Seymour looked out into the square. It was quiet, peaceful… everyone was waiting.

He looked back over to Averus. He was thin and pale; constantly slipping in and out of consciousness - it was obvious that death was upon him.

"Seymour?" he croaked, shakily extending his hand towards the Guado. Seymour grabbed it fondly, looking into the eyes of his friend. "What is it? What do you need?"

"I… need to die."

Seymour looked at him blankly. Averus smiled and continued. "I feel… weak. I have nothing left, Saimouri. Won't you help me?"

He looked down at his pitiful expression. Averus was now a man with nothing… nothing to gain, nothing to lose… he was but waiting to die.

"I cannot, you know that, Averus. It would be wrong."

Averus smiled weakly and closed his eyes. "I deserve to die peacefully. I cannot live for much longer after seeing the things that I have seen, knowing such forbidden things…" He drifted off into slumber. Cautiously and quietly Seymour crept out of the room and down the stairwell.

He was aware of muffled talking escaping from the dining hall. Curiously he crept towards the door, listening in on the conversation that was taking place…

"…and therefore Grand Maester Mika has decided to ordain you. Congratulations. You are officially a Maester of Yevon."

"I am most honoured" he heard his father say. "Though I wish it could be under better circumstances. You see, we are currently housing a fallen guardian… the protector of the Lady Belgemine."

"Ah, yes. She was a sweet Lady. We mourned her loss greatly."

Seymour could contain himself no longer. "You do not know! None of you do!" he cried, bursting into the dining hall. "She was not just a sweet Lady! She was the greatest of women I have ever met! And now she is dead!" He bit his lip to stop himself crying.

Jyscal crossed over to his son. "I apologise, gentlemen. My son Seymour here was a good friend of the Lady."

One of the men stepped forward and prayed. "I am indeed sorry if my tone offended you, Lord Seymour. Please allow me to give my sincerest apologies"

Seymour returned the prayer. "I am sorry. I just… miss her that is all. I miss all of them."

"It is understandable. Let me introduce myself. I am Braska, High Summoner, and these are my guardians, Auron and-"

"Hi, my names Jecht" barked the tall man with the rugged appearance. "Nice to meetcha. We were passin through to get to Macalania, and we though we'd tell your dad the great news! He's-"

"-been ordained, I heard."

"You must address the new Maester fittingly, Jecht" spoke up the third man, who must have been Auron. He approached Jecht and gave him a menacing stare. "He is 'Lord' or 'Maester' Jyscal"

Jecht shrugged and wandered off to eat more of the food on the main table. Seymour approached Braska and looked him straight in the eye. "I wonder, Lord Braska, if you know the true implications of what you do?"

He looked straight back at him. "Of course. I will face Sin."

"Yes, but do you understand what it will mean to those you leave behind? I mean, even if you succeed, you will be hurting people, will you not?"

"Yes. I have a wife and child that I have left behind."

"And what of them? Did you not think about their feelings? How old is your daughter?"

Braska smiled as he thought of her. "Little Yuna is eight now."

"Eight. And soon to be fatherless. Why?"

Braska sighed impatiently. "It is my duty to try and stop my daughter from growing up in a world as dangerous as this. If I can stop Spira's suffering…" his voice trailed of into a smile as he thought of the Calm.

Seymour laughed slightly. "I remember Averus telling me the same thing. And now he is lying upstairs waiting to die as people mourn him."

Braska prayed again. "I am indeed sorry to hear of Averus."

Jecht's ears pricked. "Averus? Blitzer, wasn't he?"

"Yes," replied Seymour. "I was wondering, Lord Braska, if you would send him before you leave."

Braska smiled. "It would be an honour."

Seymour prayed one last time and left the room. As he scaled the stairs he thought of Averus' proposal. Did he really wish to die so much? Seymour for one could not believe it. Life was sacred… wasn't it? Or was life merely a prelude to greater things? Averus had said he knew things… what things? What could he possibly have found out?

Seymour pushed open the door and peered into the room. Averus smiled back at him weakly, beckoning for him to come in.

"Have you changed your mind, Saimouri? Are you going to aid me?"

"Is it what you want?"

"Yes." The young man replied in a darker tone. "Think of it as the last wish of the last hero. That makes it sound noble, don't you think?"

Seymour gulped. "How would you like to…?"

"Use the pillow. Use a knife. Anything!" cried out the exasperated man, coughing up blood from the exertion. "Please, Saimouri. I cannot bear this."

Seymour picked up the pillow and looked at it. Such a regular item… could it really be used to kill?

"Do it, Seymour." Whispered Averus determinedly, clutching his wrist. Seymour held his hand and placed the pillow over his face.

Seymour's heart pounded as the man stopped breathing. He looked down at him; was it so easy to take life away? He felt the strangest sensation as he pushed the pillow deeper. Such power… he knew it was wrong, but he felt something unlike anything he ever felt possible… the promise of power over another human being…

He noticed the body lay still. Cautiously he lifted the pillow to reveal two blank expressionless eyes. Crying slightly, he shut them.

The last Hero was dead.