Dance Macabre
A Final Fantasy X Fanfiction
By BG-57
Chapter 1
The young man was suspended in the water, curled into a ball. How long he had been there, he couldn't be certain. He was dressed in a Blitzball uniform, a black vest over a yellow and blue hooded sweatshirt. A crimson triskelon was emblazoned on the pants leg of his shorts, while a silver one was hung from a chain around his neck.
"Tidus…."
The voice was distant, rasping. Tidus' eyelids fluttered open, revealing sky blue eyes. Woozily he peered out around. The ocean surrounded him, sunlight filtering in from above, coloring the upper layers in shades of sapphire. Below him the water faded away into deep hues of blue, then an inky ebon void.
"…my boy…."
The voice was closer, more insistent. Was it his mother? Tidus could now tell that the voice was coming from below him, in the dark abyss. Suddenly a glinting piece of metal screamed out of the watery depth and nearly collided with him as he swam to one side. As it streaked past he spied the three pronged anchor at the end of a long chain. It doubled back and wrapped several times around his leg, the tines of the anchor digging into his flesh. Tidus screamed, exhaling a lungful of air. He quickly paddled up to the surface, the chain trailing behind him as it gradually pulled taut.
"Someone help!" he cried out when he broke the surface. But there was nothing to see in any direction, no land or boats or people. As the chain tightened mercilessly he took another gulp of air. Despite his best efforts, he found himself dragged back down under the surface. Inexorably it pulled harder the deeper they went into the dark void. As he grasped the anchor and tried to free it from his hip he recognized it; in the past it had pulled the Dark Aeon out of the void whenever Yuna had summoned it. Yuna! With rising panic he feverishly wondered what had become of her. Was she alright, he wondered?
Below them was a light; it was the glow of microbes in the water. They illuminated the sea floor, a rocky sandy wasteland devoid of life except some scavenging sea creatures. The chain jerked hard to the left and Tidus found himself dragged into an underwater crater of a volcano. Fortunately it was extinct as he descended past the sloping walls into the underwater magma chamber. The chain jerked again as he was dragged into twisting underwater tunnels. Tidus tried to catch a handhold and found the walls smooth on all sides. By now he was traveling at breakneck speed, the passageways merging and splitting up again apparently at random. Even if he broke free, he thought morosely, he'd be lost in an underwater labyrinth.
"Ow!" he yelped despite his best effort to save air as he felt something sting his arm. Several sharp needlelike objects buzzed past him. Once nearly hit his ankle, but instead snapped the chain. Tidus finally unwound the anchor from around his body and saw the rest of the chain slither away like a Yowie that had lost its tail. He glanced up and saw a pool of light directly above him. Tidus took grateful gulps of air when he broke the surface of the pool. It was in the center of a room with a hexagonal floor plan. Glowing phosphorescent rocks provided the only illumination. The walls were decorated with intricate cravings depicting flowers and bees. Three passageways curved up in different directions overhead.
On a nearby pedestal sat a sword. It was made of a jade green stone mounted in a metallic green handle. The hilt was decorated with a spiral with three slots cut into it. Tidus dropped the anchor limply on the ground as he pulled himself out of the pool, dripping wet. He limped over to the pedestal and caressed the blade gently with a gloved hand.
"Hold it!"
Tidus spun around but found himself pushed back as he was enveloped in a cocoon of flashing steel. A second later he found himself pinned neatly against the far wall by more than a dozen small needlelike daggers. Across from him stood a defiantly posed teenaged girl, with tan skin and dark brown hair gathered into braids on either side of her head. She wore a white shirt and a short red skirt with triangular designs. A dark metallic collar was wrapped around her throat.
"Er…hey," he ventured. She giggled menacingly as, lightning quick, she unsheathed two more daggers. Suddenly recognition dawned on her face as the blades fell from her grasp, clattering on the tiled floor. Tears gathered in corner of her eyes as she was overcome with emotion.
"Big Brother!" she cried and she rushed towards him.
"Hey, what?" he protested. But she had already wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a tight embrace.
"Oh, I'm sorry Shuyin!" she choked as she sobbed against his chest, "I didn't realize it was you!"
"It's…okay little girl," he said as he patted her shoulder consolingly. She looked up at him angrily through the tears.
"I'm not little!" she protested petulantly before her expression softened a little, "I thought I'd never see you again." By now he recognized her face, but he had to wrack his brains to place her name. Of course, he thought, she had been one of three ghostly apparitions he had seen in Remiem temple, the smallest and most bashful one.
"You're Mindy!" he said brightly, "One of the Magus Sisters!" It didn't get the reaction he had hoped; she merely looked confused.
"Mindy is my Aeon," she replied as she held a free hand to her heart, "She carries my true essence, but not my name."
"Oh," he said apologetically, "Well, I'm Tidus." Now she looked even more confused.
"No, you're Shuyin, right?" she demanded shaking his shoulders gently, "Remember the promise you made to me?" Tidus shook his head sadly.
"We only met that one time," he explained, "In the Temple." By now she was removing the daggers from the wall and he dropped to the ground.
"Big Brother, you're hurt!" she gasped. He followed her gaze and saw the raw wounds where the anchor had dug into his skin.
"It's not that bad," he reassured her as he began to limp away. She caught his arm.
"Let me bandage it!" she begged. With a deep sigh Tidus sat on the steps leading up to the pedestal as she ran off down one of the passages. He was looking up at the sword in admiration when she returned with a small jar and bandages.
"You can take it," she said bashfully, "It's called Verdigris." He picked up the blade and found it was well balanced and lightweight. The girl began rubbing ointment on his wounds.
"Whose sword is it?" he inquired.
"It belonged to Father," she explained, "He was Mother's Guardian."
"And now it's yours?" he asked. She busied herself with tying the bandage so as to avoid meeting his gaze.
"It was meant for my Guardian when I came of age," she said as her face reddened, "I-I want you to have it."
"What's your name?" he asked. She looked a little miffed that he didn't remember.
"Hanabachi," she said coyly, "But everyone just calls me Hana."
"That's a nice name, Hana," he said softly. She smiled and nodded.
"Let's go Big Brother."
Some time later they walked up a twisting tunnel. Tidus saw the path open up into a large underground garden with dozens of different exotic blooms with a riot of color on display. Moonlight filtered in through hexagonal holes cut into the ceiling. Through them, Tidus could see the night sky far overhead. The flower beds were laid out in tidy geometric rows with a white bench placed in the center. He whistled appreciatively.
"That's a nice garden you got there," he said, "You plant it yourself?"
"Yeah," said Hana shifting bashfully from one foot to another, "But my sisters helped too."
"Sandy and Cindy you mean?" he ventured. She stared at him blankly before starting to laugh.
"You're so weird Big Brother," she giggled.
"That reminds me," said Tidus scratching his head, "What's with this Big Brother stuff?"
"Well, I always called you that," she said looking crestfallen, "Would you prefer Shuyin?" Tidus took a deep breath.
"Never mind," he replied rubbing his forehead, "Just forget I asked, okay?"
"Hana!"
They turned to see a bobbing light at the far end of the garden heading their way. The young girl grabbed Tidus' arm, panic-stricken.
"It's my sister!" she cried, "You have to hide!"
"Why the heck do I have to hide?" he asked.
A burly woman with a crew cut and emerald eyes stepped into the moonlight. She wore a cobalt blue top with matching skirt that left her midriff exposed, while light blue sleeves covered her arms. A similar metal collar covered her neck. Must be the Fayth of Cindy, he thought, as the light from the lantern fell on his face.
"There you are Hana," she began brusquely, "I swear you need a leash…."
"It's not what you think Mushi," began Hana hastily clutching possessively as Tidus' collar, "I found him in the pool."
"Shuyin you bastard!" snarled Mushi swinging out a long metal staff, "I oughta pound your face in!"
"Wait, what did I do?" protested Tidus holding up Verdigris to block her blows.
"Don't hurt Big Brother!" screamed Hana standing in front of Tidus with her arms outstretched. Mushi smirked and put a hand on her hip.
"Ah, I'm just kidding Hana," she said with a wink to Tidus, "Right Skipper?" Deep down, Tidus was starting to find these sisters really annoying.
"Would somebody explain what is going on?" he shouted in frustration.
"I was just mad about you disappearing like that," said Mushi as she delivered a painful shoulder punch.
"Lenne too," chimed in Hana eagerly, "Did she ever find you?"
"Who's Lenne?" he asked as he rubbed his aching shoulder. The sisters glanced at each other nervously.
"You crack your noggin or something?" inquired Mushi.
"Why are you all out in the garden?"
They turned to see a tall woman with teal eyes and long brown hair under a blue bandanna. She wore a purple top and a gold sash above baggy pants with vertical yellow and violet stripes. Here was clearly the oldest of the Magus Sisters, the Fayth of Sandy. Hana quickly summoned some tears.
"Kiri, Sis was trying to kill Big Brother!" she said running into her older sister's arms.
"You little fink," snapped Mushi in mild irritation, "Besides, our pal over here needs some sense knocked into him." Kiri turned to Tidus and her face lit up. Here we go again, he thought.
"Tidus!" she exclaimed, "I'm so glad you're all right!" Tidus chuckled wearily; finally somebody who knew him.
"Thank goodness," he said, "So you guys survived the battle with Sin?"
"No, we died a thousand years ago," explained Kiri with a shake of her head.
"So how come you aren't ghosts?" asked Tidus glancing to each of them.
"Big Brother, you're a ghost now," whispered Hana softly.
"Or what passes for it," added Mushi with morbid cheerfulness.
"You mean this is the Farplane?" he asked, glancing around the garden. He had expected something a little more exotic like the unnaturally-lit cascades and fields he had seen from Guadosalam.
"Why don't we go upstairs?" suggested Kiri as she gestured to a far tunnel.
A flight of steps led up into a large atrium where moonlight filtered in from high windows in a central dome. A fire burned in a central pit, surrounded by shelves with cushions on them. The curved walls of the chamber were decorated with ancient looking tapestries depicting rolling countryside and cityscapes. Tidus though he recognized the towers of Zanarkand, though he couldn't be sure. Kiri gestured toward the cushions and they all sat down.
"After Sin was defeated, we sensed something stirring under the earth," began Kiri, "Something powerful and dangerous."
"We decided to investigate," continued Mushi, "But we got dragged down instead."
"Where?" asked Tidus.
"The Abyss," said Hana darkly, "We found ourselves here when we came to."
"We always wanted a hive," explained Kiri, "Just like this one."
"A prison is still a prison," countered Mushi gruffly.
"Who imprisoned you here?" he asked. The Magus Sisters glanced at each other silently. It was then that Tidus noticed that Kiri had a collar with the same design as her sisters. They hadn't been wearing collars when he had seen them at Remiem Temple. Wordlessly Hana pushed the anchor in front of her so the others could see.
"Anima," said Tidus with a frown as he felt a shiver, "Why would she do that?" Her Fayth had already tried to grant his darkest desires through her own twisted brand of love. Despite that he couldn't deny a bond of tenderness between them, one had felt only once before with his own mother.
"It is for our own protection," added Kiri sadly.
"Protection my-," began Mushi sarcastically before her elder sister silenced her by holding up a hand. She merely smiled as a halfway apology.
"Ladies please," said Tidus wearily, "Can't we just talk to her?"
"Her castle is on a faraway island," said Kiri, "And we have no boats to travel with."
"You look tired, Big Brother" said Hana, "Why don't you get some sleep?"
"Yeah, I could use some shut-eye," added Mushi with a stretch and yawn.
"I'll turn in soon," added Tidus, "But I need to talk to your older sister first."
"Aww," said Hana with a pout as she slunk out of the room.
"Goodnight Sport," said Mushi, delivering a killer backslap. Kiri wandered out the temple door and he followed her.
The night sky was filled with stars but he didn't recognize any of the constellations. The temple was made of beige stone and had a single dome adorning its squat frame. It rested on a tiny rocky island with a strip of beach wrapped around it. He could hear the night surf crashing in. It was very lonely and forlorn place to call home. For a long time they looked out to sea together.
"So how come you know who I am?" he ventured, "And they think I'm some guy named Shuyin." She gave a weak smile.
"Shuyin was a friend of ours from Zanarkand," she explained, "You look just like him."
"Oh!" he exclaimed, "So your sisters think I'm him?"
"Yes," she said with a nod, "We never knew what became of him."
"I wish I could help," he added, "Hana really liked him I guess."
"As did Mushi," stated Kiri dryly, "But she hid it better." He stared at her in surprise; he had assumed Mushi was just being hostile to him. He decided he'd work it out later; he had more important things to do.
"Can you help me find a way back to Spira?" he asked, "I have to find Yuna." Kiri blanched and covered his mouth with a hand.
"Don't mention Yunie's name!" she hissed. Tidus grasped her wrist and pulled her hand away.
"You sound just like Rikku," he said with a chuckle. A nervous smile was frozen on her face. Then she frowned as if she could sense a storm brewing.
"It's too late!" she said, "Go inside!"
"Why?" he demanded. She took his wrist and led him back into the Temple. They cautiously peered out of window and saw a small black bird flying towards the island. As it got closer they could see it was actually a very large bird that was just very far away. It had a long black body with long membranous wings with three vicious hooks protruding from either side of its torso. Interlocking silver rings dangled from the lowermost hooks and it had a mane of rust colored feathers around its head and back legs. A blood red gemstone glowed inside of its chest. Tidus kept low and out of sight as it began to circle around the Temple.
"Valefor has been searching for you for months," whispered Kiri. By now Hana and Mushi had snuck into the atrium with them.
"Why?" asked Tidus in a low voice.
"I'm not sure," said Kiri, "But it responds to the name of Lady…well, you know."
"You mean Yuna," stated Tidus gravely, who immediately got shushed by all three Magus Sisters. He gulped guiltily. In the silence they suddenly realized that they couldn't hear the flapping of Valefor's wings anymore. Then the dome above them cracked and buckled as a beak drove through the stonework. Kiri unfolded wrist razors while Mushi pulled out her metal staff and Hana drew out her daggers.
"Valefor!" shouted Tidus as he drew out Verdigris, "Why are you attacking us?" Valefor snapped it head violently as it stared straight at him with its crimson glowing eyes. It shrieked hideously as Hana pummeled it with a series of daggers. It dove into the chamber and avoided Tidus' thrust as it grasped the hood of his sweatshirt in its beak. Both Kiri and Mushi struck its sides with their weapons but it shook them off. Valefor squawked as it unfurled its wings and flew straight upwards.
"No," wailed Hana, "Don't take Big Brother!"
The Magus Sisters ran out of the crumbling Temple on the beach but it was too late. Valefor was already soaring towards the west with its prey in tow.
Author's Notes
The Fayth do not have specified names in FFX, although their Aeons do. As a result I've chosen Japanese names for the Fayth that reflect their Aeons' attributes:
Mindy: Hana is short for Hanabachi (bumblebee).
Cindy: Mushi is short for Tentoumushi (ladybug).
Sandy: Kiri is short for Kamakiri (praying mantis).