(no subject)

[falsevengeance.livejournal.com]

Who: Maiyah, Lenne and Shuyin
What: Escaping to Zanarkand... and finding someone unexpected.
When: Morning
Where: From Macalania to... Zanarkand. Hopefully.
Rating: PG... For possible violence and... clothes stealing/cross-dressing 8D



Maiyah was asleep, curled up next to Lenne on the bed, nonchalantly sharing it with her. Her wounds were patching up under the bandages, but were still sore the following morning. She rolled over onto her other side, eyes cracking open soon enough to see Wantz staring at them through the crack of their door. Lifting her head up sharply, the door shut quickly, and Maiyah sighed deeply, laying herself back down and closing her eyes temporarily. She sat up, in her one-piece undergarment. Looking down at her thighs, she ran her fingers gently over the bloodied bandages.

She stood and went about quietly putting on her armor, not really knowing if Lenne was still asleep or not. They had to get out of there... quickly.

Comments

[onwingedsilver.livejournal.com]

The movement had Lenne stirring from her sleep, her eyes squeezing shut more before flickering open to reveal the deep, rich brown. With a groan of discomfort, the young woman pushed herself to sit up, frowning until she set her gaze on Maiyah, recalling everything that had happened. All the soldiers they killed. All the damage. If she wasn't likely to be shot on sight, Lenne would've returned to perform a Sending but she assumed they'd have someone for that.

Reaching quietly for her boots, she slid her feet into them, running her fingers through her hair. She knew where they were heading now and it terrified her but she had to see it.

[falsevengeance.livejournal.com]

Maiyah picked up her blades and left cautiously to the front, to speak with the merchant that ran the shop, shooting his younger brother a wicked look. She looked at the stout man with a tired look, "We're leaving as soon as we can... Thank you for your hospitality."

"Aye, it's the least I can do fer ye," he said as he set out more merchandise, "Anyone who buys from O'aka, in need or not, is a friend of O'aka through and through! Ye seemed to be in a bit of a pickle, ye do. I'll give you a rather generous discount."

"Erm... Thanks..." Maiyah said. The prices, actually... were pretty decent. Maiyah went about buying a good supply of healing items, O'aka's smile widen. She sighed and stared at him, "...If Bevelle soldiers come asking about us... make anything up..."

[onwingedsilver.livejournal.com]

After a few minutes to gather herself, and wash up a little in the small bathroom adjoining the room, Lenne followed after Maiyah. As soon as she stepped out front, the songstress was subject to a lot of strange looks. Some even muttered about her resemblance to another girl, but Lenne tried not to pay attention it. Making her way to Maiyah's side, she rested her hand on the older woman's arm.

"Are we set to leave? The soldiers will come soon..." she murmured, quietly near Maiyah's ear, frowning as the whispering grew a little. A slightly startled look came as someone suggested quietly to their companion that Lenne was 'that girl who appeared when High Summoner Yuna sang in the Thunder Plains', and Lenne could almost remember that happening but she said nothing to it. It was best not to.

[falsevengeance.livejournal.com]

"Yes..." Maiyah whispered as she turned to leave, ignoring all the patrons in the agency. Talk was already going around about the killings in Bevelle the previous day. "Come... We have to get out of here quickly..." she said softly as she lead Lenne out into the cold. Quickly, she moved back to the forest, heading up the crystal path they took to get to the agency from Bevelle.

[onwingedsilver.livejournal.com]

Lenne followed quickly behind, her face flushed from the cold but a slight smile on her lips. "Maiyah. The entrance to Bevelle will be heavily guarded. What should we do to get past?" The Summoner wasn't in any real condition for another fight and her Summoning skills were a little rusty after 1000 years. Though, she would be able to Summon if she had to. As they ran along the crystalline pathway, Lenne looked out and saw the groups of soldiers at the crossways but, just before the crossways, there were two soldiers patrolling out of view of the others, much nearer to the two girls.

[falsevengeance.livejournal.com]

Maiyah saw the soldiers and sighed, looking down as they stopped in their tracks. What would Kaiyah do...? Hm... Oh... right. Yes... She looked back at Lenne before setting her swords down, "...Let's invite these... rather dashing gentlemen to breakfast..." She hid her blades back behind some lingering brush before she walked up to the soldiers. Surely they wouldn't be able to recognize them without the killing weapons... at least not right now, would they?

She gave them a fake grin, though hopefully somewhat believable, as she approached, "Hi there..."

[onwingedsilver.livejournal.com]

The soldiers instantly eyed Maiyah up, nudging each other with smirks. Lenne, however, sauntered down, mini-skirt and all, draping her arms over the shoulders of one of the men, smiling at him as invitingly as possible. "Hello there, soldier. I hear there're some nasties going about round here. How about you big, strong men escort us to safety, hm~?" What? It helped to have the charm of a famous songstress and the shamelessness to flaunt it.

One of the men, the one not currently wearing a Summoner, curled an arm around Maiyah's waist. "Well, we can do that for you pretty young things, right?" His friend gave a firm nod with a dumb grin on his face.

[falsevengeance.livejournal.com]

Maiyah felt absolutely awkward doing this, but it was what Kaiyah would do. If Maiyah had to figure out her own way to do it, she'd be screwed. She turned against the soldier, pressing her bare stomach against his armor, covered by mesh and belts, but still bare... sort of. "Right... But, first... we would like to first... pay you for your efforts... If you get my meaning."

She took the soldier's hand and tugged him back towards the brush.

[onwingedsilver.livejournal.com]

"Mm, payment, you're right." Lenne gave a slight giggle and took her soldier's hands, walking back towards the same brush Maiyah was headed to. "I'm looking forward to this. Are you?" She tilted her head, smiling at the man. He gave a chuckle and nodded, to which Lenne faked another girly laugh. Really, these guys were too easy! As soon as they were in place, Lenne began removing parts of the soldier's armour. Well, it'd be easier to remove it with him co-operating instead of pulling around his unconscious body.

Once she had enough of his armour off, as much as he seemed willing to remove, Lenne gave a smirk and grasped his hair. Thankfully, he'd removed his helmet. With locks in hand, Lenne's fingers curled tight and, swiftly and without even a flinch, she smacked that soldier's head straight into the nearest tree, watching him drop to the floor unconscious.

[onwingedsilver.livejournal.com]

The songstress followed suit and tossed her armour off over the edge with Maiyah's, fixing her hair a little before smiling at Maiyah, shivering a little from the breeze Gagazet blew their way. With a slight anxious feeling in the pit of her stomach, Lenne walked further towards the snowy lands, her skin already stinging a little thanks to the bitter chill of the wind. The Ronso seemed to all turn their heads to look at the two women, instantly noting Maiyah but all with knowning looks on their faces to the sight of Lenne. It seemed it was true that they could sense the powers of a Summoner.

Without a word, Lenne seemed to tense at the attention. It wasn't the same as the eyes that watched her for being a singer. These were knowing gazes. The summoner frowned just a little, her hand curling loosely around Maiyah's wrist.

[falsevengeance.livejournal.com]

Maiyah looked up to the Ronso as they started through the gate. She gave them a nod, Kimahri as well, giving him a deeper nod, before they ascended the mountain trail. Her steps were quick and brisk, her feet stinging against the cold snow. Whenever she scaled Mount Gagazet, she was always quick to get her feet out of the snow. Though this time, with Lenne, she had to be slower and less concise. Her displeasure with her toes being cold and wet was clear on her face.

[onwingedsilver.livejournal.com]

She made sure she wasn't too slow but Lenne wasn't exactly used to walking in the snow. If anything, she was more than used to not having to walk at all, thanks to people wanting the famous songstress to be transported safely without walking in the open. Yet, Lenne hadn't told Maiyah about that part, and probably never would. She didn't like to show off unless she was forced to or if she was singing. With a frown set deep on her brow, Lenne followed Maiyah, climbing up the mountain without any complaints. Though, she'd probably have quite a bit to say once they reached the Fayth Scar. The majority of the people encased in that Scar were people she'd have seen or known. It wasn't going to help ease her into Zanarkand at all.

[falsevengeance.livejournal.com]

When they reached the Fayth scar, Maiyah stopped for a sec, sitting on a rock and rubbing at her feet to warm them. The waters in the caverns were fairly warm because of the hotsprings beneath them, so she would be able to warm them temporarily once they reached it. Maiyah looked up at the Fayth. She had seen it many times before, and didn't even think about how Lenne would take it. "Zanarkand is close... just beyond the caverns," she said before standing up and heading onward past the Scar.

[onwingedsilver.livejournal.com]

As Maiyah moved to walk on, Lenne didn't. She had moved close to the Fayth Scar, reaching out to touch one of the faces on that greying, cracking wall. She saw faces she knew, people she knew; it was painful to look at it but she wasn't going to let herself cry. With a shaking breath, she took a few steps back, to look out at the wall more, a frown coming to her face. "You gave everything... for what?" Her voice was soft as she spoke and after a moment, she gave them a broad smile. "I will sing the song for you all," she nodded firmly before running after Maiyah, wanting to get to Zanarkand more than ever now.

[falsevengeance.livejournal.com]

The caverns ahead were damp and Maiyah headed up the stone steps, turning sharply to the left towards a large chamber where a staircase of coral lined the left wall. Before ascending the bridge, Maiyah went to the water and stuck her feet in, reveling in the warmth that engulfed her toes and sighing softly. She looked up at the loft beyond the bridge, "Zanarkand is just beyond those steps... You might want to prepare for what you're about to see..."

She got up and shook her feet off before ascending the bridge and climbing up to the earthy loft.

[onwingedsilver.livejournal.com]

Maiyah's words made Lenne feel a little like turning and heading back but she knew this was something she had to face. With a deep breath, Lenne curled her fingers into tight fists, clenching her jaw. "I'm okay. I have to see this." She had to see it to be sure she wasn't being told stories. She trusted Maiyah thus far but it would make it real for her to see it. This mountain hadn't bore such a hideous Scar before and she'd seen and heard things that weren't the same before but, now, this was the final thing she needed to see. To prove it all.

Following Maiyah, Lenne almost trembled as she walked, feeling nauseas and light headed but unable to stop herself from moving on.

[falsevengeance.livejournal.com]

Maiyah lead Lenne to the summit and onto the ridge of the mountainside, overlooking the ruins of the ancient city of Zanarkand. The necropolis was silent still, overseen by clouds of pyreflies and currently occupied by a colony of small monkeys. Maiyah looked over at Lenne, concerned for the woman, not knowing how she would take it all.

Every building was fragmented, pieces of it littering the streets scarred with faults. The Zanarkand Dome was in ruins as well, the olympic statues that seemed to guard the entrance in pieces and eroded over by the winds of time.

[sharemydespair.livejournal.com]

As Lenne had sung, Shuyin's raging cacophony of violence stilled, and things simply dropped, with Shuyin floating down to the ground in front of them. His eyes snapped open, focusing on Maiyah first, then Lenne, and the unimaginable torment he'd been through in the millenia of death was conveyed to them both the same way Rikku, Paine, and Yuna had seen it when he saw the Summoner in her Songstress Dressphere.

"Lenne..? You can't be here.." he frowned softly, turning from them both and looking forlornly out over the Blitzball stadium. "Why won't they leave me in peace..?"

[falsevengeance.livejournal.com]

When the rubble dropped to the ground, Maiyah rose her blade to block a piece. A smaller piece, but it was enough to toss a few sparks. On the other hand, she did her best to hold Lenne up, to keep her from toppling to the ground. When everything seemed to calm down, Maiyah couldn't keep herself from glancing between the blond man and Lenne. As far as what was going on, Maiyah had not a clue. She looked up at Shuyin and narrowed her eyes slightly. "This is Lenne. I don't know who you are but she must be someone very close to you. She is Lenne," she said. She blinked and looked at him again.

Wait... What?!

"..Shuyin..? But--you..!" Maiyah blinked her eyes again. This guy..? Tidus? What was going on? He was like... like his twin! Her heart pounded and she crouched slightly into stance, subtle but ready... "What's going on? You look just.. like him..." her voice trailed off.

[onwingedsilver.livejournal.com]

"Shuyin..." Now she was sure she wasn't going to fall, Lenne looked at Maiyah with thanks. "I can manage, now, Maiyah," she murmured, before pulling away from the older woman, stepping forward. Shuyin might have been facing away but that didn't stop her. Lenne took a few jogged steps towards him before pulling him to face her, looking up at him. "Shuyin, look at me. I am Lenne."

Her face still held her tears, and whilst she'd taken him back with her when those three girls had destoyed Vegnagun, they must've gotten split apart again, and whilst she returned to resting, he'd come to Spira again and faced the years without her. "Shuyin..."

[sharemydespair.livejournal.com]

He stared at her tear-streaked face for a time, then shook his head, swiftly lifting an arm to knock her grip on him loose. "I've been tricked before, someone once told me I'd be free of this.. of this hell Bevelle has me in. For a time it was nice, but now I am back to this -again-!" he sounded accusatory, "Leave me alone, I'm not gonna be hurt again!" he wasn't unreachable, though, just unwilling to believe that Lenne, lost to him twice, was teasing him with her presence again. His heart ached to believe her, and though he hadn't realized it yet, the young man was alive and well.

Tidus? That Yuna woman had been spouting about some Tidus person. "I am not Tidus." the words were growled, "That.. imposter, is someone who apparantly doesn't know to leave the dead -dead-."

[falsevengeance.livejournal.com]

Maiyah flinched and bit back, taking a step back from the man at the snap. Quite frankly, Maiyah was getting a headache of meeting all these people who have either been dead or have disappeared for a couple years. Was she just going nuts? First Braska... then Tidus... And now Lenne... and Shuyin... Who looked exactly like Tidus. She was going to soak in the Gagazet hotsprings after this. And sleep. In the hotsprings. She didn't care if anyone happened upon her.

She shook her head, "She is Lenne. She woke up from a long sleep in the Bevelle Underground. I found her and removed her from the Palace... we laid waste to many soldiers of the Temple getting out... and I fear we may be in danger still. Please, she is Lenne! If she's here, and you're here too, you have a chance to be with her again."

Everyone who was dead seemed to be coming back to life... all except Kaiyah.

[onwingedsilver.livejournal.com]

Lenne's eyes welled with tears as Shuyin told her to leave him alone and when Maiyah tried convincing him, Lenne could hardly manage to keep herself calm. "How dare you tell me to leave you alone?! Shuyin... I..." Lenne grasped tight to the front of his Blitzer attire, pulling him to look at her again. "I am Lenne. The only Lenne you've ever known! If my songs do not convince you then... you are not my Shuyin."

Stepping back from him, tears streaked her face and Lenne clenched her jaw. "What must I do to prove it to you? Summoning would not prove it, for there are many other summoners. Singing has not proved it. What, Shuyin? What?!" Her gaze fell and Lenne shook her head slightly, walking past him and towards Maiyah. "This is not my Shuyin. He does not hear me. Not truly." She grasped Maiyah's hand, wanting to just leave now. Now that her heart was broken. Again.

[sharemydespair.livejournal.com]

Shuyin clenched his fists when she grabbed him, and would have struck her if he hadn't felt floored by the heartbreak in her voice. He hit his knees when she walked past, shaking his head a little. Something in him snapped, and he wanted to cry, only he was far past that, and far too dry to have tears, "Yeah.. that's right.." he muttered the words. She hadn't even told him she loved him, when they'd died, "Just.. just go, before I get you killed again." he hugged himself and shook softly, seeming to curl inward a little, the feeling of power crackling around him again.

This is why he'd wanted the city gone.. without it, he'd have been left alone to suffer as he'd become accustomed to, this was new, and the pain was raw.

[falsevengeance.livejournal.com]

"What? Wait!" Maiyah looked between the two of them. She let Lenne take her towards the exit of the dome. "Lenne, wait..." she hissed, jerking her back a bit, "..Look at him." She looked over to the man. "You have to stop him.. he's going to go back into that state again. If you could make him snap out of it, then you can bring him to his senses now."