Fayth
"I will do it."
Wakka steps forward, tall and proud and faithful. Secure in the knowledge that his death will serve a purpose. Yunalesca smiles and takes his sacrifice like she has so many others.
His Aeon is called. He lands in the Calm Lands with a mighty crash, a pinnacle of strength, power and faith. Always faith. His belief carries him to victory, crushing Sin beneath him as he knows the Final Aeon would and should.
He wins. And Yuna dies.
The Calm lasts for six years. But Sin returns, mightier than ever. His first act is to cast Besaid forever beneath the sea.
The Calm ends. And Besaid dies.
--
"I will do it."
Lulu steps forward. Reserved and collected, she volunteers so that no one else will have to. Yunalesca beckons and begins the ritual as she has time and again.
Her Aeon is deceptively small, but wields the power of the cosmos. The heavens unleash their fury upon Sin, the Calm Lands erupt in fire and death and fury. But it is not enough, because Lulu did not want to die.
Her sacrifice is in vain. And Yuna dies.
--
"I will do it."
Auron steps forward. He volunteers because there is no other way. He is already dead, so what has he left to lose? Yunalesca takes his sacrifice like she took Jecht, she had known for years that Auron would return.
His Aeon shakes the world, and strikes fear into the heart of even Sin. He attacks and attacks and attacks again. But a dead man's Aeon is not enough, Auron had already sacrificed himself for Braska. He cannot do so again.
A dead man's sacrifice is no sacrifice. And Yuna dies.
--
"I will do it."
Kimahri steps forward. The Ronso have suffered enough, he will provide them respite. Yunalesca nods, she has seen many a Ronso as the centuries have gone by.
His Aeon freezes Sin with Gagazet's breath. He lunges forward, rending Sin with the claws and fangs fueled by the spirit of his people. His will, the will of the Ronso, the will of Gagazet, destroys Sin.
He wins. And Yuna dies.
The Calm lasts for eleven years. But Sin returns, as Sin always does. From the top of Mount Gagazet, Sin rolls forever onward. The Ronso fall, never to rise again.
The Calm ends. And Gagazet dies.
--
"I will do it."
Rikku steps forward. Stronger than all else, is her desire to protect her cousin. If this is the only way she can do so then so shall it be. Yunalesca smiles at the novelty, she has never before seen an Al Bhed come to her.
Her Aeon is a marvelous combination of spirit and machina. It's armor protects Yuna. It's weapons strike Sin. But Rikku never believed in Yevon's teachings, and her faith in herself and in Yuna is not enough. Her wish to save Yuna is not enough.
Her love for Yuna is not enough. And Yuna dies.
--
"No."
All eyes turn to the young man. One who would dare defy fate, tradition and destiny.
"No. This is wrong. There has to be another way. This is our story. And this is not how it will end."
They find another way. And Yuna lives.
--
The idea for this story came from reading Lisse's fanfic "Whirlpool" /s/3337073/1/Whirlpool. That story prompted me to think of what everyone's Aeons might have looked like or could have been capable of.
Originally I was going to follow the same pattern for all of the vignettes, but as I was writing I decided to change things for Wakka and Kimahri to add that last bit of bitter irony.