. I'm allowed to brood a little."

"It's more than that, you're worried about your trip. My comments threw you—"

"It's just...I always have a plan. I'm used to having a plan—a decent one—and following through with contingencies and logic. I haven't had a solid plan since all this started," she waved her hand around the room.

"Your green flares when you're upset."

"I'm upset all the time."

And she knew it was true.

He cracked an eye at her, "I know."

She slammed her hands over her inflamed cheeks and huffed, turning back toward the wall. l

It was true.

What had been wisp of a baby hair had grown down her cheek with now two wispy marks stopped at her contour lines. Sometimes they faded into her skin, other times (like when she was upset) the tea green was very prominent. The skin in her face would tighten and loosen from time to time, almost like practiced hardness.

She'd read many of the Spiran medical books as they were imported, but there didn't seem to be anything transformative in nature...she hoped.

"Whatever...But this...this is hardly a plan at all, and I don't know what to do about it. Clearly, I can't stay here."

"...Clearly," the jerk was only half-caring.

"Quiluah, I can't stay here. What about m—"

"Your people, your uncle, your world, or whatever? Not my problem. And technically not your problem either."

What?

Ceres sat up, heatedly locking her eyes onto his resting form.

"From what you've said, that place is gone."

Ceres bristled and stood, ready to interject.

"And may I remind you, the Zanarkand we know died for its sins a millenia ago."

She clutched her fists and stomped toward him.

"You're saying we deserved it!"

"I'm only stating facts. The tale has already been written in history. And we've learned from their mistakes."

"God, you are impossible!" she yelled at him, before turning to stomp out of the room. She stopped to yell back, "It's not even the same Zanarkand—"

"You had machina, didn't you?"

What was this man's problem?!

He started again, lowering his voice to seem more gentle. "If you accept the facts, maybe you can move on—"

She whipped around. "Move on? But I can't move on. Those people you disregard were mine. They were alive and breathing. They are alive and breathing when I lay down to sleep. How dare you..."

When a tear escaped her eye, she trailed off unable to finish her reprimand. She closed her eyes in attempt to stop the crying but it only made it worse. Furiously wiping her cheeks she turned away from the jerk, intent on hiding.

And then she left.


Ceres spent the remainder of the storm watch up front with most of the other priests and villagers. Seeing her distress, they asked if she would like to pray with them. She'd rather just go drown herself outside. So she declined with a silent glare, crossing her arms and curling into herself and the blanket that was provided. It was also served as a nice covering from the curious eyes of one of the children, who talked about the 'green cheek lady'.

Ceres was thinking about saying something until someome came bursting through the door, light flowing in behind them.

It was Jeeb.

"The storm is over...Sin is gone now."

Murmurs traveled across the room.

Sin?! That beast caused this?! Does that mean—

"What about the village," an older man asked. "My daughter's family didn't make it out in time."

The old warrior just shook his head, his one-good eye filled with dread. "I'm sorry."

...what?

Around her, voices in distress sounded. Everyone began to speak all at once, where is their family, what happened to the port. All background noise.

Elida...Bergho...

And suddenly Ceres' body was moving on its own accord. She shoved past the frustrated mob and stalked past Jeeb. The old man called back to her, alarmed at her reaction.

"Ceres, please wait—"

"I'm not waiting."

That was her response as she raced through the muddied temple grounds, and towards the steps. The flooding was mostly gone, the terrain rough from all the displacement and water. Unfortunately, the forest was so dense that she couldn't see the village from this far low.

She should've been worried about

But all she kept picturing was Elida's smile and Bergho's laugh.

Tears raced down her cheeks and she pushed forward. Please be okay.

The closer she came, she could hear dense waves and seagulls cawing. I'm almost there.

She could also hear people calling out. Of course, people would be hurt, but the hearing anything at this point was reassuring.

As she approached an area in front of the entrance blocked off by trees and what she was sure was someone's house, she could see a large ship in the distance.

A ship...? The Kilika Beasts, perhaps...I hope they're okay.

She pushed through the brush and hopped over fallen trees, her anxiety growing. Footfalls came behind her. Those from the temple had followed her. I'll turn this corner around the forest gate, and they'll be waiting —

Her broken smile fell as tears welled up in her eyes at the scene before her.

"Daddy, where are you? I'm coming!"

A young girl emerged from the forest, running past Ceres, calling for her father.

"Wait, Dara!" the girl's mother valled out.

The girl stopped next to Ceres, collapsing to her knees and she screamed in terror. Not at the destroyed pier, nor the disoriented people crying insearch of others.

But the dead bodies scattered across the beach and calm waters.

And there in the reef laid Bergho's body, face in the water and impaled by a large piece of metal.


Bergho...Bergho...Bergho...

Ceres ignored those around her.

She trudged forward into the now filthy water and struggled to not sink further. Gripping the edge of a pier beam, she clung to that beam while reaching over to catch the tip of his vest. Unsuccessful, she carefully climbed onto the broken beam and stepped over to the next one.

Immediately she froze, feeling how unstable it was. She looked back over to where Bergho was, floating further into the deep end and tears filled her eyes.

He'd pestered her to learn to swim and now she can't even reach him.

Bergho...It was no use. Defeated, she stopped stretching toward him and rested her body against the beam, hugging it and trying not to cry.

"Over here," someone shouted nearby. "Are you hurt?"

When she opened her eyes, she realized they were speaking to her from the beach. Still crying, she shook her head before gazing at Bergho again. She didn't hear what else they said, but they moved on.

Overcome with exhaustion, she allowed her body to slowly slide down the beam and into the water. Stretching her foot toward the beach, she was able to push herself off the beam and back onto land. She collapsed to her knees. Bergho was still floating a little ways off, moving toward the dock and ocean.

She heard hurried footsteps rush past her before a heavy slash of a body meeting water sounded. Hands were on her shoulders and suddenly she was in a warm embrace. With the faint smell of ink, she knew it was Elida.

As Elida cried, she shook her and Ceres' bodies. Ceres barely registered the wet tears, she was coveres in a mix of debris water and sand. But she let Elida hold her as a villager apparently swam out to retrieve Bergho's body. The thought that she couldn't do it herself brought her to tears again, and this time she wailed.

As Bergho's body was dragged to shore, Elida abandoned Ceres' embrace and through herself onto her son's body. And Ceres just hugged herself, watching with nothing to do.

It was a pitiful sight.

"Ceres?"

That voice...

When Ceres turned around, she didn't have time to see anything other than dirty blond locks before she was roughly embraced.

"Oh my God, Ceres. I can't believe it's you!"

Tidus... It was Tidus!

The two friends embraced, one an incredible bloody mess and Ceres cried harder. She ignored the strange looking group watching them.

"And you're safe!" Tidus exclaimed, holding her face before embracing her again. "Getting separated and reunited once again..."

He didn't have to finish his thoug, because Ceres was already thinking the same thing.

This destiny bullshit was beginning to become a bitch.