Gatta clenched his stomach as he gazed at the sheer death in front of him. Mushroom Rock was a haunting sight as the bodies of numerous crusaders were sprawled across the sand. The Operation was a failure and the young crusader knew it was all in vain. He'd forsaken Yevon's sacred teachings, they all had. And this was the price they were paying.
"...Gatta."
The crusader turned his head at the whisper of his name. Someone was out there...alive! Gatta quickly began examining the bodies before him, trying to find the survivor so he could get them some help. And that's when he saw his friend lying beside the water, surrounded by his own entrails.
"Luzzu!" Gatta ran to his friend and fell next to him.
"I'm here, Luzzu. I'm here..." Gatta said assuringly, fighting back the flood of tears that was threatening to escape him. His best friend had been torn in half by the impact of Sin's power, and there was nothing he could do about it. He was going to die.
"You...did good." Luzzu said, curling his mouth into a pained smile.
"Don't try to talk...you, you have to save your energy.."
"I'm...not going to make it." The red haired crusader stared down at what remained of his torso. He knew his time was up...and he knew that Gatta was not going to be able to handle his death. It was the only reason he was trying to hang on to what life was left in him, if only to say a few comforting words.
"Don't say that!" Gatta pleaded, even though he knew it was the truth. He hoped maybe, just maybe a miracle could take place. Perhaps an alcolyte would show up and...and what? Put his friend back together? There was no spell in Spira that could fix him.
"You...did good."
"I should have been out on the field! Maybe then you wouldn't have..." Gatta couldn't bring himself to speak the rest of his thought. He wasn't ready to accept such a heavy burden of guilt, not yet.
"Don't blame...yourself." Luzzu picked up his hand and rested it on Gatta's. "You did-" Luzzu's sentence was faltered when he began to cough violently, a pool of blood filling his mouth.
"Luzzu!"
Gatta took his friend in his arms, trying to prevent him from choking to death. But it was doing no good. Luzzu just stared up at the sky, knowing that his time was up. He was going to be dead within seconds.
"No, you can't do this to me!" Gatta cried, embracing his friend. "I need you! You can't die! You can't! ...Luzzu?" Gatta gazed down into Luzzu's eyes and realized there was no more life in them. His best friend was gone...and he was truly alone.