Within the Cavern

We'd finally managed to cross the remainder of the Calm Lands. The resting spot provided us with supplies and a few more weapons, leaving us more prepared than what we had been before. We ate, rested, and marched like a unit towards the pathway towards the mountains. It was new territory for us all, bar Auron; Lulu and Wakka had only gotten as far as the Calm Lands before their previous Summoners gave up and returned home. To be so close and, after so much determination and dedication, to give up a lifetime of work was... it felt heartbreaking in a sense.

Summoners had to die for Sin to die, sure, and fearing death was totally normal even for people who had given themselves to the cause, but having grown up with that mentality and backing away from what was expected of you must be incredibly difficult. I could get why Summoners who gave up the Pilgrimage were shunned, why Pyre got shunned too. I hated to compare something so monumental, something that the world depended on you to do, to dancing but it was the only way I could understand the commitment.

I danced from a young age, I dedicated every moment of my time to dancing, it became my life. People in Spira, people like Yuna, would dedicate themselves to Yevon, to becoming a Summoner and it would become their life. You don't walk away from something as consuming as that when it's all you know. It was why, while I didn't want Yuna to die, I could understand why she refused to give up. It was a stupid, and maybe insensitive, comparison but it was all I had to make sense of why Yuna would keep going.

The canyon connecting the Calm Lands to Gagazet was eerily quiet, part of a Calm Lands' scar tearing through but keeping the bulk of the path intact. If you squinted you could see the beginnings of snowfall up the path, above the canyon walls you could see the towering Gagazet waiting for Summoners to climb it. The view was making me get ahead of myself since when we looked directly ahead of us a squad of Guado waited. I quickly counted, six in all. The head stepped forward, the others blocking the bridge to the mountain.

"Halt!" He commanded. We didn't immediately take out our weapons though we were all ready to attack. We knew what they were here for so why didn't we just attack from the get go? "Summons from Lord Seymour. Come with us."

"We have nothing to discuss with Maester Seymour," Yuna said, her tone firm and unwavering.

"Yeah so out of our way," Tidus added in.

"Lord Seymour's commands must be obeyed. You will come," the Guado spoke. "I warn you: the Maester does not need you alive." The other Guado stepped forward and they formed a line, some preparing spells as they walked. We had already took hold of our weapons, running in before they could strike first.

I barely dodged a fire spell, dropping down to the ground and sliding a few feet, the heat passing by me and feeling intense even without skin contact. I dug my spear into the ground and launched myself upright, twisting around and hitting a Guado straight in the side and knocking him off his feet. Kimahri had leapt from behind me and landed on the Guado I had knocked down, the spear embedding itself deep into his chest.

At the other side Lulu was in a magic battle with the head of the squad, strong spells being flung back and forth but nothing she couldn't handle. Lysander's bullets ricocheted off a barrier and Christie ran up behind the Guado and punched him in the back of the head. I was already running towards them and stabbed him in the back as Lysander fired off a bullet into his head.

Another Guado threw and ice spell at Lysander from behind, knocking him to the ground. Oblivion charged at the caster and tackled him, the two sliding across the ground. Oblivion had the Guado in a choke hold and I faintly heard a crunch as I was pushed to the ground by Christie as another large fireball flew above us. Ice appeared nearby us and an icicle landed in the leader Guado, several more impaling him from Lulu's spell.

The last couple of Guado were taken out by a few swings of Auron and Tidus' swords. The place fell quiet as we checked ourselves over, surprisingly with very few injuries between us. Yuna healed what little scrapes we had before Wakka and Rikku scouted for any back-up or ambushes.

"Next time we see a bunch of Guado, or anyone with Yevon, can we just fight?" I asked.

"Then we would fight Ronso," Kimahri said. That's right, the Ronso were with Yevon, especially with one of the Ronso being a Maester he might have been preparing an assault if we tired to get through.

"Then that's just what we'll have to do," Oblivion said. He looked to Wakka and Rikku when they were returning. "Are we clear?"

"Yeah, we did find a cave though," Rikku nodded. "There didn't look to be anyone inside but... there was a lot of Pyreflies coming out of there." Lulu gasped faintly, Wakka looking to her with great concern.

"Is that where-"

"Yes," she answered quickly, not wanting to delve into the subject. She stared at Yuna for what felt like the longest time, breathing in and looking down the path to the valley below. "My first Summoner went into that cave to find a Fayth that had been hidden away there long ago. She... died there. As many before her did."

"Was she Sent?" Yuna asked. Lulu shook her head, making Yuna's face turn with determination. "Then we can't let her stay there... can we?"

"We should have time, though we should make the trip quick in case they send more after us," Oblivion said.


Lulu led us down to the cave that Rikku had mentioned. As described, Pyreflies spouted from the entrance and there were so many it was surprising that we didn't notice them from higher up. Lulu believed that the Summoner was further down inside but we were going to be behind her the whole way

"What's a Fayth doing in a place like this?" Rikku asked during the walk through the tunnels. There were so many Pyreflies and I surprised that there weren't as many fiends as I had guessed there would be.

"Long ago, a Fayth was stolen from a Temple," Lulu said. "Whoever stole it hid the Fayth here. There were rumours about this place and the first time I truly believed them was when Lady Ginnem and I stood at the entrance, ready to find the Fayth that was taken from Yevon."

"But if the Summoners can't pray then that means they won't die!" Rikku protested.

"That must have been what the thief was thinking," Wakka said.

"I kind agree with them," Tidus added.

"But how can Yevon just discount a Fayth entirely from the Pilgrimage?" Angel asked

"My guess is that they declared it lost to the ages and replaced the Temple's Fayth with a new one," Oblivion suggested. "Leave the rumours to circulate and no doubts Summoners would follow them, hoping that being the Summoners who found the lost Fayth would increase their chances of defeating Sin."

"There's no point in thinking about it too much," I said. "Let's just keep going. This place is making me really uneasy."

The cave itself was fairly linear. There were few side paths but all were dead ends so if we hit one we'd turn back and try another way. The Pyreflies kept the place well lit, helpful in one way and eerily creepy altogether. They'd pass by, inches from your face and body, cold and tickling the skin, hovering over you momentarily before moving on. Clusters of them felt like they were following you, watching you constantly, like a dozen eyes in the dark. Sometimes I'd shoot a look over my shoulder when they got too close. They were ghosts and this is the closest experience I would ever get with them. It wasn't something looked forward to doing, hell I didn't believe in ghosts before, and I never wanted to do it again.

When we talked about the Farplane, about how we could see the images of those who had died, that made me feel uneasy. A little frightened really. Like having the option to see the person who passed on at any time... wouldn't that be harder to move on? It was something of Spira I didn't understand. I certainly didn't ever want to go to the Farplane myself to see anyone who's passed on.

We all came to a halt within a more open part of the cave. The Pyreflies were thicker here and they started to cluster together, forming into the image of a person. It was a person Lulu recognised and she stepped forward.

"Lady Ginnem... so you're still here," she said. "Forgive me. I was... too young," the Unsent Summoner raised her hand and more Pyreflies clustered together, a large Aeon manifesting before us and standing by her side. Lady Ginnem was silent and seemed to stare right through Lulu, who lowered her head. "There is not anything human left in you, is there? Then allow me to do this: my last duty as your Guardian."

The Aeon fought for Lady Ginnem, drawing a set of throwing knives and assaulting us indiscriminately. Lady Ginnem herself only watched Lulu, unblinking eyes borrowing into her. Lulu herself was focused, her face stoic, casting spells and pushing the Aeon back. She never once yelled or cried, just calmly raised her hands and let fire, ice and lightning shoot out. The Aeon fell quickly and Yuna stepped forward to Send Lulu's former charge. Lady Ginnem gave no other resistance and quietly parted in a cloud of Pyrflies.

"Strange," Lulu mused, "I thought it would be sadder somehow. I must be used to goodbyes."

"You're stronger now," Wakka said.

"Wakka, I hope you're right," Lulu sighed but I could see a faint smile on her face before she turned to Yuna. "Yuna, the Fayth is just beyond here. Go do what you came to do."

After this there would be no detours, no distractions, no cities, no towns, nothing. Gagazet was our next destination and the last thing between us and Zanarkand. After that, Yuna would receive the Final Aeon. After that, she would fight Sin. After that... she would die.