Mennin gripped the chocobo reins even tighter. Oh Yevon, this was happening. It was actually happening. He felt his stomach twist. Why was he here!? He shouldn't be here, he told himself. He was no 'warrior', not on this level...he was only here because of Tae.

The thought of the name made his heart lurch and his stomach kick. Oh, Tae...he should be at home, with her. Snuggled up close, with her head nestled under his chin, in front of the fireplace. Or out taking a walk down by the Moonflow, hand in hand, gazing out at the glowing shimmering waters as the sun set...but not here. Yevon, not here...

Across the water, ripples began to circle outwards as both the sky and the water began to darken.

He couldn't bear to look. Mennin dropped his eyes to the sand, barely noticing the small creatures scurrying through the sand to get away from the water's edge. He wanted out. He knew it was too late, but that didn't stop him praying for it. Oh Yevon...if he could just be home right now...home with her. He'd take back everything, undo time to before that. Remake time, so that he'd stay with her. She hadn't meant what she'd said, he knew...he...wasn't sure of what he'd done exactly to upset her...but it must've been something. An entity as wonderful as Tae couldn't have been angry over nothing.

The ripples became bigger, wider, with more power pushing them with every lap of water. There was a voice from somewhere on the beach claiming sight of a dark shape. The beckoning sensation in his stomach became more urgent. They should never have fought, Tae and him. All he wanted was to be with her now, to be kissing away the words, her harsh words...

The ripples were strong waves now, crashing against the shore. The dark shape began to morph to a rising bulge...

The chocobos gave a small whistle of unease, and skittered about on the sand. Mennin's gave more than a small whistle, and it was only then that he realised he was digging his heels into its side. He quickly relaxed his legs, and the chocobo became still. Sorry, he thought.

Sorry...Tae...her face floated readily up through his mind. Her emerald eyes almost burning him, brown hair glinting gold in the sun, silk-soft skin...Tae...with her image, words surfaced...

Thickheaded. Uncaring. Stubborn. Naïve. Unthinking. Coward.

COWARD.

That had stung the most, he thought. He knew he wasn't as brave as many people. He didn't even come close to some. But he'd never thought that he was a...a coward...but he was scared now, wasn't he? Looking around at the faces of the mounted people around him, he saw no fear on THEIR faces. So...he was a coward, then...

The dark shape, writhing and spreading under the water's surface, suddenly pulsed upwards in a rush of water. The terrible body of Sin rose, droplets pouring off it...

The leader at the front, Lucil, shouted out to them, "Let's go!" The chocobos whistled and ran forward, riders yelling their defiance to the wind. Although Mennin made no movement with the reins, the chocobo ran with its companions. Mennin clutched desperately at the reins, thoughts suddenly racing.

No! No, this was happening too fast! He scrunched his face up as a cry from the cliffs above him heralded the shower of machina fire that exploded on towards Sin.

Tae! He swore on Yevon that if he made it out of here alive, he'd go back and marry her that very day. He'd give anything to be with her now, and not here! He'd give...he'd give every Gil he'd ever get in his life! No, he'd give everything he owned! He'd give his heart, his soul, his whole being, his...

His life. He'd give his life for her.

The chocobos neared the shore. Sin turned, seemed to rear up, and a glow appeared at its mouth. The glow grew, bulged, and was now hurtling towards them.

"Tae! TAE! I LOVE Y-"