A.N: SOUL STEAL! *entire room is cleared of the Spectral Sword and its poltergeists* That feels better. *notices the wave of confused readers* Oh... my apologies. Must be my inner Alucard coming out. Seriously, though, I hate that monster. Anyway, in this long chapter, it's time to save some chocobos and go through a portion of Operation Mi'ihen.
Disclaimer: None of the elements used in this story, save for the O.C, are claimed by me. These belong to their respective owners.
Final Fantasy: Aria of Ruin
Chapter Ten: Offense and Defense
The night passed by with little to no events of interest for the group. Jack woke up to the sounds of muffled talking. Exiting his room, he saw Tidus talking with a tall, blonde-haired Al Bhed. The rest of the group was seemingly outside. The star player immediately noticed the hunter's presence. "Morning, Jack!", he called out. "Morning to you too, Tidus", Jack replied in kind. Immediately afterwards, however, there was a scream of terror from outside. "Someone, help! The chocobos!", a woman shouted. "That's our cue. Let's go", Auron said, having entered the shop. "Huh?", Tidus asked. Jack just facepalmed at this before the two young blondes exited. Lulu was right at the door, seemingly waiting for the two. "To the chocobo corral!", she added. Everyone nodded, before the hunter lead the rush.
The ground shook as chocobos ran for their lives. "Up there!", Jack called to his allies. He found a monster, alright. It was on top of the Al Bhed shop, and it had a chocobo in its right hand. The poor creature was struggling to break free from the monster's grip. It managed to break free after the hunter threw a knife at the fiend's right arm, dealing minor damage. "Come and get it!", Jack taunted as he brought out his trusty silver-bladed whip. The fiend was insulted, and jumped down.
"No! It's too strong for you to take on alone, Jack!", Wakka called after the hunter. He was too late to stop his charge, though. "He's going to get himself killed!", Yuna cried out. "Then let's help him out!", Tidus said. Everyone else nodded. And with that, the fight between the group and the Chocobo Eater began. Taking the initiative, Wakka threw his blitzball at the creature, while Auron dealt a heavy blow with his katana that weakened the fiend's strength. The hunter blasted the Chocobo Eater with a fiery bolt from his crossbow.
The fight continued that way for a minute or so, with both sides pushing each other closer to the cliff edges, before the Chocobo Eater managed to get a hold of Jack, who had misjudged its left hand, resulting in a struggle to break free. "Jack!", Yuna called out. She would have rushed to help, but Kimahri had a hold on her. "Wakka, we need to help him!", Tidus called out to Wakka. "I can't! If I hit it, he might get crushed!", the blitzer argued. Their argument was cut short by a yelp of pain from Jack. The fiend was trying to constrict him, leaving little room for oxygen. Wakka was right. The hunter probably would have been crushed outright if the beast took yet another hit.
Auron shook his head. "He's right. We cannot do anything to help him now", the red-robed man spoke. Another yelp of pain was let loose from Jack, as the Chocobo Eater's grip tightened. Immediately afterwards, the hunter stabbed the fiend's left arm with a knife that he managed to pull out in his struggles, prompting the beast to throw him at the group before it instinctively covered the spot struck by the knife. Jack had a rather harsh landing, almost knocking Tidus over. Without hesitation, Yuna immediately ran to the hunter and began casting a spell of healing to help mend his wounds, while the star player cartwheeled towards the Chocobo Eater before slashing it soundly with his sword.
"This guy needs to take his grabbing skills down some notches...", Jack cursed bitterly as soon as the spell of healing did its work, allowing him to stand upwards, even if barely. The completely rude gesture that the Chocobo Eater directed at him did not ease his pain. Clearly, he was perceived as the primary threat. That prompted an overly defensive response from the rest of the group, with most of them trying to divert the monster's attention. Little success came to be the result, however, and the Chocobo Eater charged at Jack, both of its fists poised for the killing blow.
Or, so the monster thought. Quicker than it anticipated, the hunter dashed forward, narrowly avoiding the attack. Little hesitation followed before he delivered a powerful roundhouse kick that threw the fiend off-balance, almost forcefully moving it off the cliff. It barely managed to avoid falling at that very moment. Under more favorable circumstances, Jack would have chuckled from watching as the fiend hilariously tried to maintain its balance. Finally, a knife to the right leg from him caused the Chocobo Eater to fall into the ocean, and the monster faded into numerous small lights as it fell. 'How ironic. Water actually worked for once', he mused in his thoughts. Most legends that the hunter heard over the course of his lifetime were of vampire hunters that could not handle water at all. How the curses that came to be, he didn't know. The only person he himself knew who had such trouble was Alucard, due to his vampiric heritage.
"Yeah!", Tidus called out, sending Jack back into reality. Sure enough, he had a small smile as he watched the small lights fly upwards before fading away. Suddenly, the Al Bhed that the star player was talking to just minutes earlier approached the group, along with the shop's clerk. "Have you an interest in renting some chocobos? As a token of our gratitude, the first time is free of charge. Please, ask the attendant, if you wish to rent", he said. "Thank you so much for saving the chocobos!", the clerk added. "Glad to help", was Jack's reply as each of the group mounted onto a chocobo. No later than a minute afterwards did the bunch speed off.
Put simply, some of the group did not have an entirely pleasant ride mounted on chocobos. The hunter, on the other hand, was having quite a bit of fun. Perhaps too much fun. Then again, he was lost down on recent memory lane. Rather than use machinery to give chase to the evil cult, Alucard had opted to make use of a wolf form to cover great distances in a short amount of time. Jack had the honor of being mounted on said wolf form. And despite the serious tone that the journey had undergone, the rides helped to take his mind off of his sadness, even if for a short time. Sure, blazing through the environment at 100+ miles per hour at first had the hunter hurling after the rides were done. He grew used to that, eventually.
"I think Jack's having a little too much fun, ya?!", Wakka called out as the group progressed down the highroad. Clearly, he was not taking well to the high speeds at all. Neither was Tidus, from the looks of it. "You'd understand once you've managed a good couple rides on a wolf blazing through the area!", Jack called back in reply. Auron chuckled in response, knowing exactly what the hunter was getting at. Suddenly, the chocobos stopped at what appeared to be a gate. A small group of people were present at this gate. "Oh, man! That was fun. What do you guys think?", the hunter added. Wakka and Tidus, by this point, had already dismounted and ran to throw up at some nearby bushes, ignoring the question. "I think... you had a little too much fun", Yuna playfully accused to Jack. She didn't seem as affected, if at all, along with Auron, Lulu, and Kimahri.
"Guilty as charged. But better than no fun at all", the hunter replied. When he looked ahead, though, Jack felt a surge of rage. At the gate were two familiar but unexpected guests. 'Curses! Dona and Barthello, here too?!', the hunter cursed in his thoughts. He wanted nothing more than to give that cruel summoner a piece of his mind after what she did in Kilika Temple. A stern glare from Lulu in Jack's direction killed the idea, giving him more reason to be irritated. "How many times do I have to tell you?! I'm a summoner!" the group heard Dona say angrily. The man they assumed was the gatekeeper shook his head at this. "Sorry, ma'am. No exceptions!", he replied. The summoner growled. "You would dare impede a summoner's pilgrimage?!", she retorted. "Sorry, ma'am! No exceptions!", he repeated, responding angrier than he had just a second ago. Dona turned and stomped away. "Useless...", she hissed.
Jack smirked at the sight of this. She was only getting what she deserved. Barthello did little to change the favor. "Gatta and Luzzu, reporting, sir!", the group heard a familiar voice cry out. Looking around, the group managed to find Gatta and Luzzu with their large carriage. "This is the last of them", Luzzu added. The gatekeeper nodded. "Good to have you with us. Go on through", he replied in kind. The two then went to help a chocobo that was pulling the large carriage containing a large fiend. They both stopped at the sight of the group, though.
"Show me how to play Blitz sometime", Gatta said to Tidus. The star player nodded at this. "Wait around. We'll have Sin beaten in no time!", Luzzu added before the two continued with their business. Tidus tried to follow, but he was stopped by the gatekeeper. "I'm sorry, I can't let you pass", he said sadly. He noticed the rest of the group, though. "Hey! You're a summoner and her guardians, right? Sorry for the inconvenience", he added. "It's no problem. We'll just find another path to Djose", Jack replied. "Thanks for your co-operation", the gatekeeper said. With that, most of the group began to walk away from the gate. "Though I wonder... what was with that fiend in the carriage?", he continued. The gatekeeper was surprised at this. "What, they didn't tell you?", he asked. "Not in full detail", was the hunter's response.
The gatekeeper sighed at this, but he nodded eventually. Jack had a feeling this was going to be a long explanation. "We're gathering Sinspawn from all over Spira. Sinspawn inevitably draw Sin, right? We're going to lure it into a trap! This mission, Operation Mi'ihen, is a Crusader-Al Bhed joint mission. We Crusaders lure Sin in, and the Al Bhed strike it down! You see, Al Bhed hate Sin as much as we do. They managed to salvage ancient machina. They say they're as powerful as the mighty Aeons", the guard began. The hunter blinked at the last statement, more amazed than anything else. "Is that so? No wonder you're here to deter people off then", he noted. The gatekeeper nodded at this, in agreement. That much power, in the wrong hands, could have spelled Spira's doom.
"Well, you know machina are forbidden by Yevon. Ah... on second thought, let's not go there. Better for you not to know. The Crusaders in Operation Mi'ihen have all been excommunicated. My own family won't even speak to me now. We have to defeat Sin today. Otherwise, there's nowhere else for us to go", he finished. "I see. Well then, that's all I wanted to ask. Good luck with your operation", Jack replied. The gatekeeper nodded. "So, we meet again, Lady Yuna", a familiar voice said. The hunter turned around to see Maester Seymour behind the group. The summoner nodded. "Y-Yes?", she replied. The Maester looked her over, then smiled. "You look troubled. Is there anything I can do?", he asked. "Well...", Yuna replied, looking over at the gate.
Seymour followed her gaze. "I see", he said, understanding the predicament now, before walking to the gatekeeper. "Maester Seymour. Let me show you to the command center", the gatekeeper said. "Hold. I have a request", the Maester replied, raising a hand. "Yes, Your Grace?", the gatekeeper responded. "I need to have Yuna and her guardians let through to the command center", Seymour said. The gatekeeper looked shocked beyond belief at those words. "But, Maester Seymour, sir", he began. "Do not worry. I will take full responsibility", the Maester assured the gatekeeper. "Very well. They may pass", he replied, before stepping aside. Seymour turned to the group. "It is done", he said. "Thank you, Your Grace", Yuna replied, bowing. "Yuna, it is time to go", Lulu added. "Oh! Right!", the summoner said, nodding.
"Who does he think he is?", Tidus wondered quietly, scowling. Wakka heard it, though. "He's a Maester. Better get used to it, ya?", the blitzer said, nudging the star player. The group began to continue their pilgrimage, with Jack walking beside Tidus. The former shot a glance at Dona and Barthello, both of whom were completely taken by disbelief at what had just happened. An uncharacteristic smirk was all the hunter offered the two before returning his gaze to the road ahead, not even caring for the cruel summoner's reaction to this. "Gotta love karma", Jack mused, much to Tidus' surprise. "Karma?", he asked. "Think of it this way; do good things, and good things will happen to you. Do bad things, and that's just what you're going to get", the hunter explained. The star player nodded, understanding now.
Not long into the group's travels, the sky turned dark gray and cloudy. Seymour was seen speaking to another group. "All hail Maester Seymour!", a guard said, saluting. "Brave Crusaders of Spira, protectors of all Spira. Believe in the path you have chosen, let faith be your strength! I, Seymour Guado, Maester of Yevon, will bear witness to your deeds today!", the Maester spoke encouragingly. "Sir!", the Crusaders chanted, saluting. Wakka looked horrified beyond all belief. "What's goin' on? Why's Seymour backing the Crusaders, eh? They're using Al Bhed's machina! They're violating the teachings!", he said. "Even the teachings of Yevon cannot stop these souls from doing what must be done for the good of Spira. Maester Seymour sees that", Jack reprimanded the blitzer. "Lulu?" Wakka asked, looking at the black mage as he did so. "Hmm... I can only speculate", she replied, looking thoughtful. "Ask him yourself", Auron said to the blitzer.
"Ah, Sir Auron. It is an honor. I would be most interested in hearing what you've been doing these past ten years", the group heard Seymour ask. He had walked to the group, and was surprised to see Auron there. "I've got nothing to say about it", was his reply. "I... see", the Maester said, blinking lazily before he glanced over to Yuna. "Sir Auron must be a great asset as a guardian", he added. The summoner nodded. "Your Grace?" she asked. "Please, there's no need for formalities", the Maester replied, shaking his head.
Wakka stepped up. "Excuse me... Maester Seymour? Why is your Lordship... presently... present here... sir?", he managed to ask. "Please, speak as you normally would", Seymour replied. The blitzer nodded, obviously embarrassed. "Isn't this operation against the teachings of Yevon? Aren't you gonna stop them?", he finished. "It's true, I should. However, both the Crusaders and the Al Bhed truly wish peace for Spira. This Operation Mi'ihen was born from that wish they share", Seymour began.
Wakka looked ready to interrupt, but Jack would not hear it. As much as he held a bad feeling for Seymour, he at least seemed to share the hunter's view on what needed to be done. "My home has had problems like this before, Wakka. What may promise humanity the greater good may be sacrilege in the eyes of a common practice, but deep down, the intentions are one and the same, all pure", Jack said. The Maester nodded at those words. "As Seymour Guado, the person, not the Maester of Yevon... as a denizen of Spira, I wish them well in their endeavor", he added.
Wakka was confused. "But, using machina... That's bad, isn't it?", he asked. Seymour smirked. "Pretend you didn't see them", he said, waving his hand. That startled everyone. "Beg your pardon, but that's not something a Maester should say!", the blitzer replied. "Then pretend I didn't say it", the Maester only said. "You're kidding!", Wakka added, but Seymour shook his head and walked away. "Well, Fate has a sense of humor today", Jack mused. Yuna was still confused, but she shook her head and continued walking. Everyone else followed, beginning to walk through the canyons.
"Lady Summoner Yuna?", the last of the Chocobo Knights, Clasko, asked. "Yes?", Yuna replied, nodding. "The Command Center... Maester Seymour requests your presence there, ma'am", the knight said. "Thank you", was Yuna's reply. "Take that road to the Command Center. It's not far. We're still in the midst of preparations this way. Sorry", Clasko said. "At ease, friend. You have your orders. Best to carry them out", Jack replied. The knight nodded, then walked away. The group then took the path that Clasko recommended.
After a couple skirmishes with some fiends, they reached the entrance to the Command Center, but they all heard Gatta and Luzzu arguing. "Why only you, sir? I want to fight too!", Gatta shouted. "Orders are orders", Luzzu replied. The young man shook his head. "I'm not a cadet anymore, sir! Let me go with you, and I'll prove it to them!", he retorted. "Guarding the Command Center is important, too, you know", the tall man argued, scowling. "But I came all the way from Besaid to fight Sin, sir!", Gatta yelled, shaking his head again. "I know, but an order's an order. To your post, Crusader", Luzzu said after sighing. Though reluctantly, the young man hurried away from the area, not even bothering to notice the group. The tall man did notice, though, and he smiled as he bowed, despite what just happened.
"So, they let you through, huh?", he asked as the group approached. "Gatta deserves better...", the hunter heard Tidus mutter. "At least there's no chance he'll get hurt. Why are you guys fighting, anyway? Aren't the mighty Al Bhed machina enough?", Wakka asked, adding more venom near the end of that question. "They still need some time to get them ready. Our job is to keep Sin at bay till they're done", Luzzu answered. That earned a growl from the blitzer as he began walking off. Jack facepalmed at this. "Wakka, I might not get another chance to say this. It's about your brother", the tall man added. Lulu's eyes widened at this. "Luzzu, no!", she cried out. Wakka and the hunter both shot a glance in the black mage's direction. 'His brother?', Jack thought.
"What?", the blitzer dared ask. "I'm the one who convinced him... to enlist", Luzzu admitted. Lulu sighed sadly at this as Wakka approached the tall man. "I'm sorry...", he finished. For a second, the blitzer just stood there before outrage appeared on his face. Immediately afterwards, he delivered a strong punch to Luzzu, giving him a bloodied nose. Immediately afterwards, both blondes had Wakka's arms held, prompting a struggle between the three. "Enough!", Jack cried out. "Wakka! That's enough!", Tidus added. Eventually, the blitzer stopped his struggles. "When we used to play blitz together, Chappu used to say... he'd say that - when we won the Cup, ya? - he'd propose to Lulu. And then one day, he goes off and becomes a Crusader. Just like that", he said.
"Chappu also said to me that being with your girl is good... but keeping Sin far away from her is better", the tall man replied, earning a glare from Lulu. "Lu, you knew?", Wakka questioned, turning to face her. "Luzzu told me... before we left", the black mage admitted. "She hit me too", Luzzu added after chuckling slightly. "All Crusaders in the vanguard are to assemble on the beach!", the group heard Lucil call out. "That's my cue", the tall man said after a few seconds of silence before beginning to walk off. "Luzzu! Don't die out there!", Wakka called out, stopping him temporarily. "So you can hit me more?", Luzzu mused. "Lots, lots more!", the blitzer replied, raising his right arm and punching it with his left as he did so.
The tall man continued walking, only to be stopped by Yuna, of all people, her arms raised as if to prevent passage. "Sir Luzzu, please! Please, don't go!", she begged. "I have to, Yuna", Luzzu said sadly. "Let him go. The man has already chosen his path. As you did when you became a summoner", Auron added solemnly. The summoner could do little more than do as requested. The group continued onwards towards the command center shortly after watching Luzzu depart as commanded.
"It would be some time before I understood why Yuna let Luzzu pass that moment.
I would have tried to prevent my friends from walking onwards to their deaths.
But truth be told, Spira worked in a completely different way compared to back home"
Jack's thoughts were shattered by a familiar yelp of pain. He turned to see Wakka jumping up and down. Unsurprisingly, the blitzer had kicked one of the cannons that were present, injuring his foot in the process. "He really hates them, doesn't he?", Tidus asked, shaking his head. Lulu nodded. "Chappu... he left the sword Wakka gave him on Besaid, and fought with an Al Bhed machina weapon instead", she answered. "That's got nothing to do with it! I just hate these sacrilegious contraptions!", Wakka called out, having overheard this. Everyone continued onwards toward the tents ahead of them. Once they reached said tents, Jack dared to look over the cliff. Below the group, Crusaders were seen ushering a large fiend into a large cage containing other fiends.
"It won't work anyway", Wakka said. This earned him a stern glare from the hunter and Yuna. "Don't say that. It might be a hopeless campaign, and it might mean defying Yevon... but the Crusaders and the Al Bhed- they're doing their best to defeat Sin. They want to rid Spira of Sin forever. And that's just what we want, too, isn't it?", Yuna asked. That earned no reply from the blitzer. "Isn't it?", the summoner added, slightly irritated now. Defeated, Wakka sighed at this. "All right, all right! But I still think machina are bad news! They're forbidden for a reason!", he admitted. "Lady Summoner! There you are!", a female voice cried out, before anything else could be said. Looking around, the group found Lucil rushing towards them. When the captain stopped, she pointed to the tents still ahead. "The Command Center is that way. Maester Kinoc is also there", Lucil told the group. "Maester Kinoc too?", Yuna asked, shocked. The captain nodded. "Yes. Please hurry, my lady", she replied.
Without delay, the group continued onwards. "Maester Kinoc, huh?", Jack noted silently. "Wen Kinoc is one of the four Maesters of Yevon. His duty is to lead the warrior monks, and he also commands the Crusaders", Lulu whispered to the hunter, having heard that remark. He nodded in understanding. "The operation will begin shortly. Please check all your equipment", Gatta said in an unhappy tone when everyone arrived at the tents. Wakka looked at him. "Um... you all right?", he dared to ask. "Of course not! I came here to fight Sin! But they stick me here!", the young man replied angrily.
"If you want to prove yourself...", Auron began calmly. "Huh?", Gatta asked, confused but at the same time looking hopeful. "... first, you must complete the tasks you are given", the red-robed man finished. The young man only hung his head in response. "In any case, if we aren't prepared already, we should take the time to do so", Jack added. Everyone else nodded in agreement before walking onwards. However, the hunter noticed a strange shape hiding beside one of the tents. This piqued his interests, so he went to investigate. Surprisingly, the shape turned out to be none other than O'aka the XXIII, who was visibly surprised to see Jack there. "You're here? How did you manage to get past the guards?", the latter questioned.
"Being a merchant extraordinaire has taught me a few things. One of them is sneaking past guards at gates", the merchant replied proudly. "Is that so? Must have paid off well", the hunter mused. "But enough about me. Would this pique your interests?", O'aka added, bringing out a new cape for Jack to see. The sight of the cape stunned him beyond belief. The exterior was a beautiful light blue, with its lining being a darker but just as beautiful blue. "It's yours for three thousand gil", the merchant finished. The hunter took a moment to consider his options, before he handed over a large bag of coins. "Would this fulfill the costs?", he offered. Briefly glancing into the bag's contents, O'aka smiled. "That, it does, my friend. Thank ye for your business", he replied, giving Jack the cape. "And may business continue to be good for you, O'aka", the hunter said in response as he took off his old cape and tried on the new one.
Letting loose a smirk of satisfaction, Jack made haste to join up with his comrades. He only found Tidus, Yuna, and Auron, along with Seymour and a slightly chubby man in yellow robes. "That Kinoc, a maester?", the hunter heard the red-robed man mutter. "I heard that, Auron. A lot has happened the last ten years. What were you doing and where?", the chubby man replied, clearly having heard this also. "Fulfilling a promise I made to a friend. I still am", Auron answered before beginning to walk away. 'So that's Maester Kinoc. Why am I getting a bad feeling out of him already?', Jack thought. He felt the same bad feeling around Kinoc as he did around Seymour. "Just tell me one thing. Have you seen Zanarkand?", Kinoc asked. The red-robed man just chuckled, even as he gave the chubby man a dark look.
Jack's arrival didn't go unnoticed. He was pulled back by Tidus, who was the first of two to notice him. "Where were you?", Yuna asked, not hiding the fact that she was the second one to notice. "Had a surprise visitor come up. Offered this cape for three thousand gil. Not a bad deal, considering the magic I sense from it", Jack answered, gesturing to the new cape he wore now. "Magic?", Tidus questioned. "Yeah. I sense that this cape has innate affinities for fire and ice. The affinities are light, but they are there", the hunter answered. "I see", was the summoner's reply. "I'm stunned by how it looks more than anything else...", Jack said. Both teens could do little more than nod in agreement on his comment. Neither of them had seen such a cape before.
"I kinda... think we don't belong here", Yuna said suddenly. Though this surprised both blondes, Tidus actually showed his surprise. Jack, on the other hand, knew not where the summoner was getting that thought from. "Probably not. The operation could go awry at any time", he replied, sharing his companion's thoughts. Suddenly, a Crusader came forth. "It is time at last. We must tell the Al Bhed waiting outside to begin the operation at once. The fiends may break through. This place is not safe. Make sure you're prepared to defend yourselves. Tell me when you're ready", he called out as Seymour and Kinoc walked to the cliff's edge. "You two ready?", Jack asked the two teens. Both nodded in reply. Everyone else was now entering the area, also ready. "Looks like we're ready, sir. Might we begin this operation?", the hunter added, this time directed to the Crusader.
"Maester Kinoc, please", he said. Kinoc did little more than glance in his direction. "Will Sin come?", Yuna asked. "Sin always returns for its spawn. To make sure, we're going to encourage them to call out to it", the Crusader answered. "You won't have to. It'll come", Auron added. As if on cue, the ground starting shaking suddenly. The Sinspawn below on the beach were now being shocked by the Crusaders before the cage they were in rose upwards. "This isn't right...", the hunter whispered to Yuna. She agreed with him on this. If one thing was agreed upon by the two, it was most definitely that whatever was about to happen next would bode ill for all of Spira.
A.N: And that's a wrap. Next on the list is the rest of Operation Mi'ihen, along with Djose Temple. Also, I'm going to go ahead and spoil that the O.C officially has two accessories as of this point in time, the two being a cloak and his necklace. The necklace will remain fixed, though. He's grown attached to it, and as a result, he will always be wearing it. Its enchantments are mostly going to be simple boosts to his defenses, though it also gives immunity to one of Castlevania's more... annoying status ailments. Cloaks will be the more powerful of the two by far.
Good luck guessing the ailment in question if you want to go for it. Any Castlevania fan would probably know just what I'm talking about if I said that a certain... annoyance is more often than not capable of inflicting said ailment. But anyways, don't forget to review if you've the time. *stands up menacingly* But enough talk... See you in the next chapter! *teleports into the background, cackling evilly*