Hello everyone, and happy Friday! Read on for some juicy stuff!

Auron awakened to the constant sound of thumping and banging. Opening his eyes, he took in the sight of Jecht just a few yards away on the deck of the S.S. Liki, juggling a blitzball between his feet, then bouncing it against the wall in front of him.

He groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Jecht, must you do that so early in the morning?"

Jecht glanced his way and scowled, but he collected the ball a moment later. He carried it in the crook of his arm and walked over to Auron. "Nice nap?"

"It's not like we have anything to do at the moment," Auron said, rising. "Where's Braska?"

"Upstairs talking to the captain."

"About what?"

"Sin, I think. And what to do if it's spotted." He dropped the ball to the ground and began juggling it again. "Captain says we should reach Besaid by late afternoon."

Auron did his best to ignore the ball. "How long have we been at sea?"

"Almost a full day now. Thankfully it's almost over."

"Could you please stop playing with that ball?"

Jecht stopped for the second time, placing his foot on top of the ball to keep it still. "It keeps me distracted," he said.

"Well, if you're so bored, why don't you try getting some rest?"

"It's not the boredom that's the problem."

The rolling waves and the rocking of the ship put it into perspective. "Oh. You're worried about being at sea."

"I ain't worried about nothing," Jecht snapped. "I'd just…rather not think about my last adventure. That's all."

"We'll be fine," Auron assured him. "Sin has nothing on us, especially with Lord Braska around."

Jecht sighed. "Yeah. I know."

"Try not to think about it." Auron gazed out to sea, allowing the cool breeze to rush over him. "Soon enough, we'll reach Zanarkand, and you'll be on your way home."

"Hm," Jecht said. "It seems so far away at this point."

"Braska will keep his promise."

"It's not Braska I doubt," Jecht said. "It's whether or not it's actually possible to get back after all."

"We'll find a way."

Suddenly, Jecht started laughing. "Well, what do you know? You believe me after all."

Auron narrowed his eyes, but had nothing to say. What was he supposed to believe anyway? Braska was so convinced that Jecht was indeed from Zanarkand, so how could Auron not feel the same way? And despite his abrasiveness, Jecht wasn't so that bad after all. He seemed to care for Braska and his cause. He believed in what he didn't understand. Auron knew he ought to at least try to do the same.

"Good morning," Braska called, coming around the corner.

"Good morning, my lord," Auron replied. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you." He approached the railing and peered out at the water. "The Captain tells me no one has seen Sin anywhere recently. Not him, and not any other ships at sea."

"Is that good or bad?" Jecht asked.

"Could be either," Braska replied. "For now, though, we'll just have to be on alert. We're not so far from Besaid. If luck is on our side, we won't encounter Sin at all."

"That's a relief. Oh, hey!" Jecht removed a sphere from his pocket and gave it to Auron, much to Auron's chagrin. He approached the railing and crossed his arms. "Get a shot of us at sea. My kid loves the sea."

"Does he?" Braska asked.

"Yeah. He takes after his old man on that one."

"You must miss him."

Instead of responding, Jecht turned and gazed out at sea. "After you get that aeon from Besaid, where are we going?"

"Back the way we came," Braska answered. "Then we go north from Bevelle and climb Mount Gagazet."

"Beyond it lies Zanarkand," Auron added.

"Zanarkand, huh?" Jecht said. "It's been in ruins for a thousand years, right?"

"So the legends say," Auron replied. "No one knows for sure. It still could be your Zanarkand."

Jecht turned away from the camera. "Thanks for trying, Auron." Taking a seat at the edge of the deck, he gazed out at the ocean and sighed. "I thought if I went with you guys, I might find a way to go back."

Braska, feeling totally helpless, looked away. "I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize, Braska. It's not your fault. I should be thinking about fighting Sin now, anyway. Zanarkand can wait, but I will find my way back."

"Be careful, Jecht," Braska warned.

"Hey, I'll be all right. You're the one that should be careful. Wouldn't want your little girl to cry."

"She'll be all right," Braska said, approaching the railing alongside his guardian. "She's strong, like her mother was."

Auron had almost forgotten that he was still shooting. He turned off the sphere and hid it in his pocket. Some conversations didn't need to be recorded.

Almost as soon as he did, something massive rocked the boat. Auron tumbled to the ground, rolling head over heels toward the edge of the ship as it lifted into the air on its starboard side. He caught the railing just in time before the sea was able to swallow him.

"Auron!" Jecht screamed, clutching onto the railing across from Auron. "Braska went overboard!"

"I'm going after him!"

"No, I will! You take care of things topside!"

Before Auron could protest, Jecht let go of the railing, took a running leap, and dived over the edge into the water. Sea creatures of every shape, size, and color scattered. Only a few feet away, an unconscious Braska sank toward the ocean floor with blood oozing from a fresh wound on his forehead. Jecht swam with all his might, but Braska was sinking too quickly.

At last, Jecht reached him. Braska's robe was so heavy that it threatened to drag them both down. Even so, Jecht pushed forward. His lungs felt like they would burst. His heart pounded. His vision blurred. If he wasn't such a good swimmer thanks to all his years playing blitzball, he might've drowned along with Braska.

Jecht burst through the surface of the water, gasping for air. Struggling to keep Braska afloat, he waved up at Auron. "Get us outta here!"

Auron vanished to go find something to pull them from the water, but as it turned out, it wasn't necessary. Something hard appeared underneath Jecht's feet, lifting both him and Braska toward the sky. At the same time, it nudged the boat, rocking it on its port side. Auron struggled to keep his grip once more.

The creature beneath them continued to rise. Jecht took Braska by both arms and threw himself forward, landing on the deck below with a painful thud. Fortunately, he was able to cushion most of the blow for Braska, but the pain was so intense that he blacked out for a few seconds.

Auron staggered to their aid, turning the summoner over on his back. All around them, soldiers appeared on the scene. "Sin!" they screamed. "Sin is here!"

Auron ignored the chaos and pumped Braska's chest until he returned to life. Spitting up water, he shot up straight and gasped for air. Jecht collected himself and rose to his feet. "We've gotta get Braska outta here!"

"No," Braska said, his voice hoarse. "We must help."

"My lord, you're badly injured," Auron protested.

"It doesn't matter, Auron. This is why we're here." He wearily pushed himself to his feet and removed his staff. Sin had moved to the front of the ship and was now facing it head-on, as if challenging them to strike first. Jecht was so stunned that he couldn't move.

The last time he'd seen Sin, everything had happened so fast that he hadn't been able to process what was going on, let alone what the giant beast actually was. Now, though, he knew without a doubt that this was Sin. This was the creature that the people of Spira lived in fear of each day. This was what Braska would have to defeat.

"You heard him!" Auron cried, pulling him out of his trance. "We're going to fight! Arm yourself!"

"With what?" Jecht replied.

Auron took a look around, but there were no weapons available and Jecht's sword which he'd purchased in Bevelle before their departure was below deck with the rest of their stuff—which was a complete rookie move, if Auron had a say in it.

His eye caught sight of something blue and white. "That," he said, pointing.

"The blitzball? Are you crazy?"

"You said you're the best blitzer in Zanarkand. Now's the time to prove it!"

He didn't have much of a choice. Jecht snatched the blitzball from the corner to where it had rolled and joined Braska and Auron at the edge of the deck.

"What's the plan, Summoner?" a soldier asked, braced to attack.

"You're telling me Kinoc sent you out here without a plan?" Jecht demanded.

"We're expendable," the soldier replied. "The plan was to distract Sin if necessary, and…well, that's what we're doing."

"Your lives are not expendable to me," Braska said. "Line yourselves up along the port and starboard railings. Fend off anything that comes from the sides. We will take the mast."

"Yes, sir!" The soldiers scurried away, stationing themselves as Braska ordered. Suddenly, the ship rocked again. This time, everyone was able to brace before going over the edge. "My lord!" the soldier cried. "Something is beneath us!"

As if on cue, several tentacles sprang up on the sides of the ship. The soldiers opened fire, though some of them were yanked out from under their feet and ripped off the deck.

"A Sinspawn!" Auron said. "That must be why Sin is here!"

"Sin always comes back for the Sinspawn," Braska told Jecht.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Jecht demanded. "Let's kill it!"

"If we kill it, Sin will attack us," Auron argued. "We can only defend ourselves and break away as quickly as possible."

"It has us in its clutches," Braska said. He approached a nearby soldier. "Run and tell the captain that as soon as we free ourselves from the Sinspawn, it's full speed ahead for Besaid."

As soon as the soldier departed, the tentacles sprang forth for a second attack. Braska waved his hand, casting a fire spell to stall the Sinspawn's strike momentarily. The tentacles sank back into the sea, presumably injured.

At last, the Sinspawn itself made its appearance at the mast of the ship. A long, rigid body emerged from the water, with scales covering it from top to bottom. The head was covered in a blossoming fungus, making it almost look like a flower—with fangs.

It let out a breath of green venom, but Braska was faster. He raised his staff overhead, and the venom evaporated as it met the invisible shield Braska had created.

All around the ship, the tentacles resurged once more. The soldiers fired, and again, some were dragged away screaming. The Sinspawn opened its mouth to release its venom again, but Jecht hurled the blitzball at its face just in time. The ball smacked it hard, then rebounded back to Jecht's hands. The Sinspawn let out an angry cry and shook its head. In its moment of agony, its tentacles lost their grip on the ship.

"That's it!" Braska cried. "Aim for the head!"

"You two handle the head," Auron said. "I'll help the soldiers!"

Braska and Jecht moved in on the Sinspawn's body while Auron and the soldiers hacked, slashed, and fired at the tentacles. On each side of the ship, five tentacles swung and slapped, striking the soldiers dead at times and leaving huge holes in the deck at others. Auron skillfully dodged each incoming strike and retaliated with a swing at the attacking tentacle.

Jecht and Braska alternated between launching the ball at the Sinspawn's head and casting black magic spells. With each shot, the Sinspawn loosened its grip, and in that time the captain inched the ship out of the beast's grasp.

Finally, the Sinspawn seemed to be giving up. Its tentacles released the ship completely and its body sank into the ocean with a shrill cry. The captain launched the ship full speed ahead as commanded, sailing away from the creature.

"Hold your fire!" Braska ordered.

All went still and silent as they sailed away from the battle site. Sin watched from the distance, making no movements. It could completely annihilate the ship if it wanted, so what was it waiting for?

"I think that's it," Jecht breathed. "We did it."

Braska, however, didn't seem so sure. He didn't take his eyes off the horizon, as if he was waiting for something.

The silence was broken by the tentacles springing up in the air for their last attack. Jecht cocked his arm back, preparing to strike, but one of the tentacles swept him up from under his feet and lifted him into the air.

"Jecht!" Auron shouted, but Braska had it handled. He swung his staff high over his head, then sliced it through the air, casting a holy spell on the enemy. The tentacles shriveled and released Jecht, who dropped hard onto the deck of the ship, falling unconscious. The tentacles came down one last time, taking out a huge chunk of the deck along the way. Finally, the Sinspawn sank into the depths for good.

Auron rushed to Jecht's side, feeling for a pulse. "He's not breathing."

"Stand aside," Braska ordered. With Auron out of the way, Braska waved his staff over Jecht's body, and Jecht returned to life. He sat up with a gasp, clutching his head and blinking. "What…what happened?"

"You died," Braska said.

"I what?"

"Never mind it. You're alive now."

Jecht wearily stood up and surveyed the damage alongside his peers. The ship barely puttered along. The Sinspawn had damaged the ship so badly, it was a wonder it was still functioning. Many soldiers lay dead or wounded along the deck. Only a few were able to walk, and those that could tended to their injured comrades.

"What a mess," Jecht muttered. "Hey, Braska. If you brought me back from the dead, can't you do it for them?"

"My magic isn't strong enough to revive that many people," Braska admitted sadly.

"Oh." Not knowing what else to say, they remained rooted to the ground, watching the scene before them and feeling completely helpless.

Jecht turned and looked out at Sin. For a moment, he felt as if the beast was looking straight at him. Was it possible that the thing could feel and think, or was it just a mindless brute that destroyed whatever lay in its path?

"What's it waiting for?" Jecht said.

Braska approached his side. "I wish I knew."

"Why isn't it attacking us?"

"Be thankful that it isn't," Auron said.

"Yeah, but…"

"Let's not think about it," Braska said. "We're far enough away now."

At last, Sin turned away and sank into the ocean. In just a short moment, it vanished completely, as if it was never there in the first place.

Jecht crossed his arms and shook his head. "It just came out of nowhere."

"Sin is capable of many things," Braska replied. "Moving quickly is one of them."

"And no one spotted it on its way here?"

"If they didn't, we should be thankful. It means Sin didn't attack any villages or injure anyone. Let's hope it disappears for a while."

A soldier clutching his bloody arm approached Braska. "Summoner," he said. "We lost many. Would you…perform the sending?"

"Of course," Braska said. He removed his staff and stepped to the center of the deck, facing the mass of bodies lying about the ship. There must've been at least a hundred dead, and another two hundred who were swept off to sea by the Sinspawn. Those lost to the ocean would certainly become fiends. This was the least Braska could do.

In fluid, hypnotic movements, Braska repeatedly swept the staff over his head and across his chest, almost as if he were dancing. Jecht watched as the bodies of the fallen soldiers vanished into clouds of pyreflies, ascending toward the heavens. It was bothersome and disturbing, something he wished he didn't have to see. "What's going on?" he whispered to Auron.

"Lord Braska is sending the souls of the dead to the Farplane," he replied quietly. "Those who aren't sent after death become fiends, while some may go on walking the Earth, alive but not technically."

Once the last of the fallen soldiers had been sent, Braska stopped dancing and put away his staff. He did not move for the longest moment. He only stared straight ahead, watching the pyreflies flitter away. Though Auron and Jecht were at his back, they knew something troubled him without needing to see his face.

Jecht approached his side and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You all right, Braska?"

After a moment, Braska looked away. "Yes."

"You know, you did all you could do. If you hadn't been here, more of them would've passed."

"Still, it is not enough."

"It is for now."

Braska turned toward his guardians, his face devoid of emotion and his eyes empty. "This is the destruction that Sin causes," he said. "This is what we must destroy. Many brave men lost their lives today. How many more must pass?"

"Jecht is right, Lord Braska," Auron said. "You did all you could. We will go to Zanarkand, and you will defeat Sin."

Braska turned away. "Yes. Yes, we will."

And there you have it. Kinoc was right all along.

Okay everyone! See you on Friday, 8/21! We'll be seeing some familiar faces once more. :)