Chapter 21

Apologies for the update speed, school piled on the work and I had some difficulty writing the chapter. It's up now though.

Enjoy.

Chapter 21

Tidus watched as the remnants of Sin began to glow blue and the large whale like fiend screeched as its mouth opened wide and the body seemed to lurch to the side. Yuna came up next to him and he held out his arm to stop her from getting too close. The party behind them watched as Sin's mouth opened wide and Tidus pressed his hand to his ear.

"Take us in Cid" he said as Yuna watched Sin now become very still the others gathered behind them.

"You got it kid. Easy does it" The airship carefully manoeuvred so it was in line with the gaping hole of Sin's mouth. As Tidus watched he heard a strangled groan from behind him. Turning he saw Kai fall to one knee.

Kai had been injured in the previous battle with the final Sinspawn that had resembled the one they fought in Kilika. One of its tentacles had managed to catch him in the side, opening the flesh there. Blood was oozing through Kai's dark red shirt as he held himself up on his hand. Yuna knelt down by his side as the others gathered around him.

As they did so, pryeflies began to hover past them as if in a bid to try and get out of Sin. The light around them resembled the evening sky and the party looked around in awe as Rikku bobbed up and down on her feet as the pryeflies continued to dance past them. One hovered in front of Tidus and then bobbed up and down excitedly before zipping around his head and then bolting away.

Then the evening light changed to blood red, Rikku stopped bobbing on her feet to look forward as the red glow began to grow darker and more eerie. Kai looked up from his position and his eyes glowed white slightly. Then from the air around them a sinister chuckled emanated through the air and a face materialised in front of them and it's eye opened to engulf the party. A few surprised cries called out and then the party turned around completely unfazed seeing nothing but the normal sky around them again.

Tidus frowned as the party looked around and then turned his attention back to Kai. The son of Braska's eyes stopped glowing white and returned to their normal deep green colour. He looked up at Tidus, and gingerly moved to sit with his back against the wall.

"That guy just doesn't let it go…" he muttered as Yuna checked on his wound. Tidus frowned once more.

"Who?"

"You know who" Kai replied. He looked at Tidus, and the flames of hatred burning in his eyes made it perfectly clear whom he was talking about.

"Seymour…" Tidus growled turning to look round as the ship landed. Kai nodded and winced slightly.

"Well, looks you're gonna have to go on without me." He stated and the party looked at him with worried looks and he nodded. "I'll just slow you down in my condition." Auron looked at him.

"You're sure?" he inquired Kai inclined his head.

"Yeah, go on, I'll be fine…" Auron gave a small incline of his head and walked off the deck. Lulu gazed at Kai with concern and he smirked.

"Oh come on, you like the idea of me being put in my place" Lulu laughed.

"Yes, but you're too cocky to let anything put you in your place" Kai laughed and Lulu smiled. "We'll be back soon" One by one the party left the deck, leaving Kai against the wall.

Tidus was the last to leave; sparing a final look at Kai he entered the lift. "Tidus…" Tidus stopped and looked over his shoulder at Kai. "Remember your promise?" Tidus smiled and nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll look after Yuna" And with that Tidus exited the deck. Kai smiled and rested his head against the metal behind him.

"I know," he muttered as the ship landed in a dimension only something Sin could create.

The world was like an ocean, except the ocean was almost solid and walk able. While the water still rippled when someone walked on it, it was clearly water and the seemed no end to it. Over the ocean, a strange and eerie mist covered the world, making it difficult to see what lay beyond the fog.

The party minus Kai exited the ship and Tidus stepped forward. "Dad! Where are you?" he called into the mist. He received no reply and looked at Auron who was standing next to him.

"We must go to him," Auron stated. Tidus nodded and began walking on ahead Auron just behind.

"Then we will. I'll take front" The party fell in behind him.

"Good luck" Yuna offered. Tidus nodded.

"Follow me".

Moving through the mist was an almost impossible task. The mist was thick and spread out, making it hard to find their way. More often than not they ran into a fiend that had been absorbed by Sin. It was like a labyrinth, impossible to navigate but more rewarding to get through. Tidus led the way followed very closely by Auron.

Emerging from the mist, they found themselves at the foot of a stairway and saw that went up through the mist. Cutting their losses and seeing no other way they began to ascend the stairs. The stairs did not last too long and presently the party reached the top. Tidus stopped and groaned, covering his eyes with his hand.

"Not again" Auron drew his sword as the party joined them. All their eyes narrowed but none more so than Yuna's did. While unseen by the party, her bi-coloured burned fiercely with a something that was unusual to see in Yuna's eyes: loathing.

Standing in front of three strange looking and incredibly large discs was Seymour Guado once again having cheated death. Even after having his head nearly taking off by Kai, being practically split in two by Auron and then being thrown off Mt Gagazet by Tidus, he still wanted more. As usual the Guado had his smug arrogant smile on his face as he gazed at the party who gathered in front of him.

"Don't you ever give up?" Tidus demanded, in an annoyed tone.

"Sin has chosen me!" Seymour stated with a dramatic tone. "I am part of Sin. I am with Sin forever!" he paused for a long moment just to add a very frustrating amount of drama to the moment. "Immortal." Tidus scoffed as the party all rolled their eyes having grown very tired of Seymour's constant interference and melodrama.

"Sin just absorbed you" Tidus clarified. Seymour simply smiled even more as Tidus drew brotherhood.

"I will learn to control it from with within. I have all the time in the world." Seymour's smile turned to a malicious grin. "Since you were gracious enough to dispose of Yunalesca…" Seymour began to glow blue and his form began to become transparent "the only means of stopping Sin forever is gone. Nothing can stop us now!" Seymour began to grow massively his form now joining the discs above them.

"We can!" Tidus retorted spinning brotherhood in his hand, Yuna standing next to him.

"By all means try!" Seymour replied with a gleeful tone. "You should thank me…" Tidus's eyes narrowed as he predicted Seymour's next words. "Your death means your father's life" Tidus roared and leapt up towards Seymour, his blade singing through the air.

However before he even reached him, a fierce flame erupted in front of him and sent him hurtling back towards the ground. He managed to flip and land on his feet. Another blaze began to come towards him, but Yuna stepped in front of him and bring her staff in front of her, used her magic to block the attack. For a few moments, Seymour tried to break down Yuna's shield but failed as Yuna channelled more and more magic into it.

Seymour saw Kimahri charge up and then leap up towards him. Breaking off his attack on Yuna, the melodramatic Seymour conjured a powerful bolt of lightning to knock Seymour back. Lulu summoned a huge wave of water and engulfed Seymour with it, but he responded with a dangerous flare that could have killed her had Wakka not tackled her to the side. Rikku took three grenades from her belt and hurled them at Seymour. They exploded causing a thick smoke screen to form in front of the unsent, but the unsent sent a sheet of ice her way. Auron cleaved it in half and swung his blade threw the air sending huge energies of black matter back at Seymour.

The energy collided with Seymour. But he simply cackled and swatted Auron away with another blast of magic. Kimahri tried his luck one more time but received similar treatment landing next to Auron as both got to their feet. Lulu and Wakka attacked as one, Wakka rebounding his ball off the discs to hit Seymour repeatedly. The Guado growled in annoyance as the ball caused him quite a headache and he reflected one of Lulu's spells back at Wakka who was blasted away. Rikku was able to roll out of Wakka's way but was caught in a fierce flare blast and hit Kimahri as she flew back. Lulu tried to summon more magic, but was simply blasted back into Wakka. Tidus was able to roll out of the way of another blast as Yuna shielded herself from an ice sheet.

For another half an hour the battle waged, more less an equal match. Seymour's incredible power was contested against their fierce will and they inability to give up which began to frustrate Seymour. No matter how much power he hit them with; they simply got back to their feet as if asking for me.

Seymour growled as Auron hit the ground, but Rikku proceeded to throw a firebomb at him. Sending her flying away with magic, he spotted Wakka and Lulu getting back to their feet as Kimahri hit the ground as a result of an aftershock of Seymour's magic. Seymour roared in anger.

"Why can't you people just stay down?!" He swatted Lulu and Wakka with his power sending them to the floor. Yuna shielded them from a further aggressive blast and Tidus quickly intercepted a powerful spell aimed at Yuna and sent it back at Seymour with his sword. Seymour howled in rage and Tidus felt himself thrown into the air by an Ultima spell and he hit the ground but began got back onto his feet.

"It's no use…" Seymour stated. "No matter how much you try, you can never overcome true power. The power of Sin!" Another fierce spell flew at Tidus and he braced himself for the impact.

Before the spell hit, a blade of red energy intercepted the spell and caused a fierce explosion in front of Tidus. He covered his eyes as the party regrouped behind him. Seymour looked around and turned his gaze to a pillar.

"What's this?!" Tidus followed Seymour's gaze and saw the figure who had intercepted the spell. Crouched on top of a pillar, his katana drawn and angled to his right was Kai. The son of Braska got to his feet, his eyes travelling over the battlefield before settling on the half-guado unsent. "Damn you!!" Seymour screamed at him, as Tidus watched his fellow guardian straighten up. Kai smirked and pointed his blade at Seymour.

"I've come to end your existence Seymour!" Kai stated his eyes gleaming. "You don't belong here!" Kai leapt from the pillar and flipped to land in front of Tidus. Tidus hefted his sword onto his shoulder and rolled his eyes.

"Look at you…" he stated as the party formed up. "Making a big dramatic entrance and stealing my spotlight," Kai grinned as the party found humour in the moment and sniggered slightly.

"Well…" he chuckled he spoke. "You don't possibly believe that he…" he turned his blade back to Seymour who as floating angrily in front of them "deserves to be our main event, now do you?" Tidus smirked and came up next to him.

"Now that you mention it…" he looked back at Kai. "You're right" Kai twirled his blade and the party formed a straight horizontal line advancing towards Seymour.

It was like they had only been toying with Seymour up until now, simply waiting for Kai to catch up and enter the fray, if only so he could have a hand in Seymour's downfall. All of them showed no signs of fatigue or injury. All of them had their eyes set on Seymour as they advanced towards him, with no hints of fear or doubt. Lulu and Wakka were on the right along with Rikku, Kimahri and Auron on the left with Yuna and Kai was in the center with Tidus who was in front.

All of them had one joint goal: send Seymour to the farplane and make sure he stayed there. Whatever it took, they needed him out of the way and out of Spira. Lulu's hand began to glow orange as magic gathered in it, Rikku's hand travelled to her pouch to grip yet another grenade, Wakka's arm muscle's tensed around his ball, Kimahri growled baring his teeth and Auron's blade began to turn black once more. Yuna's frame became enveloped with a white aura, as Kai's blood red one and Tidus's golden flame like aura both came into existence. Seymour's blue transparent body began to fluctuate, as the party continued to advance, like an army towards him.

"You think you have the power to defeat me?" Seymour demanded incredulously. "Defeat the power of Sin and Yu Yevon?!" Kai wagged his finger at the unsent.

"You should come to realise that you cannot control the power of Sin" He retorted. Tidus pointed brotherhood at Seymour.

"You're wasting your time Seymour" the party came to a stop and gazed at Seymour who began to glow even more. "I think he needs to learn the hard way," Tidus pointed out and Kai looked at him for a second.

Kai then swung his blade up knocking Tidus's back and they charged forward with roars, the party close behind as Seymour began hurling spells at them once more.

The battle was joined once more, this time the party fighting at full power, without holding back. Seymour to his credit was able to put up some fierce resistance, using his magic but even that was not enough. It was like he was now fighting a force of nature both physically and spiritually. They were joined both against him, together, while he was alone. He had lived alone and now finally he would die alone.

Yuna let a loud growl and blasted Seymour with some holy magic. The blue form reeled back at the incredible power behind the attack. Coming back up, he hit the ground to his surprise, returning back to his normal form.

"Impossible!!" he screamed. As he looked up, Lulu caught him in a pillar of flame. Staggering back, his body smouldering under the fire, Rikku leapt up to him and kicked him in the head then in the knee before using an uppercut to send him back. Wakka's ball impacted on his back sending him straight into Kimahri lance that pierced where his heart once was. Kimahri used the butt of his lance to smack Seymour over the head an into Auron's downward strike. Seymour turned only to be cut through the waist by Tidus. Seymour groaned in fierce pain dropping to one knee and looked up to see Kai hurtling towards him.

Kai tensed and leapt into the air to finish him, his blade making a deadly arc towards his. Seymour howled in defiance and raised his hand, summoning a powerful burst of magic to knock the blade out of sight and sent Kai soaring back. Seymour got up as Kai landed on his feet.

"Give it up will ya?!" Kai shouted at him as Seymour stood on shaky legs. "Just give in and die!!"

"You think you can honestly defeat me?!" Seymour spat as he began to glow once more. "I will not let you destroy Sin, I will destroy Spira-I will save it" Seymour's glow intensified. "And you will be-" Seymour suddenly stopped speaking, his speech turned into a strangled groan and he looked down.

Kai's blade was protruding through his chest, the blade red and stained as Seymour's vision blurred. He looked back and saw Kai was still in front of him so how? His eyes widened and his head slowly turned to see the temporary wielder of the sword.

Behind him, both hands set on the hilt of the katana and eyes burning with fierce, unbridled hatred was Yuna. Yuna's beautiful face was contorted with loathing as she stared down at him from her place. Yuna yanked the blade out and walked around to his front, dropping the blade to the floor. A bomb had dropped everyone was shocked. Of all the people to finish Seymour…

"No…" he breathed. Yuna produced her staff and, without a word, began the dance. Seymour looked up at her and his body began to fade. His eyes could not believe what he was seeing yet now there was nothing he could do. "So it is you who will send me, after all" he stated. Yuna did not pay his words any heed. "But even after I am gone, Spira's sorrow will prevail" Tidus looked at him as he vanished with pity something Seymour did not expect.

"Sin will be right behind you" Tidus growled. Seymour closed his eyes and, in a dramatic display of pryeflies, was gone. Kai stepped forward picked up his katana, sheathing it as Yuna stopped dancing. Kai looked at her for a second before turning his gaze back to the pryeflies floating away.

"Nobody's perfect, not even you Seymour." He stated spitefully towards Seymour's remnants. As the portal deeper into Sin opened, Kai immediately began walking on. "Be a good boy and stay dead this time". The party one by one followed him, leaving Yuna and Tidus alone.

Yuna looked down for a second and Tidus placed his hand on her shoulder. She turned to him and looked at him for a second. Then she sighed and looked down.

"It's over, Seymour's gone," she whispered. Tidus could hear the relief in her voice, like a burden had just been lifted from her shoulders. Tidus nodded and rubbed her shoulder gently.

"Yeah he's gone but it's not completely over yet…" Yuna nodded.

"I know, Jecht's waiting." Yuna turned to leave, but Tidus realising this may be his last chance, caught her arm and spun her back round. She let out a startled gasp, which was cut off by his lips meeting hers.

The second they did, the world faded, reality melted and time stood still. Yuna's hands wrapped around him, one burying in his blond hair at the back of his head and the other gripping him slightly as he kissed her. Tidus's arms wrapped around her waist as he deepened the kiss, pulling her into him slightly to give more passion to the moment.

This was something Yuna had not expected, just how deeply Tidus was kissing her. It was very chaste, slow and passionate. Yuna whimpered slightly as Tidus's tongue met hers and they continued to moment for a few moments longer.

Tidus slowly pulled back, prolonging the moment as much as he could, knowing that this could be the last time. He made sure their lips were touching for as long as possible. Yuna let out another soft whimper as Tidus's lips left hers and then when the kiss was finally broken she found herself staring into his deep ocean blue eyes.

"I…" she didn't know what to say to that, she could not say anything. Everything she had wanted to say had been spoken silently during the kiss. Tidus smiled, but it was not his usual smile. Yuna noted that it was a sad smile. What was he sad about?

"Come on, time to meet my father" Tidus stated, Yuna nodded and the two quickly hurried after the others. Tidus's mind swirled with dark thoughts as he began to regret that final kiss.

One by one the Aeons vanished, all of them looking oddly at peace now that the constant death and battle was over. Auron had already departed, his promise to both Jecht and Braska fulfilled, as he left the world of the living to join his friends on the farplane, his long journey finished. Tidus watched as they slowly disappeared and felt a smile work on his face. Bahamut was the last Aeon to go and his eyes met Tidus's painfully. Tidus felt something strange; he felt his strength begin to leave him and looked down at his arms.

Yuna continued her dance, twirling and stepping gracefully over the deck as the pryeflies began to float away into the gathering orange cloud in front of her. She slowly came to a stop and lowered her staff as the pryeflies gathered in the cloud. She smiled softly to herself; glad it was finally over and turned around to look at her friends who behind her.

Her heart stopped, and her hands went limp, her staff dropping to the ground with a clatter. Her eyes were set on Tidus and he was looking at his arms. They were glowing; the same way that the pryeflies glowed and were transparent. Now she realised why he had kissed her so deeply, so lovingly, so passionately. It was their last kiss. The others stood completely oblivious to it, until Tidus looked up.

"No…" Yuna whispered shaking her head. This couldn't be happening, it just couldn't be.

"Yuna…" Tidus replied, struggling to speak as his strength waned, his voice shaking with sadness. "I have to go…" The others turned round now and their eyes widened at what they saw. Yuna shook her head again as the others could only watch. "I'm sorry I couldn't show you Zanarkand," he said. Slowly he began to walk past her, she watched him, her eyes watery as he stopped to look her. His eyes were still beautiful; they still entranced her as they always had. She fought back the urge to scream, the urge to shout at him and the urge to curse the fates for letting this happen. "Goodbye…" Tidus turned and began walking away. Yuna could only watch as her friends watched in shocked horror.

"Hey…" Wakka called after him as Rikku stepped up.

"We're gonna see you again!!" Rikku cried. Kai lowered his head and looked away as Lulu and Kimahri stood unable to think of anything other than whom they were losing. Yuna stood still turning fully to see him walk away.

Not like this… she thought. She was watching the very reason she had devoted herself to living for walk away and for what? Spira was safe, the fayth were at peace and now the people could finally move forward. But at the cost of him, of Tidus, her Guardian, yes her guardian and her love. Yuna began fighting against her restraints and then threw herself forward. Not like this!!

"Yuna!" Tidus turned and Kimahri's voice and saw Yuna running towards him. He opened his arms wanting to catch her and she came close.

But instead she did not fall into him, she did not find herself in his warm embrace, no she went straight through him. Yuna gasped and lost her footing falling onto her front. The entire party gasped in shock as Yuna lay on the floor and Tidus remained standing.

She just lay there, trying to will him into staying, trying to convince herself this was not happening, that he was staying. A pryefly emerged from the deck beneath her and flew past her head. It was still happening and now she was going to lose him. It's not fair. Why now? Why after all this, why do you have to take him away now? She demanded silently of the fayth. She received now answer, but heard Tidus's swallowing behind her; he was trying and failing to fight back his tears.

Tidus felt tears begin to fall from his eyes as the pryeflies began to dance around him and he looked at his hands again. Why?! His mind screamed as he looked at himself. Was fate this cruel? He had thought it was all a lie and he could continue his story, but now he was fighting just to keep himself from vanishing, to keep himself in existence. He looked up at Kai who was directly in front of him and the tears fell silently down his cheeks.

"It's not fair…" he said, Kai looked at him with a single tear falling from his eye. "Kai it's…not fair…" he repeated. Kai's eyes agreed with him and Kai's voice when he spoke were haunted, quivering, and weak.

"Life never is, never was and never will be fair. And as much as we hate it, we can't change it." Kai replied painfully. Tidus looked back at his arms and lowered as Yuna got to her feet. Tidus clenched his fists in anger as he cursed the fayth in his mind.

He felt Yuna get to her feet and tensed. Don't say it Yuna he pleaded silently, she could not say those words. If she did, he would never forgive himself. Please don't say it Yuna.

Yuna kept her back to him, her eyes still swimming with tears that began to silently fall from her eyes. She closed them trying to keep them back, but failed miserably. She opened her eyes and let her heart speak.

"I love you…" Tidus's eyes closed painfully as she said the words he knew she would say. Slowly he turned round and gazed at her as she stood her back still to him. Tidus slowly walked behind her and his transparent arms came up and wrapped around her shoulders. He could not reply, he knew she knew that he felt exactly the same way.

She stood, closing her eyes trying to feel Tidus's warmth behind her, to feel his presence but couldn't even hear him breath. Tidus tried to keep himself solid for that moment but knew time was against him. He carefully lowered his arms and moved through her. Yuna could only watch him go as Kai, Lulu, Rikku, Wakka and Kimahri watched as well. Wakka stepped up next to Lulu and placed his arm around her shoulders. Lulu turned and pressed her cheek to his chest closing her eyes, not bearing to watch Yuna's pain.

Tidus took a running leap from the deck and vanished into the cloud beneath them. Yuna could only watch as he disappeared from view while Kai stood next her, placing his hand on her shoulder. He was gone, that's all Yuna could think of, they had taken him away from her.

Yuna left the cheering crowd behind her, finally free to go home. She did not stop as Wakka called after her she just wanted to find Kai. She walked through the stadium corridors and found him leaning against the wall. He looked up and saw her, pushing himself off the wall to approach her. He stood opposite her and looked at her, his green eyes simmering with the pain of loss.

"How was it?" he asked softly. She looked down.

"Ok…" she replied and straightened up. "Let's go home…" Kai stopped her from walking away.

"Yuna…" she looked at him. "It's over now. You don't have to bottle it up any longer." She gazed at him already half way to giving in. "Just let it go" he said softly, wanting Yuna to stop being strong and start being herself. Yuna felt her restraints shatter and tears welled up in her eyes.

She choked out slightly and fell against her brother, her hands covering her eyes. She collapsed down as grief consumed her and Kai followed to the ground, holding her as her soul and her heart voiced their grief through her weeping.

He simply held his sister, as she cried, her grief-stricken and heart broken sobs echoing through the corridor unheard by anyone else as she cried for the loss of the love of her life.

Tidus.

I could not actually write this chapter without stopping. I had to do it on different days because it was so hard to write. I must admit I nearly cried at the end of the game when I saw Tidus leave.

Either way it's not over yet, no way. I've got another chapter coming.

Either way. Good? bad? Reviews please!!