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#Post#: 1109--------------------------------------------------
Rebirth ~ The Price of Eternity [A Fan Restoration Project]
By: Danko Kaji Date: July 21, 2015, 11:18 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 1
Tentative Title: Of Chasing Daylight
part one of three
---[/center]
(A/N): I made only one (slight) alteration, which I am open to
critique, and included some details for the sake of smoothing
out OOC behavior. Again, I'm open to critique and feedback,
especially since this is not the final edit. Let me know how I
did writing Tidus. I don't have much experience with him
compared to Yuna and Baralai. XD
[center]*[/center]
Huddled up over his knees, Tidus drifted inside darkness.
Pictures painted themselves in his mind’s eye. Were they real, a
figment of his imagination, or memories? He didn’t know, but he
could make out the broad, tan back of a burly man whose long,
messy hair and red bandana streamed down his naked shoulders,
and a woman cuddled up by his side. His parents. Tidus
remembered how father had disappeared one day, and how his
mother died not too long after from sorrow.
Tidus remembered how he felt, inadequate and useless, unable to
comfort his own grieving mother in her time of need. Pain woke
up in his chest as another memory emerged from his mind
unbidden; Tidus stood before a crowd in front of his seaside
boathouse, answering their cheers with a blissful smile. The
sudden sadness began to depart, confusing him. Where did it come
from? He gave in to these familiar sensations, going with the
flow -- until a wave of questions bombarded him in the chaos.
A terrifying monster attacked his home, Zanarkand. Overcome with
panic, Tidus ran for his life, becoming lost along the way.
"Don’t worry. He came here for you."
Tidus couldn’t remember who said that to him or when; Auron came
to mind, for some reason, and a strange, little boy whose face
hid within the shadows of his purple hood. He remembered them
both, before being carried into the eye of the storm, and then
hours upon hours of swimming in Spira’s vast ocean, navigating
through old, forgotten ruins, deep diving into an enormous,
submerged airship, awakening from his long nightmare near a
bright and sunny shore. The tropical scenery poured itself into
his senses, so different from his native region that it threw
him out of alignment. Despite everything he experienced in this
foreign land, the kindness and compassion from the island’s
inhabitants brought the smile back on Tidus’s face. He made some
friends, among them two magical girls, a humanoid beast, and an
athlete no different from himself.
He remembered falling in love, too, with a girl he wanted to
save. That night they confessed their feelings for each other,
making love in a magical, moonlit spring, and the day Tidus
finally understood the end of their story would never have a
happy ending together. Although he acknowledged it as a losing
battle, he put on a brave face for Yuna and forged ahead,
refusing to surrender to destiny. Even if it meant him
forfeiting his life would spare Yuna from having to forfeit her
own, at least his sacrifice would have meaning.
He remembered contemplating over a sea made of stardust and
clouds, memories of the last day he spent in Spira. He watched
himself from back aboard the aircraft. A shadow of his former
self, he sprinted across the deck before jumping off the edge.
Losing himself in the motions, his chest exploded with pain, a
single thought bursting through his conscious.
‘Yuna!’
This shook him into clarity, his vision no longer obstructed by
darkness. Whatever surrounded him and his physical body became
sharp and clear all of a sudden, and then he felt solid and
heavy, motivating him to pull free from the chaos of his
thoughts and emotions, allowing the rapid pyreflies to
facilitate his rebirth.
‘I’m back! I’m coming, Yuna!’
His feet propelled him to the surface, to a world where Yuna
waited.
He sensed the boundary as he approached, the line between “here”
and “there” where a luminous boundary rippled above him. Could
it be a symbol, or the gateway to a radiant world? Tidus swam
upwards, ever upwards, as he prided himself a good swimmer.
He broke through the wall at long last, into dazzling sunlight.
Sea-salt air flooded his lungs, which made him grimace, startled
by an onslaught of overwhelming, forgotten sensations. Blinking
against an azure, white backdrop of sky and clouds, his eyes
adjusted to the new sight, having been confined in limbo.
He found himself surrounded by an endless, teal ocean. Beneath
his feet, Tidus felt the massive presence of an abominable
being, an invisible force that, if he were not careful, could
claim him back into the previous darkness that kept him
prisoner. He realized he must have a strong connection to this
world, or else why would he be able to return?
‘I won’t let myself pushed around! Not anymore. I just came
back, after all. I can’t disappear, not like this!’
Tidus turned around, recognizing an island for its hill that
overlooked a verdant triangle of forest life: Besaid. To further
confirm this belief, white-washed, blue sea waves lapped over an
empty beach, retreating just as slow into the ocean. He brought
his fingers up for a whistle, clear and sharp in velocity. Even
if nobody else were around to answer his call, the sound still
reassured him, and he smiled. His senses did not lie; everything
felt real.
He started swimming towards the coast, his mind swamped with
hope and a multitude of questions. Who will Tidus run into
first? Who would he meet along the way, if not within the forest
or near the river?
‘Where are you, Yuna?’
A deafening roar boomed from overhead, as if in answer to his
prayers. Tidus looked over his shoulder, catching the crimson
sheen of a colorful aircraft, admiring how it sparkled in the
hot sunlight, before common sense hit him. That large,
frightening machine cut a sweeping circle in the sky, hovering
close enough to ground level. A hatch opened afterwards,
revealing a young woman.
Without hesitation, she dropped into the opening, and Tidus
watched her drop feet first into the shallow edge of the sea.
She wore bright clothing he never imagined she would wear, and
this cast doubt into his heart. That couldn’t be Yuna; she ran
so fast, long skirt dragging along in the water, her arms
swinging at her sides, yet perceiving the recognition and joy in
her sea-green eyes, all doubt disappeared from his body. She
rushed to embrace him with open arms, gripping him so fierce he
knew nothing else mattered.
“Are you real? Is it really you?”
“I think so.”
Her timid question sobered his mirth, and Tidus wished Yuna
could confirm this for the both of them. She pulled back,
examining him, her hands on his chest while her eyes took in his
full features before lifting her head back up to initiate eye
contact, humbled by his presence.
“So? Do I pass?” he said, nervous at the receiving end of her
scrutiny.
She beamed, followed by a confident nod, her eyes lit up with
joy. “You’re back.”
Tidus let out a breath of relief. “I am back. I’m home!” No
longer able to contain his happiness, he reciprocated her
earlier heartfelt embrace with equal force, breathing in the
scent of her wind-swept hair. For a split second, he experienced
a moment of insecurity he wouldn’t dare confess - the fear of
rejection - and squeezed her tight.
“Welcome home,” she said, embracing him in turn. “Yes. Home.”
An obnoxious voice interrupted their moment. “Hey! Get a room,
you two!”
That sounded like Wakka! Startled, they pulled apart, turning in
direction towards the coast. People swarmed the whole beach, as
if the entire village had come out to greet them. Tidus
recognized Wakka and Lulu at the front of the crowd, plus the
Besaid Aurochs by their matching uniforms, and -- people he
could barely remember! There were so many people, cheering and
whistling. Tidus couldn’t catch his breath.
Wakka gave the couple a roguish grin. “Whassup?”
Yuna and Tidus exchanged bashful, mischievous looks, and then he
scoffed. “Who asked you to watch, Wakka?”
He smirked, shameless, throwing Lulu a knowing look over his
shoulder, who simply lifted the purple-wrapped bundle in her
arms with an affectionate smile. Tidus couldn’t tell what from
this far a distance, so he grabbed Yuna’s hand, dragging her
down to the beach, eager to join the others -- until Yuna
started to outrun him! Overcome with a sudden burst of speed,
she looked back at him, giggling as she led him by the hand this
time. Tidus stared, trying to catch his breath.
“You know, you’ve changed.”
“Well, you’ve missed a few things.”
Tidus grinned. “I wanna hear everything!”
Her confidence impressed him, which made him all the more
curious to ask what changed her to become this bold, but right
now he didn’t care. How could the past be more important than
the present, when nothing could compare to the joyous feeling of
running by her side?
[center]*[/center]
Going by the generous reception, Tidus realized nobody could
have known he would make his miraculous return. How could they,
when he didn’t even know about it himself until he woke up? No,
the villagers had been eagerly anticipating Yuna’s return,
impatient of her long absence… gathering from what Wakka told
him, at any rate. Even so, Tidus smiled. He recognized most of
the people by face, touched by their kindness, especially the
Aurochs. He couldn’t forget about Datto, Letty, Botta, Jassu,
and Keepa. So good to see them again after all this time! ‘After
how long exactly?’ he couldn’t help, but wonder.
And of course, Wakka just had to steal the spotlight,
introducing a baby from within its bundle of blankets. “May I
present to you our newest member of Besaid: Vidina! He’s
adorable, ya?”
“Absolutely!” He grinned, peering at the quiet, curious baby.
From what he could tell, Vidina inherited his father’s wild, red
hair and big, fat cheeks - or that could be Wakka putting on
some weight. After all, Tidus couldn’t remember this man looking
so… pudgy. Unable to discern the features from his mother, Tidus
looked up. “But, uh, who’s the mother?”
“Me.” Right on cue, a curt voice cut in between them.
Tidus jumped a little, turning around to come face-to-face with
a familiar, large chest. Lulu’s, to be precise. Recovering from
the view, Tidus tore his eyes away before the woman could
throttle him in her fury of favorite, fire spells. “Well, now I
know who he takes after in good looks.”
Lulu laughed, before retrieving her child from Wakka’s arms,
fixing her partner a chiding look. “I thought I told you I don’t
want Vidina exposed to the wind of the open sea.”
“I know, but he’s a child of the sea, just like his father!
What’s the problem with that?”
“You could have at least waited for the tide.”
“But, Lu…”
What a familiar sight, watching those two bicker. Unlike all the
other times, though, Tidus could sense a sort of gentleness
between them. Lulu toned down the bite in her words while Wakka
managed to ease back on his words with light humor. Tidus sensed
something missing as well, the belligerence, their clash of
opinions, instead making way for warmth to seep into every look
and touch, their eyes glowing with tender regard. Tidus smiled,
touched by the sight of them, and decided he wanted to
intervene.
“Hey, congratulations! You’re finally a couple now, huh? I
always knew it’d happen!”
Considering how Lulu still grieved the loss of her lover, and
Wakka’s little brother, tensions were always high between them.
Despite their obvious differences, though, Tidus could tell they
cared about each other a lot, almost as much as they both cared
about Yuna. He recalled all the times he encouraged Lulu to cut
Wakka some slack, because she kept comparing him to Chappu,
unable to see his positive traits past his flaws, and when Lulu
still yearned for him in the Farplane, Tidus remembered
comforting her to find new love.
Lulu must have thought the same thing, because she conceded with
a sigh, smiling nonetheless. “Yes. Marriage is not the most
exciting lifestyle in the world, and sometimes even I feel like
I’ve had enough--.”
“Gee, thanks!” Wakka protested with a wounded look, yet he
recovered quick enough evident by his easygoing grin.
“But it’s what makes me happy, and I wouldn’t have it any other
way.” The tender moment ended as soon as it began, as Lulu
seemed more eager to cart Vidina away than to stay and chat.
“Say, Tidus, will you be staying here for a while?”
“If you want me here,” he said, worried about imposing. He still
didn’t know his place in the world, yet.
“What’s with the look?” Lulu gave him a soft smile. “No need to
feel humble. You’re most welcome here.” Looking around them, she
watched the crowd filter out the beach, entering the forest to
tread the waterfall’s path back to the village, noticing Yuna
being swept away by the villagers. “We should go back to the
village, too.”
Hefting her child to her chin now, she joined the others, and
Tidus frowned, understanding her sudden need to depart,
motivated by a mother’s concern for her infant. Regardless, he
couldn’t help but feel abandoned.
“Let’s go!” Wakka smacked him on the back, snapping him out of
his momentary daze to lead the way.
#Post#: 1171--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rebirth ~ The Eternal Cost [Restoration Project]
By: Danko Kaji Date: August 26, 2015, 3:15 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 1
Tentative Title: Of Chasing Daylight
part two of three
---[/center]
(A/N): No real major changes in content. I simply
extended/fleshed out certain parts of dialogue, Lulu's in
particular. However, I did face some frustration with the
redundancy of 'two years' sprinkled throughout the text, so I
plan to smoothen that out once I'm ready to finalize the
revisions.
[center]*[/center]
On the road, each member of the Aurochs approached Tidus to talk
with him in turns. They helped him catch up with all the events
during his absence; it almost felt like he had never felt. Datto
and Keep told him about their team’s progress, as well as their
new exercise regiment, and it made him quite proud. New players
moved to live on the island in order to join the team -- news
which touched his heart. The tournament in which Tidus debuted
in Spira two years ago served as the triggering factor to their
spike in popularity.
They all walked for about half an hour before arriving at the
village, and Lulu greeted Tidus by her tent. “Tonight there will
be a banquet directed by the elders,” she said. “It’s to
celebrate Yuna’s long-awaited return home, and for returning the
three leaders who went missing. This is the best opportunity to
show yourself in your best light. Help with the preparations.
Make a good impression. But before all that, you can rest there
if you like. I know you must be tired trying to absorb
everything that happened since you left.”
She pointed to the highest tend in the village, and Tidus
recognized it as the Crusader’s lodgings.
“What do they do these days? The Crusaders, I mean.”
“These days? Whatever they want.” Lulu shrugs, crossing her
arms. “Yuna’s room is inside the temple, in the same place as
always.”
“Oh ho!” Wakka walked by, carrying an armful of wood that would
be used for the bonfire.
At the man’s mischievous remark, Tidus felt his cheeks burn hot.
“Honestly.” Lulu sighed, annoyed. “I know what you two are up
to. It goes without saying that I forbid you to go there. At
least, not yet. Your behavior must not lead to confusion, so
it’s be better to wait until Yuna presents you to the elders.
Also, keep in mind your attitude will determine the villagers’
opinion of you. And since the temple has become useless, Yuna’s
expected to support an idle clergy. You may have heard that Yuna
became a sphere hunter for a time. Well, she may have been able
to do whatever she wanted before, but only because she left the
village without telling them. She knew that if she did, they
would never have approved. Now that she has returned, she isn’t
free to act on her own anymore. Don’t forget that.”
Lulu ended her long-winded tirade with a shrug, adjusting Vidina
in her arms.
Bothered by this, Tidus frowned. “Isn’t she happy?”
“I don’t know. Only Yuna can tell you.”
“From what you’re telling me, that doesn’t sound like her at
all.”
She nodded, casting her solemn gaze to the side, as if
reflecting on her thoughts. “From what I have seen, Yuna’s
feelings about everything are torn and insecure. She feels
responsible for the situation, and the village stifles her with
their expectations. That is why she flew all over the world with
Rikku and her group, the Gullwings, to get away from it all. She
wanted to live her own life, if even for a little while.”
“What do they do? The ‘Gullwings’?”
“That’s also something you’ll have to ask her yourself. But in
the meantime, please do not do or say anything that can
complicate her position.”
Although Tidus didn't understand, he nodded. He didn’t have to
understand anything; as long as he cared about her, he would do
anything to support her. “Got it.”
Lulu ducked through the flap of her tent, leaving Tidus with
nothing to do except join the Aurochs at the village central
area. Yuna stood in front of the temple within earshot, yet
Tidus could not call out to her. It seemed like everyone wanted
to talk to her, and they gave her no choice to refuse. She could
always come up with an excuse to leave, she had the authority
and the right to, but of course she would never do that.
Kindness happened to be one of Yuna’s main strengths; as of this
moment, though, it only served to annoy him.
“I’m sure she wants to talk to you, too, ya?” Wakka said,
reassuring him. Perceiving the sullen, petulant look, he made an
effort to negotiate for a moment of Yuna’s time, yet came back
empty-handed. “They sure are keeping a sharp eye on you!”
“Why?” Tidus scowled, feeling impatient. He wondered if they
were the same, old stingy ladies who told him to ‘stay away from
the summoner!’ two years back. “Did they forget I was Yuna’s
Guardian? I stuck by her all the way, even when they stopped her
from entering Besaid, calling her a traitor and all that stuff.
I deserve recognition and some respect like the rest of you, so
how come I don’t see em give me either?”
“Ha! If you say so,” someone said in a sing-song voice. Rikku
skipped into view, and then stopped before him to sway on her
feet, giving him a roguish grin.
Tidus almost didn’t recognize the Al Bhed girl for her tanner
skin and… bolder choice in clothing, or lack thereof. For some
reason he could not displace, she seemed more put together in
his memories.
“Hi, Tidus! It’s been a long time, huh?”
He would agree, if only he knew how long it had been. Since when
did the fifteen-year-old tomboy go around flaunting her bare
skin and newly developed curves?
Rikku turned in the direction from which she came, calling for
someone to come over. A young woman Tidus never met before
stopped beside her, sporting short, smooth hair, a stern face,
and wore skin tight leather black clothes that only exposed her
shoulders. The contrast between her and bright, sunny, loud
Rikku startled him.
“This is Paine! A friend; she worked with us as a sphere
hunter.”
“Yuna told me about you,” Paine said. “Well, more like harping,
actually. But…” She paused to examine him, which unnerved him.
“Two years have passed,” Rikku said, sounding distant all of a
sudden, “and yet…” Stepping closer to invade his personal space,
she scrutinized him as well, her nose almost brushing his
collarbone.
Tidus resisted the urge to lean back, perturbed by their morbid
fascination. This bikini-toting, space-invading Al Bhed wasn’t
the Rikku he knew.
Two years? He felt his stomach turn to lead. Throughout his
multiple conversations with old friends, he assumed his absence
had lasted a good several months, maybe a year at most. But two
whole years…
“You’re the same as always!”
Rikku’s chipper declaration snapped him out of his miserable
musings. He did not know whether he wanted to laugh or cry, but
all the same chose to give them a smile. “Easy for you to say!
Look at you!”
She made a noise of discontent, twisting away from him to fold
her sleeved arms over her chest, displeased by his observation.
This motion caused him to catch sight of Yuna behind her. “You
changed, too,” he said, worried. If her taste in clothing had
changed, what else did? It made him wonder what else he missed
about her, and whether or not he would like this bold, new side
of her.
“Hellooo! I’m right here!” Rikku pouted, anchoring his attention
back on her. “Man, you are different.”
“But you just said the opposite.” Tidus frowned, annoyed.
“Before, I was talking about your looks. Now I’m talking about
you -- as in, the way you’re acting right now. I mean, back then
you were a bit spacey, but at least you were a nice guy.”
Although offended at first, he took her remark in stride, hoping
she meant it in a playful, mean way. “Geez, thanks for the
compliment!”
They burst out laughing, confusing the quieter woman with their
antics, and then Rikku began to narrate the events of the last
two years. She told him about “The Movement for the Truth,” a
popular new fad initiated by a political group that inspired
people to follow, becoming sphere hunters without associations,
thus eventually leading to the Gullwings… At first, Tidus
flooded her with questions for each new name introduced, but now
he grew annoyed by the constant flow of unknown people.
“You sound like you had a lot of fun.”
“What, are you jealous?” Rikku smirked, but then dropped the
humor at the upset look on his face.
“That’s because I don’t have anything to talk about on my end.
It’s frustrating. I’ve been gone for two whole years, and not a
single new thing… What was I doing this entire time?”
“A break,” Paine said.
Her crooked grin made it seem like a joke, but maybe that’s just
her unique way of cheering him up. In any case, Tidus knew this
much: he wouldn’t learn anything if he stood around stuck in the
same spot.
“I’m glad you girls had some fun,” he said, smiling. “If you had
spent your days crying over me, I’d have felt guilty.”
Despite his light-hearted tone, Rikku frowned. “I didn’t cry! I
was more angry than anything else. I wanted to understand why
you had to disappear then, I needed to know what happened to you
and why. We went all over Spira, visiting places, but after
awhile I gave up, and then…” She drifted off into thought.
Tidus quirked an eyebrow. “And?”
“Yuna looked like she was really enjoying herself with us. But
if you ask me, she never slacked off, even for a second. She
happily jumped from one place to the next, hunting rare spheres,
hosting concerts, but ultimately, her only goal… was you. She
wanted to find you again. Or forget you. I don’t know.” She
added as an afterthought, pinching her peaceful expression into
a frown.
It disheartened him to hear that Rikku would think her cousin
wanted to move from him. But then again, he couldn’t blame her.
Two years… Just the repeating echo of those simple words were
killing him.
“Me?”
“Yeah. She left the village when I showed her this sphere of
you.”
“What? I was in a sphere?”
“Well, it wasn’t exactly you. This guy, Shuyin, and the woman he
loved, Lenne, they had lived in Zanarkand a thousand years ago.
Lenne was this famous singer, and a Summoner, too, just like
Yunie. I can’t really begin to explain the horrors they
experienced together, but all you need to know is Shuyin’s
practically a spitting image of you. Yuna even wondered whether
or not it was really you, but she believed it could be her
biggest clue to find you again. But after all that, we found
ourselves standing in front of an ancient war machine from
Bevelle!”
Rikku’s tall tale overwhelmed him, and he breathed. “Are you
serious?” Such a crazy story, but then again, the world of Spira
often defied common sense (or at least the common sense he grew
up with), such as the true nature behind Dream Zanarkand, so he
decided to stay quiet.
“I know! It was unbelievable!” Rikku rolled her eyes, bouncing
on her heels with barely contained energy, her arms swaying at
her sides. “But I’ve seen it with my own eyes, so I can’t deny
it. If I stopped to think about the grand scope of things, I
would probably be dead! I didn’t have time to think or try to
understand. I had to fight, or else Spira would have been
toast!”
In order to further illustrate her point, she playfully wrapped
her hands around his neck and stuck her tongue out.
Tidus laughed, breaking the solemn air with amusement.
“The machine was called Vegnagun,” Paine said, bringing the two
dorks back into orbit.
Tidus raised an eyebrow; he never heard someone call a machina a
machine.
“It was enormous, and would have definitely massacred everyone
if Lenne hadn’t of stopped Shuyin. Oh, and Lenne was hiding out
in Yuna’s songstress Dressphere. For some reason, she chose to
communicate through Yuna. Anyway, Shuyin ended up activating
Vegnagun once more, and we had to deal with it.” Paine narrowed
her eyes on him, making him uncomfortable.
“W-What are you looking at?”
“You.” She relaxed, crossing her arms. “According to Yuna, the
Fayth promised to bring you back in exchange for saving Spira
again.”
“So, I’m here thanks to him?”
“No!” Rikku said. “Yuna went out of her way to find you, not
him!”
At her loud exclamation, all other conversations broke off so
that everyone turned towards their small group. The elders
surrounding their beloved Summoner frowned at him, and Tidus
felt the heavy pressure of their judging eyes. Why, when Rikku
had been the one who made that outburst? Through the throng of
people, his eyes met Yuna’s. She smiled, mouthing the words
‘sorry’ and ‘later,’ and he smiled in return. For some mild
revenge, he decided to demonstrate his disappointment at her
show of restraint by acting casual, shrugging. Perhaps she
failed to understand his mirth, because she once again mouthed
‘later,’ enunciating the syllables more slow. One of the women
who noticed their exchange frowned, looking between them and
reprimanding Yuna who simply apologized, before returning to
their conversation.
‘Later’ appeared to never come, though, because the elders spoke
to her for a long time until a matron declared that Yuna needed
to change from her scant attire and proceeded to cart her away
into the temple. Tidus preoccupied himself in the meantime,
joining in the preparations for the banquet by Lulu’s
suggestion. Since the entire village largely contributed in the
efforts, Tidus soon found himself with nothing to do, wandering
back to Rikku and Paine with a sheepish grin.
Understanding the poor boy’s plight for company, they told him
about what happened during his long absence, starting with
Kimahri and how the Ronso Elder found that fateful sphere,
alluding to New Yevon, the Youth League, and the Machine
Faction. Tidus didn’t bother trying to keep up with these new
onslaught of names, regardless of how important they might be.
The more they embellished the events of Yuna’s concert, first
the imposter’s and then her own, the more they were irritating
him. How could they make light of such a life-threatening
adventure? Maybe he had to be there to understand…
“What’s the matter?" Rikku asked him. “Are you in a bad mood?”
“Wha? Of course not…”
“Yeah, right! You’re lying -- I could tell from the look on your
face.” She looked downright upset, pointing her finger at him.
“I mean, I did my best to tell you everything, and you… If
that’s how you’re going to be, then fine. I’m going to the
airship!”
Paine and Tidus watched her stomp off towards the entrance,
exiting the village while leaving them in awkward silence, and
they exchanged weary looks.
“Don’t take it personally,” Paine said, trying to alleviate his
guilt. “I’m sure she only said it out of anger. It’s not just
Yuna; Rikku hasn’t see you in so long, she probably got
overexcited.”
Tidus gave her a small smile; he appreciated her efforts in
cheering him up, even though they haven’t known each other for
very long. Paine told him to let Yuna know that the Gullwings
were going to leave and that they would come back in a few days.
Tidus thought to ask why they didn’t want to stay, but instead
chose to mumble some words as his way of answer.
There’s nothing worse than being alone in the middle of a crowd
with too many things to do. Not wanting to feel stranded, he
sought refuge in the Crusade’s tent -- or should he call it the
Auroch’s lodge? -- and collapsed into a vacant bed. Questions
and thoughts filled his mind as the day wore on. ‘Soon.” Tidus
thought. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to drift,
imagining Yuna’s face the moment they met again.
#Post#: 1172--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rebirth ~ The Eternal Cost [Restoration Project]
By: Danko Kaji Date: August 26, 2015, 3:18 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 1
Tentative Title: Of Chasing Daylight
part three of three
---[/center]
(A/N): Gosh darnit all to hecks, this chapter exceeded the
character limitations in the last post. XD Can you believe the
word count actually reached 6k?
[center]*[/center]
Wakka woke him up at some point. “The boat’s going to return
with the catch of the evening. They’ll need help to bring in the
fish. C’mon, ya? Let’s go! This is a job for the Aurochs!”
Out past the entrance, Tidus found the team playing blitzball to
kill time while waiting for the boat. Keepa proposed a race to
the cove, feeling the fore competition, and Tidus accepted,
never one to turn down a challenge, rushing through the path
alongside the others. He hurtled down the slope with only Yuna
in his mind, sparing not a single thought for anything else.
‘She must be wondering where I am. I should’ve stayed in the
village.’
“You’re so slow, Tidus!”
Whoever said that brought him back to reality, and he looked
around. Although he ran as fast as he could, everyone else
managed to outrun him - except Wakka. Had he gotten rusty from
two years stuck in limbo or something, or did everyone actually
get better through serious practice?
“Be careful, Wakka!” One of the boys ahead of them teased. “It’s
nearly nightfall, ya? You’ll risk falling. Slow down or you’ll
hurt yourself!”
“Oh, shut up!" he said, laughing out loud, and then he started
to slow down, already winded. “Enough, guys! Stop!”
The team were forced to wait so Wakka could catch up,, and Tidus
took this as the opportunity to slow down as well, stopping
beside him. “Well, Wakka, did retirement do a number on you?”
Out of breath and dripping with sweat, Wakka nodded, keeled over
on his knees. Once he caught his breath, he stood straighter and
pushed himself to start walking. “You remember the tournament we
played in together, two years ago?”
Tidus nodded, falling into step beside him.
“Well, I had planned to stop playing after. I told you about
that, right? I wanted to become an actual professional trainer.
But then, we lost the next match. It was a bitter failure,
different from when we were losing all those times before. We
really suffered from it. After that, we worked hard to train
every day with all our strength. The villagers were kind enough
to release use from our chores in order to give us breathing
room for the game. And as you can see, we improved! I was
thinking we reached our highest level. By watching Datto and
Letty, it made me want to practice again. But then Yuna started
talking about the Gullwings, her everyday adventures with them,
flailing around in that provocative outfit of hers.” Wakka
paused to laugh. “And Lulu’s stomach started to fill out real
big, and I became more involved in the affairs of the village
for Lulu’s sake. I’m as motivated as anybody. I’m still young,
too, you see… and well…”
He shrugged after a moment of awkward silence, as if to say:
“You understand, ya?”
‘Wakka, still as indecisive as ever,’ Tidus thought.
“But everyday, Lulu still scolds me…” He scratched the back of
his head, embarrassed. Because of their slow, leisurely pace,
the rest of the team walked too far ahead, beyond earshot of the
last two stragglers.
Tidus trudged forward, stewing in the last two years he lost,
when Wakka wrapped his arm around his neck. ‘Were we this close
before?’ Tidus wondered. Too busy sorting through his memories,
he allowed Wakka to guide him.
The path they were traversing surrounded the whole island,
coined as ‘the waterfall’s path.’ Speaking of which, thin
droplets rained down on them from over the cliff, and soon
enough they found themselves soaked. Falling into a comfortable
lull in conversation, Tidus felt Wakka’s fingers brush his neck
in circular motions, through his locks of hair, scratching the
crown of his head. This started to feel strange, and Tidus
exploded, shoving his hand away. “The hell are you going?!”
“Sorry. I just had to be sure…” Wakka ducked his head,
apologetic. “You really are real? Not some illusion or spectre
of the Farplane?”
“I hope so…” Tidus didn’t feel too sure about it himself, and he
scowled. “I mean, of course I’m real!”
Overjoyed by his sudden burst of confidence, Wakka burst out
laughing. “Of course, you are!” He clapped his shoulder, as if
to make amends.
In spite of the older man’s mirth, Tidus latched onto
disconcerting words. “You really are real? Not some illusion?”
He thought of the other world, this mystical place where the
dead could appear in front of the living in reaction to prayers,
talking with their friends and family… Tidus remembered his
first trip to the Farplane. When he thought about his mother,
she had appeared before him. ‘Am I a ghost, just like her?’
“Aren’t spectres illusions, though? Hallucinations?”
“Well, they’re kinda like real visions.”
“So, in other words?”
“Here’s how I understand things: the pyreflies react to the mind
of the one who goes into the Farplane, taking the shape of the
person they want to meet. The entire conversation’s made up by
the living person. Therefore, the dead can only say what the
living wants to hear. If the living wishes for encouragement,
the dead will give them some. If they wish for pity, the dead
will comply.”
“Really? Is that how it's supposed to work?”
Wakka surprised him. This explanations sounded very lucid and
level-headed, something unusual for him. And then Tidus
understood: since the earliest days of his childhood, Wakka had
believed in and followed Yevon’s teachings without question.
Until one day, he discovered it had all been a lie. Without the
support of the Fayth, Wakka had been forced to rely on himself
to explain the world around him. Tidus perceived the underlying
meaning behind his spoken answer.
“But we’re on Besaid, not in the Farplane, right? So, I’m real.”
To emphasize this simple fact, Tidus pinched the flab on Wakka’s
waist. Wakka’s wonderful cry of indignation echoed like sweet
music in his ears.
#Post#: 1198--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rebirth ~ The Price of Eternity [A Fan-written Restoration]
By: Danko Kaji Date: September 4, 2015, 11:24 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 2
Tentative Title: Of Yevon's Curse
part one of two
---[/center]
(A/N): I decided to give the Aurochs some character, since their
lack of distinguishing features drove me crazy. While
researching each Auroch member, apparently Nojima never thought
to include or even acknowledge Vilucha as an official member
(you know, the lady who lives with her husband in the southeast
house closest to the gate). As for the names Rash, Mesker, and
Karam, there's no Wiki page for them at all, nor did I find them
in my FFX | FFX-2 HD Guidebook. So, I guess he randomly thought
them up to fill empty space. How novel. ::)
[center]*[/center]
Besaid’s waters were always blessed with an abundance of fish,
but the inhabitants only made sure to catch enough to satisfy
their need for sustenance. In order to earn money, the local
fishermen produced a unique textile specific to this island so
they could take advantage of the generous influx of people
wishing to visit the High Summoner Yuna at her homeland. Since
these past several months, they managed to convert a whole wing
of the temple to accommodate travelers.
When Tidus arrived at the cove, he wandered to the edge of the
beach and watched the setting sun dye the open sky in flaming,
warm streaks of orange. Yet the boat he overheard Wakka and the
others brag about since his return back lied nowhere in sight.
“Where’s the boat? ...Is that it?” Tidus said, pointing to a
skiff moored at the pontoon.
Wakka stood up from his relaxed position on the sand and puffed
his chest out. “May I present to you the Aurochs Ace!”
For some reason, Tidus imagined it bigger, grander, considering
how much they embellished it. The figurehead looked like a
plaque carved in striking image of their blitzball trophy.
Unlike the golden original, they painted it yellow. This messy
ensemble cut a pretty sad figure, but he chose to say nothing,
not wanting to rain on Wakka's parade when the team worked so
hard on it.
“Thanks to this boat, the Aurochs have made considerable
progress in our profits!”
Tidus smiled, pleased by his enthusiasm. Gazing out into the
ocean, he traced the shallow water surrounding Besaid, which
stretched out so far from the shore that it proved unsuitable
for training. It made certain things like jumping and diving too
dangerous when close to lower levels. By themselves, the Aurochs
lacked the strength to dive in or rise to the surface, but
thanks to the Ace, the team could venture into deeper waters to
catch larger, more bountiful schools of fish; similar to how
they adopted tactics while playing in the sphere pool, utilizing
the “deep and shallow kick.”
“It definitely revolutionized our game.” Botta winked, pumping
his arm out with a proud flex.
Tidus grinned, patting the scarred pectorals of his red-haired
friend.
“Originally, it was used to haul in small goods at Port Kilika,”
Wakka said, “But we managed to restore it by ourselves. We
financed the purchase and restoration work thanks to the
villagers’ donations. We mustn’t disappoint them!”
They started to warm up now, under Letty’s orders. Tidus
appraised the team in between leg stretches: with Datto as
forward, Botta as second to defense, Jassu as main defender,
Letty as sole midfielder, Keepa as best goalie, and Vilucha, the
only female of the team and their main forward, along with new
members Tidus never met, Rash, Mesker, and Karam, that made the
total count eleven with Tidus and Wakka. But because Vilucha
stayed behind in the village to assist with the lights and
decorations, they had an even number of players. Wakka split
them up into two teams and Letty whistled to commence the match.
They decided to follow the rules of half-blitzball, a version
which forbade players to disappear beneath the surface
regardless of whether or not they possessed the ball; a penalty
Tidus winded up receiving one too many times, because he found
it surprisingly difficult to control his movements.
“It’s no big deal. Don’t worry!”
Their cheers failed to reassure him, and Tidus frowned,
depressed by this newfound power difference between them.
Before, it had been the other way around; Tidus hailed from a
major city as a lone star player capable of overpowering an
entire team from the countryside. He remembered the very day he
arrived here, too, forming the best first impression any young,
aspiring blitzballer could make. Had the Aurochs really improve
this much, or did Tidus regress this far?
“Beclem Clash!” Botta called out, his arm bandages and nose
plaster peeling off under the impossible speed of his vertical
jump, and his powerhouse kick sent the ball hurtling straight
for Tidus’s face.
Beclem, the previous trainer of the team, made himself quite
infamous for his no-nonsense attitude, discipline, and severity.
This unknown, brutal technique, taught by someone Tidus never
met, shook him to the core. He decided to play dead, wanting to
turn this stinging setback into a light-hearted joke; drifting
to the water’s surface, his arms and legs floated like logs
until he heard a voice declare:
“We’re going to end this. The team that scores the next point
wins the match, okay?”
Propelling himself to stay afloat, Tidus inhaled air and spit
out saltwater, cringing from the acrid taste that lingered in
his mouth. He noticed Keepa nearby, bounding ever slow to his
side until he gave him a sympathetic smile.
“The night’s falling. We won’t be able to see the ball anymore.
You get my drift, ya?”
“I guess…” Tidus pouted. No one bothered to comment on his
funny, little act. ‘Geez, give a guy a break. I just came back
from a two year limbo; at least show that you guys care a
little.’ But for all his internal grumbling, he really
appreciated that they didn’t walk on eggshells around him,
treating him as an existence most fragile, so he took their mean
teasing in stride.
#Post#: 1200--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rebirth ~ The Price of Eternity [A Fan-written Restoration]
By: Danko Kaji Date: September 6, 2015, 6:53 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 2
Tentative Title: Of Yevon's Curse
part two of two
---[/center]
Their long-awaited trip back to shore reached port eventually,
lit by powerful electric lamps that helped guide the Aurochs Ace
to moor, and they unloaded the freight of wooden crates
overflowing with fresh fish. Blitzball players and fishermen
alike worked together to deposit the catch into tight-woven,
rope bags, and the ones who held them out to receive the load
proceeded to sling them over their shoulders once full.
When nobody spared him a second glance, Tidus frowned.
“What about me? You’re not gonna give me anything to
take back to the village?”
“Sorry,” a fisherman said, “Today wasn’t
a good day…” The man, who looked to be forty years
old from his low voice and facial hair, paused in the middle of
his task to stare at him. He stood at an impressive height,
exemplifying his strong stature while sporting quite the unique,
handsome mustache. His skin looked so pale, he couldn’t
possibly be an islander from this side of the world with that
kind of complexion, Tidus mused. ‘Unless you’re
Lulu, that is.’
“My name’s Tidus. Nice to meet you.”
“Bria,” he said, before handing him a trident.
“Carry it for me, would you?”
Fumbling to keep a steady grip on this elongated, heavy weapon
Bria decided to drop into his hands without warning, Tidus
straightened himself, holding it tip up for inspection.
“You fish with this?”
Bria shook his head, amused by his awe. “No. I fish with a
net. That is to protect myself.”
“Oh.” His curiosity deflated to make way for
embarrassment. “Against monsters?”
He chose not to answer. “Do you have a moment,
Wakka?”
His brisk dismissal stung, leaving him alone to ponder the state
of his questions. ‘Did I ask a stupid question?
What’s with him?’ He watched them drift away from
everybody else, reassuring the others to proceed just so the two
men could have a private conversation. Although Tidus
couldn’t hear anything, he managed to determine the
serious atmosphere from Wakka’s grim expression. Just
afterwards, Tidus noticed the Aurochs discuss how to cook the
fish, before returning to the village, thus leaving him behind
with Bria.
Under the moonlight, the ocean’s calm waters glowed in the
blue night. Gelatinous, translucent creatures began crossing the
beach without having to worry about their human predators,
migrating to disappear into the foliage of trees. Monsters still
roamed the earth despite the Eternal Calm. Could he still fight
them? Did he even have the strength to defeat them anymore?
‘Or have I become a shadow of my past self, just like how
a simple blitzball game proved to me?’
“I had forgotten…”
Those distant words echoed his thoughts, reminding him of the
other occupant in this beach. Bria stared at the blitzball that
rested beside his feet, and Tidus smiled, glad to have found
something that could break the ice. “Hey! Throw me a
pass!”
Tidus frowned when the man chose to ignore him again, preferring
to stare at the innocent object in deep thought instead. His
smile dropped, and he scratched his head for a lack of better
things to say. He watched Bria’s long, wavy hair sway in
the salty, night breeze, revealing his face at long last, and
upon taking a closer inspection, realized that Bria looked a lot
younger than Tidus had thought. His mustache gave him the
illusion of age, but his most striking feature were his eyes; a
faded blue, like two polished pieces of glass weathered by the
sea.
Bria finally spoke, breaking the awkward silence. “Your
eyes…”
“Mine?” He frowned, self-conscious. Eager for a
distraction, any excuse to move closer to him so he could
actually hear him, Tidus dug the trident upright into the sand
and rushed for the ball.
“Your eyes have contemplated too long the distance.”
That cryptic statement couldn’t have been a trick of the
wind, so Tidus looked to him for elaboration, yet Bria became
silent again.
“Uh, come again?”
Tidus hit the ball, throwing it above his head, so he could
catch it in his right hand, before rolling it onto his left hand
in a single, fluid motion. Juggling it on his knee, then his
head, and then his shoulders -- a sequence deeply ingrained in
his muscle memory -- it never failed to soothe his nerves.
Since his strange, new companion liked to play the silent game,
Tidus decided to change tactics. “I didn’t see you
here two years ago. Do you live here now?”
“Yes. I came to live near the High Summoner.”
“Huh. I see.” ‘Like everybody else in
Spira,’ he didn’t say.
“I take care of the temple under the monks’
authority. A month ago, I transferred here from Bevelle. Did you
hear about the members within New Yevon?”
If he meant by how they couldn’t do Jack squat without
their leader for more than a day, then yeah. He knew how
hopeless they could be, all those older people who retreated
into New Yevon for something slower and safer than the
hotheaded, impatient Youth League. He didn’t like New
Yevon, just because of its terrible namesake -- and everything
else about them, really. “Yes.”
“A bloody bunch of chickens, if you ask me!”
Tidus gave him an awkward smile, startled by his passionate
declaration, but deep down, he applauded him for he felt the
same. “Really? So what about the Youth League? What do you
think about them?”
“Minus habens.”
“Meaning?” Tidus quirked an eyebrow, confused. That
didn’t sound anything like Al Bhed, or those strange
dialects he heard of.
“All stupid.”
“Woah! Strict!” Tidus laughed. ‘I think
I’m starting to like this guy. He’s weird, but kinda
funny.’ “And what about the Machine Faction?”
He waited for him while focused on the ball, balancing it over
his head to amuse himself.
“I saw you coming.”
“Huh? What?”
Not really sure if he heard him right, Tidus turned in direction
of the ocean, letting the ball drop to the ground. Was he
talking about his return, because if he was, how could he have
known? Not even Tidus knew that he would would return to Spira
this very day.
“At midday,” Bria said. "We heard of Yuna’s
return thanks to the radio, and I followed the villagers. I saw
you emerge from the ocean. How did you get here without a boat
or airship?”
Tidus didn’t feel like answering this question, least of
all expect to be confronted by it so soon. An ill-conceived
explanation could lead to a disastrous first impression. If he
got into trouble with this man, a priest linked to the Yevon
Church, who knows what kind of repercussions it would have for
Yuna?
“Two years ago, you came from Zanarkand.” Bria said,
perceiving his hesitance. “Not from the ruined city we
know, but a fast-paced version of it. Some say you came from a
secret advanced city, but others… Nobody believes your
story, but I am willing to trust you.”
Well, that took a load off his shoulders. Tidus sighed, smiling
in relief. “Uh, thanks!”
“How did you arrive in Spira back then?”
Tidus didn't say anything at first, unsure of whether he could
do a good job explaining it. After all, for all these questions
Bria loved to ask, he didn’t know any of the answers
himself! At least, not enough to explain much.
“According to the rumors, Sin carried you.”
“I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe it’s
exactly as they say.” He tried to shrug it off, hoping to
break away from this uncomfortable topic, but Bria kept
persisting, much to his dismay. The one time the man wanted to
talk, Tidus wished he could've stayed quiet.
“Do you think Sin could take you back to Zanarkand?”
Once again, he didn’t feel like answering this particular
question. Even if he could return to the Zanarkand he knew and
loved, ‘if’ being the operative word, it
didn’t matter to him anymore. Yuna had defeated Sin, so of
course he had no way of confirming this theory. Yet he felt
certain about one thing: “The city I knew does not exist
anymore. It was born from a Summoning…”
He trailed off, sobered by this bleak thought. ‘So what
does that make me?’
“I would like you to tell me more about it.”
Tidus shrugged, feeling no obligation to satiate his endless
plethora of questions. “Sin spread chaos and destruction
across all of Spira, right? How could Zanarkand survive such a
disaster anyway? It didn’t, and mine was a dream.
That’s all there is to it.”
“I don’t think it really matters, then,” Bria
said, surprising him with his lukewarm response.
“Recently, I have begun to notice a lot of signs… I
think I’ll be able to solve this mystery that has kept me
busy for a long time very soon.”
This peaked his interest. “What mystery are you talking
about?”
“The greatest of all.” He laughed.
Tidus lost his temper. “Are you making fun of me? What
d’you want, anyway? Did you really transfer here from
Bevelle, or did you come here to live near Yuna? What are you
trying to say, that you’ve got some ulterior motive for
being here?”
Unaffected by his tirade of angry questions, Bria put a damper
on his humor. “I beg your pardon if I have hurt you.
Please, don’t misunderstand. My life’s a bit too
complicated for mere words to sum up. Humans try to introduce
causal relationships, but the truth is that, these links, we
invent them a posteriori.”
Using his fancy words again provoked Tidus into further
frustration. “I hate these weird words you speak in! Why
don’t you ever say what you mean? At least say it in a way
I can understand.” He regretted it the moment he said it,
because Bria said goodnight and departed.
“Sorry…” To his utter astonishment, the
fisherman turned around to wave at him; that’s when Tidus
knew, without a doubt, that Bria had heard him.
Tidus realized that to deny this man his right to keep his life
private, he denied Auron as well, to whom he owed practically
everything. Bria’s right: the lives of some people were
too complex to be summed up in a couple of easy sentences. And
when such a person wanted to hand down the fruit of their
experiences, it sometimes might manifest or express itself like
him; a quiet and reserved, yet wise and cynical man.
‘Will I find myself in the same situation, too,
someday?’
Staying behind at the beach, Tidus wanted some alone time to
think. He climbed onto the pontoon and lied down on top of it,
turning his face in direction of the violet, blue sky.
Oppressive-looking, grey clouds were beginning to roll in,
concealing the stars. The wind picked up all of a sudden,
causing the water to lap against the pillars of the pier, all of
which painted the foreboding image of an incoming storm.
Once the Aurochs drop off the fish at the village, the banquet
would begin (if it hadn’t already), and Tidus would lose
his chance to talk to Yuna. Could this be his punishment or just
a bad day? Did someone or an invisible, outside force prevent
him from seeing her? If Tidus decided to run back and meet her,
no matter if anyone stood in his way with some flimsy excuse,
Tidus wouldn’t care. He’d brush aside those annoying
old crones and old-fashioned geezers and just talk to her
without worrying what they had to say. It’d be so
nice…
“Humans try to introduce causal relationships, but the
truth is that, these links, we invent them a posteriori.”
Ruminating upon Bria’s earlier cryptic line, Tidus let out
a cry of frustration before kicking the boards of the pontoon.
He hated it, because he started to understand what he meant. A
dull sound reverberated, but another sound, a more high-pitched,
metallic note, echoed in the air, startling him. Tidus jumped to
his feet, looking around.
Remnants of antique mechanisms remained throughout the island,
jutting from various locations in plain sight such as rock
cliffs and leaf-ridden plateaus. Tidus doubted anyone alive knew
of their original designs. Some of these ruins stood erect near
the cove like chimneys, their fine orange paint faded by age. He
spotted a large seagull perched atop one of them beside the
ocean, pecking at something held between its webbed feet.
GONG, GONG, GONG!
Tidus lied back down once he felt reassured. His mind drifted to
the Gullwings, since the bird reminded him of them. Yuna had
spent a good three to six months with this group, maybe even
longer, he didn’t know; a group comprised of young Al Bhed
people and a lone female warrior of unknown origins, who looked
like nice people that treated Yuna well. To think life had
continued despite his absence, and that his friends -- yes, even
Yuna -- had fun in the interim, made him feel like a stranger in
the loop. He imagined the smile of his Summoner, the colorful,
bold clothes which spoke of her newfound independence; no longer
this shy, seventeen year old girl who felt oppressed by her own
impossible ordeals and responsibilities, but a young woman who
had blossomed without him.
And he still remained the same, stuck at the same spot; a
seventeen-year-old boy.
Tidus sighed. Would he have preferred to learn Yuna had agonized
over his absence? Two years ago, in the face of his imminent
fate, he wanted the exact opposite -- he wanted for her to live,
to be happy, even if that meant he had to give up the chance to
share that with her. He wanted Yuna to move from this stupid
cycle of death and despair and ‘eternal’ suffering.
Now, if someone had asked him the same question, he might have
given them a selfish answer, and he hated himself for it.
Too anxious to sit still, he started shaking the wooden boards
of the pontoon.
[center]*[/center]
Nightfall settled around the village. With the fish cooked to a
fragrant crisp and the bonfire all lit up and fueling the
festive atmosphere, Yuna could not be found. Wakka would have
been concerned if it weren’t for the obvious fact that the
elders were missing, too. Probably with Yuna, no doubt.
He knew full well the impatience they withheld for Yuna’s
eventual return. Everyone in the village older than Yuna, Wakka
and Lulu included, contributed to the young woman’s
growth. Orphan to the late High Summoner Braska, she had spent
the better part of her childhood at the temple, surrounded by
people with unshakable faith, and when she chose to follow her
father’s path, it seemed like she answered the
elders’ prayers. Upon defeating Sin, bringing forth the
long-anticipated Calm that would last for an eternity, she
exposed the truth behind Yevon’s deception, and the Church
collapsed as a result.
Despite everything, the older people continued to follow
Yevon’s teachings, beseeching their stubborn defiance:
“Everything they taught us is not wrong.”
Although Wakka wanted to argue, because he knew exactly how they
felt, he chose to bite his tongue. Everyone had the freedom to
believe whatever they wanted now. Yet the elders showed very
little tolerance for other opinions. In their eyes, the youth
were mistaken about the Golden Age, taking for granted their
newfound freedom by having fun and thinking very little about
the consequences. Since for as long as he could remember, the
village worked together like a family, and now the generation
gap that began to grow between them broke Wakka’s heart.
The oldest were incapable of adapting to change, of tolerating
the slightest disruptions. Young leaders, like Nooj and Baralai,
embodied that change they so resented. Their influence spread
fast, expanding far and wide even to territories as distant as
Besaid and Kilika. For a single piece of news to reach the
village in three days, it became outdated in the central world.
This era disconcerted the elders, who had always known an
immutable world.
Yuna never forgot that she owed much of her upbringing to Besaid
and the old folk, and in these uncertain times, she served as
the icon of familiarity and peace for those who feel lost. Never
mind the fact that New Yevon’s Praetor (and those in power
before him) tried to evoke that same kind of familiar comfort
only to fall short in the face of progressive politics.
“I wonder what they plan to do with her.” Wakka
mused aloud, heading for the temple now that all the reparations
were complete. Entering the dark, heady threshold, he breathed
in the familiar smoke of incense, which mingled with the
surrounding damp stones, which held the building together. It
reminded of him of his childhood.
‘A gift of Yevon...’
#Post#: 1205--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rebirth ~ The Price of Eternity [A Fan-written Restoration]
By: Danko Kaji Date: September 8, 2015, 5:51 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 3
Tentative Title:
Of Star-Crossed Lovers
---[/center]
(A/N): Whee! I had so much fun rewriting this. Definitely my
favorite chapter by far. <3 Also, I decided to play around with
Kush having a French accent to replace her habit of 'vous,'
along with some painfully polite terms that'd make Seymour or
Baralai proud. XD Joking aside, I hope this is adequate.
[center]*[/center]
“There’s something on the roof!”
They were cuddling on the mattress of their designated room when
the man let his woman separate from him. Sitting up, they held
their breath, keeping their ears wide open for the suspicious
sound, and soon enough, it echoed above them from within the air
duct, a dull sound that reverberated throughout their walls at a
consistent rhythm like a hard object hitting metal.
GONG, GONG, GONG…
“What is it?” Kush said in a whisper.
“A bird,” Valm said after a long, tense moment of silence. “A
sea gull, judging from the strength of its knocks.”
Kush reclined back on the cushions when his answer reassured
her, expressing her wish to laze around some more, but Valm rose
to reattach his light armor. She watched him adjust the leather
pieces over his chest, admiring the smooth movement of his
muscles, and smiled. “And how does my lord know that sound came
from a gull?”
“Only birds and monkeys can reach the top of these cliff faces.
It must be a very large animal, going from the loud volume of
its strikes. Between a monkey with a sharp tool and a bird with
a strong beak, it’s more than likely the latter. You see, there
are no monkeys here, only gulls.”
“My lord is correct.” She gave him a pretty smile, pleased by
his informative answer. “What does my lord think it desires?”
He chuckled, fastening the straps nice and tight. “Maybe you
should ask it.”
Shifting to lie on her side, she giggled. “My lord is correct
yet again.”
Her coquettish lilt tickled his ears pink, and Valm smiled in
spite of himself. Hard to believe this sheltered young lady held
the weight of her government’s expectations on her small
shoulders. Kush had been chosen to undertake a Summoner’s course
since early childhood; a Bevellian citizen born and raised, she
came to this distant island from an industrial haven, the only
place she had ever seen outside the Citadel. It came as no
surprise why she took every one of Valm’s opinions to heart.
When they first met three years ago, he thought she enjoyed
mocking him. He despised her in silence, recognizing his duty to
protect someone that he considered to be utterly insufferable, a
spoiled brat who wore the face of a noblewoman. Once enlightened
about her personal history, sympathy sought to melt his cold
heart and, to his amazement, his affection for her transformed
into love. Never in his life, before Kush, would Valm ever
thought that he’d fall for a Summoner.
These people were sensitive to a common phenomena called
pyreflies, or spirits of the deceased. Valm used to imagine them
as ominous, eccentric people who practiced necromancy and were
obsessed with death, but after he learned that Kush, along with
all of her comrades, felt the same kind of emotions as normal
people, she and Valm were not so very different from each other
at all. In spite of that misconstrued truth, the authorities had
gathered people gifted with this talent, creating an elite corps
of Summoners subject to strict regulations.
None of them were volunteers; Summoners, or those proficient in
the rare craft, were not in the position to refuse their
calling. Kush and her fellow Summoners had been forced to
sacrifice themselves for the sake of their government; in
exchange for their compliance, they were guaranteed the safety
of their closest family, up to twenty-five years after the death
of the Summoner.
Although Kush spoke in a formal and polite, if not foreign
dialect, always dressed to the nines in her extravagant silk
gowns, embroidered shawls, and fine jewelry, she came from a
poor family, which gave Valm another reason to connect with her,
originally from a similar poor background himself. He never left
the island for broader lands, but his oath to remain had rescued
others such as himself from poverty.
Recalling why he stood up in the first place, Valm sighed,
annoyed. “I shall head downstairs first. The Bedohl,” he spat
out the word in disdain, “must have had enough waiting for me.”
“Could we not see each other without them next time?” She pulled
herself up with a pout, leaning over pale, slender legs drawn up
to her modest chest and naked except for the sheer blanket
wrapped around her petite frame.
“Why? Do they annoy you?”
“Not at all.” She smiled, dismissive. “I just want one time
where I can meet with my lord, just the two of us.”
“And who will carry your palanquin? Me, all by myself?”
She laughed, cradling her head in the crook of her elbow. “I can
walk as well as my beloved lord Valm. No, even better.”
“Probably.” He smiled, humoring her. “But venomous insects
dispatched by the enemy are known to roam the region, worse are
vastly increasing in population." And then his smile dropped,
making way for a grave frown. "I fear that…”
“Are their bites dangerous?” Her smile wavered, frightened by
his tone.
“Infernal.”
“Oh, you!” His blunt remark inspired her to explode into broad
smiles. “Hell does not appeal to me at all!”
His grim demeanor broke under the spell of her melodic laughter,
and he grinned.
Valm knew of the ‘Hell’ his lover made light of. His grandmother
used to invent these wild and crazy stories during nights he
refused to sleep, since she loved frightening him as a child
with grim fairy tales -- such as this horrible place of endless
throes where those who dared to defy the Gods were Sent, dead or
alive. He who wanted to avoid this kind of unforgiving fate must
obey the will of the Gods his whole life. Bria believed that
after death, he would be reborn in the form of a flower that
only blossomed in the nether world, as per his eternal reward
for his faith and loyal servitude. Hell or flowers, Valm always
considered those two ends as equal in weight, if not
consequence, but his grandmother hoarded a treasure of anecdotes
to justify every rule imaginable, making it impossible to argue
with her.
He had been very young, then, always hanging on her every word,
but once he grew to become a man, he understood -- she devoted
herself entirely to obeying the authorities, a choice she had no
say in the matter. If you wanted to survive in this world, you
must obey the government who made themselves out to be virtual
Gods in this tangible world.
Kush’s lilting voice anchored him to the present. “Is it not
possible to avoid these insects without resorting to the
Bedohls?”
“Maybe.” He shrugged, crossing his arms. “That is, I could
always carry you when crossing dangerous areas.”
She clapped her hands together. “That would be wonderful!”
“Good. Now, dress up.”
Valm headed for the spiral staircase now, intending to go down
and speak with the Bedohls. Just before he placed his foot down
on the first step, he stopped to glance over his shoulder,
stealing one last look at his beautiful, mystifying lover. Kush
stood up from bed, wandering to the partial opening of the
window they had boarded up for safety to gaze outside. Her
petite body resembled that of the Goddess Luchera save for her
hips, which were rounder, and Valm almost wondered why she
adorned no wings to express the angelic innocence she carried
within. The delicate item she threw over herself had slipped,
revealing the unique birthmark ornamenting her lower back on the
right side; an adorable silhouette of a heart.
Birthmark, scar, or tattoo, he did not know, but he did know one
thing: Valm’s the only man alive who laid eyes upon that mark.
Kush’s sudden, urgent whisper awakened him from his thoughts.
“There’s someone at the water’s edge!”
He rushed to her side, wrapping his arm around her tense
shoulders. The moonlight allowed them to make out the solid
details of the landscape; a cove surrounded by shallow water and
tall buildings painted in resplendent orange, which towered upon
the rock cliffs covered in lush greenery. "...Where?"
“Over yonder, on the pontoon.”
A mysterious, young man stood beside a shabby boat, which rocked
with the steady, calm influx of waves.
‘A refugee,’ Valm thought. ‘But why sneak inside the island?
Doesn’t he know this is an active war zone? It’s suicide.’
Without taking his eyes off him, Valm urged Kush to finish
clothing herself. He lifted his forefinger and thumb to his
mouth, about to whistle for the Bedohl, but held his breath. The
man’s body language seemed nervous as he unloaded a bag from the
boat. After a moment of struggling to untie it, he unearthed a
round object.
‘A ball?’ He dropped his arm, confused.
This unknown person turned in direction of their tower and
raised his eyes to Heaven.
Valm clenched his teeth, furious. ‘This is a ruse! He knows that
I’m watching him! Damn him!’
Snatching Kush by the waist, he shoved her away from the window,
and their bodies slammed against the pillar located in the
middle of the room. As Valm proceeded to drag her down the
stairs, the device exploded behind them, which caused him to
lose balance. He clutched her head to his chest by instinct
right before his back hit the railing going down. Releasing a
whine of pain, Valm felt himself falling, and acted fast to
squeeze her tight. Once his head bounced against an
indiscernible, hard surface, he fought to keep himself from
fainting, inhaling the unmistakable smell of gunpowder. He knew
he couldn’t avoid it, but the moment he regained consciousness,
he would go find that damn murderer and kill him.
He refused to let this territory fall into the hands of that
heretic sage.
#Post#: 1227--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rebirth ~ The Price of Eternity [A Fan-written Restoration]
By: Danko Kaji Date: September 10, 2015, 10:56 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 4
Tentative Title:
Of Origins Long Forgotten
(Or The History of the Al Bhed)
---[/center]
(A/N): Apparently Tidus isn't the only one being bashed by
Nojima. ::) There's very little love for Brother in here, so I
decided to lighten up on the hate. XD Oh, and the radio that
Shinra (and Bria) mentioned is apparently meant to be the
Commsphere, so I fixed that detail as well (I shall return to
Chapter 2 to do the same).
[center]*[/center]
The Celsius sailed through the air in slow velocity; it couldn’t
fly any slower without the risk of stalling or worse, crashing.
Paine sighed, stuck inside the ****pit listening to everybody’s
high-speed conversation. Shinra, the only other one disengaged,
sat at his post in front of the monitor, his back turned towards
them while immersed in his task. Maybe typing essential
calculations for their flight or killing his time with a puzzle,
she couldn’t tell. Behind his goggles and full facial mask,
nobody could read his expression.
“Is the storm approaching in this direction?” Paine said,
exploiting their pause in conversation to speak. Buddy, Brother,
and Rikku, the three adult Al Bhed who chose to communicate in
their native tongue, spoke too fast for Paine to follow. In
spite of her decent fluency for the language, she found it
almost impossible to understand their belligerent bickering from
the actual discussion.
Rikku kept a close watch on the radar. “A huge downpour is
heading south where Besaid is. It’s definitely going to blow
hard.”
“We must inform them at once!” Brother said.
“The Commsphere doesn’t work,” Shinra said in a detached tone.
“Even though I made sure to replace the last one that broke not
too long ago, I’m not receiving any video or audio feedback.”
Brother screeched his dissent, but the boy genius contented
himself with a shrug. “It’s actually working less and less as
time goes by, and it’s not only in Besaid. It’s Kilika as well.
I wonder if it’s just in this region, because of the storm.”
Buddy folded his arms, ducking his head in concern. “Why?”
“I don’t know. I’m just a kid.”
As annoying as the boy could be at times, nobody here knew
machines better than him. Paine held him in high regard due to
his unparalleled skills. Sure, Gippal knew how to fix them
faster and better than anyone back in Djose, as evidenced by
repairing Shinra’s rogue communicator which broke in the
Farplane, but Shinra’s intelligence far outstripped each and
every Machine Faction member combined. Definitely smarter than
Brother by a long shot, whose only special talent consisted of
venting the most obnoxious rants she had the misfortune of
enduring. Paine had no idea what their leader prattled on about,
but his constant shouts and wild gestures were already getting
on her nerves.
“In this case…” She decided to speak up, yet nobody heard her.
Impatient, she snapped. “Shut up!”
Brother froze in place, stuck at a ridiculous pose as he jerked
his head in her direction, scowling. “...Yes?”
“Shouldn’t we hurry back to Besaid before the storm hits? You’ve
seen the village, right? Their homes are made of hessian. We
have to warn them about this.”
Rikku acquiesced without complaint. “If the wind takes their
tents, they will lose everything.”
Brother looked about ready to cry, collapsing straight into his
pilot’s seat where only loud sobs could be heard. Even though
they had departed from Besaid like thieves in the night, flying
away at top speed, they had nowhere else to go, yet Buddy had
made the call in consideration of his friend’s obvious distress.
He preferred to keep the heartbroken Brother away from the
reunited lovebirds as far as possible. At any rate, the
Gullwings continued their discussion without pause, because
Brother’s pity party warranted that much little respect from
them. How could they when he made it so difficult to be taken
seriously?
Paine put a hand to her chin, deep in thought. “But then again,
it’s just a storm. I’m sure the inhabitants have survived
worse.”
“You think so?” Rikku said, skeptical. “Hmm, according to the
radar… Oh! It went off! What’s happening? Is the engine
overheating?”
Shinra twisted around to lean over the top of his seat, shaking
his head. “This girl’s have had the last of her days. It's the
end of the road for her. A sudden breakdown isn't out of the
question, considering it’s supposed to be a millenary device.”
“Then, can’t you just build a new one? It’s all right here. You
can learn what makes this thing tick and make another one,”
Paine said.
“Let me think…” Shinra settled back down into his seat, leaning
over his custom-made keyboard in rapt thought. “Hmm… I don’t see
why not. After all, it’s true that the Al Bhed are comfortable
working on machines, but we only know how to use them. Of
course, in order to exhume them, discern their functions,
recondition them, and understand how to operate them, we had
developed an extensive knowledge and skillful dexterity for
them. But oddly enough, we still cannot build new ones.
Sometimes, I wonder why that is. Don’t you find it kind of
strange? I mean, even though Yevon loathed them, people still
contributed to their use, yet none of us ever thought to retain
a single plan to build machines from the ground up. We might
have been able to rediscover new rules and theories of
calculations, but only out of a sense of necessity. Our
ancestors have left us with nothing, or maybe they were unable
to leave anything behind.”
Overwhelmed by the scope of his words, Shinra sighed. “Why?
Well, I’m afraid that’s the greatest mystery of all.”
#Post#: 1239--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rebirth ~ The Price of Eternity [A Fan-written Restoration]
By: Danko Kaji Date: December 24, 2016, 10:40 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 5
Tentative Title:
Of Lost Love Found
---[/center]
(A/N): Oops, I got the order of the chapters all wrong. Because
of the way I outlined my version, I combined chapters 5 and 8
together into a Chapter 2 (a lot of the other short scenes, I
put them aside as Interludes). So, yeah. Here's the official
chapter five. My bad, guys.
Also, the setting details for this boat really confused me.
Like, was there really a random ball sitting around until it
dropped, rolling to the stairs, or was that the description of
the trident/hatch/mechanism/thingy, I don't know. I'm just
working with what I got. XD
[center]*[/center]
Tidus decided to wander in the Aurochs Ace to explore the boat
and kill his boredom. He imagined the old combustion engine in
charge of transporting the team from coast to training area,
even without the wind, a powerful machine necessary to see the
job through. On the deck, near the stern, he found a hatch,
which revealed the glaring engine in question. A ladder allowed
him to reach it, but he didn’t feel motivated to check it out
right now, having no real interest or knowledge for mechanical
things in general.
Near the bow rose a little hut that took up two thirds of the
deck’s space. This narrow area housed the rudder wheel and a
console with the buttons and sticks that controlled the engine.
There must be a radio somewhere, Tidus mused, surveying his
surroundings some more. ‘Would they even have a radio? Did
someone even invent it, yet?’
He took a closer look at the trident situated against the wall;
pulling it down, Tidus watched as the knob he gripped dropped
down, swerving in direction of the hut, stopping close to the
partition facing the rudder, bringing to his attention a flight
of stairs, which led down below deck. Descending into the cabin,
Tidus crossed the door to enter a furnished cubby hole comprised
of a double sofa, a bed, and a little table. Both of the walls
behind the sofa and bed had a round porthole that oversaw the
waterline, allowing people to enjoy the landscape. The moonlight
filtered inside, illuminating the entire cabin and its modest,
cozy furniture.
Tidus plopped down on the bed, falling back to fold his arms
behind his head to heave a sigh. The Ace might not be in its
prime anymore, but this room still adorned a state of
consciousness. Apart from the handwoven Besaidian fabric
covering the walls, decorations worthy of a hotel in the capital
ornamented the ceiling; although the exact level of comfort
intended kind of confused him. The boat could transport a total
of ten maximum, but this cabin could only shelter seven of them
-- if they closed up. But even then, in order to enjoy it on a
decent level of relaxation, two people the most could exploit
it.
Tidus sighed. He must be bored if he felt compelled to
contemplate the mysteries of this boat, a piece of man-made
heaven for an underdog team of champions. Closing his eyes, he
dozed. Many questions filled his mind, making it difficult for
him to drift off completely, for example…
‘What?’
He awoke with a start, nauseated by a sudden falling sensation
that made him stumble forward on his feet and almost retch. At
some point, the boat started to oscillate from top to bottom
courtesy of the swell. Even the wind picked up, worsening the
violent motions.
“Did I fall asleep?” Tidus wondered aloud. ‘How much time
passed?’
He did not know, but moonlight no longer illuminated the cabin,
making way for shadows to creep inside the darkness. Maybe
clouds had rolled in to cover the sky and moon, and he rushed to
gaze out into the porthole, only to realize he couldn’t see the
coast anymore.
“You gotta be kidding me!”
Leaping over the table in his mad dash to the other side, Tidus
pressed his nose right up against the other porthole; the
darkness revealed nothing. It’s official: The Ace had left the
cove. Unless proven otherwise, Tidus could have sworn it had
been moored…
“Oh no, it can’t be…” ‘Was I set adrift?’
He stood straight, and immediately banged his head. Swearing in
anger and pain, he started to feel his way to the exit, and
found it where his forehead collided into the doorframe. Holding
one hand over the brand new bump on his head, he grumbled on his
way back to the upper deck, climbing the stairs one cautious
step at a time. He stopped all of a sudden when he found someone
standing at the helm.
A white hood hid her face-- he could tell it was a woman going
by her petite frame-- wearing a dress ornamented with red
patterns at the billowing hem, which reached as long as the back
of her leather boots. Tidus picked up the scent of perfume in
the wind, and it reminded him of Besaid Temple, its cloy
incense.
“Yuna!” His voice cracked in joy and disbelief. “Yuna…”
She turned around, lowering her hood as she did so, stepping
forward to stand in front of him, hovering in concern. She
brushed her gloved fingertips over his forehead, massaging the
swelling bump. “Maybe I should have brought my staff, or a
sphere even. I didn’t think you’d be hurt…”
“Don’t worry about it! It doesn’t hurt anymore.” He shook his
head with such vigorous energy, Yuna burst out laughing.
“Sorry I kept you waiting.”
“It was terrible! I thought…” He felt the urge to cry, surprised
by the waterfall of emotion rising in his throat.
She put a gentle finger to his lips, silencing his remark with a
sad smile.
“In my case, I’ve waited two years.”
Tidus nodded, remorseful. A day of sadness and neglect couldn’t
compare to two years of grief, and so he reined in on his
complaint. “Sorry…”
“It’s okay.” She smiled, lowering her hand.
Tidus stared at her, still processing the fact that she stood
before him, and he took a shy, tentative step forward, reaching
out for her. “Yuna…”
And then she turned her back on him, cutting through the solemn
air with forced enthusiasm. “Departure of the Aurochs’ Ace is a
go! Commence the private cruise!” She announced with joy despite
the shaky hand she used to activate the stick, and then after a
quick, awkward pause: “Do you know the other name for this
boat?”
“How am I supposed to know?” he said, sounding more curt than he
wished to. He hadn’t expected her to rebuff him like that, and
the rejection stung. ‘Does she not want me around anymore?’
“The Aurochs used to call it ‘The Buddies.’” She giggled at
that, turning around to smile at him. “Tonight, I let them know
that we embarked; just you and me.”
She looked so radiant, beaming at him, that he couldn’t stay mad
at her anymore. But then she broke eye contact, bashful, looking
like the ghost of her old self, shy and proper, and he felt the
odd tickling from the thought that maybe he dazzled her, just as
much as she did for him. They were finally alone, unsure of how
to act around each other now. They hadn’t been alone since that
night at Macalania Woods, in the water spring; with the cozy
little cabin waiting down below, Tidus sensed his cheeks grow
scorching hot.
“We’ve just left the port.” Her voice brought him back to the
present, and he gulped, regathering his wits. “Do you mind if we
row along the coast for a bit until we reach the other side of
the island? The wind’s gotten stronger out of nowhere, and we
need to find a good place to drop anchor…”
He shrugged. “If you want. I don’t care about the wind.”
Moving closer to Yuna, Tidus placed his left hand on the rudder
wheel, directly over her own. His metal gauntlet clashing with
her white glove. He felt her tense for a moment, and to his
great relief she leaned back against him, allowing him to push
the stick forward with his right palm. Underneath their feet,
they sensed the vibrations of the engine as the noise
heightened, and The Ace accelerated at a gentle speed.
“Do you know how to steer?”
Tidus threw her a wounded look. “What’re you talking about? I
was practically born on a boat!”
After that boast, Tidus recalled all the times he spent on his
father’s boat. His skills now were tuned enough to steer, but as
he looked back and tried to remember everything he knew about
navigation, his mind drew a startling blank. ‘How did I forget…?
I used to know so much. Now I can’t think of anything.’
He couldn’t think straight, not with the scent of Yuna’s perfume
mixing in with the strong, salty air. Yeah, that had to be it.
She smelled so nice, and she felt so warm, it was enough to
distract him.
“You wanna go down?” He pointed to the cabin, eager to lie down
and cuddle with her.
“Shouldn’t we wait until we drop the anchor? It’ll be safer…”
He dismissed her concern with a wave of his hand. “What’s a
little wind gonna do? Blow us away into the sky? There’s nothing
to worry about. C’mon, let’s go down.”
#Post#: 1241--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rebirth ~ The Price of Eternity [A Fan-written Restoration]
By: Danko Kaji Date: December 24, 2016, 10:58 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 6
Tentative Title:
Of An Ancient War
---
[/center](A/N): Re-reading through this chapter more times than
I care to admit, I finally realized that there was this very
annoying and awkward POV shift between Valm and a nameless
Zanarkand soldier. I rectified it accordingly, but dang. Was it
just me, or was I the only one who did not immediately register
that they were two completely different people?
In other news, happy holidays!
[center]*[/center]
Valm exhausted all the ammunition and grenades he had in hand,
slaughtering several of the enemies which were encroaching upon
them, oblivious to the dramatic shift in weather until he left
the island. Forewarning signs, such as oppressive dark clouds
and suffocating strong winds, always arrived before a storm, but
blinded by the fear and excitement of battle, he had noticed
nothing.
When people are in a constant struggle for survival, they never
stop to think about the consequences, he reflected.
The rain fell so heavy, he found it difficult to see in front of
him; the gusts were projecting sea spray into his face, stinging
his eyes. The small, flimsy boat kept him afloat somehow, but it
kept pitching violently, compromising his balance. Uttering a
string of curses that would have made his mother faint, he
attempted to re-gather his composure.
‘Calm down, calm down…’
He wanted to leave this dreadful place as soon as possible.
‘After all, I completed my mission.’
Valm spotted another target on top of the air tower, and he
squinted, trying to distinguish the distant figure. The man
seemed young and built, but... that couldn’t be Johit. He had
dark hair, not flaming red… Maybe Meroh? It had to be. Valm
recognized his Guards, along with someone else, probably a
prospective Aeon Core. It must be a member of his family or a
beloved one. The more links between a Summoner and their Aeon
Core, the stronger the bond, the more powerful the entreated
creature produced.
Valm hoped the bomb had killed the remainder of his enemies.
But then, he spotted a conspicuous lone figure, and his eyes
widened. “No…”
(POV shift)
If he could eliminate the mage at least, that would be
fortuitous, for he proved the most dangerous; the others present
around him were easy to dismiss.
This war between the two major cities seemed to wage on forever,
even though he had sworn to give his life to end it. Yes, he
chose to sacrifice himself for peace. The blind devotee lowered
his hands from his prayer, raising his eyes to the empyrean. The
wind stung, whipping his body with volatile ferocity, bringing
the salt from the chaotic sea to hinder his sight.
“The truth…”
He never stopped to consider the outcome of this war, only
Yunalesca-- the Summoner Princess and how he would live by her
side, to be her most loyal servant. He looked back on the sacred
ceremony over the course of which he had taken an oath, and she
graced him with a kiss. The sweet smell of her hands came to
mind, and the memory appeased him.
(POV shift)
Valm crawled through the shallow water, spying the pious
murderer who appeared to have finally calmed down. Only the
upper half of his head protruded from the surface, his eyes
glaring in the dark of nightfall. As he approached, he made out
the face of his enemy. He still looked to be a teenager. Had the
Sage brainwashed him, or did his sorceress daughter bewitch the
poor fool with her seductive spell?
The young man turned around, as if sensing him by his bloodlust
alone, and Valm leapt, landing inside the small boat. He grasped
him by the black hairs of his head, wrenching him closer to knee
him in the stomach. This caused the enemy to double over in
pain, vomiting all over himself. Valm tossed him aside and stood
above him, unsheathing his sabre. Dragging him up by the neck,
he pierced his back where his heart would be, and the boy let
out an inarticulate cry.
With his task complete, Valm attached little importance to the
pyreflies of his victim, whose soul already began to vanish. He
went about surveying the ship, rummaging for anything useful.
The spoils of war, as one would say. No weapons were found
aboard, but a small boat equipped with a working engine could
turn out to be salvageable. He wanted to call out to his
comrades, but then reconsidered it. Maybe a fire as a signal…
No. None of these solutions were efficient, considering nobody
would be able to hear or see anything in this terrible squall.
Shading his eyes from the rain, Valm turned in direction of the
island’s peak, reciting the words of faith, finding comfort in
their divine nature.
“O Luchera, Goddess of War! Grant us your blessing, and protect
us with your outspread wings!”
[center]~[/center]
Hidden underneath the ground, a man-made bunker built at the
center of the island, the Board of War’s South Division lied
isolated from outside noises. The majority of the stationed
troops had gathered inside the stateroom. Silence prevailed the
spacious room, only disrupted by the echo of stifled tears.
An altar decorated with multiple rows of tropical flowers
distinguished itself at the center of the room. Kushu had just
finished her Sending, and Sloan, the brother of the victim,
still knelt before the woman, his shoulders heaving with sobs.
She stepped closer to him, and place a hand on his broad back.
Anli, whose real name used to be Pohlan, lied dead on his wooden
casket, but his beautiful, young face looked so peaceful that he
appeared to be sleeping. The Summoner was still a teenager, but
even so his soul had already departed for the world beyond.
Alb, the team leader, approached them, and spoke with a voice
that belied his old age. “What happened to the man responsible,
Sloan?”
“It was a young girl. I already eliminated her.”
“What about her soul? Do you think she’ll come back to exact her
revenge?”
“If she comes back, fiend or Unsent, I’ll take her down!” He
shrieks, his voice shrill with rage and grief. “I’ll cut her
down again and again and again until she wishes she stayed
dead!”
Alb opened his mouth, his eyebrows creased, but the sudden
arrival of Valm, soaked from top to bottom and emanating a
murderous aura, prevented him from speaking further. “What
happened?”
Valm chose not to answer, staring at Anli’s corpse. After a long
moment passed, he made his way over to Sloan and clasped his
shoulder firmly.
“I will never forgive them…” Sloan swore, his voice cracking.
Valm agreed with a somber look that rivaled his grieving
comrade.
“We’re short on people,” Sloan said, turning towards Alb, rising
on one knee. “When will you be able to deploy the mechanical
Bedohls?”
“We’re currently encountering multiple problems, but in the near
future I expect very soon.”
“In the near future? You’re so vague! If you desire more guinea
pigs, leave it to me.”
Alb sighed, folding his arms. “We already talked about this.
Must I repeat myself? Aside from restricting the number of
Bedohls, this entire thing is pointless. If you want to waste my
time and waste the amount of Bedohls available to us, then go
right ahead. But force will not solve anything.”
Sloan snickered. “You’re complaining to the wrong guy. You
should say that to the heretic Sage!”
“Alb.” Valm spoke, intervening on their argument. “You appear to
be having fun tinkering around with your Bedohls in the name of
‘research.’ But we’ve been eagerly anticipating the day when
they’re finally going to be of actual use to us. We need
reinforcements, fighters who will work as long as one of our
enemies still live. We must protect the Summoners and their Aeon
Cores at all costs. Forever.”
Every time someone mentioned the future, Kush always looked
ready to cry, anguish flashing in her eyes.
Sloan turned back around to gaze upon his dead brother, raising
his voice. “Let’s search the island, but we must proceed with
caution. The enemies may still be upon us with more.”
#Post#: 1242--------------------------------------------------
Re: Rebirth ~ The Price of Eternity [A Fan-written Restoration]
By: Danko Kaji Date: December 24, 2016, 11:20 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[center]Chapter 7
Tentative Title:
Of An Incoming Storm
---
[/center]
(A/N): This is as far as I got, as far as completed chapters go,
but I'm close to finishing the next one. If I push myself,
perhaps I can finish that one tonight and post it by tomorrow.
I'll try my best to work on this every day, hopefully get this
done before next semester of school starts. Wish me luck!
[center]*[/center]
The Celsius finally reached Besaid, parking at the entrance of
the cove.
As soon as Wakka boarded, desperate to meet with them, hoping
they knew anything of Yuna and Tidus’s whereabouts, he walked
straight into an argument. Not their usual wacky bickering, but
something far more a cause for concern, echoing within the
cockpit and bounding off the walls in rapid-fire Al Bhed.
Everyone with the exception of Barkeep and Calli were present,
the official members of the Gullwings, but Wakka couldn’t make
sense of anything they were saying. Even Rikku, who usually made
the gracious effort of translating for her Yevonite friends,
stood front and center.
“The fuselage may be damaged,” Paine said, sparing him from his
own insanity.
“You can’t fly anymore?”
“No. We don’t know the exact cause, let alone how to repair it.
Perhaps if we continued to Luca, we could have asked other Al
Bhed, maybe some of Gippal’s guys, to help us, but…” She sighed.
“Coming here was a mistake, and that’s what they’re arguing
about. The conversation’s lowbrow, trust me.”
“Why’d you come back, then?”
“To let you know that a bad storm was coming.”
“If that’s the case, then why didn’t you use the Commsphere?”
Before Paine could answer, Shinra broke away from the group to
speak in the common tongue. “The island’s Commsphere was already
down. I meant to fix it, but someone here just couldn’t wait to
leave.” He turned his head in Aniki’s direction. “And now, ours
is in the same state."
“Ya could have said so sooner!” Wakka exclaimed, frustrated to
the point of panic. “I came to use your Commsphere. Yuna’s
disappeared!”
At this news, everyone fell silent.
Aniki glared at Wakka, mouth hanging open like a fish out of
water. “Yuna? Missing?”
“Yes. She said she wanted to board a boat with Tidus-- ‘to catch
up on lost time,’ she said. We thought they were on the other
side of the island, but…”
Aniki screeched in distress, about read to tear his crazy mohawk
out.
Rikku peered outside through one of their portholes, terrified
by the state of the storm. “The sea looks scary destructive out
there… I hope they’re alright…”
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