...I went on to Treno. On the way I was attacked by a few monsters of course. I was expecting that. Some of them looked rather...well...odd...they were basically walking plants who threw chestnuts at me. That attack was annoying; it didn't injure me that much, though. They also had a nasty scream that hurt my ears, as well as they just attacked. I could kill them in one good hit, so they didn't bother me much (though I really hated that
scream). About the fifth time I was attacked (I could see Treno by then, as well as a strange looking ship on land. I didn't know how it got there), I remembered what Nora had said about summoning and thought, even though I knew full well it was going to be overkill, that I'd better make sure I tried before I got to Treno. What if I had to do it in a hurry? What
if I had trouble doing it Nora's way? Then my can--or someone else's--would be in the fire, for if I was forced to summon it would be an emergency anyway. I had to be sure. Well...it took three tries to get it right. I was getting pretty upset at myself when I tried the final time. Usually summoning is so easy, I can do it in my sleep, but this time I seemed to be wasting my energy. The third time...well...I got it, but it didn't play out as I was used to.
~~From Cloud's journal
Cloud was getting very annoyed and upset with himself. Usually he didn't have this much trouble summoning anything. Damn!, he thought, Why does something so simple have to be this hard? The weird plant monsters danced in front of him, attacking and mocking him. Okay, he thought. One more try at this, then I'm gonna shred those monsters if I can't get the materia to work. He took a deep breath, and he tried to summon Shiva for the third time, making sure he was doing it the way Nora had warned him . He had tried it that way the previous two times, though it had yet to work. It had felt like something was there, but he had grabbed at it and missed! The other two attempts had felt like a rubber band that he was using had broke and snapped him, not like it had felt like trying to summon Bahamut Zero. It was probably because he wasn't used to summoning this way. That might've thrown my concentration off just a little bit., he thought. Somehow, this time, he felt the materia finally activate; he could feel it connect, like if a switch had turned on or connection had snapped into place in his mind. He'd gotten it right--at last! He heard a female voice in his mind; he was expecting that. What he didn't expect was for Shiva to be talkative; on Vida, she always just said, :Yes?: when she was first summoned. This time, however, Shiva said:
:What do you need me to do, stranger?:
:Get rid of these monsters!: Cloud answered in his mind.
Then Shiva appeared. Cloud noticed she looked different than the Shiva he knew from home. The force of Shiva's Diamond Dust overwhelmed the monsters with ease.
Well, guess I should've expected something like that., Cloud thought. Nora said Eidolons were different...
Then, unexpectedly, Shiva turned toward Cloud from where she was standing in the air. :How did you summon me? You don't have a horn...: Cloud heard in his mind. He also sensed the Shiva materia was still active. :You shouldn't be able to hear me either. Why is this so?:
Guess this Shiva isn't used to someone like me summoning her., Cloud thought. :I can because I wasn't born here.:, he answered. :Anyone from my world can summon if they get ahold of the right materia and know how to use it.: He raised his arm that had the Crystal Bangle on it so he could show Shiva his materia. It was obvious which one was the Shiva materia. That one was still glowing brighter than it usually did. :I think you're really speaking to me through the red materia that's glowing; that one grants the wearer the ability to summon you--or of course my world's counterpart to you.: What did a horn have to do with summoning, anyway?, Cloud thought. Maybe it does here though...
Shiva chuckled, which sounded like tinkling icicles. :By winter's blast!:, Cloud heard her cry mentally. :I never thought once I had been chosen by a member of the summoner tribe that someone else could call me! My mistress is terrified of her summoning power and I've been sitting on my heels for quite some time, though.: Shiva blinked.
:Why? Why's she terrified of her power?: Cloud asked. He'd wondered about the matter ever since Nora had mentioned it, even though at that time he'd thought he wouldn't get a straight answer.
Shiva sighed and answered, :Bahamut thinks it's his fault. As I have heard, her mother came down to get her for a masquerade ball late that afternoon. She was wearing an awful mask at the time. That mask scared my mistress very badly when she looked up from the book she was reading. My mistress panicked and summoned him blindly. Bahamut didn't know what to do. He began his attack without thinking, because he was somewhat affected by what was going through our mistress's mind. He managed to keep his wits about him enough to understand that hideous "creature" that she was panicking about was her mother, so he missed on purpose, destroying a nearby bookcase instead. It was lucky that one was empty or her tutor would of been slightly upset. Her mother was even more lucky; that bookcase could of very well been her. Bahamut's sorry, but he can't undo what he did. Neither can he apologize because she swore never to summon again, fearing what her power could do.:
:Oh, crap.: Cloud said, shaking his head sadly. :The Instructors told us SOLDIER Trainees when they were teaching us how to use materia to never, ever summon anything--or use any kind of magic, for that matter--when panicking. They said the results could be....unfortanate. Panic's one of the few feelings that can affect magic, and it affects summon magic more. I was told panic affects summoned creatures' judgment a lot, so you never know what might happen when you summon something while you're panicking.:
:That's terrible! I never knew all that!: Shiva answered, her eyes wide with shock. :But really, do you think it was it Bahamut's fault? I'd always wondered since he came back from that incident...He's been looking so sad and embarrassed in the shadow world ever since then--it was not a good moment for the King of Dragons. My mistress is such a cute little girl. She didn't deserve to be scared like that...:
:No, don't think so.:, Cloud answered. :It was very lucky he kept his wits. It would've been a lot worse for your mistress if he'd obeyed that panicky wish and killed her mother instead of missing. I'm sure that 'frightening your summoner half to death' is better than the alternative.:
:I guess you're right.:, Shiva said. :I suppose you're probably going to need me again sooner or later while you're still here, for I assume you'll be here a while. May I get a good look into your soul? I need to see what kind of person you are so I know if I can allow you to call me again...:
Cloud had been expecting something like this, ever since Nora had told him that Shiva would have to test him to see if she would allow him to summon her again. He nodded to Shiva, who floated up to him; so close that if Cloud didn't know better than to try, he could of touched her. She gazed straight into Cloud's eyes; for a few seconds he thought that he was under a microscope or something like that. In a few moments, he saw Shiva smile.
:You're an honorable person. I can tell you won't abuse me or force me to do something I would regret. We Eidolons hate it when a evil or greedy person calls us. Even if we question the command we are given, we have no choice but to obey and aid in some way before we can return to the shadow world. We also have to come the first time we are called by a particular person. That's just two of the laws of the universe and we can't change them, though sometimes I wish we could. However, the second time a evil or greedy person tries to summon that particular Eidolon, that one always refuses to come for him or her. We do have some rights, after all.: Shiva bowed her head to Cloud. :I'll come when you call as long as my mistress doesn't overcome her fear of summoning and start using her power again. We never allow two active summoners to be able to call the same Eidolon, since it is extremely unpleasant to be called by two people at the same time.:
Cloud nodded. That made sense. Shiva had also explained something he'd wondered about for a long time; why the Instructors had warned the SOLDIER trainees never to summon anything without having a reason first. He'd never tried to call anything without a reason, but it didn't stop him from wondering why they had said that. If he remembered correctly, he'd asked; however, the Instructors didn't have the answer to that little question. Well, not an answer he remembered, anyway.
Shiva continued, :I know you don't summon like a member of the summoner tribe, but here...: She gave Cloud a handful of opals. :Summoners here use certain gems to focus their powers. The opal is mine. I know you can't use one of these as a focus since you're not from this world. However, I can still draw from them to strengthen my powers. Please keep them on your person as long as you're here!:
Cloud nodded. :Okay.: He removed a pouch from his pack and placed the opals in it, then he put the pouch in his pocket. That's interesting., he thought. So, summoners here use gems to summon? Wonder what other surprises this world has?
Shiva smiled. :Before I go, how does your world's counterpart of me behave when you call her? I've never met her...:
Cloud described what Vida's Shiva did every time she was summoned to this Shiva. She nodded.
:I promise, I'll appear fully for you every time unless I would be risking myself if I did that. We Eidolons have the ability to use our powers from the shadow world. We only do that if we're in a hurry or afraid that we could be killed in that particular situation. I won't do that for you unless it's absolutely necessary. You probably wonder why I have to be careful. It's rare, but if a Eidolon gets killed, the person that Eidolon is joined to also dies. You wouldn't be affected but my mistress would. Don't worry, I know my strengths and weaknesses. I also know how to judge the seriousness of a battle all too well. I won't let myself be killed, ever.:
Cloud nodded. I'm glad Shiva knows what she's doing, don't wanna have girl's death on my conscience. Wonder if Shiva's real summoner's one of the ones destined to save the world?, he thought. If there's some parallel to Ramza's world, and I think there is, then she's a powerful summoner indeed if she can call Bahamut! I don't think Shiva knows, though. That kinda thing isn't something you can tell about someone easily without knowing the future.
It seemed very likely, however that Shiva's mistress was one of those destined to save the world. Sometimes, Cloud knew, one needed a summoned creature's extra firepower to get through a nearly impossible battle with you and all your friends still alive. He shivered, remembering the times that he or one of his friends had to use summon magic to get through such a battle.
He looked up to Shiva and said, :Thanks, Shiva!:
Shiva hovered back and waved to Cloud. :You're welcome! I'll tell Bahamut what you told me about his actions back then. Maybe he'll stop covering himself in shame and hold his head up for once!:
Cloud nodded. :Hope so for his sake; shame doesn't become the King of Dragons!: Then Shiva disappeared into the shadow world. Cloud smiled and continued down the road to Treno. Need s'more summoning practice., he thought. I know, need to call Bahamut, but now's not the time. Need to save my energy for now. Besides, I'd rather wait until I'm sure he's over that incident.