Author: Stormforce
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Don't own either series.
Oh yeah, the rating will go up and down depending on a a few things. I'll rate it 'R' for language and violance, and NC-17 for the lovin'
Notes: <Anything in these are thoughts>

The girls entered the bridge and saw Dawn facing Leblanc shaking her fist. Shinra was trying to keep Ormi away from his computer consol, and Mizu was pushing Logos away from the map screen. Ormi huffed and walked up behind Leblanc, meeting a very pissed off Logos.

"Just you wait, blondie!" Dawn shouted as Leblanc tried to sit in the pilots seat. "My seat! Not yours!"

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, love, I'm only looking."

Dawn growled with a harsh glare "Y uikrd du gelg ouin ycc!" (I ought to kick your ass!)

"What is this little girl saying?" Leblanc asked as she sat down.

"Kad yfyo vnus so cayd, ricco!" (Get away from my seat, hussy!) Dawn growled and pulled Leblanc out of the pilots seat.

Leblanc sighed and shook her head. "Barbarian! And the name's Leblanc, not Ricco!"

"Could've fooled me." Willow whispered causing Tara and Buffy to stifle their laughter.

"Tara, where next?" Dawn asked grinning like a shark and making Buffy proud.

Seeing the grin Willow backed up and leaned against the wall beside Buffy, and pulled Tara with her.

"Bevelle." Tara said and relaxed into Willow's arms and watched as Leblanc, Ormi and Logos were nearly flattened against the floor. They stood and glared at Dawn right before they were thrown back against the wall beside Buffy.

Looking over at them Buffy smiled sweetly, "Forgot to mention: She drives like a speed fiend." she said and got a glare from Leblanc.

"Zicd mega oui cec!" (Just like you sis!) Dawn smiled over her shoulder

"Got that right." Willow whispered to Tara causing her to giggle and nod.

Dawn had flown as close to Bevelle as she could and let the girls and Leblanc and her two goons off in Macalania Woods. When the cargo door closed she took off toward the Calm Lands to wait for their signal. As they walked toward the temple the priests would turn their heads, so as not to look at or even speak to the group. Tara lowered her head sadly as Willow placed a comforting arm around her waist.

"How we gonna do this?" Buffy asked when they stopped near the door leading to the temple.

"Isn't it obvious? We nab the head honcho. Then, we make him lead us to Vegnagun, and checkmate." Leblanc said like it was the easiest thing in Spira to do.

"Not bad... but isn't that dangerous?" Tara asked worriedly

"I got no problem with it. Our target is the New Yevon praetor, Baralai!" Ormi said readying his shield.

Logos pulled drew his pistols. "A girly man like that doesn't stand a chance without his escort."

"We'd better be careful though. I'm thinking he's stronger than he looks." Willow said and turned when she heard footsteps.

"Who goes there?" A guard asked then raised his gun "It's those Youth League spies!"

"Well, good luck!" Leblanc said as she, Ormi and Logos ran off.

"Good luck? Get back here!" Willow shouted as she pulled her sword. "Look guys, we just wanna talk."

"Get 'em!"

Sighing Willow side flipped dodging the rounds as Tara fired her pistols keeping the guard from advancing. Buffy threw a Waterfall mix at the guard as Willow froze it, and the guard in place. Buffy smiled at the frozen guard as they passed by, and through the door into the temple.

"Looks like things are a mess." Willow said as they got on the lift to the Trials.

"Yeah." Tara said as the lift took them down.

When the lift stopped they stepped on to the walkway and Buffy jumped back as a fiend landed in front of her. Willow drew her sword and severed lizards head, and watched it disappear into souls.

"What the hell are fiends doing in the temple?" Buffy shouted dodging a Bomb and cutting it in half with her sword.

"Remember the temples and Yevon reek of secrets. Don't let a couple of fiends fool you." Willow said severing the head off another lizard.

Tara shot down four bird fiends as they ran toward another lift. Willow screamed in pain as a Sahagin latched on to her leg. Turning Tara fired three rounds into its head, and healed Willow's wound as the fiend disappeared.

The lift stopped at the Fayth's chamber and the girls proceeded in. Their eyes went wide when they saw a hole where the Bahamut statue used to be. Looking down into the hole they saw an underground section, and jumped down.

They found themselves on a balcony overlooking several giant machina machines fifty-feet below. Leblanc, Ormi, and Logos fell from the Fayth's chamber and looked around.

"Watch the exit." Tara said when she saw a way down.

"I don't take orders." Leblanc said with a glare. An alarm sounded as a voice spoke over the intercom the security system had been activated. "Know what, we'll watch the exit."

"Thought so." Buffy shook her head and followed Tara's lead.

Tara jumped on to a large chain and slid down to the bottom, Willow grinned when she thought back two years ago as she slid down. When they reached the bottom they dodged the giant machina soldiers, and ran to the security system.

Finding three different systems they split up to deactivate each one at the same time. A bright white lit up the middle of the room as three steps appeared leading to a door twenty-feet down.

Taking the steps down led them into a room with a working machina arm moving large parts, and more machina soldiers.

"Hey! That sphere with Glory on it. Wasn't it recorded here?" Buffy asked pointing to the machina, and a cage at the top.

"Move your asses!" Leblanc said as she passed by.

"I thought you were going to wait at the exit." Willow asked glaring.

"Whatever. Ormi! Start recording!"

"Yes, boss."

Walking around the machina led to another door and another hallway, following it led to four platforms the girls jumped over. When Buffy landed they heard footsteps and waited.

"The Gullwings? I was wondering who was down here." Baralai said as he turned the corner and stopped. "I know why you're here. You want to destroy Vegnagun. Am I right?" He asked and the girls nodded. "If it could be destroyed we would have already done it. But Vegnagun must not be touched. Neither you nor Nooj seem to understand that."

"You've talked to Nooj?" Willow asked confused.

"He...cannot be trusted."

"What? And you can?" Buffy snorted.

Baralai sighed shaking his head, "Touché. I suppose Yevon has brought distrust upon itself. Anyway, you need not interfere. Leave Vegnagun to me."

"What are you planning to do?" Tara asked lowering her hands to her pistols.

"The only thing I can do," Baralai said raising his staff, "Keep those who seek to harm Vegnagun away. Now, please leave."

"Tara. Buffy. I'm going."

"Right behind ya, Will!" Buffy grinned as Tara nodded.

Baralai swung at Willow nearly taking her head off, as Tara shot the tip of his staff off. Willow rose up and blocked another attack with her sword, and kicked Baralai's feet out from under him. Twisting his body Baralai brought her down with him, and punched her in the face.

Willow rolled away holding her broken nose as Buffy kicked Baralai in the ribs. Raising his hand a Fire spell knocked Buffy away as he rose and turned to Tara.

Willow ran at him and was knocked back by a Thunder spell, Tara fired one round and Baralai hit the floor. Concentrating she cast a healing spell over Willow and Buffy, as they both rose from the floor. Looking down at Baralai she sighed.

"I'm sorry, but we must stop Vegnagun."

"You won't get near him!" Baralai said and screamed as Buffy stepped on his foot where Tara had shot him.

"Whoops! Sorry." she grinned and walked by with Willow and Tara behind her.

They followed the walkway into Vegnagun's chamber and saw thousands of pyreflies floating around, and a deep dark hundred-foot-round hole in the middle of the room. As they looked down the hole a huge black shape fast as lightning shot up and into the air, and slowly floated down in front of them.

"No way!" Buffy shouted backing up with a horrified look on her face.

"It can't...be!" Willow said with wide eyes.

"Bahamut..." Tara quietly said and extended her arms out. "You must stop!"

Willow grabbed her and pulled her back. "I'm sorry, but we have no choice! And I'm not gonna see you get killed trying to reason with him!"

Bahamut roared as he landed on the walkway and swiped at Buffy. Back flipping away from the giant clawed hand she threw a Firestorm mix, and watched the flames dance over his body. Before drawing her sword, Willow infused one of Tara's pistols and her own sword with a Flare spell. Willow dodged Bahamut's hand, and swung her sword leaving a deep cut along his chest.

Tara infused her other pistol with a Holy spell and fired on the once great Aeon. Bahamut roared as the two spells combined hit his chest and face. Turning in a complete circle he used his tail to knock Willow and Buffy away. Buffy fell over the edge of the walkway and dangled over the hole barely hanging on to the ledge. Tara back flipped dodging the second tail-swipe and continued firing, as Willow pulled Buffy back on the walkway.

Bahamut roared again and fell on all fours as the wheel on his back began to turn, and gather energy. Willow whispered something to Buffy, and ran to Tara, nodding the girls lined up. Buffy mixed up a Winterstorm and threw it, just as Willow doublecast two Flare spells, and Tara doublecast two Holy spells.

The spells and mix hit Bahamut at the same time and exploded throwing the girls back twenty-feet, as the room lit up like daylight. When the light died down Bahamut was gone and in his place was more pyreflies.

"Why is this happening?" Tara sadly asked sitting up as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Willow walked over and wrapped her arms around Tara and pulled her into her lap. "I don't know, baby. But we'll find out... Your Calm will last… that I promise you." Willow said and softly kissed Tara's forehead.

"You were right. We had to fight, didn't we?" Tara quietly asked as she laid her head on Willow's shoulder.

Buffy watched Tara silently cry, and Willow comfort her before turning her head and walking over to the giant hole. She silently stared into the hole as a single teardrop fell into the dark abyss.

"Nothing..." Shaking her head she turned and came face to face with Willow and screamed. "Don't do that! You scared the hell outta me!" she said putting her hand to her heart trying to calm down.

"Sorry, but we thought you had been turned to stone." Willow laughed making Tara smile just a little.

"Whatever."

"This hole was made recently." Tara said as she looked down into the darkness.

"You think it was Vegnagun? Unreal... How deep do you think it goes?"

"Oh hell..." Willow groaned.

"What?" Buffy asked turning and then groaned.

"What? Where's Vegnagun?" Leblanc asked approaching them.

"Not here." Tara said before turning around.

"It must have fled in terror, knowing I was coming." Leblanc said causing Willow to roll her eyes with a snort.

"I don't think so." Buffy said pushing the urge down to throw Leblanc into the hole.

"I must report this to Noojie-Woojie at once! Boys, record this. And don't miss a single detail!"

"Yes, boss."

"I wonder if Vegnagun was really here?" Willow asked turning toward the hole.

"This isn't how it was supposed to be. The Eternal Calm... I can feel it crumbling, falling away from beneath our feet." Tara quietly spoke causing Willow and Buffy to turn around.

"Don't say that... The Eternal Calm will not end." Willow said cupping Tara's face and softly kissing her lips. "We will stop Vegnagun."

"Wills right! So, don't worry!" Buffy said as her receiver crackled to life.

"Tara! Willow! Buffy! Dra cred ryc red dra vyh!" (The shit has hit the fan!)

"Dawn! Fryd fuimt sudran cyo ypuid ouin suidr?" (What would mother say about your mouth?) Buffy shouted over the receiver.

"Dryd E'ja paah ynuiht oui yht Faith duu muhk." (That I've been around you and Faith too long.) Dawn responded causing Buffy to growl, and Willow and Tara to laugh. "Rinno pylg!" (Hurry back!)

The girls ran off leaving Leblanc and her goons to find their own way back.