The Operation

When I was making my way back to the Command Centre I saw someone leaving the elevator and heading back down to the beach. I knew exactly who it was and my stomach dropped. I didn't know what he was thinking but I couldn't let him do this. I went after him instead of going to the Command Centre.

"Gatta!" I cried out to get his attention. His pace didn't slow at all and it kept me running after him. "Gatta what are you doing? Gatta don't ignore me!"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He half-yelled as he stormed down to the beaches. There were absolutely no Crusaders on the path down as they were all getting into position so no one was there to stop Gatta except for me. "I came to fight Sin and that's what I'm going to do!"

"What about the Command Centre? Protecting the Maesters and all?" I tried to argue, taking huge breaths between words as we ran. "What about that? We need you up there-"

"They've got plenty of Crusaders up there, and a whole entourage, and Yuna and her Guardians," Gatta snapped. "Besides, shouldn't you be back up there? You're Yuna's Guardian right?"

"I don't want you to kill yourself!" I grabbed his arm and made him stop. I looked in his eyes, seeing the fierce determination in them, the desire to kill Sin and fight the battle with his friends instead of sitting up at the Command Centre watching others fight a battle he so badly wanted to join. Still he was barely older than me, I couldn't let him do this. "What about Luzzu?"

"What about him? He thinks he's trying to protect me!" Gatta fumed. "But he's not! I can fight Sin whether he thinks so or not! No one, not you, not Luzzu, is going to stop me, okay?" I shook my head in response. He wasn't going to run off and get himself killed. He wasn't doing this. Gatta saw the look in my face and glared. "You're not going to stop me Grace, don't you want to stop Sin too?" He never gave me time to answer, instead choosing to run off to the beach.

"Gatta!" I yelled and ran after him. I didn't want him to do this. I know I was the same, I wanted to fight but at the same time I was scared for the Operation to happen and everyone fight Sin. Everyone wanted to fight Sin and kill it for good but I wasn't about to let Gatta kill himself.

The battle had already started by the time we reached the beaches. At the beaches were the Crusaders and Chocobo Knights charging towards the Sinscales on the beach that were viciously mauling the Crusaders. Sinscales were weak alone but their numbers more than made up for it. I'd heard stories from other Crusaders that they could tear down platoons of Crusaders as Sin would make its way to the towns around Spira. I remembered dealing with them on the boat to Kilika but that was nothing compared to what I was seeing down there. Taking a look at the battlefield made me think of Wakka, of Lulu, of Chappu, of why they didn't want me to fight. My blood ran cold with fright, my eyes darting around to see fallen Chocobos, bloodied soldiers, cannons, guns, screaming, fighting. I could see some Crusaders, once filled with determination and drive to stop Sin, now fearing for their lives and running towards the Djose Highroad to repent to Yevon for turning away. I saw people climbing from the cliffs to join the fight with their brothers and sisters, having nothing to lose. If I had been up at the Command Centre I might never have seen this.

I took my spear and, without another thought, ran to the beach alongside Gatta. There really was no turning back at this point. No turning back.

Without a doubt, running into that battlefield was one of the scariest moments of my life. I'd only read about wars in school, watched the movies, heard about them on the news broadcasts. Regardless of the adrenaline coursing through my body, the back of my mind told me that I was a seventeen year old dancer. I wasn't a soldier like the Crusaders, just a girl who wanted to help. Sure I had some fight, had some skill in all that Alchemy, but at heart I was a dancer, not a warrior like the rest.

I threw red powder at a group of Sinscale, burning them and sending them into an angry and blind flurry. It was easier to dodge them and take them out that way. One bit me in the leg and I kicked it off, stabbing it quickly then swiping another Sinscale to the left of me. In the distance I could see Sin getting closer, a huge barrier around it as the Al Bhed cannon got closer to it.

"Come on, please work," I said to myself, watching the cannon get into place. I didn't want Yuna to die for us. I wanted this to work so badly. Please work for us.

As I stood I barely saw the Sinscales coming for me. I whacked them out of the way and threw blue powder, this one turning the Sinscale against each other. I attacked the other beasts at that group was distracted, helping other Crusaders who were having trouble.

I tried to look for Gatta, for Luzzu, hoping they were okay. I didn't want Gatta to be hurt, especially if it could have been avoided. I couldn't find them amongst the chaos. I wanted them to be okay. I wanted Yuna to be okay. I wanted Christie and Lysander to be okay. I said I'd come back and be Yuna's Guardian, I said I would come back. I said I would come back.

"What is it doing?" I heard a Crusader yell. I looked to Sin, fearing the worst.

A bright, white light. Rushing towards us, decimating everything in its path.

I thought my heart had stopped in fear.

Instead, the beach cleared. It was nothing like the battle I was participating in. It was calm, serene even. The sun was shining, a couple of clouds, white and grey, casting over the sky. The waves were slowly lapping up to the shoreline. There was a small breeze tasting of salt and it was cold, despite the sun.

There was a woman on the beach, crouching at the shore and watching the waves move back and forth at her feet. I recognised the dress the woman wore: a warm orange dress that flowed elegantly to the ground, sand and water dirtying the hem, a golden belt with flower decals around her waist, the back tied into a bow. Her shoulders were bare, the red and orange scarf had fallen off her shoulders and her absent mindedly pulled them back up to warm herself. Her blonde hair was pulled back to a bun, chopsticks adorned with tiny, pretty butterflies of various colours keeping it in place.

Her companion stood close to me, not aware of my existence. He was Al Bhed: blonde haired, green eyes and tanned. His clothes were much like outfits of the other Al Bhed I had seen around the Mushroom Rock: brown baggy trousers with brown boots, yellow fitted top with Al Bhed adornments, belts, and goggles. He seemed to be waiting patiently for his friend to finish what she was doing.

I had seen them on the boat to Luca, a vision of them from so long ago. Pyre and Gynsy, or Karma.

I was so confused, why was I seeing this now?

"Hey! What's taking so long?" Both Karma and I turned, seeing four people waiting. Three men and another woman. The woman looked like an older Christie but had blue eyes and wore light brown cropped trousers, tall brown sandals and a green top underneath a white robe with red triangles around the sleeves, hood and bottom of the knee length robe that also had a red, thin ribbon tied into a bow.

"Give Pyre some time," Karma said to the man who asked the question. I took a look at the three men. The red robe of one I recognised almost immediately: Auron's robe. Wait, I remembered Christie telling me that Pyre, Karma and Siren were with Auron, Jecht and Braska on their Pilgrimage. Could this mean... I was having flashbacks? But how and why? Why would I see this when I'm not a part of it?

"But we're falling behind as it is," The younger Auron chastised. I saw that Pyre had stood up and turned around. Before, in the vision I had on the boat, Pyre looked younger. Here I could tell she had been caused a lot of stress and had grown older.

"I'm sorry, but Siren? Could I have a word?" She still sounded as soothing as she had on the boat. Siren gave a small nod and started to climb down the rocks towards the older woman. Karma took the hint and gave Siren a pat on the shoulder before heading up to the men and leaving the girls alone. It was silent between them, then Pyre took a breath. "You probably don't remember this place," Siren looked uncertain but said nothing. "When Sin destroyed the ship heading from Luca to Bevelle, I found you here as a child, scared, alone and the only survivor. You cried for your mother, for your father, for your aunt. You said you wanted to go home, back to Bevelle. I left my service in Djose Temple and took you to Bevelle, joined the Priesthood there, raised you in place of your parents," Siren's face was sad, her eyes tearing up ever so slightly as Pyre talked. "Being a part of your life, seeing the pain Sin caused you gave me strength to become a Summoner so that you wouldn't suffer again. However..." She looked pained, as though she had been through this conversation before. "As hypocritical as it is, as cowardly as it is, Siren I understand what you want. I raised you, you're like my daughter, I love you. So please, please Siren. When Braska's Calm ends I beg you do not become a Summoner! I cannot bear to watch you sacrifice yourself. I was prepared to do the same, once, long ago. I cannot bear to watch you go on your Pilgrimage and die." I was stunned. This woman, so determined to stop Sin and bring the Calm, suddenly begging a friend not to do as she did. I was so confused.

"I know, Pyre," Siren's voice was barely a whisper. "I was scared when you left on your Pilgrimage. I didn't want to be alone. I understand... but I'm sorry..." Pyre seemed to have already known Siren's answer. "This is something I have to do. I have to be a Summoner, Pyre. Please don't be scared." I was so confused, I didn't understand what I was seeing, why I was seeing it. I didn't understand any of it. I wanted to understand what was going on.

But I didn't.

Everything went white. I felt a hot, searing pain throughout my body.

I wanted to understand.