Hi everyone! Here we go! Battle at Baaj. Don't have much to say about this chapter...Hope the action scenes are exciting for you, Tidus gets his moment to be a hero..twice! :D I used a couple of songs for quotes so I wanted to credit those.
This Will Be The Day-Mounteoum, RWBY Series.
Goodbye Love-Rent
Yuna lay trembling on the stone floor, her most recent lashing having left her with barely enough strength to lift her head. Seymour stood over her, whip still in hand, studying her with a ravenous expression. Dark spots danced in front of her eyes as she struggled to fill her heaving lungs with quick, ragged gasps. She had been refused any water to quench her growing thirst and at this point her mouth and throat felt as dry as the Bikanel desert.
"You are quite an impressive specimen, my dear. I've always believed you to be one my most durable assets…as well as my most stubborn," Seymour sneered, kneeling to look her in the eye. "I wonder how much longer you will continue to resist me. Consider this, Yuna. My resources are unlimited, while you are alone and completely within my control."
Yuna closed her eyes, pressing her cheek against the cold floor; wondering briefly if she should continue to fight any longer. Was there any point to her resistance? Perhaps if she just let go she would find peace. She would be reunited with her father in the Farplane. Maybe, he would forgive her for what she had done to him. If she could just let go. Let go….But something inside of her refused to die. She would not lose herself to the hands of Seymour.
"I will break your mind and spirit," Seymour continued, his tone becoming ominous. "And when you've nothing left within you, I will heal your body and finally create a creature capable of absolute destruction."
"I-won't-"Yuna's weak rebellion was cut short as Seymour's hand came flying towards her face. The impact made her see stars and the warm, coppery taste of blood flooded her mouth.
"You will not speak unless I order you to do so," he said darkly.
She let her head rest on the stone floor once again, the brief spark of insurrection that had flared within her quickly beginning to diminish.
"Well then," Seymour said calmly, standing and curling the whip around his arm. "Let us see what a few more hours of dehydration and blood loss do to sway your allegiance."
With that, he cast another darkness spell and left the tiny cell, slamming the door behind him. Yuna lay utterly still, feeling her fluttering heartbeat weaken with every passing moment. In spite of her absurd desire to fight and survive, her body seemed to have other plans. Death was near. She had two options, give in to Seymour and live as his murderous puppet for the rest of her days, or die now and escape to whatever punishments the afterlife had in store for her. Neither option seemed very desirable. The pain in her back flared suddenly and before she could decide which path to take, she had fallen into unconsciousness once again.
"They see you as small and helpless
They see you as just a child
Surprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild"
"Baaj Temple won't be difficult to get to with the aid of the Al Bhed airships," Kaemon explained as he, Tidus and Gippal flew back to Bikanel Island as quickly as their aircraft would take them. The former assassin had insisted on accompanying them on their mission to storm Baaj temple in spite of the fact that Gippal assured him they would have no trouble finding the place with the radars equipped on the airships. Rahnan had been reluctant to let his son leave at first, but after Kaemon had vowed to take revenge on Seymour for the murder of his mother and brother, Rahnan seemed a bit more compliant. Nevertheless, before the trio could leave, he pulled Tidus aside and insisted that he promise to bring Kaemon back alive and unharmed. Unable to do anything other than agree timidly, Tidus realized that there was no way he could possibly ensure the survival of any one who joined them on this mission. He was sure Rahnan knew that too, having been a part of Seymour's forces once long ago, but it obviously brought him some piece of mind to know that someone was watching out for his only living son. As soon as they were in the air again, the stratagem session had begun.
"The problem will be Seymour's defenses. He keeps patrols on the outer walls at all times and he has a few heavy, anti-aircraft machina. If we can manage to take his mortars out before he destroys the majority of our airships then we have a great chance of getting inside…However, from there you're going to need a lot of very experienced field soldiers to face off against his men. If we're going to invade a military base filled with the most deadly warriors in Spira, then we're going to need more than just steel and muscle."
"That's fine with me," Gippal replied smugly. "We Al Bhed are masters of machina, explosives, and fighting dirty. We'll wipe out his army before we even land on the temple grounds!"
Kaemon smiled ruefully, "I admire your confidence…But it's really not going to be that easy. Seymour's also a master spellcaster and summoner. For all we know he could've imbued his soldiers with defenses we won't even be able to see."
"So, we'll need something to deflect magic attacks?" Tidus asked.
"It would be the safest bet," Kaemon replied, shrugging his shoulders. Gippal frowned thoughtfully. "Hey, Gippal? Exactly how big is the Al Bhed airfleet, anyway?" Tidus probed, breaking the Al Bhed from his reverie.
"We've got 25 battle-ready airships total, each one with a crew of five well-trained Al Bhed warriors. We also have a few single passenger airpods, but they can't do much more than fire single-barreled energy cannons; they look flashy but they're not as powerful as the battleships."
Kaemon's face had turned paler than usual, "We have the advantage in numbers… that is if Seymour's forces haven't grown since I escaped….But, I'm not so sure that we'll succeed if all we have to rely on are the airships."
"Whaddya mean?!" Gippal cried. "Like I said, with the pilots we've got, we won't have to worry about any of Seymour's men by the time we land!"
"Nevertheless," Kaemon continued. "I think it would be best if we have an attack plan for once we have to fight on foot."
"Alright," Gippal finally agreed. "Once we're back in Bikanel we'll figure something out."
Tidus gazed absently out the airship's front window. He and an army of outcast strangers were about to attempt a practical suicide mission to save a woman who had a criminal past and stop the evil plans of her captor in order to save a country that would view the Al Bhed with unjustified prejudice no matter what they did. The ridiculousness of it all made him feel slightly ill. Nevertheless, he was grateful for the Al Bhed's support. If not for them, he and Yuna would have certainly died long ago. Or perhaps it was too late by now and their deadly mission would be in vein. What if Seymour had already disposed of Yuna?
No, Tidus thought immediately. He wouldn't have gone through such trouble to capture her if he was just gonna kill her the second he got his hands on her.
Still, the thought made him cringe. If she wasn't dead, then what was he doing to her right now? Would she still be Yuna when he found her again? If he found her again?
Tidus thoughts tormented him for the duration of the flight. By the time they finally reached Bikanel Island, Brother and Rikku had assembled what was left of the Al Bhed army, which was significantly smaller and less battle-ready than Gippal had led them to believe thanks to Seymour's raid. No ships had been destroyed by the battle, but many foot soldiers had been wounded, decreasing the amount of available airman left to pilot them. After a quick conversation with Brother, Gippal reconvened with Tidus and Kaemon to report their status.
"A lot of my men are still healing in the infirmary, so we won't be able to take as many airships with us. We've got about ninety fighters, down from our usual one-hundred and twenty five…But, the warriors we do have are all great pilots, so I still think we're in a good position."
"So, you still have twenty-five airships, but fewer men…So, five to a ship means that we can only take…eighteen airships?" Kaemon quickly did the arithmetic.
"Yeah," Gippal said quietly. Kaemon's jaw clenched nervously, but he said nothing more. Tidus looked around at the crowd that Brother had assembled for them. Along with the sullen looking airmen, there was a large crowd of battered civilians gathered as well; men, women and young children surrounded them, every single one appearing fearful and tense. The once confident race of independent people had been shaken to their core and suddenly it wasn't the number of airships they had that worried Tidus, it was the fact that their only army seemed too damaged to retaliate.
Suddenly Gippal clapped Tidus shoulder, raising his voice to address the assembled crowd, "Mecdah du sa! Drec syh ec hysat Tidus. Ra ec dra uha fru femm mayt ic ehdu pyddma fedr dra ahaso. Oui femm upao rec untanc yc famm yc seha. (Listen to me! This man is Tidus. He is a friend of the Al Bhed and a victim of Seymour. He is the one who will lead us into battle with the enemy. You will obey his orders as you would mine.)"
Turning to face Tidus he said, "The floor is yours."
"Wait, what?!" Tidus balked. "What do you mean? What do you want me to say? I don't even speak Al Bhed!"
"I'll translate….Listen, this operation was your idea, Ti. If you want them to follow you into battle, you're gonna have to earn their loyalty. Go on," he gave Tidus a small shove. "Inspire them."
Tidus suddenly felt the pressure of dozens of eyes boring into him. He swallowed dryly, all of the moisture in his mouth seeming to have migrated to his palms and forehead as he struggled to find the words that would motivate an entire nation.
"Uh….Hello…." A long pause, so poignant one could hear the breeze rushing through the ruined city. "My name is Tidus. I'm um…well I've never exactly done this sort of thing…Uhh..You all…that is…I…"
He stopped speaking, dropping his chin and shaking his head furiously to clear it. Looking up at the confused crowd he tried again, "I think I want to start by asking for your forgiveness. For a long time I've been running from Seymour. But I've been careless and selfish, leading him directly to the people he wants to destroy. It's my fault he came to your city. It's my fault that your Home is now in ruins."
Truthfully, the fault for Seymour's attack rested on Yuna's shoulders, but he avoided that fact for worry that it would dissuade the army from attempting to rescue her. If he focused their justified anger on himself, he had a better chance of convincing them to fight for justice. Vaguely, he heard Gippal's voice echoing behind him in Al Bhed, but his mind was already racing with all of the words that had suddenly bubbled to the surface. His admission indeed succeeded in drawing some irritable murmurs from within the crowd, but it did not stop him from continuing.
"But even if I hadn't been the one to lead Seymour here, I know that eventually he would've come to destroy Bikanel on his own. I can't make up for your city being wrecked, but I can help you and the people you love bring justice down on a man who thinks he can control the free people of Spira!"
He had their attention now, a few of the more sullen men had brightened considerably and were whispering amongst themselves as he continued. Many of the warriors began to shout heatedly, but Tidus wasn't quite sure if they were expressing anger towards Seymour of himself. Either way, he was admittedly a little impressed with himself; the words came from his mouth, but he hadn't realized until this moment that they had existed within him at all.
"The Al Bhed have been scorned by the rest of Spira for generations. But how could anyone deny your bravery, skill, and loyalty if you become the heroes that save Spira from the cruelty of a madman like Seymour?"
Loud cries rose from the crowd. Tidus looked back at Gippal and saw him nod encouragingly. Returning to address the crowd, he allowed all of the rage and distress he had experienced throughout his entire journey leak into his voice, guiding his enthusiasm and filling him with an unexpected and wild spirit.
"The Al Bhed are proud and powerful people! You are Spira's most advanced society and you deserve more than a city in ruins and a clinic filled with innocent people. Let's show Seymour that he can take lives and cities. He can take prisoners and he can crawl back to his hidden temple. But he's not going to get away from us without a fight!"
The crowd roared their approval and Gippal finally stepped forward, clapping Tidus on the shoulder approvingly. He then began to address the crowd, assumingly organizing volunteers, for as he spoke a few men and women raised their fists and came to stand before him in groups. Tidus allowed himself to melt into the background, surprisingly calm in spite of the adrenaline rushing through him. Rikku appeared next to him and smiled encouragingly, "You sounded like a leader back there, ya know?"
"Thanks."
He smiled gratefully when Rikku reached up and squeezed his arm comfortingly, "We're going rescue her…We're going to defeat Seymour."
"Yeah," he agreed nodding tersely; the mention of Yuna had made his stomach flip sickeningly.
Gippal finished speaking with the airmen and came to join them, followed by Kaemon and an exuberant looking Brother.
"Alright, we've got our army. Rikku, did the armory have everything we needed?"
"Nope. But I tinkered with a little of this and a little of that and put some stuff together for you," she grinned, stretching her arms out and flexing her palms smugly.
"That's my girl," he said mussing her hair and earning an irritable frown. "Alright everyone, I've got a plan for the assault, before we gear up and inform the men, let's put our heads together and work out the details, ok?"
The group nodded, assembling themselves in a loose circle and ducking their heads close together, "So, here's the plan-"
"Prepare for your greatest moment, prepare for your finest hour
The dream that you've always dreamed
Is suddenly about to flower…"
The fleet set off by nightfall. Tidus had been put in charge of Squad 3; the collection of foot soldiers that would lead the initial charge once Squad 1 had taken out the majority of the temple's defenses with the airship bombs. As the fleet of ships soared over the dark water, Tidus caught the brilliant lights of Zanarkand in the distance, glowing like a star in the middle of the ocean. Nostalgia gripped his heart and for a moment he wanted nothing more than to return to the estranged life he had known in the city that never slept. Shaking his head, he reminded himself of his current mission; nothing was more important right now than rescuing Yuna; and even if he did have the chance to return to Zanarkand someday, he didn't think he would take it. Besaid had been more of a home to him in a few short months than Zanarkand had been in nineteen years.
"We're closing in on the temple's coordinates," Gippal's voice said over the intercom. "Squad 1 prepare for the initial sweep."
A chorus of Al Bhed affirmations also came through the airship's radio, sending a blast of static into Tidus ears. He looked out of the cockpit window to see the shadowy figure of a ruined temple rising out of the ocean. Sinister enough to be the base of a murderous syndicate of assassins? Check.
Kaemon had been right about the level of security. Through the darkness, he could see a myriad of warriors patrolling the temple palisades and central courtyard. Gippal's orders came loud and clear and before Tidus could react, Squad 1's airships shot forward, the grenades they loosed whistling loudly before careening into the temple walls and lighting up the night with brilliant flashes of white. Bodies of the assassins flew from the walls and into the water below. Rubble exploded into the sky, raining down on the men in the courtyard, flattening many of them. It was grotesque, but Tidus couldn't quench the small thrill of victory that ran through him. As the first Squad continued to barrage the temple, Tidus saw the assassin's beginning to return fire with an antiaircraft gun of their own. Before any action could be taken, one of their missiles connected with an Al Bhed airship and Tidus watched in horror as it exploded upon colliding with the ocean. Five men lost in the blink of an eye. Squad 1 quickly reconvened, circling around the temple and aiming all of their firepower at the mortar that had destroyed their comrade. It blew apart easily, damaging more of the temple and the assassins that surrounded it.
"Squad 3! Go!"
Signaling to his squad, Tidus set his airship down in the now chaotic courtyard. He and his men had only a few moments of peace after landing, before a new flood of assassins made rushed them from within the bowels of the temple, shouting war cries as they drew their weapons. As Tidus clashed with the nearest warrior, he noticed that a small number of them stood back, beginning to chant and wave their arms about, sending waves of magic towards the Al Bhed soldiers. Tidus smirked as he watched the spells being absorbed by the tiny devices hung on their belts that Rikku had created to deflect magic attacks, as per Kaemon's advice. Obviously stunned, a few of the assassins were taken down easily by the Al Bhed's blaster guns while they stood trying to understand why their magic attacks had failed.
Tidus knocked aside one warrior who came at him with a long, flashing blade. Leaping over him and using his airborne momentum to land heavily on another assassin who had intended on cornering one of the Al Bhed.
Gippal's Squad 2 had landed by now and the courtyard was filled with gunfire and screams. The Al Bhed had the advantage of surprise and machinery, but many of the assassins were still skilled enough to heavily wound many of men. Tidus heard Gippal shout an order in Al Bhed and watched as a small group of five ducked away from the battle, heading towards the outer edges of the temple.
"Gippal? What's going on?" he shouted while blocking a swipe from an assassin and blowing him aside with the blaster gun Gippal had loaned him.
"Don't worry about it. Grab Kaemon and let's find Yuna!"
Finding the brown-haired warrior grappling with two other assassins, Gippal and Tidus helped subdue them before battling their way into the main entrance of the temple. Once inside, there were only a few assassins left who attempted to block their path and between the three of them, it was hardly a challenge subdue anyone who opposed them. The hallways of the temple twisted and turned and eventually the three found themselves lost within the bowels of the ruins.
"Where the hell would he keep her? Are there dungeons in here?" Gippal shouted.
"On the lower levels," Kaemon responded. "But I don't think he'd take Yuna there. Wouldn't it be more feasible for him to take her to his own quarters?"
Tidus felt sickened at the thought.
"Well should we split up and find out?" Gippal suggested.
"No, that's too dangerous. We've got a better chance of surviving if we stick together."
"Then what do we do, dammnit?!" Tidus shouted, getting angry. "She's waiting for us, we've got to make a decision!"
"Alright!" Kaemon shouted. "We'll start with the lower levels, follow me!"
The pelted into the darkness, running down seemingly endless staircases and around tight, twisting hallways.
"This place is a nightmare…" Gippal muttered as they ran. After what seemed like an eternity, they came upon a long, empty hallway with a single, wooden door set into the wall at the other end.
"Through there," Kaemon said, pointing. "The dungeons, if you will, are where Seymour keeps his victims for interrogation."
Tidus pelted forward, only to be stopped as the floor in front of him opened up like a portal, waves of black and red swirling around and around as a figure began to rise from within.
Jumping back, Tidus watched in horror as a large, scaly creature appeared from within the darkness. It had long, sharp teeth and one visible, piercing red eye. Its limbs were bound across its chest with heavy chains and its piercing scream filled the hall as the single large, red eye began to glow brightly.
"Move!" Gippal shouted. The three of them turned and ducked behind the corner of the hall as an explosion emanated from the monster's eye, decimating the stone floor where they had stood moments before.
"Holy shit, what is that?" Gippal asked panting heavily.
"Anima," Kaemon muttered darkly. "I'm such an idiot….Of course Seymour would call her now."
"What's an Anima?" Tidus asked, peeking around the corner to see the creature still standing in their way.
"Seymour's Aeon. A dark being made of powerful magic."
"Can we beat it with our machina?" Gippal asked.
"Feasibly, yes. But it won't be easy. Its attack is quick and devastating. If one of us is hit with that beam…that's it."
"So, we take out the eye?" Tidus suggested.
Kaemon shrugged, "We can try."
"Ok, I've got an idea," Gippal began. "Ti, you get out there and start running. Don't stop, no matter what. Kaemon's you've got one shot to take out that thing's freaky-ass eyeball. Ti, I'll blow it out of your way as soon as it can't attack. Got it?"
He hefted his grenade launcher onto his shoulder as he spoke, preparing himself to enact the plan in spite of any objections his partners might have had. Tidus was petrified, if his friends failed to subdue Anima, this would be the end.
"You're not gonna miss right?" he asked Kaemon nervously.
"No," Kaemon responded, an obvious quiver in his voice. "I-I won't."
"Gippal?"
"I got you, man."
Swallowing his fear, Tidus stood and squared his shoulders, "Let's do it."
One shot. One chance. One last obstacle standing in his way of Yuna.
The three of them exchanged a final nod, preparing their weapons and beginning to count.
1, 2….3!
Tidus bolted around the corner, running towards Anima with all of his might, shouting loudly as he did. The creature's red eye began to glow and it reared its head back as the power grew. Tidus kept his gaze trained on its chest, his legs pumping faster as if he were trying to outrun his fear. He heard Kaemon cry out; there was a loud crack, and Anima's head snapped backwards as his bullet blew through the monster's eye.
A loud whoosh came next, and a blast of air so strong it almost knocked Tidus aside, as Gippal's grenade connected with Anima's chest, blowing a hole through the creature large enough for Tidus to leap through. He did, landing on the other side and rolling over his shoulder so as not to break his stride.
"Keep going Tidus! Find Yuna!" He heard Gippal's voice from far away. Nodding to himself, he threw open the wooden door only to find another long hallway, this one filled with wrought iron doors on either side. He began kicking them open one by one, stopping one he realized that the only one he needed to open would be the one that was locked. He began to run down the hall, head turning back and forth as he passed each door, searching for an obvious lock.
"You were the song all along and before the song dies
I should tell you, I should tell you, I have always loved you
You can see it in my eyes"
Tidus finally came upon the last door in the corridor. As he had suspected, a large lock hung from the handle; aiming his blaster at it he pulled the trigger, blowing a hole through the deadbolt. He flung the door open only to be entirely taken aback by what he saw inside. The figure lying against the far wall appeared to be Yuna, but she was too badly mutilated for instant recognition. Her slender form was curled into a ball on the stone floor, resting in a pool of dried blood. Tidus rushed to her side, tripping over himself in his hurry and skinning his knees and he came to a stop beside her.
"Yuna!" he cried, gently lifting her into his arms. Long red gashes marred her right cheek, blood painting her face like a gruesome mask. His eyes flickered over her form as he struggled to comprehend how badly she had been tortured. Realizing that the hand that supported her back was uncomfortably warm, he drew it away to see his palm covered in sticky blood. Craning his neck he saw the tattered remains of the back of her shirt, dozens of long, bloody scars criss- crossing her skin.
"Oh…my…gods…Please don't be dead…Please don't be dead!" he breathed. Adjusting his grip, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small green vial of Al Bhed potion. It was too small a dose to heal the worst of her wounds, but with luck it would serve to rouse her. "Here. Here Yuna, drink this. It'll be ok. Just drink this."
Uncorking the bottle, he held it to her lips, tipping it slowly so that most of the liquid drained down her throat. She coughed suddenly, spluttering as the potion took effect. Tidus breathed a sigh of relief. He had been almost absolutely sure upon seeing her that she was already long gone.
"Yuna…Yuna? Can you hear me?" he pleaded, adjusting his grip and cradling her against his chest. She felt so light and fragile. "It's me. It's Tidus. I'm here. Please wake up!"
Her bi-colored eyes slowly flickered open, but the light that usually danced within them was gone. They wandered for a moment before landing on his face and a pained smile appeared on her lips, "You came."
"Of course I came," he replied, screwing up his face as he felt tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.
"Why?" she asked, her voice so quiet that Tidus almost it.
"I made a promise to stay by your side and..." he paused, fighting the lump rising in his throat. "I want you to…forgive me."
Her expression became confused, but before she could ask what he meant, tears began to stream down his cheeks, dripping onto her own like raindrops.
"I'm so sorry! That day he took you away in Bikanel, I gave up on you, Yuna! I was so confused and hurt that you had lied to me….I didn't know what to think anymore."
Her hands clutched feebly at his shirt, fingers tightening as he heard his confession. He brushed his hand across her cheeks, gently wiping away the tears that had fallen before continuing, "I'm an idiot…But I finally realized that I could never leave you….not after everything we've been through. I told you that I know the real Yuna and still believe that...But for one moment, I lost my faith and for that I need you to forgive me."
"You're not the one who should be asking for forgiveness," her response was feeble and her eyelids were beginning to flutter once again. "Tidus…..I should tell you…." She lifted one of her hands, reaching to touch his cheek but before she could her hand fell and her head lolled to the side.
"Yuna? Yuna!" Tidus cried, shaking her lightly as if that would somehow return her to consciousness. He reached into his pocket for another potion but before her could retrieve one a cold voice resounded from the doorway.
"How very touching."
Tidus whipped his head around to see Seymour approaching, his face terrifyingly dark.
"You're loyalty is utterly misguided, boy. This woman is not worthy of the affection you show her. She's a creature incapable of love, created to serve me and only me. Whatever 'fondness' she may have shown you was pure fallacy, I assure you."
"You're wrong!" Tidus shouted. "You're a liar and a traitor. I won't let you make me doubt her anymore! I'm gonna make you pay for what you!"
Seymour chuckled lightly, "Very well. Then we shall end this struggle with violence."
Tidus set Yuna down gently and stood, drawing his sword and sprinting towards Seymour as fast as his legs would carry him. He loosed a wild cry when their blades clashed, rage and adrenaline giving him merciless strength. Seymour's blue eyes flashed and he strained against Tidus' sword, throwing the young man aside and calling out the name of a lightning spell as Tidus tumbled to the floor. He felt a buzzing numbness roil through his body as the anti-magic machine on his belt took the brunt of Seymour's Thundara spell. Shaking off the strange sensation, he charged Seymour again, this time brandishing the blaster that Gippal had given him in his left hand. He shot wildly, forcing Seymour to raise his blade and block the bullets. Tidus took advantage of the opening and ducked low, swiping at Seymour's long legs, the sword succeeding in tearing through his enemy's flesh. Seymour howled and dropped to his knees, unable to support his full weight due to the new gaping wounds in his calves.
Tidus didn't hesitate, rolling over his shoulder to dodge Seymour's wild swipe, he swiveled on his knees and set the blaster against his shoulder, sending multiple shots into Seymour's back. The bullets tore through the man as if he were made of paper, but before Tidus could hail his own victory, Seymour loosed a large wave of energy that sent him flying backwards. He connected with the wall, hard, the air driven immediately from his lungs. Seymour stood shakily muttering the word, "Curaga."
Tidus watched in horrified disbelief as the holes in his enemy's torso and legs disappeared, leaving him whole and completely restored. Struggling to regain his footing, Tidus braced himself as best as he could, the bastard sword held out in front of his torso protectively. Seymour's expression was wicked and utterly terrifying. With a jolting wave of his hand, the blue-haired assassin called out, "Thundaga!"
A blinding sheet of white blocked out Tidus vision and he became acutely aware of the familiar buzzing sensation in his body. This time however, the little machine on his belt was not enough to stop the power of the spell. The machine shattered, along with Tidus' blaster, and every fiber of his being burned as if it had caught fire. He screamed, dropping to the floor and writhing furiously. His limbs continued to twitch and flail of their own accord even after the spell had ceased. Seymour was striding toward him confidently now; but Tidus grit his teeth, groaning as he lifted himself up. Forcing his burning, spaziming muscles to move, he faked a slash towards Seymour's head. The assassin raised his own blade to block it, as Tidus had hoped he would, and he quickly ducked low, plunging his sword into Seymour's abdomen. Again, he drew a howl of agony from the Guado's lips, but other than that his blow seemed to have little more effect. He shouted Thundaga again and this time the pain kept Tidus on the floor. Seymour was upon him now, reaching down and gripping a fistful of his hair. He began to pull Tidus up by the very roots of his locks when a loud boom echoed inside the tiny room and the pressure in Tidus' head suddenly disappeared. He fell to the floor once again, looking up to see Gippal and Kaemon standing in the doorway, the former holding a giant, smoking blaster gun.
"Keep your slimy hands off my friend, ya creep!" Gippal shouted, loading the gun again with a twitch of his wrist.
"Fools," Seymour snarled, rising from where he had been blown off of his feet. He lifted his arms and began to chant in a commanding tone, "Come to me, spirit of Anima! Feel my pa—"
"Not gonna happen, man," Gippal sneered, swiping a thumb across his nose. "We already took care of that beast."
So shocked was Seymour's expression that Tidus almost found it comical. Kaemon took a step forward, raising his dual blades and grimacing, "It's over Seymour. Give up now."
Seymour's gaze flickered uneasily over the three of them before hardening determinedly.
"Do not assume that I will surrender so easily," he hissed. Before the three could respond, Seymour turned on his heel and raised a dagger, previously hidden in the folds of his robes. However, instead of charging one of the three men before him, he turned towards Yuna, who still lay defenseless on the floor. Tidus knew that if he got his hands on her, they would be under his control with nothing to offer for leverage.
"No!" he shouted, leaping to his feet. At the same moment Gippal and Kaemon unleashed their weapons. Gippal's blaster gun sent Seymour flying into the stone wall, while Kaemon's expertly thrown knife sunk through his chest, keeping him trapped there. Tidus was behind him in the next instant, wrenching Kaemon's blade from Seymour's body and turning him around so that they met face to face. Seymour's eyes bored into his own, defiant even until the very end. Strangely, as Tidus prepared to end the man that had caused all of this suffering, he felt no fear, no anxiety, and no regret. Only hate, rage, and satisfaction that this man would finally be eliminated and at his hands no less. He stared into Seymour's slanted eyes, searching for the words he wanted the assassin to hear.
"Do it, Tidus!" Gippal shouted from the doorway, anxiety clear in his tone. But before he could move, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Turning, he saw that Kaemon had come to stand beside him, a strangely placid expression on his pale face.
"Please," he began quietly, his brown eyes frozen on Seymour's face. "Let me finish this."
For a moment Tidus considered refusing his companion's request, he wanted to be the one that left Seymour as nothing more than an empty husk on the ground; but the look in Kaemon's eyes was indisputable. Seymour had taken his father, murdered his mother and brother and kept him as a prisoner sustained only by false promises of justice and redemption. If anyone deserved to be the one to kill Seymour, it was one of his very own assassins. Nodding slightly, he stepped back allowing Kaemon to take his place and pin Seymour to the wall, even as the Guado continued to struggle futilely.
"You'll never be able to hurt anyone anymore. No more lies, no more traps, no more manipulation." Kaemon said, raising the dagger towards Seymour's throat. "This is for my brother." The man opened his mouth ready to shout the words of a spell, but before he could speak Kaemon drove the end of the blade through Seymour's exposed throat, eliciting a watery gurgle as the man began to bleed to death. Tidus stood stoically as Seymour crumpled at their feet, his final breath no more than a ragged gasp.
"Tidus! Grab Yuna and let's beat it!" Gippal shouted urgently. Returning to his senses, Tidus hurried toward the back of the room, cradling Yuna carefully in his arms once more and pelting towards the door.
"You go on ahead, I'm blasting this room to make sure that guy doesn't get out!" Gippal said, nodding for the others to continue. Tidus and Kaemon hurried down the hall, flinching as the explosion that the Al Bhed set off made the room and some of the surrounding hallway, collapse into rubble behind them. Tidus looked down at Yuna as he ran, trying to stem the horror that welled up within his chest as he realized how lifeless she looked. Her skin was stark white, the dried blood on her face making for a terrifying contrast; and he could still feel the fresh blood leaking through her shirt and onto his arms as he carried her.
By the time they reached the upper levels of the temple, only a handful of assassins remained and they were being held at bay by dozens of Al Bhed mech warriors.
"C'mon!" Gippal called, catching up with them and signaling to the surrounding militia. "Fall back! We're gonna blow this place to bits!"
The Al Bhed began to retreat, making sure to subdue the straggling survivors of the battle before pelting back towards their airships.
"Zyl!" Gippal cried, grabbing a heavily armored Al Bhed by the shoulder as he rushed past. "Did Squad 2 set the explosives?"
"Everything's ready, sir!" Zyl responded saluting. Gippal nodded, releasing him to join the rush to the ships.
"What's happening?" Tidus asked, confused. Gippal grinned mischievously at him, "We Al Bhed are known for our specialty in bomb making. It'd be a darn shame if we didn't leave our mark after a battle like this."
"So, we're nuking the temple?" Kaemon asked, sounding surprisingly calm about the whole situation in spite of the fact that this hadn't this hadn't been discussed during their previous strategy session. "You got it!" Gippal responded. "And they'll be on a timer once I give the signal, so we'd better split!"
The party reached their airships and set about getting everyone into the air. Kaemon and Gippal had just entered their respective cockpits when a sudden rumble echoed from within the ruins of the temple. Everyone went quiet as the ground began to quake beneath their feet.
"What in the hell—"
Gippal didn't have time to finish his sentence before the southern end of the temple exploded outward and from within the ruins came a huge metallic creature with large spiky wings. It was roughly the size of their largest airship with waves of magic that rippled over its polished skin, pulsating outwards towards the astonished Al Bhed army. The being resembled Seymour, but in a much more monstrous and deadly fashion.
"Oh shit…"
"Gippal!" Tidus shouted, handing the wounded Yuna over to his friend. "Get her out of here! Get your fleet to safety and set off the timer. I'll distract him and give you guys a chance to get escape."
"Are you nuts?!" Gippal shouted. "If you go back alone he'll kill you! And if he somehow doesn't, the bombs will!"
"I'll be fine! This is my score to settle anyway."
"Tidus—"
"Go!...Please, just go!" without waiting for a response, Tidus hurried towards his own airship, leaping into the cockpit and activating the thrusters. He had one goal in mind. Save Yuna from Seymour's tyranny forever, or die trying.
Once in the air he trained the ship's guns on Seymour's form, loosing round after round on the gigantic creature, eschewing accuracy for diversion. It worked; as Gippal's fleet rose into the air and away from the temple, the monster turned towards Tidus' tiny, ship sending an enormous wave of light, blue energy towards him. Tidus wrenched the control wheel with all of his might, managing to avoid the full force of the magic blast, but spiraling sideways as the last of it caught his portside wing.
Swearing under his breath, he pulled out of the dive and aimed once again at Seymour's chest. The bullets ricocheted off the monster as if made of rubber. Painfully unphased by the barrage, Seymour lunged forward swiping with one massive, clawed hand. His blow missed Tidus, but caught on of the temple's towers, sending an avalanche of deadly debri tumbling towards the airship.
"Why won't you just stay dead?" Tidus shouted as some of the temple stones crashed into his ship, activating the warning system and filling the cockpit with a piercing wail. Tidus knew that he wouldn't be able to defeat the creature with the tiny guns and even if he used the ship's single, missile launcher it might not be enough to finish Seymour permanently. He needed a better plan.
As he circled the outskirts of the island temple, he saw the flashing red of one of the explosive charges the Al Bhed had set against the northeast wall.
That's it.
If he could wound Seymour enough to keep him within the range of final explosion, then that would be enough to destroy the creature he had become. It had to be enough. Confident in his new plan, he looked up to see the large, fiend rising into the air, turning to follow Gippal's fleet.
"No you don't," he growled. To the left of him rose the temple's central tower, still undamaged even after the chaos of the battle. It looked thick and sturdy, but if he could break it, it's weight would be enough to keep Seymour on the ground. Changing direction, he flew just far enough away avoid the explosion he was about to set off. Targeting the center of the column, he activated the ship's missile launcher. A single, cylindrical grenade shot outwards of the ship, slamming into the column and sending it tumbling forward with a deafening roar. The tower did not trap Seymour completely, merely catching one of his wings and pulling him downwards at an awkward angle. Tidus swore, it would not be enough to hold him until the charges went. The only other thing he could do, he decided, was practical suicide. But at this point there didn't seem to be any other choice.
Taking one, shuddering breath, he launched the airship into max velocity, aiming directly for Seymour chest. As he approached, he glanced over his shoulder at the crashing waves below. The drop was going to hurt, but he could make it…maybe. He was a Blitzer after all. In the final moments, before the ship blew through Seymour's chest, Tidus loosed a visceral cry, slamming his fist down to open the cockpit and throwing himself out of the ship and into the ocean. Time slowed to a crawl as he fell, allowing hi to watch with wonder as his ship exploded in a ball of fire, leaving a gaping hole in the monster's midsection. Seymour's howl was cut off as Tidus hit the freezing water, plunging deep into darkness and losing all sense direction. The impact felt like iron and as he sank deeper, his lungs began screaming for the oxygen they had lost. Looking up, he saw the light blue surface of the water flash red and white as the explosives finally destroyed what was left of the temple and its deadly guardian. As the lights faded, he felt exhaustion beginning to overcome him, sapping whatever will that was still had within him. As he closed his eyes, he saw Yuna's face; beaten, bloodied, pale….A single spark of determination started to burn within him. He couldn't give up yet. She still needed him.
Opening his eyes, he surged upwards, fighting with every bit of strength he had left to make it to the surface. Gasping for air as he broke through the water, swiveling around in an attempt to gain his bearings. Baaj Temple was on fire, a brightly shining star burning in the middle of a black abyss. He had saved himself from drowning but now, he realized, he was alone in the middle of the ocean. Even the greatest Blitzer couldn't swim all the way to the coast from where he was now.
Suddenly, the whir of an airship's engine sounded overhead. Looking up, he saw one of the Al Bhed's aircrafts returning to the ruins, it's large searchlight scanning the area as it flew.
"Hey!" He shouted, earning a mouthful of seawater. Through a crackling and damaged intercom, he heard Kaemon's voice.
"Tidus? You out there?!"
"Kaemon!" Tidus shouted, although he knew his voice would not be heard. "Kae! Down here!"
Luck or fate? Chance or destiny? Whatever it was, Kaemon's searchlight fell on his flailing form and he heard victorious laughter echo from within the ship.
"You did it! For Yevon's sake, Tidus…" A long rope fell from the cockpit and Tidus grabbed ahold, hauling himself up and finally collapsing inside the tiny cockpit behind Kaemon, who was still looking at him in awe, "I can't believe you're alive."
"Me neither," he sighed, blinking rapidly to fight the white flashes that clouded his vision. "You came back for me?"
"Of course. Gippal was going to but I told him to make sure the fleet was safe first."
"Is he with Yuna?" Tidus asked quickly. "Is she ok?"
Before Kaemon could respond, the staticy radio spluttered to life.
"Hey, Kaemon do you copy?" Gippal's voice cracked over the damaged intercom.
"I'm here, it's done. We're-."
"Gippal!" Tidus interrupted, leaning towards the microphone. "Where's Yuna?"
"—Give me another potion…Now!"
Tidus realized, after a brief moment, that Gippal's response was not directed towards him, "Gip? What's going on?"
"—I know that, another one!-Tidus-it's Yuna," Gippal's transmission began to fade as he spoke. "She's not doing well, man. -some potions but-not worki-"
"Gippal?!" Tidus cried out, but the transmission had failed. The only thing he could do now was follow the fleet of airship in front of him and pray to any god that might be listening that Yuna would live. "Please don't die, Yuna. Please don't die. Please don't die. Please don't die. Please don'tdie….."
"Goodbye love, goodbye love, just came to say…
Goodbye love
Goodbye"
Their airship dropped down near the entrance to the infirmary where a trail of wounded soldiers were being attended by frantic alchemists. Stumbling out of the cockpit, he began to search for Yuna amongst the dozens of injured warriors. Finally spotting her being carried into the infirmary by a group of Potion Masters, he began to push through the crowd calling her name. She looked so utterly lifeless. His head began to spin as he ran and he ended up stumbling into Kaemon who pulled to his feet, gently guiding him into the infirmary and away from Yuna. Tidus protested weakly, attempting to pull free of Kaemon's grasp, but exhaustion and anxiety left him breathless.
As soon as his head hit one of the infirmary cots he fell into darkness, however, his rest was far from peaceful. He tossed and turned frantically as feverish visions barraged him. He saw the carnage of the battle and Seymour's wicked grin as he cut down Al Bhed soldiers as easily as he would fiends. He saw Yuna, blood pooling around her body as she lay slowly dying on the floor. He saw Gippal, his huge grin turning into a scream as an explosion tore his body apart. He saw a curtain of blood flow from Rikku's throat as an assassin drew his knife across it. For what seemed like an eternity he was trapped within the terrors of his own mind; it was absolute, undiluted relief when he finally awoke to the soft glow of the infirmary lights above him. Rising slowly, he was approached by an Al Bhed Potion Master who spoke to him in an extremely broken form of Spiran. The most Tidus was able to glean from the brief conversation was that he had been unconscious for three days since the battle. Immediately, a stifling anxiety rose in his throat, making it difficult to breath. Where was Yuna? Was she alive? He tried asking the Potion Master, but the poor man couldn't understand Tidus' words. Frustrated and worried, Tidus forced himself to his feet, reaching out to the healer for support when the blood rushing to his head made him dizzy.
The Potion Master tried to set him back down, but a sudden order shouted in Al Bhed made him stop. Righting himself, Tidus saw his Gippal and Kaemon approaching. They too were bandaged and pale, their faces marred by irate grimaces.
"Gippal?" Tidus croaked, his voice rough with disuse. "Where's Yuna? Is she ok?"
"I haven't seen her, Ti," Gippal responded wearily. "All I know is that she's in the intensive ward with a few of the other men."
He pointed toward the northern end of the infirmary where a small door indicated the existence of a separate area in the building. Moving past his companions he hurried towards the door, his heart beginning to pound frantically as he wondered what he mind find inside. Panic began to take hold of him clouding his mind and flooding his vision with black dots.
"Tidus, wait!" Gippal called from behind, but he did not stop.
Upon reaching the small door, Gippal finally managing to catch up, catching him by the shoulders and whirled him around.
"Tidus! Please calm down. You can't go in there like this."
Tidus squeezed his eyes shut, taking a few deep, gulping breaths to calm himself. Gippal was right, he knew; if she wasn't….If he found her there while he was so upset….Steeling himself to the best of his ability, he looked up at Gippal, nodding to affirm that he was ready. Gippal still looked hesitant, "Just stay calm ok? No matter what, you can't lose it in there." Again Tidus nodded, although Gippal's speech had done nothing but add to his crippling dread.
Gippal patted his shoulder comfortingly and opened the door. As the two men entered, they saw a substantially large group of alchemists gathered around the room. They turned to see who had entered, shuffling aside at Gippal's command. The bodies of the alchemists blocked most of the wounded soldiers from his view, but he managed to see the hint of a small cot standing alone in the middle of the room.
Finally, the crowd cleared enough for him to get an accurate view of the scene; and as he did, his felt the breath hitch in his throat when he saw Yuna sitting upright, very much alive, on the cot, a small smile lighting up her face. Without regard for the gathered crowd, Tidus rushed forward, enveloping her in an embrace so tight, he wondered briefly is he might be crushing her. She uttered a small groan as his hands clasped the tender skin on her back, but returned the hug just as fiercely, her fingers clutching at the fabric of his shirt. Burying his face in the crook of her neck, he whispered, "I thought I'd lost you."
She merely held him somehow closer, her warm tears staining his collar. Gippal chuckled lightly from somewhere in the distance, but Tidus paid it no heed. All that mattered was that she was alive and in his arms again and the danger was gone and now everything would be ok.
"Thank you," he heard her whisper quietly as her hands slipped from around his torso to cup his face. She leaned back, resting her forehead against his own. "Thank you for saving me."
Tidus knew that her gratitude was not only directed at the battle waged against Seymour at Baaj, but for the entire journey that they had shared together. He swallowed the lump rising in his throat, wanting desperately to say something that would express how he felt, but he could find no words. Instead, he pressed his mouth to hers. It was a slow kiss, inspired by a deep seeded passion, tender yet intense. His lips moved against her own; their mouths parting in tandem and his hands rising to tangle in her hair as the kiss deepened. The fact that they had quite a large audience suddenly registered in Tidus mind and he pulled away slightly, grinning embarrassedly, "Guess we're giving them quite a show, huh?"
Yuna blushed, realizing their blunder and hid her face in his shirt once again. He rested his cheek against the top of her head, gathering her in his arms, content to simply feel the rise and fall of her shoulders and she breathed.
"Alright, you two," Gippal finally said, stepping forward. "Get a freakin' room already."