Yuko: I think they understand the schoolwork excuse
Fuu: Well, I guess you're right, Yuko…
Yuko: Like we always say, Fuu doesn't own Final Fantasy XII as well as its characters, plots, and settings. She, however, does own me, herself, Fini, and Misa…and my big brother, too.
Fuu: Ah, no one remembers him.
Yuko: Right.
Fuu: Well, time for chapter nine!
Chapter Nine:
Revealing History
The passages were dark and creepy in the building. Cobwebs were drenched everywhere, and it almost looked like a bunch of kids threw toilet paper all over the place…except a smaller form of toilet paper, an ickier toilet paper.
"Shiny is my Shiny, Vaan!" I said, clasping the Shiny bulb gently into my hand, protecting it from Vaan. Balthier glanced over and raised an eyebrow, looking like he was in deep thought mode. That was the most common face he made, in my opinion. I didn't know why he was always thinking, but it was slightly bugging me a bit.
Unfortunately for our group, we had to face the dreaded puzzles of the place. That means going back and forth, finding which way to turn pedestals and all of that crap. Fran was good at puzzles, so we went to the next room in about twenty minutes. The fiends in the place were mostly bats, so they usually scared the crap out of me when they would pop out of nowhere from the ceilings. Balthier took care of them with his rifle, though, so we were all good. The place was also kind of slippery for being so damp all the time, making me trip a few times. Trust me, the place was like walking on black ice. One of the times I tripped I landed on my ankle, spraining it once more…
"Why is it always me that's a klutz?" I muttered angrily. I saw Balthier turn around and look at me for a second, but then I felt my body go up in the air and into Vossey's arms.
"Are you all right, Miss Legend?" Vossey asked me.
"Uh, I think I am." I replied. Vossey nodded and walked, still carrying me. "This place is rather dangerous, so stay on your guard. If you were to get hurt, I would regret it." Wow, Vossey was officially my bodyguard!
As we continued through the passages with our completed puzzle, we entered a new room…and it explained where all the crazy damp crap was coming from.
"What is this fog?" Penelo asked, looking at how thick the fog was.
"Not fog. Mist." Fran corrected Penelo.
"You can see the mist with your eyes?" Penelo asked Fran.
"Where it is thick enough, you may." Fran replied. I walked a little closer to the edge and just stared at the mist. It seemed almost…sad. I didn't know what to think of it, really, it just gave me a chilly, dark feeling. Misa flew up next to me.
"You all right, there?" She asked me.
"Yeah. Just taking time to think a bit." I replied to her. I then glanced over at Balthier, also staring at the Mist. I sighed. "Is he thinking the same things…I wonder?" I quietly said to myself. I finally followed everyone else up the stairs to a rather large area…and there was a rather large, unhappy Gigas also up in the large area. Belias the Gigas…an Esper.
"Why did I blank out and forget about this fight?" I asked angrily to Yuko.
"Don't look at me! These are all new to me!" Yuko said, backing up behind me. I got out my ninja sword and was ready to fight…or at least attempt it. Belias floated over towards Vaan's direction and slashed his sword at Vaan first. Vaan jumped back, just missing the swipe of the sword, and landed on me.
"Sorry, Fuu!" He said, trying to get up from his fall. Vaan was heavy, even though he practically wore nothing, he was heavy. After he got up, I was about to say something, but Belias tackled Vaan to the ground…and he landed back first on the ground, and then he didn't move.
"VAAN!" I screamed.
"Fuu, don't let your guard down!" Fini screeched at me from above. I looked forwards and Belias was staring straight into my eyes. His eyes were pretty effin' scary. I still stared at them…and then I felt this weird feeling…and later, I felt Balthier stop and stare at me. I then saw Shiny circle around Belias and a light encircled around the Gigas. I didn't move from my stance…I stood still, and I didn't want to move from that stance I was in. I just stood there, staring into Belias's eyes. Balthier ran over to me and started shaking me.
"Get back to your senses!" He said to me. I then blinked and looked at him…saying nothing. I then heard the scream of Belias…and Vossler took him down with an ice spell. Belias faded into a floating, card-like symbol, and floated right over to me. Shiny floated behind it. I looked over at Balthier again, who only stared at me in wonder. I then felt this urge…an urge to hurt someone…ever since the battle of Belias, I started thinking…maybe I am this Legend after all. That gave me the urge to have tears stream down my face in front of Balthier. He stared at me for a second, and then, he hugged me.
…
After a few minutes of letting out my emotions, I wiped away the tears and glanced at the card-like symbol floating a few feet in front of me.
"In vain and glory they fought, challenging the gods. But they did not prevail. Their fate is to walk the Mist until time's end. A Legend of the Nu Mou." Fran spoke up after the everlasting silence.
"My family told me a story of the Dynast-King with an Esper." Ashe spoke up not too long later. "The Dynast-King defeated a Gigas…and became his as a guardian." Ashe walked up a small set of stairs.
"So, it's been here all this time guarding the treasure." Balthier said.
"No, wrong. The Esper is the treasure." I spoke up before Ashe had the time to tell Balthier the truth, ruining Balthier's treasure hopes and dreams. I could've sworn I saw Shiny bob himself up and down, like if he was nodding in agreement. I stared at Shiny for a few seconds before turning back to Ashe, who opened the door.
"Now we control this Esper. Its power rests within…her." Ashe then turned to me and pointed at me. I glanced at everyone, then the floating symbol. Belias was mine to control? I didn't believe it…and it was hard imagining a little teen like me controlling a Gigas. The symbol then floated towards me and absorbed into my chest, a red light coming out of me a bit. It felt hot, then cold, then it felt painful and then relaxing. It was a mixture of everything. I also felt like something was crawling all around a certain part of my back. I tried scratching it, but it wouldn't go away.
"Let's go." Basch said. (Oh, yeah, Vaan finally woke up, in case you were wondering!)
I nodded and held Yuko's hand as we continued into the chamber. We entered a larger room…I was the last to enter, so I didn't know what was up with her as everyone was staring at her. She grabbed the Dawn Shard, placed neatly on the pedestal, and we were all about to leave…until Shiny formed this humongous light and flew in front of the pedestal…and its light turned into this ghostly image of an old man.
"Is that?" Penelo wondered.
"The Dynast-King!" Ashe said in shock. I stared at King Raithwall's ghost…the one who told the story of the Legend.
"At last, I have found her." He said, smiling. I then felt something slowly drag me in…and Raithwall walked up to me, placing his ghostly hands on my shoulders.
"I knew you were to come…that's why I formed into thy smaller figure." He said to me.
"What are you talking about?" I asked him.
"My child, so young but so powerful, you are the Legend with the hidden power." He said. So it was no joke. It was real. I really was the Legend.
"Um…moi?" I pointed to myself. I turned to the others, who all had the same expression on their faces…and those expressions were "I told you so!"
TO BE CONTINUED!!