Title: Danse Macabre Undone
Author: Gatecrasher12
Word Count: 4384
Genre: Action/Romance/Drama/General
Game: Final Fantasy 10-2
Published Date: 3-30-10
Author's Note:
Chapter Five: The Advent of Soul Shattered Dreams
++Dream++
Blue and green bi-colored eyes slowly slid open at the haunting sound of a passing by Pyrefly. Yuna blinked at the sight of white and violet flowers rising daintily out of low hanging dewy mist and pushed herself up. The brunette songstress looked around in confusion, finding herself marooned on a small lonesome floating island no bigger than her tent home back on Besaid, she then noticed what she was wearing. Instead of the nightgown she remembered going to bed in last night, she was adorned in her Songstress dress.
'I'm dreaming,' she thought to herself, Yuna had a good idea where she was, she had been to the Farplane too many times before already to know what it looked like 'I know I am because the only way to get to the Farplane is through the portals in the temples.'
Yuna crawled her way to the edge of the floating isle when she heard distant, familiar sounds of battle… 'This is…the Farplane… it changed?' she thought as she looked over the edge and down a the world below.
It was a disaster area, one infested with a staggering amount of fiends. She could also make out many souls of the ageless dead who were strong enough to continued on existing as whole spirits rather than scattered memories. Famous and mundane warriors, mages, former Summoners, all other kinds of fighters from all walks of life and times of old banding together as brothers-and-sisters-in-arms, forming a rag-tag, impromptu army to fend off the contemptible beasts. While most fought to reclaim their long well earned deathly peace from the fiends that had beset the Farplane, other less savory and righteous individuals simply did so to quench their aged and long suppressed battle lust.
The ground as far as the eyes could see and beyond below Yuna's floating loft was torn asunder as large gouges were carve and scared horrendously into the land. Magic fires raged, blackening the ground in many places, as the other elements ripped through the terrain, leaving not a shred of the ethereal beauty the Farplane was known for in their wake. The many detestable fiends and courageous dead spirits ravaged the once stunning and serene land with their unrelenting crusade to wipe each other out. The near tireless dead souls were both winning and losing against the fell beasts, killing them by the hoards yet many more kept spawning in masses. In the far distance she could see the land dying; the constant mists evaporating and the pale, colorful flowers shrivel up as the earth became parched and cracked before uprooting, falling to pieces along with the floating islands crumbled and fell out of the slowly darkening sky. The heavens, which was once as beautiful as the land beneath it, looked poisoned and disillusioning to behold.
'…What happened? Why am I seeing this?!'
In her distraction, Yuna hadn't realized Pyreflies were manifesting from her now glowing dress and that she was no longer as alone as she thought before a voice, one both painfully and wonderfully familiar, spoke, "… Sad, isn't it?" Yuna turned around to her immediate right so fast she nearly lost her balance. Surprised bi-colored blue and green clashed with cool aqua blue.
"You… what are you doing here…?"
Shuyin stood just a few feet away, hand stuffed into his pockets as he stood next to at the edge of the island, giving her a sidelong look. His stance appeared relaxed, but the tension in his shoulders gave away his apprehensive disposition. The blond looked down at the brunette with detached uneasiness. While she was a lovely young woman, he felt no fondness for her, and while he didn't hate her, he didn't quite know how to treat her or reconcile with her for his past actions against her and her friends. He also found out from Lenne about her deep feelings of longing for a certain mirror image of his he knew. That in itself made it even more awkward for him than ever to talk to her, let alone stand near her. Shuyin easily saw as she turned to look at him the small glimmer of hope drown quickly in a sea of disappointment when her eyes clouded . It hurt. He detested disappointing people and he seemed to be doing that a lot these days. He knew he couldn't be who she wanted, just like how she couldn't be Lenne back when he was blinded by the overwhelming rage and sorrow he harbored a few months ago. Shuyin shuffled his feet a bit and looked away, back down towards the scene below and answered, "We came to warn you… Old Yevon is on the move again and seeks to resume history."
Yuna blinked in confusion. "…What are you talking about?" she asked and jumped when a slender hand suddenly descended on her shoulder. Yuna turned again, only this time it was Lenne standing just behind her.
"He wants to continue what he started all those years ago." Lenne stated sadly. "He lives within a self-righteous dream and believes his presence was the only thing protecting the world, not realizing he was actually destroying it."
"When you say 'Old Yevon', don't you mean Yu Yevon, do you?" When the ancient lovers nodded, Yuna grew fearful for the future.
"And that fool Guado gave him all he needed to recreate SIN and then some." Shuyin groused. "In his insanity, he tampered with the Core Sphere, of all things."
"The Farplane has destabilized and is falling apart," Lenne pointed at the horizon to the shrinking Core. "Without its main support, Spira will collapse on top of it very soon."
"The Fayth could not avert this coming calamity, now everyone will suffer a fate beyond death. All life on Spira and the Farplane with cease to exist." Shuyin said this while looking at Lenne with eyes of love, worry, and frustration.
"The Aeons are still fighting SIN's reconstruction…"
"But it's a losing battle."
"Yevon's new SIN is raising…"
"And the Guado has become the new Final Aeon."
"The Fayth of Zanarkand have gathered…"
"And are casting the greatest and most forbidden of all magicks."
"They've chosen you… as their champion…"
"Gather your friends…" The two lovers said in unison, their voices blending. "Take up your weapons, harden you resolve, time is of the essence. The end is nigh, you have only one chance. The hands of the clock… will reverse… so all may walk forward…"
"What do you mean?! I don't understand!" Yuna stood as the world grew dark and silent, Lenne and Shuyin disappeared as quickly as they came. "Wait! Don't go yet!" Yuna called, but it was too late, she was alone now. "What do I do…?" she asked herself. She looked around for something, to give her a sign, but the only other living thing around were the flowers. "I need to get out of here." she said, wishing somebody would come to help.
A warm breeze blew around her, bringing with it a recognizable, odd scent mix of chlorine and brine. Arms, one clad in familiar gauntlet of leather and metal while the other was mostly bare and tanned bronze, wrapped around her while her back was pulled flush against a hard chest and a nose nuzzling softly into her hair. She was being held in a lover's embrace. Yuna blushed as a warm voice, identical to Shuyin's yet held a universe of love and devotion not for Lenne but for her, breathed into her ear, "Isn't this is better than whistling?"
"Tidus…" she stated rather than asked, feeling tears welling up.
She felt him nod then he said, "You have to wake up now, Yuna." The brunette shook her head and raised her arms, locking them firmly around his, reveling in the warmth of his body around her form. She felt him smile sadly into her hair. "You can't stay here, and I have to get back down there."
"I don't want to leave you." she said a her tears fell.
"I know," he said, and suddenly the ground disappeared from under her feet. "but the longer you stay here, the more time runs against you." Yuna cried harder when she felt once more that awful feeling of his body become an intangible shadow against hers. "You have to walk the Pilgrimage Road again Yuna, to get the Aeons. Be quick."
White began to invade and rapidly overtake the dark. Yuna could feel the waking world pull her away. "Noooo!" she yelled, trying to resist.
And before the white light could completely take her over, Yuna heard Tidus' voice whispered to her one last time, "…We'll see each other again… in the past…"
++Dream End++
Yuna's eyes slid open, tears cascading from them. Her magical senses were then suddenly bombarded by a familiar feeling of energy given off only when someone was summoning. Only this feeling was not the chaste, heartening power of a normal Summoning, but was badly soiled and stifling. Yuna sat up and slid out of bed, worry and dread raking through her being to the core, and summoned her Gunner Dresssphere. The brunette pulled out her traveling pack and stated just stuffing a few changes of clothes and other necessities into it. She didn't bother wasting time on cleaning up her tent. Walking outside, she set her pack next to he hut and raced to the temple. SIN was coming, and she needed her Aeons again.
What Yuna hadn't realized was that she was not the only individual to feel the summoning.
oO0Oo
Only a day's boat ride away from Besaid, Dona of Kilika rose from sleep almost involuntarily. The dark haired, tanned skinned beauty looked around her shared bedroom with her ex-Guardian and fiancé, Barthello, warily. Something in the felt wrong, like something defiling the natural flow of nature around her. A sense of foreboding assaulted her.
Dona looked out her window towards the sunrise and tilted her head in curious concern. Somehow the sun didn't look as bright as it should be this morning. Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, Dona stretched out her senses as far as she could until she touched something and immediately recoiled, physically shrinking back into the headboard of her bed in revulsion. Barthello instantly waking at the sudden distressed movement.
Summoning energy. Tainted Summoning energy was infused with the traveling air currents from the far north. Dona wanted to gag at the wretched feeling. She stood from her bed, the ominous feeling never leaving her, as she dressed herself in her old Summoner's outfit. She had a sudden and unexplainable urge to visit the temple, after she paid a quick visit to Kilika's Youth League base.
oO0Oo
Within the tranquil planes of the Calm Lands, nestled against the craggy wall that divided the grassy planes of the western lands from the mountainous eastern side that hid the forgotten Remiem Temple, was a newly built inn. It was the new Calm Land Branch of Rin's Travel Agencies. It was bigger than most of the other branches were since most vacationing tourists and travelers came through when the Eternal Calm began, it was only a few steps away from Clasko's Chocobo Ranch, a ten minute Hover ride to the Argent Inc./Open Air gaming (read: gambling) booths were, and a twenty minute ride away from the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth Tour.
The Innkeeper was once himself a Summoner long ago, Father Zuke, now-a-days just Zuke to most. He had come to the Lands to live in peace and quiet, but somehow found himself attached to a pair of ever squabbling Al-Bhed siblings who lived and worked in the Calm Lands for Rin since the final years of Old Yevon, serving as the shop as attendances of the former Agency.
Zuke was contently humming a nonsensical tune as he wiped down the bar, readying the inn to opening for the day, when a sudden familiar jolt, many years honed to sense nearby danger, darted up his spine. The bald New Yevonite turned and looked around the shop. Seeing nothing amiss he dropped his rag on the bar top and stepped outside into the crisp morning air, ignoring the questioning looks the Al-Bhed brother and sister's sent him, searching for the source of whatever sparked his dormant fighter's instincts.
Power. Vast amounts of power found only during a Summoning of substantial magnitude. The power, however, was polluted and twisted. Zuke turned towards Gagazet, and looked beyond the awe inspiring mountains to the unseen Sacred City of the Dead, Zanarkand, where the still dark sky seemed to reject the light of the morning sun.
oO0Oo
Nhalia Ronso sat patiently at the mouth of a cave that served as her and Elder Kimahri's home and the tribe's shrine, similar to how the temples of the Aeons were the homes of the priests and priestess' of Yevon, a small gathering of other Ronso tribesmen and women shuffling around in front of her in anxious wait, occasionally asking whispered questions and conversing quietly amongst each other. Earlier in the night an ominous dark aura seemed to have settled over Gagazet, waking almost every Ronso and making the mountain abnormally fearful and silent, refusing to speak to even the most faithful of its children. The diligent female Ronso had been loyal and supportive of Kimahri, standing by his side before and after the near rebellion Garik Ronso tried to orchestrate, and mated with him just weeks later. Then, only two months after, her belly had started growing with the weight of their first litter of cubs.
Leaning into the expecting female's sides were two half dozing youngling brothers, Lian and Ayde. "When Elder come out and speak to Ronso of what mountain have to say?" Ayde asked around a yawn.
Nhalia looked down at the cub and patted his head. "Soon, cub. Sacred mountain troubled, so Elder must sooth mountain before it tell him its worries."
"Something bad happen again?" Lian asked with a dark frown, remembering the day Seymour Guado attacked the mountain, brutally killing his and Adye's parents, as well as the near war Garik tried to instigate against the Guado. His fur stood on end at the thoughts.
The older female wrapped her arms around both cubs and answered, "Nhalia not know, but Elder Kimahri is strong, wise leader. Kimahri love sacred mountain most, so mountain talk to Kimahri more than other Ronso. Kimahri find answer." Nhalia reassured them with more confidence she wasn't feeling. She glance worriedly down at her growing belly and hoped that whatever was happening would end well and without tragedy.
Off to the left stood a young, strapping Ronso just several years out of his cubhood named Garik. He stood in the snowy grounds with crossed arms and an impatient scowl. While he no longer contested Kimahri's role as Ronso Leader, there were still times where he thought the smaller, older leonine-humanoid wasn't doing his job properly or swiftly enough. But Kimahri was the Elder as was more worldly knowing, both in battle and in wisdom, than he was, and the mountain favored the shorter Ronso more than any other, so he would keep his peace. He just wished he knew what was going on! Lately strange things were going amiss, and he had a feeling there was going to be a battle very soon.
oO0Oo
(( Some Hour Latter On Besaid ))
Shinra sat up in his cot aboard the Celsius as the tropical morning sun beamed in on him through the window of his port side quarters, warming his room. He yawned widely as he ruffled his shaggy blond hair out of the wild cowlicks sleep had styled it into. He rubbed sand out of his Al-Bhed patented swirling green eyes before rolling out of bed. He stretched his arms above his head, sighing in satisfaction when his slightly sleep stiffened bones popped and his body loosened, as he went to start his usual morning routines; a quick shower, brush his teeth, comb his hair.
Within half an hour's time he was cleaned and just about ready to start the day. He walked down the corridors of the roguish airship to the cabin, tiredly scratching the back of his head, preferring to actually to leave down his customary mask this morning, to where he knew Barkeep was already up with his recently appointed bar assistant and mate, Darling, wondering what they were throwing together for breakfast. He passed but his shipmate's quarters, the silence of the hall broken by the sound of his footfalls and the muffled sound of running water from Brother's room and snoring loud enough to match sawing logs from Brother's. The automatic door to the cabin whooshed open just before he reached it and closed a second after he cleared it. The sound and smell of hissing batter of flapjacks, sizzling sausage and bacon, fried eggs and other breakfast foods mixed with freshly brewed coffee and tea greeted him, tantalizing his nose and ears, promising him a delicious first day's meal and a full belly. Belatedly he noted silence from Paine's bed and muffled sleep talking from Rikku's on the upstairs loft of the cabin, and knew the older of the two friends was in the shower.
"Goood moorning, Mishta Shinraa." Darling greeted the small Al-Bhed boy.
"What can wee get yoo?" Barkeep asked.
"Morning, Darling, Barkeep. I'll take my usual breakfast to-go please."
"Cooming up!" the male Hypello drawled as he turned to finish cooking. He served out a small stack of three flapjacks with a side of bacon, eggs, and sliced fruit to his mate while Darling laid out the loaded dishes of food on a tray and poured some fresh squeezed orange juice for the boy in a tall glass and some milk in a shorter one.
Shinra glared scornfully at the milk, he hated milk! Darling always thought it necessary to gave him a glass of the cold white liquid every morning, much to the youth's disdain. The female Hypello shot him a pointed look, her two sets of eyelids narrowed as maternal expectation reflected in her bulbous yellow eyes. She knew he didn't like milk, but she also knew he was a growing boy who wouldn't be very tall if he didn't get at least one cup a day. That said, the female Hypello nudged the milk glass closer to him with one thick blue finger and pulled the tray of food back towards her with another, silently, blatantly telling the young genius to drink it or get no breakfast. Shinra grunted in defeat, as always, and he picked up the cup, glared at it's bland contents, know full well Darling wouldn't let him go unless he drank it, and gulped it down so fast his taste buds barely registered it flowing down his throat. The small blond stuck his tongue out childishly and fake gagged to show how revolting he thought milk was.
Darling nodded in satisfaction. "Very goood, Mishta Shinraa." she praised as she took back to cup and placed it in the sink to wash latter. "Take yoor breakfasht, yesh?"
Shinra nodded as he took his food and left, making his way up to the bridge, idly snacking on his bacon as he went. When he made it to the bridge, he made a beeline for his computer station. He dug into his flapjacks with one hand after he settled down into his oversized chair and let his ungloved fingers fly over the keys on the keyboard with the other, bringing his computer out of stand-by mode, and waited.
When his computer finally came on-line the bridge was immediately filled with the sound of beeping. Shinra raised an eyebrow curiously as the Missed Call alarm sounded before he keyed in the access code to playback the recorded message.
Shhkkshh, the recording crackled to life.
"…Can anyone here me?! Please it's an emergency!! …Danm it all! If anyone is listening to this, this is Isaaru at the Zanarkand Dome! -shkksh- I don't know how he did it or why, but somehow Seymour Guado has become the Fayth of the Final Aeon. -shhksh- I can feel it, a dark summoning is happening even now as I speak! It is slow but it is happening! -Shkshkshhh- The Pyreflies are all gone and the fiends have practically multiplied over night! -kerkshhh- Please come or send help, because… I feel something terrible is about to happen…."
Shhkkshh, the recording crackled one last time before the message ended.
Shinra sat at his station, his blood frozen in his veins, almost uncomprehending. Shinra shook his head vigorously before reaching over and to a small red button and slamming his fist down on it, setting off the ship's alarm.
Both inside and outside the Celsius, a long, loud whining suddenly blared and shattered the peaceful island morning. All Gullwings members and even the villagers further away either stopped what they were doing or were suddenly ousted from their sleep. Shinra turned off the alarm after a full two minutes and waited. A few moments later, the bridge door swept open with a hiss and the Gullwings were practically tumbling in, most of them was looking downright murderously at the ten year-old.
"SHINRA!" Brother screeched, "FRYD IC DRA SAYHEHK OV DREC!! E FYC CMAABEHK!!"
"Yeah, that was a real poopy thing to do!" Rikku admonished
Buddy fixed his haphazardly tilted goggles before adding in a much calmer tone, "What's the big idea, sounding the alarm like that?" He seriously hoped there was a real emergency and not some practical joke or else they'd have some stern words for the boy. Then he really looked at Shinra and was surprised to see the boy's masked hood was down, showing all the world inside the ship what he looked like. "Shinra?"
Shinra frowned at his comrades somberly and said, "We've got major problems, but I want to wait for Yuna before I tell you. She should be on her way after hearing the alarm."
"… You don't need to wait for me, I'm already here."
Everyone turned around to see Yuna walking through the hall to the bridge. Flanking her was a grumbling, groggy Wakka and an irritated looking Lulu holding a sniffling Vidina.
"Yunie, Lulu, Wakka," Rikku looked her cousin, who wore a grim face that reminded the blond of the time three years ago at the Zanarkand Ruins, just before she went to retrieve the Final Aeon. "…What's wrong?"
"Dats what we'd like to know, ya?" Wakka yawned, one arm holding a traveling pack full of his and his family's clothes and traveling essentials while carefully tucked under his other arm were their Celestial Weapons; his World Champion Blitzball and Lulu's Onion Knight voodoo doll.
Yuna glanced at Wakka and Rikku, then looked at Brother. "Please start the Celsius, Brother, we're leaving."
Everyone blinked at Yuna, a little surprise and more than a little confused by the authoritative tone of her voice. "Yuna," Paine began, "what's wrong?"
"Everything," she answered, "I- The Fayth contacted me… they said I needed to take my Pilgrimage again and receive the Aeons again." Everyone's eyes widened at the announcement.
"But why?!" Rikku yelled.
"Yevon and Seymour was not as defeated as we thought…"
Shinra nodded. "…It fits," he muttered, gaining everyone's attention.
"What do you mean, 'it fit'?" Lulu asked.
The little blond whiz kid turned and sat back down in his chair and typed at his computer. "Just a few minutes ago I was listening to a recorded missed call from Isaaru in Zanarkand and he had reported some very disturbing news. I'll play it back for you." he then pressed play. The group listened intently with growing alarm as Isaaru's distressed voice pleaded for help and revealed the dangerous happenings in Zanarkand.
When the message ended, the group stood in shocked silence. As the impending ramifications of Seymour's action set in, Wakka broke the silence by cursing the ex-Measter Guado. "Why that no good- argghh! What does that silver tongued, backstabbin' snake think he's doin'?! Is he tryin' to destroy the Eternal Calm?!"
"Wakka, settle down," the former Blitzball player's wife said, bouncing Vidina attentively in her arms. "We can not afford to lose our heads now… and you are upsetting Vidina."
"But Lu-"
Lulu gave Wakka a sharp demonic eyed look that promised great violence and drawn out pain against him in the very near future. At the familiar look, the carrot-topped man shrank back and grudgingly became docile. Lulu nodded in satisfaction at the submission. "We need to move. The longer we dally the more time Seymour and Yevon has to bring SIN back into Spira and the less Yuna has to retrieve the Aeons."
Yuna nodded. "I've already received Valefor, so we can leave to the other temples any time now."
"Okay!" Brother suddenly shouted, striking an nervous pose, making everyone who wasn't used to him start, "As leader, I say we fly through Spira," he flapped his arms like and deranged Chocobo, "and get Aeons!" he repeated Yuna's earlier statement as if it was his idea, then sprinted over to the pilot's seat, a set of keys jingling in his hand, and began the start-up for the Celsius. "Gullwings- er, and not Gullwings - we have mission! We save Spira, again! Du oui cdydeuhc!" he unnecessarily ordered, revving the ships engines.
"Right, right!" Buddy said, jogging to the navigator's seat.
Wakka leaned over to Rikku and whispered, "Is Bradda always like that?"
Rikku sighed in exasperation and said, "Yeah, but you learn to ignore him." she spoke from experience before walking almost tensely over to her post. Yuna, Paine, Wakka, and Lulu with Vidina went to the observation deck.
Buddy announced, "Setting course for the temples. …We're all smooth sailing from here to Kilika."
The Celsius' engines roared as the propulsion/ thrusters at the rear of the ship discharged blue flames. Brother eased the ship high into the air expertly, shouting, "GULLWINGS! VIMM CBAAT YRAYT!" then gunned the engines, sending the red airship rocketing off towards their next destination, Kilika island.