The Wages of Sin

by Belladona's Supplicant

Operation Mi'ihen unfolds very differently, and the party is split up. Yuna is kidnapped, and Tidus loses his memory from exposure to Sin's toxins. It's up to Auron to reassemble the party and rescue Yuna. Ultimately Yuna finds herself entangled in a love triangle with Tidus and an OC. She has to decide how to continue the quest to defeat Sin, and who to save in the process.

11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Fallen Angel

The army of Setanta and his Lord entered Guadosalam to find the city hastily abandoned. The Guado had fled southward to the forests around the Moonflow and the hills of the Djose region. Setanta marched in to be greeted only by his own men, who were raucous and invigorated over their victory.

Suldane and Kelk Ronso came to meet him, along with Gippal, Auron, Raven and the other chieftains.

"The Guado have fled the city… it's practically empty. We can garrison our men and set up shop however we please!" Suldane said eagerly.

"We should take the mansion as our personal headquarters, and then set up guards at both entrances and throughout the city… find the local shops and set up supply quartermasters to manage them. The men can be quartered in abandoned homes, but keep track of where all of them are. We need to maintain discipline and readiness… if anything happens or an opportunity presents itself to us, we need to be ready to march immediately." Setanta said.

"Good. I'll see to it." Suldane replied.

"Conchubar, and Raven… find a suitable place for the wounded. My wife can help with treating them. Everyone else come with me, and lets storm the mansion!" Setanta said gleefully. His comrades followed him into the doors of the luxuriant and vibrant Guado manor. Chief Barbay and his men kicked open the doors to the dining room and immediately pillaged the tables of their food and beverages. Brutus and the other hounds raced back and forth from the dining hall to the main hall, sprinting so fast that their long lupine tongues hung flapping out from the sides of their foaming mouths. Setanta walked up the staircase that spiralled up the master bedroom, and on the way he slashed through the paintings of the Guado leaders, and his men tore them off the wall and threw them onto the floor below.

Setanta entered the plush private quarters of the Guado lords. He saw the bed and the wardrobe, and the gaudy mirror beside it. Jericho, Barbay and the others came along behind him and gazed around the room in bewilderment.

"What in Spira is this!?" Barbay exclaimed in amazement. He ran forward and jumped onto the bed, and then bounced back off of it.

"They like their beds springy in Guadosalam…" Jericho remarked.

"These Guado are such degenerates… to live in the lap of luxury like this, is disgusting…" Setanta concluded disdainfully.

"You should try it for a change. Maybe you'll like it." Gippal said to him. Setanta shuddered.

"Well, you never had a… Honeymoon, after all. Your wife should like it." Barbay suggested with a smug smile.

"I'll be sleeping on the floor with the dog…" Setanta replied. They all laughed boisterously. Auron rubbed his ears sorely.

"For a bunch of stoics, you don't seem to have any consideration of other people's ears." Auron said.

"You're a bit fresh to our ranks, Auron. Don't try to bring our spirits down. We've got one more step to take in this journey. You should appreciate our time together." Setanta said with an amused grin, and his fellows chuckled.

"Of course… how selfish of me." Auron conceded with a smirk. Setanta strode past him back to the main hall and out to the streets of Guadosalam. He found Yuna and Rikku there waiting for him.

"Were you boys having fun in there? We could hear you throwing things and laughing…" Yuna said with a coy smile.

"You should take a look for yourself! Personally, I don't think I'll be comfortable in there, but we need an officious looking command center. So how are things around the city now?" He asked.

"I went to the relief station that Conchubar set up. I healed the men there, and your father has brought plenty of supplies to help them recover. They want to meet with you soon, and they're wondering if the manor is a suitable place…" Yuna informed him.

"It will do. It has a large enough conference room. I'll have my men set it up for us. You should go upstairs and make the bedroom comfortable for yourself, and get some rest. You look like you're still tired, Sweetness." Setanta said as he swept aside the strands of hair that fell about her face.

"I am… but I want to spend time with you. I want to talk with you soon…" Yuna urged him. Setanta nodded.

"Of course. Take a nap, and we'll have dinner together. We have plenty of time now." Setanta said. Yuna nodded, a bit sulkily. Setanta paused and cradled her chin in his fingers.

"Are you alright?" He asked her.

"Yes, I'm fine." She said quickly.

"Are you sure? Do you want me to go with you to the manor?" He asked.

"No, it's alright… I understand you need to take care of things for your campaign. I'll see you soon though, won't I?" She asked.

"Of course. Do you want to speak to Conchubar? I'll send him to the manor to visit you…" Setanta offered. Yuna nodded gratefully.

"Yes, thank you." She said. Setanta kissed her, and then they parted as he went to consult his lieutenants, and she went with Rikku and her Ronso guardians into the captured Guado manor. Yuna and Rikku entered the manor and found the luxuriant first floor ravaged and ransacked, but as soon as Setanta's men saw her enter they immediately began cleaning up their mess. Yuna and her friends went upstairs then, and saw the still intact extravagance of the master bedroom and the upstairs quarters.

"Oh wow! This is amazing!" Rikku said exuberantly. She went to jump on the plush bed and sprawl out across it. Yuna sat down on the side of the bed and felt the soft pillows.

"I can't believe Setanta wanted to stay here! He always said his own yurt was getting too cozy for him!" Yuna remarked in amusement. Rikku sat up then.

"Yunie, we need to have a talk, just us girls!" She said, gazing expectantly upon Kimahri, clearly indicating that she wanted him to leave. Kimahri nodded and shrugged his shoulders, and he went out to guard the staircase leading to the upper chambers. Curiously, Neela remained, but Rikku didn't make any fuss about it.

"What is it you want to talk about? We really have so much to catch up on, don't we? Two lifetimes, in fact!" Yuna said smiling. Rikku's face was surprisingly stern.

"We should start with your new hubby… Yuna, what on earth came over you? He kidnapped you, right?" Rikku asked in disdain. Yuna almost nodded, but she glanced aside then and reflected in silence for a moment. Rikku quickly prompted her again.

"Right? I mean how can you forgive that? How could you have fallen for him, allowed him to marry you so soon?" Rikku ranted indignantly.

"Well, it is true that he took me to his tribal village against my will. They kept me there, they converted me from Yevon to Remphan's Covenant, and the wedding was only a couple days later. They made me go through with the wedding, and I was unwilling, until I saw Setanta arrive at the ceremony. He looked so handsome and gentle, and full of life. Then I saw the Lord bestow his blessing upon Setanta... He looked like an angel then, beaming with love and light, and I couldn't resist him." Yuna revealed. Rikku watched her in dismay.

"So then he took advantage of you! Yuna, wake up! This can't be right for you!" Rikku protested. Yuna shook her head firmly.

"It is right for me; more right than anything in my life has been. You don't know him, Rikku. I understand that you care about my happiness, and that means so much to me… but you don't know how happy Setanta has made me already. You don't know what kind of man he is, and you should, because he's wonderful… I'm lucky to have him. I know that it's hard to believe, but you weren't there, and you haven't seen what I have. In time you will, and then you'll understand. Please, let's not fight over this now." Yuna beseeched her cousin.

"But Yuna… how can you love someone who did that to you? Kidnapping you? Forcing you to love them? It can't work that way…" She argued. At that point, Neela broke her silence and spoke up with her sultry, wizened voice.

"It is not so strange in Ronso romance, to kidnap the one you love. Ronso braves do it from time to time, but most often it is the Ronso women who set traps to ensnare the mate they want, and then seduce him." She said with a sly grin. Rikku shuddered.

"Alright, maybe this talk should be for humans only now!" She exclaimed. Neela chuckled wickedly.

"The dark truths of love are hard for young girls to accept. They reveal secrets of the heart that we would rather leave unknown. But a woman can hardly control her heart… instead it is Nature that rules the heart and ties the bonds of love, and love cannot resist those virtues of Nature… Setanta is a powerful man, and handsome, and brave… to be sure it would be hard for any woman not to love him, when he is so gifted by Nature." Neela said.

"That's not why I love him. I do love his bravery, of course… but it's his purity of heart, his kindness and his devotion. He is so willing to risk everything for his people and for Spira. That's the man I want to devote my life to." Yuna spoke with surety. Neela nodded and chuckled yet again.

"Of course that is true, and doesn't the girl know that these are the man's virtues in Nature? Great men do have these virtues naturally. Your Setanta has the same heart that Kimahri has… it's that heart of a warrior, of a chieftain, of a shaman, and a lover. That is the heart of the great man." Neela said. Yuna nodded in agreement with her.

"I can see what you mean. Do you feel that way, about Kimahri?" She asked.

"Of course. But Kimahri is stubborn. He will never go with me, until he knows that the girl Yuna is safe. Perhaps if the Calm does come, then he will go with me. Until then, nothing will move his heart." Neela said.

"I understand… don't worry. The Calm will be coming very soon." Yuna assured her. Rikku was irritable and spoke up impatiently.

"So there's nothing I can say to change your mind then? You know, we don't have to stay here. We can escape, and leave Spira on an Al-Bhed ship. We don't have to do this anymore…" Rikku proposed to her with one last attempt.

"I do have to. I have to follow the way of the Lord. I've accepted his covenant, and he gave me these powers to use for sake of the people of Spira. I'm not giving up, I don't care what happens." Yuna replied firmly. Rikku's head and shoulders sank then.

"Alright. Can I come with you then?" She asked. Yuna looked upon her sympathetically then.

"Yes, if that's what you wish. I understand why you are upset, Rikku, and I'm glad that you found me. I'm glad to have you with me. You have to realize though, that I'm never going to turn away from my husband and his quest, or from the legacy of my father, and the world he wanted to create. Those things are far more important than my own life or comfort." Yuna said to her. Rikku sighed sadly.

"It's just that… I don't have any family other than Dad… and he's always been busy trying to make Home better and safer, for the Al-Bhed people. Mom died when I was just a little girl. You're the only family I have left, and I don't want to lose you, Yuna!" Rikku explained to her in lachrymose expression. Yuna wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"You won't lose me… this is the end of Sin, not of us. We will have the Calm, and we will have a future. I have faith in that…" Yuna said, and she rested her chin atop Rikku's blonde head.

"You have the fire of courage in you, girl. I will help you however I can." Neela offered. Yuna nodded gratefully.

"Thank you. I'm happy to have you." Yuna said. The three of them sat together and talked for about life and the future for a long time, until Kimahri appeared in the hall outside the doorway, and Conchubar came stepping into the doorframe, rapping his staff on the frame before entering.

"Conchubar!" Yuna greeted him, both in relief and surprise.

"Yuna. Am I interrupting something? Setanta said you might wish to speak with me." The old sage asked.

"Yes, there is something I want to talk with you about." Yuna replied. Her friends left the room then, and Conchubar sat down on the bedside with her.

"What is troubling you, dear Yuna?" He asked her. Yuna hesitated for a moment before she spoke.

"I've been having a lot of thoughts and feelings, from my old life and the pilgrimage for Yevon. I know it's gone now, and I don't want to go back to it. But I can't help feeling… sad about it." Yuna admitted. Conchubar nodded in contemplation.

"Of course, there is something very touching and melancholy in the Yevonite traditions, as they are presented. Of course, we all feel a connection to our past trials and passions, even after we have moved on. It is nothing to be ashamed of. Why do you feel sad?" He asked.

"I was so devoted to going through with it, and saving Spira. I never had the time to enjoy life as a young girl, because I was preparing for several years to become a summoner. Even on the pilgrimage, I held back from expressing myself and my feelings for others, because I was expecting to die by the end of it." Yuna revealed. Conchubar nodded, as if he knew what she was speaking of.

"I see. So you regret that you never shared your feelings for others. A certain person in particular, I suppose?" He asked. Yuna was quiet for a moment, and then she spoke.

"Yes. You were right when you said that my heart was fluttering about. I was in love with someone before, and I never told him until it was too late. But I can't give up my love for Setanta, or for him either. I feel sorry for him now, knowing that he's going on to fight Sin alone, and he can't really win. I feel sorry for him, and I don't know what to do. I know I have to tell Setanta, and I don't know how he will react…" Yuna said with a sense of deep dread. Conchubar rubbed his beard with his wrinkled old fingers.

"Indeed… it is a difficult thing to admit one's feelings when they are uncomfortable to others we care about. And especially when our feelings are in conflict with each other. Why do you feel so sad for this young man? Why must he go forward with this mission of his? Does he not believe in our campaign?" Conchubar asked.

"It's more than that… his father was on the last pilgrimage with my father. They both died, and his father became the new Sin. He is determined to face his father one last time. After that happens, he know he will die. That's what he told me, essentially. There is more to it than that, but I don't know how to explain it. I don't understand it myself. I feel sorry for him, because he never had a choice in this, and he deserves better. Even though I can never be with him, I want him to be happy and safe. I don't know how I can be happy knowing what is going to happen to him. I don't know how I can go on in life now, after everything that has happened to us all. Is it wrong for me to feel this way? Am I just stumbling along behind my heart, and being selfish? I don't want anyone else to be hurt because of my own confusion." Yuna said mournfully. Conchubar shook his head.

"I don't think it is selfishness, to admit the truth that is in your own heart, but I warn you to be discerning and honest with yourself as well. You have to acknowledge your own needs and desires, and be sincere about what you want to do, and what you can do. All of us have to make choices in life, and those choices will have consequences, intended or not, and you have to set priorities even within your heart, so as not be misled by your feelings. You may have been in love with this other man, but if it is not meant to be, then what will it bring to your life? Of course compassion is not a crime. But the heart is often fickle and impassioned. It leads us into misery if we do not submit to reason. The heart sees what it wants and romanticizes it, but it does not realize the nature of life and the constant change it undergoes. What may make you happy for a moment or even for a year could make you miserable for the rest of your life afterward. Thus it is best to devote ourselves to timeless things, and things which are attuned to our own nature. Family and faith, tribe and nation, land and people… these are the themes of our existence, and vessels to carry us on the journey of life. Those are the things to which we must hold firmly, and unwaveringly. So I will say this to you… that you should always choose your husband, your new family and beliefs, and your new folk. Everything else will only beguile you and lead you astray." Conchubar advised her. Yuna nodded briefly, gazing across the floor.

"You're right. I know I have to learn to let go of these feelings, but it is very hard." Yuna said.

"Not necessarily to let go of them, but to understand and accept them for what they are. Your heart has to grow wise, to move through life and its challenges, and of course feelings like these are inevitable, as well as doubts and fears, and all other things that test us and our devotion to honor and duty. But with the Lord's help, and with reason, with wisdom and integrity, we can overcome. You can overcome, Yuna. Indeed, I know that you are meant to. Sadness and loss are only temporary slights in the growth of life. Even for your old friend, whatever happens to him is not the end, but only a new beginning, and the mourning of these things only needs to be temporary." Conchubar assured her, placing a gentle hand upon hers.

"Yes, I think so too… but what should I do now?" Yuna asked him.

"Focus yourself inward, and into the spirit, and upon the Lord, and that which uplifts the spirit and cultivates the powers of the heart. You should attend rituals with me, and spend some time in meditation on your own, perform your own ablutions and abstentions, and dedications to the Lord. Of course, apart from these things, you must also fulfill your role as a wife, and you should tell these things to Setanta. You should be honest and forthright with your husband, and I will speak with him as well if I can help. I will always wish to advise you and help in any way that I can, but I am a shaman, not a confessor or Yevonite priest. I cannot allow others to fall in spiritual bondage to me, through taking their confessions in private this way. It would be wrongful for me to take such powers and influence over a person in the covenant, and of our folk. I must lead my people forward to enlightenment and fulfillment, and uplift them if I can. So therefore you must present these matters to the people involved, with sincerity and openness. Our people will understand, and will not begrudge anyone who is forthright and true." Conchubar urged her. Yuna nodded in agreement.

"Of course, I will tell him soon." She assured Conchubar. "What must I do, to devote myself to the covenant?"

"Purify your heart and spirit, and speak often with the Lord, and seek him out. I feel that the coming conclusion of our struggle will require your help in particular, Yuna. You too are favored by the Lord, as one of his devoted people. He will not overlook any of us, in the fight for his coming age." Conchubar surmised.

"When will we have to go? Where will we confront Sin?" Yuna asked.

"Soon, but perhaps not as soon as we would like to. I have a feeling that the Lord will make his will apparent, in good time. Until then, our duty is to prepare. I will help you along the spiritual path, good Yuna. For now, however, I must speak with Suldane and Setanta. They must be prepared as well." Conchubar said, and he stood up to go.

"Thank you for everything, Conchubar. I appreciate everything you have done for me." Yuna said graciously. Conchubar nodded with a good natured smile.

"Of course, I will always be glad to help you. Never hesitate to ask." He said, and he turned and strode slowly out of the room. Yuna laid back onto the bed, and drifted off into sleep.

In the Calm Lands, a soft zephyr blew across the golden and green grasses of the plains, where Tidus and Paine walked along on the way to the mountain pass. They had visited the trading post in the middle of the plains, and spent their last gil to acquire bedrolls, blankets, food, a fishing pole and small spear for hunting. They made their way near the end of the Calm Lands together, light-hearted and free. Paine looked upon him often, with light in her eyes and warmth in her expression.

"You're finally free now, eh?" Tidus said to her with a smile.

"Yes! Just how I always wanted it! But in real life it's much better than I ever imagined, because now I have you!" She said gleefully. Tidus chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He put his troubles out of his mind for the moment, but he remembered his mission and the destination he was moving toward. They left the Calm Lands and went into the rocky ridge where the bridges to Mount Gagazet stood. They saw beside it a path leading downward to the bottom of the canyon, and the cave that lay there awaiting them. As they reached the canyon floor, Tidus led the way into the ominous round cave entrance, under an engraved archway. Smoky blue mist floated above it, from pores in the rock wall of the canyon.

"Do you think this is a good spot for us?" Paine asked him as she walked by the entrance.

"Sure, let's check it out. If it's not right, then we'll keep looking." He replied. They went into the depths together, and found a large round chamber near the entrance, and long winding caverns beyond it.

"We can easily set up a place here!" Paine said happily. Tidus nodded.

"Good call Babe! Can you do me a favor and set up our gear? I think I should go exploring and see what else is down here, before we get too comfortable…" Tidus asked her, not betraying his own purposes. Paine nodded with a warm smile, and started opening up their packs. Tidus went walking downward through the twisting and turning caves then, amid dark blue mist that issued from the walls in various places, and pyreflies that drifted listlessly about, whining softly. The cave was very still and quiet, and almost melancholy. It was a place all but forgotten by the world.

Tidus finally came to a chamber wherein he found a Fayth statue, lying in a deep impression on the cave floor, and over it were draped white ribbons with Yevonite verses written across them. This vibrant, red and orange and purple statue, seemed to have a very pronounced aura about it, and it hummed faintly with power. Tidus went to the side of the altar and knelt down there, and he watched the old statue for some time, waiting for any sign of activity. After a while it began to glow, and then a faint figure came into view, drifting up from out of the statue. This apparition was in the form of a warrior, in a blue tunic and with a gray steel helmet, the visor of which covered his upper face and his eyes shone through dark eyelets. The spirit of this Fayth spoke with a deep voice.

"You are here in the cloister of Yojimbo. What is it that you seek?" Yojimbo asked him.

"I was sent here by the Fayth of Bevelle temple. He told me to find you, he said that you would teach me what I need to know to fight against Sin." Tidus said. Yojimbo's ghost peered at him in silence for a moment.

"I don't usually offer my services without adequate compensation." Yojimbo said.

"You're one of the Fayth aren't you? You want to rest, right? That's why I'm here. You know I'm not a normal Spiran, don't you?" Tidus asked him, a bit impatiently.

"Indeed, I see that. So then you must be the one sent to bring the end of our dream… and your father came before you, to become the last Sin. I see now… and my wait is over. I can teach you and train you, for that last battle. It will take some time, for you to learn how to use the hidden pathways through the realms of the spirit. I hope you have the discipline for it, and the courage…" Yojimba said wistfully.

"I've got what it takes, don't worry." Tidus assured him confidently.

"Of course. They would not have sent you otherwise. So then, let's begin." Yojimbo said, and then suddenly he rose out of the altar completely, and shifted into the form of a mighty Aeon with a long Daikatana at his back, and weapons lining his sash. His mask-like face glimmered under a broad, round hat, and long purple robes covered his figure. His hound, a Daigoro dog, came out of the shadows to join him. Tidus drew his sword then; it was an old red-bladed fencing sword, all that he retained after he sold the Brotherhood sword in order to purchase the supplies for his final mission. He held it firmly and squared off against Yojimbo.

"I'm ready, Coach." Tidus said with the glint of eagerness in his bright blue eyes.

A couple weeks passed by while Setanta had garrisoned his army and established his command center at Guadosalam. He spent much of his time at the manor with Yuna during those days, but he often consulted Conchubar, to ask him when they might finally march off to do battle with Sin. Always, the old sage counseled him to wait a while longer. Setanta and many of his men were slowly maddened with impatience. However on this particular day he did not trouble himself over it, but instead went with Yuna to see the Farplane, in the back corner of Guadosalam's majestic streets and secluded passageways. They walked there hand in hand, and together they ascended the steps and went through the shimmering portal that stood between worlds. They stepped onto the platform that stood overlooking the eternally vast, flowering fields and streaming waters of the Farplane. For a long moment they stood close together, holding hands, and observing the haunting beauty of the other realm with its dusky skies and shimmering clouds, and the glistening waterfalls that fell into endless abysses, between the plateaus covered with red, violet, yellow and blue flowers.

Yuna turned to gaze up into Setanta's warm, amber eyes, and he looked down upon her lovingly and patted her cheek with a gentle but powerful hand. They strode together to the edge of the platform then, to see what the ethereal world would show them. After a moment, the faint apparition of Yuna's parents appeared before them. Braska and his Al-Bhed wife appeared standing together, gazing back at them in silence, as if they were almost alive but separated from them by an unperceived distance or barrier. Yuna looked upon them both in quiet wonderment and regard for a long moment. Setanta said nothing for a while, but then he spoke softly.

"Your father looks like a gentleman… a man of moral strength." He said. Yuna nodded appreciatively.

"Yes, he always was. When I was girl he was very loving and dedicated, but he made sure that I studied and did my chores, and he made sure that I was well-behaved." Yuna reflected gratefully.

"Now I can see a lot of your mother in you. She's very lovely." Setanta said. Again Yuna nodded.

"Thank you." She said. "What about you? Isn't there someone you'd like to see?"

"My parents are still with me, and Conchubar was my teacher and mentor throughout most of my life… but actually, I would like to see Grandfather Murdoch, and Uncle Culain." Setanta said, and he turned a bit to the side and peered into the distance of the Farplane. Then suddenly, two figures appeared. One of them looked like an older and thinner version of Suldane, though perhaps a bit taller even. He was a rugged and wizened old warlord, clad in dark leather armor and red battle-robes. His long, gray-and-black hair flowed straight down his back and over his broad shoulders and chest. His beard was long and dark, and speckled with gray and silver hairs. The other figure was a youthful and muscular blond-haired warrior, who looked to be related to Setanta's mother. The old Murdoch looked sagely and dignified, serious but also calm. Culain was smiling faintly and had an affable expression.

"Tell me about them." Yuna asked him curiously.

"They died in battle, against Crusaders who came one day to drive our tribe out of Djose. They defeated them, but died of their wounds. I remember Grandfather always brought me gifts from his raids and adventures, and let me ride on his hound's back when he took me fishing or exploring. He was very devout and good friends with Conchubar. Uncle Culain used to play with me, and taught me to use a sword when I was a boy. He was always laughing, and never worried by anything. After they died, they didn't even have to be sent. I always regretted that I wasn't old enough to go out to battle with them that day." Setanta reminisced.

"Your grandfather looks so much like Suldane, I thought it was him for a moment!" Yuna remarked. Setanta chuckled.

"Oh yes… it's almost like he's not gone at all. But Father has a very different attitude and personality. Still, they share some quirks and old adages." Setanta said.

"It seems like your father is angry and happy at the same time…" Yuna commented.

"Oh yes, he's always happy when he's at war. Just like Grandfather, he loves to fight, perhaps a bit too much, but he'll never back down from a challenge or a chance to prove himself worthy to the Lord." Setanta replied. Yuna was quiet for a moment, but she felt that she needed to tell him what was on her mind, and now was the time.

"Can we talk about something… a little serious, perhaps?" She asked. Setanta turned away from the apparitions of his fallen kinsfolk and faced her sympathetically.

"Of course. What is it, my Love?" He asked her.

"Let's go back to the manor first." She said, not wishing to tarnish his memory of his family with unhappy words. Setanta nodded and took her hand, and together they walked back through the city toward the Guado manor. Before they reached it, they saw Suldane and Conchubar walking across the pathway in front of them, and when they spotted the two of them they came to meet Setanta.

"We need you present for the meeting we're holding in the conference room, Son. The scouts have something to report to us from their last ride." Suldane said to him, with a sense of urgency. Setanta nodded in acquiescence, then he turned to Yuna.

"We'll talk tonight, my Love. Spend some time with your friends, and I'll meet you later." He said, and he kissed her before leaving her to go with his Father and the old shaman. Yuna watched them walk away and enter the manor, and then she followed after them and went up the staircase, hanging just over the middle so that she could hear some of what was said in the conference hall.

Setanta, Suldane and Conchubar took their places around a long table in the middle of the hall, and then the others grew still as the chieftain of the Mounted Marauders spoke up.

"The Guado have regrouped, and assaulted Djose temple. They razed it to the ground. Scouts are reporting that they have moved across the Mi'ihen Highroad, and a legion of fiends is already on the outskirts of Luca." Jericho reported. Everyone in the room was suddenly alarmed and infuriated.

"Damn those Guado! This is the last thing we need right now!" Suldane growled fiercely.

"Now of all times? What is being done in Luca? What forces do they have?" Setanta demanded urgently.

"We're not sure, but rumor has it that most of the Yevon troops there are in total disarray or abandoned their posts weeks ago. Many of them were mustered here to protect Seymour, and we crushed them." Jericho surmised.

"Whatever they've got left, it won't be enough." Chief Barbay speculated aloud.

"Why would they try this now? What could they be hoping to do?" Gippal asked, bewildered.

"Obviously they have nothing left to lose now, and so they are hell-bent on conquering the city…" Suldane suggested.

"Regardless, it doesn't matter now. They have to be stopped, and the people of Luca should be evacuated. The city won't be safe from Sin, now that it's apparently unprotected." Setanta said decisively.

"We can't reach the city in time, certainly not if we take cannons and artillery…" Suldane reminded him bleakly. Setanta stood up irritably from his seat and paced around the table.

"How many chocobos do we have left now?" He asked Jericho.

"Between us and the Crusaders, maybe a hundred and fifty. That kid, Clasko, has been rounding some up for us, but we're short on trained knights." Jericho said. Setanta's face was stern with displeasure.

"I'd want twice that number, but it will have to do. I'll ride to Luca with a dozen of my best fiend-fighting men, and all the Crusaders and Marauders who can ride. We'll strike at the Guado themselves, and break the siege. Then we can lead the civilians to safety." Setanta spoke with determination. Conchubar immediately spoke up to stall him.

"We have not yet received a sign from the Lord. You are rushing into battle without guidance and without a plan. Our mission is first and foremost to destroy Sin; after that we may deal with the Guado." Conchubar warned him.

"What else can we do? Those people need our help! If we don't go now, then Luca will be lost and the Guado will regain a seat of power. Who knows how many they will slaughter in the process..." Setanta argued desperately.

"I think it is unwise and dangerous, Setanta. We all have to do our duty, especially now when there is so much at stake! We cannot risk weakening our forces, and we can't risk losing you! You're our commander and the champion of the Lord himself!" Conchubar urged him to come to his senses. Setanta turned away from them all and faced the wall. He was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"I know that… but how can I leave them to such a fate? How can I be fit to lead these men, with so many innocent lives on my conscience? How will the Lord judge me for it? All they are is some Guado and fiends. It is nothing that I haven't faced before." Setanta said, with an eagerness to fight and uphold the right.

"I can't control you anymore, Setanta… but I urge you to reconsider. You should not split up your army, and you should not be taking chances on anything at this point. I know it is hard to let anyone be lost, but it may be necessary to save Spira. You have to use your wits. If you are lost, we may never defeat Sin, and the age of our Lord may be lost for another seven thousand years." Conchubar surmised darkly. Setanta shook his head.

"Impossible. The Lord will not be thwarted by darkness. His way is ultimate power…" Setanta said firmly, and in shock to hear such words from his old mentor.

"Indeed it is, but we are all a part of this world, and we all have a role to play. To deny this is to twist the fates, and who knows what consequences may come of it. I beg you Setanta, be careful…" Conchubar urged him.

"Forget about Luca, boy! Those people chose their fates when they put their trust in liars and conniving charlatans. We have chosen our own fate, and decided to be free of Sin. Stay the course, and don't be discouraged by the trifling defeats. In the end we will win!" Suldane argued with him.

"This is about more than us, Father! Those people have lives and stories of their own! I won't abandon them. I know we will win. I'm leaving you in charge of the army, and I expect you to maintain order here until I return. Jericho and Luzzu, assemble your men and prepare to ride with all haste. We're going to liberate the people of Luca, and then we shall return. We'll be back soon, don't doubt it." Setanta told them all commandingly. Jericho stood to follow his orders, and Suldane rose from his seat to confront him once more.

"You think you can disregard the advice of your elders, boy?" He asked roughly.

"I think I have to do what you raised me for, and always told me to do… the right thing." Setanta replied. Suldane flexed his shoulders irritably then, but he soon relaxed.

"Fair enough. You better make it back, Son. I don't know if I can do this without you… I'm getting old." Suldane said reluctantly. Setanta smiled and shrugged.

"Nah, you're just in your prime, for a warlord. Don't worry. I'll come back." Setanta assured him, and then he turned to leave the conference room. As he was striding past the staircase, Yuna confronted him there.

"So you're leaving now?" She asked him, clearly brimming with dread. Setanta paused and gazed upon her, and he stepped up the stairs to meet her.

"Yes. I'm going to Luca. It's under attack and someone has to do something. It won't be difficult; I know we can handle the Guado and their fiends." Setanta said confidently.

"I'm sure you can… but I have a very bad feeling about it." She warned him.

"I know, but what else could I do? I have to save whoever I can. You understand why I have to do this, don't you?" He asked her. Yuna nodded.

"Of course… and that's why I love you. Brave, and selfless to a fault. Just promise me you're not going to be careless. I need you to come back…" Yuna urged him. Setanta smiled and kissed her affectionately.

"I will. Pray for me." He said, and then he released her and went down to leave the manor.

Setanta and his followers saddled up on their chocobos, and they rode around the Moonflow and across the Mi'ihen region toward Luca.

In the cavern of the Fayth under Mount Gagazet, Tidus was sitting in front of the statue of the Fayth, and the apparition of Yojimbo was drifting over it, sitting with his legs crossed in front of him. Their eyes were closed, and they seemed to be at rest. There was an aura shared between them, and magic flowing across it. Tidus was covered in cold sweat and beginning to twitch irritably. His skin was burning and his head felt light, and it ached in the middle of his forehead. He had tried this exercise with Yojimbo several days in a row now, but it had always reached a breaking point at which he could not continue. He began to shift uncomfortably.

"Relax… hold still." Yojimbo encouraged him with a soft, raspy voice. Tidus tried to calm himself. He breathed out heavily. Soon he felt his body shaking, and it became gradually more violent.

"Don't panic. It's working…" Yojimbo said. Tidus felt himself going numb, and then suddenly he felt himself fall over and sprawl out on the floor unwillingly. He was paralyzed for a long moment, and he could no longer see the aura over him. Then he slowly regained control of his limbs. He groaned and laboriously got onto his feet. He could not see Yojimbo anywhere.

"Hey! Where did you go?" He called out. He heard a voice inside his head then.

"I'm still here…" it said. It was Yojimbo's voice.

"It worked!" Tidus exclaimed. He looked down to his hands then, and he could see the apparition of Yojimbo shadowing his own form, and trailing his movements.

"Now, let's train." Yojimbo said. Suddenly Tidus felt that he was lighter, more agile, and far more powerful. He felt a wave of confidence wash over him. He drew is sword, and swung it expertly. He lunged forward toward a tall boulder and brought his sword down on the middle of it, and to his utter shock and disbelief, his blade split it effortlessly.

"Whoa! How did that happen?" Tidus cried out in shock.

"It's all in the technique… and the focus of energy. I'm retraining your muscle memory to match my own precision." Yojimbo said.

"That's incredible!" Tidus blurted.

"It will take some getting used to… you'll probably be sore after this. We should break for the day. Come back tomorrow, and we'll continue your lessons." Yojimbo told him. Tidus sat down again, and then he felt his body vibrating and becoming heavier again, and then Yojimbo appeared before him.

"Make sure you eat and rest, and don't spend too much time playing with your woman." Yojimbo advised him.

"No promises on that…" Tidus said with a chuckle.

"Don't burn yourself out. Too much of this kind of stress will actually kill you." Yojimbo said lastly, and then he descended back into his statue.

Tidus rubbed his face and forehead, and got up to leave the caverns. He went back up to the encampment where he and Paine had been living for the past couple weeks. Paine was not there, but he had a good idea as to where she was likely to be. He went climbing up the trail toward Mount Gagazet. He walked through the columns of stone, and the foot of the mountain where the Ronso typically resided, and from there he went up the snowy paths and into the high caverns of Gagazet. There were flooded caves and mountain springs there, some of them cold, but some of them warm or even hot. There was one hot spring in particular that Paine loved to frequent, which was surrounded by glowing crystals and ancient cave paintings.

Tidus went into the cave where this spring was, and he saw Paine there against the back wall where a cooler stream trickled down like a small waterfall and into a river tributary that poured out of the cave and down the outside of the mountain. She doused herself in the cool waterfall and then reached over to pick up a bar of soap, and lathered up her lithe, feminine body. When she had covered herself she then went back under the waterfall and washed herself clean. Tidus quickly stripped off his jacket and boots, and whooped loudly as he saw Paine turn toward him. She smiled and blushed faintly, and then strode seductively into the warm waters and soft sandy floor of the hot spring. Tidus stepped over the edge of the deep side of the spring, and dived into it. Paine neared the middle of the pool when she suddenly felt him grab her leg. She cried out and laughed loudly as he surfaced behind her and wrapped her up in his arms.

"Did you get a workout today?" She asked him.

"Yeah… you want to give me another one?" He said as he gently bit her shoulder. Paine squirmed her smooth figure around in his arms until she was facing him. She kissed him lustily. They made love passionately and then laid together in the shallows by the edge of the spring. They were relaxing in the warm waters for a long time, and then Paine rolled over and rested her face upon his chest.

"So, what exactly have you been training for all this time since we came to the mountain?" She asked him.

"Well you know… I just want to stay in shape. I want you to think I'm sexy of course; it takes a lot of work to look this good!" he said with a smile. Paine laughed light-heartedly.

"Really? Well that's good to know. But I never thought mountain life would make us fat… you sure you're not up to something? Anything you'd like to tell me, maybe?" She asked. Tidus hesitated, but he realized that this was his opportunity to tell her the truth. He didn't know if he could, however.

"Well… actually, there is. But I think it can still wait awhile. I think… you want a massage, and then you can give me one!" He suggested playfully. Paine smiled widely, and rolled over onto her belly. Tidus began kneading her shoulders and back, and she crooned with pleasure. After a while she was quiet, and he thought that she had fallen asleep. When Tidus sat back down beside her, Paine spoke.

"I know what you're up, Tidus…" She said, and he immediately tensed up and quivered for an instant in shock. She went on to say, "You still feel obligated to be the hero. You still want to save the world, help people, try to make a difference. I understand… I feel that way too, deep down. It's a really hard thing to let go of… but someday you'll realize what I did, when it finally hits you that nothing actually changes. When life kicks you down the ladder, and you hit the ground like I did… then suddenly you'll understand things." She said. Tidus was taken aback by this statement.

"Really? Is that what happened to you? How, and when?" He asked her. Paine breathed out a long and sad sigh.

"It happened to me at Operation Mi'ihen. I was on a different mission then… and I saw a lot of death. I don't know what happened exactly, but we found something in the cave there on Mushroom Rock Road… we were ordered to enter it, and when we did, everyone started losing their minds. We made it out somehow, but after we did, one of my friends went berserk, and he shot all of us. Then I fell into the ocean, where you found me." Paine said. Tidus placed a comforting hand upon her arm.

"Alright… I know that's horrible, but just because bad things can happen, do you really think that means that all of life is a wash?" He asked. Paine shrugged her shoulders slightly and turned her face toward him.

"Isn't it? Think of everything that happened to us. Think of everything that has been happening to this world for a thousand years. Nothing ever changes. We can't win. You saw what Sin did to Bevelle, and it only took one night to destroy thousands of lives and everything they ever accomplished. All of us are just as fragile as they were. It's only a matter of chance, which one of us will fall next, and all of us fall eventually." She said bleakly.

"You're right… I saw what happened at Bevelle. I saw what happens when people stand up together with a little bit of courage. I saw what you did, and you remember as well as I do, what the old man said before we left. We did save people, and we did win the day, and we made a difference. Surely you have more confidence in yourself than that, Paine… ever since I've known you, you've always been a brave person…" He argued with conviction.

"That was because I had nothing to lose. Now I have you… and I'm not giving you up!" She said, and her eyes moistened immediately. She sat up and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Tidus fell weak in her grasp then, and his resolve crumbled.

"Promise that you'll stay with me and not go back into the world!" She demanded from him. Tidus could barely make himself speak then.

"I can't promise that." He said finally.

"What do you mean!?" She cried out. Tidus reached within himself then and steeled his resolve. He spoke plainly and firmly.

"I can't let my friends fight alone, and I can't sit this one out. I am going back into the world, to fight and win. But you don't have to worry about me… no matter what happens, I love you and I always will." He said. She cried for a long time after he said this, and she clung to him tightly. Tidus was shaken then, in a way that he hadn't felt since the Fayth showed him the truth. He knew that he should tell her, but he couldn't summon the strength to do it. She was the last thing about Spira that he wasn't willing to let go of.

On the plains of Mi'ihen, Setanta and his chocobo cavalry came into sight of the city of Luca as dusk was setting in. They saw smoke rising and flames glowing orange within the city. They soon heard screams and shouts as they drew closer. They had been moving at a slow trot, to give their birds and dogs some rest, but Setanta drew his sword and pointed it forward, commanding them to charge. With this signal, they all urged their mounts onward at a swift gallop. They encountered a heavy concentration of fiends on the plains around the city, and Setanta broke off with a squad of riders while Jericho led the rest in battle. Setanta took his men to the steps that led down into Luca's market district. They hastened through the burning market, hacking through fiends on their way without stopping to engage the greater fiends that raged around the plaza.

Setanta led them down the causeway, beside the burning theater, and onward toward the center of town. They soon encountered scattered teams of Guado, who summoned fiends to delay them. Setanta and his warriors dismounted then and hacked their way through fiends and Guado alike. Brutus fought fiercely by his side, and Setanta went through the city streets until he finally spotted a handful of soldiers and civilian militia fighting desperately to defend a neighborhood. He charged in with his squad and lent them aid. Once they had chased the Guado away toward the harbor, Setanta gave orders to the soldiers and men he could find.

"Take as many civilians as you can, and get them out of the city! If you go across Mi'ihen, you'll see the rest of our army. Once you get behind our battlefront, we'll protect you from any fiends pursuing you out of the city. Go to Guadosalam, and tell the men there that you are refugees in need of assistance. My army will help you there." He told them. The soldiers saluted him and did as he bid them.

Setanta took his men further into the city, on the way to the harbor and the stadium. The fiend presence increased as they drew closer, and then Setanta spotted a team of Guado going into the stadium itself. He paused to look at the entrance where they had descended, and he thought he saw someone familiar. It was Seymour Guado. The maester turned and went into the stadium with his followers.

"Sir, what's wrong?" One of his warriors asked him.

"I just saw him again! It was Seymour, the Guado maester! He's unsent!" Setanta said. His men were visibly unnerved then, which was a difficult thing to achieve.

"If he has come back as a ghost, then he will be even more dangerous! We should take as many civilians as we can and fall back to the battlefront!" His lieutenant said. Setanta nodded in agreement.

"That's what we'll do for now. Come on! Let's go!" Setanta ordered them, and they backtracked through the streets, shouting into the houses, collecting up women and children and civilian men to lead them out of the city. Just as they were passing by the theater again, suddenly they felt the causeway trembling and shaking under their feet, and they all froze in shock. The tremors stopped abruptly, but an eerie quiet came over the city. Setanta knew something was horribly wrong.

"Go quickly! Run! Get out of the city!" He shouted, and his warriors took the people sprinting down the causeway to the market plaza as swiftly as they could. Setanta turned to look out across the sea, and he saw something rising out of the water in the distance. It was Sin's head, and he could hear its loud whining call. He heard a roaring sound drawing near; the sound of rushing water. Setanta immediately grabbed Brutus up in his mighty arms and dashed toward the nearest building, which he hoisted his hound onto the roof of and then climbed up himself. Water came pouring over the causeway and into the streets of Luca, followed soon by a rolling tsunami wave that washed ships and fishing boats onto the streets and flooded the whole city with ten feet of water.

Setanta was waiting atop the roof of the building, holding Brutus next to him. He watched as the water steadily receded back out to the sea, but then he saw Sin emerge from the ocean and come floating across the sky. Setanta raised his sword high above his head and spoke.

"Lord, is this my chance?" He asked. The sky overhead was dark and foreboding, and the setting sun was nearly blotted out as dark clouds came rolling in over the city. He watched as Sin drifted over the stadium and hovered there in place. Suddenly a beam of energy shot down from Sin's underbelly into the middle of the stadium, and a massive storm of pyreflies whirled upward into Sin, merging with it, and giving it an oversoul. Setanta knew then that he had to retreat. He took Brutus and jumped back down into the shallow waters still lingering on the streets, and together they ran as quickly as they could toward the steps that led back out onto the Highroad. Just as they were ascending the steps, suddenly a bright flash burst behind them, lighting up everything bright as mid-day, and Setanta felt himself lifted off the ground and thrown across the platform just below the Highroad. He hit his shoulder and back hard against the metal railing, and it bent and nearly broke from the impact. His right arm immediately went numb and was useless. He lost his sword as it fell down onto the platform below, and Brutus was flung down with it and injured. Setanta fell from the metal fencing down onto the marble platform. He was gasping for air and barely able to breathe. He rolled onto his back and gazed up across the sky; he could see the giant form of Sin facing toward him and floating closer.

Setanta knew then that he had made a fatal mistake. He felt a surreal dread come over him. He forced himself to get onto his feet and limp up the steps onto the Highroad. He knew that he had to survive, or his cause was lost. He ran as quickly as he could at a limping jog, across the field. He heard a terrifying sound behind him and saw eerie light flashing over the field around him. He tripped and fell over then, and could not get back up. His left leg was seized up and cramped. He rolled over onto his back again, looking up to the tremendous ball of dark energy building over Sin's head. It was staring right at him. Setanta lost all hope then. His whole body was numb and he felt that he was already dead. Sin was about to release the death surge upon him and across the whole plain. Only Heaven could intervene then, and so an emissary of the Lord came soaring through the black clouds, on silver wings that glimmered in the dying sunlight from the west. The angel, dressed in white robes, with fair skin and golden hair radiant like the noon sun, came gliding down overhead and landed on the road several paces in front of Setanta. The angel stood between him and Sin, and shielded Setanta with his wings as he lay helpless under the shadow of the Lord's servant.

The light grew too bright for him to stand it, and Setanta closed his eyes. A horrifying blast was unleashed then, and it flew past him, scorching the plains of Mi'ihen for miles and turning up a hurricane in its path. Setanta was left lying there deafened in the silence that fell upon the whole region after this onslaught. He quivered in pain and anguish, and when he finally opened his eyes he saw that Sin was gone, floating back across the eastern sea. Setanta saw the angel still standing there, immobile and lifeless; he had been transmogrified into stone, charred and black as obsidian. Setanta's heart ached and squirmed in his chest. He crawled toward the angel and touched his feet, feeling that it was true; now he was gone. Setanta wept freely then, in utter heartbreak. His tears that fell upon the angel's feet were instantly transmuted to blue crystals, but he could not behold this miracle, as his tears blinded him and stung his eyes. He fell back onto the ground in despair, unable to rise and robbed of all his strength. From the rubble, Brutus crawled out and pulled himself with his front paws; his back leg was broken. He limped and crawled up onto the field, and made his way to his master, and laid beside him, whining softly.

In Guadosalam, Yuna stirred from a nap she had lapsed into while sitting in the cushioned chair beside her bed. She had a dream, and as soon as she awoke the memories of it overwhelmed her. She saw Setanta lying in immense pain; she saw his misery and immediately knew that it was real. It filled her core with sickness and dread. She quickly got up and ran downstairs to the conference room, where she burst in upon Suldane, Conchubar and few of their men.

"Setanta is in trouble! He needs help!" She cried out to them. They gazed upon her in shock and bewilderment.

"What are you saying, Yuna?" Conchubar asked her.

"I saw him in a dream! He is hurt, and alone! We have to go to Luca now!" She demanded in distress. Rikku, Kimahri and Neela came down the stairs then, awoken by her shouting.

"She's right…" Conchubar admitted. "It was wrong to let him go. We have to find him, and quickly."

"Get us chocobos! Whatever is left, saddle them up. We're riding tonight!" Suldane ordered his lieutenants, and they rushed to do his bidding. They all left the manor then and went to the stables that had been built in the upper plaza on the road leading from Guadosalam to the Moonflow. The soldiers had prepared a dozen chocobos for them, nearly all that were left for the scouts after Setanta had taken the rest. Suldane chose one, and his men prepared their mounts to ride. When he saw Yuna and Rikku taking one of the chocobos, he strode over to interrupt them.

"What are you doing, Yuna?" He asked gently.

"I'm going with you." She said.

"We'll find Setanta and bring him back. You should wait here…" He said, but she immediately shouted in refusal.

"I'm going to find my husband!" Yuna said firmly. Suldane looked into her eyes then. He nodded in acceptance, and helped her fix the saddle properly for the two of them. Kimahri and Neela were there, and one of the lieutenants was desperately trying to explain that they were too heavy to ride a chocobo. Finally Auron appeared in the plaza and relieved him of his trouble.

"Perhaps you'll trust me to go with her, Kimahri? I was the one who gave you the mission, after all?" Auron said to him. Kimahri looked to him with a stern expression and said nothing. He finally nodded. Auron tapped him on the shoulder and then went to saddle up on a chocobo. Conchubar came up into the plaza as well, and requested a chocobo.

"I feel that I should go as well… somehow I feel the Lord calling me out to go." He said to Suldane, and the warlord helped the old shaman get into the saddle of one of the chocobos.

As soon as they had all mounted up, Suldane took the lead and they dashed out onto the road, heading south for Luca. They rode all night and straight through dawn, until they came to the plains of Mi'ihen. As they reached the travel agency near the coast, they saw that the roof was damaged and the signs and posts were blown over. Many trees had been splintered or knocked over as well. The chocobo riders and many civilian refugees were there, and many more were scattered on the lower road. They saw Jericho there, leading what was left of his men. Suldane stopped shortly to speak with him.

"What happened? Where is Setanta?" Suldane demanded. Jericho was weary and stammered as he spoke.

"He has to be dead… Sin destroyed the whole plain; we've seen no one since. I brought everyone I could here. We fled when we saw that Sin had appeared, but Setanta never came." he answered sullenly. Yuna and Rikku immediately sped past him then and went riding down the road to Luca. Auron, Suldane and his men quickly followed them. They went on further, and smelt smoke and soon saw the scorched fields ahead. They rode on over the blackened plains, still smoking from the smouldering cinders of the previous night. As they went over the blackened road, they saw some of Setanta's men walking back toward Luca and scanning the fields. They passed by them on the road, but Yuna and Suldane did not stop. They went on, until they saw a tall black figure standing in the middle of the road, and beneath it they could see Setanta and Brutus laying on the ground.

Yuna rode up within a few paces of him, then she and Rikku both jumped down out of the saddle and ran to Setanta's side. Yuna immediately fell to her knees beside him and took his head in her hands, cradling it in her lap. She began weeping instantaneously when she saw how torn and miserable he looked. She tried to focus her intention to heal him then, and called upon Remphan.

"Lord, please let him be healed!" She pleaded, and she placed her hands over his chest. The love within her was transmuted into a powerful magic, and it steadily welled up within her until she glowed brightly with a purple haze. Blue orbs of magical energy pulsed down her arms and into her palms, and then submerged into Setanta's skin. His muscles and facial features relaxed then, and his bleeding stopped. He still could not move. Yuna put her hands on his arm, and the bones set back into place. Then she touched his thigh, and healed it. Eventually Setanta was able to sit upright. Conchubar stepped up beside them then, and stared at the statue of the Angel, and the cerulean teardrop gems lying at his feet.

"The Lord's miracle…" Conchubar said softly. Setanta's eyes were still damp.

"Why would he sacrifice one of his own people for me? Why would he choose me?" Setanta asked him in utter despair. Conchubar turned to him sympathetically.

"Because you are worth so much, Setanta, and those who will follow you, and all those who will see this statue, and know your story, and the works of the Lord… He is raising up a whole multitude of souls, enlightening generations of people with this beacon of mercy. You are meant to lead others to his light, in this life and in the future. The Lord has indeed chosen you for his paragon… the time is not here yet. You must recover, and prepare yourself. Purifications and devotions must be given. This statue must be guarded, protected, and enshrined. Leave your men to watch over it, while we take you back to Guadosalam." Conchubar told him. Setanta nodded, as tears streamed from his bright amber eyes. Suldane and Auron lifted him up, and carried him back to their mounts with Yuna and Rikku trailing directly behind them. Conchubar picked up the crystalline tears and put them in a satchel, and took them with him back to Guadosalam.

In the cavern of the Fayth, Tidus and Yojimbo were sitting together in meditation. Their spirits were blending together in the aura, and Tidus was receiving the last arcane lessons and tuning of magical connections shared between them. Finally the aura faded, and he awoke from the trance state that they had entered. Yojimbo was gone. He heard the old warrior's voice in his head.

"Go to the back of the chamber, and touch the glyphs on the wall." Yojimbo told him. Tidus seemed to know where to step then, and he saw a vertical line of glyphs, glowing bright green, light up on the rock wall of the cave. He reached out and pressed his palm against the wall in the middle of the line of glyphs, and they all flared up briefly and then vanished. Suddenly the wall gave way and a doorway opened to another chamber in the cave. Tidus stepped slowly inside. A torch was lit suddenly, and in the faint light he saw several chests and weapon racks, piles of treasure and weapons strewn across the floor, and at the back of the chamber the firelight gleamed upon a set of samurai armor. It was fashioned of black leather scales and bound together by red and yellow cords. Folded up in front of it was a white tunic and baggy white pants embroidered with black dragons on each leg.

"This armor was mine. It should help you in the fight to come." Yojimbo said to him. Tidus stepped up to the armor and ran his fingers over the shoulder pads on the right side, and the tasseled cords on it. Then he felt Yojimbo beckoning him to turn around, and he stepped in front of a sword rack nearby and picked up a curved saber with a blade of blue steel, and red glyphs written across it. Tidus held it up, seeing his reflection upon the blade.

"The spirit in this sword wants to seek justice in the world. It should be a fitting companion for you, on your quest to vindicate the souls of the unavenged." Yojimbo said to him. Tidus nodded in gratitude and reverence.

"I'm ready to go now." Tidus said.

"First there is another mission you must complete, to erase the old order of this world and usher in a new one, so that our rest can be assured." Yojimbo told him.

"What mission?" Tidus asked.

"You must go to the ruins of Zanarkand, and confront Lady Yunalesca. She must be dispatched, for the ghosts haunting this age to be sent off into the Farplane. She represents too much suffering, and too many tragic memories linger because of her." Yojimbo explained to him.

"Alright… when do we leave?" Tidus asked.

"Now, of course." Yojimbo said.

"I have to say goodbye first…" Tidus said.

"Make it quick." Yojimbo urged him.

Tidus walked up the caverns toward the large chamber where their encampment stood. He found Paine there, sitting on her bedroll and gazing into a sphere. As he approached she broke her trance and set it down, and turned to look upon him as strode upright in his armor, with a sword sheathed at his back and a short spear in his right arm. She looked him up and down; he was handsome, and regal in his battle attire. Her eyes soon became damp however.

"Where are you going?" She asked him.

"To Zanarkand." He replied.

"Why?" She asked in bewilderment.

"I have to tie up some loose ends there. Certain things need to be done, for this age to fade away and new one to begin. Certain things need to be forgotten, so that the Fayth can rest." He explained. She gazed downward then.

"I see. So you never intended to disappear with me after all? You're still trying to save the world?" She asked.

"If I was free to choose, then I would have spent a lifetime with you and never looked back. But I'm not. I can't explain this right now… I will when I come back." Tidus said.

"I'm going with you." Paine said. Tidus could hear Yojimbo's objections in his head.

"No. She's not trained for what we're going to face. She would just die." Yojimbo warned him.

"It will be too dangerous. I have to go alone." Tidus said to her.

"Really? Now you think you're leaving me behind?" Paine argued fiercely.

"I don't want you to die… and I've been prepared for this. You haven't." Tidus said. Tears began to form in her eyes.

"You think it matters if I live or die, without you? I'm coming with you on the journey anyway. If you have to fight this battle without me, at least I'll be there with you." She said determinedly.

"Fair enough." Yojimbo said. Tidus nodded.

"Alright. Let's get a light pack ready, and go now." Tidus acquiesced. Paine stood up immediately and made preparations. In a few minutes they left the cave and started up the path to Gagazet.

They walked down the other side of the mountain, through the passes and rocky ravines. Finally they came to a pass, wherein there stood a wall of rock embedded with the bodies of thousands of the people who had become the Fayth. They walked up closer to this rock wall, and saw that it glowed with faint blue light. The whole ravine was illuminated by this magical aura.

"So these are all the people who were left from Zanarkand… they became the Fayth out of their own sadness and regret." Tidus said aloud.

"You're right… that's what Yevon teaches us." Paine replied.

"And you will liberate these lost souls." Yojimbo whispered to him. "Touch the wall."

At his bidding, Tidus placed his hand on the wall and immediately the blue light flowed into his arm. He was frozen in a trance then, and his consciousness was transported to another realm. He was in Zanarkand, and he saw the boy Fayth from Bevelle. This time they were standing on the patio of his old house and facing toward the vast, glittering expanse of the city. The boy spoke to him then.

"So you've made it this far. You found Yojimbo, and he has prepared you."

"Indeed I have. He is as ready as I can make him." Yojimbo answered, and he appeared with his dog, from the shadows at the other corner of the patio.

"Very well then. I will go with you too, Tidus, now that you can carry the Fayth. I'll help you in the fight against Yunalesca. After she is gone, only Sin and your father will remain to be dealt with." The boy said. Tidus nodded in acceptance.

"I understand. Let's see what we can do, after all." He said. The boy nodded, and then suddenly the vision vanished, and he found himself standing before the rock wall again. Paine was speaking to him and her hand rested on his shoulder.

"Are you alright? Tidus, talk to me!" She implored him.

"I'm fine. What happened?" He asked.

"You went into a trance, and you wouldn't answer me…" Paine said.

"I'm alright now." He assured her.

"What were you doing?" She asked.

"Just picking up another traveller." Tidus answered, and he turned and continued striding along the path. Paine followed after him in bewilderment.

They continued on their journey for many miles, until they finally exited the mountain passes and came to a ledge overlooking the dusty, dilapidated ruins of Zanarkand. Tidus stood there for a moment, observing the grim reality of his home's abandoned, haunted shell. They carried on down to the lonely road that led further into the ruins, and walked on the stone path in the middle of the sea. The long road finally brought them to the ruined coliseum of Zanarkand.

"What's in there?" Paine asked him.

"Lady Yunalesca, and the Final Fayth." Tidus replied. They continued up the steps and into the ruins, and suddenly they found themselves in a dim realm flooded with pyreflies and living memories. As they walked along the precipices of the trodden path, suddenly they beheld the apparitions of Braska, Jecht and Auron, running along the way in front of them.

"What was that?" Paine asked him in surprise.

"The last pilgrimage… my father, Yuna's father, and Auron." He answered. They continued, watching the apparitions replay the final steps of their pilgrimage, and the choice they had made to pay the ultimate sacrifice. Tidus and Paine found the long exhausted Fayth of Lord Zaon, and both Yojimbo and the boy-Fayth urged Tidus to continue on into the next chamber. There they saw her, the white-haired witch, Lady Yunalesca. She turned to them with her red-eyed gaze and spoke, lifelessly, as if she were nothing but a recording.

"Welcome to Zanarkand, brave pilgrims. Do not fear, for you shall receive that which you seek! The Final Aeon shall be yours at last, and the defeat of Sin awaits you! Come along, and I shall grant you the gift of the Final Fayth!" She said, beckoning them onward as she ascended the steps to her chamber and disappeared.

"What was she talking about? Didn't she see us? Couldn't she tell that we're not summoners?" Paine asked him in shock.

"She can tell that you are embodying the Fayth… but she is not the most perceptive being anymore. She is a very degenerated ghost, a very corrupted memory. Almost a fiend, in fact." Yojimbo warned him.

"There's nothing human left in her… she's just a ghost, keeping to her old haunts." Tidus gave his answer to Paine. They started toward the steps, and then suddenly they beheld the apparitions of Braska, Jecht and Auron, one last time. They saw the final argument between them, and how Auron tried desperately to dissuade them. Tidus beheld his father's last wishes then, and his decision to follow through with the pilgrimage. His heart trembled, and he did not know what to make of it. Yojimbo spoke to him with encouragement.

"Leave the past for now; that account will be settled soon. For now, we must dispatch the witch." He prompted Tidus. Paine spoke to him in a soft and gentle voice.

"Tidus… I'm sorry about what happened to your father. I know it hurts…" She said.

"Thank you... Now you understand, why I have to release him. I have to finish what he started; the end of Sin." He said to her. Tidus tightened his grip on his spear, and he walked up the steps.

As they arrived on the platform, standing high under the stars, they saw the Lady turn to face them. She had a disconcerting smile on her face, and spoke with her oblivious, unwavering voice.

"Come closer, child, you and your companion. Now it is time for you to receive the Final Fayth." She said, stretching her arms and open hands out to them. Tidus shook his head.

"That's not why we've come. We're here to put an end to the cycle of Sin, forever." Tidus said to her. Lady Yunalesca paused for a long moment, and finally cocked her head to one side, as if she was actually aware of him for the first time.

"What you propose is… odd. In fact, blasphemous. There can be no end to Sin, poor child. Sin is eternal." She said to him.

"There will be an end to Sin, and there will be and end to you." Tidus said firmly. Lady Yunalesca turned a severe glare upon him from her fiery red eyes, but then abruptly she laughed with a high-pitched, almost devilish cackle.

"You could never defeat me alone, child. But fear not… I shall relieve you of your delusions!" She said, and then suddenly the stone floor shook, and her long wispy white hair began to multiply and writhe into the shape of fearsome serpents. The floor cracked open, and under her feet a giant Medusa head raised up, lifting her high in the air. The snakes surrounding this green, demonic head were whipping about viciously and baring their long fangs.

"I'll give you a Fayth to pray to, in your despair! Hahaha!" Lady Yunalesca declared with a wicked laugh, and she pointed her long-nailed finger at Paine. Then suddenly the Medusa turned its eyes upon Paine, and a flashing beam shot forth and fell upon her before she could move. Instantly Paine was turned to stone. Tidus screamed in terror-stricken agony. He ran to the statue and embraced it, but it would not move. He sank to the floor at the feet of the statue, and wept with unsurmountable sorrow. In his head he suddenly heard an overpowering voice, that of Yojimbo.

"She's not dead! You fight for her freedom now, as well as ours! Stand up, boy! Defend yourself!" The old warrior spirit commanded him. Tidus steeled himself then, feeling the fire of the Aeons burning within him, and he rose to his feet, standing face-to-face with Paine's statue. He heard Yunalesca laughing again from behind him.

"Are you so obstinate now, little boy? Perhaps you'll accept the truth now that you are alone…" She taunted him.

"I'm not alone!" Tidus roared fiercely. He turned to face her, and his figure glowed with an intense magical light. Yunalesca regarded him differently then, and she pointed her finger to direct the Medusa's gaze upon him next. Tidus tossed up his spear and caught it as the point aimed forward, and then he hurled it. The spearhead flew into the left eye of the Medusa, blinding it, spurting black blood everywhere as the creature screeched in torment and recoiled backward. The snake heads coiled around the Medusa protectively, and tore out the spear, but her eye was ruined and remained shut, seeping out black blood from both corners. Lady Yunalesca shouted in fury at him.

"You'll suffer for that, you fool!" She cried. Tidus unsheathed his sword then and held it high, and the aura around him shone like a sun and shot two horizontal beams out from it, to his left and his right. Portals opened up there, and both Yojimbo and Bahamut manifested from them, stepping onto the battleground in their full glory and battle array. Yunalesca made a mocking jeer at him.

"I am far beyond an Aeon! I make Aeons and I can destroy them. Do you really think you can use them to defeat me!?" She cried.

"You're about to find out!" Tidus said, and then he lunged forward, bearing down upon her with his saber, while Yojimbo and Daigoro charged with him to the left, and Bahamut surged forth from his right. The battle that followed shook the whole coliseum, and changed forever the fate of Spira.