okay I'm slow. but eh here's 4 pages. 1 shorter than I try to put out. cause well. read and i hope you like it.
Jecht in the Hotspings, Talya's Growth, & Allazar's Kiss
Jecht was once again peering into the hotsprings. Secretly. Seriously, how else was the man supposed to see anything without having his head bashed in by a damn bucket? He sat very still as the girls bathed themselves. He was drooling happily, silently wishing one of them would turn around. He was so engrossed by the lovely forms of the girls before him, wide-eyed and drooling that he didn't even hear the heavy footsteps of Umi's booted feet walking into the changing room, nor did he hear her padding into the room, but he did hear and much too late;
"Hello ladies.. Mind going into the changing room for a moment? I think there's a big nasty bug here..." A pair of long shorts then blocked his view and a hand grabbed him by his hair. He heard the girls walking into the changing room. After the hotspring got silent, he was hauled out of his hiding place and found himself staring at the grinning visage of Umi. He blinked.
"What? I was fixing something!"
"Likely story Jecht. I fixed everything on this side of the hotsprings myself. Including all holes in the fence, which one seems to have mysteriously reappeared in the last few days." With that he was thrown over the fence with a loud 'Kya!' from Umi, landing in the center of the water on the men's side. He surfaced to find Auron chuckling at his misfortune.
"I told you you'd get caught again." Jecht grumbled and went to climb out of the pool. "You do realize she will find a way to stop you from peeking."
"Shut up Auron." Jecht threw a bucket at him, only to have it caught by said man.
Umi was standing on the cliffs overlooking the rest of the Farplane, looking rather sour. Auron stood not far behind her, lost in thought. his thoughts, on how to broach the subject of Allazar.
"Auron..." Umi's voice cut into his thoughts, "if it is about Allazar spit it out already."
"He has slipped Talya's control again." his reply was Umi leaping from the cliff and towards the town below with an "Ech.." Auron turned to leave, but found Seymour standing not far away.
"Why is it she is the one who goes to put him back into control?"
"It has been said that Allazar was once friends with Umi and that he was the Terminus Citatio to end her time as Sin."
"How is that possible? She is more powerful than he is."
"There are other ways to be beaten than sheer strength alone." With that, Auron turned and left down the path to go after Umi. He was joined by Seymour. They found her murmuring to a small child with her blonde hair in twin buns on her head. Her clothing was a greyish-blue robe over top of white pants. Her shoes were of the same color as her robe. Umi's hand was placed in a conforting manner atop the child's head.
"Pray with me Talya... Pray with me." she stood and handed the child her staff, picking up the gnarled, but straight stick from the nearby porch. Both began the intricate dance of the Terminus.
"Why is she doing this?" Seymour asked.
"Because Talya needs guidance. And as the most respected Terminus Citatio in the Farplane, such duties are expected," a strong voice sounded behind them. Then Umi spoke up.
"You should let her grow up Allazar. It's been too long." Allazar sighed. Umi placed away the stick and set off to go home, then paused. "She needs to leave childhood now Allazar. Also, stop slipping your control before I have to get you a new summoner." then she left.
It was days later that Umi called Auron and Seymour to her house. They had arrived when she instructed, just as she was locking up. They looked confused, and set to ask her why, but she silenced them with a hand, two fingers held together, the others lax and spread.
"Come..." she simply said as she passed them. They followed her until she stopped them before a swirling portal. "You wish to know the story of my defeat."
"We do." Auron said as Seymour blinked.
"I have spent the last few days trying to decide if the time is right to let that be revealed. You only know the rumors flying around."
"Yes, the one where Allazar defeated you."
"There are more, but those were lost in time I suppose."
Both men were silent as she continued.
"Few summoners had come for me in my 75 years as Sin, damned cowards, but none were strong enough. try as they might, they could not best me. The first were far too weak to even have a chance against even the weakest Sin. The next were too afraid. Those who are afraid tend to make the most chaotic of Sin. Hatred for your summoner can make the most destructive. Love makes the Terminus strong, but the Sin thereafter is much easier to defeat. It was Allazar's love for his daughter that helped in my defeat, but there was more. Being the most powerful Sin in history, I was also aware of what I was doing, but being Sin, I was weak to only one thing. As all of us are. The song of the Fayth. We are drawn to it like moths to a flame. We cannot resist. Even now. That song is my weakness. The more powerful the sound, the more placid I become. It was the only time I felt peace during those years. But we all know that the song resides in the temples..."
"So the song aided in your defeat?" Seymour asked.
"Correct. Somehow Talya was able to produce a song so beautiful, it stopped me from destroying them on the spot."
"I thought you did not like being Sin."
"That does not mean I was going to make it easy for them to win. I am a warrior first and foremost. I would have felt shame just rolling over and letting them have an easy defeat." she looked at them. "Do not assume I was defeated in the same place all of the other Sin were."
Both men waited.
"I had found an abandoned temple and had rested a while there before deciding to move along. It was not long after I had begun to swim that I heard the noise of one of those Machina things they called airships headed in my direction. It was truly a wonderous creation. I was baffled at how it flew with only that large spinning circle on the back and the small propellers on its underbelly. I would soon after spot the girl on the top of this ship. I wondered what she was doing up there. I heard her yell something and it was then that the song of the Fayth began. I was stunned. How was she making that? I didn't care. I wanted to be closer. So I got closer. I then noticed what she was up to. She was performing the Dance of the Terminus. So they had used my weakness against me. I was soon thereafter destroyed. I soon learned that Talya needed the song to perform the dance. She knew not my weakness until it presented itself. I found out as I was panting after having fallen in the very spot I stand. She was crying and saying she had fought dishonorably to a nearby summoner. Both had not noticed me yet and I didn't care. I fell unconcious. Who knows how long I slept, but when I awoke, Talya was standing there and asking me who I was. I told her. She kept appologizing and I-."
"She told me I had saved her from her suffering," came the soft voice of Talya, "and that she was sorry, but I would not be seeing my father for a while."
Umi turned to gaze into the land of the living as Talya continued.
"She told me that my father was Sin and explained the cycle of Sin and the ultimate Summoner Yu Yevon."
"If I remember correctly you then began to cry." Umi tapped a clawed hand on the view portal. "It was saddening. I had caused another to suffer."
"Umi! come on! I can't believe you aren't ready yet!" Umi's grumbles were heard from the next room.
"You try dressing as a summoner.."
"I am a summoner!"
"Why can't I go in my guardian clothes?"
"Because this is a summoner's party."
"I'd rather be Sin again."
"Oh come on Umi! It won't be that bad!"
"So you say Talya..." Umi stepped out of the back room and blinked.
"You look better than a summoner." Talya grinned.
"Better?"
"A Maester." Umi spun around.
"I'm changing.." Talya stopped her and dragged her out of the house. Umi sighed heavily. by the time they had arrived at the party Umi was walking next to Talya, her arms crossed.
"Oh Umi please... have fun. Father said I could grow up tonight." Umi sighed, but offered a gentle smile.
"And my guidance will end." Talya looked at her evenly.
"I know, but I hope you will still help me." Umi nodded.
"Who else will get that errant male under control?" Talya giggled as she walked inside. Umi sighed and followed. This was going to be hell.
By the end of the party you could say Umi was pissed. It seemed now that Talya had gained many suitors in the matter of a few minutes after her changing, had it not been for six summoners dragging her away, she would have beaten the crap out of those boys for daring to touch the innocent child. Well teen. They were still holding her now.
"Get off!" she roughly pulled her arms away. With one glare at Talya's suitors, one promising much pain and suffering, she turned and disappeared out the balcony doors and over the railing.
"Perhaps we were too rough?" asked one of them.
"Nonsense," spoke a Maester nearby. "She needs to learn her place. Beneath you all."
"Now Now Gregor, she was doing what she thought best in the girl's guardian's stead." Gregor humphed and the other Maester giggled. No one noticed a blue-haired Maester exit the party.
Umi would later find Seymour and Auron atop the cliff that looked over the settlement. His robe was lain over a rock nearby with Auron's coat, a sword in his hand, both looked to be seriously fighting. Umi paused and stared, then she noticed. An attack meant to wound stopped short, a bash with the flat of the sword, barely connected. They were sparring. and Seymour was doing well. Not a master swordsman like Auron or Umi, being one of the many Swordsmen in the Farplane, but two of the very best. She simply turned and slipped away, back into the night and went home.
"Seymour, take a break." both men stowed their swords. Then they sat down and looked over the small town below. "So tell me again Seymour, why you wish to learn to fight with a sword."
"To protect her." Auron raised an eyebrow, so he continued, "She shouldn't have to be the only protector. She needs protection herself."
"She is the most powerful Aeon in the Farplane."
"Everyone needs to be protected from something. Even a very powerful Aeon."
"And you know what it is?" Seymour shook his head. "Break time's over." both stood and drew their swords, the ringing of crossing swords ringing into the night soon after.
Bright an early in the morning a knock sounded on Umi's door, pulling the torpid guardian from her slumber. she padded to the door and pulled it open, to be enfolded into a crying girl's arms and the cry of 'I shouldn't have grown up!' rang into her ears.
"Eh..? Talya?" Umi rubbed her eyes and pulled the girl into her house. "What happened?"
"Daddy was right! They hurt me!"
"Talya... I am sorry." she patted the summoner's back comfortingly.
"Umi! what will I do?" she wailed.
"Talya," the snow-haired guardian said severely, "You will bathe and you will sleep. I am going to find your father." Umi pushed the girl towards the bathroom, but the girl clung on.
"No!" the girl cried. "Don't leave me!" Umi sighed and gently pushed her into the bathroom.
"Alright.. I won't.. Go bathe." Talya watched as Umi sat in a chair and began rubbing her head. It was then that she took note of the bedraggled state the guardian was in. The guardian's hair was down out of it's ponytail, and in need of brushing, her clothes wrinkled from sleep.
"Promise?"
"Yes... go." Talya then shut the door and went to bathe herself. Umi kept her promises.
When Talya exited the bathroom Umi was still sitting in the chair, but she was asleep. Talya blinked. She had never seen the guardian so unaware.
"U-Umi?" The guardian mumbled for a moment then slowly opened her eyes. "Are you... Okay?" Umi rubbed her face to rid herself of sleep.
"Hmm," the guardian sounded.
"Are you going to tell Papa?"
Umi sighed.
"You are..."
"I have no choice Talya..."
"He'll return me to his little girl."
"Or he'll try to kill them." Umi stood. "That's why I'm doing it."
"But what about those guys?"
"They will be taken care of first." Umi stood and picked up her sword. "Stay here. No matter what you hear.." Talya nodded as Umi left.
It would be hours before the guardian returned, with Allazar in tow screeching at the top of his voice.
"You should have let me do it!" the white-haired half-guado just kept walking away from him, her sharp nailed hands digging into her palms roughly as he berated her for taking care of his fight for him. a pause in Umi's steps let the angry male closer before she whipped around and drove her fist into his gut as hard as she could, then grab him by the back of his neck and pull him close enough to glare at him.
"If you don't shut that mouth of yours. I will." Allazar took this chance to kiss the angered guardian, who threw him into a nearby building, "Touch me again and you will regret it!" then she stalked off, face set in a hard line, but her eyes shining. Auron looked at Allazar. He had been following them.
"You really have no respect do you?" Allazar grinned.
"What? That Maester that likes her isn't getting anywhere by playing nice." Auron simply glared. "What? You like her too?" Auron simply cracked the man over the head with his fist and left him laying dazed.
Umi pushed her way into her house silently, not twenty minutes later to find Seymour sitting with Talya and having tea. Umi stopped short at seeing Seymour wearing the red coat so much like Auron's again. She blinked, then turned to leave the room, when her hand was caught. She looked towards the one who dared touch her, and deflated at seeing the Maester.
"Please let me go Maester."
"Are you alright?" Talya giggled, earning half-glare for a moment, before Umi took in the fact that Talya appeared to be a child again.
"Talya?"
"Maester Seymour helped me change back." Umi nodded. "He likes you Umi." Talya pointed at the hand the Maester wouldn't relinquish, and Umi tugged it, this time being released.
"You two enjoy your tea, I'm going to train."
"We'll join you outside," Talya said.
"Only on the back porch." Talya nodded. "Bring the tea." then Umi exited the house. Seymour and Talya gathered up the tea and carried it to a table outside. Umi was setting herself up in the grass.
"How did you meet Umi?" Talya asked.
"She tried speaking with me when I arrived." Seymour watched the guardian begin her practice "Umi is respectful is she not?"
"No," Talya said as she sipped her tea.
"Why do you say such a thing?" Seymour lifted his cup.
"I don't see Umi treating anyone with respect. only authority," A pause as she sipped her tea, "Except certain Maesters." which effectively cut off Seymour's words.
"Why certain Maesters?"
"Those she greatly respects truly or loves."
Seymour simply blinked.
"There was one she cared for. He turned into a fiend about 50 years ago. Though how she treated him pales in comparison to how she treats you."
"What do you mean?"
"She must not fear you will be gone. You're a fiend."
"I was."
"Has she said your name without Maester attatched?"
"Once.."
"There's a step in the right direction." they both then fell into silence as they watched the guardian train. that is until Ifrit appeared and blocked her sword.
"better be important..." a piece of paper was held out. Umi took it and began to read. Ifrit puffed into nothingness as she read.
Jecht- Hey blue boy!
Seymour- What is it?
Jecht- When ya gonna get he- *WHAM*
Krazie- Shut up you insufferable idiot.
-Seymour blinks-
Krazie- ignore him...