CHAPTER 9:

SINS OF THE FATHERS

In another timeline, Rikku would have been astraphobic, or, in other words, she would be afraid of thunderbolts and lightning. However, in this life, the marine Fiend attacking her had been hit with somewhat better precision by Seymour, and while Rikku wasn't fond of lightning, it just made her slightly jumpy as they traversed the Thunder Plains. She stuck close to Seymour, but that was it.

Even so, disquiet filled Yuna's party during their journey across those blasted plains to Macalania. Jyscal's proposal filled them with concern. And after a brief time on the Farplane, communing with the spirits of her parents, Yuna still seemed uncertain.

Yuna asked to stop at Rin's Travel Agency, halfway across the Thunder Plains. She said she needed to gather her thoughts. Auron, reluctantly, agreed. Upon arriving, she asked Rin, who happened to be there, for a room to discuss things. She asked Auron, Lulu, Tidus and Seymour to come in with her.

In the room, Yuna sat on the edge of the bed, and put her face in her hands. Lulu sat next to her, putting a comforting arm around her adoptive sister. Yuna didn't weep or sob. Instead, she just seemed to need to gather her thoughts, before discussing them.

"I needed to talk to you about Jyscal's proposal. I brought you all in because…I trust you and your opinions."

"Not Wakka's? Or Kimahri's?" Lulu asked.

"Or Rikku?" Seymour asked.

"Or Paine?" Auron queried.

"You barely know me and Seymour," Tidus pointed out.

"I know, but…Seymour knows more about Maester Jyscal than any of us. Tidus, given where you claim to come from, I would like a fresh perspective on the matter. Lulu, you're my dearest friend, the nearest thing I have to a sister, and you are truly sensible. And Sir Auron, you guarded my father, and I value your experience. In addition, both you and Seymour know what awaits us at journey's end, at Zanarkand. And after my discussion with Seymour when the Al Bhed took me from Luca…I find myself disquieted. Is the Final Aeon truly the only means of destroying Sin, even temporarily? And…while I may not be aware of everything in Yevon politics, it seems odd that a Maester would give up his position so that he may become the Final Aeon. So, I wanted others' thoughts on it."

"You're right," Auron said. "It is odd that he would give up his position to become the Final Aeon. In all likelihood, his successor would be a Guado, and yet, I know of no Guado who would be able to fill the position, save perhaps for Tromell, at a stretch. He may have wanted to entrap Seymour in the position, but while the climate might be right for a half-Guado Maester, the same cannot be said about one who is known to live with the Al Bhed."

"Indeed," Seymour said. "It is most puzzling. So too is that perfume. I know he said he suffers from Omega's Bane, but I find myself wondering whether that may have been a lie."

"You think the worst of your old man, don't you?" Tidus asked.

"Alas, yes. I shouldn't, but I cannot take away the ardour I feel, any more than you can, Tidus."

Tidus looked over at Auron. "Hey, Auron…can we tell them about…my old man?"

Auron looked at Tidus, before eventually saying, "Very well, but I will."

"What do you mean?" Yuna asked.

"There is another factor we should concern ourselves about when it comes to Jyscal's offer. I cannot tell you all the details yet, as you may not believe them. I know the truth of what I speak, a truth Seymour and Tidus knows. Part of the reason that Sin returns is that its core essence hijacks the Final Aeon. That is why the Final Aeon invariably turns on its Summoner after Sin has been vanquished. The Final Aeon becomes the core of a new Sin. And the current Sin is…"

"Sir Jecht," Lulu breathed quietly, her eyes widening in realisation. "Sir Jecht chose to become Lord Braska's Final Aeon, and is now Sin."

"Yes. Jecht has been almost completely subsumed by the core essence of Sin, the parasite that exists within the monster. It is part of the very mechanism that keeps the cycle of Sin, the spiral of death, going."

"And Yevon…they allow this?!" Yuna demanded. "But why?"

"False hope given to the people," Seymour said. "It's a powerful drug. They also hope to appease the parasite that is Sin's soul."

"And Jyscal, being a Maester of Yevon, would know this," Auron said. "So either he is attempting a strange form of suicide to expiate his sins, or…"

"He wants to become Sin, instead of my old man," Tidus said.

"Why would he want to?!" Yuna demanded.

"I have no idea," Auron said. "But I have heard whispers and rumours of Jyscal's increasingly nihilistic and despairing attitude behind closed doors. The news of your death, Seymour, mistaken though it was, hit him hard. He certainly became ill with stress, and mounted expeditions to try and find your body, to no avail. He even went as far as hiring the Guado Glories to try and dive down to the wreckage, but the ship had sunk into an abyss even they couldn't go. There were even rumours that Jyscal had died himself."

"I know. Rikku and Brother baked me a cake," Seymour said.

"Even now, publicly, Jyscal is known to not be in the best of health," Auron continued. "If you refuse his proposal, Yuna, be prepared for him to meddle in the Pilgrimage further. He did, after all, threaten to invalidate the Writ of Transit. Many of those in power abuse that power, and Maesters have more power than anyone, save for Sin and Yunalesca."

After a time, Yuna said, quietly, "Thank you all. I think we should alter our travel plans a little. Seymour, can we arrange passage to Bikanel Island with the Al Bhed?"

"Rikku and I can contact them, yes. Why?"

"I have a feeling that I may need the assistance of your mother," Yuna said. "If Bevelle and Yevon is as dangerous as you believe, then I would have as strong an Aeon by my side as possible before I head to Bevelle to obtain Bahamut. And Jyscal did say that I had until I reached Bevelle to give him an answer. If he does try anything, it will probably be then."

"Assuming he does try anything," Lulu pointed out. "Attacking the daughter of Lord Braska will have far-reaching political ramifications, and even if he declares you a traitor, it may not stick if Grand Maester Mika objects, or Kinoc or Kelk Ronso."

"Maester Kelk Ronso is indeed the most sane of the Maesters," Auron said. "He may be a political animal, but he is also an honest person. And you are right, Lulu. For all we know, Jyscal's reasons for becoming the Final Aeon may be benign. He may merely want to end his life in a blaze of glory."

"I doubt it," Seymour said.

"True, but your views of him are tainted, Seymour," Auron said. "Understandably so, and I am suspicious of him too. All I am suggesting is that we treat this situation with due caution. Tidus, it goes without saying that you do not speak of this to anyone else. Wakka is very traditional with his views, as you have seen already. The others are fine, but if Wakka hears the wrong word at the wrong time, he may react badly."

"Sure, I've got it, Auron. But if this Jyscal guy does turn on us, what do we do?"

"Run or fight, depending on the circumstances," Auron said. "Once we're in Macalania Woods, we may have to stop briefly. I think there may be something Tidus needs to see…"

Outside, in the reception area of the Travel Agency, Rikku was talking to Rin, albeit in Al Bhed. "It is good to see you safe and sound, especially after Operation Mi'ihen, Rikku. These others are aware of you being an Al Bhed?"

"Yes."

"I'm surprised. Mr Wakka there is not a fan of us, nearly refusing to use the services of my travel agency on the Mi'ihen Highroad," Rin said.

"He's not happy, but…I think he's accepted us. Auron and Seymour managed to convince him that we're concerned about Yunie's safety because Lord Braska was once close to the Al Bhed. I mean, it is the truth, more or less."

Rin nodded. "And your father and brother?"

"We convinced them that Yuna is only going to continue the Pilgrimage to find out the truth about the Final Aeon for herself. They aren't happy, but they've accepted that. To tell the truth, I think Seymour's a little smitten with Yunie."

Rin nodded. "Oh, by the way, we've managed to get two more," he said, in a quieter tone. "One called Dona, and another called Isaaru. They're on their way to Home as we speak."

"Okay."

Sometime later, they had made it to Macalania Woods. They had encountered Barthello, the Guardian of Dona, who was panicking, as his Summoner had disappeared. Thankfully, nobody really noticed the furtive look Seymour and Rikku exchanged.

Then, they found what Auron had mentioned, a grove filled with the liquid spheres were made of. They then had to fight a massive amorphous monster known as a Spherimorph. Seymour decided to cut that battle short using Anima, deciding that they couldn't waste too much time on such a troublesome Fiend.

Afterwards, a sphere was left on the ground. "This looks old," Wakka muttered. "Dunno if you can play it back, ya?"

"I think you can," Auron said, picking it up and handing it to Tidus. "This was Jecht's."

Tidus, after a moment, activated it, the others gathering around. They watched as a young Auron and Braska left what seemed to be Bevelle at night, with Jecht using the sphere to record it. Seymour had to laugh, inwardly, at Jecht's naiveté, and Auron's far more straitlaced attitude. Then, there was one where Braska was taking footage of Auron standing next to Jecht, at what had to be Lake Macalania, Jecht jeering at the reluctant Auron, asking if Auron was afraid he'd bite.

"What's the point?" Tidus murmured. "He wasn't on a pleasure cruise, like you said, Auron."

"Jecht didn't know about the nature of the Final Aeon, that it would kill the Summoner. That's why he made that remark about a parade when Braska came back. He wouldn't learn for a while," Auron said.

"There's more on the sphere," Rikku said, touching one of the buttons on the side.

The footage revealed was taken of the very location they were at. There was a shot of Jecht sitting cross-legged in front of the sphere. He looked unusually pensive. "Hey, Tidus. It's me. Yeah, I know. You don't wanna see me. Even so, if you're sitting here, watching this, well, it means you're stuck in Spira, like me. You may not know if you can get home or not, but…well, you'd better not be crying."

"I'm not, old man," Tidus said.

After a pause, Jecht said, "Then again, I'd understand if you were. But…well, there's a time when you need to stop crying, and move on, Tidus. You'll be fine. You're my son. Remember that. And…uh…shit, I'm no good at this sappy crap." He got up, and walked over to the sphere, shutting the recording down. Then, more footage, and Jecht said, "Anyways…Tidus, I believe in you. Be good. Goodbye."

"He sounded almost serious there," Tidus remarked as the sphere stopped. "Too little, too late."

"He was serious. I know he was," Auron said quietly. "He had accepted his fate. He always spoke of going home to Zanarkand. He took all those pictures to show you when he returned. He believed it a matter of when rather than if for a long time. But as he journeyed with us, and came to understand Lord Braska's resolve and determination…you must realise, Tidus, he joined us initially to get out of prison. He had been locked up for acts of public drunkenness, not to mention claiming he was from Zanarkand. He wasn't so serious about our cause. He just went along with it because otherwise, he would go back to prison, and he was hoping to find a way back home while he was travelling. But something changed. He changed. Jecht eventually decided to join Braska's journey to battle Sin in earnest."

"So…he gave up going home?"

"That was his decision, Tidus," Auron said. "…He loved you, you know."

"Bullshit!"

"He didn't know how to express it, Tidus. And I will admit that your father didn't have much of a handle on what paternal love was, or how to be a parent. But he tried. I just thought you should know before we head on."

Seymour saw the conflicting emotions warring on Tidus' face. "Are you telling me the same for my own father?" Seymour asked archly.

"I didn't know your father as well as I knew Jecht," Auron said. "When you've travelled alongside a man, fought alongside him, as long as I have with Jecht, then you have some measure of him at least. Jecht was a boastful boor, but he had more resolve and bravery than many men I have known in the Warrior Monks, Seymour. I think if circumstances were different, Jecht would be trying to make up for what he did with Tidus. He'd probably let Tidus hit him a lot, even. Jecht was not a complicated man. Jyscal, however…if he had reached out to you sooner…would you have forgiven him?"

The bluntness of the question pierced through Seymour. It took him some time before he admitted, "I don't know. But whether I forgave him or not, I would never return to Guadosalam. The Guado are not my people. The Al Bhed are. I certainly can't bring myself to forgive him now. Time has calcified my feelings towards him too much. I do not know whether that makes me a bad man or not, but I am not sure I care. Sad, is it not?"

With that, they soon went on their way. But it did disturb Seymour. Had he truly become too mired in hatred towards his father to consider any other feeling? And was he the lesser man for feeling that way?

He didn't know. And that disturbed him…

CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:

Just some filler for this chapter. The next chapter, when it comes out, will be at Macalania, and have Seymour and Tromell reconciling. So there's that, at least…

No numbered annotations this time.