Disclaimer: So I was having this discussion with the people at Square Enix and I'm all like, "I want some of that there profit." And they looked at me and for a while it seemed like they were considering it, then they said, "Who are you?"

Last Time: Seymour is good and dead and got to see mommy before he died. How sweet.

A/N: The long awaited 1st battle with Sin has arrived.

Chapter 14

Yuna blinked a few times trying to come to grips with where she was. She was surrounded by water. Dying and destroyed buildings around her. If she stared far enough into the distance she was met by fog, and an endless nothingness, it was empty here. No sound, no animals, only death and decay surrounded her.

She looked up and found that every one was scattered around her, in various states of health. Behind her she saw that Nooj was not in any position to move and neither was Lulu, both Auron and Rikku were hurt as well. Their bodies scarred by the fight with Seymour. Which, Yuna figured was just what Yu Yevon wanted, to wear them out before they got to him, before she got to him. However, Yuna was stronger now, just like Yevon was and knew that she was going to give him and Yevon, and even Tidus a run for their money. She picked herself up and walked to where Rikku and Auron were; her hand glowed with a white light and she saw both of them blink a few times. Rikku looked at her, "Where are we?"

Skirt flowing as her feet moved, one in front of the other Yuan moved over to where both Nooj and Lulu were she healed them both as well, "I don't know. Outside the temple somewhere I guess."

She didn't like it; it was too quite and peaceful. Just like when Seymour had appeared. And something was different about this, place that they were in, it seemed confused. It was an odd word, but that's what the place felt like, confusion. She looked around, "Where's Paine?"

"I'm here."

Behind her Paine was leaning on one of the pillars and looking, for all the world to see, as if she hadn't even been touched or even in a fight. Even though Yuna knew that the last time she had seen Paine the woman had been scrapped and hurt. Paine glanced around at where they were, "I'm guessing that this is the netherworld."

A bizarre look of bewilderment and something a kin to being startled passed over everyone's features. Everyone but Auron's. He knew this place, had visited it many times in his dreams. And the quiet was something that he welcomed, it felt how he supposed the Farplane should feel and he didn't question the joy that came with being there. Lulu sat up in Nooj's lap, "The what?"

"The netherworld. It's the realm between the dream world of the fayth and our world. Not many people come here, or can come here. "

"I've been here once."

Tidus's voice felt good to hear, but it felt faint as if he was dying. And Yuna closed her eyes, he was dying. Sin was taking over, consuming him and she knew that soon the man she set out to save wouldn't exist. And it scared her as she supposed it should. Her eyes opened and the glistened with unshed tears, "He's dying."

Paine looked at her, "I know. The stronger Sin get's the stronger my connection, he's been dying for a while, I didn't know how to tell you."

It was fathoms beyond sad; she could feel it now that she knew the taste of it. Like honeydew, rotting away. It was as if her body was being ripped apart bit by bit. Like having no more control over what was happening to you, your body no longer your own. Rikku looked up at Paine, "Why are we here?"

"Protection."

The sound of Auron huffing made Paine turn to look at him, his brow crinkled and his eyes looked at her as if reading her, or trying too without much success, her mind was clouded and closed off for anyone to read. Even with his connection to this world he could detect nothing, "You're hiding something."

Red eye flashing Paine looked him dead in the eyes and a cold wind swept through him, "We all hide something. It is as much a part of human nature as is breathing."

Behind her Yuna sighed and turned her eyes down at the ground below her, realizing that arguments and conflict were not what she needed right now Paine bit her lip and stopped, she had said enough. Now was not the time for her anger to get the better of her, if she hurt Auron or did anything to anger him there was no chance that Yuna would choose her side. Auron had been there first, and would remain there first, "I'm sorry." Auron spoke before she could.

"No, don't apologize; I don't fault you for anything."

She was lying but right now she assumed that they all were, lying to themselves and those around them, "I don't know how long this going to last." Paine gestured to the world around them, "We should rest while we have the chance."

Nooj had remained silent the entire time and spoke now feeling it was time to voice his options, "Speaking of rest, how is it that you seem to not need any?"

Silence filled the space where they all were and Paine struggled to find the words to explain what had happened, simple truth was best she decided, she had deceived them enough for one day, "In this place, I need no healing. But when this fog clears, I will be weak again."

It was then that Yuna noticed the potion that Paine held in her hand, to drink she realized when the fog cleared. There would be little precious time, no time she rationalized, and that was something they needed. Auron seemed to look at the sky, "The fog is lifting."

"No, we have minutes left, rest I will wake you when the time comes."

Yuna didn't complain. She slumped down on the cold stone of the structure they had found themselves on and leaned her head against the pillar behind her.

"Are you there Yuna?"

"Tidus?"

"Yes."

"This is a dream isn't it?"

"I've come to say goodbye."

The darkness she had found herself in started to disappear and she found herself in a field, surrounded by flowers. The colors surprised her; it had been so long since she had seen things this beautiful. Across the way she could see a figure, and when it came close she let out a gasp, "Tidus!"

She race forward and traced his features, she had forgotten what he looked like. She knew his voice, his mannerisms, but his face had faded from her memory. It was a sweet dream, "Yuna."

His voice was soft when he spoke, and she leaned against his chest. Her hands came away bloody, she looked down at them and then at him her face a mask of confusion and worry, "You're bleeding."

"Not bleeding."

"Why are you bleeding?"

"I'm not."

She looked at her hands again, they were clean. The lines that a woman had said could tell her future: love, death, rebirth, and sorrow although she couldn't tell the order, were laid out for here to see, a map of the stars. She looked up at him, "Then what's wrong with you?"

"I'm dying."

Yuna shook her head, she had lost him once, she wouldn't lose him again, not in this paradise, not when they had just found each other, she wouldn't let it happen, "No, let's stay here. Together, just the two of us."

"We can't do that, the others need you."

"Well I need you! I want to help."

"I know."

And then he kissed her, in the field of flowers glowing red, blue, purple, and pink. And it was if time hadn't passed since they had last seen each other, since he had last looked at her, 'I love you' and 'I know, I love you too.' Now they were just words, and now only actions were what guided them. The flowers swayed in the breeze music from a far off place and the ground beneath them shifted to the floor of the temple of Yunalesca. They had come full circle, she would not cry this time though, for things had made her stronger than she should be. Finally he pulled away and looked down into her eyes and at the steps, "It begun here."

She looked at him her face hardened with resolve, "I know."

"End it."

"I will."

Her hands were bloody again, she could feel them dripping down onto the floor. She had killed him once here, and she would kill him again. She loved him, he loved her, there was nothing more to be said. He was her pain, her everything, she was his light, his joy. This is what the connection had brought about, this complete love. This knowledge, "There is nothing more to say."

The garden appeared once more and their hands fell away from each other the sky darkened. Tidus's form started to shimmer blue, "There is only goodbye."

As she spoke he shook his head, "No, not even goodbye. I felt goodbye the moment I truly died. This second death, it is nothing."

"It's the beginning, it is the ending. I love you."

He said nothing. The world faded away and he sent her one last message as the voice that she had held dear in her mind went dead, "I am Sin, I am here."

And she was only left with the memories of ghosts.

Paine shook Yuna awake, and she looked up at the sky where the fog was clearing. The silence in head told her all that she had already known. Tidus was faded. Sin in his place, she vaguely wondered if Yu Yevon would speak to her now, but the connection still remained dead, pieces of it rambling around her head. And as it did so the fog lifted and the city of Zanarkand sparkled in front of her. Sin's body wrapped around one of the spires looking at her with empty eyes, "Is it time?"

Paine nodded, "He held my father off for as long as he could."

Beside them Auron held on to Rikku tightly and she held on to him. But that was not what Yuna noticed, it was the spark of life that flared in every ones eyes, they had waited, and now it was here. Yuna raised her staff and a hail of snow came from the sky, Shiva descended and flew at Sin. The beast only waited and then one of the tentacles that had ripped open the top of the temple snaked towards her. Shiva deftly dodged and sent a crystal shard of ice down upon the head of Sin. It merely flinched and reached out at her once again, capturing her and squeezing. Yuna felt her pain and called her back, the Aeon disappeared and Sin was unmoving again, "Aeon's aren't any good right now."

Paine looked at Yuna, "I could have told you that."

Beside her the unnoticed Baralai twitched and his eyes opened, "Is that Sin?"

A nod in his direction from Lulu told him all that he needed to know, yet she felt like confirming his thoughts, "It is."

"We're doomed."

Glaring at him Paine stared at him hard and caused him to shiver, "You could help."

"How?"

Anger filled Rikku and for a second they got a reaction that was pure new Rikku, "Why don't I show you?"

A white light surrounded her and when it cleared she was once again in her battle suit. And she began to fight, firing missile after missile at it. Then her machine threw on thrusters she didn't even know that it had and flew up at the large creature. Paine looked down smugly at Baralai, "I think I shall follow Rikku's example."

And her body too changed into her dressphear. Flying at the large body that was in front of her. The two girls surrounded it, the swords on Paine's and the bullets that Rikku's stored flying at the creature. And finally, after waiting, it struck.

A tentacle violently spewed thousands of beams and balls of energy at the two of them. Before the one directed at Rikku could hit it was directed away by a tornado. On the ground Auron stood his sword behind him, he looked up at Rikku, "Don't die. You have a promise to keep."

A ball of energy was sent at Auron which Rikku blocked with a well placed bullet, "Same goes."

And Auron joined the fray, attacking the bottom of the creature while Paine and Rikku went at the head. From behind its head on a cone like body wings started to unfurl, each also boasting there own deadly arsenal. Lulu felt Nooj squeeze her hand, and at that moment she knew that just maybe things would be okay, and also that she would never allow any one to do that to her again, maybe. She drew his eyes to her and a quiet message was exchanged, she moved her head up down, "Right or left?"

"Right."

And they were off, Lulu sent two bolts of thunder at the left wing and Nooj took out a gun that he had been concealing since their meeting and fired six quick shots at the right. Above them Paine had to dodge to avoid being pelted with thousands of energy balls. And Baralai continued to stare at the battle eyes wide, "You're not doing anything, it's not helping. Why fight?"

Looking up at the giant monster that was breathing down their throats Yuna thought about his question, why did they fight? Paine, the warrior that kept secrets, who's past had killed many, Auron, the dead who could no longer return to where he truly belonged, Lulu, a woman who's love had betrayed many, Rikku, a girl who had damned her loved one, Nooj who's body had been destroyed by the man in front of her, and herself, who had lost the one she loved, who had to kill the one she loved, she turned so she look at Baralai, "We fight because there is nothing left to fight for, we fight because we love, because in the end every one wants peace, even if it costs us everything."

Baralai looked shocked, as if no one had told him to fight for himself. It was a foreign concept, he had always fought for what people had told him was the truth. The government had said that the Al Bhed were wrong, that every thing happened for a reason. Death was the cycle that they lived in, Seymour had told him this, Kinoc had told him this, most importantly Mika had told him this. They were dead and he was all that was left of a dying life, he would fight one his own terms now, "I think I understand."

"So?"

Baralai took out his sword, "I'm in."

And he joined Auron on the ground. His circular blade bit into the bottom of Sin and Auron looked at his partner, "Welcome."

Yuna turned and looked back at Sin, they weren't enough she realized as both Rikku and Paine cried out in pain. They seemed to hover as they fell and for a second she was afraid that they were going to fall, hit the ground and die. But they didn't, a flash of red and they were safely on the top of a large airship, the voice out of the ship was pure Cid, "I though you might have problems" and then, "Fire!"

The ship fired twice. And Yuna summoned Valefor and climbed on letting the Aeon fly her up to where Rikku and Paine both lay injured. She cast two quick curagas and then spoke to Cid using the com system she knew was hidden some place on the deck, "I told you not to come."

"You needed the help and we're here now."

She wasn't going to argue there was no point in it. Both Rikku and Paine stood back up and looked at Yuna, "The head is almost finished."

Below them two explosions and a "Watch out!" from Lulu and Nooj was heard as the wings of Sin came crashing to the ground. Throwing stones at both Auron and Baralai, who had to protect themselves from the shrapnel. Sin took their distraction to send two beams at them and both hit their marks. She watched as both Lulu and Nooj ran to the two downed people and took out potions, "Let's finish this and then rip this thing an entry way. Uncle, get ready to fire at it on my mark."

"Roger."

Rikku, Paine, and Yuna rose up in the air. Below Baralai and Auron stood up cured of their wounds and charged the bottom of Sin. At the same time as they charged Rikku's machine let out a barrage of bullets. Auron hit his mark the same time the bullets hit and Sin groaned in protest of the attack. Then the swords of Paine's outfit started to swirl over and around her and fly at the head, Baralai hit the bottom and the thing there exploded as Sin's mouth opened all the way. A black light started to pour from its mouth. Paine's swords hit and then she looked at Yuna, "Now!"

From inside the ship Cid watched and spoke into the com, "Any time now would be good Yuna." He was worried that black light would kill them, no doubt about it and he was not ready to die. Home still had to be rebuilt, he had people he loved. He would not be defeated here.

The large bird like Aeon that Yuna was on started to fly up and she swirled her head her symbol appearing before it even as the black light begun to flash signaling the beginning of her attack. It was now a contest to see who could finish first. Rays of light came from her Aeon flying into the disk in front of her body. The two attacks meet inside the darkness and everyone on the ground looked up at where Yuna was, hoping, praying that she was not dead. An explosion and a blast of fire from the top of the darkness and Valefor came hurling from the darkness, pyrfiles surrounding her body and for a second Rikku thought that Yuna was dead. Until she saw the girl clinging to Valefor, the darkness disappeared and the head was beaten thoroughly enough that all attacks had stopped, "Fire."

The ship let out a moan as two final beams shot at Sin and it was forced to open its gaping mouth. And it stood still, Rikku moved to pick up Nooj and Lulu as Paine moved down to help up Auron. Valefor flew down to Baralai and although a little frightened Baralai joined Yuna, she looked at him, "She's not going to hurt you."

"How do you know it's a girl?"

"I can feel it. She lets me feel it."

As they rose Yuna spoke to the ship, "Now go, you are of no more help."

Something that sound akin to a grunt came from the ship's com and then a sigh, "Okay, just come back alive you here?"

Yuna nodded even though she knew that Cid couldn't see her, "Okay, I'll try my best."

A blast of sound came from the ship, "You better," his next comment wasn't directed at her, "And you protect her you hear? My daughter disappears it's on your head."

Auron only huffed, "She has a promise to keep to me, and I her. We won't be dying anytime soon."

Valefor reached Rikku and Paine and Yuna looked at Sin and felt the force they had inflicted upon it tug at her heart strings, even though he was dead she still felt as if she had hurt Tidus. Paine saw her fear and turned to her, "He's dead. It's not him. Inside he still lives, but that… that part of him doesn't."

Yuna nodded, "I know."

Valefor moved to the mouth and as they all entered the city that they saw caused them to gasp, the lights blinding them. There in front of them lay a platform in the center of the city and behind it a burring Y stood, looming over the city. And suddenly the connection Yuna had with Tidus was alive and more vibrant than it had ever been, Yu Yevon was here, and as they came closer to the platform she noticed, so was Tidus, the other person Yuna could not have foreseen no matter how hard she tired. On Rikku's machine Lulu held onto Nooj's hand harder than she had ever held on to a person's hand in her life, "Wakka."

It was time.

A/N: Okay so it's not really time because you're going to have to wait one for the next chapter. And yay! Longest chapter yet. Which is good, because I need the length. AND IF YOU READ THIS DARN IT TAKE THE ADVICE IT GIVES YOU AND REVIEW… puff… puff… sorry.