Author's Note: I do not own Final Fantasy X or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belong solely to their respective owners.

Ch.36 Jyscal's Will

We all rushed into Yuna's room, seeing the sphere of Lord Jyscal having been dropped. Tidus picked it up and put it on the ground, Auron saying "This may very well answer a few of our questions." It turned on, showing Lord Jyscal surrounded by water bubbles from the sphere itself, but in the back it rained and lightning struck often. It may have been the Thunder Plains, but what drew my attention was Maester Jyscal. "What I am about to tell you is the unclouded truth. I swear it on my honor as a Guado. Listen to me, and I will tell you the truth about my son, Seymour.

"His mind is closed even to me, a maester of Yevon. But I can feel flames of darkness burning in his heart. He is using Yevon, the Guado, and even the summoners. If he is not stopped, he will surely bring chaos and destruction to the Spira. I will leave this world soon, killed by my own son. But I do not fault him. Because I was not wise enough, he had suffered and become twisted. I was not able to protect him and his mother from the world and its cruelty. I will accept death as punishment for my deeds. But whoever is watching this... I implore you to stop Seymour! Stop my son." And with that it turned off.

"Wonderful," Auron said, while Deiru added "Just peachy." "Will Yuna be all right?" Rikku asked, and I hurriedly looked at them. Auron and Deiru walked out, the former saying "Without us, no." Kimahri and Rikku ran out as my eyes widened suddenly realizing the implications. Yuna was alone, I n the Cloister of Trials, with a Maester of Yevon and murderer! I was about to sprint forward when Wakka asked "Where are you goin'?""Isn't it obvious? I'm helping Yuna!" I said impatiently. "You saw, didn't you? Seymour's bad news!" Tidus said. "But he's a maester!" he protested. We both groaned angrily, and at the same time said "Fine! Stay here if you want!"

"Come on, Wakka. Let's at least hear him out," Lulu said. "This cannot be happening," he muttered, but followed. By the steps was a fallen monk who said "That Ronso, he-! Bevelle will hear about this!" but I merely stepped over him. The others followed, and we entered a corridor made of ice. "Kimahri's up ahead. Go," Auron said, and Tidus said "Right!" I nodded and ran. Ever since I met him something about Seymour put me on edge, and sent a chill down my spine. Now I knew why; he had murdered his own father. Any respect I may have had for him turned to burning hatred; that single act went against everything I believed. And I would make sure he suffered for it.

We entered the antechamber, and saw that Yuna was gone, already in the Chamber of the Fayth. Meanwhile, the bastard himself stood in front of the door, two Guado guards flanking him. "Seymour!" I called angrily. Without turning around he said "Please be silent. Lady Yuna prays to the fayth." "Make us!" Tidus challenged. He turned around and smirked at us, and my hand reached for my sword. Before I could however, the door opened and Seymour, turned back around, seeing Yuna emerge. "Yuna!" I called, and she gasped. "But why...?" she asked.

"We saw Jyscal's sphere!" Tidus told her. Deiru stepped forward. "You killed him. Your own father." Rather than get angry, laugh or even smile, he asked "What of it?" "What of it?! Your father cared about you, Guado, half-Guado of otherwise! What you did was unforgivable!" I yelled, snapping and charging forward. The Guado guard blocked me and I swung at them, but Seymour cast Blizzaga and sent me back. Yuna ran towards me and yelled "Sofia!" I grunted and quaffed a Potion, healing the injury. "Lady Yuna, surely you knew of these things, did you not?" Seymour asked.

She made a few sounds but didn't say anything, but that enough. She knew. "Well then, why have you come?" he asked her. "I came..." she said, before gripping her spear and facing him. "I came to stop you!" "I see. You came to punish me then." He turned around and looked at her, extending his hand. But, Yuna back away. He lowered his hand and said "What a pity." I bared my teeth and stepped beside her, while the other did the same. "Ah, of course. 'Protect the summoner even at the cost of one's life.' The Code of the Guardian," he said, before raising his hand. "Well, if you're offering your lives, I will have to take them."

"Maester Seymour. I trust my guardians with my life. But they are also my friends! I will not stand by and watch them be hurt!" Yuna said, raising her staff. "I will fight you too!" "All right!" Tidus called, while I smiled. "Maester Seymour!" Wakka called, but he ignored him. Seymour expression lost all sense of falsehood, showing the burning rage that he held within. "So be it," he said, and his two guards stepped forward. We all drew our weapons and stepped forward, beginning the fight.

Seymour's two guards cast Protect and themselves while Seymour cast Shell. Yuna did the same and began bestowing Nul spells on all of us, while I charged forward. I had intended to swing at Seymour, but suddenly one of the guards stepped in front of him and took the hit. Selini cut him across the chest from shoulder to hip, and I jumped back. Immediately the guard consumed a Hi-Potion, and I groaned in understanding. These guys cast given themselves Protect so they could guard Seymour, and every time they did they would heal themselves.

"They've got Potions. What do we do?" I asked. Tidus smiled and said "Watch this!" He ran forward and instead of using Spiral Cut, he ran from one of the guards to the other, slashing at them over and over each time he passed. He didn't give them time to heal, and by the time he ran back to us one guard had fallen to the ground. "What was that?" I asked, and he smiled. "Another Overdrive of mine, called Slice and Dice. I just learned it recently."

I nodded, but had to push him to the side as a Fire spell zoomed past us. We glared at its caster, And Tidus said "I knew you were bad news from the start!" Seymour acted ashamed and said "Oh! My sincerest apologies then!" "Seymour!" he called, charging again while Kimahri did the same. Both of them worked blocked by the guard, who tossed a Shremedy at Tidus. Instantly he became confused, not recognizing Kimahri and swing at him instead. Kimahri jumped back and said "What are you doing?!" But he couldn't hear either, and began swinging in random directions.

Seymour laughed at the sight and Wakka called "Maester! We must stop this!" There was a silence, and he said "Aah! I can't believe this is happening!" "Yuna! Help Tidus!" Lulu said, casting Fira and hitting the Guado guard. It pulled out a Potion and was about to drink it when Rikku came up and snatched it out of his hand. It's eyes widened and it tried to take it back, but Rikku giggled, punched him with her claw and ran back. Now that it couldn't heal Deiru ran forward, bringing his sword around and slammed the flat of the blade on his head. There was metallic gong and loud crack, and the other Guado fell down.

Now that he had no guards Seymour cast Thunder, striking me with a bolt of Thunder that would have hurt me, if it hadn't been for Yuna's Nulshock spell. He frowned when he saw that I was unharmed, and Yuna said "You may be a maester, but I will still fight!" He looked at her and smiled. "Your eyes, they burn with resolve... Beautiful," he said, and I resisted the urge to gag. "They let's your own eyes burn, along with the rest of you!" I called, cast Fira.

He crossed his arms over his chest and ducked his head, the spell hitting him dead-on. However, aside from some very minor burns that spell had little effect. I groaned; so that was what that Shell spell did. He smiled and cast Water at me, engulfing me in liquid for a second. I choked and couldn't breather, when suddenly he let the spell go. The water released me and fell to the ground, and I just had time to wonder why when I saw Wakka catch his ball. My eyes widened. "You attacked Seymour to save me?" I asked.

Wakka sighed."Don't ask me about it right now, ya? Just don't let me think about think about it!" Granting his request, I turned back in time to see Kimahri use Lancet and drain Seymour of health. He grunted and cast Fire at Kimahri, who used his spear to leap over the shot. Auron grunted and said "Now you shall know pain!" and he ran forward, his sword glowing bright blue. Seymour blocked the blow and it dealt only a small amount of damage, but the deed was done; he had been inflicted with Mental Break.

I smiled. Now that he was weaker against magic I fired Blizzara, while Lulu charged Thundara Fury. He blocked my spell, but then Lulu said "Need a good jolt, Maester?" and lowered her arms. From above a large bolt of lightning struck Seymour, followed by another and another. A total of nine bolts hit him, dealing massive damage and leaving him on his knees. I was just about to deliver the killing blow when he stood and called "Feel my pain! Come, Anima!" All our eyes widened, and we looked up.

A chain with hooks attached to the end feel from a dark hole in the sky, smashing through the ground and creating another. Slowly it rose back up, pulling the Dark Aeon out of the abyss and into this world. Once it was it spread its arms best it could while still chained, and let our a piercing screech and roar. "Now! Destroy them!" Seymour commanded. The aeon seemed reluctant, but its eyes glowed and it used Pain on me. The air around me turned to energy and exploded, and I screamed in unbearable agony. The pain was too much, and I blocked out.

xxx

I don't know where I was, or what was going on, I barely knew my name. I was standing in the middle of a small chamber, a glowing stone in the ground before me. I looked closely, and my eyes turned to saucers when I realized it was Anima's fayth! "That is right," I heard voice say. Instantly I was cautious, looking around for the source of it. "Who's there?!" I called, and the voice chuckled. "You need not fear. I will not harm you." Suddenly a figure appeared in the air above the fayth, forming a woman with shoulder-length black hair and blue eyes, wearing a simple dress with a bark blue bodice and light blue skirt.

"Who are you?" I asked, and she smiled. "Surely you recognize me. Can you not see the resemblance in our faces?" she asked. I frowned and looked closely. Those blue eyes were familiar, only these ones were soft and caring, not like the hatred I saw in the eyes of- I gasped. "Are you... Seymour's mother?" I asked. She nodded. "So have met my son. And for you two appear here despite being unconscious, you must have also met my aeon," she said, and I nodded. "The Dark Aeon, Anima," I said. "Yes, I had hoped that my power would help my son be strong in life, and even defeat Sin so he would be accepted by Spira. But I failed; he was too young and fled.

"All alone in the world, I am not surprised my son has become the type of man that he is today. I can feel it, even from here in this underwater cavern. All fayth can feel when they're aeons are being used, and to a point can see what the aeon is being commanded to do." She closed her eyes. "My aeon is being used to fight you, a summoner, an aeon she has summoned and seven other guardians. But even with that number, should my son use Anima's full power on them, all hope is lost," she said. My eyes widened. Lost? No! I had to help them. I was still unconscious, but here had to be a way to help!

"Please, tell me what I can do. Anything!" I said. She was silent for a while, until she opened her eyes. "I sense that although you are not a summoner, you have the power to send the souls of the departed. Is that so?" she asked. I nodded, and she said "Draw your sword." Without asking while I pulled out Selini, and she said "Now, with the power of the Dark Aeon, I give you my strength, the same way I gave it to my son. Use the power I have given you to save your friends and stop my son. Please," she said, her voice taking a begging tone at the end.

"I will," I said firmly, and she smiled. Even through she shouldn't be able to touch it, Seymour's mother grabbed my sword... and poured hr strength into it. My eyes widened, and I could feel the same agony that I had felt from the Pain attack wash over me, only this time it was different. The pain wasn't affecting me, it was affecting my sword. I glowed and pulse with both its usual silver and a black light, humming with power. I could feel the world beginning to fade around me, and Seymour's mother said "Go. That is all the power I can give you. The rest is up to your friends and you."

xxx

My eyes snapped open, seeing Yuna kneeling next to me. "Sofia? Are you okay?" she asked. I nodded and grabbed my sword, which was still vibrating even though I was awake. Yuna stood and glared at Seymour, before saying "Shiva! Finish Anima off with Diamond Dust!" The Aeon of Ice nodded and waved her hand, sending a blast if icy wind at the Dark Aeon. Shiva brought her arms over head and they glowed with a white light before she flung her left hand at Anima, sending wind cold enough to create a glacier around Anima that froze it in place. Then, almost delicately, she snapped her fingers and the glacier exploded.

I winced as countless razor-sharp shards of ice cut and ripped through Anima's skin, and the aeon faded away into a cloud of pyreflies. Almost immediately though, Seymour cast Firaga and Shiva fell to the ground, disappearing as well. "That power that defeated Anima, it will be mine!" he said, casting a pair of Wateras and sending Tidus flying. "Tidus!" Yuna called, but was stopped short by a pair of Blizzaras that froze her and Rikku in place. "Hey!" Rikku called indignantly,l trying to escape. Deiru and Auron went to help but were also sent back by a Multi-Fira, and Wakka and Lulu dodged twin Thundaras.

Slowly, Seymour turned to me and smiled. "All that's left is you. Care for any last words?" I stood, and glared at him with pure, unadulterated hatred. "Yeah, actually. I have four words for you," I said, my sword humming to the point it was audible. Shouting, I ran forward while Selini burst into solid-black flames. Seymour moved back and sent Fira and Blizzara spells at me, which I cut right in half without stopping. He shot a lightning bolt, which I jumped over as it hit the ground, and side-stepped a burst of water. Now the distance between us was gone, and I yelled "Take this! Murderous Blow!"

I swung down and slammed Selini against his chest, he flames winking out in an explosion that sent Seymour flying. He shouted in pain and surprise, and I could see a shadowy shape thrust its hand into his chest, pulling out a red orb and crushing it. Although it left no wound, Seymour gasped when the orb was crushed, and I realized that was his heart. He landed on the ground and tried to stand, but only made it to kneel before the pain became too much. Yuna approached him and he asked "Yuna... You would pity me now?" She didn't say anything, and he fell back onto the temple floor with his arms spread. His eyes were open, but I knew.

Seymour was dead.

xxx

Ah yeah, was this chapter nice to write! I hope you liked the part about Seymour's mother; I just decided to add it there.

Please review! If you flame me Liam Neeson will look for you, he will find you, and he will kill you. (I'm just kidding... or am I?)