The Farplane~

Mana: Then... why did they look just like them, Sugar...? *she rubs her shirt sleeve against her eyes, her shoulders shaking at the effort to hold back sobs*

Sugar: ....
*Sugar turns to be side-by-side with Mana and closes her eyes. The pyreflies begin to shimmer and form in front of her a taller, more robust, pitch-black rabbit with white markings around her eyes, a white muzzle, and long, spikey bangs that challenge even Sugar's. Her ears are short, though her hair is long enough to be visible behind her, and her eyes glow a neon turquoise that symbolize the family resemblance*
Sugar: ...It's because... you remember them, your parents, and how they were. The pyreflies here gather to your fond memories, and they take their shapes.
*Sugar turns to Mana and smiles*
Sugar: Seymour used that to hurt you, but really, the pyreflies just wanted to support you~

Mana: *doesn't uncover her eyes but her shaking slows* I... I don't know if I can handle being here, Sugar... I didn't realize... I didn't know my memories would come back to me...

Sugar: But... your memories don't mean to hurt you...
*Sugar takes Mana's free hand in one of her own*
SUgar: They just want to guide you. Your memories are of people you loved.... and people you still love. It might hurt to think about... what's happened to them, but... doesn't it hurt to forget them too?
*By now, Sugar's sight has shyly set to the floor, but her voice continues*
Sugar: If we let the pain of losing someone stop us from thinking about them... then... pretty soon we'll forget everybody, and that's pretty sad. That's what the Farplane reminds us of, I think.
*She drops Mana's hand and shakes her head*
Sugar: I'm sorry! If it's painful, I shouldn't be pushing you....

Mana: *shakes her head, rubbing her eyes again, but this time she takes a shaky breath before looks up at Sugar* No, that's... *smiles softly* Thank you Sugar... I... I really needed that. *takes another calming breath before looking determinedly in the direction that Seymour departed in* ...Think I should try summoning the fayth again, or get this over with first?

Sugar:
*Sugar inhales to begin speaking, when suddenly a loud, piercing whistle sails through the chilling air*
Sugar: Ah... what was...
*From the area where they'd split up, Yuna suddenly dashes past the group. Without giving them so much as a glance, she continues running and practically swan-dives into the Farplane*
Sugar: ....
Paine: ....What...

Mana: *a bit floored from the scene* S-Should we follow her?

Sugar:
*Before Sugar can speak, she is once again interrupted by Paine quickly following after Yuna. Sugar releases the air in her lungs once more*
Sugar: ....A-after you... ^^;

Mana: *shares Sugar's sheepish look and takes off running after the two humans*

*Mana and Sugar land softly(Assuming Mana didn't just float down which she probably did) in an [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]*

Sugar: ...This is... the Farplane's inner levels... Very few people have ever seen this area... It is-

*A few Al Bhed pass by Sugar and Mana carrying heavy pieces of equipment. Sugar's face is expressionless*
Sugar: ......Wh-.....

Mana: *shares Sugar's bemusement* ...I know the Farplane can be distracting, but this is downright confusing. @.@;

Sugar: W-wait wait wait! But, the Farplane isn't... supposed to... how...?
---: Pa lynavim fedr dryd!
*A familiar young boy in a full body suit appears to be directing the Al Bhed workers with the equipment. He doesn't take notice of either of them, however*
Sugar: ...I-is that Shinra!?

Mana: One way to find out! *heads towards the group* Hey! Fryd'c kuehk uh?!

*The young boy responds to Mana's questioning almost as if hardly registering she was even there*
Shinra: Fa'na sygehk bnuknacc.
Sugar: You're making... frog legs?

Mana: Progress? With what?

*As though he determined Mana to be a persistent pest, he sighs and turns his attention to her*
Shinra: Efficient energy. I think I've found a way to harvest the Farplane's pyreflies to make enough energy to fly off of the planet if we felt like.
Sugar: Y-you're using the Farplane for energy?
*Shinra shrugs*
Shinra: No one else is using it.

Mana: *seems shocked and slightly horrified* You're... harvesting energy from the afterlife? What about the people here?

Shinra: There are no people here. Only memories.
*An Al Bhed worker approaches Shinra*
: Fa'ja... nih ehdu y bnupmas.
Shinra: Bnupmas?

*Without any warning, the ground beneath their feet begins to tremor and shake loudly, as if they platform they stood on just suffered an explosion from underneath. The Al Bhed workers all seem incredibly startled, though Shinra simply looks back and forth frantically. Sugar yelps out in surprise and grips Mana's arm*

Mana: *helps support Sugar through the tremors* What's going on!? >A<

Sugar: I-I DON'T KNOW! ;A;
Shinra: E drehg dra bonavmeac yna ryjehk y nayldeuh!

*The tremors repeat themselves, even greater in intensity, and knock down some of the machines in the area*
Shinra: My machines!
Al Bhed: Fydlr uid!

*From the base of some of the ethereal mountains in the distance, a scatter of energy blasts rains down upon the group, causing small explosions anywhere they land amongst the scattering Al Bhed, Sugar, Mana, and Shinra*

Mana: *creates a shield of energy for everyone that simply absorbs the energy that flies into it* I THINK THIS IS A SIGN THAT YOUR PLAN IS A BAD IDEA, SHINRA D<

Shines: Don't blame me! I'm just a kid!
*The storm of blasts ends after only a few seconds, leaving an eerie silence in its wake*
Sugar: ... I-is it over?
*Sugar peeks from behind where she hid behind Mana towards the direction of the storm. Awe-inspiringly enough, a large and clearly visible pillar of pyreflies emerges from that same direction, impressive due to the massive number of pyreflies already in the Farplane*
Shinra: ...That's where Yuna and Paine went.
Sugar: Eh? They...?

Mana: *releases the shield* I think we oughta head over there. *starts making her way to where Yuna and Paine are*

Sugar: A-ah! M-Mana!
*Sugar hesitantly follows after Mana, turning around and glancing questioningly at Shinra. He shrugs and shakes his head, leaving her to follow her friend unabatedly*

*Two two, very shortly despite how long the distance seemed, arrive to a large smoldering crater amongst the flowers. Not too far ahead of the crater, the giant mouth of a massive cave in the side of an even more sky-scraping mountain opens up, and from the tip of the mountain, as well as they can see due to its incredible height, is the pillar of pyreflies, making unnatural sounds of a low moaning, which comes off more unsettling than anything else*

Mana: *looking at the mass of pyreflies with their lights being reflected in her eyes* ...We're close.