GinnyLyn

Here you go, Domon. OoC: In case the title didn't tip you off, there are [color=red][b]SPOILERS[/b][/color] in here. Don't want FFX spoiled, then back out now. This takes place just after Auron returned to the Zanarkand Dome to challenge [spoiler]Yunalesca. She has caused him to fly backwards (remember flashback?) and he and his sword have just hit the floor.[/spoiler] The Blessed Curse of Yu Yevon (will need lots of reworking) (Music: The Sending?chant) Auron gasped with pain. Incredible, searing pain. He tried to push himself up with his left arm?the pain increased terribly--and cried out softly, the sound echoing in the large, empty room. His left shoulder muscle was torn badly, he could feel it. He lowered himself back down to the cool floor. The young warrior was dimly aware of metal scraping against stone. He numbly realized that Yunalesca was drawing his sword from the spot it had pierced the floor. How, he didn?t know?and didn?t care. He just wanted to die now. Pyreflies sighed mournfully nearby, hovering in iridescent sparkles about her. Yunalesca was stepping toward him. She crouched down, stared at him in what living beings would call a condescending way. But the dead have no feelings. Her smile was still painted there on her pale face. She tilted her ornamented head to see his face, but he pressed it against the floor, trying to be still, as if dead. His labored breathing betrayed him, the floor tile fogged with his breath. She trailed a transparent hand against his cheek, and he shuddered, tried to pull away. ?Vile creature,? he spat breathlessly. Her hand had trailed up to his scalp; it dug in suddenly, sharply, pulled his head back roughly. Auron gasped, his eyes widening in pain. Just as suddenly, she let him drop and he hit the floor hard. She turned, back to him, walked away; she held her right arm out from her body, and twisted her hand in a full circle; behind her, Auron was bodily flipped over. Once again, he was deposited roughly, and he simply laid there, his world lost in pain. ?Pitiful creature,? she finally returned. She raised her left arm above her head, and behind her, Auron?s massive blade floated, mimicking her motions. ?You?re drowning in sorrow. You have lost your hope.? ?There never was any?? he gasped back. ?But Yu Yevon?? ?Damn Yu Yevon,? he cut in vehemently. ?Damn him, and all his teachings to the Farplane.? His voice was getting stronger for the moment, but only because of his pent up rage. ?You blame Yevon for your own sorrow. A sorrow that has come only because you lost your hope. Let me free you from your pain.? She motioned the sword over his prone figure, laid the blade down against his face. ?You who have spent his lifetime in tearing enemies asunder?may you be released by your own weapon.? Auron closed his eyes, was ready to give up. And then? [i]What the hell?! I went to be Braska?s Final Aeon, after you promised?you promised!?to watch my son! Damn it, Auron, move your lazy ***?you don?t want little Yuna to cry, now, do you? Auron, please. You must get up. We still need you.[/i] And from deep hidden reserve of energy, Auron was able to roll to one side, moving away from his blade. Not fast enough, though. What had been aimed at midpoint was now moved, slicing out sharply now, cutting deep? Auron roared? It was cutting into him, on the right side? Yunalesca watched unemotionally from her viewpoint. The blade clanged to the floor, its work finished. The reflection of dim light was obscured by wet redness, quietly dripping, obscuring the floor as well. Auron was hunched over, his forehead touching the floor, his gloved right hand jammed into his sword wound, his left arm dangling uselessly at his side. He shook in pain, drawing breath in sharply, blood pooling just below his face. ?A fitting judgment, perhaps. You have cursed Yu Yevon, and now you shall walk with one eye, a testament to his symbol. Before your death, you shall proclaim his benevolent justice, and perhaps he will bless you with a summoner to send you.? ?I?will do?no such thing?.? He pressed his palm harder into his face, trying to staunch the blood flow. ?What will you do then?? ?I will go?I will go back to Bevelle?and Guadosalam?and Macalania?and Kilika?and Besaid?I?ll go all over Spira and tell them?tell them about you and your lies!? Yunalesca didn?t look bothered in the least. She laughed shortly. ?And who will believe you?? ?Because there never was a survivor before. But there is now! I will break the cycle you have twisted around this world! I will stop the needless deaths you and your Yu Yevon have required all these years!? He could feel the vengeful spirit rise up in him, and he believed his words, let them carry him. He propped himself up by his sword. Yunalesca continued to smile. ?They will not listen. For now, the cycle is broken for them. Sin is gone. They will live on in hope and will not listen to you, because you would shatter their only reason to live.? ?But?? And in a moment, Auron saw it was true. The people of Spira wouldn?t listen. Even if they did, it would only have a negative effect. The well meaning ones would panic, be lost in sorrow, and that would be just as bad as Sin killing them, completely nullifying the entire purpose of Braska?s pilgrimage. The priests of Yevon would also get wind of him, imprison him, maybe even execute him for his sacriledge. And if that happened, there would be no one left to mourn Braska and Jecht?s sacrifice, no one to keep their children safe. At best, he would be sent by a summoner, a priviledge for being a High Summoner?s Guardian. At worst, his worthless body would be dumped in some alley, his pyreflies mutating into some hideous fiend that some other brave Guardian would slaughter, only to send the pyreflies to revert back into a new fiend. And then Auron would be lost in a death cycle of his own, with no one to mourn him, either. Auron was not about to let that happen. He forced himself to stand up, still leaning heavily on his sword. ?I swear to everyone and everything I hold dear?I will expose your hopeless lie?your grip on death. I will return to stop this cycle?and you will regret your falsehoods.? ?If you are so intent on stopping me,? she smiled in that maddening way, ?then why do you not confront me again?? ?I cannot possibly win. I know that.? As if on cue, his left knee buckled, and he partially collapsed. ?And even if I could, that will not defeat Sin. No, I do not have enough information.? As an afterthought, he struggled to look at her. ?Why do you not kill me now?? ?A moment ago, you were lost in sorrow, ready to die. You have hope again?but?? That smile. ?That does not mean that death will not still find you. Pitiful, pitiful creature.? Suddenly, a demon serpent?s head shot out of the ground and lunged at him, tore into his side. His black armor held only for a moment, then crumpled beneath pressure. The fangs bit deep into his unprotected skin and Auron swore. Yunalesca had been stalling so she could get a hit in. ?Yes,? she hissed sibilantly, ?death will find you indeed.? Auron cried out and beat at the head. His vision swayed, and he felt dizzy. He had to do something. Another head broke the stone floor surface, lunged at his right arm and bit into the bracer. It too was pressing heavily, attempting to break the bracer. Auron flung his left arm, the loose one, the torn one, out to grab at his sword. The serpents pressed harder; he reached farther out to grab it. Touched the handle, dragged it back, got his right hand on it. Screaming, he gripped the handle tightly and sliced downward, severing the first serpent head from its body. Yunalesca screeched very ungoddess like and raised her hands; a multitude of serpent heads shattered the floor in their drive to attack Auron. With a final reserve of strength, Auron sliced into the head that was latched on to his wrist, then turn and ran out of the room, down the stairs, past all the pyreflies floating around. The sounds of Yunalesca?s shrieking were growing faint. The realization of what he had just done was not. WIP TBC... ~~~~~ [spoiler]No one ever reads my stuff anymore anyway, so I'm not expecting any comments.[/spoiler]

You guys are HARSH tonight, :p. And he's not crying--that's [color=red][b]blood[/b][/color] dripping from his wound. This is how he got his scar, as I pointed out in my first post. :p again.

I agree about the faces, however, I feel that your shading technique is simply wonderful. I especially noticed it on the debris floating behind them. Bring some more stuff on, when you can--I would like to see more.

He's got his legs tucked under him, so you can only really see the upper half of them--the rest are hidden by his coat.

Geez lawheez! You got my envy now--I've always wanted to be able to cell shade, with no luck. T-T Very nice. (psst, can you give me lessons, lol?)

Well, what do you think? [img]http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/elementis/grief_line.jpg[/img] This is Auron just after recieving his famous scar--and that is [color=red][b]blood[/b][/color] falling from his hands. I'm PS coloring this as you read this. I'm quite excited already by how well the image came out. (Now if I can just figure out why my computer keeps scanning in those horrid shades of pale yellow. .:cross:.)

Coolios! Thankies! I'll be doing another run on the Urns tomorrow--right now, I'm busying myself with the Arena Monsters and another game by the name of..."dotHack". O_o;

OoC: *waits for inspiration* Right, the surprise...gotta wait for Des. I gotta time this just right--BB said I could go ahead with my plan for the Velvet Pouch that Ixion's Fayth gave us. ~~~~~~~ Auron groused and rubbed his forehead. This Klikk fiend was getting to be a pain in the...well, you know. [color=crimson]"Much as I hate to be some sort of old guy that gets used a lot--"[/color] Cecil snorted. Zell raised an eyebrow. [color=crimson]"--and get your minds out of the gutter--I see no other way..."[/color] Auron winced and looked at Zell. [color=crimson]"Are you certain that Drawing doesn't hurt?"[/color] [color=orangered]"It shouldn't."[/color] Zell grinned as he watched Klikk constantly ram into the walls. The fiend hissed in irritation, trying its best to shake the confusion off. [color=teal]"We should strike while it's still confused. What did you have in mind, Auron?"[/color] [color=crimson]"Magic would be the most effective against it--we just can't seem to move fast enough to catch up to it. It's pretty agile as well, so..."[/color] Auron turned to Zell. [color=crimson]"Could you draw Holy?"[/color] Zell's jaw dropped. [color=orangered]"You know [i]Holy[/i] too?!"[/color] Auron pushed his shades up his nose, watching Klikk still battering itself against the walls. [color=crimson]"I know just about every magic spell ever discovered here in Spira."[/color] He then snorted. [color=crimson]"Doesn't mean I'm any good at them...I was trained for physical combat."[/color] [color=orangered]"That means his brain is underdeveloped,"[/color] Zell whispered to Cecil. [color=orangered]"OW!"[/color] Auron glared at Zell witheringly. [color=crimson]"I could always just leave you down here."[/color] [color=orangered]"I'll be good."[/color] Auron hmphed. [color=crimson]"That'll be a first."[/color] [color=orangered]"Hey, now don't you start that!"[/color] [color=teal]"[i]Chil[/i]dren..."[/color] Cecil sighed. [color=orangered]"Right. If you'll excuse me, Auron..."[/color] Zell drew Holy, though it was a struggle at first. To Auron, it was like someone was digging into his brain with icicles, then pulling a piece out. [color=orangered]"Just let go already!"[/color] Auron made a face, then relented. Zell held up a shining piece. [color=orangered]"Wow, Holy."[/color] [color=crimson]"Don't waste that, now."[/color] Zell nodded. [color=orangered]"Just get Rock Boy out of there."[/color] He confidently bounded toward Klikk. [color=teal]"...Rock Boy...?"[/color] Zell stood right behind Klikk and raised his arm. [color=orangered]"EAT HOLY, FIEND!"[/color] Klikk whirled about and screeched in Zell's face, a reaction the blonde had not expected. Zell gasped and fell backwards, feeling deja vu. Klikk raised a dagger like claw to cleave at Zell again when... ...several ethereal orbs hovered about Klikk then swooped up. In a moment, each one shot into the fiend, shaking it bodily and tearing at it. Klikk screamed...and toppled backwards. The Survivors were thankful to see pyreflies floating up from its carcass. Zell turned to see a dusty but free Cecil grinning, allowing Auron to lean against his crystal armor. The Crimson Warrior looked exhausted. [color=crimson]"I told you not to waste it."[/color] [color=orangered]"I never even got a chance to use it!"[/color] Zell protested. [color=crimson]"Keep it, then. You might need it someday."[/color] Auron massaged his temples, then motioned Cecil to let him sit down. [color=crimson]"We'll take a break for a few minutes, then go finish off Geosgaeno."[/color] [color=teal]"Magic takes a lot out of old g--"[/color] Cecil paused as he heard Auron scraping his sword against the floor stones. [color=crimson]"Now how did that Silence Buster attack go again...?"[/color] Auron mused loud enough for the other two to hear him. He grinned as they chose not to comment further. ~~~~~~ OoC: One down, one to go, and then...the SURPRISE! *screams in delight*

OoC: I swear, if this post gets eaten [i]one more time--!!![/i] And yes, I sorta crossed some games over here, but you have to admit, it had an interesting result. ^_^ ~~~~~~~~~~~ [img]http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/elementis/klikk.jpg[/img] Klikk hissed as it lunged at Zell from the shadows; the blonde was taken off guard and fell backwards, hitting the floor. His head dangled over the edge, in empty space; Klikk stood over him. [color=crimson]"Like I just said--!"[/color] Auron snapped, more out of concern than anger. [color=teal]"I'm on it,"[/color] Cecil promised as he jogged toward the rubble pile. A quick spoken word and he was hovering over the rocks, climbing without the danger of getting his feet caught. Zell cried out in pain as the fiend slashed at him. Cecil was quick to join them and Klikk chittered, then jumped off the second floor and hit the first. Auron brought his sword up, but Klikk shot past him and dug its claws into a nearby column. In a minute, the fiend had climbed agilely into the shadows. [color=teal]"Cure. Zell, are you ok?"[/color] Zell fingered his torn jacket ruefully. [color=orangered]"I've had better days,"[/color] he sulked. Cecil pulled him up, then stood at the edge and called out to Auron. [color=teal]"Do you see it?"[/color] Auron motioned them to be silent. He held the Masamune out, his muscles tensed, waiting for his instincts to kick in. Auron had just enough time to move his head when Klikk fell from the ceiling, raced past him, then rebounded to the second floor. It shrieked and sank its teeth into Cecil's unprotected neck, pulling him backwards. The pair tumbled down the rubble pile, Cecil taking the worst of it. [color=orangered]"CECIL!"[/color] The Paladin was badly bruised and blood stained his mouth. He tried to move his head, but groaned and laid back. Klikk scuttled up the rubble pile to escape, but Zell charged toward it, his eyes blazing. The blonde halted at the rubble pile, unsure of how to climb down safely. Meanwhile, Klikk skittered downward, knocking some rocks down on Cecil's legs, trapping him. With a jump, the fiend cleared the rock pile and began to move for an exit. Auron growled and swung his blade in a wide arch. Klikk easily dodged, but hissed sibilantly when the Crimson Warrior began to shoot fireballs at it. Klikk slunk back to the rubble pile, sat atop Cecil, then slashed at his arm in agitation. A dark crimson ribbon laced Cecil's arm now. He mumbled a few words, trying to heal himself, but it was a lot of effort. Too much. The celestial sparkle of life was weak. Cecil needed help. Klikk chittered at the scent of blood, its nostrils flaring, its tongue licking the beads of Cecil's life blood caught between its teeth. It was about to slash at Cecil again when Auron, bellowing, charged at the fiend. Klikk easily dodged again and jumped to the middle of the giant room. It shrieked, angry at being deprived of a potential food source. Auron glared back, then looked at Cecil. [color=crimson]"Hang in there."[/color] [color=teal]"Yeah, yeah,"[/color] Cecil groaned back. [color=crimson]"I wish Zell knew magic. That would be very useful right about now..."[/color] Auron continued to threaten Klikk with his sword in one hand, and used his other to cast Cura on Cecil. The Paladin was able to sit up easily now, catching Auron as he sagged a little. [color=teal]"Hey, easy there, old guy. Magic takes a lot out of you, huh?"[/color] Auron glared. [color=crimson]"I'll be fine,"[/color] he said curtly. [color=crimson]"Don't get yourself killed now, kid. I wasn't able to heal you completely."[/color] Klikk screamed as it lashed at them, but Auron was ready. [color=crimson]"Sentinel!"[/color] He glowed slighty and held his sword out, taking the brunt of Klikk's blow with very little pain. Then, as was the nature of the Masamune, Auron just [i]had[/i] to counterattack the fiend. Cecil couldn't resist a kind chuckle. [color=teal]"Whoever said slow and steady..."[/color] [color=crimson]"I'd like to see [i]you[/i] hit this thing--it's moving far too fast. Besides, you're still stuck."[/color] [color=teal]"Well, then, move the rocks and let me--"[/color] Auron fended off another slash from Klikk, his left shoulder left with a nasty gash. [color=crimson]"I am a little...[i]busy[/i],"[/color] he grated back. [color=teal]"Zell, do something!"[/color] [color=orangered]"Aw, why? Looks like you guys are doing juuuust fine!"[/color] Auron grunted as he took another hit and swung at Klikk, unsuccessful again. [color=crimson]"Then you come down here and take my place!"[/color] Zell raised his hands defensively. [color=orangered]"Sorry. Got a low tolerance of pain. Looks like you could use a little speeding up, though."[/color] [color=teal]"No problem there. Got an Ether?"[/color] Zell patted his pockets, then paled. [color=orangered]"Oh, you're kidding...right?"[/color] he asked himself. [color=orangered]"Dangit, [i]now[/i] what do I do?"[/color] [color=teal]"ZELL!"[/color] [color=orangered]"Just a miiiiiinute!"[/color] came the singsongy reply. [color=crimson]"We don't [i]have[/i] a mi--nnhh!"[/color] Auron arched his back slightly, then rubbed his neck and shot a Look at Zell. [color=crimson]"Have you forgotten I am on your side?!"[/color] [color=orangered]"Chill. I'm just borrowing this spell for a minute."[/color] Zell held up a shimmering item and grinned. [color=orangered]"'Sides, Drawing doesn't hurt. Now if you'll allow me..."[/color] Zell made a motion and nearly shouted with glee: [color=orangered]"SLOW!"[/color] ~~~~~~ OoC: OK, I think I've gone on long enough. BB's turn. ^_^ And go Zell, saving the day!

Since Des isn't back till Sunday, I guess we can move on. *runs and hides from Des' wrath* I hope you're right, sweetreyes, cause I am SO gonna get it from him if you aren't! ^^;; Go for it, Mei.

OoC: I actually got corrected on this--they can't talk underwater or breathe for that matter. It turns out that Tidus, Rikku, and Wakka are just excelled in holding their breath for three minutes on end, so we'll say our guys can go for a minute, minute and half tops. *nods happily* I'm trying to stall us out long enough so Des can participate in our little surprise I have planned. Bwa ha ha ha....:devil: ~~~~~~~ Zell quelled his urge to panic and instead focused his energy on kicking Geosgaeno from the inside. The monstrous fish roared and pushed itself out of the water, flying high (allowing Zell a chance to grab a breath of fresh air), then slamming back down into the pool. Water rained down where it had landed. Inside Geosgaeno's stomach, Zell was on his back, wide eyed and wide cheeked. The other two Survivors were still hidden for the moment, Geosgaeno busy with Zell. Cecil turned to Auron. [color=teal]"Ideas?"[/color] [color=crimson]"Whatever we do needs to be done fast--Zell can't hold his breath forever."[/color] [color=teal]"Well, we were going to do an all out attack sooner or later...might as well be now."[/color] Cecil was about to take a deep breath and dive under when he looked at Auron. [color=teal]"Our swords are too heavy to be much use underwater."[/color] [color=crimson]"Lady Yuna and Lulu both taught me enough elemental spells to keep Geosgaeno at bay. However, since I'm still only a novice, as it were, it takes time to prep the spells."[/color] [color=teal]"Got a back up plan?"[/color] [color=crimson]"Here."[/color] Auron pulled several different gems from his sleeve and dropped them into Cecil's open hands. [color=crimson]"Yellow is Lightning, blue is Water, white is Ice, red is Fire, black is negative energy, and silver is positive energy. Non elemental,"[/color] he added, to Cecil's confused look. Cecil held a silver and a red together in his hands. [color=teal]"So I just smash them tog--"[/color] He was about to bring them together when Auron stayed his hand. [color=crimson]"Save that for the fish fry,"[/color] he said gruffly, nodding to Geosgaeno. Zell paddled to the top of Geosgaeno's stomach, hoping that the fish would open its mouth and he could slip out. No luck. And Zell needed some--he was running out of air. He punched at the bony rib prison that he was in, feeling a tight pressure locking around his head. He had to get rid of the air stuck in his lungs. Just before Zell finally gave in, Geosgaeno lurched and screamed. Another lurch, another scream--and Zell realized that Cecil and Auron were using Thundaga on Geosgaeno. [color=orangered][i]Magic? How are they....[/i][/color] Zell's head ached in protest against thinking and he swam furiously to slip out of Geosgaeno's mouth. Another bolt struck Geosgaeno on the snout...and unfortunately, hit Zell's back as he slipped out of the monster's mouth. The blonde cried out in pain, the air whooshing out of him in a giant mess of bubbles; water was quick to replace the air and Zell knew he was drowning. Cecil and Auron gestured for a few minutes; Auron swam up toward the sinking Zell while Cecil continued to slap gems together and throwing the elemental power at Geosgaeno. At the surface of the water, Zell coughed and spat water. Auron winced and kept one arm around the blonde, using his free hand to wipe Zell's spit off his own face. [color=crimson]"Glad to see you're still with us,"[/color] he said. Zell could only nod, gasping in great quantities of air. [color=crimson]"Geosgaeno is not giving up so easily. Looks like we need to find a new way in."[/color] [color=orangered]"L-like...that...?"[/color] Zell gasped out, pointing below the surface to a small doorway hidden behind a pile of rumble. [color=crimson]"That will work for now. We can regroup once we get out of the water. Take a deep breath and let's go get Cecil."[/color] They both filled their lungs to compacity, then dived under. Cecil was on his last pair of gems and smashed them together, only to find they were Water Gems. [i][color=teal]That's just greeeeeeeat...[/color][/i] A Thundara tore into the giant fish, catching its attention. This was followed by another Thundara that hit the crumbling archway about it. The archway became a small rockslide, not enough to trap Geosgaeno, but to stun it for a moment. Auron and Zell tugged at Cecil, pointing to the smaller door. He gestured to the large Temple door, looking puzzled. Geosgaeno growled as it shifted slightly, but remained where it was for the moment, still stunned. Cecil allowed himself to be tugged toward the smaller door. Cecil gasped greatfully as his head broke the surface. [color=teal]"Air has never tasted so...so..."[/color] Zell stuck his tongue out, as if to taste it. [color=orangered]"Stale, cold, and old?"[/color] Auron pulled himself out of the water, helping the other two up. He then proceeded to wring his coat out. The Survivors were now in a wide room, large enough to fit a house in. There were two doors, and there could have been more--if one of the walls hadn't collapsed inward, blocking any other exits with rubble. A second story was marked by stone railings, most crumbling like the rest of the area. Somewhere, water dripped in a maddening tattoo, explaining the dampness of the stones. Every breath the Survivors took was marked by a foggy cloud in front of their mouths. [color=teal]"Hey, how come we didn't go to the Temple door?"[/color] Cecil asked, squeezing water from his hair. [color=crimson]"It would have taken time to open the door. Time we didn't have. Geosgaeno would have been after us before we could have gotten it halfway open."[/color] He watched as Zell stood and shook himself bodily. [color=crimson]"At least we are out of the water here. We can plan better."[/color] Zell jogged in place for a minute. [color=orangered]"Sure is cold. Hey, I'll go find some wood and we can make a fire while we think."[/color] So speaking, the blonde ran off to explore the small tower the Survivors had managed to get themselves into. ~~~~~ OoC: This is the area that Tidus was first chased to by Geosgaeno at the beginning of FFX, in case you are wondering.

Happy Navel Day, allayous. Mine's on the 19th. Whoopee, I'm turning 23. The only age milestone I have to look forward now is 4o, the "Over the Hill" bit. Whee. And I get my three year for work a week after my birthday. So Hayell, I got a job for 2oth birthday. It can't get any suckier than that. :p

*ist chosen for special character* [b]Name:[/b] Lianna [b]Age:[/b] 19 [b]Race:[/b] Hylian [b]Description:[/b] [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=456221[/img] [b]Behavior or attitude:[/b] Quiet and thoughtful, she knows volumes of information but speaks little. Though innocent, she is not naive...and she knows there is a greater purpose out there for her. She just doesn't know what yet. [b]Bios:[/b] Lianna just became an orphan recently, when her grandmother passed away from cancer. She has worked at the local museum for some time now, and has heard of the latest Hyrule archeological site. The past has always interested her, for she has an insatiable thirst for knowledge. It helps her to keep her mind off herself and her real life problems... [b]Extra:[/b] Wind Waker. Left to her by her grandmother, Lianna decided to keep it in the museum for safe keeping. One day, she borrows it to take to the supposed Hyrule digging site...

OoC: YAAAAAY! *poings about uncontrollably* Thankyouthankyouthankyou! Ahem...now to stall it out till Des gets back. Oh, and BB? I just got an inspiration on what the velvet pouch can do. I'll PM you in a while about that. Yes, I'm being mean to my own character in this post. Why? Got me. :p This post doesn't feel the way all my other ones normally do. Am I making any sense...? :sweat: I apologize in advance if this isn't up to my usual writing standards. ~~~~~~~~~ Auron's head broke the water and he blew water from his mouth. He raised his hand to brush loose drops of moisture from his eye, but found his arm unusually heavy; his right coat arm was soaking up the water quickly, dragging him down slightly. Meanwhile, his tokkuri was unexpectedly bobbing at the surface of the water, giving the Crimson Warrior a tilted position. ~[i][color=orangered]"It's never easy being a hero..."[/color] [color=crimson]"No... it's not." [/color][/i]~ Auron growled and slapped the water, trying to get leverage. He ended up splashing about in a circle and swore darkly under his breath, sodden and irritable. More so when Geosgaeno shot out of the water just a foot from his hand. [color=crimson]"Blessed [i]boat![/i]"[/color] the startled warrior bellowed, paddling desperately toward the crumbling perimeter stones. After all the talking he had done to the other two about StoneProof armor, it would only figure that he would have forgotten his own. Auron had just enough time to switch his Serene Bracer for the more effective Genji Bracer when Geosgaeno slashed at him. The grizzled man cringed for a moment, silently begging something, [i]anything[/i], that he had buckled it on in time. [color=orangered]"Hey, old guy!"[/color] Cecil (who was staying afloat remarkably (or perhaps another use of the Float spell)) waved to him, Zell bobbing in the water behind the Paladin. Auron almost sighed in relief, but covered it up with a gruff snarl. [color=crimson]"If you call me that [i]one more time--[/i]!"[/color] Auron stared into the water. [color=crimson]"Where is it?"[/color] [color=teal]"Geosgaeno?"[/color] Cecil asked, shrugging, as Auron awkwardly swam toward Cecil and Zell. [color=teal]"I saw it when it went after you, but besides that..."[/color] [color=orangered]"How could a two ton fish like [i]that[/i] disappear so fast?"[/color] [color=crimson]"Be on your guard..."[/color] Auron warned. [color=orangered]"Yeah yeah yeah. Geez, don't you [i]ever[/i] take a break. 'Do this, don't do that, be on your guard, you're fat, you're stupid, you're ugly, stop hogging the hotdogs you scribbled-on glutton--'"[/color] [color=crimson]"I never said half that stuff!"[/color] Auron had never felt so defensive of himself before--it was an odd sensation. [color=orangered]"'You're fat'--that was the bridge at Remiem..."[/color] [color=crimson]"I only said that in order to make you move."[/color] [color=teal]"Guys..."[/color] [color=orangered]"'You're stupid'--that whole bit about being SEEDs."[/color] Grumbled: [color=crimson]"I still don't understand that, either..."[/color] [color=teal]"Guys?"[/color] [color=orangered]"'You're ugly'--comparing me to that one guy, Wakka, that was totally--"[/color] [color=crimson]"That wasn't even [i]me![/i]"[/color] (Being defensive--an odd sensation indeed. Now Auron understood why Tidus was so whiny.) [color=orangered]"As for the hotdogs--"[/color] Zell was pointing fingers now. [color=crimson]"Why you dysfunctional, gravity-defying haired [i]punk--!![/i]"[/color] Auron was about to lose his temper. [color=teal]"GUYS!"[/color] Cecil had to scream to make himself heard. While it caught the attention of the arguing pair, it also attracted something else--Sahagin fiends. The fish weren't interested in fighting, however. They sped into the trio, trying to nip and bite. One was having trouble chomping on Cecil's armor and was about to switch to the Paladin's face, when the other Sahagins bolted from the scene. A watery roar caused the remaining Sahagin to let go of Cecil and try to flee, too. But it was too late. The Sahagin had just enough time to dive between Zell and Cecil when Goesgaeno launched out of nowhere and sank its enormous maw around the fiend, the force of the water knocking the Survivors back a few feet. The smaller fiend shrilled in agony, its blood seeping out and creating a crimson mist underwater. The Survivors took this oppurtunity to slip away from the giant fiend while it was distracted. With a final slash, Geosgaeno petrified the unforunate Sahagin. The stone statue lasted only for a split second, then shattered into minute pieces that littered the floor of the pool. The trio were clinging to a set of crumbling pillars. Cecil looked grim; Zell was gasping for breath; Auron looked a little shaken. [color=orangered]"How in the name of [i]anything[/i] are we going to get past that?!"[/color] [color=crimson]"Start looking for the door of the Temple."[/color] [color=teal]"Before we do, I have a question: 'blessed boat'?"[/color] Auron peered at Cecil over his shades. [color=crimson]"You'll forgive my obscenity."[/color] [color=teal]"What obscenity? 'Blessed boat'?! Gaw..."[/color] Auron was watching Geosgaeno as it prowled around the pool, unaware of the hidden Survivors. [color=crimson]"Something like that. I am ashamed to say I picked it up from Cid back in the first world."[/color] Zell still looked skeptical. [color=orangered]"But Cid could care less about boats! His thing is ships! And 'blessed' is too big of a word; short words like 'holy' are more likely to...to..."[/color] Zell blinked wide eyed in sudden shock, then tried hard to stifle his laughter. [color=crimson]"What?"[/color] Auron grated. Zell motioned Cecil over and whispered in his ear. Even the Paladin could not suppress a good natured chuckle. [color=crimson]"[i]What?![/i]"[/color] Auron was feeling defensive again, which meant he was showing his follies, which only made him more irritable. [color=teal]"Don't worry, you can teach Auron how to swear proper like later. Or Cid. I'm sure Cid could."[/color] Auron glared at his reflection in the water. This was getting embarrassing. And then-- [color=crimson]"The door!"[/color] he hissed, pointing to a structure hidden in algae about twenty feet below the surface of the water. [color=teal]"Great. All we have to do now is to get past that Desbreko wannabe."[/color] [color=orangered]"What's a Desbreko?"[/color] ~~~~~~~~~ OoC: It's a Zelda reference in honor of Des, that's what! ^^ And if you don't get the joke about 'blessed boat', then...um...too bad! Heh, I bet I'll be so embarrassed by this post when I come back to it in a week--gah, this post has been so weird...

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Valen [/i] [B]and mind you... I don't have a purple thong. Just clearing that up... [/B][/QUOTE] *chokes, dies laughing* That was too much, lol!

And so strikes Mr. Technical Man again. And seeing as how you are going on vacation and didn't [i]tell me![/i], I'll go ahead and give it to you, FYIing the PSX answer was Master. :D :p So everyone take Des' question now.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by KnightOfTheRose [/i] [B]There are far to many people on these boards that have helped me or influenced me in some way to put into a list. You all know exactly who you are. And I hope each and everyone of you know that you will never leave my thoughts. [/B][/QUOTE] 'Nough said. :)

OoC: Fair enough. But that means the girls better post with me! ^_~ Anyways, I'm sure we can stall till Sunday. *sulks* Dessy go bye-bye... Will edit this with a post later tonight. If someone doesn't beat me to it. ^.^

I've mostly enjoyed Square games, but have only dabbled in a few Enix ones, DW7 and one of the GameBoy games. The only thing I particularly detested about DW7 was the battle view--you never saw your own characters (but this sounds to be fixed, as Sem pointed out, so no biggie). You can't blame us Americans for not having access to Enix or putting it on the pedestal Square is on (which, I agree, is sometimes ridiculous and other times not). What is superhot in Japan is not always the same in USA; Enix probably fell between the cracks somewhere along the way. Anyways, I think that yeah, the merger is a good idea. Two good companies with lots of positives for each other.

*thwaps everyone* All right, [i]why are we still going on about my question?[/i] Angel got it right, it's done and over with. :p *thwaps Des as an afterthought* You missed one on the upgraded classes. Better fix that. (Heh, I'm running with the PSX version, sorry.)

OoC: Well, I'm bringing this back up to attention and getting us through the Baaj Temple so we can hurry up and move on to the final challenge. Let's get started, then. :sweat: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Zell dubiously peered out the windows of the airship. [color=orangered]"Is there supposed to be anything out there? All I see is a bunch of fog."[/color] [color=crimson]"Oh, it's out there,"[/color] Auron assured him. [color=orangered]"Sure looks creepy."[/color] [color=teal]"OK, we're at the coordinates, Auron, now what?"[/color] [color=crimson]"How low can we get without actually landing? I seriously doubt the ruins will be able to support the airship."[/color] [color=teal]"Well, we'll find out in a minute."[/color] Baaj Temple was a relic of a bygone age, and a crumbling one at that. The actual Temple itself was underwater; all around it, objects that used to be support pillars were now broken, fallen over, acting as walkways that led to the center where the Temple waited. Auron and Cecil were already on one of the many collapsing walkways; just above their heads, the airship hummed quietly as it hovered, Zell trying to get out. [color=teal]"C'mon, Zell, just one foot, then the other."[/color] Zell turned around, got on his stomach, and wiggled a foot down, trying to touch the walkway. [color=orangered]"You sure? Looks awfully old. This could break at any minute."[/color] [color=teal]"Worrywart."[/color] [color=crimson]"I am [i]not[/i] carrying you all the way to the Temple again,"[/color] Auron added. Zell's blue eyes flew open, remembering that incident, and lost his grip for a second. He fell, unelegantly, on both his rear and the walkway and froze, half expecting it to break and him to fall into the ocean. The walkway held, though. Zell felt a surge of pride and jumped up, punching the air. [color=orangered]"HA!"[/color] The stone beneath him began to crumble ever so slightly. Popeyed, he slowly, quietly moved away, following Cecil and Auron to the Temple. [color=crimson]"Well, here we are."[/color] [color=orangered]"We have to dive into the water?"[/color] Auron fixed him with a look. [color=crimson]"Do you see any other way?"[/color] Their walkway, like all the others, ended at a deep watery pool. The Baaj Temple was barely discernable below. Zell shivered and rubbed his arms. [color=orangered]"Looks cold."[/color] Auron made a face in memory. [color=crimson]"It is."[/color] [color=orangered]"You're not [i]helping[/i]!"[/color] Zell whined. [color=crimson]"Tough,"[/color] the Crimson Warrior grunted back. [color=teal]"Kids, I'm going to be in that water and talking to the fayth before you get done bickering,"[/color] Cecil announced. [color=crimson]"Wait!"[/color] Auron stopped Cecil and picked a loose stone up. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it into the water. An enormous, twenty foot fish creature with tentacles and wing-like fippers tore through the pool and slashed at the stone invader; it shattered on contact. Patrolling for more enemies, the fiend--Geosgaeno--swam about. Zell was wide eyed, and even Cecil was taken back by how close he came to getting caught unawares. Auron looked grim. [color=crimson]"I trust we all have StoneProof devices?"[/color] [color=orangered]"I got plenty of Softs, though, why can't w-"[/color] Auron pointed a finger to him. [color=crimson]"Petrification under water means instant death. Geosgaeno may be ignorant, but it has that much going for it; one hit from its petrify venom and you shatter beyond any hopes of repair."[/color] [color=teal]"That's [i]stupid![/i]"[/color] Cecil protested. Auron shrugged. [color=crimson]"That's Geosgaeno."[/color] Zell peered at the fiend again, then stood up. [color=orangered]"Oh well can't get in bye bye!"[/color] [color=teal]"Not so fast,"[/color] Cecil grinned. [color=teal]"We still have a Ganger to dispose of."[/color] Zell sighed. [color=orangered]"It's never easy being a hero..."[/color] ~~~~~~ OoC EDIT: Image from an earlier scene--Ganger taking on Auron. I also have one in the scribbly works of Cecil vs. Ganger. Anyways, like always, these things only took 3o minutes, so don't laugh too hard. O_o; [url=http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/elementis/gangerauron.jpg]Ganger Vs. Auron[/url]

Mweh, *shoots self in foot* Dang, that hurt. I'm just a-gonna go this way and content myself with being the biggest Auron Fanatic on OB. Yes, OtakuBoards, meet your new "2003 OB Auron Fanatic"! *does that silly fake cry Ms. Americas usually do* Oh, me? You picked me!? Oh oh...sniffle...I'd like to thank everyone--God, and my mom and dad, and the little people, and SquareSoft for making Auron and oh yes Auron too, and-- BaPfft. I got all I need. I know I'm special, so there. Have fun with y'all's contest! ^_~ *sits back and watches everyone else get into swimsuits*

Um, whatever Valen's answering...:sweat: Originally the classes were Fighter Black Mage White Mage Red Mage Thief BlackBelt They were switched to (respectively to first list): Warrior Black Mage White Mage Red Mage Thief Monk *looks around* Ginny's turn again! I've given you the classes for Final Fantasy (1). Name the upgraded version of each class. (As in, after the characters get that boost/power up deal, what do their classes change to?)

Findings for 8/3/03 1o battles, in which I hit the center eye first, then hit the next eye based on when the urn "wiggled". #1. Center-Got P. Down. When I pushed right on the Control Pad, the selection arrow went left. UpLeft eye (wiggle)-Soul Spring. Bottom Right-wrong eye, end battle. #2. Center-wrong eye, end battle. #3. Center-Got P. Down. Arrow went Left. UpLeft (no wiggle, wrong eye, end battle.) #4. Center-Got P. Down. Arrow went Left. Bottom Right-got P. Down. Up Left, wrong eye, end battle. #5. Center-Stamina Tablet. Arrow went Left. UpLeft-got Soul Spring. DownLeft-got P. Down. Up Right (no wiggle)-wrong eye, end battle. #6. Center-wrong eye, end battle. #7. Center-wrong eye, end battle. #8. Center-got P. Down. Arrow went right. BottomLeft-got Soul Spring. UpLeft-got P. Down. UpRight-wrong eye, end battle. #9. Center-got Elixir. Arrow went left. BottomRight-Frag Grenade. BottomLeft-Lunar Curtain. UpRight-P.Down. BottomRight-wrong eye, end battle. (I forgot that I had not hit the UpLeft eye yet, and the urn had even wiggled on UpLeft! Darnit!) #10. Center-wrong eye, end battle. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Despite the Urn having seven eyes, only 5 are selectable. I almost beat the Magic Urn in my 9th test, but due to my lack of brains and memory >.< I didn't. Has anyone actually beaten the Urn?

Sora's a lot more lighthearted than Cloud ever was. OK, not true--Cloud did seem likeable in that chibi flashback with Tifa. I felt the exact same way about Riku and Sephiroth--same look, same attitude, same dark path. [spoiler]Power drives even the calmest insane. Poor poor Riku...[/spoiler]