The fiends were many, unrelenting, but Wakka didn't care.
"Come and get some, ya?" he said though gritted teeth. Chappu's blue sword glinted in the moonlight wet with blood. Harder and herder he fought, his tears falling freely down his face. Luzzu's voice still rang in his ears…
"Sin attacked the base…It was a massacre…Chappu didn't make it…I'm sorry…"
Tightening his grip on his sword, Wakka swung harder, faster. Fiends flew in all directions. He thought back to the final conversation between himself and his brother.
He could barely hold in to his anger. His lips trembled as he struggled to control his voice. "You…did…what?!" Wakka asked, his eyes drilling into his younger brother. He watched as his brother's proud smile dropped from his face and his eyes to the ground. "Your kidding, ya?" Wakka pressed, "You didn't really go and join the crusaders?"
"Yes." Chappu said quietly, "I have."
"You stupid son of a Shoopuf!" Wakka screamed, "why'd you go and do a dumb thing like that?"
"I had to, ya?" Chappu said defensively, "What are we supposed to do, let sin terrorize us forever? The teachings are bogus. We've prayed and prayed and still sin comes back! We must rid ourselves of him by force! Not by thanks to Yevon!"
"How dare you speak against the teachings!" Wakka exclaimed, "They are what can save us! Not wielding forbidden machina with heathens!"
"Those "Heathens" are the only ones trying to save us! I have to try, for Lulu's sake!"
What's Lulu have to do with this?" Wakka asked in surprise.
"I can't stand to see her suffer anymore," Chappu said quietly, "you don't know her like I do. With every day she grows more and more distant. I'm afraid she's going to become a summoner."
"What?" Wakka replied in astonishment, "Lu a summoner?"
"I overheard Lulu and Yuna talking. Yuna has it in her head she will become a summoner. Lu would never allow that. She'd do anything to stop her, even becoming a summoner herself."
"Lu won't become a summoner." Wakka said.
"How can you be so sure?" Chappu asked.
"Because we won't allow it." Wakka said, "Yuna either. You don't need to go on a suicide mission to make sure of it."
"I need to do what's best for Lulu." Chappu said, "If there's even the smallest hope I can bring her peace, I have to try."
"The best thing you can do is stay with her and Yuna." Wakka said."
"You don't understand, ya?" Chappu shouted, " Sure, being with Lulu is amazing, but keeping sin from her is better. Please, brother, hive me your blessing."
"No," Wakka said coldly, "I will not. Nor are you going to go. You will stay here."
"Don't you dare try to parent me!" Chappu seethed, "You're not mom or dad. I'm going. My boat leaves at sunset. You're welcome to see me off. Or, you could come with me," He said with hope in his voice, "together we can drive sin away from Spira away from Yuna, from Lulu. What do you say, Wakka?"
Wakka stared at his brother's outstretched hand. "No." he said. He let his gaze drill straight into his brother's eyes. "If you leave tomorrow, I will no longer call you brother." He watched as his brother's eyes again fell, his hand slowly retract.
"So, that's it then?" Chappu asked, dangerously quiet, "That's how it's going to be?"
"Yes." Wakka said, come find me when you come to your senses." slowly Wakka turned around, and walked back to his hut.
"OOF!" Wakka cried, the pain jolting him back to reality. He watched as blood oozed through his cuts, mixing with the blood of the fiends. He knew he was weakening, but he didn't care. He felt the surge of adrenaline through his veins powered by his anger. How could he have been so dumb? Of course his brother would have chosen to go, whether with his permission or not. He really couldn't blame him. He would have done the same thing in his place.
Wakka tossed and turned in his sleep that night. Images of his family, his friends, being slain by sin haunted his dreams. He was running, running after someone. He couldn't quite see his face. He sensed sin nearby, right behind him. Soon he would catch him. Suddenly he was falling. With the last ounce of his strength he covered himself, bracing for sin's impact. He felt a hurricane of wind as sin blew past him. He looked up in time to see Chappu. He opened his mouth to scream, but the wind carried it away. He watched in horror as sin collided with Chappu, only now it was Lulu, and a terrible beast that could only be the final aeon.
He awoke with a start, jumping out of his bed, he ran over to his brother's room. "Chappu!" He cried as he burst through the curtain. He stopped abruptly. His brother's room was empty. Silently he walked into the room, not wanting to believe his brother had been gone for a couple hours now. A glint caught his eye. He walked over to his brother's desk. There lay the sword he had given him. Numbly he ran his fingers over it. His eyes fell to a note that was stuck under it.
"Dear brother, I'm sorry, but I have to do what I have to do. I hope that someday you will be able to forgive me. Know that I will always call you brother. Take care of the girls until I return. I hope to defeat sin as a marriage proposal to Lu. Don't do anything I wouldn't do- Chappu.
He was in trouble. He knew it. There were a lot more fiends than he'd anticipated. The rest of his memories come in a blur: Luzzu's return…His brother's death…the first time he'd seen Lulu cry…a massacre…I'm sorry…
Wakka felt himself falling. His adrenalin was running out, leaving him exhausted and exposed.
"Wakka!" a voice rang out. He could barely hear it. Suddenly there were pyreflies everywhere, and Lulu was by his side, her anger overwhelming her features.
"What in Spira did you think you were doing taking on so many fiends by yourself?"
All he could do was stare, he hurt to much to talk. He heard Lulu quietly curse under her breath as she pulled out some potions and antidotes, "Damn it, Wakka, I can't lose you too!"
Quickly she began to apply pressure to his wounds. After a while he felt is head start to clear.
"I didn't even say goodbye, Lu," wakka said, "I told him he was no longer my brother."
He felt Lulu's arms wrap around him. "He knew you didn't mean it, Wakka. He knew you were just being an older brother. He was just…tired of waiting for sin to suddenly disappear. I think…something about the teachings didn't sit well with him. He didn't even pray when he left.
"That sounds just like him!" Wakka exploded, "Stubborn as a Shoopuf! Using forbidden machina…I told him!"
"He did what he felt needed to be done." Lulu replied softly, "Just like us."
"I promised mom and dad I would take care of him, ya?" wakka whispered.
"You did all you could." Lulu said, "He didn't listen to me, either, but you can't go out and get yourself killed! That won't bring Chappu back and Yuna still needs you, or have you forgetten that we both lost Chappu as well?"
"I haven't forgotten." Wakka said.
"Good." Lulu said as she helped Wakka to his feet, "Let's go. I told Yuna I'd find you and be back before dark."
Silently Wakka picked up Chappu's sword, and together with Lulu, he walked away leaving behind the bloody mess of his battle far behind. He had a promise to keep, and he would not let his brother down.