The Gunslinger

by Nataku's Wrath

Vincent Valentine: A hero of legend, sleeping through time. What happens when he wakes up in Spira to find a new terror destroying the land and a new group of heroes asking for his help? Final Fantasy VII x X crossover. Read and Review!

29. Chapter 29

The Gunslinger

Chapter XXIX

Wedding Crashers

"It will take a little while to get to Bevelle," Cid explained. "Brother's got her at full throttle, but we're still ironing out all the ship's kinks. If there is anything you gotta do, now's the time."

Tidus looked around the bridge, watching the Al Bhed at the controls stretch and settle in for the upcoming flight. He smirked when Brother placed both his flame-tattooed hands on his head and gave his neck a hard crank, the pops echoing around the bridge and causing Lulu to cringe.

"Must you do that?" she asked. Tidus raised his arms and popped his spine, earning him his own glare. Wakka snorted and approached Lulu.

"Hey, Lu. Think you could help me with this?" He held out his blitzball and a piece of discarded steel he'd spotted in the corner. Lulu raised an eyebrow, glancing at the two items and back at Wakka. He gestured for her to get closer and lowered his voice. "I don't want that bastard to hear, but he's right. I need to do something to make this a better weapon. I figured some steel wrapped around the ball would help make it harder and stronger, ya? I figured you could heat the metal so I could shape it," he explained and pulled a pair of thick leather gloves out of his back pocket.

Lulu examined the piece of steel, trying to gauge how much magical power and control she would need to heat the metal until it was pliable. Too much control would mean not enough power to heat the steel. but too much raw power would result in a fireball that would probably blow a hole in the airship, not to mention kill her and Wakka.

"Let's find a better spot to work," she said and they walked into the hall.

Vincent sat down on the floor with his back to one of the larger consoles. No one seemed to know what all the blinking lights meant and what the various knobs did, so he wasn't in the way. He'd heard Wakka, of course, but saw no need to interfere. He was glad that Wakka took his comments to heart, even if continuing to use the blitzball wasn't what Vincent had had in mind. He began breaking down Cerberus, cleaning out the grime and carbon buildup and sand from the battle at Home and their trip through the desert. As he cleaned out the barrels, Rikku sat down beside him.

"Can I help?" she asked. Vincent looked at her and saw the simmering energy and worry racing through her small body, causing her to jitter and twitch. Given everything that had just happened—losing her home, feeling like she betrayed Yuna, worrying about Yuna continuing her pilgrimage, dealing with her father, and coming clean with Guardians about her role in kidnapping Yuna, and dealing with Yuna being forced to marry a very dead, murderous guy with ridiculous hair—Vincent was impressed she was keeping it together as well as she was.

"Load this," he said and handed her Cerberus' triple magazine and a box of Shinra's shells while he continued to clean the barrels. Her fingers quickly began shuffling shells out of the box and into the magazine with practiced ease. As her fingers loaded the chambers, Rikku's mind entered that meditative state when performing well-practiced and repetitive tasks. Her jitters went away and her breathing slowed to a calm, steady pace.

"Need to talk?" Vincent asked her quietly as he handed her a fresh box of shells.

Rikku paused just long enough to take a peek at the Guardians and their preparations. Lulu was drinking ether after ether, restoring her magical reserves; Auron and Kimahri had pulled out whetstones and were honing their blade and spear; Tidus was hovering over Brother, urging the Al Bhed pilot to fly faster; and Wakka was just looking uncomfortable being surrounded by Al Bhed and flying through the sky on a forbidden machina.

"I keep expecting them to turn around and yell at me or attack me or throw me off the ship for what happened," she whispered, lowering her eyes when Lulu caught her gaze for a moment.

"Never happen," Vincent smirked. "For starters, I'd never let them. Secondly, we all know what's at stake and, sorry to say, your actions are small in comparison and will be forgiven within two minutes of Yuna's rescue. And lastly, none of them can read the instructions for opening the doors." Rikku smiled a bit at his last comment, but Vincent could still see and feel her anxiety. He suddenly remembered a similar moment two thousand years ago and pulled a half empty bottle of Cactuar Rum out of his pack. "Just a bit," he said and handed it to Rikku. She looked at Vincent with a smirk and raised an eyebrow.

"You know I'm too young to drink this stuff, right?"

Vincent smiled and remembered what he once told Yuffie. "We're flying through the air at perhaps thousands of miles per hour in a rig that has been buried in gods-know-what for over a thousand years being piloted by your brother who is actually named Brother and your overly-dramatic and crazy father on a mission to assault the capital of a corrupt theocracy and crash your cousin's illegal wedding. Weigh it."

Rikku gave a snort of laughter and rolled her eyes at Vincent's ridiculous, but accurate summary of their current situation. She knocked back a slug of fiery liquor that Vincent knew Drya would have been proud of. Rikku coughed as the liquor burned down her throat and into her chest and gave the bottle back to Vincent.

"I think it's gone bad," she said and tried to spit the taste out of her mouth.

"You get used to it."

"Yeah, maybe if I live to be two thousand years old, my taste buds will go to shit like yours and it won't bother me anymore. You gonna give them any?" she asked and nodded toward the Guardians.

"You want me to waste my personal stash on that lot?" Vincent scoffed. He took his own knock from the bottle and gestured toward each of the Guardians. "Tidus is keyed up enough already; Auron is packing his own very large jug of something so he's fine; Lulu will refuse and just call me a pirate again; Wakka annoyed me with his blind devotion to Yevon back there; and the last time Kimahri had a drink, he and Wedge sang so badly they made SIN's ears bleed."

Rikku laughed. "Does SIN even have ears?"

"Course it does, and their singing made them bleed," Vincent confirmed and took another long drink of Cactuar Rum so Rikku wouldn't see him grin at his own joke.

"We're coming up on Bevelle's outer defense line," Cid hollered. "We should be too high up for their cannons and such, but hang on to something just in case." Cid yelled the same instructions in Al Bhed into the ship's PA system, letting the refugees on board know as well.

Rikku handed Vincent the full magazines. "I guess we're almost there. I better go mix a few extra potions. I think we're gonna need them." Vincent nodded and completed his own preparations. In his chest, he felt the Protomateria pulse, waxing and waning in intensity like a heartbeat.

Getting restless again? Vincent wondered. Or do you know something about this mission that I don't?

Vincent felt a low vibration through the floor of the airship. He stood and walked to the nearest window. They were flying through a thin layer of cloud, but he could still see mountains and bits of plain below them. Tiny flashes of yellow and white dotted the ground and mountain tops, while large bursts of fiery orange and black smoke exploded beneath the belly of the airship. Bevelle's vast anti-SIN batteries had spotted them and had opened fire. But the Yevon-approved cannons were designed for firing at the massive and relatively slow-moving SIN, not at a much smaller and agile airship. Brother weaved above and around the bursts with ease.

"We'll be through the outer defenses soon. Swing it around the perimeter of the city," ordered Cid. "See if there is an area we can land on without getting blasted."

"There won't be time," said Auron and he nodded toward one of the large windows on the bridge. "Now, that is a rare sight."

Approaching from the far side of the city, a red and yellow-haired limbed serpent slithered and snaked its way through the sky, propelled by purple wings. It streaked past the airship, its wake shaking the craft. Strong arms and heavily muscled legs ending in fierce claws swung past the bridge's windows as the dragon swooped past the airship.

"What the hell is that?" Tidus yelled. "It's huge!"

"The guardian wyrm, Evrae," Lulu explained. "The great sacred beast-protector of Bevelle."

"It works with the Crusaders to defend the city from SIN," Wakka said proudly. "That's why Bevelle has never fallen!"

"And now it fights us," Vincent replied and smirked as Wakka deflated.

"Oh, yeah, right."

"The red carpet has teeth," Auron mused with a chuckle. "We won't be able to land now that it's engaged us. It will attack on its next pass."

"Then we're gonna fight it!" snarled Cid. "We got weapons on this thing that will send it crying back to its momma!"

"And level half of Bevelle like you were going to do to Home?" Rikku shouted back. "Just use the broadside rockets and keep us in the air. We'll take care of the rest." WIth that, Rikku grabbed her gear and marched for the deck passageway. She threw open the hatch, sending a wave of cool air through the bridge. Vincent's cloak snapped and writhed in the wind, while Lulu did her best to maintain her own dress and decency. Rikku closed the door behind her, cutting off the wind, and leaving the bridge in silence.

"Well, that the fuck are you all waiting for?" Cid yelled. "You gonna let my little girl fight that thing all by herself? Jysbena-!"

"Just keep the ship steady, old man," Vincent said as he reached the door. He looked over his shoulder at the rest of them. "Someone grab a mic so we can order our fine captain to fire and maneuver."

Tidus held out his hands and Brother threw him a small, wireless headset. Tidus popped it on top of his head and worked the small microphone near his mouth. "How's this? Can you hear me?"

Brother gave him a thumbs up and Tidus pumped his fist. "Lets go kill a snake!" he cheered, not realizing he'd left the microphone active. Brother wailed in pain and threw down the headphones he was wearing.

-X-

Vincent stood beside Rikku on the deck of the airship, staring at the passing clouds and waiting for Evrae to reappear. The deck wasn't really a deck, but the slightly curved roof of the craft. There was a flat, large platform they could move and stand on, but no railing or barrier of any kind keeping them from falling off the edge.

Rikku carefully moved toward the edge, just enough to get a glimpse of the mountains far, far below them. "That's a long way down," she whimpered slightly. "If Brother does any real maneuvers…"

"It will be fine," said Vincent, removing the heavy Hydra rifle components from his cloak and reconfiguring his gun.

"Pfft," Rikku blew a raspberry at Vincent. "So says the immortal who can fly,"

"Then you'd better stay close," Vincent replied as the rest of the Guardians ran out onto the platform.

"This is amazing!" shouted Tidus! "Woooooooooo!"

"Settle down, ya fool!" Wakka snapped. "You keep jumpin' like that and you'll send us all over the edge!"

Auron looked at the platform and frowned. "There's not going to be much room for all of us to fight out here. Evrae isn't going to land on the deck to let us hit it with a sword." Almost as if summoned, Evrae sprang out of a cloud beneath the airship and swept past them, its wake nearly knocking the Guardians off their feet.

"Everyone who can't fight at a distance, stay back!" Vincent shouted. "Find whatever cover you can and try not to get in the way." Closing one eye, Vincent raised the Hydra rifle and aimed for the joint where the left wing met the shoulder. The rifle barked and kicked in his hands, but the wyrm was already too far away for even Vincent's eyes to tell what damage may have been done.

Wakka and Lulu stepped out to join him on the platform while Tidus, Auron, Rikku, and Kimahri crouched down in the entranceway.

"This is madness!" Wakka yelled. "How are we supposed to beat that thing?"

"Look out!" Lulu screamed as Evrae burst out of a cloud beside the airship. Its claws scraped against the hull and knocked the Guardians and Gunslinger off their feet. The wyrm flew back into the clouds and everyone got back up as quickly as they could.

"Does anyone have any ideas?" Tidus called out. "We're sitting ducks out here!"

"Cid said this thing has weapons. As soon as it comes out of the clouds again, tell Cid to fire!" Vincent shouted, shouldering his rifle again. He wasn't going to let that fiend get another free shot at them again.

"OK!" Tidus replied and raised the microphone to his mouth. "Get ready to fire!"

"Seccemac bnesat yht nayto du vena!" came Brother's reply over the loudspeaker.

"What did he say?" Tidus asked. Vincent rolled his eyes and looked at Rikku. She signed and snatched the microphone set from Tidus.

"Learn something new, will ya?" she yelled at the boy and put the microphone to her lips just as Evrae appeared out of the clouds, flying parallel to the airship a short distance away. "VENA!"

A panel just below the platform the Guardians stood on opened, revealing a row of circular portals. Red tipped missiles launched with a loud whoosh and roar. The missiles streaked white trails of smoke across the sky and slammed into Evrae's long neck and body. Explosions burned and battered the wyrm and it let out a painful roar. Vincent took careful aim and fired a trio of bullets at Evrae's exposed eye. Black blood and visceral goo leaked from the wyrm's ruined eye. It let out a second roar and pawed at its eye. Evrae swirled in the air and pulled right next to the airship and glared down at the small figures standing atop it.

"Hit it again!" Rikku yelled into the microphone.

"It's too close!" Cid answered back over the loudspeakers. "We'd get caught in the blasts too. Try to drive it back a little and let me know when to move the ship."

"Yeah, sure, pops," scoffed Tidus. "Why don't we just give it a bath while we're at it?"

"Will you shut up if you don't have anything helpful to say?" growled Lulu. She looked back at the wyrm and let out a blast of fire at the wyrm. The fire burned its snout, but did little damage. Lulu grit her teeth and fired a thunderbolt at Evrae with similar results.

"It's resistant to my spells," she snapped. "There's not much I can do other than try to keep it distracted."

"Just keep doing whatever you can," said Auron. "Here it comes!"

Evrae flew behind the airship, avoiding the bank of missile ports along the sides. It streaked overhead and a cloud of noxious gas spewed from its toothy maw. The poison gas covered the platform and the Guardians coughed as they choked. Evrae let out a roar and darted back into the clouds.

Fortunately for the Guardians, the airship flew through the cloud quickly and left it behind. Vincent took a deep breath as he felt the poison flare and die away in his lungs, his healing abilities clearing it away almost instantly. The others were not as fortunate. The poison burned their throats and lungs and all were writhing in pain on the deck of the airship. Vincent darted to Rikku and forced an Antidote down her throat. Her eyes snapped wide and she took a deep, ragged breath.

"Thanks, Uncle Vinny," she coughed and sat up.

"Help the others," Vincent ordered. "I'll do my best to keep it busy. Hand me the mic." Rikku handed him the microphone headset and Vincent walked to the bow of the airship, as far from the others as possible.

"Cid, do you copy?"

"What's going on out there? Where's Rikku?" Cid yelled. "If she's gotten hurt because of you, jysbena, so help me…"

"Rikku's fine," Vincent interrupted. "She and the others were poisoned. I got her an antidote and she's helping the others. I need you to slow down."

"Slow down? Are you kidding me? Are you trying to get us all killed?"

"Evrae is already much faster than we are and is smart enough to avoid approaching on our broadsides. But if you slow down, I can get a clearer shot at blinding this thing."

"Gah, fine! Just don't miss!" Cid yelled and began shouting commands in Al Bhed. Vincent felt the airship's velocity decrease and saw Evrae's dorsal spines peek out from behind a cloud. Vincent knelt down at the very edge of the airship's bow and focused on his Mastered Fire Materia. Green waves of magic burst around his body as Vincent pointed a single finger into the air. A concentrated bolt of fire magic shot from his finger and raced across the sky. The magical flare arched over the airship like a beacon. Vincent raised the Hydra rifle and waited.

Evrae roared out of the cloud and closed in on the flare, taking the bait. Its jaws closed around the flare, causing it to explode in an orange and red wave of fire. Like Lulu's spells, the fire was not very damaging to the fiend, but it enraged the beast. Spotting Vincent at the bow of the airship, Evrae roared and charged straight at him. Vincent waited, breath and hands steady, his eyes focused at the rapidly approaching target.

"That thing's coming right at us!" Cid said over the mic. "Whatever you're gonna do, do it quick!"

"Just hold steady," Vincent replied.

"What?"

"Do not move this ship," Vincent ordered as he adjusted the sight on his rifle. Evrae was less than a body length away from the airship and Vincent could see green gas frothing at the corners of its mouth. And its other good eye.

"Steady," Vincent said one last time and, just as Evrae's head coiled back to strike, Vincent fired. The trio of bullets pierced and obliterated Evrae's remaining eye. The wyrm screeched in pain and veered away from the airship, its tail lashing out in desperation. It struck the portside wing and Evrae instinctively began to coil around the airship.

"Great job, ya fool!" Wakka yelled. "It's gonna drag us down with it now!"

"Not if we get it first!" Tidus cheered. He raised his hook sword and pointed it at the thick coil wrapping around the airship. "C'mon!" Tidus charged at the fleshy coil wrapped around the airship and hacked at the glimmering scales. His sword made a shallow slice in the mass of hard muscle. Kimahri and Auron followed, carving deep wounds into the wyrm with their heavier weapons.

Evrae let out a new screech and tightened its grip on the airship. It clawed and snapped at the Guardians blindly, missing wildly and even clawing its own body once.

Vincent continued to fire at Evrae's head, keeping it distracted and further damaging its already ruined eyes. Wakka and Lulu joined him, throwing Blitzball and blasts of elemental energy at the wyrm. Evrae roared and spewed its poisonous gas into the air. Its flailing tail slammed into the engine of the airship with a loud clang. Black smoke began to whiff out of the ancient machinery and the airship began to lose altitude.

"We're hit!" yelled Cid through the comms. "Get that blasted thing off us before Bevelle's anti-air batteries can take us out!"

Vincent relayed the orders to the other Guardians and they poured on their attacks. Kimahri inhaled and breathed out an acidic yellow mist, causing a section of Evrae's body to turn into cracked, brittle stone. Auron followed behind, slashing his massive katana into the stone, crushing it and causing horrible damage to the fiend. Lulu cast Fira around Wakka's Blitzball. The blitzer hurled it at Evrae's ruined eyes, waited for the rebound, and punched it back over and over again. The flaming ball blurred as it streaked back and forth, searing Evrae's ruined visage. Tidus scrambled on top of Evrae's coil and ran up the fiend's back. While his hook sword wasn't able to do much to damage Evrae's thick scales, it was perfect for slicing through Evrae's thin, delicate wings. The blade cut through the glossimer wings like paper. Evrae let out a high pitched scream as the first pyreflies began to drift from its ruined wings. It bucked and twisted, trying to shake Tidus off. With a leap, the teen managed to tumble onto the airship platform.

"Get ready to fire the port broadside," Vincent told Cid over the comms. He sighted down his rifle and rapidly fired four times at the wing joints. All twelve bullets tore through the muscle and bone, crippling the wing and almost severing it from Evrae's body. The guardian wyrm painfully uncoiled its body from around the airship, nearly knocking the Guardians over in the process as the airship pitched and rolled from the shifting fiend's weight.

"Now, Cid!" Vincent shouted as soon as Evrae cleared the airship's port side. Dozens of missiles fired at the fiend, slamming into its body and head. Evrae cried out in pain as the missiles finished what the Guardians had started. Dozens of pyreflies drifted into the clouds as Evrae, the Sacred Guardian Wyrm of Bevelle, perished.

Tidus let out a cheer as the other Guardians sighed in relief. Vincent reloaded the Hydra rifle and glanced over his shoulder at the engine at the stern of the airship. Thick, black smoke bloomed from its vents and the deck beneath his feet rattled with increasing strength.

"What's the ship's status, Cid?" Vincent asked into the comm.

"We're losing power and altitude!" Cid yelled. "We're gonna be in range of their anti-air batteries any second. Hang on to something!"

Vincent quickly relayed the information to the Guardians and they grabbed onto whatever bolted down surface was closest to them. The airship's nose dipped and sliced into the clouds. The Guardians were forced to lay down and cling to the deck as G forces pulled at their bodies. Vincent spared a quick glance at Rikku next to him. Her claw was buried into the deck and she had a ferocious grin on her face. She caught Vincent's eye and gave him a wink, clearly enjoying the death-defying ride. Satisfied she was as safe as she could be, Vincent checked on the other Guardians. All were hanging on well enough, but Vincent did get more than just an innocent glimpse at Lulu as her dress was not made for strong G force winds. She caught his eyes wandering and turned bright red, her curses lost to the wind. Vincent gave her a small smirk and focused his eyes forward again.

"We're going in, fast and loud!" Cid said over the comms. "We'll be sitting ducks once we slow down, so move your pasty white ass!"

"La emm um ryri yw ayoh pomurimm," Vincent muttered back before the airship flew through a burst of cannon fire. White hot shrapnel filled the sky and peppered the deck. Vincent and the Guardians could feel the heat on their faces and exposed skin.

"Nihi zi ky!" Brother's shout carried over the comms.

"Telr dni dyhbityim, wocc mdiel eniet!" Cid cried.

The clouds and pyreflies parted and the great capital of Yevon sparkled below. Built like a fortress, the red walls sparkled like rubies and the bridge extended across the sea gleamed like a righteous sword. The airship continued its dive, speed its only defense against the anti-air batteries and cannons now. Wind howled across the deck, drowning out screams of terror from Lulu and Wakka and whoops of joy from Tidus and Rikku. The airship's nose began to fight its own momentum as the sea and bridge quickly grew closer. Vincent could hear Cid and Brother straining and grunting in effort as they tried to pull the airship out of its dive.

The ancient metal and gears whined in protest, thicker smoke poured from the engines, and the city loomed like a quickly growing mountain beneath them. The cannon fire intensified; Vincent could begin to see the artillery emplacements along the outskirts of the city. He could see the small cove where The Crescent would hide from Yevon patrols and spared a moment's thought for Biggs, Wedge, and Jek. If the ship was going to crash, it was better to think of good times and good friends than the alternative.

The airship's engines coughed and the entire hull shuddered as the airship's bow finally pulled upward and shot out of the nosedive. The belly of the airship nearly skimmed over the top of the ocean, flinging a spray of salt water into the air as it jetted past and over the bridge. It stayed low, weaving between cannon fire and around spires and monuments to Yevon's past. Once it reached the city proper, the airship shot upward, rising with the city walls and shot over the city proper. Thousands of shocked citizens stared into the sky as the forbidden machina flew past. Some thought it was SIN at first, or an aerial Sinspawn that the Crusaders were firing at, and ran into their homes and nearby neighborhood shelters. Others raced toward the Bevelle Temple, the second holiest place in Spira after Zanarkand, for spiritual refuge.

Once the airship evened out of its nosedive, Vincent snapped to his feet. He checked his gear to make sure nothing had dislodged or loosened during the erratic flight. The Guardians saw immediately and followed suit, but stayed low to avoid any stray cannon fire. Even over the noise of the wind, engines, and cannon fire, they could still hear the tinny ringing of bells.

"Are those alarm bells?" Tidus asked.

"Bevelle's alarms are much deeper and heavier in tone," Lulu answered. "Those are the bells of St. Zoan, being rung at the palace for special occasions and events."

"They started the wedding!" Rikku exclaimed. "We have to hurry!"

"Cid! Get us as close to the palace as you can," Vincent ordered into the comm.

"It ain't gonna be easy," Cid replied. "Most of the city's firepower is based around that damn palace-temple thing."

"Just get us there!" Vincent said. Already the anti-air barrage was getting thicker and they were still over the bridge.

"There is no way we can get all the way to the palace," Rikku said, appearing at Vincent's side. "Brother isn't that good of a pilot."

"You think you could do better?"

"Of course, Uncle Vinny," Rikku smiled before an artillery shell exploded against the starboard side and made her stumble. "Not that it would make any difference in this mess."

The airship sped along the bridge and toward the palace. Cannon fire burst all around the ship, causing it to jink and dip wildly. The Guardians had to hang onto the deck railing to keep from being pitched over the edge. The airship curved around the first defensive line and headed closer toward the palace. A cannon blast struck the rear of the craft, damaging the already-barely-hanging-on engines. The airship drastically slowed and began to maneuver in sluggish jerks and pitches.

Vincent raised the Hydra rifle and aimed at the closest weapon platform. It was a Yevon approved machina, a hovering platform with two large cannons for arms. Two yellow eyes gleamed from its oval-shaped head as it aimed its weapons toward the airship. Vincent fired and the yellow eyes blinked out a second before the entire machina crashed to the ground, taking out a trio of Crusader soldiers in the process.

'This could take awhile,' Vincent thought as he sighted the next cannon. He repeated the process three more times, but even as accurate and quick as he was, Vincent couldn't take out every weapon platform as the airship flew past and the ones that remained continued their bombardment.

"This is as far as we're gonna get!" Cid boomed over the comm and loudspeakers. "Get ready to go!"

"Go where?" Lulu asked. "Is he planning on just landing in the middle of a battlefield?"

"With my dad, who knows?" Rikku shrugged and clung to Vincent's arm. "I don't think the ship has any smaller landing craft or anything like that."

The airship slowed and a hatch opened on the port bow, facing the massing Crusaders below. A pair of iron anchors shot out of the hatch and speared into the ground below. Thick chains connected the anchors to the airship. As the airship began to pull away, the lines snapped taut.

"What are y'all waiting for?" Cid yelled over the speakers. "Get the fuck off the ship and save Yuna!"

"Slide down the chains!" Vincent yelled over the engines and cannon fire. He pointed to the chains, now at a steep angle from the rising airship. "I'll cover you from here!"

The Guardians nodded and leapt off the deck, their feet catching onto the thick chains surprisingly well. Vincent raised his rifle and fired at the gathering temple guards and Crusaders, leaving the cannons alone for a moment to clear the Guardians' landing zone. His shots dropped several guards and forced the others to scurry for cover, clearing the landing area for the Guardians. Tidus led the way, grinding and flipping along the chain. It reminded Vincent of Cloud snowboarding down the slopes of Great Glacier. Auron was close behind, holding his massive katana in front of him as balance. Wakka and Rikku managed to slide down as well without much issue or grace. Lulu clutched to her dress as she slid down the chain, screaming when her doll scrambled onto her face in fear. She started to slip when the chains crossed over each other, but Kimahri reached out and caught her just in time. He pulled her up with one hand and placed her on his back. She clung to him for dear life, her hands wrung deep into his blue fur.

Vincent watched from the deck of the airship as the Guardians crashed on the ground. They quickly regained their feet and surged into battle. Tidus and Rikku nimbly darted from temple guard to Crusader, covering each other's back while taking out enemies in a swirl of blades and claws. Kimahri never stopped moving forward. Once his claws hit the ground, he tore through the defenders like they were paper, ignoring any wounds that managed to slip through his berserker assault. Auron stood at his flank, deflecting and cleaving through any temple guards that slipped past Kimahri's rage. Lulu lit up the sky with thunderbolts, disabling the remaining cannons and casting her spells on Wakka's steel-wrapped blitzball. It conducted the electrical magic perfectly, turning the ball into more of a battering ram than just a projectile; whatever it hit was blasted back in a burst of magical power.

Beneath Vincent's feet, the airship began to buck and shimmy uncontrollably. A loud bang caused Vincent to turn around and see fire blazing from inside the engines. The entire ship wobbled and dropped several feet.

"Cid? Cid?!" Vincent yelled into the comm. "What's going on?"

"We took too many hits from that damn wyrm!" Cid roared back. "Systems are failing everywhere. We're not going to make it outta here. You need to get down there, protect Rikku, and save Yuna!"

"Stop being such a drama queen," Vincent returned. "Get out of here and put her down in the water. Keep a beacon on and you'll be fine."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"My ship should be somewhere out in these waters right now," Vincent said, hoping Biggs and The Crescent had made their way back to Bevelle by now. "As soon as I can, I'll send them a signal to look for you. In the meantime, we'll keep all of Yevon's attention on us. Trust me, no one is going to be looking for you once we get to that palace."

"Gods damn you, jysbena," Cid muttered as the airship began to swing towards the ocean. "Good luck."

"You too," Vincent said and tossed the communicator away. He leapt off the airship's deck, felt his cloak expand and writhe around him, and arced across the sky in a bolt of crimson. Vincent stayed airborne, firing at the Crusaders still hiding behind cover. While his shots impacted into the columns of marble, it gave the Guardians a chance to quickly close the distance and clear out all the hiding Crusaders. Rikku waved to get his attention and pointed at the bridge. Roughly two hundred meters away, Crusader reinforcements had gathered and were marching down the bridge, their numbers blocking the entire span. Each Crusader was heavily armored and held a thick, tall shield in front of him. The armored platoon would significantly slow or even stop the Guardians' assault and there was not a second to spare.

Vincent shot forward, racing down the bridge towards the platoon. As soon as they saw him, an order cried out and the platoon closed in on itself, shields linking together to form an impenetrable wall of wood and steel. Vincent recognized the phalanx formation from his time in the Turks and, under different circumstances, would have been impressed by the military tactics shown by the Yevon officers. And, under different circumstances, such tactics would have worked in stopping, or at least delayed the Guardians long enough for additional reinforcements to arrive and overwhelm them.

Vincent sped towards the phalanx and focused on the green jewel in his claw. The Mastered Fire Materia glowed bright green and green flames surrounded Vincent as he flew. A small ball of red shot from his claw like a missile and rocketed toward the phalanx, landing just to the right of the bridge. A massive explosion rocked the bridge, blasting apart rock, steel, and flesh. An entire third of the bridge was vaporized by the blast, leaving a half-circle cut into the remaining stone like a bite mark torn into a piece of fruit. Those soldiers not instantly incinderated by the blast were blown off the bridge and into the sea below. The only remaining trace of the phalanx was a scorch mark and a single sword, smoking and ruined.

Vincent flew over the impact site and landed on the far side of the bridge. He pressed his shoulder into one of the bridge's support columns and held his gun out, ready to hold the bridge until the Guardians had a chance to cross. For the moment, no temple guards or Crusaders appeared, giving the Guardians a momentary reprieve while they crossed the bridge, slowing down to carefully maneuver around the explosion site, and appearing behind Vincent.

"Anybody hurt?" Vincent asked.

"We're fine," Auron replied. "We should hurry."

"Where's my dad and the airship?" asked Rikku.

"It took too much damage. They're going to try and put her down in the water," Vincent said. Rikku paled and involuntarily started to turn around to head back down the bridge. Vincent reached out and grabbed her shoulder. "They'll be fine," he said quietly. "There isn't anything we can do to help the airship right now. Cid will be able to take care of everyone and once we get to that communications hub Cait Sith mentioned, I can call The Crescent to go pick everyone up."

Rikku glared and a small,worried sigh escaped her lips. "Let's hurry then," she said, sniffing away the tears that threatened to fall. "C'mon, everyone! Yunie's just up ahead!"

Yuna's Guardians ran toward the tower pinnacle, where Yuna stood beside Seymour amidst a sea of Yevon temple guards and Crusaders. The soldiers let out a war cry at the sight of the Guardians and charged. Vincent, Lulu, and Wakka fired into the onrushing small army before the Yevon marksmen could get into range. Tidus, Auron, Kimarhi, and Rikku slashed and stabbed and dropped the first line, wounding or killing the Yevon and Guado troops.

The Guardians stepped forward to continue their charge towards Yuna, their eyes blazing with determination and the adrenaline of battle. The Yevon soldiers floundered, but the Guado held their ground. They managed to delay the Guardians just long enough for a volley of cannon fire to strike all around them. Auron held up his arm, halting the Guardians as four hovering artillery platforms rose into the air, each of their man-sized cannons fixed on the Guardians.

"Stop!" a magically-enhanced voice broke through the din. Maester Kinoc strode forward with a heavily armed trio of bodyguards. Auron clenched his fingers around the hilt of his katana at the sight of his 'friend'.

"Enough is enough," Kinoc said, his voice back to normal. He gestured to the small army and artillery surrounding them. "Lower your weapons and surrounder in the name of Yevon!"

No one, not even Wakka, moved. Kinoc looked at each Guardian in turn, ending with Auron. He took a step toward Auron and lowered his voice. "Auron, for old time's sake, I promise I'll do everything I can for you. Don't throw your life away with this rabble."

"Forgive me if I question your sincerity," Auron growled back and shifted his sword in Kinoc's direction. Kinoc scrambled backwards and his guards rushed forward, rifles shoved into Auron's, Tidus', and Lulu's faces.

"Please stop; you've played your roles of the doomed aggressors long enough," a familiar voice rang out. The crowd of soldiers parted as Seymour Guado, dressed in dark, formal robes, his spiky hair tucked into a peaked white hat. Behind him stood Grand Maester Mika and Yuna. Yuna looked beautiful and elegant in her white gown, but Vincent could still see her glazed expression of confusion beneath her veil. Mika looked older than dirt.

"Stop your needless violence and let this blessed union of love in Yevon's name resume," Mika wheezed. "I give you my word that you will be given a fair trial and Yevon's blessing upon renouncing your heresy and treason."

"Ku vilg ouincamv, oui vilgehk wuspea pycdynt!" Rikku yelled and spat a mouthful of phlegm at Seymour. The corner of Vincent's lips twitched into a smile for just a second before he grit his teeth into his own snarl.

"And let you manipulate and defile Yuna?" Vincent growled, Chaos' rage filling his voice. "You're nothing but insects that murder their own and would use your power and magic to coerce and rape the innocent!"

"More lies from the heathen!" Mika condemned.

"Last chance; surrender or be executed on the spot!" ordered Kinoc, peeking out from behind his guard.

Auron let out a heavy sigh and lowered his guard. He placed his katana on the ground on top of the toe of his left boot. He reached out, touched Tidus-whose eyes hadn't left Seymours- on the shoulder, and gave the teen a nod.

"Wha-Auron! You can't be serious?" Tidus yelled.

"Do it," Auron said and looked at the other Guardians. Lulu glared at Seymour, her eyes promising unimaginable horrors and pain, as she set her doll on the ground. Wakka dropped the Blitzball and caught it on the top of his foot before letting it roll onto the ground. Kimarhi's spear hit the ground with a loud clang. Rikku untied her claw and dropped it, leaving her component pouch on her hip until one of the Yevon soldiers pointed his rifle at it. She gave him an innocent smile and placed it very gently on the ground. Tidus slammed his sword down, almost spiking it into Kinoc's foot.

Vincent glared at Seymour, Mika, and Kinoc, his eyes burning with demonic anger. With slow and deliberate motions, Vincent gently placed his rifle on the ground, letting his cloak slip over his shoulders. With the deftness of a Gold Saucer magician, Vincent palmed a bullet-sized piece of stone off the ground. Rising up, Vincent let the demonic energy flow off him, causing his cloak to flare out and snap like tendrils in the air. The surrounding Yevonites took a collective step backward, eyes wide in fear. Vincent flicked the pebble of rubble at Yuna. The pebble was a blur through the air, Vincent's eyes the only ones sharp enough to note its course, and struck the back of Yuna's left arm. A bruise instantly formed, a dark blemish on her white-clad form, and, when Yuna shook her head and rubbed the spot on her arm, Vincent gave Kinoc a savage smile.

-X-

Yuna blinked rapidly, touching the growing bruise on her arm, and shook her head. She felt tired, as if she had just emerged from the Chamber of the Fayth after fighting an entire troop of Sinspawn. Yuna rubbed her eyes as her mind cleared and took in her surroundings.

The wedding gown silks and lace felt like sandpaper on her skin, a marital violation. A quick scan of herself proved nothing more physical than her wardrobe change had occurred. Yuna felt an initial wave of relief, but her stomach still churned and she wanted to do nothing more than have Ifrit and Lulu incinerate the dress and then bathe until she scrubbed herself raw.

Yuna looked at the small army of Yevon soldiers, Crusaders, and Maesters surrounding her friends. She saw Seymour, dressed in his fine wedding robes and stupid hat and Yuna felt her skin flush with unquenchable fury. Her fists clenched, wishing she had her staff in them to bash his head in until those ridiculous blue spikes laid flat and wet and red. And she wanted Ifrit to throw Seymour onto her wedding dress pyre and let him and Lulu incinerate him and have Lady Shiva entomb his ashes into an impenetrable glacier of ice.

But even in her rage, Yuna knew she was no match for the half-Guado, not to mention the surrounding army, physically. And after their duel in Macalania, she couldn't match him magically. So Yuna did the last thing she knew would work.

-X-

Vincent smiled at his plan's success. The pebble was an old trick Red XIII had come up with near the Great Glacier. The Malboro's Bad Breath caused a multitude of inflictions when inhaled, mostly easily cured with various magical spells or potions. But the Confuse effect caused the group more than its share of problems and headaches; once, Barret had nearly killed Yuffie and Tifa, thinking they were a pair of Snow Jemnezmy trying to seduce him to death. It hadn't been pretty. Afterward, Red noticed the confusion broke at even the slightest physical harm. Hence the throwing of small rocks, sticks, and even quick slaps on the back of the head began, although Yuffie and Tifa continued to cast Fire spells and threw heavy elbow and knee strikes at Barret for some time, even when he wasn't confused.

With her confusion broken, Yuna was back in full control of herself and Vincent could see the anger and disgust replace the blank gaze in her eyes. He saw her start to move and knew two things: first, he had to distract Seymour; second, it was going to hurt.

"You don't look very well," Vincent called to Seymour. "Must be hard to keep yourself together under all that hot suit. Maybe your hat is too tight?""

"And here I thought the legendary warrior of Yevon you've modeled yourself after was supposed to be silent," Seymour replied. "These could be your last words and let you waste them on petty insults."

"I'm just looking out for your wellbeing. You really look a little green around the gills," Vincent said before mocking horror and covering his mouth like he had just swore at his grandmother. "I am so sorry, was that indelicate? Do Guado have gills? Or do you just look like frogs?"

"You are a pathetic heathen," Seymour bristled, "playing with broken toys, thinking you're something special because you know a few tricks and dress like a forgotten hero. You are nothing."

"And the only thing special about you came out of that vial you drank in Macalania," Vincent returned, his eyes flickering past Seymour before focusing back on the half-Guado. "And you cannot even fathom what vile secretion you ingested out of desperation. You sold your soul for the illusion of power!"

"Does this feel like an illusion?" Seymour asked and a bolt of sickly green lightning shot out of his finger. It spiraled like a drill through the air and stabbed into Vincent's shoulder. Electricity coursed through his body, forcing Vincent's limbs to lock akimbo. Vincent grit his teeth to keep from crying out, while the Death Gigas fiend cackled in slow-minded delight at the influx of electrical power burning through its host. Seymour stopped the spell, gently blowing a bit of smoke off his finger.

Vincent struggled for balance as feeling slowly returned to his limbs, but he didn't fall or need to lean upon anyone. He took a deep breath as he finished healing, ignoring the chuckles from the Death Gigas. Vincent's red eyes looked past Seymour again. Yuna needed more time.

"The boy's yelling hurts more than that," Vincent growled. Tidus opened his mouth to complain, but anything he said was lost as Seymour held up his entire left hand and four drills of lightning bore into Vincent's body. A small growl of pain escaped from Vincent's mouth before the electricity clenched his teeth together and dropped him to one knee. Vincent curled forward, enduring the pain, focusing on it, embracing it like an old friend, and then pushing the pain down as he forced himself to stand.

Seymour stopped, his breath labored, watching the smoke drift from his fingers in detached amusement.

"Like I said, nothing but a bad illusion. How did a man so weak as you manage to kill your father? Did you have to have a child stronger than you help?"

"You cur!" Seymour snapped. "I am beyond you, any of you!" His facial features darkened and turned ugly, as if the calm demeanor had been a mask that had fallen off and this petty, childish brute was his real self.

"I command magic incomprehensible! The laws of life and death obey me now! I am the greatest of all Yevon's champions, wielder of HER legacy! You are mere ants groveling before the blazing sun itself!"

"That would explain why you're smoking," Tidus smirked. Seymour smiled and waved his fingers, causing the smoke rising from their tips to wiggle and curl. Vincent shook his head and pointed at Seymour's chest with his claw. Seymour looked down and saw wisps of smoke drifting out from beneath his wedding suit. He touched his chest and a pyrefly, bright pink trailing white embers, flew out and corkscrewed around his torso.

Seymour's eyes grew wide in fear and anger. He spun around and saw Yuna, arms outstretched and twirling, her high heels kicked off to help her dance faster, the prayer of sending silent on her lips and loud in her mind.

"You!" shouted Seymour. "How did-" he stopped himself and stormed toward Yuna, catching her by the wrist. "You would play at marriage just for a chance to send me?"

"I'm not playing at anything!" Yuna snarled, startling everyone present at the ferocity in her voice. She reached out and stabbed her thumb into Seymour's eye. He cried out and let go of Yuna's arm. Yuna stumbled back and spied Seymour's wand hidden inside his suit. Yuna grabbed it and kicked away from Seymour. Using the wand as a focus, like her staff, Yuna concentrated all her anger and magic, not to send Seymour, but to obliterate him.

Bolts of lightning cascaded across the clear Bevelle sky and thunder rolled like water breaking over a dam. Yuna's eyes glowed white as lightning gathered on the tip of the stolen wand. Yuna swung the wand upward, creating a circular portal wreathed in cackling lightning. Thunder was replaced by quickly approaching hoofbeats.

"Stop!" Mika wheezed, waving his arms. He stepped into Yuna's line of sight and pointed a gnarled finger at her. "Do you not value your friend's lives? Your actions determine their fate. Protect them…" Mika looked at Kinoc. The leader of the Crusaders nodded to the surrounding troops. The small army raised and trained their weapons on the Guardians, the sound of dozens of weapons being loaded and made ready echoing even over the thunderous hoofbeats.

"Or throw their lives away," Mika concluded. "The choice is yours."

"Don't listen to that old geezer!" Tidus yelled. "Blast them, Yuna!"

"Yeah, don't give in, Yunie!" Rikku shouted.

Vincent shifted his feet, ready to spring into action if the order was given to fire. He guessed he could at least shield Rikku and maybe Lulu once the firing started...maybe.

But Vincent looked at Yuna and felt his heart sink. Her glowing eyes began to fade as her love for her friends overpowered her anger towards Seymour. The arcing portal quickly closed as the wand slipped from her fingers as the Grand Summon was stopped. It clattered to the ground as the last bit of light faded from the sky and Yuna's eyes.

"Your courage and defiant resolve are admirable," Seymour said as he finished healing his eye. "All the more fitting to be my lovely bride." Seymour nodded to Mika, who raised his arms into the air in benediction.

"By the power vested in me by Yevon, I pronounce you husband and wife," the Grand Maester proclaimed. "You may kiss the bride."

Seymour smirked as he reached out and grabbed Yuna's shoulders. Yuna struggled as he leaned in and pulled her close. Seymour bent and kissed Yuna on the lips, ignoring the repulsion on her face and the growling from Tidus, Rikku, and Lulu. Yuna kept her eyes closed and fists clenched as tightly as she could.

Seymour broke the kiss and smirked back at the Guardians. "Kill them."

Vincent rolled his eyes at Seymour's completely unsurprising order. He stepped forward, putting himself between Rikku and Lulu, ready to sprint them away.

"I'm sorry," Kinoc said to Auron, "but it's for Yevon."

Auron gazed at the barrel of the rifle aimed inches from his face. "Aren't these Shin-ra weapons forbidden by Yevon?"

"There are exceptions," Kinoc sneered. "May Yevon forgive you."

"No!" Yuna shouted. She lashed out and kneed Seymour in the groin, making the half-guado scream and release her. She shoved past Grand Maester Mika and climbed up to the top of the altar. Her mind raced. She couldn't summon, her magic wasn't strong enough to fight with, she had no weapons, no hope…

Behind her, hundreds of feet of empty air ended with the stony courtyard of Bevelle Temple. The long train of her dress flickered over the precipice, some of the feathers catching in the wind.

"Throw down your weapons!" she yelled. "Let them go, now, or else…" Yuna took another step back, her bare feet almost at the edge.

Seymour picked himself up off the ground and stared at Yuna in shock. "Throwing yourself away won't solve anything. You will die alongside them for no reason."

"I can think of a lot worse things," Yuna spat at Seymour and wiped her mouth. Seymour smirked but studied his new bride carefully, searching for a single sign, a single break in her resolve. There was none. Yuna would rather perish than be at his side, would rather perish than be used as a symbol to unite the foolish masses beside him as the new head of Yevon. While not fatal to his plans, losing Yuna would force Seymour to delay and have to wait for another promising summoner to bind him to the Final Aeon. Smiling at Yuna, Seymour looked at Kinoc and lowered his hand. Kinoc huffed and lowered his rifle, the Yevon troops did the same.

"Alright!" Tidus cheered. "Let's get outta here!" He started to run up the stairs toward Yuna, but Auron grabbed him by the hood and pulled him back.

"Hey!" Tidus started to complain, but Auron cut him off.

"They'll use you as leverage against Yuna. Stay with the group."

Tidus nodded, realizing how stupid he nearly was. "C'mon Yuna! Let's go!"

Yuna shook her head. "Leave now! Please!"

"You're coming with us!"

"Don't worry about me," Yuna smiled. "I can fly."

Vincent had an idea of what Yuna was going to do and gave her a nod before he turned his head slightly to Rikku. "Tu oui ryja yh tecdnyldeuh nayto?"

"Ymfyoc, Ihlma Jehho," Rikku whispered back. She leaned closer to Vincent, using his cloak to help hide her hands digging into her back pocket.

Seymour let out a scoff. "And then you'll hit the ground and die. What a foolish waste."

"Taking one's life is forbidden by Yevon. You further betray the teachings," Mika said.

Yuna ignored them both and smiled at Tidus. "Believe."

Yuna clasped her hands in front of her, closed her eyes, and fell.

-X-

The wind screamed in Yuna's ears as she plummeted from the top of the palace tower. It was peaceful and freeing, and Yuna let the cold air wash over her like a cleansing stream. She opened her eyes and saw Seymour and Mika's shrinking forms atop the tower, watching her fall. A part of Yuna wanted to show them an obscene gesture she'd seen Lulu give a traveling salesman visiting Besaid who got a little too pushy; but as more of the tower passed by at high speed, Yuna decided to be more practical and save the obscene gestures for another time.

Yuna focused her mind and magic and called out into the nether. Circles of pink magical glyphs surrounded her and converged into large magical orbs. The orbs shot upward into the clouds and burst in an explosion of light. A dark shape plummeted out of the sky and shot past Yuna.

Valefor opened her wings just as Yuna slammed into her body, cushioning the impact. The aeon cooed at her summoner as Yuna wrapped her arms around Valefor's neck in a mighty hug. The two glided down through the air and Yuna decided that, yes, now was a good time for that obscene gesture.

-X-

Vincent saw the magical orbs rocket past the tower and then as Valefor dive bombed past. "Now, Rikku!"

"One Rikku special, coming right up!" she pipped. "Cover your eyes," she said to the Guardians as discreetly as she could. Rikku tossed an oblong package towards the altar. It bounced twice before landing at Seymour's feet. He looked at it curiously, still in shock from watching his bride leap off the highest point in Bevelle only to be caught by one of the aeon's he'd never bothered to learn about.

Rikku's package exploded in a burst of light brighter than the sun itself. Seymour roared in pain and covered his eyes with his arm. The world spun and, when he tried to open his eyes again, was blurry and out of focus.

"Where are they?" he yelled. "Someone stop them!"

After what seemed like hours, Seymour's vision cleared and the world dimmed back to its normal brilliance for him to see a small army of Yevon troopers, Maester Kinoc, and Grand Maester Mika moaning and groaning in pain, but no sign of the Guardians.

Meanwhile…

"Wha-what was that?" Wakka asked as Lulu dragged him down the corridor.

"Al Bhed flashbomb I rigged really quick," Rikku said.

"You made a bomb in just a few minutes?" Lulu asked.

"Well it wasn't a explody-kind of bomb so it took a little longer than usual," Rikku said, slightly embarrassed.

"Impressive," Lulu praised, making the Al Bhed beam. Their conversation was broken by Kimahri storming past, carrying Tidus in the air as if the teen was a mere child fighting his bedtime.

"Let me go! I'm gonna kill that Seymour!" Tidus yelled.

"Yuna said leave; we leave," Kimahri answered.

"We'll join up with her in the courtyard," Lulu said. The group continued to run downward, turning corners and racing down stairs until the path was blocked by a squad of Yevon troops.

"Break through!" Auorn ordered and charged. But before the Guardians could close the distance, the entire squad of soldiers collapsed like a puppet without strings. The Guardians froze, looking around for the cause and wondering if they were going to be attacked next.

"What took you so long?" a familiar voice asked from the shadows. Cait Sith stepped into the light with his hands poised on his wiry hips. "Ye know how uncomfortable I been creepin' and crawlin' in smokestacks and sewer lines? Look at the state of me tail? It's more crooked than that old geezer runnin' this place!"

Rikku gave out a squeal of happiness at the sight of the little automaton and ran up to give him a hug. Vincent and the other guardians, save Lulu, grinned and chuckled at the reunion. Lulu, still wary of the lustly little robot, kept her distance.

"Run into any trouble?" Vincent asked Cait Sith after Rikku released him.

"Of course der's been trouble; look at me tail, fer Aerith's sake!" Cait yelled back, holding up his crooked tail.

"Guess you aren't as good an infiltrator as you said," Vincent said. Cait looked as outraged as a toy cat robot could.

"Now don't ye go and start talkin' that shite. Ye know that I am the best of the best and that if I say it was bad trouble then ye should know that if anyone else tried to do what I done, dey would either be dead or caught and not just sufferin' with a crooked tail!"

"Well, most of us don't have tails.." Vincent mused.

"Stop picking on him, Uncle Vinny," Rikku said, scratching behind Cait Sith's ears. "If it wasn't for him, we probably would have been too late to help Yunie at all."

"I suppose," Vincentt said with a smile. "Where is that communications depot you found? We need to reach out to my ship."

"Ya, it's just back this way," Cait said and pointed down a corridor. "There's not any guards, I think dey forgot about it in all the commotion ye caused."

"Good," Vincent said. He turned back to the Guardians. "Go find Yuna, I'll catch up after I've contacted The Crescent."

"I'm coming too!" Rikku said. "I'm the only one who knows the clearance codes to contact the airship."

"But where did Yuna go?" Tidus asked. "How are we supposed to find her in this entire city?"

"Bevelle Palace is temple," Kimahri said. "Yuna go to one place."

"The Chamber of the Fayth," Lulu said.

Vincent nodded. "Be quick."

"Let's go," Auron said and began running toward the Cloister of Trials. Originally a warrior-monk from Bevelle, he knew the fastest way. Vincent, Rikku, and Cait Sith watched them leave.

"I wonder when I get to see one of these fayth," Cait Sith pondered. "Kinda curious how da statues turn into somethin' like the da summons of da old days."

"It's complicated," Vincent said. "But if we hurry, you might get the chance. Lead the way."

The trio crept through the shadows, avoiding patrols and random guards as they backtracked deeper into the temple palace. Cait Sith led the way, uncharacteristically silent. Rikku followed, her movements as cat-like as the toy cats. Vincent remained a few steps behind, his gun broken back down into a three-barreled pistol, the heavy Hydra attachments stowed away once again, protecting their rear from any unlucky patrols that may cross their path.

"Ah, here it is," Cait Sith whispered and pushed open a door. It opened to a small room filled with consoles and communications equipment; equipment that was much more advanced than Vincent had seen anywhere else in Spira, save underneath the Moonflow in Reeve's old WRO facility. It was nowhere near as advanced as even the simplest cell phone the WRO used, not to mention the computers once used to develop airships and automatons like Cait Sith, but it was still more technological than should be present one of the holiest sites of an anti-technology religious group.

"Wow," Rikku said. "This place has everything! Is that a working holosphere with live stream connectivity?"

"We just called it a video phone in my day," Cait Sith boasted, but Rikku was already moving around the room, touching everything she could, as if she couldn't believe it was real until her fingers grazed over the controls and monitors.

"Do you know how to send a coded signal?" Vincent asked Cait Sith. "My ship shouldn't be too far away; the plan was to meet us here at some point."

"Of course I can," Cait said, slightly insulted. "It's just a matter of knowin' what kind of signal yer ship can receive."

"There is an old holosphere I was able to salvage and get working," Vincent said. "I'm not very good with circuits, but it should receive whatever we put out there."

"Aye, and so would anybody else who happens to be listening out there," Cait argued. "I can encrypt the signal but not to a very high degree, not with this rusted out tech. Ye'd be better off just climbing to the top of the palace and lighting a signal fire."

"I can help," Rikku said. "The Al Bhed, we encrypt everything we send so Yevon doesn't intercept our ships or anything. Even if Yevon hears the message, they won't understand anything."

"And neither would Biggs, Wedge, or Jek. Biggs can only speak enough Al Bhed to curse and order off the menu in her favorite spot in the Eavesdown Docks," Vincent said.

"What if we dinae encrypt it? Who cares if Yevon can hear it, as long as they don't understand it," Cait Sith wondered. He looked at Vincent. "De ye have any secret codes worked out with this crew of yers?"

"A few, mostly for talking in front of clients without them getting wise to whether or not we were going to fleece them," Vincent said.

"Well then let me work me magic," Cait laughed and started flipping switches and toggles. The consoles lit up and crackled with static as they came online. He held out a microphone with a button on the top to Vincent. "Just push on the top to talk."

-X-

10 miles East of Bevelle

Wedge let out a loud squawk of pain as the chocobo stepped on his hand. The golden bird let out a squawk of her own and nudged Wedge out of the way with her beak, kicking a pile of wooden planks as she walked away.

"Jek, I thought you said you had the birds tied up?" Biggs asked from the helm. Her hands and hair were covered in oil. She was bent over the wheel, trying to get it to move more than an inch to the left or right. It wouldn't budge.

"I did!" Jek protested. He was soaking wet and was carrying a waterproof bag out of the hold. "Wedge's hammering scares them; and they don't like getting wet!"

"We'd all be a lot wetter if Wedge wasn't able to repair the damage to the bow and main deck," Biggs yelled. "He's almost done and he can't finish if the chocobos are stomping all over the place!"

"I'm working on it," Jek said, dropping the bag next to Biggs. "Here's the tools you wanted. When do you want to stop and eat? You've been working on the helm since last night."

"That's because it's only slightly important for steering the ship," Biggs groaned sarcastically as she pulled on the wheel with all her strength and weight. "I'd love to see you slip into a berth without being able to maneuver at all."

"Easy," Jek grinned. "My chocobos can do anything."

"Except stay out of Wedge's way," Biggs said, giving up on the wheel. Either there was something on the rudder keeping it from moving, or the delicate pulley mechanisms that connected the tiller chain with the rudder were broken. It was easy to clear the rudder, once Biggs dove into the sea, braved the depths and creatures dying to make her a meal, and figured out what had ensnared the rudder. It was damn near impossible to repair the tiller chain on the open ocean. And if the Crescent wasn't ready when her true captain called..Biggs would never forgive herself.

"Keep an eye and ear out," Biggs said to Jek. She left her gunblade against the wheel and tossed her shirt onto the deck. She checked the long, thin knife tucked into her right boot and pulled her hair out of its loose bun. Clad in only her shorts and bikini top, Biggs stepped onto the railing and jumped into the sea.

The water was cool, not cold, and felt refreshing after working beneath the sun all day. Biggs floated on the surface for a moment, slicking her hair back. It was quiet, just the calling of distant gulls and the gentle sound of the tide lapping against The Crescent's hull. After the long nights tracking down the roaches and the longer battle off the ruins of Kitase Village and burning the roaches' supply depot, Biggs enjoyed the moment of quiet.

"I wonder if this is what retirement feels like," she mused aloud. "I wonder if Vincent ever plans on retiring. Or was sailing on The Crescent was his idea of taking it easy…" A wave knocked some water into Biggs' mouth and she spat it back out like a fountain in Luca.

"Yep," she muttered, spitting more salt water out of her mouth. "Back to work." She took a deep breath, forcing the air into every corner and crevice of her lungs, and dove into the sea.

The water was blue-green, not as clear as the waters of Besaid or Kilika, but they were far enough from the Bevelle Harbor that the traffic hadn't polluted the waters. Biggs could see clearly through the water and watched a school of small baitfish scurry out of her way. Biggs swam gracefully towards the stern of the ship, eyes sweeping back and forth, above and below and behind, to make sure nothing insidious was creeping up on her. She tried to stay as close to the hull of the ship as she could, to keep its physical presence close and let it protect her while she tried her best to fix it.

The rudder was wrapped in a thick, reddish-green tentacle. Biggs could make out dozens of razor-sharp suckers lining its underside, but it ended with ragged pink flesh. It was torn and ripped and nibbled on by countless hundreds of ocean scavengers.

Biggs would have sworn if she could spare the breath. Instead, she got to work. She drew the knife out of her boot and began to stab at the tentacle. It was slow and hard, the water slowing her strikes, the blade bouncing off the thick flesh. Biggs felt her lungs begin to burn and she abandoned the tentacle. She swam gently to the surface, broke the thin plane separating one element from the other, and took a deep breath.

"Jek!"

"What?" Jek yelled.

"Throw me down a saw!" Biggs ordered. "And the air hose. Just off the stern."

Jek nodded-Biggs knew him so well that she knew he nodded even when she couldn't see him-and fumbled around for the saw and hose. The hose was close, connected to a rudimentary pump system that Vincent had built. Both Jek and Biggs had used it to assist Vincent on underwater repairs to The Crescent when he needed additional hands. It required someone to stay onboard and manually pump air into the Al Bhed rebreather Vincent had won from Rin in a card game years ago. The saw was harder to find, hidden by Wedge's bulk and the chocobos that kept milling around him. Jek found it and hauled the saw and hose to the stern railing.

"Look out below," he yelled and tossed the hose overboard. It slapped into the water and Biggs fished it out.

"You ready for the saw?" Jek asked.

"Send it down," Biggs called and watched the silver metal arc through the air and plop into the water ten feet to her right. "Shit toss," she muttered and dove after it. The saw was sinking quickly, but Biggs swam fast enough to get it before it passed into the depths. She hurried back to the surface and retrieved the hose.

"Start the pump, Jek!" she yelled and waited for the accumulated water in the hose to be forced out before fixing the rebreather around her face. She exhaled the last of the water out of the rebreather first and then took a deep breath of the slightly metallic tasting air. Biggs dove back underwater and swam towards the rudder again. A school of fish slipped silvery past her and she reached out and grabbed the rubbery tentacle wrapped around the rudder. She raised the saw and began to slice through the putrid limb. The muscly flesh was resistant and Biggs had to reset the saw often, but now there was time. Air continued down the hose and she continued to work.

The saw finally chewed through the tentacle and Biggs pulled it away from the rudder assembly. It floated amidst its own particulate before sinking off to be devoured by some other denizen of the deep. Biggs gave the rudder a gentle push and smiled when it moved easily. She swam and heard Wedge's voice as soon as she broke the surface.

"...ggs!"

Biggs spat out the rebreather. "Wedge?"

"Biggs have call from Captain Vincent!"

Biggs' smile grew until it almost split her face. She swam, harder than she may have ever swam in her life, to the rope ladder tied to the side of the ship. She climbed and ran across the deck to the hold. Biggs barely noticed Wedge standing beside the door. She entered and ran below deck towards the galley, still dripping sea water everywhere. Inside, a light was flashing white over and over again. Biggs opened the weapons cabinet and saw the holosphere connected to a nest of jury-rigged wires glowing pale blue. Biggs picked up the sphere and sat down at the tiny galley table. She placed the sphere on the table and thumbed on the device.

Gold Saucer to Giantess. Gold Saucer to Giantess. Come in.

Biggs reached out and touched the 'speak' button on the sphere. "Um, hello? Can you hear me?"

Oh fer Aerith's sake, does no one follow any communication protocol anymore. Vincent, talk to your bonnie lass and let's get a move on before some guard decides to take his piss next door.

The holosphere projector flickered on and Biggs saw a strange looking cat wave to her before it was replaced by Vincent's face.

All hail the Crimson Queen, he smirked.

"I've really come to hate that name," Biggs replied.

You get used to it.

"Does it take a lifetime? Cuz not all of us are immortal."

Then adapt faster, Vincent said with a small smile before turning to business. Where's the party?

Biggs straightened her shoulders and sat a little taller at the sound of the code phrase. The word 'party' meant that others were near, or in this case, listening.

"About one hundred miles west," Biggs answered, hoping she remembered their codes right.

That sounds about right. Have fun fishing out there and we'll catch up with you for the next blitzball game, Vincent said.

"Yes sir," Biggs nodded. "Usual bet on the game?"

Let's raise the stakes.

"How much?"

"Not sure. At least by two, but if you hear our song, it'll be more."

"You're gonna make me rich, boss."

That's the plan. See you soon, your highness.

Vincent gave Biggs a genuine grin before turning off the holosphere. Biggs sat in her chair for another moment, going over the coded conversation in her mind one more time. Then she put the sphere back into the weapons cabinet and ran upstairs.

"We've got orders from Captain Vincent!" she roared. Wedge and Jek sprang to attention, even the Chocobos stopped and stared at Biggs. "Wedge, forget the rest of the repairs, we're needed shoreside now! Get on the wheel! Due west towards Bevelle."

Wedge let out a Ronso roar and hurried his bulk toward the repaired helm.

"Jek, get those birds below and get them on their wheels. Full throttle, no stops. Then get on the comm and listen for a beacon we never heard before. Vacation's over!"

"Aye, aye!" Jek yelled, pumping his fist into the air. He ran to the chocobos and began herding them towards the hold, pulling on bridles and pushing feathery rear ends through the hatchway.

Biggs ran to the mast and untied a line. The rope hoisted her up into the air, up and onto the mainsail. Biggs ran along the narrow beam, her balance perfection as she kicked away the ties furling the sail. The cloth billowed out like a cloud and caught the wind immediately. The Crescent sprang to life and began its journey to rescue her captain and friends.

-X-

"I didn't understand any of that," Rikku admitted as Vincent shut down the holosphere.

"I'm thinkin' that's the point of it being a code, lassie," Cait Sith smirked.

"No duh."

"If Biggs and I remembered the codes right, they're on their way. We have about thirty minutes if they have the wind, forty or so if they don't," Vincent said.

"How do you know that?" Rikku asked. "What was the code?"

"We always kept it simple since we'd need to use it on the fly," Vincent explained. "The word party means someone is listening or nearby. Always multiply distance by ten and use the opposite direction."

"So instead of one hundred miles west, they're really ten miles east of Bevelle?"

Vincent nodded. "Fishing means set sail right now and the next blitzball game means meet at a safehouse immediately."

"What about the bet?" asked Cait Sith. "Ye gambling without me?"

Vincent shook his head. "Wouldn't dream of it. The usual bet is the normal crew, or in this case, Yuna and her Guardians. At least two applies to you both, listening for our song means listening out for a fresh beacon of unknown location and heading for it."

"Aww, you considered me to be a real person," Cait Sith said and wiped away a fake tear. "I'm gettin' all choked up."

"I could still leave you behind," Vincent said. "Or let Lulu use you for target practice."

"I was just jokin', ya sensitive undead bastard," Cait Sith muttered under his breath. Rikku chuckled and gave the mechanical feline a scratch behind his ears.

"That's just Uncle Vinny's way of saying you're growing on him," she said.

"Like mold," Vincent added cheekily.

Cait Sith let out a gruff sigh and headed for the door. "You two just keep it up and see how much longer I keep helpin' ya. Why, without me, this whole thing wouldn't have worked. Ya all would've been captured and done in within five minutes of makin' it to Bevelle. I'm your luck, Vincent Valentine, and don't ye forget it."

Cait Sith opened the door and the trio made their way back into the palace proper. They crept through the corridors, sneaking in the shadows and keeping a close eye out for any patrols. Twice they needed to stop and hide behind shrubs and statues of former priests and maesters as patrols of soldiers and wandering palace staff crept near. After nearly thirty minutes of sneaking and skulking around, the trio finally reached the entrance to the Cloister of Trials. Four guards, all dressed in the finest armor, laid on the ground unconscious. They appeared mostly unharmed, just knocked out, except their halberds had been bent and twisted into unusable pretzels of metal.

"Good job, Yunie," Rikku said, staring at the guards. "I bet she flew in here on her Aeon's back and wham!"

"Aye, that lass has spirit," Cait Sith agreed. "I wonder how she did that to the weapons though?"

"She didn't," Vincent said, picking up one of the twisted spears. There were faint claw marks in the metal hafts. "Kimarhi did when the Guardians passed by. You can see where he grabbed and bent them. He wanted to make sure the guards were unarmed in case they woke up while everyone is in the trials."

"Cat's got spirit too, I guess," Cait said.

"Don't let him hear you call him that," Vincent said. "It'll be worse than when you tried to shave Barret's beard the night he drank too much in Rocket Town."

"Heh, that was a good night," Cait smiled, drawn deep into the memory.

"C'mon, you two!" hissed Rikku. "We gotta catch up!"

They headed into the Cloister of Trials and were immediately taken back by the high tech-at least for Spira-pathways, elevators, and design. For Vincent and Cait Sith, it was still rudimentary compared to the technology Reeve and Shelke had developed and mastered in their time, but for Rikku it was astonishing.

"What's all this doing inside a temple?" she asked.

"What's all this doing existing at all?" Vincent answered with a question of his own. "This level of technology is unheard of in Spira, let alone in the heart of Yevon's capital. According to their own laws, everyone in this temple should be tried and convicted for possessing forbidden machina."

"Wouldn't be da first time those in charge thought dey were above the law," Cait said. "Just like Rufus and his old man. I hope dat fat bastard is still burning in hell for what he did to Sector 7."

Agreed," Vincent said as he picked up a Mastered Destruct Materia from an altar. Vincent placed the orb into an empty slot on Cerberus and looked at the labyrinth of moving passageways, each moving in a random and unsynchronized pattern, and at empty space beneath them. Clearly one needed to solve a puzzle to get the moving passageways to align and allow the summoner to journey to the Chamber of the Fayth.

"We don't have time for this," he said and held out his hand to Rikku. After she took it, Vincent grabbed the scruff on the back of Cait Sith's neck with his claw and leapt off the brightly colored platform and into the dark abyss beneath them.

Rikku clung to Vincent's neck while Cait Sith screamed obscenities in binary as wind whipped around them. They were in free fall for nearly twenty seconds before Vincent's cloak flared out behind him and slowed their descent. Rikku looked up and saw a single, brightly colored passageway winding down beside them and then another technological marvel beneath them. A platform made from a rainbow of light and fibres stretched out in a large oval and led to a large door embedded in a stone wall.

The Chamber of the Fayth.

The Guardians, minus Tidus, rested in the antechamber. They sprang to their feet when Vincent landed on the platform, but relaxed and laid back down on the ground. Vincent could see how exhausted they all were, only then realizing that they had been going nonstop since the battle at Macalania Temple. A swell of respect for the Guardians filled Vincent's heart and he gave Auron and Kimahri a nod as he set Rikku down.

The Guardians were all injured in one way or another. Wakka had moved his bandana down around a cut on his neck and clavicle that was still raw and bleeding. Lulu's elaborate hair hung limply, greasy and wet with sweat, and a bright burn mark marred her left arm. Kimahri's fur was matted and stained from a dozen different cuts and punctures. Auron's right arm hung limp at his side. Vincent focused on the Restore Materia in his claw and a wave of healing magic swept across the antechamber. Wounds closed and a breath of relief swelled in the Guardian's lungs.

Vincent pried Cait Sith's mechanical fingers off of his shoulder and dropped the automaton on the ground with a light clang. The doll shook himself, glared at Vincent, and plopped down next to Lulu. The black mage was so tired she didn't even realize she was gently petting his fur until Cait Sith began purring. And when she did, she gave him a glare, but didn't stop stroking behind his ears.

"Yuna still inside?" Vincent asked.

Kimahri nodded.

"Tidus is with her," Auron said. Vincent nodded and stepped towards the Chamber of the Fayth.

"Hey, where do you think you're goin'?" Wakka snapped and started to get up. Vincent just glared at him and moved to the stone door. Vincent used his claw to reach underneath the stone and raised the door easily. Vincent stepped through the feathery curtains and let the stone slab crash back down.

-X-

The Hymn of the Fayth was loud in Vincent's ears as he walked down the tunnel. He heard three voices ahead and frowned.

"Hello Vincent Valentine," the child in the purple hood greeted. "Welcome to my home, such as it is." Vincent looked at the boy and then at the great seal in the center of the room. The figure had the head of a large black dragon, the back and left arm of a man-save for the great talons instead of fingers, and a massive wing covered its right side, decorated in royal blues, purples, and golds, the wingtips a flush red. The form was unique, different from Vincent's memory, but still unmistakable in its identity.

"Ba-Bahamut…" Vincent whispered.

"I did tell you my true form was more impressive, did I not?" the boy said, a hint of a smile in his voice. Vincent shook his head and recovered from his shock.

"From Sky King to pauper prince," Vincent muttered in return.

"So says the legendary battler of OMEGA turned lowly pirate."

"Weren't there three of you?"

"Yes," the boy said sadly and looked away, feeling the pain of defeat long ago. It was like an itch on a lost limb, the phantom pain of an injury no longer there but scarred into the mind forever.

"Three of what?" Tidus asked, clueless as ever. "Who's Bahamut?"

"Bahamut, the great dragon of Yevon," Yuna said, pointing to the seal of the fayth on the ground.

"This kid?"

Bahamut and Vincent shared a look and actually began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Tidus asked, annoyed.

"If you ever saw my true form…"

"Forms," corrected Vincent. "Bahamut: the King of Dragons. Neo Bahamut: the Wrath of the Sun and Earth. Bahamut ZERO: the Dragon that Flies Amongst the Stars."

"There was three of you? How did that work?" Tidus wondered.

"Three aspects of the same soul, the three from the one," the boy explained.

"Huh?"

"Think of it like three sides to the same coin," Vincent said. "Four if you count the versions of you Kadaj summoned."

"I'd rather not," Bahamut said. "That form felt...slimy and sick."

"Yeah, that helps," Tidus muttered again.

"Lord Bahamut, Captain Vincent, I still don't understand," Yuna said. "To battle SIN, Yu Yevon turned to the faithful. The faithful became the fayth, committing their souls to Yevon to become Aeons," she recited from memory. "The Book of Yevon, Chapter 1, Verse 18."

"Except that isn't what happened. Yunalesca gathered all the summoning materia and forced us to battle SIN. Many of us were slain, the rest greatly weakened. We defeated SIN, but were unable to defend ourselves against the true enemy," the boy said. Vincent heard the tension in his voice, the dragon inside the boy wanting to get out.

"Yunalesca ripped us from our materia. She sealed us into these stone prisons, binding us to this endless cycle of slavery and confinement. That is why we charged Vincent with gathering our broken materia across Spira, in the hope that someone who knows us, who has used materia. Who, frankly, was once one of the most powerful beings to ever walk the planet."

Tidus gave Vincent a skeptic look.

"I told you the truth on my ship," Vincent shrugged. "You chose not to believe."

"The idea was for Vincent to act swiftly and stealthy. It is bad enough that Vincent waited so long to begin collecting our materia, but now the conflict with Seymour and Yevon itself pose a greater threat. IF you escape Bevelle, they will pursue you relentlessly," the boy said.

"There are no cities beyond Bevelle," Yuna said. "Just the Calm Lands and Mt. Gagazet before we reach Zanarkand. We can travel discretely enough through the mountains."

"I am glad you wish to continue," the boy said, his body beginning to glow royal purple. "To you, I grant my power, such as it is. May it be a sword and shield against the dark days ahead."

A cold wind blew through the chamber, swirling around Yuna. Her body stiffened and glowed a light purple as she rose into the air, carried by the wind and the awesome power flowing into her. The wind held her aloft for a moment, then set her down gently on the floor. Tidus ran to her side and helped her up, letting her lean on his shoulder as she caught her breath.

"I didn't know dragons had such a flair for the dramatic. Are we finished here?" Vincent asked.

"Yuna is," the boy said. "You are not."

A panel in the wall opened at the back of the chamber. Vincent saw a stone tomb in the shadows, a black materia with three cracks through it sat on a small pillar beside it. Vincent pocketed Bahamut's materia and looked back at the tomb.

Vincent looked at the boy, nodded, and approached the tomb. A small pile of materia sat to the side of the tomb on the remains of a leather bag. The leather had disintegrated over the centuries, but the materia still shone in the fire light. Vincent could see many green spell materia, a handful of blue support, and even a trio of the light purple enhancement materia. He quickly placed the orbs into his own pouch, he would sort through them later, and turned toward the tomb. The stone sides were unmarked, but the head of a large wolf decorated the lid. Surrounding it were five swords of various shapes and sizes embedded into the stone. A large, straight broadsword was placed at the base below the wolf's head.

"Cloud."

Vincent approached the tomb of Cloud Strife, the legendary SOLDIER who wasn't. Vincent placed his hand on the stone, letting his fingers drift over edges of the wolf's head and along the edge of the main blade of the Fusion Sword. The blade sliced into the flesh without resistance, still sharp as it had been during the Geostigma and Deepground Crisis.

"Are sins ever forgiven?"

"Cloud...I'm finally trying."

Vincent closed his eyes, losing himself in memory for a moment. Then his hand grasped the hilt of the main sword and pulled it from the stone tomb. It cracked the stone slightly, but came free easily enough for Vincent. Holding the main blade in his hand, Vincent set the hollow blade, both back blades, and the sidewinder blades into place. Holding up the completed Fusion Sword, Vincent spun it in a circle a few times before placing it behind his back as Cloud used to after a battle.

"Hmm, I see why you used to do that," Vincent muttered. "It's kinda fun."

Vincent stashed the massive sword within the space of his cloak, marveling once again at its capacity and briefly considered thanking Chaos for its power. Briefly.

"Why are you taking that?" Tidus asked.

"It belonged to a friend," Vincent answered, "and, like all the weapons wielded by my friends, it is immensely powerful."

"But isn't that, like, grave robbing?"

"I knew these people, not the stories about them, not the lies Yevon wrote in their books. I am all that is left of their true legacy and I will do what I can to see that it is remembered and used correctly," Vincent said. "But, if it bothers you, feel free to ask him for permission."

Bahamut let out a chuckle. "You didn't joke so much back in those days."

"Back then, I had just lost the woman I loved to a monster pretending to be a man, been shot and experimented on, locked in a coffin, and woken up to fight in a battle for the survival of the planet. I didn't really have time to adjust."

"I'm not sure which version of you I like more," Bahamut admitted.

"Neither do I," said Vincent. "Is there anything else you can tell us about what's going on? Do you know what's going on within the temple? Or what happened to Seymour after he drank that corrupted Lifestream?"

"I'm afraid not. Our ability to leave the Chamber of the Fayth is very limited outside of being summoned. The only reason I was able to appear to you in Luca for so long is due to my strength being that much greater than my brethren."

"What about taking me…"

"Do not speak of that place now," interrupted Bahamut. "And the only reason I was able to go there with you was due to the presence of SIN. I was able to follow in its footsteps, so to speak. It did all the real work."

Vincent nodded. "Then I believe it is time for us to go. The longer we delay, the harder it will be for us to escape the temple, let alone the city."

Yuna and Tidus nodded. The two teens headed for the entrance of the chamber, but Vincent lingered for a moment.

"Do you have any idea how to restore the materia or even if Yuna is strong enough to do so?"

Bahamut shook his head and looked at the seal on the floor. "No. Just a hope."

"A fool's hope, perhaps."

"Perhaps," Bahamut admitted and then looked up at Vincent. For the first time, Vincent saw the boy's eyes beneath the purple hood. They shone with ancient power and weariness, but behind that was the spark of hope. It made Vincent smile and he gave the dragon king a nod of comradery.

"Then fool's we shall be and cling to our hope."