Holy update batman . sorry it's been so long! Lots going on and lots more to keep me distracted!

Anyway, enough about me. Here's what you've been waiting for, the next chapter.

-AZF

The battle dragged on forever, they quickly formed a system to counter Yunalesca's attacks. Everyone protected Yuna, keeping her behind their lines so she could continually cast Esuna on anyone who was inflicted with an ailment. The party kept hacking away at her, cutting into her fake body. Lulu consistently fired spells at her while the others leapt about, weaving in and out of her reach. If one got too close, she lashed out and gouged them with her nails. Potions were thrown to injured party members and Yuna cast Curaga, constantly chugging down Ethers of every variety to keep her inner energy stored.

Yunalesca finally shrieked and seemed like she was going down.

"Finally," Tidus yelled panting.

"No, it's not over yet. Look," Auron said and they watched as she rose higher with a mighty cry. She was attached to a slimy, long being with many tentacles with sharp teeth; but as far as they could tell that's all there was to it. It was her and she was it. The tentacles writhed and squirmed with a sickening lust to destroy them. One lashed out as Lulu and bite into her, she cried out as her wound became infected and a sickly green glow overtook her body.

"Lu," Wakka yelled and glared at Yunalesca, "You'll pay for that one, ya! Take this!" He hurled his blitzball high in the air and Yunalesca grimaced as it hit her square in the face.

"She's ok " Yuna called as Lulu finished chugging down a Holy Potion and returned to her normal porcelain complexion.

"Not for long," Yunalesca hissed, "Hellbiter!" She raised her arms a and the tentacles squirmed angrily before lashing out at the party, striking and biting. The party dug through their pouches for potions.

"Gah! I'm almost out," Tidus cried as his fingers finally closed over a Holy. He uncorked it and raised it to his lips before a tentacle smacked him upside the head and it dropped and shattered. He looked around fearfully, his comrades preoccupied and Yuna was busy casting spell after spell at Yunalesca, giving everyone time to heal. Yunalesca turned her head towards him and he heard the softest whisper.

"Curaga." His entire body felt like it was on fire. He screamed and hit the floor writhing in agony. His companions froze and looked over at him.

"Tidus," Auron called and turned an angry gaze to Yunalesca and a stream of curse words strung together in his mind as he unleashed a furious attack on her, hacking tentacles off with a vengeance.

Yuna cast Esuna on Tidus and the pain stopped. He lay gasping on the floor until he felt the cool waves of Curaga wash over him. He sat up and smiled at Yuna thankfully as she nodded. He picked up his sword, swayed a little, before jumping right back into battle.

The battle dragged on and on, the party struggling between backing one another up and keeping themselves uninjured. The tentacles were nasty pieces of work, constantly lashing out and biting any pieces of exposed skin they could find. They were becoming exhausted the longer it dragged out, their movements slowing. Finally, Yunalesca sagged before another transformation left them inwardly groaning. They thought for a second that perhaps this woman would kill them. She was beating them badly, feet were dragging and attacks were getting sloppy.

"You cannot defeat me," Yunalesca cackled as she unleashed another Mental Break, causing the party to shudder and several to become confused, feeling their inner energies dropping and their minds becoming muddled. The ailments were quickly resolved and the battle continued.

"It is amusing to watch your efforts, all of you will succumb, there is no place to run and I will kill you all," Yunalesca sang and laughed as she watched the pitiful display below her.

"We won't give up that easily," Tidus roared and sliced off another tentacle. For every one they cut off, several more appeared and it was difficult to attack the head.

"Stubbornness will only get you so far, it will be enjoyable to watch you all break," she laughed.

"Your arrogance will be your downfall," Auron snarled

"Funny coming from you, I must say I am shocked to see you here. Oh well, this time I will make sure that you die. You won't be crawling pitifully away this time!" A tentacle lashed out and smacked him upside the head hard enough to make him fall to his knees, his vision blurring. He felt the attack coming instinctually and then he heard Yunalesca's scream of pain. He managed to open his eye and to his horror saw Rikku on top of the head and clawing at Yunalesca.

"Don't you dare touch him you nasty old hag," Rikku screeched and Yunalesca screamed and hollered as Rikku clawed at her face and delivered swift punches. The party watched as the two battled, mainly Rikku delivered blows angry blows while Yunalesca attempted to block. "You took my friends, you took my son, you sure as hell will. Not. Take. My. Husband," Rikku screamed and sunk her hand into Yunalesca's face. Yunalesca stumbled, blood oozing from her nose and multiple wounds.

"Enough," Yunalesca screamed and backhanded Rikku. The party watched, frozen in place as she went flying through the air. Auron managed to stumble and catch her in the nick of time, the impact sending them both sprawling on the ground.

Auron looked at his wife, about to tell her thank you before seeing the ugly bruising already forming on her cheek. Anger overwhelmed him, an anger he hadn't felt in ten years, too powerful to be held back. This time, however, he had back up and he had no fear of being struck down again. He slid from underneath Rikku, grabbed his sword and marched right up to Yunalesca. His glove tightened over his hand as he gripped his sword in a crushing grip, he side stepped tentacles or hacked them off as the party kept Yunalesca busy.

He marched straight up to the ugly head and went to hacking away angrily, each strike sending painful shockwaves up to Yunalesca herself as she cried out and turned her attention to him.

"You just don't give up," she screeched.

"I will never give up until your repulsive being rots in hell," Auron yelled at her and fended off several attacks from the head's tentacles and resumed his attack.

"This is futile! Must I remind you what happened last time?"

"You think that will stop me?" Auron leapt up, taking the spot Rikku had and gave Yunalesca a piercing glare. She crouched and hissed at him, feral and daring him to attack her.

"You are a stupid little man," Yunalesca hissed and her fingertips crackled. Auron felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, he recognized that spell except this time it was enough energy to tear his body to shreds but he want afraid. "Once I'm done with you, I will tear your comrades to shreds. I will make them scream, starting with that blonde girl, then the summoner, down the list until all that is left is a bloody mess on my floor."

"You will not touch a single hair on either of them," Auron growled, his blood pounding in his ears from anger and drowning out the sound of the battle below. All that matter was this moment. He gripped his sword and charged at her.

"We shall see," she sang and gave him a sample of her power. He felt the sharp sting of her attack, cutting into his cheek.

"There is too much at stake for me to give up," he roared as he hacked into her being. She howled in agony which caused the rest of the beast to lighten it's attacks. "You have caused too much grief in this land!" He attacked again and the body shuddered, once more and it began shrinking in on itself. Yunalesca feebly tried to stop him, her spell having no effect as he ignored the small cuts to his person. The head vanished in a cloud of pyreflies as Yunalesca backed away.

"Running away," Auron sneered and Yunalesca fixed him with a piercing glare.

"Bastard," she hissed, she raised her hand to strike him down but recoiled in pain as a quick slash of a sword cut through her arm.

"I don't think so," Tidus said as he let his sword fall. "We all have a bone to pick with you. Yunalesca's eyes burned with anger and hatred.

"This is for my father," Yuna said angrily, casting Holy onto her and she screamed and writhed.

"This is for my father," Tidus yelled and unleashed a few Quick Hits. Yunalesca screamed and lashed out at the party, her spell cutting into them, however, she was losing strength and it did nothing except cause minor bleeding.

"This is for Kimarhi's Clansmen," Kimarhi roared and a few jabs from his spear had her cowering.

"This is for Chappu," Wakka spat and unleashed a full poisonous attack.

"For everyone who has suffered," Lulu added with a multi-flare.

"For our son," Auron and Rikku yelled and unleashed a dual attack. Yunalesca screamed and backed away from the party like a wounded animal trying to go off and lick it's wounds. Auron stepped forward, sword in hand and eye narrowed.

"If I die, so does the Final Aeon. And with it, Spira's only hope," Yunalseca said glaring.

"Then we'll find Spira a new hope," Tidus snapped at her.

"Fool. There is no other way. Even if there was... Even if you did destroy Sin... Yu Yevon the immortal would only create Sin anew."

"Yu Yevon," Tidus asked and looked around, everyone sharing his confused expression.

"Ah... Zaon... Forgive me... Spira has been robbed of the light of hope... All that remains is sorrow," she said dramatically.

"In your words, let me be your liberator," Auron snarled and proceeded to decapitated her. Yunalesca's eyes went wide before her head flew across the room. Everyone turned to Auron in shock, and satisfaction, and he shrugged, "That's enough crap from her mouth." They nodded in agreement.

"I cannot believe what we just did," Yuna said as the anger of the moment subsided and the real shock set in.

"Let's do something more unbelievable," Tidus said.

"What," Rikku asked.

"Destroy Sin. So it won't come back, and without the Final Aeon. I don't know how just yet. But I'll find out."

The party just nodded as their anger was swept away. They looked around the room, looked at the disaster they had made on the holy ground.

"Let's get out of here," Rikku said, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with defiling the room. They agreed and made their way back through the dome, surprised when they were not greeted with fiends and turned to Auron for an explanation. He just shrugged.

"I don't know how it happens, I don't know everything," he said and they accepted that answer. No one wanted to bother him, especially after witnessing his blood thirsty vengeance. Even Tidus made the effort to stay away from him and keep his mouth shut, Auron didn't mind, he had a lot to reflect on. He felt lighter now that the hag was out of the way. Check that off his list of things to accomplish, next was how in Spira were they going to defeat Sin? He inwardly sighed and tried to think of anything, knowing the others would thinking until their brains caved in on themselves and turn to him for help. He couldn't think of anything, he was in the dark just as they were and he didn't like it one bit.

When they stepped out of the dome, they blinked against the sunlight before Yuna gasped at the sight of Sin. The others turned and tensed, unsure of what was going to happen. Tidus stepped forward and looked Sin in the eye.

"Dad?" He felt a nudging at his mind and he let the presence enter it and was almost overwhelmed by the feeling. He saw an image of Yunalesca's dead body, "I know. The Final Summoning's gone. But I'll think of something! Just give me a little more time!" He almost felt a nod as Sin turned away and the airship passed it, everything going in slow motion but Sin ignored the ship and continued on. Tidus felt his mind return to his own and he almost felt dizzy before he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at Auron.

"It passes."

"I get it now and I just thought you were crazy," Tidus said grinning.

"Maybe a little. Come." Tidus followed him onto the airship and they made their way to the others. Cid turned and looked at their serious faces and wondered what exactly happened down there.

"Frana du huf," Brother asked, looking over his shoulder at the party.

"Aren't we the happy lookin' bunch," Cid said ignoring him.

"Frana? Frana," Brother asked not like being ignored at all and was met with his irritated sister.

"Where, where?" That all you can say? Why don't you think of something," Rikku snapped. Auron gently put his hand on her shoulder to tell her to relax.

"Well? Any good ideas," he asked. Tidus thought for about five seconds.

"Come on, help us," he asked and Auron sighed exasperated. He thought for a second before going out on a limb as he thought of an idea. He wasn't sure it would work but it was worth a try.

"What do we know... Sin is Jecht. Thus, you have a link... a bond with Sin. That may be our key."

"So what do we do," Tidus asked. Perhaps you should try using your brain before it rots away, Auron thought.

"We think, and we wait," he said before turning to leave. Rikku followed him.

"Two things I'm bad at," Tidus groaned. He paused as Yuna approached Cid. They stared at each other for a moment before Yuna bows to him. Her ears picked up his boots scuffing on the metal and looked up to find his back turned on her. Hurt crossed her face as she thought he wanted nothing to do with her or he was angry. What she couldn't see were the tears dripping down his face no matter how hard he attempted to stop them. She turned from him and exited with Kimarhi as the party took up their spots and went to thinking on what Auron had said. What was the link exactly? What use would this serve? They felt like the answer could only be solved by Tidus or Auron himself, more like Auron since the boy had given up thinking and went to find Yuna. How predictable.

Rikku sat nestled in Auron's arms, telling him for the millionth time she was ok. He just nodded and fell silent. She looked up at him and kissed his cheek.

"You should really start believing me you know."

"I know..."

"I'm ok. It only hurts a little." A nod. "It's over now."

"I know...I just..."

"Just what? Got scared?"

"Maybe."

"You're getting too easy to read."

"I suppose that's what happens when you're married for so long."

"Getting tired of me?"

"Never." A smile at last.

"What are we going to do when we're done?"

"I don't know yet...go back home."

"I still feel hurt and angry."

"Then perhaps destroying Sin will put us more at ease. Destroying that witch was comforting, satisfying, but she was only a pawn and obstacle to the big prize."

"What if...we can't beat Sin?"

"I believe that we can."

"You said there was a link? You have an idea right?"

"It's a stretch...a really big stretch but perhaps it might still work."

"It's worth a try right, so spill it."

"Alright. The hymm might be the key."

"The hymm?"

"Do you remember in Macalania? Jecht sat listening, docile and calm, to the singing of the Fayth. Perhaps he is not so lost to Sin yet that he may still be able to hear it."

"You think it'll work?"

"It's worth a try, right?"

"Right." She smiled and gave him a tight squeeze, "What should I tell the others?"

"It was your idea."

"But you thought of it!"

"No one has to know. Besides, it's only one idea. There could be countless ways we could deal with this, I just happened to know the man. The only person who has a stronger link is Tidus. Perhaps Jecht will hold back if he can, afraid to harm his son."

"What about us?"

"I fear friend and foe is not like family. Family bears a stronger bond than friendship, Jecht won't forget Tidus even if Sin completely took over him."

"You think so?"

"I hope so." They sat in silence for a while before Rikku felt his hand on her cheek, tenderly stroking it. "Does it hurt?"

"A little, it'll heal though."

"I know. Come on, let's go rejoin the others."

"Ok." They both got up and returned to the command deck, the others standing around and talking.

"What's going on," Auron asked.

"We're going to see Mika," Tidus said.

"Why?"

"We think he might know something," Yuna responded and Auron nodded.

"He might, Mika knows more than he tells."

"Then back to Bevelle we go," Tidus said and grinned and the others nodded in agreement.

Auron went and leaned against the wall and inwardly sighed, back to that wretched temple again. Honestly, if it burned to the ground I wouldn't mind.