GinnyLyn

OK, first off, in case you didn't read the title, this has [color=red][b]MAJOR SPOILERS[/b][/color] for FFX. If you haven't made it past the ruins of Zanarkand yet or you don't want the game spoiled, then back out now. As some of you know or don't know, I've been in my Auron phase so I can write this prequel about his journey with Braska. I know there are plenty of these types of stories out there, but I wanted to try my hand. On the flip side, I do chapters rather sporadically. This one is near the very end, but I wanted to put it up to see if it was getting what I wanted conveyed. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Chapter #?: With Rin (Music: Closing Theme, USA FFXOST #16) They were but shadows. The tall, wild one?the Ronso. The smaller, more human one?the Al Bhed. They cautiously gazed in on him, his still form, as if afraid to disturb him. ?[i]E ryja[/i]...ah, forgive me?I forget I still slip into my native language. I have,? Rin began again, ?tended to his wounds the best I can. He may survive yet. His physical body I have healed?but his spirit?? His gaze shifted back to young warrior stretched on the makeshift bed, and shook his head in sorrow. ?It is broken?? The Ronso snorted softly, inquiring something wordlessly. ?I can only guess. You say he has come from the Mountain Gagazet? That is near Zanarkand.? Rin?s eyes gazed faraway. ?I did not want to bring attention to it or him, but I do believe that is Braska?s Guardian Auron in there. Which means?? Rin looked grim, his sparkling green eyes now dim and cold. ?[i]Tysh[/i] Yevon. [i]Ruf tyna ra bmyo fedr dra rayndc uv sah dric?[/i]?* The Ronso grunted in weary pleading, the foreign words not registering. Rin sighed, closing the door to the room. ?Again, forgive me, my friend. It is not common for we Al Bhed to get outside visitors.? ?Kimahri understand. What does Rin say?? Rin smiled thinly, with ill humor. ?Nothing worth repeating. Let me just say that humanity may commit many sins in its life, but none worth losing the purpose of life over. If what I have heard of Auron is true, he, more than anyone, did not deserve this fate. Kimahri, please, let us go now. He needs his rest.? Auron had heard little, if anything. The heavy footfalls of the Ronso echoed dimly in his ears, fading away. The door was closed now. None would see him. He shifted slightly, gauging the pain. His left shoulder ached sharply. His throat was swathed heavily in bandages, as was his right eye. Both sets of bandages were varying shades of red and dark crimson, new blood still seeping out, but slower now than the massive amounts earlier. It felt strange to rub against the cloth when he moved his head, stranger still to have half his vision blocked. None of this mattered. What mattered was he was still alive. And that was a terrible thing. ?Lord Braska?? he whispered. In his mind, the brave High Summoner appeared, smiling softly, even in death accepting things as they should be. No, it shouldn?t have been like that. Auron?s throat constricted painfully. He was back in the entrance room. Braska and Jecht stepped up the stairs, leaving with him their children?s future. Leaving him with? Loneliness? Shame? Regret? Nothing? He should have gone. He should have. Braska had been [i]his[/i] master, and he had sworn to give his life to the very last blood drop before allowing Braska harm. And instead, he stayed behind, dreaming hopeless dreams, while an outsider, Jecht, no less, took his place, did what he could not. Jecht appeared in his mind?s eye. No, it hadn?t been Jecht?s fault, either. He had waited for Auron to go, hesitated, knowing it had been Auron?s duty?then, when Auron had flinched, gotten weak at the last moment, Jecht had gone. Because I had not. I valued my life too much. More than they theirs. There is no hope now. My master is dead. My close friends are gone. And the cycle continues onward. What, then, is there left in my life? ?Braska, Jecht?? he whispered again. His throat constricted once more, his eyes stung hotly. His battered body protested against the emotions, but his heart could take it no more. His vision blurred crazily in his one eye, and his wounded eye blazed with stinging fire. The pain was immense, but could not compare to his heart, aching, wrenching?breaking. A pyrefly flitted nervously around his left elbow. It was small, not much color to it. It was also uncertain, flickering in wonderment, not hearing the call of the Farplane enough. He was dying. He knew he was. Just not?not fast enough. Not soon enough to honor Braska?s death. Fayth, where was his sword? They had taken it, along with his coat, when the Ronso had dragged him in. He had been too lost in pain, misery, and blood to notice. In other cultures, samurais were considered to die honorably when performing [i]sepukku[/i]?a form of suicide consisting of slitting one?s belly. By the same token, Auron was attempting to venture down the path of [i]junshi[/i] suicide?suicide following the death of his master. His blurred eye roved desperately, and he grasped at what he could. His body protested once more at the movement, only his right arm being able to move much. He felt something light shudder at his touch on the bedside table, and as he tried to touch it again, the tray was knocked over, the half empty glass of water crashing and shattering on the floor. Auron could see the jagged gleaming tooth of the broken glass glinting at him, and considered bodily throwing himself onto it. It wasn?t his sword, but it was better than letting himself die from battle wounds. Quickly now?there isn?t much time left. He had just begun to roll off, when Kimahri, attracted by the noise, rushed in a blue blur, grabbed at him. Auron sensed this, flailed out?the glass cut into the side of his right wrist, more blood?but he failed. He failed. Again. Kimahri was looking over his shoulder, motioning someone behind him away. Rin perhaps? Or some other curious Al Bhed? The door shut again, leaving only Kimahri holding a dejected, defeated Auron. The Ronso gazed with concern in his golden eyes, unspoken questions. Auron tried to brush past it all, but the evidence was there?the broken glass, his bleeding wrist. And in a rush, the shame tumbled down on him again, like some giant waterfall. He couldn?t push this away. He was going to die an unclean death. Dishonorable to Lord Braska, yet again, all because of the wrong choices Auron had made. His throat constricted again, his body finally relenting, his russet eye filled with tears spilling over, down his face on one side, flaming the fire of agony on the other. Kimahri carefully pulled Auron?s bloodied arm from his head, and examined it gently. He reached for one of the bedsheets, wrapped it around his arm. Auron shook his head dully. ?Kimahri,? he whispered hoarsely, the blood welling up in his throat again as it moved. ?The glass?please?? ?Kimahri not like what Kimahri saw when coming in. Kimahri move glass from reach.? And he did so. ?No?[i]please[/i]?? ?If want favor, ask of living. Kimahri does not work in death.? The pyrefly from his elbow was back, peeking out. Kimahri watched it in sadness, ignored it as it tried to wiggle out. ?Speak quickly. Kimahri wish to help.? The light somehow illuminated some dark reserve of hope in Auron?s mind, and he was reminded?reminded of his promises to his friends. Lord Braska first?he would find a way to help Jecht?s son later?somehow. ?If you won?t grant me death?? The blood flecked his lips, and Auron knew he had to choose his words carefully. He hadn?t many left. ??then please, go to Bevelle. Find Yuna, Braska?s daughter. Take her to Besaid. Her father wanted it.? Kimahri nodded. ?I wanted to do it?but I can?t?? The blood was staining the edges of his mouth now. ?Kimahri wants silence. Silence stops blood.? He cradled Auron gently, as he had on Mt. Gagazet, and put the young man back on the bed, his tail brushing the last few glass shards out of reach. Not that it mattered. Auron felt far too weak to do anything now. ?Kimahri?my things. Let me die with them.? ?Clothes? Sword?? Sideway glance. ?Honor?? But Auron was speaking to someone else now. ?Lord Braska?Yuna will be safe. I can?can?? Kimahri nodded once, went quickly to fetch Auron?s things. Auron was fast slipping into delirium. The Ronso returned, laid the folded crimson coat on the floor, put the sword against the wall, again, out of reach. ?Kimahri bring?? And his words froze in his mouth. The pyreflies floated in a small circle just above Auron?s chest, softly wailing their mournful dirge. Kimahri had seen enough hunting battles in the holy mountain to know what that meant. Auron was dead. He knelt his massive form next to the bed, placed a thick, clawed hand against Auron?s dark head. ?Kimahri find Yuna. Kimahri take to Besaid. Kimahri [i]promise[/i] Auron.? And, very softly, he sang the Song of the Fayth, the pyreflies softly wailing with his voice. Unsure what to do now (his tribe had never had summoners, and did not know of the sending ritual, never mind the fact that Rin would not be able to get ahold of a summoner to do so), Kimahri gently patted Auron?s head once more. ?Kimahri promise.? That was the last time Rin saw Kimahri; the Ronso was already on his way to Bevelle before Rin even ventured back toward Auron?s room. The Al Bhed knocked. ?May I come in?? [i]To be continued?[/i] ~~~~~ *Rin: "Damn Yevon. Why does he play with the hearts of men thus?"

OoC: Oops on the Piggy thing! ^^;;;; I think, either way, it would have been fun. But technically, if we are flying the airship from each world, then we shouldn't be flying the Ragnarok--we should be flying the machina airship. Ah well, technicalities blow and your Cecil knows Piggy now. ^_~ And too funny on your post! *cautiously belts herself in for future posts* ~~~~~~ OoC: Actually, I'm going to take the rest of the day off to nurse my bruised ego. I'm getting increasingly upset that no one looks at my written or drawn stuff much on these boards anymore. *leaves in tearful huff* ~~~~~~ EDIT Dated 7/7/o3 OoC: Erhm, we [i]are[/i] still going, aren't we? I guess I might as well keep us going. *soft smile* ~~~~~~ Auron walked a little too fast (using Haste again in his, well, haste) and smacked into Zell as the blonde stopped at the entrance to the airship to gape at the gorgeous forest in front of him. Zell yelped in shock, then yelped even louder as the also too-fast Cecil ran slap-bang into Auron, causing all three to topple over like dominoes, Zell underneath and Cecil on top. Kilika residents, still working to repair the damaged town from Sin's last attack, continued their work, but not without shooting the trio puzzled (and digusted) glances. Rikku chose that moment to show up. [color=green]"Hi gu--ooo, ahhh...ummmmm..."[/color] The pretty Al Bhed girl giggled as she covered her spiral eyes. [color=green]"Am I interrupting something?"[/color] she asked, peeking between her fingers. The three gave an united yell of disgust and instantly broke apart, each trying their best to look aloof and not at all bothered by the unavoidable influence this scene would have. [color=orangered]"Hey, don't look at me--I left the airship by [i]myself![/i]"[/color] [color=teal]"Oh [i]gods[/i], don't start that again!"[/color] Cecil hollered, threatening to thwap Zell. Auron looked equally peeved. [color=crimson]"You started it. Gah, I wish to Farplane I knew how to Silence someone."[/color] Zell pouted, then turned to Rikku. Ah, a kindred spirit. He spread his arms to hug her. [color=orangered]"At least you're happy to see me, right?"[/color] Rikku giggled and bounded--not to Zell--but to Auron. [color=green]"AURIE!"[/color] Auron groaned and tried to huddle down in his collar at the sound of the nickname as the hyper girl hugged him, chattering nonstop. [color=green]"Really, you guys are slow! Dad--ah, Cid--told me you were coming, but you were taking so long, I had to come out and get you! Miss me?"[/color] Zell was still pouting and twiddled his fingers. [color=orangered]"That's what [i]I[/i] just asked,"[/color] he whined softly. Auron gentled removed Rikku and propelled her to Zell. [color=crimson]"Rikku, Zell. Zell, Rikku."[/color] [color=green]"Aurie, I [i]know[/i] who he is!"[/color] Zell perked up a little. [color=orangered]"Oh yeah? Who am I?"[/color] [color=green]"The guy who kissed Sephiroth."[/color] Zell's ego crashed into the ground. [color=orangered]"GAH, doesn't ANYONE forget ANYTHING around here?!?!?!"[/color] Cecil had a hand to his mouth to cover his laughter, but without success. [color=teal]"I think, after all that airship talk, it's only fair, right, Aurie?"[/color] Auron winced at the name, but nodded. [color=crimson]"Irony at it's best...Ceccy."[/color] Cecil made a face. [color=teal]"That was really weak."[/color] Auron made a face as well. [color=crimson]"Well, you can't get battle experience for humor."[/color] [color=orangered]"Living proof right there!"[/color] Zell hollered, pointing at Auron. [color=green]"Hey, you leave Aurie alone!"[/color] [color=orangered]"OwOwOw!"[/color] (Rikku had slapped Zell.) Further conversation was cut short as a pillar of fire shot up out of the middle of the forest, followed by an earthy bellow. Rikku squeaked and hid behind Auron, shaking visibly. Around them, the Kilika villagers cried out in horror and hid in their huts. [color=teal]"What the [i]hell[/i] was that?!?"[/color] [color=crimson]"Rikku!"[/color] Auron turned to the Al Bhed, who scrunched against the grass, looking terrified. [color=green]"Meep?"[/color] [color=crimson]"What's happened to Ifrit?"[/color] [color=green]"I don't know!"[/color] she wailed. [color=green]"I told you, I was waiting for you all to show up, but...I came to find you because, well..."[/color] Another pillar of fire, another bellow, another terrified Rikku trembling behind Auron. [color=green]"...because of THAT!"[/color] [color=teal]"What did you do?"[/color] [color=green]"I didn't do anything!"[/color] Rikku protested, stamping her foot. [color=green]"But...Yunie isn't here to help Ifrit, and I don't know what to do myself, so...I hoped maybe you could help?"[/color] Auron, Cecil, and Zell watched as a third pillar rose up, and the earthy bellow shook the air. The bellow was getting rougher, almost as if urging someone to do something. [color=crimson]"Shall we?"[/color] [color=orangered]"Do we have a choice?"[/color] Cecil grinned. [color=teal]"Chicken?"[/color] [color=orangered]"I'd prefer that to being a roasted one, thanks!"[/color] Zell retorted. Rikku, surprisingly, was the one to take the lead. [color=green]"C'mon! We can't wimp out--Ifrit might need us!"[/color] [color=orangered]"But he's a big powerful fire demon, how could he possibly--hey, wait up!"[/color] Zell bolted after the other three, who were already rushing to the Kilika temple.

I still say they should do a prequel either on the time of Sephiroth's growing up and Hojo and --what was the name of Aeris' father? Ergh--experimenting. Sure, we got the general gist of it, but deeper revelation might be fun. That or a far far earlier prequel, that revolves around the Centra and JENOVA. Though there were also rumors about prequels to FF6 (3) that were supposed to be all about the Magi Wars.

*rolls eyes and laughs* Weren't you goobers [i]listening?[/i] I don't believe this theory any more than you do--the whole thing's just for fun! *smiles* Love you all.

OoC: All right, it's been two days, and I didn't hear anything from our Tidus or Squall players, so I guess it's safe to assume we can move on to the Kilika Temple now. *PMs KittyLynn* OoC2: Two and a half months?! Dude...I'm so going to miss this when it is all over with. ~~~~~~~~ At the last minute, Auron had a change of heart and pulled a Remedy of his own out of his coat. "Hey, why the shift, old man?" Auron looked to Tidus, not glaring or anything, just [i]looking[/i]. Tidus was the only one he would allow to get away with that, as long as he didn't call him '[i]my[/i] old man.' (That was reserved for Jecht.) [color=crimson]"I've been of the amphibian species myself. During a major battle, no less, and my other rival was honorable enough to restore me."[/color] Cecil sighed in embarrassment, and caught the squirming Zell toad so that Auron could adminster the Remedy. The liquid had barely touched him when Zell was charging at both of them and feinting punches. [color=orangered]"How dare you? How DARE you?! How could you turn the embodiment of sexiness and allure into a TOAD!"[/color] [color=crimson]"What is the phrase...? 'Been there, done that.'"[/color] "Yeah, but you aren't sexy, Auron," Tidus remarked, smirking. Let the glaring begin. Auron looked darkly over his shades at Tidus. [color=crimson]"I choose to ignore that,"[/color] he sniffed, indignated. "... ..." [color=teal]"What was that?"[/color] "Fear not, I speak fluent Squall-ese, and he sa--" "Shut up, Tidus," Squall said kindly. "I just want to know where you're heading next." Zell looked mock hurt. [color=orangered]"You want to get rid of us already?"[/color] "No, but the temple guards look like they are on their way to remove you from this premises for letting wild animals run around." Zell, Auron, and Cecil all pointed fingers at each other. "Yeah, I know. So, anyways, I just wanted to know how to lie when the guards asked me where you went." [color=crimson]"We are on our way to Kilika's Temple now, which means we'll take Cid's airship. They would catch us on the boat, otherwise."[/color] "So we'll tell 'em you took the boat," Tidus said, "that'll stall them. And then I can get back to kicking Squall's butt at Blitzball." "Hey, I'm actually getting good at breathing underwater, so shut up!" [color=teal]"Guys, we better get moving--I can hear the guards."[/color] Auron and Cecil both cast Haste on themselves and shot out of the Temple. Zell looked miserable about being forgotten until Cecil shot back in and used Haste on Zell. Tidus and Squall waved goodbye as the pair disappeared to join Auron in waiting for the airship.

A. Wolfos, Guays (the birds), and Scrubs (Deku and Mad). Q. When spinning, in what direction does Deku Link spin?

Yeah, what you posted, Zeh. I too thought Cloud was a pathetic, whiney, angsty jerk, up until I read this editorial. Makes me want to go back and play the game again so I can appreciate the tragic hero position Cloud is in. Cloud killed Sephiroth. It defies my mind how he could still possibly toss Seph over after being run through, by the Masamune, no less, but as the article points out, Cloud has much more potential than anyone ever gave him credit for. The other Sephiroth was definitely a spirit. It was probably a dramatic twist on Square's part for JENOVA to use Seph, and then again, it probably wasn't. JENOVA had Sephiroth in its reach, and Seph could get places no one else could. As for the Masamune that killed ShinRa, it could have been the real one or a spiritual version--spirits, in this game, aren't necessary intangible. Years ago I read an awesome fan story about how Vincent got to where he is. I wish to stuff that I knew where it was, but it captured the essence of Vincent well. I know Hojo experimented on him, but I forget what exactly Vincent was injected with. Whatever it was (I guess it was JENOVA cells *memory is foggy*), it had the same effect as it did on the monsters in the Nibelheim reactor. Recall that all of Vincent's Limit Breaks turn him into monsters, uncontrollable ones at that. So Vincent, like Cloud, should also be recognized as a strong individual to resist JENOVA's influence. And I'm glad someone finally helped me to understand FF7 in its entirety. Square made the story a little too confusing for us lesser brained ones. ^_~ (Betcha my English teacher would have picked up on it--that's just how English teachers are, bleh.)

OoC: *laughs* All right, Des, no problem. This is actually rather funny. ~~~~~~~~~ "If you say so, Cecil..." Tidus drifted off, trying to catch sight of his surrogate father. Auron, still a small brown piglet with black spots and still in Haste mode, ran about furiously, squealing his head off. Tidus, Squall, and Zell looked at unfamiliar animal in shock. "Hey!" Tidus yelled, "that-that can't be in here! It's a holy place, you know?" [color=teal]"Well, take him outside, then,"[/color] Cecil said, stifling his laughter. "Right! Here piggy piggy piggy." Tidus hunched over and walked slowly toward the animal, still whispering soothingly. The pig paused for a moment, grunted in an insulted manner, then ran at Tidus, bounced off his shoulder, and tackled Cecil. He beat his split hooves against Cecil's armor with no effect, but hard enough to express his extreme displeasure. [color=teal]"Hey--hey, quit it! I left you a Remedy back there!"[/color] [color=orangered]"This thing, right?"[/color] Zell was trying to be helpful, and dumped the contents of the bottle onto the pig. POOF! A bright flash of light found Auron sitting on top of Cecil, crossed legged and cross looking. Zell dropped the bottle, which shattered on impact. [color=orangered]"AUGH! It's the airship all over again!"[/color] [color=teal]"ZELL!"[/color] Cecil sat up quickly, knocking Auron off him, and glared at the blonde. "Wait," Tidus said, grinning, "what's all this about?" "... ... ...!" Squall added. [color=orangered]"Well, it all started when we got back to my home world,"[/color] Zell said, immensely enjoying himself. Before he could say another word, Auron used Slow on him and Cecil turned him into a Toad. [color=crimson]"Go kiss a few princesses,"[/color] Auron smirked. [color=teal]"That should teach you to be quiet."[/color] "Awww," Tidus whined, "but it was just getting [i]good![/i]" "...!" Cecil flashed his sword dangerously at the pair. "*Gulp!* Nevermind!" ~~~~~~~~~~ OoC: As always, I'm teasing, so no one better be taking this personally. ^_~

[i]Actually if you want to get technical there aren't 49 islands in WW (their are 49 squares). Yes it's true each square has something on it, but not everything is an island and some of the squares have more than one island. [/i] BOOYAKA! Olga's got you there, Des! ;)

Now, that, my friend, was an eye opener and a brain clarifier. (I read all the ShinRa library books and I [i]still[/i] didn't pick up on the Phase II/III bit, bleh.) Read. Now. You should.

OK, got the scare of my life today. As some of my AIM buddies know, I've been going to bed earlier and earlier the last few weeks. Constant complaints of being tired. Two weeks ago, I kept getting headaches, dizzy spells, and feeling light headed. Last week, one of my co-workers scared me when she told me I looked extremely pale. I swore to her I'd go see the doctor. But I didn't. Today, I was in the middle of my lunch shift at Chili's; since ToGo (my section) wasn't all that busy, I decided to help the servers carry trays. I hadn't felt dizzy or anything, so I decided I was ok, didn't need to see the doctor, go on with life as usual. The last thing I remember was feeling really really light headed again as I picked up a heavy tray. I yelled for help, thought I was going to drop the tray on myself, and...well, after that, I don't remember the exact details, but I remember sitting down, head between my legs, all that stuff. Scared my managers, my parents, and myself bad. (They say I fainted or collapsed, or something. All I could get out of them for sure is that I freaked them out.) Now that I don't have an excuse to avoid the doctor :p (bad joke, sorry), I'm wondering what'll happen now. Several people think I have anemia, which is a lack of iron in the blood, if I've researched correctly? I'd like to know who here has it, how they've dealt with it, etc. I don't know yet if I have it or not, but I'd like to know what I might be expecting in the future.

OK, bringing this thread back for my sake instead of clogging up the Art Forum with my junk. Besides, I'm still in the same theme, so it makes sense. First of all, go ahead and look at the sketchy concept pics I have below--and then please read on. [b]Tamer Auron[/b] [img]http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/elementis/Tamer.jpg[/img] [url]http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/elementis/Tamer.jpg[/url] [b]His "pet" Aravis[/b] [img]http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/elementis/Aravis.jpg[/img] [url]http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/elementis/Aravis.jpg[/url] I guess what I want to ask is, should I bother going on with this project? I mean, I enjoy it [i]immensely[/i], but I don't think any one else is (if all the screams of terror on AIM are any indication). Part of the fun of being able to do art is to share it. OK, so I'm Auron obsessed, yeah. But that's not what I want you all to judge me on. I want to know if my [i]concepts[/i] are good. And if they really aren't, then perhaps I need to quit or...*moans softly*

OoC: Wow, only (at most) three weeks left. Golly... OoC2: I went ahead and got ahold of all the previous Survivors, to give them a heads up on their ability to participate again. I know I wouldn't want to miss the chance if I had it! OoC3: To Des and BB--I'd suggest we keep this moving pretty fast--maybe one temple each day, or every two days. That'll give all the interested Survivors a chance to post before moving on to the final challenge. *has too much free time* ^.~ ~~~~~~~~ As the trio walked back to their resting hut, Auron cast a glance over Zell. [color=crimson]"We're not done talking yet. Care to explain why you got it into your head to attack the Fayth?"[/color] Zell tried--he really did--to form the words. After a third failed attempt, he finally just shrugged. Auron gave vent to an irritated sigh. [color=teal]"Come, Auron, he didn't mean to. Fiend possession, remember?"[/color] [color=crimson]"Yes, and I'd like to know how that happened, so we can be prepared in case it happens again."[/color] [color=orangered]"Ooo, IDEA!"[/color] Cecil opened his mouth for a moment, then shut it again. [color=teal]"Too easy. Too mean."[/color] Auron agreed with a chuckle. Zell ignored them and kept talking. [color=orangered]"Cid said that Tidus and Squall are in Besaid Temple now, right? They might have a clue as to why the fiends...you know..."[/color] [color=crimson]"Possessed you,"[/color] Auron finished flatly. Zell shuddered. [color=orangered]"Yeah, that. Gaw, it sounds so dirty when you say it."[/color] Cecil laughed at Auron's wide eye, and clapped him on the shoulder to snap him out of it. [color=teal]"He's on to something, you know."[/color] Auron snorted. [color=crimson]"Yes, I need to speak with Tidus about picking fights just before getting onto airships."[/color] He changed his direction to face the Besaid Temple again. Zell and Cecil shot past him, sticking their tongues out impertenently. [color=teal]"C'mon, old man, we don't have all year! You are such a slowpoke."[/color] [color=crimson]"Wait,"[/color] Auron said, his tone serious. They paused, caught up in his serious tone. [color=orangered]"What is it?"[/color] [color=crimson]"I need to show you something."[/color] Zell backed up, a funny look on his face. [color=orangered]"Now wait a minute--you came out of the airship with [i]Cecil[/i], remember?"[/color] [color=teal]"You promised not to mention that ever again!"[/color] Cecil retorted. The two bickered for about 3o more seconds, when they realized: [color=teal]"Heeey, whaaat's goiiiiing oooooon?"[/color] [color=orangered]"I feeel liiiike I'm stuuuck in taaaaaar."[/color] [color=teal]"Auuuuron!"[/color] Cecil slowly yelled at the Crimson Warrior. Auron smirked back. [color=crimson]"Slowga, courtesy of Tidus. But wait...there is more."[/color] He held his left hand up to his forehead, then made a throwing motion. His body flashed bright red for an instant, and he was moving considerably faster now. [color=crimson]"He taught me Haste, too. Who's the slowpoke now?"[/color] With that, he literally shot into the Temple. Zell and Cecil ever so slooooowly turned to share a Look, then struggled to get to the Temple. (It would have taken forever, too, if Zell hadn't bumped a foot against a Remedy someone had dropped on the ground.) Auron was waiting for them just inside the Temple, a smirk on his face. Cecil burst into laughing. [color=teal]"All right, all right. Fair enough--I've got Float and you've got Haste."[/color] [color=orangered]"What do I get?"[/color] Zell wailed. [color=crimson]"My admiration for being such a trooper?"[/color] ~~~~~~~~~ Final OoC: I love writing about these three so much--it's just so darn funny! :laugh: I think that visiting the Temples will also give us a chance to talk about our favorite funniest moment with the Survivor(s) at that Temple. Reminisce, reminisce! |_^

(My reason for this is at the end. Please go through the poem first. This is also my first time to do a poem like this, so please bear with me. :)) Hush now, my child. Cry softly, small one. We step for freedom, Far from the Spiral. From comfort and common, We step away now. Hush now, my child. Cry softly, small one. We travel from home, From death and dark dreams. Father remains, We move on, it seems. Hush now, my child. Cry softly, small one. New world before us, No world behind us. We press into groups Who willingly find us. Hush now, my child. Cry softly, small one. Steal into the night. Watch the moon above Hear the music play. And wonder, wonder what sin brought him in? Hush now, my child. Cry softly, small one. And the fire dances The shadows are cast Over all of us. No. Not you. You are still watching the moon. But as the fire dances, Writhes seductively Tempts the unwanted, Even the moon covers her silver eye In a silken scarf. Hush now, my child. Cry softly, small one. Your cry, it alerts us, Your cry, it shows us. Our weakness, Our folly. It moves. Hush now, my child. Cry softly, small one. Scream. Breath again To scream. Terror. Life water Falls. The fire Dances on it. Watch the moon Hide now. You too. Don?t scream, just hide. Turn away from the fire Close your eyes to the dance. Be like the moon: silent quiet out of reach Be like? Hush now, o child. Cry softly, small one. Step into silence, and Gaze at the moon. Eye covered, tears fall, Fire, now swoon. Hush now, o child. Cry softly, small one. You stepped for freedom, Far from the Spiral. No comfort or common, It followed you still. Hush now, o child. Cry softly, Auron. Yes, ok, go ahead and groan at how the Auron Lover has struck again. ^_~ But seriously, I want to use this as the opening part to the FFX prequel fic I'm writing. I'm trying to convey how Auron became an orphan (fabricated on my part) by using imagery instead of writing a long chapter on how the big nasty monster came and struck everyone down, leaving only Auron to be found by temple monks. There's still some parts I don't like, because they don't [i]sound[/i] right, in that reading through them shows that the ...pentameter? is that what it is called?...is off. My favorite part is how it starts out structured, falls apart when the monster attacks the camp, and becomes restructured again, but it's now the moon speaking to Auron, instead of his mother. Anyways, help a little? Critique, comment, do something...but please don't just stroke my Auron ego--I want this to be weighed as a poem in its own right.

OK, this is a little far fetched, and yes, I [i]know[/i] none of the FF games connect to each other (save FFX and FFX-2), but humor me just for a moment. :) I don't believe my own theory 100%, but it [i]is[/i] food for thought. (Lots of FFX spoilers, so if you haven't finished the game yet and don't want it spoiled, you might want to back out of this thread.) Could the world of FFVii actually be the world of FFX? Consider: *In Vii, most of the world relies on technology, [i]especially[/i] Midgar, the most mechanical city of the world. Because of its abuse of the planet, though, Midgar was [spoiler]destroyed at the end of FFVii by Holy.[/spoiler] In FFX, machina (which could be interpretted as technology) is forbidden by Yevon teachings. The ruined holy city of Zanarkand is proof of this, because Bevelle used machina against Zanarkand in a holy war 1ooo years before FFX starts, and Zanarkand lost. *In FFVii, you have Nanaki (Red Xiii)'s race of red, four legged, intelligent lion beasts that roam in Cosmo Canyon. The color could be a debatable issue, since Nanaki is the only one we see [spoiler]and his cubs inherit his color[/spoiler]. Red may not be the only color of his race, but simply a reflection of his enviroment. *In FFX, you have the Ronso--blue, two legged intelligent lion beasts. If, in fact, Zanarkand and Midgar were one, and Midgar was destroyed 1ooo years ago, adaptation evolution could have taken place. The earth may have moved, shifting the Cosmo Canyon into mountain ranges of their own, and Nanaki's race could also have migrated to the mountains around Midgar (Mt. Gagazet around Zanarkand). If so, then the Ronso could have changed their color to adapt to their enviroment (blue by ice rock, versus red by canyon). Four legs to two legs would be evolution (even if only over 500 years (remember, it was 500 years after Midgar's destruction that showed Nanaki [spoiler]running with his cubs[/spoiler])--they [i]are[/i] an intelligent race). As for the aging process (Nanaki's was slower than everyone else's, 1 year for their every 3, I think?), it still holds. Kimahri's age was never really given, but he looks as young as the rest of the FFX crew, even though [spoiler]he had been around when Auron came back from ruined Zanarkand the first time--so that would make him at least as old as Auron, in human years, anyway.[/spoiler] *In FFVii, the WEAPONS were out to destroy all humanity for its crimes against the planet. At the same time, Sephiroth was out to destroy the planet in order to absorb the Lifestream from it so he could become a god. Holy was summoned by Aeris to stop Sephiroth. In FFX, machina Bevelle fought against summoning city Zanarkand. When Zanarkand was about to lose, [spoiler]Yu Yevon, the lead summoner, had his people sacrified to summon Sin. Through Sin, Yu Yevon became immortal, godlike, to the point of all of Spira worshipping him.[/spoiler] Zanarkand was destroyed, though. (This is where my theory starts getting holes in it.) Could Sephiroth have been the first Sin (despite the fact that he was killed)? He could summon (with Meteor) and he was a great leader at one point, just more general than priest. Could Holy have been the summoning that cost the people of Midgar their lives, so that they could fight back against that which was going to destroy them? Yes, holes in that last part, I know. I don't believe this theory very much, if at all. Like I said, food for thought, and fun to think about, no? You may commence with pointing out all the holes now. ;)

Wowwwwwwwwww.... I seriously love how you can make your drawn hands behave, heh. *glares at her own drawings* The wrinkles in the clothes are good, too, and the face, though similar to Cloud's from FF7, also speaks of a..."dull?" innocence. This angel knows his duty, dreads doing it, but knows it needs to be done. That's the sense I get, anyway. Simply incredible. I always love looking at your stuff. *crouches low* Please don't get mad, but I'd love to see your stuff in non-sketchy mode. Well, no, wait, not completely non-sketched, but more...*fiddles for words*...cleaner? No. Finished? No. ARGH! I can't find the words I want. :bawl: Who cares? I'm still in awe of your stuff. Inspiring it is. :)

The color scheme is much more balanced in that image, yes. The text also blends smoother, which makes the overall image more eyepleasing. Even if I do prefer the yellow/red color one, heh. ;)

:eek: :drunk: :wow: *is officially freaked out now, speechless too* Oh my... Heh. Heh heh. Heh heh heh! :rotflmao: The more I look at it, the more freaked out and amused I get. I like this! *stares at the picture in all its inverseness and giggles nervously, backing away*

(Methinks you should go into the optical illusion industry--I could swear that this image is moving too, just like your other one.) OK, that being said, I agree Yuna was cut out very well. The color scheme is close in matching the Yuna picture (and that in itself can be a difficult thing), but not quite close enough to make it seamless. The text bothers me, plain and simple. Text font and position is something that plagues all artists, though, so don't feel bad about that. I would have chosen more of a Lucinda Handwriting or Monotype Cursive (I believe that is what it is called?) for the font, then give it a white edge, and gradiate the text itself with the background colors in the FF Logo manner. (See FF Logos to see what I mean.) Good job. Better than I could do anyday, so yes, good job. =)

There's something very captivating about the second image--except for the text. (It's always the text in everyone's picture, heh.) The texture is ok, and maybe the text. The yellow color is just irritating me.

There's not much I could add to what Syk3 said, other than, every time I look at it, I could [i]swear[/i] it was moving out of the corner of my eye. Like one of those optical illusion deals.

[b]A:[/b] Bum Rush: Left, Up Left, Up, Up Right, Right, Down Right, Down, Down Left, Left. So basically, you're going in a complete circle with all the direction buttons. ^_^ *is loving her copy of FF6 right now* [b]Q:[/b] Name 6 of the Overdrive Modes in FFX and how they are charged.

1. Sometimes you feel like a nut; sometimes you want a Coke. 2. As if they weren't wired enough as it is...>_>

It's been a while since I last played, so bear with me. Are you paying attention to what the Chocobo is saying? "Kweh." -Nothing. "Kweh?" -Hmm? "Kweeeh?" -I think there's something here... "Kweeeeeeeeeeh!" -There's definitely something nearby! "Kweh!" *tap* And up comes the chart. The Moogle will tell you if all the charts in one area are gone, so if he hasn't said anything yet, there are some still left. Don't forget to keep playing, because even if your Chocobo doesn't dig up charts each time, it will still level up its beak when it does dig [i]something[/i] up. And that means it will dig stuff up much faster. Because Chocographs tend to be buried deeper than most items, this is definitely a good thing. Some of the later areas (such as the Lagoon) require (or it helps to have) an upgraded Chocobo in order to play in the area or to reach it in the first place. Finding the treasure from certain Chocographs will upgrade it. (See below.) [spoiler]#4-Reef Upgrade (cross shallow water) #12-Mountain Upgrade (cross mountains) #14-Sea Upgrade (cross deep water) #20 (get all six ChocoPieces)-Sky Upgrade (can fly now!)[/spoiler] I've also shorthanded the location of the treasure chests, but my notes aren't making much sense to me at the moment, so bleh... Best of luck!

Des is right. :bluesweat You can chase around Diamond, and the other one is labeled as Ultimate, not Omega. Oops.