~The Aeons' Call~
Prologue
"Listen to my story. This may be our last chance." Tidus, Final Fantasy X
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X. None of its characters belong to me. The quotes I use are the property of Square Enix and Final Fantasy's respective creators, and are not owned by me in any way. I make no profit off this work of fiction. This is only to amuse me in my spare time and to hopefully be enjoyed by those who choose to read it.
Author's Note: Here we are, Final Fantasy X! This was the first Final Fantasy I ever played, and was what got me hooked to the series. This game will always hold a special place in my heart, not only because the whole world of Spira and its inhabitants opened my eyes to fantasy, but because it was also what inspired me to start writing. I sincerely hope you all enjoy this story.
She was back at the beginning, though their journey was coming to an end.
Aly tilted her head back and looked towards the sky, unable to meet Auron's gaze. There was too much prodding in his eyes, a knowing that had come from so many years of trust. She could never hide from him, nor he from her. But now Aly wanted her secrets, wanted them close so no one could see how close she was to tears. She would have once said that this, all that had happened and all that was to come was unfair, but she'd learned by now that saying it meant nothing. It could've been true, but no one cared enough to try to make a change. Aly thought it anyway, flicking her eyes towards Yuna before biting her lip hard. She'd had enough of tears. It wouldn't help them now.
Looking around her now at the ruins of Zanarkand, Aly tried to find what was familiar. The setting sun bathed everything orange and pink, casting shadows and heightening the colour of the pyreflies dancing along the water. Despite the carnage that had been wrought, all the erosion and broken buildings and flooded bridges couldn't stop her from piecing together what had once been her home. That bridge led to the mall, she identified after a moment, following the bridge until it sunk into a lake of murky water. Those were the apartments for the south end. Aly, Tidus and Auron had once lived in the west end of Zanarkand, she and Auron in the apartment where Jecht and Stella had once lived while Tidus made his home on a houseboat at the docks. Tidus had declared his childhood home "Too full of spooks" to live in any longer, but Aly had cherished the apartment, if only because it reminded her of her foster parents and all the love they had given her before everything went to hell. Aly looked around again and spotted the radio station. One of its signs was intact, though the letters had long worn off. This is Zanar, coming to you from FFX with the latest hits! Stay tuned for an update on the astounding events surrounding last night's blitzball match!
Aly remembered Zanar being annoying as hell when he was trying to sound upbeat, but when he was sincere he actually sounded like a human being. He died, Aly reminded herself coldly, trying to steel herself as Seymour had once told her. He died, and so did all the Abes…everyone in Zanarkand except for us.
She glanced at Tidus, finding him similarly occupied: staring up at the sky, his arms hugging his knees. He was close to Yuna, his arm brushing hers. Before, this would have been met with outrage, not because of the relationship, but because Yuna had been married. I still say the death do us part should've counted, Aly thought sourly. She'd gotten slapped for that.
The roller rink, the blitzball stadium, the concert hall, the school, the power stations placed sporadically around Zanarkand, the docks…only the stadium was intact, and even then she could barely see it. She had to squint to see through the glare of the sunset and around Kimarhi's bulky frame. His golden eyes caught hers for a moment, slowly blinking before returning to his silent vigil. Aly ducked her head, still ashamed to even be in his presence, let alone look at the proud Ronso warrior. She had tried to tell herself that what had happened on Gagazet wasn't her fault, but she kept seeing the others dying, falling and staining the clean white snow red.
A small hand reached out and clasped hers, squeezing tight. Aly looked up to find Rikku giving her a tiny but sad smile. She returned it, feeling her lips quiver before dropping her eyes to her knees. Another hand, Lulu's, gently touched her shoulder for a moment. Aly didn't acknowledge it but was grateful. She'd been terrified of Lulu in the beginning, the woman's red eyes and silver tongue making Aly feel like she was silently judging her the entire time. She was, at first, Aly remembered. She didn't want me along. Tidus was already too much for her.
Aly wanted to sigh and break the silence, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. The others were content with their silence. It wasn't their fault that all she could hear was the pyreflies' song. Early on in their journey, just before things had really gone to hell, Aly had nearly deafened herself, bludgeoning her ears with her fists until Auron had pinned her down. It was a bearable volume now, but at times the pyreflies had screamed and all she'd wanted to do was howl loud enough to block them out. If she concentrated hard enough she could separate their voices, find out who they had been when they'd been alive, but Aly was tired. We all are. Some of us just hide it better. Her legs still felt stiff from the ascent and descent of Gagazet and all that had happened in between, but Aly, for once, hadn't complained. I don't deserve to complain, not after what I let him do.
Auron would have glared at her if he could read her thoughts. He would have told her that she was being prideful and nothing that she could have done would've prevented Seymour from his atrocities. But it still felt like her responsibility, even when all her friends had told her otherwise. He and I, we're joined, she'd tried to explain to them, but they hadn't understood, Wakka least of all. He had tried for her sake, but Wakka had trouble understanding anything that went beyond his beliefs. "Seymour's just…he's gone now, ya? I mean, he was a maester and now…I just don't get it."
Tidus suddenly stood up, stopping only to place a hand on Yuna's shoulder. She looked up at him, nodding after a moment. He resumed where he had left off, going around the campfire towards the hill that overshadowed their camp. Aly looked down at where they sat and looked around before realizing that they were sitting in what had been the southern part of the docks: this was where everyone had gone swimming, just far enough out of the way so that outgoing and incoming boats wouldn't crash into unwary swimmers. Tidus walked up the hill, standing at its peak with a solemn expression on his face. If Aly hadn't been with him throughout the pilgrimage she would have said that he was unchanged since the day they'd been ripped out of Zanarkand. But Aly had been there, and she knew better anyway. He stood more heavily now, his shoulders stooped and posture slumped, and his eyes had moments of dull sadness to them. Now he was simply in a between state: not happy, but not quite sad either.
Aly turned back to find Yuna looking at him as well. Aly had to swallow harshly and look away before she ended up sobbing like a baby. Yuna, with her beautiful and unique eyes, with her calm, gentle presence, with her patience and everything that Aly would never be, had become such an important person in Aly's life. Aly knew that if their positions had been reversed, she would have screamed. She would've fought and cried and bellowed at the world that had condemned her, but Yuna was willing. Yuna had become the symbol of hope for all of Spira, and she had accepted her fate with a smile.
She dared to look at Auron again to find him watching her. This time she kept his gaze, though it felt harder to do than most anything else. She could face Lulu's fury and Tidus's disappointment, but never Auron's looks. It had been that way ever since she had first known him as a kid. He had watched over her, guided her, trained her, and given her the tools she would need in life. She hadn't realized it then, but Auron had been preparing her for the day when he would be gone forever.
The thought terrified her.
She didn't want Auron to go, ever. She knew it was selfish, but being alone, even being with Tidus and Yuna and everyone else, in any world made her heart clench in fear and despair. Aly had never told him, but he was the father she'd never had. Auron had made her into the person she was, not Jecht's alternating affectionate and distant nature. Aly didn't know what would happen to her if Auron left, but she knew enough that she wouldn't cope. She would become bitter and cold, just like Seymour, but even that thought was horrible so she shoved it from her mind. She looked out at Zanarkand again, trying to deny the fact that once the pilgrimage was over, she would have two less people in her life.
Zanarkand. It had been home once, and it had been the herald to all that had happened. Not just in Aly and Tidus's journey, but a thousand years ago, when Sin had first risen from the ashes of war. Zanarkand was where Sin had been born and first destroyed, and it was here that there was a way to banish it again. But at what cost? Aly wondered bitterly. People had been dying fighting Sin for a thousand years in order to gain a short amount of time where it was gone. It wasn't worth it and it would never be worth it. Aly hated Spira for that mindset. It consumed her being, plaguing her mind with dark thoughts, making her resent all that had been done in order to protect Spira's people from an unholy creation that would never truly die.
How did it come to this?
Aly closed her eyes, and remembered.