Chapter 19: Bloody Footprints
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"He who dies a thousand deaths meets the final hour with the calmness of one who approaches a well remembered door." Heywood Brown
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The silence was thick between the two sides of the street, not one sound echoing off of the shattered buildings but the vehicle's monotonic hum. In front of the rolling machina lay the path to the Mi'ihen Highroad. Rikku's mission was complete. The Yevonite soldiers were driven out of Luca. Nyka's force had been decimated and Rikku hadn't had the heart to chase down the soldiers escaping up the Highroad. The battle was over and Yuna's forces had won.
'But at what cost?' she asked herself upon dismounting the tank-like vehicle. Rikku walked a few steps before the reality of the battle hit her. A wall of putrid odor and tortured groans hit her so hard that she almost lost her balance. Wobbling, she made her way back to the vehicle and leaned against it, trying to get the stinging scent of charred flesh and blood out of her mouth. Every gust of ocean wind brought not the pleasant smell of saltwater, but the rusty smell of blood. Her eyes watered and her nose wrinkled. The horrors of war were known only after the fighting had stopped, and Rikku was then full aware of her surroundings.
The tattered bodies of both the Al Bhed and Yevonite soldiers littered the street. Blood ran like water in some places, the ruddy liquid flowing slowly along the city's drainage ducts and pooling in the middle of the street.
Rikku finally composed herself enough to survey the damage done to the buildings on either side of the street. Entire floors were gone from once extravagant buildings, and most, if not all of the nearby windows were lying in shards on the ground. As she slowly walked forward, trying to keep her eyes from the dead and wounded soldiers, she watched as her boots clopped into puddle after puddle of blood, some of it deep enough to splash her ankles and even her shins. It sickened her to no end. The end result of her impromptu and anger-induced deployment of troops had left hundreds of men dead, and each of those puddles of blood had, essentially, been her fault.
The consequences of her actions were sinking into her already heavy heart, almost to the point that she had to gasp to catch any breath in her lungs. She could see many of her own soldiers walking around, tending to the wounded with potions and remedies. Everywhere she looked, she could see shoeprints marked in blood, and she knew she was making them herself.
It reminded her of an Al Bhed proverb she heard years ago. "Druca fru fyka fyn mayja pmuuto vuudbnehdc." Translated to Spiran, that meant "Those who wage war leave bloody footprints." The phrase had meant nothing to Rikku those many years ago, but upon seeing the aftermath of the nearly five-hour-long struggle to claim the marketplace, she knew the author had seen in his life exactly what she was seeing then. Dead comrades and foes alike littered the streets, some stuck in that final moment of surprise, others looking rather peaceful. After seeing two bodies, one of a Yevonite, the other of an Al Bhed locked together, still looking as if they were in the midst of a struggle over life and death, Rikku noticed one chilling fact: in life, the Yevonite and the Al Bhed soldier had been enemies, but they were brothers now...brothers in death.
Death was all around Rikku. It was in the streets, the crumbling buildings, and even in the now nearly destroyed stadium. She looked at the smoking structure in the distance and a tear fell down her cheek.
It had been nearly three hours since she witnessed the roof of the stadium obliterated by an airship's missiles. She had tried for at least an hour to reach Weston or Gatta on the communicator, but to no avail. The remaining Crusaders had joined up with her Al Bhed force after fighting their way from the docks to the residential area. Without a leader to guide them, Rikku split the three hundred or so men up and sent one hundred and fifty of them to deal with the South Gate evacuations and the other one hundred and fifty stayed with the Al Bhed to support the fighting in the marketplace.
Of the supporting Crusaders, not many were left, since most of them had volunteered to lead the charge in the marketplace. But Rikku noticed that the few that -were- left weren't just sitting around. They were helping clean the dead and wounded from the streets and sweeping the buildings to make sure that no sleeper Yevonite squads were left. She had to admit that the men were brave, despite their overall lack of experience in battle. Then again, who was she trying to kid? Never before had the Al Bhed or Crusaders dealt with something as devastating as man-on-man war. Most of the soldiers fighting for Yuna had been used to hearing of and expecting to fight Sinspawn and fiends, not their fellow humans.
Rikku had known, though, from the beginning of Yuna's "Eternal Calm" that something else would come along. No longer in arms together against Sin, a universal and world threatening enemy, those who had built their life upon the belief in Yevon or the threat of Sin would be without something to worry about, and from there, only bickering could be spawned. Being the positive thinker she had been, though, Rikku had never expected something on the level as the actions of the past few months to arrive so soon. She had hoped that peace could reign for ages before some leader got power hungry. What was hope for peace if not every single living person wanted it? She didn't have a clue, but she now hoped for something different. Rikku hoped that if people learned anything from the horror of war, it'd be the value of peace and harmony among differing people. Only time would tell, though, and time was something that had run out for the men lying dead in front of her. Utterly dissatisfied with herself and the world around her, Rikku escaped to the cold, gray interior of her machina vehicle and wept in solitude.
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Never had Fagan felt so alive. In front of him lay a dense jungle with a solitary dirt path intermingled with the large undergrowth. He could see every little detail; he could feel the warm and humid breeze flowing through the trees; and he could hear the wildlife vividly. In every respect, he -was- alive; however, when Fagan reached up to his right temple, he could clearly feel liquid flowing from a rather large wound. Apparently, his "return" to the living hadn't quite cured his body of all its ailments just yet. As a matter of fact, he noticed that the wound had been bleeding for quite some time, and every step he took left a rusty- colored shoe print in the dirt.
Knowing that a walking "corpse" would unnerve most people, Fagan ripped a sleeve from his shirt, which took a few minutes of coaxing on its own, and wrapped the torn cloth around his head. He had no clue whether anyone knew he was dead, or cared. There was much doubt in Fagan's mind that the Crusaders and Yuna's little camp would care much about his death. But, his newfound "life" came with a price: Nyka's head.
It was a price that he would gladly pay, of course. The only problem was how to go about actually accomplishing the payment. Whoever had sent him back, Fagan knew, had the power to take and give life. Thusly, they were more than likely some form of deity. Still, it didn't matter. Fagan was back on Spira, slowly making his way towards Besaid Village. He had his mission and all he had to do was follow it. Thinking about it all would just complicate the process and Fagan didn't need complications. He had already died over a complication; he didn't want to repeat it.
On he trudged, leaving rust-colored footprints and his thoughts behind. A few meters up the path was Besaid Village, its temple lying just at the head of the main path. Even though he had never even been to the small island village, he knew exactly where to go. A gift from those above, he guessed.
Again, thoughts of the whole situation popped up in his head, and to clear them, he let his eyes wander to the beautiful and thick jungle that lined the pathway. It was like nothing he had seen before. A land not touched by civilization, a land that held great wonder and great danger. An untamed, free land that hadn't a worry in the world save the weather conditions. And to a point, this made Fagan jealous.
Nature, to Fagan, was once just a gift from Yevon. Now, it was a free, unbridled, and wild element of the earth, free from tyranny, emotional strain, and the depressing facts of war. A tree, bird, piece of foliage, or small forest animal had no goals in life other than to live, eat, and pass on to the next generation. Nature needed no deity to survive. It only needed itself. Independent from the worries of human life, Nature was the ultimate example of harmony. Everything had a purpose, everything fit together, and nothing went to waste.
As Fagan saw the jungle thin out, he wished he could walk that jungle path over and over for the rest of eternity. It was the only serenity he had felt in years, and he knew that once he started down the path leading to Besaid Village that serenity would be something he'd never experience again.
Still, Fagan continued, not one to go back on his word. He remembered a phrase he had heard a priest say once: "He who giveth, taketh away." Fagan didn't want his powerful benefactors angry, seeing as they could probably snatch him back up to the afterlife just as quickly as they had let him escape from it.
Fagan stiffened his back, turned his head, and waved goodbye to the jungle and his bloody footprints. He then faced the village in front of him and trudged on, not taking his eyes off of the Temple.
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Tidus slowly snuck his way along the stone wall separating him from Yuna's room. He could hear crackling noises and muffled voices coming from the doorway. Tidus didn't want to interrupt Yuna if she was busy, but in all honesty, he didn't care if she was busy or not. With as little noise as possible, he pressed his back against the door and inched it open.
It didn't surprise him to see Yuna standing tensely in front of the communications hub in her room. The muffled sounds coming from it sounded hectic, rushed, and occasionally, Tidus could hear explosions, mana beams going off, or yelled orders. Not exactly the thing you'd listen to willingly.
Slowly, Tidus tiptoed up behind her and in one quick movement, wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss into the back of her neck. A moment later, Tidus was laying on the ground, his nose aching from the reverse head butt he'd received from the love of his life.
Yuna turned and quickly knelt by his side, little sighs and chirping sounds coming from her. Her eyes were wide and a hand we over her mouth as she rushed out apology after apology.
Tidus only laughed, hand over his nose. His words came out muffled and nasally. "Well, that's a lesson learned. Worried about intruders."
Yuna held her head low. "Rikku showed me a few things about self- defense..."
"Good," Tidus returned with a laugh.
"Are you ok? Do you need a potion? Bandage? I'm so sorry!"
He continued to laugh, but took his hand from his nose. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine." With that, he slowly made his way back to his feet and pointed to the table she had been huddled in front of when he came in. "How are things out there?"
She looked to the communications hub and nodded. "We've seemed to won...but some Yevonites are still out there and the remaining forces are trying to deal with them."
Tidus nodded and sat down in a short wooden chair next to the table, eyes glued to the racket-making machine. "So we've...won?"
Yuna came up beside him and nodded. "Yes...I still wish all of this could have been avoided..."
Tidus lowered his head a bit and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Yuna...It's something that had to be done. If not, that crazy Nyka would've taken any city he wanted and before you know it, Yevon is back in power. What you are doing is paving a road to a bright future."
Yuna sighed. "I thought I was doing that with the defeat of Sin..."
Tidus had to sigh as well. He too had hoped to bring everlasting peace to the land with the defeat of Sin. But apparently, human nature just won't allow peace. He sighed once more and lowered his head to the table, trying to cut out the noise of the communications hub. This was not what he wanted to come home to. He wanted to come home, wraps his arms around Yuna, and never let go. But there was a war on and Yuna had an important job to do; he didn't want to stop her from doing that job either.
Yuna seemed to sense his thoughts and rested her palms on his tense shoulders, softly kneading into the muscles there. Tidus 'mmmed' at the tension's release and turned his head to kiss the top of her right hand. She smiled and leaned down, planting a kiss into his scalp.
"I'm sorry that this happened, Yuna...I wish that something could've been done about it..."
Yuna sighed and rested her cheek in his hair as she continued to massage his shoulders. "I know the feeling...but what else was there to do? The peace in Spira had to be protected and I acted accordingly..."
Tidus laughed. "Your starting to sound like a real leader..."
She winked and planted a kiss to his cheek. "You had your doubts, eh?"
He stuck his tongue out and tickled at her side with a backward turned arm. At that, she yelped and attacked his sides with tickles from both hands. Straining to keep the laughter in, Tidus stood up and scooted the chair to the side, allowing him full tickling access to Yuna. She bopped him on the top of his head lightly and made her way in a mocking run to the other side of the room, his only reaction to give chase.
As Tidus wrapped his arms around her shoulders after an extremely fast sprint to the other side of the room, Yuna screamed in mid-laugh, playfully hitting his shoulders in an attempt to escape. Her attempts were futile, however, for his strength outmatched her own. Grinning, he inched his face ever closer to hers, eyes shimmering with mischief. She tilted her head to try to dodge his movement, but he was too quick. Tidus now held her lower lip between his own lips.
"Gosha!" he said as he began to nibble at her lower lip. She blinked, confused and amused all at once.
"Some kinna comfoot mephaniphm?" she asked, giggling at her own lisped voice.
He nodded and started to make a 'num num num' sound as he continued to nibble at her lower lip, head tilting slightly.
Yuna laughed at his 'numming' and raised a finger to tickle at the skin under his chin. He stopped nibbling and made a mock biting motion at the finger, smile as wide as a mile. "Hey, no fair!"
She winked, muttered, "Yes fair!" and latched onto his upper lip, mocking his 'numming.'
In retaliation, he started a soft kneading at her sides that soon turned into a rather malicious tickling. Yuna yelped in response and wriggled her way out of his embrace, running to the door.
Tidus started sprinting for the door, but stopped as he heard it open. He stood facing someone who he'd never met. A stranger with a torn sleeve, said sleeve wrapped around his head. Tidus tilted his head in puzzlement, but then reacted to the possibility of a threat by pulling a dagger from his belt and sprinting towards the new arrival.
Yuna started to back herself in the corner as the stranger said, "You really should put some guards outside of the temple."
"What are you doing here?!" Tidus heard Yuna yell.
Just as Tidus was about to bring his dagger down on the stranger, he found himself crashing into the far wall in the hallway. He quickly got up to see that the stranger had moved in the blink of an eye to a spot next to the communications table.
"F..F..Fagan?" Yuna managed.
The stranger nodded. "I'm not in the best of shape, am I?"
"You're...bleeding! Are you hurt?"
In response, Fagan laughed. "Lady Yuna...I feel no pain now...you needn't worry. Tis a wound I won't be able to heal until I've completed my task."
Tidus slowly walked forward, standing in front of Yuna, as if protecting her. "What kind of task?"
Fagan nodded and sat down in the small wooden chair, legs crossing. Tidus noticed that the man's clothes were muddy and tattered, the only noticeable mark about the man being the blood slowly trickling down the side of his head. "A task I will need Lady Yuna's help with."
"Why do you need her," Tidus asked, face contorting into a distrusting scowl.
"I'll need her to send someone for me."
"Send someone? I haven't done that for..."
"Three years. Yes, I know, Lady Yuna. But you will have to do it one more time for peace to come to me...and the whole of Spira."
"Who will I be sending?" Yuna asked, sidestepping Tidus and approaching Fagan. Tidus shook his head and put a hand on her stomach, holding her still.
Fagan simply smiled. "Well...let's just say that you'll be finishing the job you started with the defeat of Sin."
Tidus and Yuna both blinked, looking to each other curiously, before turning back to Fagan.
"I knew that'd get your attention."
Tidus brought a finger to his chin in thought while Yuna was already blurting out her theory. "Nyka?"
Fagan nodded. "Correct."
"So he's unsent..."
Again, Fagan nodded. "They both are."
"They?" asked Tidus.
"-They-," Fagan reassured.
Yuna stepped forward, placing Tidus' hand back to his side. "Who's the other one?"
"That, my dear Lady, will take some time to explain, and I doubt I could explain it as well as my heavenly benefactors."
Tidus leaned forward, as if trying to physically represent his piqued curiosity. "Heavenly benefactors?"
Fagan laughed. "Yes."
Yuna tilted her head. "You mean...Yevon?"
Tidus stepped a few more feet forward. "Yevon's dead! We killed him."
With a sigh, Fagan nodded. "Yes, you did, as I now know quite well. With Yu Yevon gone, there is no Sin, no Fayth, no summonings, nothing. You essentially destroyed the moral lifeblood of Spira."
Tidus tried his best not to show his anger, but it wasn't helping. He teeth were grinding and his fists balled and shaking. "Bastard! Without Yevon, Spira is a much better place!"
"And here is Sin, replaced with an equal, nay, greater foe: man-on-man warfare."
Tidus growled. "All because of that Nyka character."
Yuna narrowed her eyes, a tear escaping from one of them as she yelled, "And you, of all people, should be talking. You -followed- Nyka!"
"That I did," Fagan confessed with a head held low. "And I'm here to right that wrong. I'll need your help, though. I didn't mean to offend, but you yourselves know that it was warfare that first brought about Yevon and Sin, correct? Tidus should remember quite well, for you saw what that war did to your beautiful city."
"That was Sin!"
"Is not war a sin all on its own? No, Tidus, it -wasn't- Sin that destroyed Zanarkand. It was war. Greedy war waged by two land hogging cities looking to take control of the other." Fagan growled and put his hands to the sides of his head. "Anyway...despite former political beliefs, Nyka must be dealt with. He ruins and takes life with a sick enjoyment." At this, both Tidus and Yuna could see a speck of a tear enter the corner of one of Fagan's eyes. "He must be stopped and you, Yuna, with my help, will stop him."
"But how...do you plan to get to him?" Yuna asked.
Fagan shrugged. "Last time I tried to get to him, I ended up dead..."
Tidus and Yuna both shouted a "What!" at the same time. To Fagan, it was obvious they were soulmates. He remembered that he and his wife had been the same way, up until a few weeks before his death. It pained him to see them together, but that was beside the point. He'd have to put all of his emotions aside to accomplish his goals, for emotions just dragged things down.
Fagan looked to Tidus and Yuna and noticed them to still be in shock. "Yes, yes, I'm dead. What's the big deal? Auron was around you for ages and you didn't mind."
Tidus blinked a few times before responding. "But Auron...he...didn't just tell us right away..."
Fagan nodded. "Well, I'm not here to be cryptic. The only thing I shan't reveal is something you two will have to see for yourselves. But still. That's a long ways off. I have a feeling there are more pressing matters at hand for you two at the moment. If you'd like to reach me, I'll be in the Crusader's Lodge. I take it that it's still an Inn?"
Tidus and Yuna both nodded.
"Good. Well, I'll leave you two to whatever you were doing. Remember, I'll be in the Crusader's Lodge."
Yuna nodded and Tidus only stared forward, an eyebrow raised. Fagan stood from the chair and began walking towards the door. Before he headed out, he turned to them and said, "I know it's a lot to take in, but please don't think on it too long. I'd like to get the plans started quite soon."
Tidus and Yuna both nodded in unison as Fagan closed the door behind him.
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Fagan sighed as he sat down on one of the beds at the back of the Crusader's Lodge. He wondered just how long it'd be before he could talk to Yuna. Garnering more concern was why he had felt so calm and spoke so business like to them. That was a thing of the past for him. He was no longer a courier for Nyka, therefore he no longer had to keep up the emotionless charade. But still, it had come to him so naturally, he just went with it. Fagan felt that it wasn't that good of a first impression to act so nonchalant about what he was saying in front of Yuna. Even his shock of seeing Tidus alive was hidden by his countenance. Then again, he hadn't shown much surprise after learning of Nyka's true identity.
A uniformed man cam up beside Fagan and asked, "You ok? Looks like a nasty wound on your head there."
Fagan waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. It'll heal. I'm fine."
"Ok. May I get you anything?"
"I've no money on my person." Fagan responded.
The man laughed. "The only thing that'll cost you here is a night's stay. S'long as you're in here, you can get food. But if you wanna use a bed for more than sittin', you'll have to fork over some Gil."
Fagan tilted his head slightly. "What are you serving?"
"Day-old soup."
"Ah. Any bread?"
"Week-old loaves," the soldier said with a laugh.
"I take it the Lodge's supplies are dwindling?" Fagan asked.
"You could say that. But once Luca is back in our hands, we'll have fresh food. Nyka cut off our supplies. The only guy who got around it was a tapestry merchant. Can't eat those, I'm afraid..."
"I would suppose not. I'll take...a slice or two of bread, please. And a cup of water, if you'd be so kind."
"How about some berry juice instead? Water's a little tight right now."
"The Lodge is on an island. I don't see how it's tight." Fagan said.
The man nodded. "Yes, but most of our fresh water reserves traveled with the troops. Once Luca-"
"Is in the Crusaders' hands, yes I know. Berry juice it is, then."
"Be right back," the soldier said with a bow.
The Lodge reminded Fagan of a beggar's palace more than an actual Inn, but that was mainly due to the fact that the inns in Bevelle were so pricey and didn't just offer up free food to travelers. Soon, the soldier was back with the bread and juice, and the bread was so hard, Fagan had to dip pieces of it in the berry juice to make it edible. Still, it was better than nothing. What amazed Fagan was the fact that even though he was essentially the walking dead, he still hungered for food.
After finishing the bread and juice, he took the tray it had been brought to him on back to the soldier.
"Good?" the soldier asked.
"It satisfied my hunger, thank you."
The soldier laughed. "That's about all we can do until supplies from Luca start coming back in. Never knew how much we depended on trade with Luca before that damned Nyka took over the place. Eh, it'll soon be ours, though."
"And why didn't you go with the troops?" Fagan asked, not able to hold his tongue.
The soldier laughed once more. "Ah, I've gotten that question quite a lot. Simply put, I don't like using Machina weapons. I'm sort of old school and it looks as if the old school is out. I didn't do well in the impromptu Al Bhed training course, so they gave me Lodge duty. I don't mind it though. I've always been quite the coward."
"Then why-"
"Did I join up?" the soldier finished for Fagan. "I thought I could do my part, ya know, to keep the peace in Spira. After Kilika, I knew that a major conflict was coming. I was ready to fight, even have my father's sword. But then the Al Bhed joined up and the soldiers like me still holding on to cutlery were left behind in the dust."
Fagan smiled. "Every little bit counts, and I'm sure that your job is just as important as the other soldiers' job."
"Thanks, but when they come back with battle wounds and all I have is a strained back from standing up behind a counter all day, let's see what everyone says then."
Fagan shook his head. "It isn't the job that makes the man, it is the man that makes the job. Just do your best and you will be rewarded."
"Uh huh. You some kinda preacher or philosopher, or something?"
"No...not anymore." Fagan said, eyes wandering to the ground.
"What happened?"
"I was fired..."
"A preacher, fired? How's that supposed to happen?"
As Fagan headed for the door, he looked over his shoulder with a smile and said, "A bullet helps." He then walked out into the waning daylight, leaving the soldier to his own thoughts.
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The airship slowly made its descent, causing its cargo hold and passengers to shake. Seeing as the ship had been hastily set up for troop carrying purposes, its hold only had one bench, and that was occupied with a sleeping soldier who looked much cleaner than the rest of the men in the hold.
Eimour and Gary were near the hold's doors, but still couldn't get away from the smell of battle. The soldiers returning to Besaid, some Crusaders, most Al Bhed, were caked with dirt and reeked of sweat. Eimour's shoulders were tired from holding Gary up so long and her legs were tired from standing. She eyed the bench but thought better of asking the sleeping man for a seat. Besides, the ship was descending, as far as she could tell, and she'd soon be on solid ground.
As her observation had revealed, the ship set down with a rather hard thud; thankfully, not hard enough to send everyone to the floor. The hold's doors quickly slid open with a high-pitched gear-grinding sound and over the hold's speakers, a simple "Get out!" was shouted. Even the Al Bhed soldiers knew what this meant. A few soldiers brushed past Eimour before the command sunk in and then she trudged out into the open. Clean, ocean-scented air filled her lungs as her eyes adjusted to the dimming sunlight. Though she'd never been to Besaid before, she knew that she liked the island already.
Gary, who had been asleep on her shoulders before, was now groggily mumbling something about all of the soldiers. Eimour squinted a bit and after a bit of focusing, she could see large groups of dark-blue clad troops. All were carrying the same type of rifle, and they all seemed to be talking about something. Some of the groups noticed the airship's arrival and began sprinting towards it. As the groups neared, Eimour noticed that most of them had enthusiastic looks on their faces, while the rest looked a bit more apprehensive.
As Eimour continued towards the gathering of soldiers, she could faintly see the outline of a wide, one story building behind the troops. She could see various groups drilling, some just milling about, and even saw some of the officers ordering the groups around with overstressed hand and arm gestures. The large group of troops that had started running towards the airship when it landed then passed Eimour and Gary, the child's attention fully fixated on the soldiers, as if looking for someone.
Gary then asked in a meek tone, "Mommy, do you think Daddy made it back here yet?"
Eimour smiled, tapping her son on his knee. "I don't know, honey, but I'm sure he'll find us. All we have to do is find his house."
"Maybe he'll meet us there!" the child explained happily.
Eimour laughed and nodded. "Hopefully so. Now we just need to find where that exactly is..."
"Just ask a soldier, Mommy!"
Eimour laughed. "Alrighty, but I'll have to find one who knows the area..."
"Okies!" Gary said, laying his chin atop his mother's head.
Eimour and Gary found a narrow dirt path leading directly into the front of the building behind the troop, and another path splitting off and heading into a patch of jungle. At the fork of the two paths was a sign with two arrows, one pointing to the building and another pointing to the jungle. Above the first arrow were the words, "Troop Barracks/Training Facility." Above the second arrow were three words, "To Town/Docks."
Eimour laughed. "Well, he said in town, so I imagine we're home free now, Gary."
Gary gripped at his mother's hair and laughed. "Off we go!" he yelled and off they both went, heading into the jungle.
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"So he's not here?" Tidus asked.
Yuna shook her head, standing in the Lodge's doorway. "The man behind the desk said that he left earlier this evening. He didn't see where he went."
Tidus scratched at his chin in thought, tapping his foot. "That's not too comforting. He lied..."
Yuna shook her head and tried to look as comforting as possible. "No, no, I'm sure that he's just exploring the island."
Tidus raised a brow. "Right. Well, if he is, let's go look for him. I don't trust him and I'd rather know what he's doing than just sit here waiting for him to return. I swear if he's tricked us..."
"Don't worry. I don't think he's the tricking type."
Tidus shrugged. "Where should we look first?"
Yuna hmmed. "Well, let's try to think where he'd go."
"I don't know him that well," Tidus remarked rather sarcastically.
Yuna gave him a swift but gently kick to the shin. "Hush, you."
Tidus laughed, holding up his hands innocently. "Got any ideas?"
"The most scenic areas on Besaid would be most likely where he'd go. One of them is near the Crusader's encampment. I would think he'd like to be alone."
"And the best place to be alone would have to be the beach at night." Tidus said, crossing his arms with a smug grin.
"Right!" Yuna said, tapping the air with a finger.
"Ladies first," Tidus said with a wink.
"No fair!"
Tidus shrugged. "Just being...'neighborly.'"
"Do I have to tickle you again?" Yuna said, a menacing grin coming to her face.
"Uh...I'll take point..."
"Good," she replied, grin turning into a beaming smile.
Tidus rolled his eyes and took her left hand in his right. "How about we go in side by side?"
"Even better," Yuna replied, leaning her head down to rest on his shoulder as they began to walk down the path leading to the beach.
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Fagan hadn't really expected to hear from Yuna again that same night, so time had not been a deciding factor for him. What had made him trudge all the way to the beach was the simple fact that in all his travels to Besaid, he had never been able to go to the beach. Even if Yuna had gone to the Lodge to seek him, he wouldn't have cared what consequences not being there to greet her would've brought. Before him was a clear, dark, and starry sky. A full moon highlighted it all as it peeked over the water's horizon. It was one of the most beautiful scenes he had ever bared witness to.
Despite his troubled soul, Fagan felt free and very alive when gazing upon the vast, moonlit ocean. The water had no bounds, for it stretched far beyond what the eye could see, and that form of eternity excited him. Even knowing that he would not reach the free eternity that the true Farplane offered, he still yearned for it. How could he not? To be that tranquil, that relaxed, and that carefree was something amazing, and human nature yearned for the amazing. Amazing wealth, amazing companionship, amazing power. But as a soul, all one could get was amazing peace, if one was so inclined. But even as Fagan slowly let the tranquility before him calm his inner-demons, that voice of indignation at the back of his mind would not let him forget that he was to never experience eternal bliss. The "heavenly benefactors" had told him this at the start, and his need for revenge outweighed his need for eternal bliss.
Fagan knew that once he had Yuna's help, his "second coming" on Spira would be short lived. It wasn't a time to be emotionless, uncaring, cryptic, and evasive. He only had a short amount of time to enjoy the pleasure of emotion, and he set his goal to milk human emotion for all it was worth. He promised that no matter how short or long the journey would be, he'd make it worth his while. Something he could remember when spending the rest of his eternal life locked away in the darkness of a Pyrefly.
It was his price to pay, and he would pay it. If his sacrifice would do the world a service, than he'd do it in a heartbeat. Since he had lost his deity, Fagan had had little to no hope. But slowly, as he watched the water move along slowly, the waves' crests and troughs highlighted in the mesmerizing glow of the moonlight, he began to realize that he should do all things in Spira's good favor. Fagan, the man, should do his part to keep Spira a cohesive world. Spira itself was a beautiful creature, and it couldn't stop all of its worries on its own. So right then and there, staring at the ocean's endless horizon, Fagan decided to become a warrior for Spira. He would strike down the evil threatening Spira and help the forces looking to protect Spira.
Fagan sighed deeply and closed his eyes, shaking all of the negative thoughts from his mind. He felt that his mind should be pure for his transformation into Spira's protector. Fagan's fists balled and his jaw tightened. In his head, he recited his promise to rid Spira and its peoples of the evil that was Nyka and the Yevon religion. "What is dead should stay dead," he said aloud.
"Then what are you doing here?" The voice belonging to Tidus broke Fagan's concentration.
In response, Fagan turned around, cleared his throat, and replied, "What is dead should stay dead, unless otherwise noted."
Yuna, who Fagan now saw was holding Tidus' hand, laughed. "True."
Tidus cocked a sneer. "Nice joke. Didn't know you had it in you."
"Neither did I," Fagan responded. "I take it I wasn't at the Lodge."
Tidus' sneer turned into a smile. "You could say that."
With that said, Yuna nodded. "I've come to a decision."
"Yes?"
"I'd like to help you. You've been sent back to Spira for a reason, and I'm not one to argue with Heaven-sent helpers." Yuna looked to Tidus as she said this, who promptly kissed her forehead.
Fagan smiled and nodded. "I see. It's settled then."
"I'll tell the Lodge to clear a bed for you while you're here." Yuna said.
"Thank you," replied Fagan.
"Welp, time to head back to the village. I'm hungry!" Tidus said, smirking. "Wanna join us?"
With the shake of his head, Fagan pointed to the ocean. "View's real nice. Think I'll stay here for a while longer. Thank you for the offer, though."
"No problem." Tidus said, and the couple turned and headed back towards the village.
Fagan smiled and turned back to the ocean. He then turned his gazed upwards, staring into the stars. "Wherever you are, my love, I wish you eternal bliss."
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Rikku slowly exited her vehicle to the gaze of at least three Crusader officers.
"Yes," she asked.
"Ma'am, we've swept the entire stadium. There's no sign of them. I think it's safe to say that...they're gone," one of the officers said.
"It's never safe until you've got proof!" Rikku yelled at them. "Keep looking!"
They all nodded and said in unison, "Yes, ma'am!"
With them gone, Rikku sighed and leaned against the side of her vehicle. When word had spread that Gatta, Weston, and most of the rest of the ocean-landing Crusaders had been wiped out in the stadium blast, the soldiers had begun to look towards Rikku as the highest person in the chain of command. By evening's arrival, she not-so-officially -was- the commanding officer. With that, she was having to give orders left and right to groups of troops arriving and leaving Luca. She hadn't liked the idea of having to take over, but yet and still, it wasn't something she could argue with. Thousands of soldiers looking to you for orders sort of humbled the fear of being in command. To Rikku, it had to be done, no matter how she felt about it.
It had now been nearly seven hours since the last contact with Gatta, and, even though she was afraid of even the possibility, it looked as if Gatta had been taken out of the picture. Rikku knew that the soldiers had already moved on, but she wasn't going to give up hope. She'd never given up before. Had she given up on the pilgrimage three years before, it was no telling what would've happed in the end. With Luca out of Nyka's hands, things were going to heat up. Rikku knew that Nyka wasn't just going to go away magically and she highly doubted that a proper move against Nyka could be brought on without Gatta's help. It was he who had so hastily volunteered to draw up an attack plan. Rikku had just originally planned to enter through the south gate and keep pushing. Gatta's planning had helped solidify the victory in Luca and Rikku certainly didn't want to take credit for something Gatta had done.
Now Rikku feared not only for herself and the troops, she also feared for Spira. With Gatta gone, Rikku felt powerless. She knew she could probably plan something, but not to the caliber Gatta had done so. He had a bit more experience under his belt. Gone with Gatta was the Crusaders' "Ace in the Hole," Weston. The 'super soldier' who didn't seem to fear death and really didn't mind going in first was lost if Gatta was lost. The realization that in one fell swoop, all hope for easy victory against Nyka, did nothing to reassure Rikku and she soon found herself doubting whether she could set up defenses good enough to curb a Yevonite counter-attack on Luca.
Rikku sighed shakily and slowly slid down onto the ground, watching as the men on the streets finished the cleaning. "Cleaning...bodies...that used to be living, breathing people. People with spouses, children, uncles, parents, siblings...Why must war be so cruel? When will peace come? Is death all there is to war?" Rikku found herself whispering under her shaky and choke-ridden breath. Tears soon began to form at the corners of her eyes as she heard light footsteps heading in her direction. She didn't bother to look towards them, for she knew it was just another aide telling her of their inability to locate her comrades.
"True, death -is- the initial result of war. Rest assured, peace and tranquility will soon follow."
Rikku looked up to the person that had stopped next to her and nearly fainted.
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Eimour soon heard the mumbled sounds of a village in front of her. She could also see lights off in the near-distance. Her heart skipped a beat as she soon found her feet meeting hard, packed dirt. The path to the village had been loose, as if it was rather new. To the left of her was a large temple; on the right was a large blue and white striped tent. Many people were moving about, most dressed in light, airy clothes. On the other side of the path were various tents. Some were closed, the rest were open, presumably shops or eateries. But near the temple was a large, square building made of wood. Seeing this made Eimour nearly jump with realization.
Gary groaned a bit and mumbled, "Are we there, Mommy?"
Eimour smiled and nodded. "Yes."
She then headed for the wooden building. It was taller than the tents and stuck out amidst all the island outfitting. The building was unmistakably Weston's self-built abode. The poor building stuck out just about as much as Weston himself. A smile came to Eimour's countenance as she pulled the latch on the door to the inside of Weston's house. As she entered the dwelling, however, a sense of hollowness engulfed her. According to Weston, this house had been built and lived in for nearly six months, but the inside was as barren as a desert. Besides a single-sized bed and dresser, nothing was in the main room of the house. Inside the kitchen offset was a small stove and a nearly barren cupboard.
Eimour placed Gary on the bed and watched as the young child immediately fell asleep. She smiled and placed the neatly made and clean cover over him. Her smile faded, however, when she opened the top drawer of the dresser. Inside were neatly folded clothes, all gray or white, and a razor. Eimour bent down to see what was in the rest of the drawers, but the effort was wasted, for the rest of them were empty.
She huffed and stood, looking about the kitchen area. No sense of shelter was actually harbored in this 'home.' Eimour shook her head and sighed.
"A soldier is all he could be..." she said, walking towards one of the only two windows in the home. She tried to imagine what kind of things Weston did in his free time. If his home was without personality, what kind of life did he lead off of the battlefield?
"At least he has a nice view of the ocean..." she remarked, staring at the moonlight waves. "I wonder when he'll get back..."
After a few moments, Eimour's aching shoulders and legs got the best of her and she walked over to the bed. Gently, she lifted Gary up, and slid onto the small bed. She then placed Gary on top of her and slowly brushed his hair. Unconsciousness soon came to Eimour, and she began a worriless sleep.
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A/N: Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, Akin to Sin. Happy birthday to you!
As promised, here is Chapter 19! It's ten times what it used to be, and I'm glad I took the time to refine this chapter because, though it's short, I'm really proud of the amount of half-way decent character development! My first short chapter in a while is much better than the first few chapters (that will have to be rewritten) of this tale.
Thanks a humongous bunch to Shad for putting up with me as I toiled on this chapter and the site/logos, thanks to Jave and Artemis for the ideas, hella thanks to Noelle for help with the logos. Thanks to all the new and current and past reviewers for helping me shape AtS into something I could be somewhat proud of!
Keep your eyes open for a few surprises, guys and gals, because some stuff is coming ^.~
Thanks again, and I'll be back with Chapter 20...one of these days ^__^ ~No One
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"He who dies a thousand deaths meets the final hour with the calmness of one who approaches a well remembered door." Heywood Brown
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The silence was thick between the two sides of the street, not one sound echoing off of the shattered buildings but the vehicle's monotonic hum. In front of the rolling machina lay the path to the Mi'ihen Highroad. Rikku's mission was complete. The Yevonite soldiers were driven out of Luca. Nyka's force had been decimated and Rikku hadn't had the heart to chase down the soldiers escaping up the Highroad. The battle was over and Yuna's forces had won.
'But at what cost?' she asked herself upon dismounting the tank-like vehicle. Rikku walked a few steps before the reality of the battle hit her. A wall of putrid odor and tortured groans hit her so hard that she almost lost her balance. Wobbling, she made her way back to the vehicle and leaned against it, trying to get the stinging scent of charred flesh and blood out of her mouth. Every gust of ocean wind brought not the pleasant smell of saltwater, but the rusty smell of blood. Her eyes watered and her nose wrinkled. The horrors of war were known only after the fighting had stopped, and Rikku was then full aware of her surroundings.
The tattered bodies of both the Al Bhed and Yevonite soldiers littered the street. Blood ran like water in some places, the ruddy liquid flowing slowly along the city's drainage ducts and pooling in the middle of the street.
Rikku finally composed herself enough to survey the damage done to the buildings on either side of the street. Entire floors were gone from once extravagant buildings, and most, if not all of the nearby windows were lying in shards on the ground. As she slowly walked forward, trying to keep her eyes from the dead and wounded soldiers, she watched as her boots clopped into puddle after puddle of blood, some of it deep enough to splash her ankles and even her shins. It sickened her to no end. The end result of her impromptu and anger-induced deployment of troops had left hundreds of men dead, and each of those puddles of blood had, essentially, been her fault.
The consequences of her actions were sinking into her already heavy heart, almost to the point that she had to gasp to catch any breath in her lungs. She could see many of her own soldiers walking around, tending to the wounded with potions and remedies. Everywhere she looked, she could see shoeprints marked in blood, and she knew she was making them herself.
It reminded her of an Al Bhed proverb she heard years ago. "Druca fru fyka fyn mayja pmuuto vuudbnehdc." Translated to Spiran, that meant "Those who wage war leave bloody footprints." The phrase had meant nothing to Rikku those many years ago, but upon seeing the aftermath of the nearly five-hour-long struggle to claim the marketplace, she knew the author had seen in his life exactly what she was seeing then. Dead comrades and foes alike littered the streets, some stuck in that final moment of surprise, others looking rather peaceful. After seeing two bodies, one of a Yevonite, the other of an Al Bhed locked together, still looking as if they were in the midst of a struggle over life and death, Rikku noticed one chilling fact: in life, the Yevonite and the Al Bhed soldier had been enemies, but they were brothers now...brothers in death.
Death was all around Rikku. It was in the streets, the crumbling buildings, and even in the now nearly destroyed stadium. She looked at the smoking structure in the distance and a tear fell down her cheek.
It had been nearly three hours since she witnessed the roof of the stadium obliterated by an airship's missiles. She had tried for at least an hour to reach Weston or Gatta on the communicator, but to no avail. The remaining Crusaders had joined up with her Al Bhed force after fighting their way from the docks to the residential area. Without a leader to guide them, Rikku split the three hundred or so men up and sent one hundred and fifty of them to deal with the South Gate evacuations and the other one hundred and fifty stayed with the Al Bhed to support the fighting in the marketplace.
Of the supporting Crusaders, not many were left, since most of them had volunteered to lead the charge in the marketplace. But Rikku noticed that the few that -were- left weren't just sitting around. They were helping clean the dead and wounded from the streets and sweeping the buildings to make sure that no sleeper Yevonite squads were left. She had to admit that the men were brave, despite their overall lack of experience in battle. Then again, who was she trying to kid? Never before had the Al Bhed or Crusaders dealt with something as devastating as man-on-man war. Most of the soldiers fighting for Yuna had been used to hearing of and expecting to fight Sinspawn and fiends, not their fellow humans.
Rikku had known, though, from the beginning of Yuna's "Eternal Calm" that something else would come along. No longer in arms together against Sin, a universal and world threatening enemy, those who had built their life upon the belief in Yevon or the threat of Sin would be without something to worry about, and from there, only bickering could be spawned. Being the positive thinker she had been, though, Rikku had never expected something on the level as the actions of the past few months to arrive so soon. She had hoped that peace could reign for ages before some leader got power hungry. What was hope for peace if not every single living person wanted it? She didn't have a clue, but she now hoped for something different. Rikku hoped that if people learned anything from the horror of war, it'd be the value of peace and harmony among differing people. Only time would tell, though, and time was something that had run out for the men lying dead in front of her. Utterly dissatisfied with herself and the world around her, Rikku escaped to the cold, gray interior of her machina vehicle and wept in solitude.
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Never had Fagan felt so alive. In front of him lay a dense jungle with a solitary dirt path intermingled with the large undergrowth. He could see every little detail; he could feel the warm and humid breeze flowing through the trees; and he could hear the wildlife vividly. In every respect, he -was- alive; however, when Fagan reached up to his right temple, he could clearly feel liquid flowing from a rather large wound. Apparently, his "return" to the living hadn't quite cured his body of all its ailments just yet. As a matter of fact, he noticed that the wound had been bleeding for quite some time, and every step he took left a rusty- colored shoe print in the dirt.
Knowing that a walking "corpse" would unnerve most people, Fagan ripped a sleeve from his shirt, which took a few minutes of coaxing on its own, and wrapped the torn cloth around his head. He had no clue whether anyone knew he was dead, or cared. There was much doubt in Fagan's mind that the Crusaders and Yuna's little camp would care much about his death. But, his newfound "life" came with a price: Nyka's head.
It was a price that he would gladly pay, of course. The only problem was how to go about actually accomplishing the payment. Whoever had sent him back, Fagan knew, had the power to take and give life. Thusly, they were more than likely some form of deity. Still, it didn't matter. Fagan was back on Spira, slowly making his way towards Besaid Village. He had his mission and all he had to do was follow it. Thinking about it all would just complicate the process and Fagan didn't need complications. He had already died over a complication; he didn't want to repeat it.
On he trudged, leaving rust-colored footprints and his thoughts behind. A few meters up the path was Besaid Village, its temple lying just at the head of the main path. Even though he had never even been to the small island village, he knew exactly where to go. A gift from those above, he guessed.
Again, thoughts of the whole situation popped up in his head, and to clear them, he let his eyes wander to the beautiful and thick jungle that lined the pathway. It was like nothing he had seen before. A land not touched by civilization, a land that held great wonder and great danger. An untamed, free land that hadn't a worry in the world save the weather conditions. And to a point, this made Fagan jealous.
Nature, to Fagan, was once just a gift from Yevon. Now, it was a free, unbridled, and wild element of the earth, free from tyranny, emotional strain, and the depressing facts of war. A tree, bird, piece of foliage, or small forest animal had no goals in life other than to live, eat, and pass on to the next generation. Nature needed no deity to survive. It only needed itself. Independent from the worries of human life, Nature was the ultimate example of harmony. Everything had a purpose, everything fit together, and nothing went to waste.
As Fagan saw the jungle thin out, he wished he could walk that jungle path over and over for the rest of eternity. It was the only serenity he had felt in years, and he knew that once he started down the path leading to Besaid Village that serenity would be something he'd never experience again.
Still, Fagan continued, not one to go back on his word. He remembered a phrase he had heard a priest say once: "He who giveth, taketh away." Fagan didn't want his powerful benefactors angry, seeing as they could probably snatch him back up to the afterlife just as quickly as they had let him escape from it.
Fagan stiffened his back, turned his head, and waved goodbye to the jungle and his bloody footprints. He then faced the village in front of him and trudged on, not taking his eyes off of the Temple.
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Tidus slowly snuck his way along the stone wall separating him from Yuna's room. He could hear crackling noises and muffled voices coming from the doorway. Tidus didn't want to interrupt Yuna if she was busy, but in all honesty, he didn't care if she was busy or not. With as little noise as possible, he pressed his back against the door and inched it open.
It didn't surprise him to see Yuna standing tensely in front of the communications hub in her room. The muffled sounds coming from it sounded hectic, rushed, and occasionally, Tidus could hear explosions, mana beams going off, or yelled orders. Not exactly the thing you'd listen to willingly.
Slowly, Tidus tiptoed up behind her and in one quick movement, wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss into the back of her neck. A moment later, Tidus was laying on the ground, his nose aching from the reverse head butt he'd received from the love of his life.
Yuna turned and quickly knelt by his side, little sighs and chirping sounds coming from her. Her eyes were wide and a hand we over her mouth as she rushed out apology after apology.
Tidus only laughed, hand over his nose. His words came out muffled and nasally. "Well, that's a lesson learned. Worried about intruders."
Yuna held her head low. "Rikku showed me a few things about self- defense..."
"Good," Tidus returned with a laugh.
"Are you ok? Do you need a potion? Bandage? I'm so sorry!"
He continued to laugh, but took his hand from his nose. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine." With that, he slowly made his way back to his feet and pointed to the table she had been huddled in front of when he came in. "How are things out there?"
She looked to the communications hub and nodded. "We've seemed to won...but some Yevonites are still out there and the remaining forces are trying to deal with them."
Tidus nodded and sat down in a short wooden chair next to the table, eyes glued to the racket-making machine. "So we've...won?"
Yuna came up beside him and nodded. "Yes...I still wish all of this could have been avoided..."
Tidus lowered his head a bit and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Yuna...It's something that had to be done. If not, that crazy Nyka would've taken any city he wanted and before you know it, Yevon is back in power. What you are doing is paving a road to a bright future."
Yuna sighed. "I thought I was doing that with the defeat of Sin..."
Tidus had to sigh as well. He too had hoped to bring everlasting peace to the land with the defeat of Sin. But apparently, human nature just won't allow peace. He sighed once more and lowered his head to the table, trying to cut out the noise of the communications hub. This was not what he wanted to come home to. He wanted to come home, wraps his arms around Yuna, and never let go. But there was a war on and Yuna had an important job to do; he didn't want to stop her from doing that job either.
Yuna seemed to sense his thoughts and rested her palms on his tense shoulders, softly kneading into the muscles there. Tidus 'mmmed' at the tension's release and turned his head to kiss the top of her right hand. She smiled and leaned down, planting a kiss into his scalp.
"I'm sorry that this happened, Yuna...I wish that something could've been done about it..."
Yuna sighed and rested her cheek in his hair as she continued to massage his shoulders. "I know the feeling...but what else was there to do? The peace in Spira had to be protected and I acted accordingly..."
Tidus laughed. "Your starting to sound like a real leader..."
She winked and planted a kiss to his cheek. "You had your doubts, eh?"
He stuck his tongue out and tickled at her side with a backward turned arm. At that, she yelped and attacked his sides with tickles from both hands. Straining to keep the laughter in, Tidus stood up and scooted the chair to the side, allowing him full tickling access to Yuna. She bopped him on the top of his head lightly and made her way in a mocking run to the other side of the room, his only reaction to give chase.
As Tidus wrapped his arms around her shoulders after an extremely fast sprint to the other side of the room, Yuna screamed in mid-laugh, playfully hitting his shoulders in an attempt to escape. Her attempts were futile, however, for his strength outmatched her own. Grinning, he inched his face ever closer to hers, eyes shimmering with mischief. She tilted her head to try to dodge his movement, but he was too quick. Tidus now held her lower lip between his own lips.
"Gosha!" he said as he began to nibble at her lower lip. She blinked, confused and amused all at once.
"Some kinna comfoot mephaniphm?" she asked, giggling at her own lisped voice.
He nodded and started to make a 'num num num' sound as he continued to nibble at her lower lip, head tilting slightly.
Yuna laughed at his 'numming' and raised a finger to tickle at the skin under his chin. He stopped nibbling and made a mock biting motion at the finger, smile as wide as a mile. "Hey, no fair!"
She winked, muttered, "Yes fair!" and latched onto his upper lip, mocking his 'numming.'
In retaliation, he started a soft kneading at her sides that soon turned into a rather malicious tickling. Yuna yelped in response and wriggled her way out of his embrace, running to the door.
Tidus started sprinting for the door, but stopped as he heard it open. He stood facing someone who he'd never met. A stranger with a torn sleeve, said sleeve wrapped around his head. Tidus tilted his head in puzzlement, but then reacted to the possibility of a threat by pulling a dagger from his belt and sprinting towards the new arrival.
Yuna started to back herself in the corner as the stranger said, "You really should put some guards outside of the temple."
"What are you doing here?!" Tidus heard Yuna yell.
Just as Tidus was about to bring his dagger down on the stranger, he found himself crashing into the far wall in the hallway. He quickly got up to see that the stranger had moved in the blink of an eye to a spot next to the communications table.
"F..F..Fagan?" Yuna managed.
The stranger nodded. "I'm not in the best of shape, am I?"
"You're...bleeding! Are you hurt?"
In response, Fagan laughed. "Lady Yuna...I feel no pain now...you needn't worry. Tis a wound I won't be able to heal until I've completed my task."
Tidus slowly walked forward, standing in front of Yuna, as if protecting her. "What kind of task?"
Fagan nodded and sat down in the small wooden chair, legs crossing. Tidus noticed that the man's clothes were muddy and tattered, the only noticeable mark about the man being the blood slowly trickling down the side of his head. "A task I will need Lady Yuna's help with."
"Why do you need her," Tidus asked, face contorting into a distrusting scowl.
"I'll need her to send someone for me."
"Send someone? I haven't done that for..."
"Three years. Yes, I know, Lady Yuna. But you will have to do it one more time for peace to come to me...and the whole of Spira."
"Who will I be sending?" Yuna asked, sidestepping Tidus and approaching Fagan. Tidus shook his head and put a hand on her stomach, holding her still.
Fagan simply smiled. "Well...let's just say that you'll be finishing the job you started with the defeat of Sin."
Tidus and Yuna both blinked, looking to each other curiously, before turning back to Fagan.
"I knew that'd get your attention."
Tidus brought a finger to his chin in thought while Yuna was already blurting out her theory. "Nyka?"
Fagan nodded. "Correct."
"So he's unsent..."
Again, Fagan nodded. "They both are."
"They?" asked Tidus.
"-They-," Fagan reassured.
Yuna stepped forward, placing Tidus' hand back to his side. "Who's the other one?"
"That, my dear Lady, will take some time to explain, and I doubt I could explain it as well as my heavenly benefactors."
Tidus leaned forward, as if trying to physically represent his piqued curiosity. "Heavenly benefactors?"
Fagan laughed. "Yes."
Yuna tilted her head. "You mean...Yevon?"
Tidus stepped a few more feet forward. "Yevon's dead! We killed him."
With a sigh, Fagan nodded. "Yes, you did, as I now know quite well. With Yu Yevon gone, there is no Sin, no Fayth, no summonings, nothing. You essentially destroyed the moral lifeblood of Spira."
Tidus tried his best not to show his anger, but it wasn't helping. He teeth were grinding and his fists balled and shaking. "Bastard! Without Yevon, Spira is a much better place!"
"And here is Sin, replaced with an equal, nay, greater foe: man-on-man warfare."
Tidus growled. "All because of that Nyka character."
Yuna narrowed her eyes, a tear escaping from one of them as she yelled, "And you, of all people, should be talking. You -followed- Nyka!"
"That I did," Fagan confessed with a head held low. "And I'm here to right that wrong. I'll need your help, though. I didn't mean to offend, but you yourselves know that it was warfare that first brought about Yevon and Sin, correct? Tidus should remember quite well, for you saw what that war did to your beautiful city."
"That was Sin!"
"Is not war a sin all on its own? No, Tidus, it -wasn't- Sin that destroyed Zanarkand. It was war. Greedy war waged by two land hogging cities looking to take control of the other." Fagan growled and put his hands to the sides of his head. "Anyway...despite former political beliefs, Nyka must be dealt with. He ruins and takes life with a sick enjoyment." At this, both Tidus and Yuna could see a speck of a tear enter the corner of one of Fagan's eyes. "He must be stopped and you, Yuna, with my help, will stop him."
"But how...do you plan to get to him?" Yuna asked.
Fagan shrugged. "Last time I tried to get to him, I ended up dead..."
Tidus and Yuna both shouted a "What!" at the same time. To Fagan, it was obvious they were soulmates. He remembered that he and his wife had been the same way, up until a few weeks before his death. It pained him to see them together, but that was beside the point. He'd have to put all of his emotions aside to accomplish his goals, for emotions just dragged things down.
Fagan looked to Tidus and Yuna and noticed them to still be in shock. "Yes, yes, I'm dead. What's the big deal? Auron was around you for ages and you didn't mind."
Tidus blinked a few times before responding. "But Auron...he...didn't just tell us right away..."
Fagan nodded. "Well, I'm not here to be cryptic. The only thing I shan't reveal is something you two will have to see for yourselves. But still. That's a long ways off. I have a feeling there are more pressing matters at hand for you two at the moment. If you'd like to reach me, I'll be in the Crusader's Lodge. I take it that it's still an Inn?"
Tidus and Yuna both nodded.
"Good. Well, I'll leave you two to whatever you were doing. Remember, I'll be in the Crusader's Lodge."
Yuna nodded and Tidus only stared forward, an eyebrow raised. Fagan stood from the chair and began walking towards the door. Before he headed out, he turned to them and said, "I know it's a lot to take in, but please don't think on it too long. I'd like to get the plans started quite soon."
Tidus and Yuna both nodded in unison as Fagan closed the door behind him.
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Fagan sighed as he sat down on one of the beds at the back of the Crusader's Lodge. He wondered just how long it'd be before he could talk to Yuna. Garnering more concern was why he had felt so calm and spoke so business like to them. That was a thing of the past for him. He was no longer a courier for Nyka, therefore he no longer had to keep up the emotionless charade. But still, it had come to him so naturally, he just went with it. Fagan felt that it wasn't that good of a first impression to act so nonchalant about what he was saying in front of Yuna. Even his shock of seeing Tidus alive was hidden by his countenance. Then again, he hadn't shown much surprise after learning of Nyka's true identity.
A uniformed man cam up beside Fagan and asked, "You ok? Looks like a nasty wound on your head there."
Fagan waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. It'll heal. I'm fine."
"Ok. May I get you anything?"
"I've no money on my person." Fagan responded.
The man laughed. "The only thing that'll cost you here is a night's stay. S'long as you're in here, you can get food. But if you wanna use a bed for more than sittin', you'll have to fork over some Gil."
Fagan tilted his head slightly. "What are you serving?"
"Day-old soup."
"Ah. Any bread?"
"Week-old loaves," the soldier said with a laugh.
"I take it the Lodge's supplies are dwindling?" Fagan asked.
"You could say that. But once Luca is back in our hands, we'll have fresh food. Nyka cut off our supplies. The only guy who got around it was a tapestry merchant. Can't eat those, I'm afraid..."
"I would suppose not. I'll take...a slice or two of bread, please. And a cup of water, if you'd be so kind."
"How about some berry juice instead? Water's a little tight right now."
"The Lodge is on an island. I don't see how it's tight." Fagan said.
The man nodded. "Yes, but most of our fresh water reserves traveled with the troops. Once Luca-"
"Is in the Crusaders' hands, yes I know. Berry juice it is, then."
"Be right back," the soldier said with a bow.
The Lodge reminded Fagan of a beggar's palace more than an actual Inn, but that was mainly due to the fact that the inns in Bevelle were so pricey and didn't just offer up free food to travelers. Soon, the soldier was back with the bread and juice, and the bread was so hard, Fagan had to dip pieces of it in the berry juice to make it edible. Still, it was better than nothing. What amazed Fagan was the fact that even though he was essentially the walking dead, he still hungered for food.
After finishing the bread and juice, he took the tray it had been brought to him on back to the soldier.
"Good?" the soldier asked.
"It satisfied my hunger, thank you."
The soldier laughed. "That's about all we can do until supplies from Luca start coming back in. Never knew how much we depended on trade with Luca before that damned Nyka took over the place. Eh, it'll soon be ours, though."
"And why didn't you go with the troops?" Fagan asked, not able to hold his tongue.
The soldier laughed once more. "Ah, I've gotten that question quite a lot. Simply put, I don't like using Machina weapons. I'm sort of old school and it looks as if the old school is out. I didn't do well in the impromptu Al Bhed training course, so they gave me Lodge duty. I don't mind it though. I've always been quite the coward."
"Then why-"
"Did I join up?" the soldier finished for Fagan. "I thought I could do my part, ya know, to keep the peace in Spira. After Kilika, I knew that a major conflict was coming. I was ready to fight, even have my father's sword. But then the Al Bhed joined up and the soldiers like me still holding on to cutlery were left behind in the dust."
Fagan smiled. "Every little bit counts, and I'm sure that your job is just as important as the other soldiers' job."
"Thanks, but when they come back with battle wounds and all I have is a strained back from standing up behind a counter all day, let's see what everyone says then."
Fagan shook his head. "It isn't the job that makes the man, it is the man that makes the job. Just do your best and you will be rewarded."
"Uh huh. You some kinda preacher or philosopher, or something?"
"No...not anymore." Fagan said, eyes wandering to the ground.
"What happened?"
"I was fired..."
"A preacher, fired? How's that supposed to happen?"
As Fagan headed for the door, he looked over his shoulder with a smile and said, "A bullet helps." He then walked out into the waning daylight, leaving the soldier to his own thoughts.
--------------------
The airship slowly made its descent, causing its cargo hold and passengers to shake. Seeing as the ship had been hastily set up for troop carrying purposes, its hold only had one bench, and that was occupied with a sleeping soldier who looked much cleaner than the rest of the men in the hold.
Eimour and Gary were near the hold's doors, but still couldn't get away from the smell of battle. The soldiers returning to Besaid, some Crusaders, most Al Bhed, were caked with dirt and reeked of sweat. Eimour's shoulders were tired from holding Gary up so long and her legs were tired from standing. She eyed the bench but thought better of asking the sleeping man for a seat. Besides, the ship was descending, as far as she could tell, and she'd soon be on solid ground.
As her observation had revealed, the ship set down with a rather hard thud; thankfully, not hard enough to send everyone to the floor. The hold's doors quickly slid open with a high-pitched gear-grinding sound and over the hold's speakers, a simple "Get out!" was shouted. Even the Al Bhed soldiers knew what this meant. A few soldiers brushed past Eimour before the command sunk in and then she trudged out into the open. Clean, ocean-scented air filled her lungs as her eyes adjusted to the dimming sunlight. Though she'd never been to Besaid before, she knew that she liked the island already.
Gary, who had been asleep on her shoulders before, was now groggily mumbling something about all of the soldiers. Eimour squinted a bit and after a bit of focusing, she could see large groups of dark-blue clad troops. All were carrying the same type of rifle, and they all seemed to be talking about something. Some of the groups noticed the airship's arrival and began sprinting towards it. As the groups neared, Eimour noticed that most of them had enthusiastic looks on their faces, while the rest looked a bit more apprehensive.
As Eimour continued towards the gathering of soldiers, she could faintly see the outline of a wide, one story building behind the troops. She could see various groups drilling, some just milling about, and even saw some of the officers ordering the groups around with overstressed hand and arm gestures. The large group of troops that had started running towards the airship when it landed then passed Eimour and Gary, the child's attention fully fixated on the soldiers, as if looking for someone.
Gary then asked in a meek tone, "Mommy, do you think Daddy made it back here yet?"
Eimour smiled, tapping her son on his knee. "I don't know, honey, but I'm sure he'll find us. All we have to do is find his house."
"Maybe he'll meet us there!" the child explained happily.
Eimour laughed and nodded. "Hopefully so. Now we just need to find where that exactly is..."
"Just ask a soldier, Mommy!"
Eimour laughed. "Alrighty, but I'll have to find one who knows the area..."
"Okies!" Gary said, laying his chin atop his mother's head.
Eimour and Gary found a narrow dirt path leading directly into the front of the building behind the troop, and another path splitting off and heading into a patch of jungle. At the fork of the two paths was a sign with two arrows, one pointing to the building and another pointing to the jungle. Above the first arrow were the words, "Troop Barracks/Training Facility." Above the second arrow were three words, "To Town/Docks."
Eimour laughed. "Well, he said in town, so I imagine we're home free now, Gary."
Gary gripped at his mother's hair and laughed. "Off we go!" he yelled and off they both went, heading into the jungle.
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"So he's not here?" Tidus asked.
Yuna shook her head, standing in the Lodge's doorway. "The man behind the desk said that he left earlier this evening. He didn't see where he went."
Tidus scratched at his chin in thought, tapping his foot. "That's not too comforting. He lied..."
Yuna shook her head and tried to look as comforting as possible. "No, no, I'm sure that he's just exploring the island."
Tidus raised a brow. "Right. Well, if he is, let's go look for him. I don't trust him and I'd rather know what he's doing than just sit here waiting for him to return. I swear if he's tricked us..."
"Don't worry. I don't think he's the tricking type."
Tidus shrugged. "Where should we look first?"
Yuna hmmed. "Well, let's try to think where he'd go."
"I don't know him that well," Tidus remarked rather sarcastically.
Yuna gave him a swift but gently kick to the shin. "Hush, you."
Tidus laughed, holding up his hands innocently. "Got any ideas?"
"The most scenic areas on Besaid would be most likely where he'd go. One of them is near the Crusader's encampment. I would think he'd like to be alone."
"And the best place to be alone would have to be the beach at night." Tidus said, crossing his arms with a smug grin.
"Right!" Yuna said, tapping the air with a finger.
"Ladies first," Tidus said with a wink.
"No fair!"
Tidus shrugged. "Just being...'neighborly.'"
"Do I have to tickle you again?" Yuna said, a menacing grin coming to her face.
"Uh...I'll take point..."
"Good," she replied, grin turning into a beaming smile.
Tidus rolled his eyes and took her left hand in his right. "How about we go in side by side?"
"Even better," Yuna replied, leaning her head down to rest on his shoulder as they began to walk down the path leading to the beach.
--------------------
Fagan hadn't really expected to hear from Yuna again that same night, so time had not been a deciding factor for him. What had made him trudge all the way to the beach was the simple fact that in all his travels to Besaid, he had never been able to go to the beach. Even if Yuna had gone to the Lodge to seek him, he wouldn't have cared what consequences not being there to greet her would've brought. Before him was a clear, dark, and starry sky. A full moon highlighted it all as it peeked over the water's horizon. It was one of the most beautiful scenes he had ever bared witness to.
Despite his troubled soul, Fagan felt free and very alive when gazing upon the vast, moonlit ocean. The water had no bounds, for it stretched far beyond what the eye could see, and that form of eternity excited him. Even knowing that he would not reach the free eternity that the true Farplane offered, he still yearned for it. How could he not? To be that tranquil, that relaxed, and that carefree was something amazing, and human nature yearned for the amazing. Amazing wealth, amazing companionship, amazing power. But as a soul, all one could get was amazing peace, if one was so inclined. But even as Fagan slowly let the tranquility before him calm his inner-demons, that voice of indignation at the back of his mind would not let him forget that he was to never experience eternal bliss. The "heavenly benefactors" had told him this at the start, and his need for revenge outweighed his need for eternal bliss.
Fagan knew that once he had Yuna's help, his "second coming" on Spira would be short lived. It wasn't a time to be emotionless, uncaring, cryptic, and evasive. He only had a short amount of time to enjoy the pleasure of emotion, and he set his goal to milk human emotion for all it was worth. He promised that no matter how short or long the journey would be, he'd make it worth his while. Something he could remember when spending the rest of his eternal life locked away in the darkness of a Pyrefly.
It was his price to pay, and he would pay it. If his sacrifice would do the world a service, than he'd do it in a heartbeat. Since he had lost his deity, Fagan had had little to no hope. But slowly, as he watched the water move along slowly, the waves' crests and troughs highlighted in the mesmerizing glow of the moonlight, he began to realize that he should do all things in Spira's good favor. Fagan, the man, should do his part to keep Spira a cohesive world. Spira itself was a beautiful creature, and it couldn't stop all of its worries on its own. So right then and there, staring at the ocean's endless horizon, Fagan decided to become a warrior for Spira. He would strike down the evil threatening Spira and help the forces looking to protect Spira.
Fagan sighed deeply and closed his eyes, shaking all of the negative thoughts from his mind. He felt that his mind should be pure for his transformation into Spira's protector. Fagan's fists balled and his jaw tightened. In his head, he recited his promise to rid Spira and its peoples of the evil that was Nyka and the Yevon religion. "What is dead should stay dead," he said aloud.
"Then what are you doing here?" The voice belonging to Tidus broke Fagan's concentration.
In response, Fagan turned around, cleared his throat, and replied, "What is dead should stay dead, unless otherwise noted."
Yuna, who Fagan now saw was holding Tidus' hand, laughed. "True."
Tidus cocked a sneer. "Nice joke. Didn't know you had it in you."
"Neither did I," Fagan responded. "I take it I wasn't at the Lodge."
Tidus' sneer turned into a smile. "You could say that."
With that said, Yuna nodded. "I've come to a decision."
"Yes?"
"I'd like to help you. You've been sent back to Spira for a reason, and I'm not one to argue with Heaven-sent helpers." Yuna looked to Tidus as she said this, who promptly kissed her forehead.
Fagan smiled and nodded. "I see. It's settled then."
"I'll tell the Lodge to clear a bed for you while you're here." Yuna said.
"Thank you," replied Fagan.
"Welp, time to head back to the village. I'm hungry!" Tidus said, smirking. "Wanna join us?"
With the shake of his head, Fagan pointed to the ocean. "View's real nice. Think I'll stay here for a while longer. Thank you for the offer, though."
"No problem." Tidus said, and the couple turned and headed back towards the village.
Fagan smiled and turned back to the ocean. He then turned his gazed upwards, staring into the stars. "Wherever you are, my love, I wish you eternal bliss."
--------------------
Rikku slowly exited her vehicle to the gaze of at least three Crusader officers.
"Yes," she asked.
"Ma'am, we've swept the entire stadium. There's no sign of them. I think it's safe to say that...they're gone," one of the officers said.
"It's never safe until you've got proof!" Rikku yelled at them. "Keep looking!"
They all nodded and said in unison, "Yes, ma'am!"
With them gone, Rikku sighed and leaned against the side of her vehicle. When word had spread that Gatta, Weston, and most of the rest of the ocean-landing Crusaders had been wiped out in the stadium blast, the soldiers had begun to look towards Rikku as the highest person in the chain of command. By evening's arrival, she not-so-officially -was- the commanding officer. With that, she was having to give orders left and right to groups of troops arriving and leaving Luca. She hadn't liked the idea of having to take over, but yet and still, it wasn't something she could argue with. Thousands of soldiers looking to you for orders sort of humbled the fear of being in command. To Rikku, it had to be done, no matter how she felt about it.
It had now been nearly seven hours since the last contact with Gatta, and, even though she was afraid of even the possibility, it looked as if Gatta had been taken out of the picture. Rikku knew that the soldiers had already moved on, but she wasn't going to give up hope. She'd never given up before. Had she given up on the pilgrimage three years before, it was no telling what would've happed in the end. With Luca out of Nyka's hands, things were going to heat up. Rikku knew that Nyka wasn't just going to go away magically and she highly doubted that a proper move against Nyka could be brought on without Gatta's help. It was he who had so hastily volunteered to draw up an attack plan. Rikku had just originally planned to enter through the south gate and keep pushing. Gatta's planning had helped solidify the victory in Luca and Rikku certainly didn't want to take credit for something Gatta had done.
Now Rikku feared not only for herself and the troops, she also feared for Spira. With Gatta gone, Rikku felt powerless. She knew she could probably plan something, but not to the caliber Gatta had done so. He had a bit more experience under his belt. Gone with Gatta was the Crusaders' "Ace in the Hole," Weston. The 'super soldier' who didn't seem to fear death and really didn't mind going in first was lost if Gatta was lost. The realization that in one fell swoop, all hope for easy victory against Nyka, did nothing to reassure Rikku and she soon found herself doubting whether she could set up defenses good enough to curb a Yevonite counter-attack on Luca.
Rikku sighed shakily and slowly slid down onto the ground, watching as the men on the streets finished the cleaning. "Cleaning...bodies...that used to be living, breathing people. People with spouses, children, uncles, parents, siblings...Why must war be so cruel? When will peace come? Is death all there is to war?" Rikku found herself whispering under her shaky and choke-ridden breath. Tears soon began to form at the corners of her eyes as she heard light footsteps heading in her direction. She didn't bother to look towards them, for she knew it was just another aide telling her of their inability to locate her comrades.
"True, death -is- the initial result of war. Rest assured, peace and tranquility will soon follow."
Rikku looked up to the person that had stopped next to her and nearly fainted.
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Eimour soon heard the mumbled sounds of a village in front of her. She could also see lights off in the near-distance. Her heart skipped a beat as she soon found her feet meeting hard, packed dirt. The path to the village had been loose, as if it was rather new. To the left of her was a large temple; on the right was a large blue and white striped tent. Many people were moving about, most dressed in light, airy clothes. On the other side of the path were various tents. Some were closed, the rest were open, presumably shops or eateries. But near the temple was a large, square building made of wood. Seeing this made Eimour nearly jump with realization.
Gary groaned a bit and mumbled, "Are we there, Mommy?"
Eimour smiled and nodded. "Yes."
She then headed for the wooden building. It was taller than the tents and stuck out amidst all the island outfitting. The building was unmistakably Weston's self-built abode. The poor building stuck out just about as much as Weston himself. A smile came to Eimour's countenance as she pulled the latch on the door to the inside of Weston's house. As she entered the dwelling, however, a sense of hollowness engulfed her. According to Weston, this house had been built and lived in for nearly six months, but the inside was as barren as a desert. Besides a single-sized bed and dresser, nothing was in the main room of the house. Inside the kitchen offset was a small stove and a nearly barren cupboard.
Eimour placed Gary on the bed and watched as the young child immediately fell asleep. She smiled and placed the neatly made and clean cover over him. Her smile faded, however, when she opened the top drawer of the dresser. Inside were neatly folded clothes, all gray or white, and a razor. Eimour bent down to see what was in the rest of the drawers, but the effort was wasted, for the rest of them were empty.
She huffed and stood, looking about the kitchen area. No sense of shelter was actually harbored in this 'home.' Eimour shook her head and sighed.
"A soldier is all he could be..." she said, walking towards one of the only two windows in the home. She tried to imagine what kind of things Weston did in his free time. If his home was without personality, what kind of life did he lead off of the battlefield?
"At least he has a nice view of the ocean..." she remarked, staring at the moonlight waves. "I wonder when he'll get back..."
After a few moments, Eimour's aching shoulders and legs got the best of her and she walked over to the bed. Gently, she lifted Gary up, and slid onto the small bed. She then placed Gary on top of her and slowly brushed his hair. Unconsciousness soon came to Eimour, and she began a worriless sleep.
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A/N: Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, Akin to Sin. Happy birthday to you!
As promised, here is Chapter 19! It's ten times what it used to be, and I'm glad I took the time to refine this chapter because, though it's short, I'm really proud of the amount of half-way decent character development! My first short chapter in a while is much better than the first few chapters (that will have to be rewritten) of this tale.
Thanks a humongous bunch to Shad for putting up with me as I toiled on this chapter and the site/logos, thanks to Jave and Artemis for the ideas, hella thanks to Noelle for help with the logos. Thanks to all the new and current and past reviewers for helping me shape AtS into something I could be somewhat proud of!
Keep your eyes open for a few surprises, guys and gals, because some stuff is coming ^.~
Thanks again, and I'll be back with Chapter 20...one of these days ^__^ ~No One