Hope is Comforting
By Yagami Iori
(A/N: I love Lady Yunalesca! She's like the anti-Yuna, and so she cancels out Yuna's stupidity. Her voice is so smooth, and she makes the most sense out of anyone in the game. When you kill her, it's like you're killing the Pope. She actually holds that much power over people. Power is sexy. Plus, she's the hottest thing this side of Yevon besides Lulu. Unfortunately, she has little to no character development. Uh-oh. I feel a fic coming on! Remember, however, that this takes place during Yunalesca's life, which means that the Guado are savages, Sin does not exist, and machina is commonplace. Also, this mostly stems from my imagination. They don't tell us ANYTHING about Yunalesca's time. The women's rights issues I added because I make parallels between Yevon and the Catholic Church, both of whom I despise. ^_~ Enjoy!)
Comfort is a luxury... And one that I could not afford. As a child, I was precocious. I was forced by my father to learn the Teachings, rather than lead the life of a normal girl. I excelled in my studies, even though girls were not allowed to learn the arts of Yevon. Only men could be priests or Maesters. I did not understand why I had to learn, and my father, Clarius, explained it thus: "Most women are weak. You, my child, shall grow strong. You will prove the Maesters wrong."
And I did. When I was sixteen, I left my home as a Summoner. No one knew of my pilgrimage but my father, myself, and my guardian, Riva. She wanted to be a summoner, but became a guardian when she was rejected by Yevon. Riva thought that if I succeeded in attaining the Aeons of Spira, I could convince the Maesters that women should be accepted into the fold of Yevon. She did not live to see it. In Macalania, she was crushed by a Chimera. I sent her without a word. I felt that I had no need for another guardian. I had already bested Riva in terms of power, and my magical potential was growing rapidly.
After I had attained the three Magus Sisters from the Temple of Remiem, I returned to Bevelle. There, I proved the strength of women by defeating Maester Lokram in a Summoner's duel. The Maesters were shocked by this display of power, especially from a woman. This rocked the foundations of their beliefs. They questioned the words of the immortal Yu Yevon.
I was named Maestrix of Bevelle. Under my commands, women were welcome to the priesthood. I then sat back to enjoy the first comfort I had experienced in my life: the rulership of Bevelle.
Bevelle was a grand city of machina. The priests held power over the "developing" villages, the ones who had no machina and could not fend for themselves. The only problem... was Zanarkand. Zanarkand was certainly a problem. It had sided with the savage Guado tribe in their battle with our allies, the Ronso. The simplest plan was to destroy Zanarkand. Sin's birth took care of that.
Sin was a creature spawned by the immortal Yu Yevon. How, or for what puropse? We did not know. It was safe to say, however, that it was our ally, at least for now. It had destroyed the infidels of Zanarkand, and given us our power back. There, among the wreckage of Zanarkand, I met Zaon.
Zaon was the sole survivor of Sin's attack on Zanarkand. He was the son of Zanarkand's mayor, Miren. The man was gloriously handsome, and his strong yet frightened expression touched my heart. I secreted Zaon away with me, and took him to my palace in Bevelle. There, I kept him as a servant and consort. However, slowly but surely, my feelings for him developed past simple lust.
Sin was becoming a problem. It had attacked the city of Baaj, one of Bevelle's allies. Sin had sunk Baaj below the sea, and there were no survivors of the gruesome slaughter. One only had to venture into those waters to see the bodies of men, women, and children floating amongst the debris.
I went to the Temple at Zanarkand. It was the only place in Zanarkand that had not fallen into ruin. There, I prayed to the immortal Yu Yevon. I asked him why he had brought Sin upon us, and how I could stop it. Words came back to me: Choose your Fayth.
I did not know what this meant. I had already met the Fayth of the Temples. The Fayth of Bevelle Palace held no Aeonic power. It did not matter to me at the time. Not yet. I had more pressing matters to attend to. My servant Zaon and I were to be married. It was thought to be an odd choice on my part, but I persevered past the whispered jeers. I did not want another summoner. I wanted Zaon. It did not matter that he was a servant. It did not matter that he was from Zanarkand.
The wedding proceeded as planned. On my wedding night, the immortal Yu Yevon came to me in my dreams. He told me to bring Zaon with me to the Temple of Zanarkand. I did as he commanded, and we entered the Chamber of the Fayth. There, the voice spoke to us: To defeat Sin, the Summoner must turn someone with which they have a bond into a Fayth. When the Summoner uses the Aeon of that Fayth, he or she will die, and their life-force will kill Sin.
I knew that Sin would soon destroy Bevelle if it was not stopped. I was willing to sacrifice my life to destroy it. Zaon told me that he could not live without me, and so he would become my Fayth. When I performed the incantation, I couldn't help myself from crying. I broke into a sob as Zaon froze, as stiff as a statue. And then, he sang to me. It was a glorious song. It was the Song of the Fayth.
I summoned his Aeon. It was a formidable sight. He rose from a droplet of water, his dorsal fin reaching the heavens. His serpentine, scaled form rose above me, and at once I knew his Aeonic name. "Leviathan," I whispered.
Leviathan and I left Zanarkand and traveled to a deserted plain near Macalania. There, Sin appeared to me. I used Leviathan's full power, and a tsunami headed for Sin. The waves rose above the being, and the surf crashed at its fins. Then, the full brunt of the attack hit. Sin writhed in agony as I raised my arms skyward. Zaon's bond with me reacted, and Leviathan became a creature of energy. His power coursed through my veins, and I delivered the final blow to Sin.
Now, I grow weary. My heart, with my body, has grown cold. I am no more than an icy figurine, an animated corpse, still beautiful, still young. But I exist. I exist to give hope to Spira. Without hope, the people, my people, will not survive. It is my duty to sit here, on my throne of gold and jewels, in Zanarkand, the City of the Dead. Because hope is comforting. And comfort is what Spira needs.
~Owari~
(A/N: ;_; I know, sad. But Lady Yunalesca is a tragic figure. Her mind has been tainted by power and the principles of Yevon. I'm... going to... *sob*... cry. Anyway, what do you think? This is a product of too much caffeine and about 5 battles with Yunalesca before it occurred to me that I should [a] remove my armor with Zombie Ward, and [b] equip armor with Dark Ward. Mega-Death hurts. But, you know, I always wondered how come it works on Auron... Whatever. Stupid continuity! If you're depressed now, go read The Race of a Lifetime. It's my humor ficcy! ^_~)
By Yagami Iori
(A/N: I love Lady Yunalesca! She's like the anti-Yuna, and so she cancels out Yuna's stupidity. Her voice is so smooth, and she makes the most sense out of anyone in the game. When you kill her, it's like you're killing the Pope. She actually holds that much power over people. Power is sexy. Plus, she's the hottest thing this side of Yevon besides Lulu. Unfortunately, she has little to no character development. Uh-oh. I feel a fic coming on! Remember, however, that this takes place during Yunalesca's life, which means that the Guado are savages, Sin does not exist, and machina is commonplace. Also, this mostly stems from my imagination. They don't tell us ANYTHING about Yunalesca's time. The women's rights issues I added because I make parallels between Yevon and the Catholic Church, both of whom I despise. ^_~ Enjoy!)
Comfort is a luxury... And one that I could not afford. As a child, I was precocious. I was forced by my father to learn the Teachings, rather than lead the life of a normal girl. I excelled in my studies, even though girls were not allowed to learn the arts of Yevon. Only men could be priests or Maesters. I did not understand why I had to learn, and my father, Clarius, explained it thus: "Most women are weak. You, my child, shall grow strong. You will prove the Maesters wrong."
And I did. When I was sixteen, I left my home as a Summoner. No one knew of my pilgrimage but my father, myself, and my guardian, Riva. She wanted to be a summoner, but became a guardian when she was rejected by Yevon. Riva thought that if I succeeded in attaining the Aeons of Spira, I could convince the Maesters that women should be accepted into the fold of Yevon. She did not live to see it. In Macalania, she was crushed by a Chimera. I sent her without a word. I felt that I had no need for another guardian. I had already bested Riva in terms of power, and my magical potential was growing rapidly.
After I had attained the three Magus Sisters from the Temple of Remiem, I returned to Bevelle. There, I proved the strength of women by defeating Maester Lokram in a Summoner's duel. The Maesters were shocked by this display of power, especially from a woman. This rocked the foundations of their beliefs. They questioned the words of the immortal Yu Yevon.
I was named Maestrix of Bevelle. Under my commands, women were welcome to the priesthood. I then sat back to enjoy the first comfort I had experienced in my life: the rulership of Bevelle.
Bevelle was a grand city of machina. The priests held power over the "developing" villages, the ones who had no machina and could not fend for themselves. The only problem... was Zanarkand. Zanarkand was certainly a problem. It had sided with the savage Guado tribe in their battle with our allies, the Ronso. The simplest plan was to destroy Zanarkand. Sin's birth took care of that.
Sin was a creature spawned by the immortal Yu Yevon. How, or for what puropse? We did not know. It was safe to say, however, that it was our ally, at least for now. It had destroyed the infidels of Zanarkand, and given us our power back. There, among the wreckage of Zanarkand, I met Zaon.
Zaon was the sole survivor of Sin's attack on Zanarkand. He was the son of Zanarkand's mayor, Miren. The man was gloriously handsome, and his strong yet frightened expression touched my heart. I secreted Zaon away with me, and took him to my palace in Bevelle. There, I kept him as a servant and consort. However, slowly but surely, my feelings for him developed past simple lust.
Sin was becoming a problem. It had attacked the city of Baaj, one of Bevelle's allies. Sin had sunk Baaj below the sea, and there were no survivors of the gruesome slaughter. One only had to venture into those waters to see the bodies of men, women, and children floating amongst the debris.
I went to the Temple at Zanarkand. It was the only place in Zanarkand that had not fallen into ruin. There, I prayed to the immortal Yu Yevon. I asked him why he had brought Sin upon us, and how I could stop it. Words came back to me: Choose your Fayth.
I did not know what this meant. I had already met the Fayth of the Temples. The Fayth of Bevelle Palace held no Aeonic power. It did not matter to me at the time. Not yet. I had more pressing matters to attend to. My servant Zaon and I were to be married. It was thought to be an odd choice on my part, but I persevered past the whispered jeers. I did not want another summoner. I wanted Zaon. It did not matter that he was a servant. It did not matter that he was from Zanarkand.
The wedding proceeded as planned. On my wedding night, the immortal Yu Yevon came to me in my dreams. He told me to bring Zaon with me to the Temple of Zanarkand. I did as he commanded, and we entered the Chamber of the Fayth. There, the voice spoke to us: To defeat Sin, the Summoner must turn someone with which they have a bond into a Fayth. When the Summoner uses the Aeon of that Fayth, he or she will die, and their life-force will kill Sin.
I knew that Sin would soon destroy Bevelle if it was not stopped. I was willing to sacrifice my life to destroy it. Zaon told me that he could not live without me, and so he would become my Fayth. When I performed the incantation, I couldn't help myself from crying. I broke into a sob as Zaon froze, as stiff as a statue. And then, he sang to me. It was a glorious song. It was the Song of the Fayth.
I summoned his Aeon. It was a formidable sight. He rose from a droplet of water, his dorsal fin reaching the heavens. His serpentine, scaled form rose above me, and at once I knew his Aeonic name. "Leviathan," I whispered.
Leviathan and I left Zanarkand and traveled to a deserted plain near Macalania. There, Sin appeared to me. I used Leviathan's full power, and a tsunami headed for Sin. The waves rose above the being, and the surf crashed at its fins. Then, the full brunt of the attack hit. Sin writhed in agony as I raised my arms skyward. Zaon's bond with me reacted, and Leviathan became a creature of energy. His power coursed through my veins, and I delivered the final blow to Sin.
Now, I grow weary. My heart, with my body, has grown cold. I am no more than an icy figurine, an animated corpse, still beautiful, still young. But I exist. I exist to give hope to Spira. Without hope, the people, my people, will not survive. It is my duty to sit here, on my throne of gold and jewels, in Zanarkand, the City of the Dead. Because hope is comforting. And comfort is what Spira needs.
~Owari~
(A/N: ;_; I know, sad. But Lady Yunalesca is a tragic figure. Her mind has been tainted by power and the principles of Yevon. I'm... going to... *sob*... cry. Anyway, what do you think? This is a product of too much caffeine and about 5 battles with Yunalesca before it occurred to me that I should [a] remove my armor with Zombie Ward, and [b] equip armor with Dark Ward. Mega-Death hurts. But, you know, I always wondered how come it works on Auron... Whatever. Stupid continuity! If you're depressed now, go read The Race of a Lifetime. It's my humor ficcy! ^_~)