Life it seems, will fade away
Drifting further every day
Getting lost within myself
Nothing matters no one else
I have lost the will to live
Simply nothing more to give
There is nothing more for me
Need the end to set me free
Things are not what they used to be
Missing one inside of me
Deathly lost, this can't be real
Cannot stand this hell I feel
Emptiness is filing me
To the point of agony
Growing darkness taking dawn
I was me, but now He's gone
No one but me can save myself, but its too late
Now I can't think, think why I should even try
Yesterday seems as though it never existed
Death greets me warm, now I will just say good-bye
Metallica
Title: Fade To Black
Album: Ride The Lightning
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"This isn't a Fayth. Just an empty statue."
Yuna looked pale as she studied the ground where the remnants of the Fayth stood. The others soon joined her and seemed to be equally fascinated. Everyone that is except Auron, who seemed to know that this was coming.
Then the mysterious old man appeared behind Yuna again. His pyreflies and trails of light illuminated his presence as he spoke. "That statue lost its power as a Fayth long ago. It is lord Zaeon, the first Fayth of the final summoning. What you see before you is all that remains of him. Lord Zaeon is, his soul is gone."
"Gone?" Wakka asked.
"You mean, there is no final Aeon," Rikku pleaded.
"But fear not," the old man continued. "Lady Yunalesca will show you the path. The final Aeon will be yours. A summoner and the final Aeon will join powers. Go to her now. Inside, the lady awaits."
There was a moment's hesitation before Yuna took a step towards the chamber of the dead summoner.
"Yuna wait." Tidus exclaimed. She stopped and turned as he pointed his finger at Auron. "Auron, you knew this was going to happen, didn't you?"
"Yes I did."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Rikku asked.
"If I had told you the truth, would that still have stopped you from coming?" Auron replied.
His sharp reply took Tidus off guard.
"Yuna," Kimahri said.
"I'm not going back"
"Kimahri knows. Kimahri go first. Yuna safe; Kimahri protect."
"Ah. Someone's coming" Rikku said.
"Lady Yunalesca." Yuna breathed.
"Welcome" Yunalesca said.
Faith was surprised by the figure she saw before her. She expected a normal, humble, and comforting summoner. But what she saw was a scantily clad lady, who didn't remind her of how a summoner should look or act at all, completely surrounded by pyrefiles.
"I congratulate you. You have completed you're pilgrimage. I will now bestow you will that which you seek."
"The final summoning will be yours. Now, choose."
"Hmm?" Yuna replied.
"You must choose the one that I must change. The one that will become the Fayth of the final summoning"
Faith gasped as the realization of what was happening hit her. The stunned silence was so thick in the air that Faith thought she could choke on it.
"There must be a bond" the long since dead summoner continued. "Between the summoner and the chosen. Because that is what the final summoning is about. The bond between husband and wife, mother and child, brother and sister, and friends. If that bond is strong enough, that bond will conquer sin."
"1000 years ago, I chose my husband Zaeon as my Fayth. Our bond was true, and I obtained the final Aeon. There is nothing to fear. You will soon be freed of worry and pain. For when you call forth the final Aeon, your life will end. Death is the ultimate and final liberation. You're father, Braska chose this path."
The three familiar figures or Braska, Jecht, and Auron appeared out of a residue of pyreflies.
"Its not too late, let us turn back" Auron pleaded with Braska.
"If I turn back, who will defeat Sin?" There was a look of steel determination in his eyes that gave Faith a chill. "Will you have some other summoner and his guardians to go through this?"
"But, my lord. There must be another way."
Suddenly Jecht spoke up. "This is the only way we've got now."
"Fine," he continued. "Make me the Fayth. I've been doing some thinking. My dream is back in the other Zanarkand. I wanted to make that runt into a star blitz player. Show him the view from the top, you know. But know I now there's no way out for me. I'm never going to see him again. My dreams never going to come through. So make me the Fayth. I will fight Sin with ya Braska. Then maybe my life will have meaning, you know?"
"Don't do this Jecht." Auron was still obviously going to press his case. And the more he did, the more Tidus grew uncomfortable. His ramblings echoed what he was feeling deep inside. But the thing that really shook him up was the willingness of Jecht to become the Fayth. I'm never going to see him again. Those words rang hollowly in Tidus' head. So my old man wanted to get back to Zanarkand too, he thought. But not for the glory of Blitz, or the screams of a frenzied crowd, not even for my mom, but for me. That deep-seeded feeling of coldness washed over him again. At first it was just in his stomach, but then it came over him completely. He had to step back in order to avoid going lightheaded and stumbling. He has been getting this feeling a lot lately about his old man. Its called regret.
"If you live," the young Auron continued. "There may be another way. Well think of something, I know."
Those are hollow words, Tidus thought to himself.
"Believe me I thought this through." Jecht continued. "And, I ain't getting any younger so I may as well make myself useful."
"Jecht" Braska said suddenly.
"You're not going to try and stop me too?"
"Sorry," Braska replied. "I mean thank you."
"Braska still has to fight Sin Auron, guard him well. Make sure he gets there."
With that, Jecht turned to face the cave-like opening to the next chamber. "Well, let's go."
"Lord Braska, Jecht." Auron said again. Tidus could feel a hint of desperation in his voice.
"What do you want now?" Jecht replied.
"Sin always comes back after the time every time. The cycle will continue and you're deaths will mean nothing."
"But there's always a chance that it wont come back this time." Braska said. "Its worth a try."
Jecht turned around to face his friend for the last time. "I understand what you're saying Auron. I will find a way to break the cycle."
"You, have a plan?" Auron asked.
"Jecht?" Braska said quizzically.
"Trust me, I'll think of something.
And then he busted out laughing and it echoed off of the chamber walls.
It was then that the most unexpected thing on the entire pilgrimage occurred: Auron. The experienced warrior took his massive sword and swung angrily at the ghost of his past for about five minutes. Everyone else looked on, some even taking a step back. This was not in Auron's character. Nor was it anything anybody expected. Even Faith was afraid that he might throw his head back in a roar, attack something else in a fit of rage, or maybe, just maybe, an attempted suicide.
But in the end, Auron just slouched on one knee with his big sword out in front of him. Its sharp end was buried about six inches in the cold steel beneath his slumped body. For a few minutes he wouldn't say anything, or even open his eyes. But then he murmured just one phrase and got up, completely composed.
"And the cycle went on."
"Well break it" Tidus said hesitantly. He, too, was startled by the sudden outrage, and didn't really step forward.
"But how? You got a plan now?" Wakka asked.
"If one of us has to become a Fayth," Lulu started. "I volunteer."
"Me too Yuna" Wakka said.
"That still won't change anything though." Tidus blurted. "You'll bring the calm, and then what? It won't break the cycle." There was a familiar sound to those words. Tidus inadvertently looked at Auron, who only returned a cold but understanding gaze.
"You want to beat Sin and keep Yuna alive," Wakka began. "And you don't want it to come back." He shook his head in frustration. "That just not going to happen you know."
"You want everything, and you get nothing" Lulu added.
"But I want everything!" Tidus yelled back.
"Now you're being childish," Wakka replied.
"I give up." Tidus threw his hands in the hair before pointing a finger at Wakka. "So what would an adult do then? They know they can just throw away a summoner, and then they can do whatever they like."
"You're right. I might not even have a chance." He followed. "But now way am I just going to stand here and let Yuna go. What Auron said about there being another way, I think its true."
"You'll think of something," Rikku said, with a mixture of sarcasm and sadness.
Tidus thought about replying harshly: I haven't seen you think of anything yet. But he decided against it. He took a breath, and then said: "I will go ask Yunalesca. She has to know something."
"You really think that they will help you?"
"I don't know, but I have to try." There was that hint of desperation. Except this time it was his words and not Auron's. "This is my story, it'll go the way I want it to, or I'll end it here."
"Wait." Yuna said.
"You say its your story, but its my story too you know. It would be so easy to let my fate just carry me away. Along the same path. But I know I can't."
"What I do, I do with no regrets."
And with that, she started walking to the chamber of the dead summoner.
"Have you chosen the one to become you're Fayth?" was Yunalesca's greeting. "Who will it be?"
"Might I ask something first? Will Sin come back even should I use the final Aeon?"
"Sin is eternal. Every Aeon that defeats it becomes sin in its place. Thus is sin reborn."
So that's why Jecht became Sin." Tidus thought aloud. Again, that cold feeling of regret touched his stomach. This time, Tidus fought against it.
"It is an inevitable part of Spira history, it is never-ending."
"Never ending?" Wakka exclaimed, dumbfounded. "But if we atone for our crime, Sin will stop coming back ya? Someday it will be gone, ya?"
"Will humanity ever attain such purity?"
"This, this cannot be!!" Lulu screamed. "The teachings state that we can exorcize sin with complete atonement. It's been our only hope all these years." Her speech was rushed and shaky. Lulu was starting to get pissed off.
"Hope, it allows us to accept fate, no matter how tragic it is." Yunalesca replied with her cold and unchanging tone.
"No!!" Tidus and Auron both yelled at once. Except it was quite Auron's voice. It sounded younger. Tidus turned to see both Aurons standing side-by-side. Suddenly, the younger one bolted forward and raised his weapon.
"Where is the sense in all of this?" he started. "Braska believed in Yevon's teachings and died for them. Jecht believed in Braska and gave his life for him.
"They chose to die because they had hope" came her reply.
With that, Auron pointed his sword forward and ran recklessly towards the form of Yunalesca. It was then that a blast of magic came out and knocked Auron to the ground. He lay there, body stiff and blood starting to pool up around him.. It was then, that Tidus knew that his lifelong mentor was in fact, dead.
"Yevon's teaching of the final summoning give the people of Spira hope," Yunalesca continued. "Without hope, they would drown in their sorrow. Now choose, who will be your Fayth. Who will be the one to renew Spira's hope?
Silence.
With a shaky voice, but a fierce resolve, Yuna looked Yunalesca straight in the eyes and said "No one."
"I would have gladly died. I love the people of Spira and would have gladly died for them. But no more. The final summoning, it is a dead tradition that should be thrown away."
"No." Yunalesca replied. "It is our only hope. Your father sacrificed himself to give that hope to the people. So they could forget sorrow."
"Your wrong. My father," Yuna paused to look down. She tried to hold back the hot tears brought on by the memories of her father. "My father wanted to make Spira's sorrow go away, and not just cover it up with lies."
"Sorrow cannot be abolished. It is meaningless to try."
"My father, I loved him . So I will live with my sorrow. I will live my own life. I will defeat sorrow. I will stand my ground and be strong. I don't know when it will be, but someday, I promise. And I will do it without false hope."
Faith was stunned speechless.
She knew Yuna was strong, but she could have never guessed she would be this determined. She almost had to hold back tears of her own.
"Poor creature. You would throw away hope?" Suddenly, Yunalesca's voice changed. For the first time she spoke with emotion and authority.
"Well I will free you before you drown in your own sorrow. It is better to die in hope, than to live in despair."
"Let me be your liberator."
Tidus knew, somehow, that somebody was going to die. He drew his sword so that he could be certain that it wasn't going to be Yuna.
Suddenly the chamber began to shake.
"Now." Auron's voice boomed from behind the others. "This is it. Now is the time to shape your stories. Die and be free of pain, or live and fight your sorrow. Your fate is in your hands."
"Yuna needs Kimahri." The Ronso said. "Kimahri protect Yuna."
"Well I'm fighting" Rikku yelled over the noise of the rumbling.
"I can't believe were going to fight Lady Yunalesca." Wakka murmured to himself. "Gimme a break"
"You can always run." Lulu answered.
"Nah, I'd never forgive myself" he replied after a brief hesitation. "Not if I ran away now. Even in death ya?"
"My thoughts exactly."
"I know now that I can never go home," Faith said aloud. "And even if I could, I wouldn't feel right about it unless I helped you guys fix what's wrong here."
"Yuna" Tidus said as he turned to look at her, gazing directly into her blue and green eyes. "This is our story. Now lets see this thing through together."
The battle erupted quickly. Everybody took their positions and jumped on the offensive. Tidus and Auron jumped on the front line, eager to take out revenge and frustration. Faith, although not exactly sure why, joined the two. Yuna and Lulu formed a back line due to the distance that their magic can travel. Rikku and Wakka protected the group on the sides with Kimahri watching the flank. Together they formed an impenetrable force.
I don't know what's happening to me, Faith thought to herself. I don't even know why I'm able to do the things I can do. I just want to help all I can.
Auron went in first. He slashed twice across her abdomen and then whirled around for a third shot before getting out of the way. With the first two hits he let out a small groan, with the last one turning into a roar of rage.
He's doing now what he intended to do all those years ago, Tidus thought.
As soon as Auron got out of the way Tidus went in and slashed at her right side. However, she counterattacked with an ice spell that knocked him off of his feet. Yuna quickly healed him and casted protect on him as well.
And this was how the battle started.
At one point, Kimahri surprised everyone by flanking her and driving his spear in the back of her head.
That was when the battle turned.
Obviously, Yunalesca didn't like that. Because shortly thereafter she summoned multiple tentacles to come out of the ground and strike everyone in the party. Faith had no idea what had hit her. All she knew is that she couldn't stop herself. One moment she was attacking Yunalesca, and then the next she was sending an ice spell on Rikku. She couldn't control her thoughts or her actions. What's happening to me?!?!, she thought desperately. She was casting spells that she didn't know how to cast, even spells she had never seen before. Everything was rushing before her eyes at a speed she could not comprehend.
Then she looked up and saw Auron looking straight at her. Without warning he raised his shine jug, and smacked her on the hip with it. At first she was mad at him, and then she realized that her world had turned back to normal. Oh, she thought. So that's what its like to have the status effect confuse.
As she looked back up she saw Wakka's Triple Threat wiz by her head and strike Yunalesca. It was then that she turned into a form so evil and hideous Faith had to look away for a moment. When she looked back, she could plainly see Yunalesca's head, with serpent hair and the smell of death coming from her mouth. Faith blasted her with Ultima.
When the battle was over, it wasn't anything fancy or dramatic. Auron just rushed the form, took four quick swipes and what was left of Yunalesca began to phase into spirits and beams of light.
"Hmmph." Auron grunted as he pulled his sword out and flung it across his back.
Although he didn't say it, Tidus could tell that Auron exorcized a demon from his past.
It took a long time for the group to exit Zanarkand dome. Everyone moped and drug their feet. It seemed as if nobody knew what they were doing anymore, or where to go from here. Everyone needed direction. Right before Tidus exited the dome he heard Auron's voice say "Come over here."
He turned around to see the monk stanking next to the wall gazing off to the right. This time, Tidus knew what he was going to say. But it didn't make it an easier pill to swallow.
Faith turned around right before the door leading outside. She looked back and saw Tidus and Auron conversing. Hmmm…..I wonder what that is about? she thought to herself. And then she saw Auron disappear right before her eyes. Wow. So I was right. He's been dead all this time. Her mind started to drift. First to Auron, wondering what it was like to be dead for over ten years. Then her mind drifted to Tidus. She wondered what it was like to find out that the person you looked up to the most, was dead all this time. She wondered more about Tidus. What, exactly, is his relationship with Yuna anyway? When she first arrived in Spira, they appeared to be nothing more but friends who seemed to be attracted to each other. But lately, there seems to be more to it. Especially during Tidus' recital of his life in Spira. It seemed as if most of his story revolved around her. So how is this story going to end? She took another glance back at Tidus. This time Auron had reappeared, or whatever he does, and they were just talking. And then her glance turned into a look, maybe even one of those looks that resembled the look Tidus gave her back when she first arrived in Spira. The look that says "I'm checking you out."
No, she scolded herself. I'm not going to step between Tidus and Yuna. They seem way too into each other. Besides, Yuna doesn't have much time left. And then she stopped herself. Or does she? Again, that feeling of being without direction struck her. What do we do now? Faith yawned while pondering that question to herself. It was then that she realized how exhausted she is. She has been fighting fiends, traveling through the snow, and listening to Tidus' story for Oh my, she thought to herself. I've been here for about 24 hours. That's why I'm so fatigued.
The late morning sun was shining through the door to Zanarkand dome, beckoning her to come out. She stepped through into the morning warmth. She saw Rikku and Wakka in front of her staring to the right.
"Hey guys."
No response.
"Wakka?"
It was then that she turned to see what the two were looking at. Oh My God, she thought in awestruck.
Sin.
It took her a long time to think, or even move. She was repulsed by it, but at the same time, she couldn't take her eyes off of it. There was some sort of mystic power there, and also, some sort of familiarity.
Sin, her mind said again.
"The Final Aeon is gone." Tidus' voice startled her and made her jump. "But I promise, we'll find a way."
With that, the great entity known as Sin, turned away slowly and disappeared into the water.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's notes:
1—Hoo-boy, it's been a while. I bet everyone has forgotten about me. I went home for the summer and didn't have any computer access. That's what happens
when you go back to the boone docks. People get this really puzzled look on their faces when you say "Microsoft Word."
2—The characters, places, events referred to, etc., are copyrighted by Squaresoft.
3—This story however is created by me.
4—Faith is my character; don't use her in any way she wouldn't appreciate.
5—Hopefully, you won't have to wait three months for your next chapter. Maybe a week, but no promises.
6—Any comments, complaints, advice, bashings, etc., hit me at rune_paradigm@yahoo.com, or just put it in a review.
7—FFX rocks. Introduce this game to somebody and watch their GPA drop.