YAY! NEW FANS NEW FANS! YAY YAY YAY! *does the "new fans" dance*
Anyways, BARALAI’S BACK! BARALAI’S BACK! BARALAI’S BACK! Okay, maybe not back back, but he has dialog in this chapter which is pretty good for a dead guy
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SILVER WINGS 2: 1000 CONFESSIONS
Chapter Thirteen: Cryptic Hints from Beyond
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“Tell me why we’re here again!” Rikku begged, trying unsuccessfully to pull her hand from Gippal’s grip as he led her up the stairs that led to the Farplane entrance. It was unnatural for an Al Bhed to willingly enter the Farplane and Rikku was no exception to that. When she had stopped by to drop off food for Gippal, she hadn’t expected to have him flip her over his shoulder and carry her to the Farplane entrance.
At least he had put her down…
“Gippal!” Rikku whined as he pulled her closer and closer to the entrance, “Al Bhed don’t go into the Farplane! What’s wrong with you?!”
“I need you to see this.” Her male counterpart insisted, pulling harder on her arm, causing the small girl to tumble into him and force the both into the Farplane entrance. Rikku frowned, but pushed herself closer to Gippal’s back. She didn’t want to admit it to him, but she was scared. The Farplane and what it represented always frightened her and that was part of the reason she never wanted to enter. The other reason was that she firmly believed in the Al Bhed motto.
“Memories are nice, but that’s all they are.”
“Oh stop that.” Gippal said with a smirk over his shoulder, “This isn’t going to kill you, ya know.”
Rikku frowned, “Please don’t talk about death in the Farplane!” she hissed, “It might be bad luck or something.”
Ignoring Gippal’s laughter as it echoed along the walls of the hallway that led to the Farplane’s main room, Rikku tried to focus on anything but the fact that she was in the one place she had sworn she would never enter. Her final attempt to pull her hand away from Gippal failed and she found herself roughly pulled into the main room.
Baralai’s visage appeared almost instantly and she realized that Gippal had been mentally prepared. She felt his grip loosen and Rikku thought about running, but she felt herself inexplicably drawn to Baralai’s figure. Gippal followed close behind her as she came to stop a few feet back from him, “Why are we here, Gippal?”
“I wanted him to tell you what he told me.”
Rikku cocked an eyebrow at Gippal, “Are you feeling okay?” she asked, “Farplane ghosts can’t talk. They are just reactions to the memories. Pyreflies make them.”
“Well that’s not very nice, Rikku.”
Rikku let out a terrified scream and jumped back, bumping firmly into Gippal’s chest as she pointed a trembling finger at the visage of Baralai, “He t…ta…talked!”
“I know I did.” Baralai said, a small smile forming on his features, “It’s good to see you again.”
Rikku couldn’t stop her body from shaking as she pushed harder up against Gippal and whispered to Baralai, “You’re not real. Farplane ghosts aren’t real…”
“That’s very true,” Baralai replied, “Farplane ghosts aren’t real, but I am. I’m not a Farplane ghost. The true spirit can visit the Farplane, although most of the time they don’t. They can even have conversations with loved ones although, as far as I know, I’m the first one to do this.”
“Tell her what you told me, Bar.” Gippal said to him.
Baralai nodded, “The locket holds the key to the killer.”
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“This had better be important, Nooj.” Paine said as she entered Nooj’s library at the Youth League headquarters in a huff, “Yuna didn’t come home last night and I’m worried.”
Nooj gave his female counterpart a grim look, “Well, if my gut instinct is right then you have a reason to be worried. We all do…”
It was in that moment that Paine realized LeBlanc was standing in the corner of the room with a short, bald man…
Cid!
“What’s going on?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at Nooj.
“Well, two things,” replied the tall man, “First of all, Gippal broke out of jail yesterday and we don’t think he did it alone.”
“It was that damn headstrong daughter of mine! I know it!” Cid shouted, suddenly starting forward and pounding his hand on Nooj’s desk, “I don’t know what goes through her head sometimes!”
Crimson eyes locked with brown, “What’s the other thing?”
“We found out where Baralai went before he died.”
Paine wasn’t prepared for this, yet somehow she felt in her gut that she already knew the answer.
“He went to the Cave of Woe.” Cid interrupted with a characteristic shout, “A couple of Al Bhed flew him there.”
LeBlanc sauntered closer to the action and lifted three pictures off of Nooj’s desk, handing them to Paine. The female looked at them closely. It was snapshots of the three skulls that they found in the cave. LeBlanc motioned to them, “The more I think about it, love. I don’t think Tidus was looking for them.”
Nooj nodded, “I agree with LeBlanc. Whatever he was looking for was still in the cave when he left and…”
“Baralai found it…” Paine finished the sentence, yet never took her eyes off of the pictures. A chill went up her spine and she looked at Cid, “Why hasn’t there been a huge announcement about Gippal’s escape?”
Cid was uncharacteristically quiet in his response and Paine had to strain to hear him, “We arrested the wrong person,” he replied, “and we all know it now. I just didn’t want word to get out to the real killer just yet. I’ve got my little niece to worry about.”
Those were words that Paine never truly thought she’d hear. Cid adored Tidus almost as much as he adored Gippal. If Cid believed that Tidus was the killer…
“Gippal is staying at Chateau LeBlanc,” LeBlanc suddenly said, “Rikku is probably there. I suggest we go in full strength before we confront Tidus about this.”
Paine felt her hands tremble and thought for the first time that even the most stoic couldn’t hold in emotions this strong. She stared into Nooj’s eyes and he into hers, “We do this for Baralai.”
“For Baralai,” the former leader repeated as he, LeBlanc, and Paine said goodbyes to Cid and headed off for Guadosalam.
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She almost cried out at the sight. The pyreflies were forming around his body. She could see through his hands; through his entire body. Her breath caught in her throat and she could feel tears forming, “No!” she shouted in a hoarse whisper.
He looked at her with sadness in his eyes, "Yuna, I have to go. I'm sorry I couldn't show you Zanarkand.” He turned to leave, “ Goodbye!"
"Hey!" cried Wakka. He looked like a wounded child.
Rikku jumped forward, "We're gonna see you again...?"
She couldn’t take it. She had to hold him. She had to feel his arms around her the way they had been in Macalania. If only she had chosen not to go on. If only she had done the selfish thing for once. If only…
"Yuna!"
She heard Kimahri shout to her, but she didn’t stop. She jumped forward to hold him but found herself passing through him. She sailed through his body and landed hard on the deck of the ship, her face down.
He was going…she couldn’t stop it.
A pyrefly floated past her eyes as she lay defeated on the ship. She watched it as she slowly climbed back to her feet. She couldn’t turn to look at him. She couldn’t watch him vanish, knowing it was her fault.
If only…
"I love you." She whispered into the air. She sensed him approaching although she could no longer feel the heat radiating from his body. She knew he was behind her. His arms wrapped around her gently and she stifled a cry when she couldn’t feel him.
The embrace lasted only a moment. Yuna shivered when she felt him pass through her. The coldness was a shock to her system. It was so different then when he’d held her or touched her before. It was the touch of the Farplane that he gave her now.
Dead for 1000 years…
He’d been dead for 1000 years.
She made no move to stop him as he dove off of the front of the ship. The only move she made was to fall to her knees when there was no splash in the water below.
Yuna’s let out a scream as she broke to conciousness. It took her a moment to realize where she was. She was still at Macalania and she was with…Tidus.
His concerned eyes searched hers as he touched her shoulder softly, “Are you okay?”
Yuna nodded. She wanted nothing more then to wrap her arms around him and let him hug away the fear, but the realization that his leather gloves were caressing her bare shoulders brought back her fears from earlier. She looked around, “Did we fall asleep?”
“Well, you fell first,” Tidus clarified, “and I fell after that.”
The leather on her skin as drawing goosebumps up and down her body and Yuna had to do something to get him to take those gloves off. She just couldn’t stand it. She couldn’t stand it anymore! Suddenly, she remembered that she had brought his blitzball. She had wanted to show him how good she had gotten since he had faded and now seemed as good a time as any. It would at least get him to take those damned gloves off.
She rose quickly and grabbed the ball, motioning with it toward the water, “You wanna play?”
Sparkling blue eyes and a broad grin were her response and, to her great relief, he pulled the gloves from his hands and dropped them onto the blanket as he pulled his shirt over his head and waded into the water. Yuna let her eyes wander his toned torso before removing the half-skirt she wore and joined him.
“Can you do something for me?” she asked with a cautious smile. She was almost afraid to ask him to do this, but needed to see it with her own eyes.
“What is it?”
“Can you do the Jecht Shot for me?”
“That was the Jecht Shot, wasn’t it?”
“How do you know that?”
“Sir Jecht showed it to me when I was a child. He called it the ‘Sublimely Magnificent Jecht Shot Mark III.’”
Her fears could be thrown out the window if Tidus successfully performed that shot. She wouldn’t have to worry anymore. Her worries and sudden suspicions could be forgotten. She waited for Tidus to suddenly smile with the confidence she was used to seeing, but instead he got a confused look on his face.
It was almost as if he didn’t know what she was talking about…
“Jecht Shot?”
Yuna thought for sure her heart stopped. She had died right there, she was sure of it. The man treding water in front of her wasn’t Tidus. She was sure of it now. He wasn’t Tidus…
But…no. He had to be Tidus. Who else would he be? He had Tidus’ pear shaped birthmark on his hip. He had Tidus’ goofy smile. Tidus was just having an off day. That’s why he didn’t know what she was talking about.
Right???
“Nevermind.” Yuna said, “It’s not important.
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“The locket holds the what now?” Rikku asked, scrunching her face in confusion.
Baralai laughed a little, “Same old Rikku, I see.” He said with a smirk before continuing, “Unfortunately I can’t tell you who killed me. That’s against the rules. I can only give you a hint and my hint is this. Find the locket and find my killer.”
“Who makes up such stupid rules?!” Rikku shrieked before pointing a finger at him, “Seymour’s father told us who killed him!”
“No he didn’t.” Baralai clarified, “Jyscal gave you a sphere he recorded before his death. That was his ‘hint’, although his is more overt then mine. He was unable to say that Seymour killed him after death.”
“Where is the locket?” Gippal asked, “Can you tell us that?”
Baralai shook his head, “No. I’m sorry. I can tell you one other thing.” He said, “If you speak with Paine, she will shed light on the situation.” Baralai’s visage turned and looked behind him as if there was something there. Rikku couldn’t see anything but assumed that perhaps Baralai could see something. He turned his eyes back to his friends and gave them a smile, “I must be going back.” He said, “It really was wonderful to see you again. And don’t worry about me, I’m fine. And I have faith that you will find my killer and see him brought to justice.”
“We will, Bar,” Gippal said, “I promise.”
For a few moments after Baralai vanished, Rikku and Gippal stood next to each other in silence until Rikku looked into his eyes, “What made you come here?”
“I wanted to apologize to him,” replied Gippal, motioning with his hands toward the exit, “I wanted to tell him how sorry I was about how I acted the last time we’d seen each other.”
“I understand that,” Rikku said as the duo reached the exit, “I mean, I probably would have done the same…”
“Wait!”
Rikku and Gippal spun around and saw that Baralai had reappeared. He smiled, “I’m glad I caught you both.” He said, “I almost forgot to tell you something important.”
“What is it?” Rikku asked.
“Take what you know and go to the fayth. He will take your clues and form answers for you. He knows the entire story. He is the reason this is happening.”
Rikku frowned, “Is Shuyin possessing Tidus?” she asked.
A smile formed on Baralai’s lips, “Do you remember our conversation on the Celsius, Rikku? When Tidus was acting so strangely?”
Rikku nodded, “I said that he couldn’t be possessed since there weren’t any pyreflies.”
The deceased blonde nodded, “You just thought of both of them.” He said, “but neither have appeared. There is a reason for that, Rikku. Think more on your thoughts behind Tidus’ strange behavior. Take that theory to the fayth. He’ll explain it more.”
The visage started to fade and Rikku felt a tear slide down her cheek, “Goodbye, Baralai.”
“Goodbye, Rikku.” He said, “Goodbye, Gippal. And dry those tears, Rikku. I’m happy here, really! Jecht is teaching me blitzball!”
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NOTE: Okay, I’ve decided to do the final installment of Silver Wings, to be called “Silver Wings 3: Back Into My Arms”. I do intend on making this the last in the Silver Wings saga. I think a trilogy is a good idea. It will have FF8 crossover although I’m still plotting if I want to have the FF8 characters just as backdrop people or if I want to give some of them a major part. I’d love to explain the storyline I’m working on, but it’ll kind of spoil the ending to 1000 Confessions, so you all are just going to have to wait and see what happens! Haha! Again, thanks for the reviews. They are the reason I keep writing.
Love,
Redharry123
