Yeah. I didn't remember how to
spell the name of Dona and Isaaru's guardians, so I took my best guess. And
remember any text between lines like these ********** is a
vision. ---------------------------------
"This is not my Zanarkand."
Tidus said suddenly.
"What?" Yuna asked, turning to Tidus.
The
blonde was still standing in the doorway of the dome-staring at the
ruins.
"The dome is in the wrong place."
"Tidus?" Wakka asked,
moving closer.
"Everything is turned around. The dome was east of
downtown...here it's west of downtown. I'm not from here. This is not my home."
Tidus looked over at Auron, "But you already knew that didn't
you?"
"I...." Auron faltered, his eyes going blank. "I...don't
remember."
Tidus frowned-the blank look on Auron's face was
genuine.
"Nevermind. We'll make sense of things after." The blonde
said.
Wakka put one hand on his boyfriend's shoulder-feeling the blonde
shivering.
"Tidus? Are you ok?"
"Yeah." Tidus lied, turning and
walking off.
Wakka frowned-watching Tidus follow Lulu before following
the group himself.
"Zanarkand has a Cloister of Trials too??" Rikku
complained, staring at the puzzle on the floor.
"I guess so." Yuna
replied.
For the next fifteen minutes the group spent their time working
together and solving the Zanarkand Floor Puzzle. One they were finished the
group squished onto the tiny platform elevator and rode it down to the Chamber
of the Fayth. Wakka kept his arms securely wrapped around Tidus the whole
elevator ride. Something about this place made him feel really uneasy. Tidus
rested his head on Wakka's shoulder-feeling safe for the first time in a long
while. The surroundings got darker and darker as the elevator descended towards
its destination.
"Lu..." Rikku whispered, cuddling herself into the black
mage. "I'm scared."
Lulu looked down at the Al Bhed-wrapping her arms
around the girl. "Don't be scared, Rikku. I'm right here."
Tidus studied
everyone's faces. Auron looked like a zombie-an uncharacteristic blank stare on
his face. Yuna, Lulu, and Rikku all looked a little skittish and frightened.
Even Kimahri looked a bit rattled-his fur standing slightly on end. Tidus looked
up at Wakka-feeling his heart warm. He could tell Wakka was scared too, but was
hiding it behind an affectionate smile. The elevator shuddered violently before
starting to slow down.
"Almost there..." Yuna said mostly to
herself.
The elevator finally came to a complete stop and everyone rushed
off.
"Into Yunalesca's Chambers to pray for the final aeon. We will wait
here." Auron said, his voice flat and monotone.
Yuna nodded
uncertainly-frowning at Auron's odd behaviour. Yuna walked into the Chamber of
the Fayth-only to come rushing out in a panic a few minutes
later.
"The...the...guardians!! Come quick!!!!!"
Everyone ran with
Yuna into the Chambers except Auron...who slowly walked
behind.
"Dona!"
"Isaaru...!"
The group stared in horror at
the zombified summoners and guardians.
"Maroda.
Barthello...."
"What is going on here??" Yuna demanded.
"I've
finally figured out a way to destroy you all." A sinister female voice
replied.
A cloud of grey mist formed at the front of the chambers. It
soon faded away to reveal Yunalesca herself.
"L-lady Yunalesca!" Yuna
gasped, "But...the...the final aeon!"
"There is no final aeon you
pathetic little twit! That was only a trap for summoners to fall into. A trap to
lead summoners to their slaughter."
The group fell into shock. No final
aeon?
"But...why?" Lulu finally asked.
"Do you really want to
know? It's a very long story."
"We want to know." Rikku said
firmly.
"Very well then. I am older than you all think...much older. Two
million years old to be exact."
"B-but the writings of Yevon say..." Lulu
stuttered.
Yunalesca interrupted Lulu with a cruel laugh.
"Do you
want to hear my story or not?"
"Sorry." Lulu whispered.
"Two
million years ago my husband, Zaon and I broke away from our dying society and
decided to make our own planet. You see my husband was quite powerful. Not quite
a god, but much more powerful than any mortal. And so, to save ourselves, we
created our own world and called it Spira, after our deceased daughter. But then
Zaon's conscience got the best of him and he went back to our planet to rescue
what was left of its population. There were imperfect beings on my planet and I
didn't appreciate that. So one night I poisoned Zaon and stole his powers. I
killed what was left of my race and started building my own world. But every
human I put on it had a flaw, an imperfection, a fault. I used to just slaughter
them all and start over, but that grew tiring. So instead I started making other
Spiras each in different star systems...thus creating a
multiverse."
"That's why Zanarkand is all turned around here. This isn't
even my planet." Tidus said.
Yunalesca ignored Tidus and continued on,
"About one thousand years ago I grew bored of my multiverse and I wanted to
destroy it. But since I had made seventy other Spiras I couldn't do it all by
myself. And so...I created...the Fayth."
"The Fayth!" Yuna
gasped.
"Yes. The Fayth. My people. My original society. The traitorous
bastards. Instead of helping me destroy one Spira at a time they turned against
me-vowing to protect all Spiras. Using my hatred for Spira and the Fayth, and my
husband's vengeful soul I created Sin. I managed to completely destroy at least
fifty Spiras with Sin before the Fayth started interfering again. Once I came to
this Spira to destroy it the Fayth trapped both me and Sin here. And before I
knew it, the Fayth had influenced a priest named Yevon to write the scared
writings that you people follow...to give the Spira Sin and I were on some hope.
False hope, but hope. They also figured out how I used hate and a vengeful soul
to create Sin, so they started using their own souls and their love for Spira to
create Aeons to help fight Sin and eventually destroy my beautiful monster. But
I found a way to overshadow their little scheme. I influenced Yevon as well,
making him write about the final aeon. So when the summoners and their guardians
came here I got them to choose one guardian to become the final aeon. After they
chose, I led them away, told them to wait, and returned to the main hall to kill
their other guardians. I return to the summoner and kill them right in front of
the guardian."
"That's horrible!!!" Yuna cried
"True. The guardian
does turn into a very powerful aeon that destroys Sin...but their soul is so
full of hate for me because I killed their summoner they turn into Sin.
Therefore making my lovely creation immortal."
"Auron! How could you not
tell us this!!" Yuna exclaimed, outraged.
Yunalesca laughed, chilling
everyone to the bone. "Stupid child! You think I'd actually let him remember all
this? Just so he could tell the whole world and ruin my plans?? I think not. I
messed with his head. I made him think that Jecht and Braska abandoned him and I
killed him out of mercy!"
Everyone looked at Auron-who still had an eerie
blank look on his face.
"Well. Since I'm going to destroy you anyway...I
think I'll let Auron remember what really happened..."
"No!" Yuna
cried.
Lady Yunalesca snapped her fingers and Auron blinked-the memories
came rushing back. Yunalesca leading him, Braska, and Jecht into the Chamber of
the Fayth. Yunalesca ripping his throat out. Braska calling out to him. Watching
Yunalesca take Braska's head off. Jecht lunging at Yunalesca. Yunalesca laughing
and killing Jecht too. Jecht turning into a bright light and flying off.
Yunalesca kneeling beside him and whispering in his ear..."Sin will come
back...." Stabbing him in the face with her dagger and walking off. A beautiful
woman with brown hair and blue eyes coming to his rescue. Taking Yuna to
Kimahri. Rin leaning over him-asking him if he was ok. Sitting up, being scarred
but alive. Everything that happened being a blur. Every memory a cloud of
fuzz.
"Once I found out a Fayth had helped Auron to escape I cast a spell
on him. I influenced him-tricking his brain into making up false
memories.
Auron fell to his knees-dropping his katana as well. He ripped
his collar off-exposing his neck and revealing a dark red patch of scar tissue
that spread over most of it.
"Auron!" Rikku ran to his side.
"How
could you!" Yuna demanded.
"Being stuck on this forsaken planet bored me.
I had to entertain myself somehow."
"All this is just a game to you!!?
We're nothing but your little dolls!? What about me and my father? How'd you get
a hold of us. I thought you were stuck here!"
"Fortunately none of you
are my creations. The Fayth put people on my planet too-to overthrow the ones I
created. Maester Seymour and Maester Mika were the last of my creations. As for
you and your father, Jecht was brought here by the Fayth. They thought that they
had me beat, but I showed them...now didn't I? And you...well. The Fayth thought
they had me beat there too. They knew of the power you possess and sent Auron to
protect you...even though they made Auron think that he promised Jecht he'd take
care of you and rode over to your planet on Sin. But my powers grew stronger-fed
by my hatred for this planet...for its people...for everything I didn't create.
I managed to break through the Fayth's barrier and sent Sin to destroy your
world. Unfortunately the Fayth found me out before Sin could do any real damage
and sent Sin back."
"That's who I was talking to on the bridge." Auron
said quietly, "The Fayth said to bring you to our Spira. They said that you
could help. That you could end all this."
"M-me?" Tidus
stuttered.
Auron nodded, "They thought the same thing about your father,
but...he wasn't ready. And he was consumed by hatred for Yunalesca."
"And
you probably sent Seymour to kill Tidus...didn't you?" Wakka
growled.
"Smart boy." Yunalesca smiled. "But Seymour was an idiot. He
fell easily."
"Yunalesca using Fayth's energy." Kimahri said.
"I'm
not using it. I'm just...transferring it." Yunalesca replied, an evil smile
curling her lips.
"T-transferring it?" Tidus asked.
"Yes. Before I
was worried that I wouldn't be strong enough by the time you got here, but I am
no longer afraid. My powers are finally at their peak. I am stronger than Zaon
every was. And I'm transferring the Fayth's energy
into...Sin."
"Sin!?"
"I'm making him stronger."
"And
killing the Fayth." Yuna said.
Yunalesca nodded, "My, my you're sharp.
Once the Fayth are dead Sin and I will be unstoppable and I can finally destroy
everything."
"But...why?"
"As I said before. You're all impure,
imperfect, and have faults. You're ancestors were created by the Fayth. You have
no right to waste precious life on imperfect beings such as
yourselves."
"You have in imperfection too, lady!" Rikku spoke up,
"You're crazy!!"
Yunalesca laughed, "You want to stop me little girl!?
You have to kill me!!!"
With that Yunalesca hit Rikku with a Thundaga
spell.
"Ahhh!!!" Rikku cried, falling to the ground.
"Rikku!!"
Everyone cried, running to the Al Bhed's side.
"Why don't you pick on
someone your one size." Tidus growled, unsheathing Brotherhood.
"Think
you can beat me?" Yunalesca
grinned.
"Yes."
******************** Suddenly Tidus's friends
were caught up in that black cloud again-their bodies turning into
pyreflies.
Tidus shook his head-clearing the vision
away. He looked back at his friends. Kimahri and Lulu were attending to Rikku.
The rest of them were ready to fight.
"I'm sorry. But I have to protect
you." Tidus said.
He casted a spell on his friends-trapping them all in a
purple dome.
"Tidus! What are you doing!!!" Wakka cried.
"Saving
you." Tidus replied, turning back to Yunalesca.
"The Fayth have been
talking to you...haven't they?"
"The only way that shield comes down is
if I die." Tidus replied.
"That can be arranged easily!"
The
ground started to quake violently as at least twenty tentacles shot up from the
ground-twining around Yunalesca.
"Die." She hissed.
The tentacles
gave way-revealing the true face of Yunalesca. The giant head with feline green
eyes and tentacles for hair. The one that was attacking Tidus in his
vision.
"Are you ready to die, little one?" The head hissed, its tongue
flickering out like a snake's.
"Holy! Look at the size of that thing!"
Lulu exclaimed.
"Tidus!!!!! Let us out!!!!" Yuna screamed, "You can't win
by yourself!!!"
"I'm ready." Tidus replied smugly, ignoring his friend's
cries.
Yunalesca shrieked, all the tentacles on her head lunging for
Tidus. The blonde dodged them all and managed to cut the tips of a few off.
Yunalesca let out an inhuman cry-her tentacles dripping black blood.
"You
will pay for that!!!" She screamed.
The tentacles went in for another
attack. Tidus dodged one, two, three...WHACK!!! He miscalculated and was hit
right in the stomach.
"Oof!!" Tidus grunted, falling to the
ground.
"Gotcha..." Yunalesca hissed, smiling.
The blonde was
stunned and winded. It felt like someone hit him in the stomach with a cement
beam.
"Tidus!!!!" Wakka called, pounding on the dome. "Tidus! Get
up!!!!"
"C'mon Tidus." Auron whispered.
"Get up!!!!" Yuna
cried.
"Stay down!" Yunalesca screeched, a tentacle piercing through
Tidus's shoulder and pinning him down.
"AHHH!!!" Tidus screamed, arching
his back in pain.
"Did you really think you could defeat me!?" Yunalesca
demanded, "I will kill you and then your friends! I will make sure Wakka's death
is extremely slow and painfully. How does....castration sound to
you?"
Tidus growled and tried to sit up.
"Tidus!!! Don't!!" Wakka
shouted.
"I won't...let you hurt Wakka, Lulu, Rikku, Kimahri, Auron, or
Yuna." He panted.
Tidus slowly started sitting up-the tentacle still
pierced through his shoulder. Yunalesca seemed surprised that Tidus could even
talk let alone sit up.
"I will kill you!!!" Tidus cried, grabbing
Brotherhood and slicing the tentacle holding him down in two.
Yunalesca
screamed her head reeling back. Tidus rushed forward in a flurry, attacking
Yunalesca savagely-striking her over and over again with his sword. He twirled
his sword around, stuck it into the ground, and leaped off of it and up into the
air. The hooded Fayth appeared in front of Yunalesca.
"Here!!" The hooded
Fayth cried, throwing a blitzball into the air then running to the
side.
Tidus performed his famous Sphere Shot-kicking the explosive
blitzball right into Yunalesca. He landed and pulled his sword from the
ground-ready to keep fighting. But Yunalesca was already writhing in
pain-turning into pyreflies.
"No! How can this be! I've nurtured my hate
for so long! Noooooo!!!"
With Yunalesca gone the piece of tentacle still
through Tidus's shoulder vanished and the wound closed and healed fully. The
hooded Fayth bowed,
"You have The Fayth's gratitude. You saved
us."
The Fayth vanished and Tidus turned to his friends. They were
smiling and Yuna was clapping.
"Yay Tidus! That was awesome!!!" Rikku
exclaimed, now fully healed.
Tidus smiled and broke the shield
surrounding his friends. Almost immediately Wakka was kissing him.
"You
jackass, ya! If you ever do that again I'll kick your butt!!!"
Tidus
laughed and nodded, "Yessir."
Yuna and Auron were attending to the
zombified summoners and guardians-giving them Holy Water.
"Well now that
Yunalesca is gone Sin can't be reborn." Lulu said.
"We figure out way to
defeat Sin." Kimahri added.
"And it'll never come back!" Rikku
finished.
"Mmmm.." Wakka mumbled, still joined at the lips with
Tidus.
"Can't you two wait until you're in private?" Lulu
teased.
"Nope." Wakka grinned.
"Ugh..." They heard Dona
moan.
"You guys! They're ok!!"
The group rushed over to Yuna and
Auron.
"She told us everything." Dona said, "I cannot believe
that...that...our whole history is a lie."
"Believe it." Auron grumped,
walking off.
"Where's Pacce?" Yuna asked, helping Maroda sit
up.
"Yunalesca sent him away." Isaaru said, burying his face in his
hands.
"I'm sorry..." Yuna whispered, standing up.
"C'mon
Barthello. We're leaving." Dona said.
Barthello nodded and started to
follow Dona.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Yuna called.
"I don't
know. I need some time to think." Dona replied, leaving.
"You guys can go
too. I'll take care of my brother." Maroda said.
"Are you sure?" Tidus
asked.
Maroda nodded, "Yes. Oh. And thanks for helping us."
"It
was no problem." Yuna replied.
The group squished onto the elevator-the
uneasy feeling replaced by depression.
"Now what do we do?" Rikku
asked.
"First we rest. Then we think." Auron replied.
The group
made their way out of the Zanarkand Dome-all the robots and fallen monks were
gone.
"I guess Yunalesca must have gave them life so they could guard
her." Yuna said.
Tidus nodded and went to walk down the stairs when his
strength left him. His legs gave out and he tumbled down the
stairs.
"Tidus!!!" Rikku and Wakka cried in unison.
"Tidus? Are
you all right?" Auron asked, noting the blonde's dilated pupils. "He's
exhausted. His strength must have gave way."
Yuna casted Cura on Tidus
and Wakka scooped him into his arms.
"I'm such a klutz." Tidus
moaned.
Wakka chuckled a little and placed a kiss on Tidus's lips. "Hey.
You heard Auron. You're exhausted. You can't expect your body to be perfectly
fine after a fight like that, ya?"
Tidus nodded, "Yeah."
Now
satisfied that Tidus was ok the group started on their way
again.
"Besides...now I have an excuse to grope you." Wakka grinned
wolfishly, giving Tidus's rear a squeeze.
Tidus rolled his eyes, but
laughed.
"Nobody move." Auron whispered harshly.
Wakka stopped in
his tracks, "What is it?"
"Sin..." Rikku whimpered, shaking from head to
toe.
Wakka slowly walked up to where the group was standing outside. Sin
was standing at the edge of the ocean.
"You think he's mad about
Yunalesca?" Tidus whispered.
"I don't want to find out." Lulu
replied.
All of Sin's eyes looked at the group-the sound of many souls
could be heard inside its body. They were screaming, calling for help, or
calling for a loved one. It was too much for Tidus-he had to cover his ears.
Wakka held Tidus against him tightly. If Sin wanted Tidus he'd have to go
through him first. But Sin....did nothing. It's eyes all blinked and Sin started
to turn away-heading back into the ocean. Once the giant beast vanished into the
ocean Tidus took his hands away from his ears.
"I've never seen Sin's
face before..." Yuna whispered.
Suddenly the ground started to
shake.
"Give me a break!" Wakka cried, "Don't tell me Sin is
attacking!!!"
But it wasn't Sin. A giant airship came out of the
clouds-heading towards the group.
"It's my dad!!!!" Rikku cried, jumping
up and down. "DADDDDDDDDDDDDY!!!! OVER HERE!!!"
