Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ A New Threat To Spira ❯ Prelude to Cataclysm ( Chapter 13 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Neon Ronin 
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.12.2004 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.4K | Visits: 304 | Status: Completed
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.12.2004 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.4K | Visits: 304 | Status: Completed
[A/N: As usual, I don't own anything by Square Enix or any other game company. On with the show.]
13: Prelude to Cataclysm
The cliffs of Mount Gagazet had become a war zone as dozens of draconian fiends surged forward, attempting to smother the small band of warriors in their midst beneath leathery wings and obsidian claws. Their strength in numbers was formidable, but they had not counted on the power and tenacity their prey had at their disposal. Several of the Wrathfangs quickly learned their lesson as Gippal slammed the Fiendgrinder's rotary saw blade across their chests, tearing them to pieces and sending horrific shrieks echoing across the mountain. Kimahri swung his Spirit Lance in a wide arc, knocking a squad of five more Wrathfangs off the side of the cliff and into oblivion. More fiends scrambled down the sheer cliff face, grappling Kimahri from behind and attempting to rip his arms off, when suddenly the earth trembled and a wave of emerald stalagmites erupted from the ground, impaling the fiends and enabling Kimahri to break free and finish them off with a massive lance swing. "Time to get down to business!!" Tidus shouted, wiping the sweat from his brow as the Earth Crystal's glow faded and the stalagmites disappeared. Grasping Caladbolg with both hands, he spun around and began tearing apart a new squad of fiends that was charging the Gullwings' position.
Yuna slammed two fresh clips into her guns and charged forward, spinning and firing at the fiends around them in an elegant yet deadly waltz. Two airborne Wrathfangs landed directly in front of her and lunged, claws aimed at her chest and throat; with a quick duck she rolled right beneath their attacks, landing face up on the ground between them just as they looked down in bewilderment. "See ya," she muttered, almost playfully, before jamming a gun down the throat of each fiend and squeezing the triggers as fast as humanly possible. The backs of the Wrathfangs' skulls exploded, unleashing clouds of pyreflies as Yuna rolled over and jumped to her feet. Not far from her, Rikku was completing her Spherechange into Alchemist mode and was already mixing two elements together. "Chow down on this, you big meanies!!" she yelled, tossing the mixing canister at a new squad of fiends which were rapidly closing in on Tidus. They had succeeded in grazing him across the arms twice and he had carved two into nothingness just as Rikku's Archangel bomb exploded around them, ripping them to shreds.
"DESTROY THEM!!!" Neogas bellowed as several more Wrathfangs closed in on the party. Paine grasped her sword in a knuckle-whitening grip and charged several at once. The crystal on her hand shone bright gold once again as fingers of electricity wrapped themselves around her sword. "You just don't get it, do you?" she growled, driving her blade into first one fiend, then another, and then a third. Her movements were perfectly timed, her speed blinding. The fiends screeched as the shockwaves tore across their bodies, and were abruptly silenced as Yuna chambered and fired a Scatterburst flechette round that not only destroyed them but gouged furrows into the fiends who were racing forward to replace them. Suddenly the twin Morlachs roared in unison, expelling a foul black miasma that washed over all six warriors, burning their eyes and throats and causing Tidus, Paine and Gippal to double over in poison-induced agony.
"Tysh ajano mycd uha uv draca suhcdanc!!" Gippal snarled, twirling the Fiendgrinder around and setting it firmly on his shoulder, barrel end towards the fiends. "I'm not gonna let a little poison stop me just when the fun's getting started!!" He winced as he jammed his fingers down on the trigger, launching a high-impact shell directly at the Morlachs which exploded right between them, showering them both with flame and shrapnel. The fiends squealed in pain and recoiled several paces; at that moment Kimahri raised his lance in the air and channeled the healing energies of White Wind into those around him, soothing the burning sensations of the Morlachs' poison. "Take your presence away from home of Ronso!" Kimahri shouted, swinging his lance into another group of fiends and grinding them into oblivion.
[Translation: Damn every last one of these monsters!!]
"This is getting ridiculous; let's kick it up a notch and finish them all right now!!" Tidus punched his Grid and activated his Gunner sphere just as a final squad of Wrathfangs descended and charged him from behind. Yuna caught a glimpse of his attackers before he did and broke into a run towards him. "Tidus, behind you!" she cried, slapping fresh clips into her guns. He nodded quickly and dashed towards her with the fiends hot on his heels. At the last possible second she ducked and rolled as he executed a diving roll directly over her. The fiends stumbled for a second in surprise at the rollover switch, then recoiled in shock as Yuna rolled up into a crouch, blazing away at the fiends with both barrels. A second later, Tidus whipped around and executed an identical two-fisted attack directly over her head. The Wrathfangs could do little else but stumble in agony as the combined fury of four guns tore their flesh to pieces. At the exact same moment, Rikku slammed her right palm to the ground, channeling a torrent of hellfire from her crystal that raced across the ground and erupted beneath the Morlachs, immolating them from the inside out.
Neogas growled in frustration as he ran a hand across a patch of burned skin on his chest. With the Morlachs burned to cinders and almost all the Wrathfangs destroyed, only he remained. "So it comes down to this, does it? Very well; I will kill each of you myself!!"
"Dream on," Paine shot back. "Why don't you just walk away before-" But before she could complete her retort, the apelike fiend charged forward almost faster than the eye could see, pulling his arm back and swinging in a wide arc. Paine and Rikku both caught the full force of the swipe and got knocked backwards across the ground, the wind knocked out of them. Yuna gasped and began channeling energy from the White Lore still clipped to her temple braid, when Neogas abruptly slammed both fists to the ground, emitting a concussive wave of force that shook the walls next to them and caused some rocks to fall away. Tidus threw himself in front of the blast and tried to block the wave with the Earth Crystal's power, but the wave was far too quick and knocked him, Yuna, Kimahri and Gippal to the ground.
"I do believe it is you lot who should 'dream on'," said Neogas as he ambled forward. "Master has granted me great strength, far greater than my Gigas brethren. There is no chance of defeat." He chuckled and reached to his side, producing a small vial of scintillating liquid. In doing so, he failed to notice Rikku subtly changing Dresspheres and rolling into a crouch. "Now, to make sure you don't make this harder for me..."
"OH NO YOU DON'T!!" Neogas blinked and turned his head towards the shout, just in time to see Rikku jump in the air towards him, clad in her Thief clothing once more. She planted her left foot on his left forearm, whipped around and kicked him across the face with her right, while at the same time lunging forward and grabbing the bottle of Hero Drink out of his hands. A quick forward flip and she landed on the ground, drew her daggers which promptly burst into flame, spun around and carved a pair of wicked gashes across his upper thigh. "Sorry, Mr. Ape Man, but there ain't nothin' I can't steal!" she taunted in a sing-song voice. She turned back to the others, grabbing a Mega-Potion out of her belt pouch just as Neogas recovered and pulled his arm back to punch her right in the back of the head.
"RIKKU! KAD TUFH!!" Gippal shouted. Rikku blinked and hit the ground just as the beast swung, missing her head by less than an inch. Neogas stumbled, giving Gippal a chance to struggle to his feet and fire another shell. The round exploded right in Neogas' face, eliciting a groan of pain and lots of smoke- but the beast stayed on his feet. He glared at Gippal who was chambering another round in the Fiendgrinder; seconds later two white-hot bolts of fire burst forth from his eyes, catching Gippal square in the chest and slamming him against the far cliff wall. Rikku shrieked and jumped to her feet, tossing the Mega-Potion into the air and at the same time glaring at Neogas with fury burning in her eyes.
[Translation: Rikku! Get down!!]
"You call yourself greater? You're nothing but an animal! Killing my people, kidnapping my own cousin, and now this ambush of yours! You're nothing more than a BIG BULLYING LACKEY!!" she screamed, flames racing along not only her daggers but across her arms and legs as well. Taking a quick step, she charged forward, jumped and drove both blades directly into Neogas' chest before he even had a chance to swing at her. The crystal-induced flames appeared to engulf her entire body, surging and searing their way into the wounds her daggers inflicted. Neogas roared in agony, flailing his arms out to either side and beating at his burning fur until Rikku eventually released her grip, dropping to the ground and extinguishing the flames that had wreathed her figure. Her face relaxed and she collapsed to her knees, breathing hard. Yuna scrambled to her feet and pulled Rikku away from the beast, who was beating out the last of the flames and breathing hard.
"We'd better get this over with!" Yuna cried, jerking one pistol upwards and firing several shots at Neogas; the bullets dug into his flesh but appeared to do little except attract his attention. "Dammit," she muttered softly, "I guess ranged attacks are out, and I'm not sure how much magical energy I've got in reserve!" She channeled her White Lore again, casting a healing spell on Rikku.
"Looks like we just gotta pound him hard and fast!" said Paine as she raised her right hand forward. Her crystal burned with a golden light and her eyes glowed pure white as a bolt of lightning exploded from her open palm, sending flash burns across Neogas' left arm. He growled and charged the group once again, punching as hard and fast as he could. Kimahri leapt forward and parried the beast's strikes with his lance, scoring a few good blows of his own. Tidus changed back to his normal attire and joined the fray, carving several wicked gashes into Neogas, but the beast was determined not to give up and swung both arms outward, tearing his claws across both fighters and knocking them backward. Tidus stumbled but stayed on his feet, quickly turning around.
"Yuna! Can you channel your crystal enough to create a sphere of water?"
"A sphere? I think so, but why?" she asked, slightly confused.
"I'm gonna try my old Blitz Ace technique on him, but if we want it to work completely we're gonna need something akin to a Blitzball!" he replied.
A smile broke across her face and she nodded. She stood up and shot her right hand forward, palm up. A deep blue glow shone from her entire hand as minute drops of water swirled in the air above her palm, coalescing and binding into a spheroid form. Azure flecks of energy swirled in the midst of the orb as she turned her head to Tidus and grinned. "Go get him, sweetheart."
Neogas was attempting to wrestle Kimahri off the side of the cliff when a burst of energy from the others attracted his attention. He turned back just in time to see Tidus launching himself forward with phenomenal force. Neogas' arms shot up in a desperate shielding maneuver, but he was far too slow. Tidus swung Caladbolg back and forth through the air stronger than he ever had before, gouging terrific furrows into Neogas' chest and legs that left the beast reeling. Paine stared in amazement. This is swordsmanship on a level of speed I've only gotten to see once or twice before! she mused at the very moment Tidus stopped swinging his sword. Jamming the blade into the ground in front of him, he jumped up and used the pommel as a stepping stool to hurl himself several yards into the air. At the exact same moment, Yuna heaved the sphere of energy and water into the sky with one hand, which seemed to fly effortlessly through the air and into an ideal position just as Tidus was arching backward into his signature moonsault. His foot connected with the sphere, driving it into Neogas' face with a crashing sound that made everybody visibly wince.
The great beast collapsed to his knees, breathing hard; already his form was beginning to grow indistinct. "You are strong... stronger perhaps than Master thought," he gasped. "You may win this battle, but Master will hunt you down and destroy you for sure..."
Yuna glared at the dying fiend. "Not if we destroy him first."
***************************************
The journey down the remaining cliffs was, thankfully, uneventful. Gippal had suffered a concussion when he hit the rock wall, and despite a healing potion or two had a hard time remaining steady, so Rikku had offered her shoulder to lean on as they descended. It had made for an interesting sight because of their height difference, but they had managed. The clouds were slowly dispersing, letting in the light of the crescent moon overhead. As they reached the foothills of Gagazet, Yuna caught sight of several tents erected near the great stone arches, which she immediately recognized as belonging to Nhadala. Sure enough, there she was, chatting with a female Ronso while Brother and Buddy appeared to be playing cards with two Ronso youths. Upon catching sight of YTRP, however, Brother leaped up from the game and dashed over.
"YUNA!" he cried joyously. "They found you after all! This is great happiness!!" A huge grin broke out on his face and he started dancing around, causing Yuna and the others to giggle. The dance stopped when he noticed Gippal with his arm around Rikku's shoulder. "Wait a minute! What is happening here, Rikku? He is not toying with you, is he?" he asked in a slightly vexed tone.
"What? Oh, come on, Brother! Can't you see he got kinda banged up? I was just trying to help!"
"It's true, actually we all got in kind of a tough spot up there," Yuna added. "I don't think it would have gone so well if he and Kimahri hadn't shown up when they did."
Kimahri nodded. "Gippal comes to Ronso with great concern on his face. Tells Kimahri he is worried for safety of friends, that airship cannot go close enough. Kimahri worried, too. Mountain tells Kimahri that Yuna and others in danger."
"You have no idea how glad we were to see you," said Tidus. "Talk about a sight for sore eyes, old buddy." Kimahri smiled, that strange feline smile that was unnerving at first but still pleasing.
"We really should have contacted you and told you about those fiends earlier, before things started getting out of hand," said Yuna. "I knew the Council would tell you, but I... I guess I was scared that if I told you, you'd wind up getting hurt because of it. I'm sorry, Kimahri."
"Yuna did what she thought best. There is no need for apologies," he replied. "But do not worry from now on. Kimahri has fought and triumphed against far worse than those." She looked up at him and nodded, a small smile on her face.
"I just wish we could have seen each other again under happier circumstances," she said after a moment. "I wish you'd been able to come to Besaid for the ceremony."
He nodded, a suggestion of regret on his face. "Duties of Elder are heavy burden at times. Elder cannot leave Ronso when they are in need. Still, Kimahri there in spirit. Kimahri happy for Yuna's happiness." She smiled more broadly and gave him a big hug.
"The Celsius got a little banged up by that storm, so we had to land further to the South," Buddy said as he joined the group. "We figured it might be a good idea to camp down here, especially since some of the diggers were starting to get cabin fever. Thankfully we haven't gotten too much static from the Ronso about setting up temporarily."
Gippal swayed slightly on his feet and put a hand to his head. "That's good, because I think I'm gonna need a place to lie down in the next ten seconds."
"Oh geez, Gippal, you shoulda said something if you were getting woozy again!" Rikku said as she braced Gippal as best she could, leading him over to one of the tents.
Paine stifled a yawn and ran a hand across her arm where some bruises still remained. "I think we're all going to have to lie down and get some sleep; it's way past midnight after all."
"You're right," said Yuna, stretching and gazing up at the sky. We need to rest up for the trials ahead of us. This isn't going to be easy , she thought to herself.
"We've got enough bedding for just about everyone, I think." Yuna looked up to see Nhadala approaching the group. "After what you've been through in the last few days, I'm guessing you could really use it."
Yuna looked a bit sheepish. "Yeah... Not exactly the kind of thing you get from repairing weather forecasting equipment," she muttered.
Nhadala smiled. "You know, if you had just mentioned what was going down we could've sent some people out to help you with it... But I can also understand not wanting to get others involved," she said, placing a sympathetic hand on Yuna's shoulder. "You'd better get some rest. It's not easy fighting fiends when you're half asleep," she added with a wink. Yuna nodded, and she and Tidus made their way over to the main tent with Paine ambling slowly after them. Brother and Buddy followed suit as well as Kimahri gazed solemnly at the clearing skies above. A stray gust of wind blew through his mane as he folded his arms across his chest.
"Yuna goes to face a great evil," he muttered to himself. "Ronso are still few in number, too few to risk going to war with one such as this. Elder's place is with Ronso." He shook his head and gazed sadly back at the tent. "Kimahri would go with Yuna, but must stay with Ronso brethren. Elder's mantle is a heavy burden once more," he sighed, turning and walking towards a small campfire where Laira, a Ronso maiden with whom he was enamored, sat waiting to talk with him and comfort him.
*********************************************
R ikku stirred in her sleeping bag. Something's moving around, she thought as the sounds of a person shifting and groaning met her ears. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up; what little light came through the tent flap was cold and gray, telling her it was still some time before dawn. To her right lay Paine in her sleeping bag, flat on her back and sleeping like the dead. Just beyond Paine was Yuna's sleeping bag, which she had pulled right next to Tidus' the moment they had settled down mere hours before. Rikku pulled herself onto her elbows and could see the two of them had edged out of their sleeping bags just enough to wrap their arms around each other, and were both sound asleep. She smiled at this and began to wonder what it was she had heard, when another groan came from her left. Turning over, she realized what was going on.
"Gippal? You're awake already?" she whispered. Gippal was sitting cross-legged on top of his sleeping bag, stretching his arms in a position that looked decidedly uncomfortable. Upon hearing his name, he looked over and smiled a guilty smile.
"Sorry, I didn't want to disturb you," he whispered, continuing his stretches. "I woke up not too long ago and couldn't get back to sleep."
"I know the feeling," Rikku replied. "Are you okay now? That bump on the back of your head was really nasty."
"I've had worse. Of course, I wasn't getting burned across the chest by a fiend at the same time, so..." He shrugged. "I'm just glad we pulled through that mess in more or less one piece."
A moment passed. Rikku pulled herself up into a sitting position. "Gippal... thanks again. For everything. I dunno what we would've done if you two hadn't been there."
Gippal smiled. "I don't know what it was that told me to go up Gagazet after you guys, but for some reason I felt I just had to get up there. I didn't want to see the same thing that happened on Bikanel all over again, Rikku."
Rikku paused. "Gippal... you haven't been calling me by that nickname very much these days, you know?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well... just that you've always called me 'Cid's girl' or 'kiddo' whenever we'd meet, even back when we were growing up." She shifted uncomfortably in her sleeping bag. "I dunno, I guess I just got used to you calling me that, even if it did annoy me at times."
Gippal scratched the back of his head, fidgeting slightly. "I... I guess I thought I was being cool or something whenever I said that," he said in a low tone. "It was a childish thing to do; I think it took me longer to grow out of that juvenile phase than most Al Bhed boys. I was just being stupid. I kept acting like a big shot while you went away and got a chance to do things I never would have dreamed of." He sighed and looked up at her with his good eye. "E's cunno E dnaydat oui mega y get ymm drec desa, Rikku."
[Translation: I'm sorry I treated you like a kid all this time, Rikku]
Rikku blinked and then looked down at her hands, blushing slightly. "Um... Well, maybe I should've been acting a bit more grownup myself, I mean Paine's always been on my case about behaving like a kid, so maybe I kinda brought it on myself anyway?"
"That's part of what makes you who you are," Gippal replied. "I don't recall ever asking you to change that, did I?" Rikku shook her head, blushing even more. "All I'm saying is maybe it's time I grew up myself and showed you that I really do know you have a name."
"Gippal..." she said softly.
Just then soft moans began to emerge from Rikku's right. She turned around and saw Paine tossing and turning in her sleep. She pulled her arms out of the sleeping bag and began punching the air; at the sound of her movements Yuna awoke, pulling herself up and gently nudging Tidus awake as well. "No... No! Get away; stop it! Stop showing me this! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!" Paine shouted, jerking upwards into a sitting position with her eyes wide open. Cold sweat was running down her temples and she was breathing hard.
"Paine, what is it? What's going on?" Yuna asked frantically, scrambling out of her sleeping bag. Paine said nothing, but clenched her fists and stared at the tent flap, trying to calm down with harsh, measured breaths. Yuna bit her lower lip nervously.
"It... It was him again, wasn't it?" Rikku asked in a low, feeble voice.
Paine unclenched her right hand and wiped the sweat off her brow. "I heard him laughing," she muttered. "Then I started seeing things, things I think he wanted me to see. I saw the Thunder Plains..." She drew in a deep breath. "I saw fiends everywhere. The fiends he's been sending after us all this time. Wrathfangs, those disgusting Morlachs... they were everywhere. Hundreds of them. All over the Plains. Then that damnable voice of his spoke up, saying 'it won't be long now', and laughing again..."
"He's been creating an army," said Tidus with a grim look on his face. "That's what he's been holding back behind that barrier of his. This isn't just a few raiding minions, he's going to wage all-out war."
Yuna shivered. "Just like he told me in that dream prison of his. He wants to make all of Spira pay for what he's been through- the imprisonment, the rivalry with his master, everything."
"And if he's jumping into your mind again just to show you what's going on..." Rikku continued.
"It means two things. We're running out of time faster than we thought, and he's trying to lure us into a trap," said Paine as she pulled herself out of her sleeping bag. "There's something in the Plains he wants us to face, but he wants to soften us up by throwing waves of fiends at us first. Either that, or he's planning to divert our attention while that army of his marches on Spira from all directions."
"So what are we going to do now?" Yuna asked.
Gippal stood up. "If I might make a suggestion. Let's get the camp broken down as soon as everyone is ready to move, then get our butts back to Bevelle as fast as possible. I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve, plus I did some Commsphere strategy discussions with Nooj and Baralai last night. At least two divisions of Council troops should have already been put on active duty and may be mobilizing as we speak. If it's war that Malar wants, it's a war he's gonna get."
Rikku blinked. "Gippal, are you sure about this?"
"Not entirely, but one thing I know is I'm not gonna stand by and let the four of you take all the risks," he replied. "We've already got several companies of troops on standby in Bevelle, and a few in Luca and Djose. It won't be too hard to move them into flanking positions around the Plains; that way we can keep civilians from getting too involved."
"What about aerial attacks?" Tidus asked. "Don't forget those Wrathfangs can fly as easily as they walk. A ground-only blockade won't last long if they take to the sky."
"Already taken into consideration," Gippal replied. "We've refurbished as many machina weapons as possible, at least one to a platoon. Nooj told me they've prepped and readied all the YAC-62 mechs that are still battle-worthy. If it comes down to it, we've also got a few 'surprises' of our own that the Machine Faction's been testing for a few months."
Yuna nodded to herself. "So this is really it," she said softly. "He knows we've assembled all the crystals, and now that we have them, he's getting desperate. So much that he's calling us out with a show of force that could very well level all of Spira in its wake." She looked up. "He doesn't care how many lives he extinguishes, and he knows we do care. He knows that we'd do anything to protect each other and those around us, and he's hoping to use that against us. He wants us to be afraid to fight against those odds." She took a deep breath and the semblance of a smile crept onto her face.
"But he's not going to succeed," she continued. "He doesn't know the true power we have among us. Not just in the crystals, but in each other. We've fought against far worse things than a sadistic two thousand-year-old maniac, and each time we came through because we were together. As long as we're a team, we can face anything." She looked at Tidus and slipped her hand into his. "He may be The Immortal, but he has a weakness. All we have to do is find it."
Tidus nodded. "We can do this. I don't care how many of those things he throws our way, we'll bring 'em all down."
"Yeah!" Rikku interjected, jumping up and down. "Let's go get that big meanie once and for all!!"
"Then we'd better get a move on," said Paine as she began gathering her equipment. "Let's get out of here and get to Bevelle as soon as we can." She shook her equipment pouch. "We'd better stock up on medicinals when we get there; our Potion supply is running pretty low."
The others nodded and began moving around the tent quickly. As the sun rose over the horizon, the small camp began to bustle with activity as tents were lowered and repackaged. The Ronso pitched in to help in the campsite breakdown; even the stubborn Garik lent a hand. Breakfast was a hurried affair, a simple meal of trail biscuits and Chocobo eggs. Gippal took a moment to use the Gagazet Commsphere to contact Bevelle, alerting Nooj and Baralai that all was well and that they should expect the Celsius by mid-morning. Paine stood brooding by the side of the cliffs watching Tidus, Yuna and Rikku say goodbye to Kimahri. While they weren't looking, she slipped off the Power Wrist worn beneath her left glove, replacing it with something else from the equipment satchel.
"Take care of yourself, Kimahri," Yuna said, giving him a big hug. "Be safe."
"Kimahri will protect Ronso from any danger," he replied. "But Kimahri wishes he could go with Yuna as well."
"It's alright," she said. "I don't want to risk the safety of the Ronso tribe, and I know you don't either." She patted him on the arm. "We'll be okay."
"We'll come and visit you once the battle's won, Kimahri," Tidus added. "It'll be over before you know it." Kimahri nodded, giving a grunt of approval.
"Come on, you guys! We gotta get going before Malar decides to start the party before us!" Rikku whined. Yuna and Tidus looked over and smiled. Even in the midst of a crisis, Rikku still had that one spark of cheerfulness that didn't go out- maybe overshadowed once in a while, but never completely gone.
"We're on our way!" they said in unison, giving Kimahri one last hug and heading down to join the others. In the distance they could just make out the whine of the Celsius' engines starting up.
To Be Continued...
[A/N: I will admit, Yuna's little speech towards the end is a teeny bit sappy, but I think it fits her well. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far, and please- if you would leave a review I would greatly appreciate it. Might even inspire me to post the remaining chapters faster! ^_^ -Neon Ronin]
13: Prelude to Cataclysm
The cliffs of Mount Gagazet had become a war zone as dozens of draconian fiends surged forward, attempting to smother the small band of warriors in their midst beneath leathery wings and obsidian claws. Their strength in numbers was formidable, but they had not counted on the power and tenacity their prey had at their disposal. Several of the Wrathfangs quickly learned their lesson as Gippal slammed the Fiendgrinder's rotary saw blade across their chests, tearing them to pieces and sending horrific shrieks echoing across the mountain. Kimahri swung his Spirit Lance in a wide arc, knocking a squad of five more Wrathfangs off the side of the cliff and into oblivion. More fiends scrambled down the sheer cliff face, grappling Kimahri from behind and attempting to rip his arms off, when suddenly the earth trembled and a wave of emerald stalagmites erupted from the ground, impaling the fiends and enabling Kimahri to break free and finish them off with a massive lance swing. "Time to get down to business!!" Tidus shouted, wiping the sweat from his brow as the Earth Crystal's glow faded and the stalagmites disappeared. Grasping Caladbolg with both hands, he spun around and began tearing apart a new squad of fiends that was charging the Gullwings' position.
Yuna slammed two fresh clips into her guns and charged forward, spinning and firing at the fiends around them in an elegant yet deadly waltz. Two airborne Wrathfangs landed directly in front of her and lunged, claws aimed at her chest and throat; with a quick duck she rolled right beneath their attacks, landing face up on the ground between them just as they looked down in bewilderment. "See ya," she muttered, almost playfully, before jamming a gun down the throat of each fiend and squeezing the triggers as fast as humanly possible. The backs of the Wrathfangs' skulls exploded, unleashing clouds of pyreflies as Yuna rolled over and jumped to her feet. Not far from her, Rikku was completing her Spherechange into Alchemist mode and was already mixing two elements together. "Chow down on this, you big meanies!!" she yelled, tossing the mixing canister at a new squad of fiends which were rapidly closing in on Tidus. They had succeeded in grazing him across the arms twice and he had carved two into nothingness just as Rikku's Archangel bomb exploded around them, ripping them to shreds.
"DESTROY THEM!!!" Neogas bellowed as several more Wrathfangs closed in on the party. Paine grasped her sword in a knuckle-whitening grip and charged several at once. The crystal on her hand shone bright gold once again as fingers of electricity wrapped themselves around her sword. "You just don't get it, do you?" she growled, driving her blade into first one fiend, then another, and then a third. Her movements were perfectly timed, her speed blinding. The fiends screeched as the shockwaves tore across their bodies, and were abruptly silenced as Yuna chambered and fired a Scatterburst flechette round that not only destroyed them but gouged furrows into the fiends who were racing forward to replace them. Suddenly the twin Morlachs roared in unison, expelling a foul black miasma that washed over all six warriors, burning their eyes and throats and causing Tidus, Paine and Gippal to double over in poison-induced agony.
"Tysh ajano mycd uha uv draca suhcdanc!!" Gippal snarled, twirling the Fiendgrinder around and setting it firmly on his shoulder, barrel end towards the fiends. "I'm not gonna let a little poison stop me just when the fun's getting started!!" He winced as he jammed his fingers down on the trigger, launching a high-impact shell directly at the Morlachs which exploded right between them, showering them both with flame and shrapnel. The fiends squealed in pain and recoiled several paces; at that moment Kimahri raised his lance in the air and channeled the healing energies of White Wind into those around him, soothing the burning sensations of the Morlachs' poison. "Take your presence away from home of Ronso!" Kimahri shouted, swinging his lance into another group of fiends and grinding them into oblivion.
[Translation: Damn every last one of these monsters!!]
"This is getting ridiculous; let's kick it up a notch and finish them all right now!!" Tidus punched his Grid and activated his Gunner sphere just as a final squad of Wrathfangs descended and charged him from behind. Yuna caught a glimpse of his attackers before he did and broke into a run towards him. "Tidus, behind you!" she cried, slapping fresh clips into her guns. He nodded quickly and dashed towards her with the fiends hot on his heels. At the last possible second she ducked and rolled as he executed a diving roll directly over her. The fiends stumbled for a second in surprise at the rollover switch, then recoiled in shock as Yuna rolled up into a crouch, blazing away at the fiends with both barrels. A second later, Tidus whipped around and executed an identical two-fisted attack directly over her head. The Wrathfangs could do little else but stumble in agony as the combined fury of four guns tore their flesh to pieces. At the exact same moment, Rikku slammed her right palm to the ground, channeling a torrent of hellfire from her crystal that raced across the ground and erupted beneath the Morlachs, immolating them from the inside out.
Neogas growled in frustration as he ran a hand across a patch of burned skin on his chest. With the Morlachs burned to cinders and almost all the Wrathfangs destroyed, only he remained. "So it comes down to this, does it? Very well; I will kill each of you myself!!"
"Dream on," Paine shot back. "Why don't you just walk away before-" But before she could complete her retort, the apelike fiend charged forward almost faster than the eye could see, pulling his arm back and swinging in a wide arc. Paine and Rikku both caught the full force of the swipe and got knocked backwards across the ground, the wind knocked out of them. Yuna gasped and began channeling energy from the White Lore still clipped to her temple braid, when Neogas abruptly slammed both fists to the ground, emitting a concussive wave of force that shook the walls next to them and caused some rocks to fall away. Tidus threw himself in front of the blast and tried to block the wave with the Earth Crystal's power, but the wave was far too quick and knocked him, Yuna, Kimahri and Gippal to the ground.
"I do believe it is you lot who should 'dream on'," said Neogas as he ambled forward. "Master has granted me great strength, far greater than my Gigas brethren. There is no chance of defeat." He chuckled and reached to his side, producing a small vial of scintillating liquid. In doing so, he failed to notice Rikku subtly changing Dresspheres and rolling into a crouch. "Now, to make sure you don't make this harder for me..."
"OH NO YOU DON'T!!" Neogas blinked and turned his head towards the shout, just in time to see Rikku jump in the air towards him, clad in her Thief clothing once more. She planted her left foot on his left forearm, whipped around and kicked him across the face with her right, while at the same time lunging forward and grabbing the bottle of Hero Drink out of his hands. A quick forward flip and she landed on the ground, drew her daggers which promptly burst into flame, spun around and carved a pair of wicked gashes across his upper thigh. "Sorry, Mr. Ape Man, but there ain't nothin' I can't steal!" she taunted in a sing-song voice. She turned back to the others, grabbing a Mega-Potion out of her belt pouch just as Neogas recovered and pulled his arm back to punch her right in the back of the head.
"RIKKU! KAD TUFH!!" Gippal shouted. Rikku blinked and hit the ground just as the beast swung, missing her head by less than an inch. Neogas stumbled, giving Gippal a chance to struggle to his feet and fire another shell. The round exploded right in Neogas' face, eliciting a groan of pain and lots of smoke- but the beast stayed on his feet. He glared at Gippal who was chambering another round in the Fiendgrinder; seconds later two white-hot bolts of fire burst forth from his eyes, catching Gippal square in the chest and slamming him against the far cliff wall. Rikku shrieked and jumped to her feet, tossing the Mega-Potion into the air and at the same time glaring at Neogas with fury burning in her eyes.
[Translation: Rikku! Get down!!]
"You call yourself greater? You're nothing but an animal! Killing my people, kidnapping my own cousin, and now this ambush of yours! You're nothing more than a BIG BULLYING LACKEY!!" she screamed, flames racing along not only her daggers but across her arms and legs as well. Taking a quick step, she charged forward, jumped and drove both blades directly into Neogas' chest before he even had a chance to swing at her. The crystal-induced flames appeared to engulf her entire body, surging and searing their way into the wounds her daggers inflicted. Neogas roared in agony, flailing his arms out to either side and beating at his burning fur until Rikku eventually released her grip, dropping to the ground and extinguishing the flames that had wreathed her figure. Her face relaxed and she collapsed to her knees, breathing hard. Yuna scrambled to her feet and pulled Rikku away from the beast, who was beating out the last of the flames and breathing hard.
"We'd better get this over with!" Yuna cried, jerking one pistol upwards and firing several shots at Neogas; the bullets dug into his flesh but appeared to do little except attract his attention. "Dammit," she muttered softly, "I guess ranged attacks are out, and I'm not sure how much magical energy I've got in reserve!" She channeled her White Lore again, casting a healing spell on Rikku.
"Looks like we just gotta pound him hard and fast!" said Paine as she raised her right hand forward. Her crystal burned with a golden light and her eyes glowed pure white as a bolt of lightning exploded from her open palm, sending flash burns across Neogas' left arm. He growled and charged the group once again, punching as hard and fast as he could. Kimahri leapt forward and parried the beast's strikes with his lance, scoring a few good blows of his own. Tidus changed back to his normal attire and joined the fray, carving several wicked gashes into Neogas, but the beast was determined not to give up and swung both arms outward, tearing his claws across both fighters and knocking them backward. Tidus stumbled but stayed on his feet, quickly turning around.
"Yuna! Can you channel your crystal enough to create a sphere of water?"
"A sphere? I think so, but why?" she asked, slightly confused.
"I'm gonna try my old Blitz Ace technique on him, but if we want it to work completely we're gonna need something akin to a Blitzball!" he replied.
A smile broke across her face and she nodded. She stood up and shot her right hand forward, palm up. A deep blue glow shone from her entire hand as minute drops of water swirled in the air above her palm, coalescing and binding into a spheroid form. Azure flecks of energy swirled in the midst of the orb as she turned her head to Tidus and grinned. "Go get him, sweetheart."
Neogas was attempting to wrestle Kimahri off the side of the cliff when a burst of energy from the others attracted his attention. He turned back just in time to see Tidus launching himself forward with phenomenal force. Neogas' arms shot up in a desperate shielding maneuver, but he was far too slow. Tidus swung Caladbolg back and forth through the air stronger than he ever had before, gouging terrific furrows into Neogas' chest and legs that left the beast reeling. Paine stared in amazement. This is swordsmanship on a level of speed I've only gotten to see once or twice before! she mused at the very moment Tidus stopped swinging his sword. Jamming the blade into the ground in front of him, he jumped up and used the pommel as a stepping stool to hurl himself several yards into the air. At the exact same moment, Yuna heaved the sphere of energy and water into the sky with one hand, which seemed to fly effortlessly through the air and into an ideal position just as Tidus was arching backward into his signature moonsault. His foot connected with the sphere, driving it into Neogas' face with a crashing sound that made everybody visibly wince.
The great beast collapsed to his knees, breathing hard; already his form was beginning to grow indistinct. "You are strong... stronger perhaps than Master thought," he gasped. "You may win this battle, but Master will hunt you down and destroy you for sure..."
Yuna glared at the dying fiend. "Not if we destroy him first."
***************************************
The journey down the remaining cliffs was, thankfully, uneventful. Gippal had suffered a concussion when he hit the rock wall, and despite a healing potion or two had a hard time remaining steady, so Rikku had offered her shoulder to lean on as they descended. It had made for an interesting sight because of their height difference, but they had managed. The clouds were slowly dispersing, letting in the light of the crescent moon overhead. As they reached the foothills of Gagazet, Yuna caught sight of several tents erected near the great stone arches, which she immediately recognized as belonging to Nhadala. Sure enough, there she was, chatting with a female Ronso while Brother and Buddy appeared to be playing cards with two Ronso youths. Upon catching sight of YTRP, however, Brother leaped up from the game and dashed over.
"YUNA!" he cried joyously. "They found you after all! This is great happiness!!" A huge grin broke out on his face and he started dancing around, causing Yuna and the others to giggle. The dance stopped when he noticed Gippal with his arm around Rikku's shoulder. "Wait a minute! What is happening here, Rikku? He is not toying with you, is he?" he asked in a slightly vexed tone.
"What? Oh, come on, Brother! Can't you see he got kinda banged up? I was just trying to help!"
"It's true, actually we all got in kind of a tough spot up there," Yuna added. "I don't think it would have gone so well if he and Kimahri hadn't shown up when they did."
Kimahri nodded. "Gippal comes to Ronso with great concern on his face. Tells Kimahri he is worried for safety of friends, that airship cannot go close enough. Kimahri worried, too. Mountain tells Kimahri that Yuna and others in danger."
"You have no idea how glad we were to see you," said Tidus. "Talk about a sight for sore eyes, old buddy." Kimahri smiled, that strange feline smile that was unnerving at first but still pleasing.
"We really should have contacted you and told you about those fiends earlier, before things started getting out of hand," said Yuna. "I knew the Council would tell you, but I... I guess I was scared that if I told you, you'd wind up getting hurt because of it. I'm sorry, Kimahri."
"Yuna did what she thought best. There is no need for apologies," he replied. "But do not worry from now on. Kimahri has fought and triumphed against far worse than those." She looked up at him and nodded, a small smile on her face.
"I just wish we could have seen each other again under happier circumstances," she said after a moment. "I wish you'd been able to come to Besaid for the ceremony."
He nodded, a suggestion of regret on his face. "Duties of Elder are heavy burden at times. Elder cannot leave Ronso when they are in need. Still, Kimahri there in spirit. Kimahri happy for Yuna's happiness." She smiled more broadly and gave him a big hug.
"The Celsius got a little banged up by that storm, so we had to land further to the South," Buddy said as he joined the group. "We figured it might be a good idea to camp down here, especially since some of the diggers were starting to get cabin fever. Thankfully we haven't gotten too much static from the Ronso about setting up temporarily."
Gippal swayed slightly on his feet and put a hand to his head. "That's good, because I think I'm gonna need a place to lie down in the next ten seconds."
"Oh geez, Gippal, you shoulda said something if you were getting woozy again!" Rikku said as she braced Gippal as best she could, leading him over to one of the tents.
Paine stifled a yawn and ran a hand across her arm where some bruises still remained. "I think we're all going to have to lie down and get some sleep; it's way past midnight after all."
"You're right," said Yuna, stretching and gazing up at the sky. We need to rest up for the trials ahead of us. This isn't going to be easy , she thought to herself.
"We've got enough bedding for just about everyone, I think." Yuna looked up to see Nhadala approaching the group. "After what you've been through in the last few days, I'm guessing you could really use it."
Yuna looked a bit sheepish. "Yeah... Not exactly the kind of thing you get from repairing weather forecasting equipment," she muttered.
Nhadala smiled. "You know, if you had just mentioned what was going down we could've sent some people out to help you with it... But I can also understand not wanting to get others involved," she said, placing a sympathetic hand on Yuna's shoulder. "You'd better get some rest. It's not easy fighting fiends when you're half asleep," she added with a wink. Yuna nodded, and she and Tidus made their way over to the main tent with Paine ambling slowly after them. Brother and Buddy followed suit as well as Kimahri gazed solemnly at the clearing skies above. A stray gust of wind blew through his mane as he folded his arms across his chest.
"Yuna goes to face a great evil," he muttered to himself. "Ronso are still few in number, too few to risk going to war with one such as this. Elder's place is with Ronso." He shook his head and gazed sadly back at the tent. "Kimahri would go with Yuna, but must stay with Ronso brethren. Elder's mantle is a heavy burden once more," he sighed, turning and walking towards a small campfire where Laira, a Ronso maiden with whom he was enamored, sat waiting to talk with him and comfort him.
*********************************************
R ikku stirred in her sleeping bag. Something's moving around, she thought as the sounds of a person shifting and groaning met her ears. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up; what little light came through the tent flap was cold and gray, telling her it was still some time before dawn. To her right lay Paine in her sleeping bag, flat on her back and sleeping like the dead. Just beyond Paine was Yuna's sleeping bag, which she had pulled right next to Tidus' the moment they had settled down mere hours before. Rikku pulled herself onto her elbows and could see the two of them had edged out of their sleeping bags just enough to wrap their arms around each other, and were both sound asleep. She smiled at this and began to wonder what it was she had heard, when another groan came from her left. Turning over, she realized what was going on.
"Gippal? You're awake already?" she whispered. Gippal was sitting cross-legged on top of his sleeping bag, stretching his arms in a position that looked decidedly uncomfortable. Upon hearing his name, he looked over and smiled a guilty smile.
"Sorry, I didn't want to disturb you," he whispered, continuing his stretches. "I woke up not too long ago and couldn't get back to sleep."
"I know the feeling," Rikku replied. "Are you okay now? That bump on the back of your head was really nasty."
"I've had worse. Of course, I wasn't getting burned across the chest by a fiend at the same time, so..." He shrugged. "I'm just glad we pulled through that mess in more or less one piece."
A moment passed. Rikku pulled herself up into a sitting position. "Gippal... thanks again. For everything. I dunno what we would've done if you two hadn't been there."
Gippal smiled. "I don't know what it was that told me to go up Gagazet after you guys, but for some reason I felt I just had to get up there. I didn't want to see the same thing that happened on Bikanel all over again, Rikku."
Rikku paused. "Gippal... you haven't been calling me by that nickname very much these days, you know?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well... just that you've always called me 'Cid's girl' or 'kiddo' whenever we'd meet, even back when we were growing up." She shifted uncomfortably in her sleeping bag. "I dunno, I guess I just got used to you calling me that, even if it did annoy me at times."
Gippal scratched the back of his head, fidgeting slightly. "I... I guess I thought I was being cool or something whenever I said that," he said in a low tone. "It was a childish thing to do; I think it took me longer to grow out of that juvenile phase than most Al Bhed boys. I was just being stupid. I kept acting like a big shot while you went away and got a chance to do things I never would have dreamed of." He sighed and looked up at her with his good eye. "E's cunno E dnaydat oui mega y get ymm drec desa, Rikku."
[Translation: I'm sorry I treated you like a kid all this time, Rikku]
Rikku blinked and then looked down at her hands, blushing slightly. "Um... Well, maybe I should've been acting a bit more grownup myself, I mean Paine's always been on my case about behaving like a kid, so maybe I kinda brought it on myself anyway?"
"That's part of what makes you who you are," Gippal replied. "I don't recall ever asking you to change that, did I?" Rikku shook her head, blushing even more. "All I'm saying is maybe it's time I grew up myself and showed you that I really do know you have a name."
"Gippal..." she said softly.
Just then soft moans began to emerge from Rikku's right. She turned around and saw Paine tossing and turning in her sleep. She pulled her arms out of the sleeping bag and began punching the air; at the sound of her movements Yuna awoke, pulling herself up and gently nudging Tidus awake as well. "No... No! Get away; stop it! Stop showing me this! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!" Paine shouted, jerking upwards into a sitting position with her eyes wide open. Cold sweat was running down her temples and she was breathing hard.
"Paine, what is it? What's going on?" Yuna asked frantically, scrambling out of her sleeping bag. Paine said nothing, but clenched her fists and stared at the tent flap, trying to calm down with harsh, measured breaths. Yuna bit her lower lip nervously.
"It... It was him again, wasn't it?" Rikku asked in a low, feeble voice.
Paine unclenched her right hand and wiped the sweat off her brow. "I heard him laughing," she muttered. "Then I started seeing things, things I think he wanted me to see. I saw the Thunder Plains..." She drew in a deep breath. "I saw fiends everywhere. The fiends he's been sending after us all this time. Wrathfangs, those disgusting Morlachs... they were everywhere. Hundreds of them. All over the Plains. Then that damnable voice of his spoke up, saying 'it won't be long now', and laughing again..."
"He's been creating an army," said Tidus with a grim look on his face. "That's what he's been holding back behind that barrier of his. This isn't just a few raiding minions, he's going to wage all-out war."
Yuna shivered. "Just like he told me in that dream prison of his. He wants to make all of Spira pay for what he's been through- the imprisonment, the rivalry with his master, everything."
"And if he's jumping into your mind again just to show you what's going on..." Rikku continued.
"It means two things. We're running out of time faster than we thought, and he's trying to lure us into a trap," said Paine as she pulled herself out of her sleeping bag. "There's something in the Plains he wants us to face, but he wants to soften us up by throwing waves of fiends at us first. Either that, or he's planning to divert our attention while that army of his marches on Spira from all directions."
"So what are we going to do now?" Yuna asked.
Gippal stood up. "If I might make a suggestion. Let's get the camp broken down as soon as everyone is ready to move, then get our butts back to Bevelle as fast as possible. I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve, plus I did some Commsphere strategy discussions with Nooj and Baralai last night. At least two divisions of Council troops should have already been put on active duty and may be mobilizing as we speak. If it's war that Malar wants, it's a war he's gonna get."
Rikku blinked. "Gippal, are you sure about this?"
"Not entirely, but one thing I know is I'm not gonna stand by and let the four of you take all the risks," he replied. "We've already got several companies of troops on standby in Bevelle, and a few in Luca and Djose. It won't be too hard to move them into flanking positions around the Plains; that way we can keep civilians from getting too involved."
"What about aerial attacks?" Tidus asked. "Don't forget those Wrathfangs can fly as easily as they walk. A ground-only blockade won't last long if they take to the sky."
"Already taken into consideration," Gippal replied. "We've refurbished as many machina weapons as possible, at least one to a platoon. Nooj told me they've prepped and readied all the YAC-62 mechs that are still battle-worthy. If it comes down to it, we've also got a few 'surprises' of our own that the Machine Faction's been testing for a few months."
Yuna nodded to herself. "So this is really it," she said softly. "He knows we've assembled all the crystals, and now that we have them, he's getting desperate. So much that he's calling us out with a show of force that could very well level all of Spira in its wake." She looked up. "He doesn't care how many lives he extinguishes, and he knows we do care. He knows that we'd do anything to protect each other and those around us, and he's hoping to use that against us. He wants us to be afraid to fight against those odds." She took a deep breath and the semblance of a smile crept onto her face.
"But he's not going to succeed," she continued. "He doesn't know the true power we have among us. Not just in the crystals, but in each other. We've fought against far worse things than a sadistic two thousand-year-old maniac, and each time we came through because we were together. As long as we're a team, we can face anything." She looked at Tidus and slipped her hand into his. "He may be The Immortal, but he has a weakness. All we have to do is find it."
Tidus nodded. "We can do this. I don't care how many of those things he throws our way, we'll bring 'em all down."
"Yeah!" Rikku interjected, jumping up and down. "Let's go get that big meanie once and for all!!"
"Then we'd better get a move on," said Paine as she began gathering her equipment. "Let's get out of here and get to Bevelle as soon as we can." She shook her equipment pouch. "We'd better stock up on medicinals when we get there; our Potion supply is running pretty low."
The others nodded and began moving around the tent quickly. As the sun rose over the horizon, the small camp began to bustle with activity as tents were lowered and repackaged. The Ronso pitched in to help in the campsite breakdown; even the stubborn Garik lent a hand. Breakfast was a hurried affair, a simple meal of trail biscuits and Chocobo eggs. Gippal took a moment to use the Gagazet Commsphere to contact Bevelle, alerting Nooj and Baralai that all was well and that they should expect the Celsius by mid-morning. Paine stood brooding by the side of the cliffs watching Tidus, Yuna and Rikku say goodbye to Kimahri. While they weren't looking, she slipped off the Power Wrist worn beneath her left glove, replacing it with something else from the equipment satchel.
"Take care of yourself, Kimahri," Yuna said, giving him a big hug. "Be safe."
"Kimahri will protect Ronso from any danger," he replied. "But Kimahri wishes he could go with Yuna as well."
"It's alright," she said. "I don't want to risk the safety of the Ronso tribe, and I know you don't either." She patted him on the arm. "We'll be okay."
"We'll come and visit you once the battle's won, Kimahri," Tidus added. "It'll be over before you know it." Kimahri nodded, giving a grunt of approval.
"Come on, you guys! We gotta get going before Malar decides to start the party before us!" Rikku whined. Yuna and Tidus looked over and smiled. Even in the midst of a crisis, Rikku still had that one spark of cheerfulness that didn't go out- maybe overshadowed once in a while, but never completely gone.
"We're on our way!" they said in unison, giving Kimahri one last hug and heading down to join the others. In the distance they could just make out the whine of the Celsius' engines starting up.
To Be Continued...
[A/N: I will admit, Yuna's little speech towards the end is a teeny bit sappy, but I think it fits her well. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far, and please- if you would leave a review I would greatly appreciate it. Might even inspire me to post the remaining chapters faster! ^_^ -Neon Ronin]