28 Blood and Fire

"Boy, listen here. You'd better do as I say or you will regret it for the rest of your pathetic existence!" I heard my old man's words clear as if he was standing right next to me, but I looked, and he wasn't there. It was also obvious that no one else had heard him.

"Sin's coming!" Someone called from the cove below. I looked to the sea and watched as the monster rose up out of it. "Leave the command center, or I will kill Yuna." Immediately, I ran out of the tent, out onto the plateau where the children played. Just as a small girl ran by me, she burst into flames which immediately separated into burning pyreflies, shrieking and flying away. Horror gripped me.

"You demon!" I screamed over the din or the battle unfolding on the beach. "If you're not careful, every man, woman, and child here will suffer in fire for eternity. Except for you; you will rue this day for all of your life." I was so furious I couldn't breathe to let loose my words of my hatred for him. Another child went up in tongues of fire, the cries of his friends filled the air. "No!" I choked, running down the pathway to the sand.

I didn't know what it meant for me to be "careful," But I would do anything to stop Sin from condemning these people to eternal death. I knew that if there was any chance I could avoid any more burning, I would do it. I charged through the battlefield, trying not to get caught in the crossfire. I hacked my way through a swarm of sinscales, but then I was thrown to the ground, pain ripping its way through my rib cage. I looked at my torso and saw blood. I pressed my hand hard against my ribs, realizing that I had accidentally been shot. I heard terrified shouts and looked up to see a an Al Bhed set ablaze, as the children had been.

"Kill one Al Bhed and I will burn no more" "No!" I howled. "Don't make me!" Another Al Bhed near by went up in flames. Tears poured down my face as I drew my sword. "I'm sorry!" I yelled as I slashed the man in half. Just feeling the sword in my hand slicing through flesh made my whole body ache. I had never done anything so sickening in my life. I killed a man who was trying to save the world.

People took notice of me, angry yelling ensued as two men grabbed my arms and threw me to the ground they shot holes in my hands so that I could not use a sword. It hurt terribly, but I wanted the pain, I deserved the pain. "That's it, boy. You did as I said. No more will die in flames...but they will die."

Sin was right near me, a huge bubble of electricity surrounding its body. Ran on through the battlefield, trying not to be killed by the sinscales. I found myself right next to the huge machina that was shooting a constant stream of electricity at Sin.

Suddenly, there was an ear-splitting shriek and a blinding flash of light as I was blown backwards away from the machina. On my back, I watched as the whole thing came crashing to the ground in sparks and smoke. I instantly knew that the shriek had come from Sin, Sin had destroyed the machina. My ears run from the sound, I was seeing spots. There was a crash and I looked up just in time to see a huge piece of the machina tumbling towards me.

I tried to roll out of the way, but it landed on top of me. Because of its curvature, fell on me like a shield, instead of crushing me. I heard more screams and shrieks, I heard explosions, and at some point, I my shield was thrown off of me, and I went flying into a rock and got knocked out.

When I woke, my body ached like never before. When I looked around, my pain increased, just from the horrors that before my eyes. Crushed, destroyed, mangled bodies lay everywhere, only a few people were left surviving, all of them as beat up as I was. "Curse you! I hate you! I hate you!" Tears streamed down my face as I screamed at Sin; at my old man.

"There you go again! Crying!" His voice spat in my mind, as Sin disappeared into the depths of the sea. Fury gripped me, but it was soon replaced with fear…fear for Yuna. I struggled to run, forcing my throbbing body up the cliffside path.

Thousands of Sin's tentacles swarmed under the surface of the water as it approached. There was a thunderous crash as the water exploded while Sin came up out of it. My knees were knocking, my whole body shaking. Please Yevon! Don't let them die! Don't let us die! I begged, but doubt displaced any hope that might have come from praying.

As the machina weapons rang out across the cove, sending bullets into Sin's shell, from it fell thousands of sinscales, all falling into the ocean and swimming rapidly toward the sand. There, they attacked the men running about, trying to get the large machina weapon ready. I cried out in fear when I saw Tidus fighting among them. I was certain that everyone down on that beach would die, Tidus included.

Auron grabbed my arm. "Run!" He yelled. We took cover, hiding behind rocks, or even chairs and tables; anything to protect us from Sin. I could no longer see anything of the battle that was unfolding, but I heard shrieks and cries of pain and fear, the wailing of children and bright flashes of lightning, the element of thunder.

It only took a few moments until a sickening hush came over the coast. I stood up from behind my rock to see Sin hovering above the water, but I couldn't see the battlefield from where I stood. I knew they had lost, but maybe Sin had weakened. There was only one way we could possibly win this battle. I wasn't ready; I didn't want to die. But if now was time, than I would accept my fate. "Everyone, stand back! I'll summon!" My voice faltered as I called to all who were still alive around me and I began to swing my staff, asking Valefor to accept my call; to meld with me so we could defeat, or at least fight off this monster.

Lord Seymour grabbed my shoulder. "You can't!" He yelled. "But I must do something!" I cried. "You're powers are still too weak!" I looked down, and lowered my staff. I knew he was right. There was no way I could do it. The best thing I could do was stay alive to defeat Sin once I had grown stronger. Sin turned and dove back into the sea, soon disappearing into its depths.

Then, I heard an angry cry ring out. "Curse you! I hate you! I hate you!" Relief sent shivers down my spine as I recognized Tidus' voice. The relief, however did not last long; when I ran to the edge of the cliff, there lay utter destruction. Torn bodies littered the beach, the sand was coated in their blood. In the midst of it all stood Tidus, fists clenched, filthy and bloody, but alive.

He stumbled his way up the path, and I met him half way. When he saw me, the look on his face changed from tearful outrage to something that resembled joy. "I was so afraid you were dead!" He gasped . "Are you okay?" He asked, still holding his hand on his side, now freely gushing his life's blood. His face was pale and twisted in pain.

Too terrified that he could die any second, I reached out to heal him. As soon as my fingers touched his skin, agony seized my entire being. After a few moments, though the pain eased, and he was completely healed, strong once again.

He supported me as we hurried down the trail. When we reached the bottom, I went directly into the dark red water. He stepped back away from me, giving me space to dance. It was harder, because of the waves crashing over my feet, but soon I was able to manipulate the water with my staff.

When I finished, I stumbled out of the water and fell to the blood soaked sand. Only a few bodies were left on the sand; the survivors. Though my whole being quaked with no strength left, I knew I had to heal them. Tidus helped me up, and I saw my other guardians coming down the path towards us. I healed the nearest man to us, an Al Bhed, and I thought I could not do another, but I somehow saved two more.

Tidus carried me over to another, and I fell upon him, unable to pray, my vision going black. I thought I was dying. Suddenly, the man sat up, healed. I looked up at him through a hazy mist before I lost all consciousness of anything around me.

I watched as Yuna danced, tortured thoughts haunting my mind. The stench of blood and death surrounded me; it soaked my clothing, my hair, my skin. As Yuna danced on the sea's waves, I couldn't help but wonder how many died that day. People die, and Yuna dances. I longed to know when she would stop dancing. And yet I already knew the will end when Sin is finished, done, and gone. I now understood that the Final Summoning must truly be the only way to defeat Sin.

I found myself hoping that anyone who saw me kill the Al Bhed man had died in the chaos. I would never be able to explain why I had done what I did, because I didn't want anyone to know that Sin spoke to me, and especially not that Sin was my old man. I was sick.

TidusxYuna Always