Final Fantasy Fun

"You're kidding, right?" Gippal said. "You know damn well what Nooj is trying to do."

"Yes." She glanced at Auron, who was setting Baralai on the floor. "Hold him." Taking Gippal's seat, she threw the flyer into reverse. There was an instant of freefall before the craft stabilized. Vegnagun wheeled up and away from them, heading back towards Sin.

Gippal grabbed onto the guardrail. "Paine, have you lost your freakin' mind?"

"If Nooj intended suicide, Vegnagun wouldn't obey him." She tried an experimental turn. "How's Baralai?"

"Burns, erratic heartbeat," Auron said. "He needs a healer."

"Okay, great." Gippal hung on as the flyer tipped and straightened. "So now you're suicidal. Look, you've flown this thing exactly twice—"

"Plus two years piloting Vegnagun in simulation, two more working unloaders at Moonflow Port," she said. "Now shut up and let me concentrate."

( Read more... )

Title: Love Her and Despair
Chapter 34: "Venus/Mars"
Final Fantasy X/X-2
Characters: Nooj, Baralai, Isaaru, Lulu/Auron
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2100
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Map/ToC


The Story So Far: Sin has destroyed the fayth, and now only one thing can oppose it: Vegnagun, doomsday weapon from an ancient war. Auron and allies lure Sin to the Thunder Plains for a final showdown, where Auron hopes to distract Sin long enough to give Vegnagun one clear shot.

Illustration by @mintywolf

No one on the flight deck had spoken since Cid's low whistle. All eyes were fixed on the forward windows, where Shinra's scanners projected a grainy image of Auron and the fayth's statue through a film of rain and static. Past the display, they could see rank upon rank of thunderheads massing to the north. Sin was hidden by the clouds, but barbs of lightning were leaping towards it from the spire of every tower, forming a vast sizzling canopy.

Lucil had risen from her seat, one hand braced against the console, the other digging into Elma's arm.

Elma surreptitiously cupped her hands in Yevon's prayer, drawing a thin smile from Lucil.

Rikku was leaning forward, nervously drumming her fingers on the gun controls.

Inexorably, all the strands of lightning contracted together like the spokes of Thundaga magnified a thousandfold. The scanner's display went white. A blinding flash lit the Thunder Plains from end to end. Even at this distance, the gash of lightning splitting the sky from Sin's nose to the ground looked enormous.

( Read more... )

Title: Love Her and Despair
Chapter 31: "The Council of Yevon"
Final Fantasy X/X-2
Characters: Lucil, Elma, Shelinda, Rikku, Cid, Pacce, Isaaru, Auron, Nooj, Paine, Baralai
Rating: PG-13 (Language)
Word Count: 3300
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Map/ToC

The Story So Far: Sin has destroyed most of the temples and their fayth, putting Isaaru's pilgrimage in jeopardy. The leaders of Yevon and Al Bhed convene a meeting to discuss options.

Weary as he was of piecing himself back together, Auron still resented unsolicited aid.

Gravity had been hijacked. A subtle realignment of currents had swapped Spira's core with his own heart, drawing bone and sinew and spirit towards it like so many nested shells. The prayer was a variant of the Hymn of the Fayth, the one recited in temples to renew the bonds of fayth to statue. Two voices rose and fell in a plodding chant, weaving the binding prayer around him: once for Yevon, once for Spira, once for the end of Sin.

Auron wondered whether Yojimbo had gone mad before or after the priests stopped coming around to burnish his chains.

His body was no statue, but the pull of the Farplane lessened, as if he had fetched up on a sandbar in the midst of a torrent.

The binding ceased, as did the stronger voice. The ritual shifted to healing magic, a deeper, more potent strain than Zuke's. Damaged organs and fractures missed by Cura were patted back into wholeness like clay wetted, shaped, and baked anew. All pain vanished except for the brand in his palm, and that was now bearable. Finally, a simple cleansing spell— petty magic, but useful on pilgrimages— sloughed off the stench from the gutter where Lulu had dropped him.

Auron sat up and gave a grudging nod of respect. "Thanks."

( Read more )

Title: Love Her and Despair
Chapter 46: Points of Departure
Final Fantasy X/X-2
Characters:Auron/Lulu, Isaaru, Pacce, Zuke, Cid, and...about half of Spira, okay?
Rating: PG.
Word Count: 3900
Navigation: Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Map of Pilgrimage - Links to All Chapters

( Chapter 46: Points of Departure )

Title: Love Her and Despair
Chapter 43: "No Matter How Dark the Night"
Final Fantasy X/X-2
Characters:Auron/Lulu, Isaaru, Elma, Pacce, Rikku
Rating: PG-13 for violence.
Word Count: 3600
Navigation: Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Map of Pilgrimage - Links to All Chapters

Our Story So Far: Thirteen years after Yuna falls in the Final Summoning, Isaaru and his guardians have brought down the Final Aeon. Yu Yevon pounces Auron as a last-ditch substitute.

( Chapter 43: No Matter How Dark the Night )

( Chapter 40: Titanomachy )

( Chapter 37: The Summons )

Father Zuke

( Chapter 34: Yuna's Cloister )

( Chapter 31: Nightmare in C Minor )

( Chapter 30: The Tower )