Chapter 15: Temple of Woe
Upon arriving in Bevelle, Yuna and her entourage had checked into the Clement Inn and agreed to meet in the conference room, once they'd all had a chance to unpack what they'd brought on such short notice.
The building's interior was bright and clean, but nothing extravagant. Most of the inns in Bevelle consisted of practical, business-like settings. There were only a few upscale ones peppered across the city. Yuna had never stayed in one of them, nor did she have a desire to either. A warm, cozy atmosphere was more to her liking. And to Yuna's delight, the room Tidus had snagged for them possessed some of that homely charm she absolutely loved. Aside from the few Yevon symbols adorning the walls, the soft peach and honey-colored décor gave her a sense of comfort in a city that made her gut wrench with dread.
Tidus dumped their duffel-bags onto the queen-sized bed and began to rummage through the contents. "Geez, how much did you pack? I thought we were only staying the night."
This wasn't the first time she'd gone overboard packing. For some reason it was a tough habit for her to break. And considering the lopsided grin on Tidus' face, he seemed to know that very well from the couple times they'd stayed over in Kilika not long after his return.
Yuna remained quiet while she helped him sort through their personal belongings, the surveillance footage still foremost on her mind. This meeting was important though. They had to prepare accordingly before confronting what she hoped wasn't an all-powerful version of Yevon. She didn't want to waste any time either. And her fiancé must've suspected as much from how quickly he'd unpacked their overnight bags before hurrying with her out the door.
Surprisingly, they were the first to arrive in the conference room. Yuna had expected Baralai and Paine to be waiting for them inside. It was highly unusual for the couple to be late to any engagement. Then again, the austere pair had been made to wait for the ex-summoner and her fiancé on more than one occasion, leading Yuna to believe they were purposely taking their time for once.
The room had a very professional feel to it with cool taupe-colored walls, a geometric-patterned carpet, and soft lighting. A long, black table was situated directly in the middle, surrounded by twelve, office chairs that looked like they were upholstered with the same black pleather used in Rin's Waffle House. Vibrant plants that reached all the way to the ceiling, sat in the four corners of the room, breathing some much needed life into what Yuna had otherwise found to be such a stuffy space.
"Wow…" Tidus sat in one the cushy, office chairs, leaned back in his seat with his hands behind his head, and propped his feet up on the table. "This place sure is nice."
Yuna skewered him with a glower. "Yes, it is. And I doubt they'll appreciate your dirty shoes on their expensive furniture."
And just like that, his feet were back on solid ground. "Sorry." Tidus gave a sheepish grin then toyed with a pen on the table—a pensive look now washing over his face. "I, uh… I wanna apologize for earlier."
Taking a seat next to him, Yuna rested her elbow on the table then set her chin in her hand, watching him intently as he searched for the right words.
"I shouldn't have spoken to you like that on the airship. And I said some things… Some things I shouldn't have… I wasn't trying to minimize the pain you went through when I was gone. I just wanted you to know where I was coming from."
"I understand... And you've already apologized once."
Tidus' eyes met hers, and they were full of remorse. "That wasn't good enough. I should know better than to upset you in your condition. And…and I… Ugh…" Tossing the pen aside, Tidus buried his face into his hands and released a frustrated groan. "I've been such a selfish jerk!"
No argument there. He really had been a jerk lately—a possessive one at that. But it's not like she didn't understand why. Giving his forearm a supportive squeeze, Yuna confronted her fiancé with a fact he may not want to admit to himself. "You're afraid."
Tidus dragged his hands down his face, eyes glistening with unshed tears when he met hers in a silent surrender. "You're right," he confessed in a soft tone. "I'm terrified of something happening to you." He then licked his bottom lip in a thoughtful manner and crinkled his brow. "Y'know…when I was in Palamecia, I was determined to find a way for you—I mean, what I thought was you—home. I wanted you to live a normal life and be happy, even if that meant without me. It hurt…" his voice cracked with emotion. "It hurt so bad accepting a life without you. But at least you'd be happy."
"But I wasn't…" Yuna quietly admitted. "I wasn't happy without you."
"That's what Valefor told me. I thought you were better off without me. I guess I was wrong. But even still, I'd do anything to keep you safe."
"You have to trust me though."
"It's not you that I don't trust," he emphasized. "What If I fail this time? What if I can't protect you? How will I live with myself? If you die or are taken somewhere against your will—somewhere you can't return from with our child…" He paused, gaze lowering and lips pressed together so tightly they'd turned almost white. Then, he peered into her eyes once more with naked honesty. "I can't survive that. I wouldn't know how. I'm not as strong as you, Yuna."
"Don't say that…"
"No, it's true," he insisted, taking her hand in his. "I can go on, knowing you're alive and happy somewhere. It would hurt, but I could manage like I did for a time in Palamecia. It's losing you to death, or having you trapped somewhere I can't—"
"Stop!" Yuna demanded, yanking her hand away. "Just stop! I'm not going to die and I'm not going anywhere!" She silently cursed herself for being so negative on the airship earlier, now knowing this was the result. Those blasted pregnancy hormones had her emotions all over the place. They were making her crazy. "Whoever came here for me is leaving empty handed. In fact, they won't be leaving at all. I'm going to end them! So please...stop preparing for the worst. I can't take seeing you like this anymore!"
Tidus looked somewhat surprised by her slight outburst and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I...uh…okay… I just didn't want you to think I'm completely selfish when it comes to you. I mean, I care more about you than what I—wait, no. I mean, yes! But, I—ugh..." He cringed at his sudden inability to express his thoughts. "Oh man, I must sound really stupid."
Poor Tidus had turned into a bumbling fool. This happened every-so-often when he was nervous, similar to how a little boy would react to getting caught doing something wrong and frantically trying to plead his case to avoid any punishment. She couldn't help but find it cute.
Yuna stifled a giggle into the back of her hand. "I understand what you're trying to say. You seem to forget how well I know you by now."
An uncertain expression crossed his face. "So…we're good?"
"Mm," she hummed with a nod, and Tidus returned the gesture with a relieved smile.
Before Yuna had a chance to voice her concerns about their friends running late, an unusual flutter suddenly filled her chest, prompting her to lean back in her seat and hug her arms. Thankfully, Tidus hadn't noticed, since he was preoccupied fiddling with the pen once again, now that they'd resolved their issues. The ex-summoner was fairly certain it was just another pregnancy symptom she hadn't experienced before, that is until, her vision blurred and her mind became a foggy haze.
"I think you should stay here while I go to the temple." Her beloved's voice sounded far away, but it was still distinguishable. "It's too dangerous for you to come along. Lay low until I get back. When I do, we can finally be free of that monster."
With a quick massage to her temples, both Yuna's mind and vision cleared, leaving her perturbed at her fiancé's suggestion—especially after everything they'd just discussed. "How many times must we go over this? I'm not staying behind!"
Tidus flinched and stopped toying with the pen, looking at her as though she'd sprouted two extra heads. "Wh-What're you talking about?"
"I heard what you said!"
"Yuna…I never said a word. Honest."
From the puzzled look in his eyes, she could sense he was telling the truth, which made the situation even worse. Was she having another episode? Episode… She resented the term. It made her sound crazy. At this rate being crazy would be a more desirable fate than the alternative. Those episodes were the result of a haunting. And according to Quill—other than the two incidents involving glass and the note—he wasn't the spirit responsible for having her question reality. The visions and the claw marks on her arm were from someone, or something else.
"Are you…alright? Or are you having an—"
"I'm fine," she insisted, trying to give a convincing smile to Tidus' worried expression. "It's been a stressful day and…I forgot to take my anxiety potion earlier."
"Yuna…you're not supposed to miss a dose. It'll mess you up."
"I know… I'll take it later. I promise. I'll be fine for now—really." And hopefully that would be enough to assuage him. Yuna, however, was still quite unsettled. It was bad enough having strange visions while she slept. Now, she was hearing voices while she was wide awake. This spirit was desperate. Was it warning her to stay away from the temple? She couldn't do that though.
Just then, the doors swung open and their favorite Al Bhed couple made their way over, each holding a styrofoam cup in their hands of what Yuna suspected to be coffee from the familiar rich aroma suddenly filling the room.
"Guess we're not late after all." Gippal set his cup down on the glossy, black surface then in a rare display of chivalry, slid a chair back from the table and waited for Rikku to have a seat in it.
Judging from how the bubbly thief's mouth was slightly agape, she was a bit stunned by the gesture, but welcomed it nonetheless with a grateful smile. "Don't think you're off the hook for earlier, mister!" she teased, plopping down in the seat, almost certainly spilling coffee everywhere if it weren't for the lid on it. "But it's a good start."
"Uh-huh…" Gippal sat in the chair next to her and tossed an amused smirk her way. After shifting to get comfortable in his seat, he trained his gaze on the couple sitting across from them and offered an apologetic smile. "We would've been here earlier, but as you can see, Rikku had to get another java fix in."
"It's not a problem," Yuna answered, politely. "We're still waiting for Paine and Baralai to arrive."
"This is the correct inn, right?" Rikku inquired, taking a sip of her coffee.
Leaning back in his seat, Tidus twirled the pen in his fingers—a look of boredom on his face. "According to the woman at the front desk it is."
"When we arrived, we'd asked if they were staying here," Yuna elaborated. "And the manager confirmed it for us."
"I wonder what gives." Pulling the tab off the lid of his coffee, Gippal cast a quick glance over at the doors before proceeding to take a sip. "Those two are the most punctual people I know."
And that was one of the reasons Yuna was growing concerned.
"Maybe they're gettin' their freak on," Tidus teased, playfully wiggling his brow.
"Uh…eww!" Rikku screwed her face up in disgust. "I just don't get it," the bubbly thief expressed with a shrug at her cousin. "Do guys ever think of anything besides getting off?"
"Nope!" Gippal jumped in with an amused chuckle. "We're in our sexual prime, babe. It's just how it is. Besides, I didn't hear you complainin' the other night."
Just from the way Rikku's mouth hung open in shock, the ex-summoner knew Gippal was in for either a serious scolding, or a clout on the back of the head.
But before either could manifest into reality, the doors flew open and Paine and Baralai charged over to the table, both wearing alarmed expressions, and instantly shifting the atmosphere to a sense of urgency.
"Change of plans!" Paine announced, slapping her hands down onto the table—her piercing, crimson gaze demanding the full attention of everyone in the room. "We need to get to the temple now!"
Gippal raised a brow of intrigue. "What happened to war gamin' this?"
"That was before people started disappearing," Baralai calmly explained.
Tidus dropped the pen and sat up straight in his seat. "What're talking about?"
Combing a nervous hand through her silver tresses, Paine exchanged a conspiratorial glance with her white-haired lover then proceeded to address their friends gathered at the table. "Word has it that anyone who's entered the temple in the past twenty-four hours has not returned."
Yuna's stomach dropped. This wasn't good. "Are you certain this isn't just a rumor because of everyone abandoning the temple?"
"We wish that were true," Baralai answered in a grave tone. "But we've received several messages in the past two hours from family members of a few priests who'd ventured back inside to retrieve their belongings, only to never return home."
"Maybe they decided to go somewhere else first?" Rikku suggested.
"All of them?" Paine fixed the perky blonde a skeptical look. "There're also reports of screams coming from the temple last night."
The Machine Faction leader almost choked on his coffee. "Hang on a sec'. Are you sayin' people are being murdered inside?"
"It sure seems that way," Baralai concluded. "The patrol guards from the nightshift are missing as well. None of them reported back to security headquarters in the morning. And the captain of the guard refuses to send any more over until an investigation is done. Something of this magnitude cannot be ignored."
"Not for long, anyway," Paine added.
Rikku gave a cynical snort. "So much for Bevelle's mighty forces."
"Yeah really," Tidus agreed, folding his arms over his chest. "I love how we ended up becoming Spira's guardians."
After taking a long pull of his coffee, Gippal drummed his fingers on the table—expression now distant. "What's stoppin' us from meetin' the same fate as everyone else that stepped foot in there?"
"You're not scared, are you?" Rikku playfully nudged him in the ribs with her elbow, earning an annoyed frown.
"I'm not scared," he clarified. "But I am concerned. This guy can use a form of magic we know nothin' about."
"Parmanae," Baralai muttered, lowering his gaze in disappointment. "I wish we knew more about it."
"What do we know about it?" Tidus asked the praetor.
"Not much, I'm afraid. Only what little I've read about it in the Limina Codex. How it's the required magic used to open portals."
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Paine's attention shifted to the Al Bhed couple. "We haven't briefed you guys on that yet."
"We're good," Gippal assured her. "Tidus brought us up to speed on the ride over."
The praetor breathed a relieved sigh. "Good. That'll save time then."
Most of the meeting Yuna had remained quiet, listening to every word. None of them truly knew what to expect. One thing was certain though. The cloaked man inside the temple was unstable and extremely dangerous, especially if he was swiftly killing anyone who dared to enter the place with such ease. They couldn't just charge in without some kind of plan. Otherwise they'd be as good as dead themselves. "That magic is his strength. We need to bind him from using it."
Rikku's emerald eyes lit up. "I know! An anti-magic field generator!"
"Dammit!" Gippal cursed, leaning back in his seat. "I knew I should've grabbed one of those before we left."
A slow grin swept across Rikku's lips. "Good thing I swiped one on the way out, huh?"
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Gippal gave a lighthearted chuckle. "You've always been a sticky-fingers-kinda-gal."
Arms crossed over her chest, Paine creased her brow in skepticism. "I hate to be a downer but what if that doesn't work? What then?"
"Reflect?" Tidus proposed.
The white-haired praetor disagreed with a slow shake of his head. "If it was that easy one of the priests or guards would've made it out of there."
"Well, we have to try something!" Rikku implored, abandoning her seat in a huff to pace behind it. "Maybe we can distract him…" Taping a finger to her lips in thought, the bubbly thief came to a halt, gaze landing directly on her cousin. "With something he really wants…"
Tidus shot Rikku a look that would melt steel. "Forget it! We're not using Yuna as bait!"
"Did you forget she's the whole reason he's here in the first place?" Paine reminded the cheerful blonde. "Bad idea."
Planting her hands on her hips, Rikku's mouth gaped open in offence. "Now, wait just a minute! I care about Yunie too, y'know!? I wouldn't suggest something like this if there was another way. Yunie is probably the only one who'll pacify him. And it's not like we wouldn't put in some fail-safes in case something went wrong. Besides, I don't see any of you coming up with another plan! All I've heard so far is what won't work!"
"That's because we're up against a lot of unknowns!" Tidus argued. "Everything is speculation! And according to Quill's ghost," he emphasized with sarcasm, "this guy can control things with a wave of his hand! Didya know he's got a dagger that can entomb a soul as well?"
A haunted look settled upon Gippal's face. "Yeeaah... I'm not likin' our odds after hearin' all that."
"Oh stop being such a scaredy-cat!" Rikku snapped. "It hasn't been that long since we destroyed an enormous machina controlled by a deranged spirit who was hell-bent on vaporizing Spira! I'm sure we can handle this obsessed clown!"
"This is not a machina, Rikku!" Paine raised her voice, clearly irate at how her friend downplayed the seriousness of the threat. "This is a sorcerer from another realm!"
"Stop!" Bounding out of her seat, Yuna stood, fists clenched at her sides, fuming at the senseless bickering. "I've had enough! Rikku's right. We can't just sit here and do nothing!
Baralai threw the ex-summoner an uneasy glance. "What do you propose we do?"
"I think we should try confronting him using the anti-magic generator. He'll come to us because I'll be there. We won't venture too far inside in case we need to retreat."
"And what if he seals us in?" Tidus asked, reminding Yuna of the information she'd revealed to him earlier. "How are we gonna escape then?"
A valid point. Quill did mention how this guy could move objects and open doors with the type of magic he possessed. What was stopping him from trapping them inside after? "Rikku, did you bring any grenades that can blast open steel?"
"Grenades? No. But I do have the ingredients on me to mix up a couple of sunbursts. That'll blast it open!"
"That's perfect!" Yuna clasped her hands in front of her chest and gave a nod of approval. "So, can we all agree on this then—for a first attempt at least?"
Rikku pumped her fist into the air. "Count me in!"
After briefly hesitating, Gippal relented and shrugged at the blitzer as though he had no choice in the matter. "You got it!" He signaled with a thumbs-up to Yuna.
Both Paine and Baralai responded with a single nod.
Tidus, however, didn't look too thrilled as he remained seated with his arms crossed, obviously displeased by the chosen course of action. "Whatever," he muttered, rolling his chair back to stand.
Just as everyone began to file out of the room, Yuna caught her fiancé's wrist and tugged him back. "Wait, please…" His eyes met hers in a sad, longing gaze, and her heart broke at the sight. "Don't look at me like that. Trust me. Everything will turn out fine. If things get out of control, we'll leave, regroup, and figure something else out. I'm not going anywhere."
Tidus managed a weak smile before his lips descended onto hers for a sweet, gentle kiss reminiscent of the first one they'd shared at the spring in Macalania. The kiss wasn't meant to comfort her though. It was unusually slow and almost doleful in nature. And that disturbed her a little. Slowly drawing back from her mouth, Tidus traced his thumb over her bottom lip and whispered, "I love you."
"I love you, too," she breathed. "But I really don't like how that felt."
Her fiancé's face pinched into a pained expression. "Ouch."
"No, that's not what I meant. It felt…final."
"I think you're reading too much into it. I'm not feeling this plan you all concocted, so you'll have to excuse my mood."
Well that was direct. Maybe she was reaching. Between her fluctuating hormones and all the stress from this crazy situation, it was a distinct possibility. "We should go." Sensing his reluctance to do so, Yuna took him by the hand and led him over to the doors. "I want to finish this, so we can finally live in peace."
The moment they'd left the conference room, Tidus stopped and gestured with a nod over to their friends gathered in the lobby. "You go ahead. I'll catch up."
Yuna narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She knew that passive look. He was up to something. "Why..? What are you planning?"
With a cheeky grin, Tidus leaned in and whispered, "Taking a piss for starters. Or would you rather I have an accident in public?"
A warm flush spread across her cheeks. Okay, so maybe she was still a bit paranoid. "I'll wait for you in the lobby." Yuna squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head at how crude her fiancé could be at times then hurried over to join the others.
"Where's Tidus?" Rikku chirped.
"Bathroom."
"Actually, that's not a bad idea." Tossing her empty styrofoam cup into the waste bin, Rikku headed in the direction of hers and Gippal's room. "I'll be right back. Coffee goes right through me."
After about five minutes, Rikku returned but Tidus hadn't.
"He's not back yet?" Her cousin seemed a tad surprised, gaze wandering down the hall toward the room in question then returning to the ex-summoner for an answer.
Yuna shook her head and shrugged, concern for him mounting.
As the group continued to discuss their plan, another five minutes ticked by and still no Tidus.
"Did he fall in or something?" Paine questioned, brow dipped low—a sign her patience was wearing thin.
Yuna's stomach began to coil with dread. Something wasn't right.
"Maybe you should check on him," Gippal suggested.
And she was hesitant to do so—afraid her gut feeling was correct. Racing down the hall to their room, Yuna fumbled getting the key-card out of the back pocket of her shorts and almost dropped it from how much her hands were trembling. Once in front of the door, she inserted the card into the slot and pushed down on the handle. "Tidus…?" she called, stepping inside.
But there was no answer.
"Tidu—" Yuna froze at the foot of the bed. A note addressed to her lay on the apricot-colored comforter and the window to the right of the bed was left slightly ajar. Her initial instincts had been correct. He'd duped her. "No…" Grabbing the envelope, she ripped it open, and quickly unfolded the parchment inside.
Yuna,
I knew there was nothing I could do to stop you from going. And I couldn't stand by and have you used as bait. Too much could go wrong. I have to protect you and our baby. Please understand. If risking my life to protect you both is selfish, then I guess I'm guilty. Forgive me. And if by chance I don't return, please know that I love you both more than I could ever say with words.
Tidus
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Yuna crumpled the note angrily in her hands then stormed out the room and down the hall. Of all the stupid things he'd done…this really took the cake. She was livid.
"Uh-oh…" Gippal's posture stiffened. "What happened?"
Without even slowing down, Yuna shoved the crumpled note into the Machine Faction leader's hands as she passed by and hollered over her shoulder, "He went to the temple alone!"
"That crazy bastard," she heard Gippal say from behind as the group quickly followed her out into the street.
"Did he not listen to a word we said inside?" Baralai asked, keeping in stride with the ex-summoner and the rest of the group.
Paine breathed a laugh. "This is Tidus we're talking about."
The blonde thief skipped ahead and activated a button on her garment grid. Orange and teal, leather armor strapped around the petite Al Bhed's frame and fastened several black belts tight against her hourglass figure. Now carrying a clunky rifle in her hand from switching to her alchemist dressphere, Rikku's swift, airy steps slowed to a rather brisk walk instead.
Gippal snickered. "Someone's ready for battle."
"You all want explosions, right? Thankfully, I came prepared!"
All the chatter around Yuna had drowned out. She was trying to focus on what may have now turned into a rescue mission. But Tidus' latest stunt had her thoughts in a chaotic mess. Did he honestly believe she wouldn't follow him? Was he trying to get himself killed? This was the kind of behavior she'd expect from the seventeen-year-old boy who'd first came to Spira, not the twenty-year-old man she was about to marry.
Rushing up the steps to the temple bridge, Yuna came to a halt when she heard Paine call her name. She then turned to find her friends at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at her with growing concern. "There's no time! We need to hurry!"
The female warrior released a troubled sigh and exchanged wary glances with the others. "Try not to take offence to what I'm about to say. But with Tidus being somewhere inside, your judgment might be compromised. If it were Baralai, I know I wouldn't be able to think clearly."
How could she not take offence? She wasn't Paine. But she also understood the gothic warrior's logic, even though she disagreed with it. "What do you propose I do—stay outside like Tidus wanted?"
Rikku cautiously approached her cousin and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I think what Paine is trying to say is, let us lead the way and don't do anything rash. We won't let anything happen to Tidus if we can help it, right guys?" The bubbly blonde turned to the others for an answer, and they all nodded in agreement.
When her cousin put it that way, Yuna couldn't object—it would only give Paine's case more merit and could potentially lead to them deeming her a liability, therefore refusing to allow her inside the temple. That was a risk she wasn't willing to take. "Fine," she relented with a sigh. "Let's just hurry, please."
Baralai and Paine raced ahead, leading the way up the steps and across the bridge as the sun began to dip below the horizon. Once the group had caught up, the praetor pushed open the heavy, steel doors.
Finding the inside dark and eerily quiet was expected; finding several dead priests and guardsmen littering the ground with pyreflies forming, not so much.
"Whoa…" Gippal breathed, carefully stepping around one of the mangled corpses. "There really was a massacre in here."
This was worse than what Yuna had anticipated. The flesh on the victims were burnt and blistered—their lifeless expressions twisted in agony. Clearly they'd suffered right up until their last breaths—something she could oddly relate to from her realistic visions. Cupping a hand over her mouth and nose, Yuna tried not to gag from the foul stench of charred flesh that hung heavy in the air. And what a challenge that had been with an already loopy stomach from earlier. Torture was something Yevon reveled in. She couldn't be certain, but this massacre possessed all the signature trademarks of something that monster would do.
As she maneuvered around the lifeless bodies, the ex-summoner scanned each one carefully, hoping not to find her beloved's face among them. And thankfully, she hadn't. But that didn't set her mind at ease. Tidus could be somewhere else inside.
"They're on the verge of becoming fiends!" Baralai warned, using a hand to swipe at all the angry pyreflies forming around him. "We need to send them. And quickly!"
During Yuna's pilgrimage, performing a sending of so many usually required the dance. But since then, Yuna's powers had grown. She no longer needed to do more than a simple twirl of her body and wave of her hands. Which really came in handy at a time like this.
The burnt and blistered bodies lying on the stone, temple floor suddenly burst into pyreflies then slowly faded away.
"Whew!" Rikku wiped the sweat from her brow. "That was a close one! Can you imagine having to deal with all those fiends on top of mister-all-powerful-magic?"
"No," Paine answered flatly.
With the immediate threat of a hoard of fiends behind them, Yuna raced toward the chariot-shaped lift and hollered, "Teeduus!"
But her echoing voice was the only answer she received.
"Maybe we should we split up," Rikku suggested.
Paine's expression soured at the perky blonde. "What happened to staying by the doors?"
"That was before Tidus decided to get cocky and play the hero," Gippal interjected. "We'll need to go in teams. No one goes alone."
"Yuna should go with you guys then," Paine proposed to the Al Bhed couple. "That way if things go south, Rikku has the means to get her out of here with those explosives."
Before Yuna could interject, the chariot-shaped lift roared to life and began to descend. Startled, the ex-summoner balked then slowly backed away toward her friends.
Rikku aimed her clunky rifle in the direction of where the temple lift had been. "This is it!" she cried. "Get ready!"
Baralai tossed a doubtful look at the blonde alchemist. "Do you really believe a man this powerful is going to take a lift up to confront us?" The praetor then moved next to Rikku and lowered her weapon. "Let's use some discernment here."
The hum of the lift returning echoed in the distance. Everyone had their eyes glued in the same direction, waiting with bated breath for who or what would emerge from the bowels of the temple.
Just when the tension was too much to bear, a familiar mop of blond hair appeared followed by the unmistakable smug grin of Yuna's beloved, who was casually leaning against the gold lift-rails as it came to a stop. "Didya guys miss me?"
Yuna's rush of relief lasted only a brief moment before it morphed into a seething rage. As soon as Tidus stepped off the lift, the ex-summoner charged over to him and walloped him in the chest with her fist. "What were you thinking!? You could've been killed! What would I tell our child!?" Furious at what he'd put her through, both of her fists were now mercilessly pounding away on his chest. "You never think things through! I'm so, so mad at you, right now!"
"I can see that." The grin on his face had faded into a look of regret as Yuna continued to pummel his chest with blows from her fists. "I'm sorry..." Tidus gently grabbed her wrists and held her gaze. "You're right. I'm sorry, okay?"
"She's got every right to be upset," Paine chimed in. "What you did was pretty stupid—even for you."
"Yeah, you should know better!" Rikku added to the admonishment, wagging a scolding finger at him. "It's not just Yunie you need to think about!"
"Alright, I get it." Releasing Yuna's wrists, Tidus offered her an apologetic smile. "All I ever wanted to do was protect you and our child. Forgive me."
This man was a handful on his own. Having a little Tidus running around would almost certainly give the ex-summoner gray hair by the time she was thirty. "I forgive you. Just stop being so…impulsive! And start trusting me more! You said it yourself, 'we're supposed to be a team', remember?"
"That's right." From the way he dipped his head and looked away, Yuna sensed he was embarrassed by his rather foolish heroics. "I screwed up. I dunno what else to say."
Luckily the awkward tension was broken by Gippal's sense of humor. "I'm thinkin' about snippin' a lock of your hair to keep with me for good luck. Never knew anyone who escaped death's clutches as much as you. Well, maybe except for Nooj. But he was a deathseeker back then, so that doesn't really count."
Rikku chortled. "A few more months living with LeBlanc and I'll bet that'll change."
"Good point." Gippal's unpatched eye flickered back to the blond blitzer. "So, I gather since you're alive and all, you didn't happen to run into the monster who left behind all the carnage that was in this room."
"No…I didn't."
The Machine Faction leader then gestured to the bag Tidus had strapped across his body that Yuna had failed to notice before in her fit of rage. "Whatcha got in there?"
"Just some extra supplies I managed to grab before leaving." Tidus pulled out a healing potion and showed it to Gippal then dropped it back into the brown satchel. "I was planning on fighting this guy on my own. Can't have enough potions when you're about to do something stupid, huh?"
Gippal chuckled and clapped a hand at the back of Tidus' shoulder. "Glad we found you before he did."
Just then, a low growl came from the bottom of the temple and echoed around them, growing louder with each passing second.
Baralai backed up and readied his spear. "I have a feeling we're about to finally meet this mystery sorcerer…or whatever that is he summoned."
"Be ready for anything!" Paine signaled with a thumb for Yuna and Tidus to move toward the back of their battle formation, earning an irritated frown from the blond blitzer in the process.
"Not happening!" Tidus groused, unsheathing Brotherhood. "I like getting up close and personal, if ya know what I mean?"
"Then who'll guard Yuna?"
The ex-summoner felt the sudden rush of heat to her cheeks. Guard Yuna? She didn't need to be guarded anymore! This wasn't her pilgrimage. She was sick of everyone fussing over her lately. And this was the last straw. Whatever emerged from the depths of the temple would need to be guarded from her wrath.
After a long, tense look between Tidus and Paine, the famous blitzer conceded and moved further back near his fiancée. "Just so you know, if I didn't have to worry about Yuna, I'd be up front making you look like an amateur."
"I don't need protecting!" Yuna spat, resentful at them treating her like an invalid.
Paine rolled her eyes at the blitzer and his cocky grin. "I guess this amateur should've left your superior ass to get thumped by that Zu in Bikanel on our last sphere hunt."
Now it was Rikku's turn to roll her eyes. "Boy, you two sure sound like you were siblings in another life."
"Then I must've committed suicide in it," Paine teased.
"Nah, I would've saved you the trouble."
"And ended yours instead? You're too kind."
A semi-wicked laugh bubbled out of the blitzer. "Is that what you think?"
"Careful," Paine warned. "I can get used to this dark new you."
Another vicious roar bounced off the stone walls, urging them to focus.
Reaching into one of the pockets of her alchemist armor, Rikku pulled out a tiny contraption that flew up into the air and ballooned into cylinder-shaped machina with two panels on each side.
Baralai threw Gippal an uneasy glance. "Out of curiosity does that gadget prevent us from using magic as well?"
"Normally it would. But I think my girl swiped one of the newer models that can sense fiends and hostile enemies."
And Rikku responded with a wink in her man's direction. "You know me sooo well."
Another deafening roar came from over by the lift and rumbled the ground beneath their feet. Whatever was on its way was getting closer by the moment.
Yuna concentrated on gathering the energy needed to blast whatever surfaced with an ultima spell then waited for the enemy to appear.
But nothing happened.
Easing his stance, Gippal lowered his gun and frowned in confusion at the sudden silence. "What the hell…?"
Then, out of nowhere, a line of fire shot across the room and set the tapestries on the walls ablaze.
"Where'd that come from!?" Paine hollered over the roaring flames, tightly gripping her sword.
Thankfully, the temple was constructed of stone and the tapestries in the halls were limited. Even though the fire posed no real threat—considering how quickly it'd burned through the cloth material—it was the smoke left behind in its wake and the lack of ventilation in the area that was the real hazard.
After sustaining a violent coughing fit, along with everyone else from the smoke lingering in the air, Baralai pointed with his spear above the lift. "Over there!" he wheezed. "It came from that direction!"
Tidus squinted over to where Baralai was pointing his weapon. "There's nothing there!"
Suddenly, what looked like several green balls of fire came hurling down at them from somewhere near the top of the temple.
"Look out!" Rikku shrieked, ducking to dodge one of the flaming orbs.
Focused on the spot where the strange spells were originating from, Yuna raised her arms and released the energy she'd gathered to cast ultima. And not a second later, she was yanked to the side by her fiancé, barely escaping one of the magical orbs as it zipped by and crashed into the stone wall behind in a green shockwave.
The ultima spell she'd cast would've encased a solid mass if there had been one in that general area. But instead it appeared on the opposite side of the temple where it exploded in a colorful blast against the stone walls, shaking the building once again.
For several minutes the group skillfully dodged the onslaught of flaming orbs that seemed to be manifesting out of thin air.
"So much for this anti-magic generator!" Paine complained, leaping out of the way of another ball of magic.
Just then, the magical attack ceased and everyone around Yuna began to float up into the air—everyone except her that is.
Gippal cast a nervous glance around then down at the ground. "This can't be good."
And then, without warning, they all crashed to the stone floor, along with Yuna's stomach.
"Omigosh! Are you okay!?" The ex-summoner rushed over to her man as he groaned and rolled onto his side. "Is everyone, okay?" she asked, gaze sliding over each one of them while she crouched down to help her fiancé stand.
"I think so," Rikku answered, already back on her feet alongside Gippal.
"Fighting something we can't see is suicide!" Baralai straightened his blue and green coat and tossed a worried look at Paine, who'd sheathed her sword then gave a knowing nod in return. "We need to retreat!" the praetor advised the group. "Yuna can you please check the doors."
A loud roar echoed off the stone walls yet again.
"Quickly!" he added.
Abiding by the request, Yuna hurried over to the steel doors, and to her dismay, they wouldn't budge. "They're sealed!"
"Rikku!" Paine called. "Get us out of here!"
"You got it!" The bubbly blonde pulled a few ingredients out of her pockets and mixed them together in her palms. "Stand back, guys!" Once the path was clear, she tossed the magical concoction in the direction of temple doors.
A bright red and white explosion, blasted the steel slabs off their hinges, paving the way forward for their escape.
Sheathing Brotherhood, Tidus grabbed Yuna by the hand, and waved for the others to follow. "Let's go!"
The group of friends raced out of the temple into the cool evening air and almost made it over the bridge before Baralai came to a halt, and hollered, "Wait!"
Stopping short of the steps leading to the city streets, Yuna turned to face the praetor and lifted a curious brow. "What's wrong?"
"We shouldn't leave the temple wide open. It's not safe. We're endangering innocent lives."
Tidus frowned at the soft-spoken praetor. "What're we supposed to do—put the doors back on?"
"No, but Yuna and I can cast protection wards, sealing off the entrance and barring anyone from trying to enter."
"That's a good idea and all," Rikku mentioned, briefly holding a finger against her lips in thought, "but what's stopping him from leaving now? We were literally fighting an invisible enemy."
"She has a point," Paine indicated.
With an impatient sigh, Tidus released Yuna's hand then gestured over to the temple in annoyance. "He's been hiding in there all this time. What makes you think he'll leave now?"
"Oh, I dunno." Gippal casually shrugged. "Maybe the fact he can make himself or whatever he summons invisible?"
"And you think this is something he just learned to do, today?" Tidus countered. "Maybe he can't keep himself, or whatever that was in there, invisible for long. He's obviously been laying low for a reason."
Paine cocked a brow. "Sounds like you have a theory on that."
"Not really. The only thing I can think of is that this was his plan all along—to lure us into a trap so he could take Yuna."
"Then he failed," the ex-summoner noted, encouraged by the notion. He was making mistakes—just like she'd predicted. "Baralai's right though. We need to seal off the entrance with a ward. We can't risk any more innocent people venturing inside." Turning to her fiancé, she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze along with a matching smile. "I'll be right back. This will only take a moment."
Yuna returned with the praetor just outside the entrance where the twisted metal of what had once been the temple doors lay at their feet. Signalling Baralai with a nod, the two mages raised their hands up and together cast the spell. A golden light coiled around the temple then morphed into a rather large, pulsating glyph. With the spell complete the two friends returned to the group waiting for them on the bridge.
"We still have a huge problem," Gippal reminded them. "We have to do somethin' about this guy. If he's this powerful, he poses a real threat to all of Spira. I know he's supposedly just here for Yuna, but we can't rule out the possibility of this being somethin' completely different. None of us know why he's so obsessed with Yuna in the first place. It could always be just a ruse to get us together and wipe us out then proceed to enslave Spira like Yevon did with Sin for so long."
Definitely a scenario Yuna didn't want to entertain, however, it made the most sense—especially if it was Yevon.
"Um… I know you're gonna hate this idea." Rikku winced at Tidus. "But I really think Yunie should speak with the fayth in the Farplane. They must know of a way for us to defeat this guy."
"A wise suggestion." Barlalai then turned to offer Yuna a nod of encouragement. "You'd mentioned before that you have reason to believe the fayth are hiding secrets pertaining to Sipra's past. They may know something about this parmanae magic. We're at an impasse here otherwise."
Gaze flitting over to her fiancé, Yuna expected to find a deep, disapproving frown on his face, but instead the blond blitzer seemed rather calm about the proposal. "Are you okay with this?"
"We don't have a choice, do we?"
"Then it's settled," Paine concluded. "We'll leave in the morning for Guadosalam. Now let's grab something to eat and head back to the inn. I've had enough excitement for one day."
And Yuna could definitely resonate with that. "Yes, let's go!"
