Chapter 6 - Truths/Clouded Judgment

No one knew what to do next. The group had made camp for the night along the moonflow. Wakka tended to the fire while Kimarhi stood silently over Yuna as she sat and silently mourned Felix's death. It was valiant of him, sacrificing himself so they could escape. However, his death raised more questions about their second journey to Zanarkand.

Why was the Al Bhed attacking them? Did Felix know something he never told them? Why was Lulu crying?

So many questions were raised, but their answer still eluded Yuna's mind. However, the biggest question still on her mind was what the apparition of her father reaffirmed.

Is there any way to bring him back?

"Hey, Yuna," Wakka called her attention towards the fire, "You feel like eating anything?"

"No thanks," Yuna declined politely, "I'm not very hungry."

"Ya, I know how you feel," Wakka poked the cinders with a twig, "I didn't even like the guy, but geez, that was one of the noblest things anyone could have done."

Wakka continued to poke the fire as Rikku wandered slowly back into camp. The light from the flames illuminated her skin and it was evident she was crying. Had there been a connection between Felix and Rikku? He did use machina weapons and Rikku seemed to recognize him at the Mi'ihen shore. Perhaps they were an item? If so, Rikku was taking it extremely hard.

Yuna watched as her Al Bhed cousin sat down on the log next to Wakka and accepted some of his food. They whispered quietly while Yuna watched. Feeling guilty for trying to eavesdrop, the ex-summoner quietly stood and excused herself from the campsite. Kimarhi watched her, but she signaled with her walk that she wanted to be alone.

Striding down to the shoreline, Yuna pushed aside the foliage with her staff as the reflection from the moon illuminated the river. The pyreflies were dancing along the river, hovering in the air currents and floating down the river.

"Yuna, you should get your rest," Lulu's voice pierced the silence of the nighttime.

"Lulu?"

The black mage was kneeling a short distance away from Yuna, her black dress and hair hiding her in the darkness. She stood up and casted a small fire spell in the palm of her hand.

"Why are you out here?" Yuna asked.

"I was watching the pyreflies," Lulu explained, "They truly are magnificent, but only on dark nights such as this."

"You like the dark, don't you?"

"Not entirely," Lulu shook her head slightly, the glare in her eyes accentuated from the fire burning in her hand, "Still, it has its better qualities."

Lulu turned away from Yuna, dipping her hand into the river to extinguish the flame.

"Look," she pointed out to the pyreflies.

The balls of light danced along the river, bobbing and weaving over the plants protruding from the river.

"We're lucky we're at a shallow part of the river," Lulu explained, kneeling back down to touch a pyrefly that came close to her hands, "Where the shoopufs cross, it is very deep and they don't tend to gather there."

"Yes, I noticed that last time through here," Yuna knelt down and ran her hands over the light that Lulu contained.

"Chappu," Lulu began, "Never liked the pyreflies, said they were just lights created by nature to illuminate the darkness."

"I remember."

"No one ever has ever proven what the pyreflies are," the mage continued, "Still, I would like to think that they're what Yevon teaches they are. So I know, Chappu is out there at all times."

"Lulu..."

"Why did he have to die?" Lulu sobbed, which surprised Yuna.

"Lulu, Chappu did what he had to do," Yuna comforted her friend, "You remember what Luzzu said..."

"No, not Chappu," Lulu shook her head, "Felix..."

"Oh..."

"I mean," Lulu, continued to sob, "I had a dream, in the Djose temple."

Yuna wanted to interrupt, saying how they all knew of her nightmares, how it stung at her soul every night reliving possibly one of the worst times in her life.

"It was the same as all my other ones," Lulu continued to cry, the pyrefly she held so gently floating back into the stream with the others, "But it was different...he was there.... and it changed everything."

"Lulu.... I'm sorry..." Yuna brushed the black hair out of her face.

"It's okay," Lulu wiped the tears from her face, "It's funny actually, I've always tried to be the strong one, to keep you from having to go through the things I went through. And yet, here I am, dumping my emotions in your lap. I'm the one who should be sorry."

The ripples in the water began to move, as Lulu and Yuna stood back up. They turned to walk towards the riverbank when a loud splashing sound was followed by a figure bursting forth from the depths.

"Hey!" Felix's voice shouted, albeit a bit torn up, "Can I request some assistance!"

* * *

"Holy cow!" Wakka jumped up as Yuna and Lulu carried Felix's battered and broken body back into the camp, "I don't believe it!"

"Felix!" Rikku added, running to where Lulu was propping him against a log, "Is he okay?"

"I don't know," Yuna shook her head, "We need to heal him though; before it gets worse."

"Can you heal him, Yunie?" Rikku asked, looking at Felix's charred body lying there.

"I will try."

Yuna knelt down and placed her hand on his forehead. She started channeling the healing powers of nature in order to heal his wounds. Her palm rested on his forehead as she began casting the healing spell. After a few moments, the spell started to take its effect and the wounds covering Felix's body started to subside.

"I don't understand it," Lulu spoke, sitting across the campfire from where they were gathered, "How could he have survived that explosion?"

"Perhaps he is unsent," Kimarhi offered an explanation quietly, "Like Sir Auron."

"I don't think so," Lulu shook her head, "His wounds look real enough."

"That should do it," Yuna announced, "He should rest for a while though."

"Way to go, Yuna," Rikku congratulated her.

"I'm a bit tired now," Yuna rubbed her forehead, "That took a lot out of me. His injuries must have been worse than we thought."

Felix started to stir, his eyes opening slowly.

"Ugh," he groaned, rubbing his back, "What happened?"

"Yuna saved your life, ya," Wakka informed him, "You should be grateful."

"Wakka!" Lulu cut him off, "Are you just a jerk out of instinct? If not for what he did, we'd all be dead."

"Oh, you're right," Wakka rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry, Lu."

"You should rest," Yuna tried to keep Felix from climbing to his feet, "You're injuries were very severe."

"I'll be fine," he sat on the log.

"If you're well enough to sit, you're well enough to talk," Lulu called him out, "I think you have a gracious amount of explaining to do."

"What do you mean?" Yuna turned to her friend.

"You gone and bumped your head?" Wakka asked.

"Our friend is not as he seems," Lulu explained, "He told me, in Kilika, that he was contracted to bring the summoner and her guardians to the moonflow. Perhaps, those Al Bhed that attacked were your contacts?"

"Felix, is this true?" Yuna demanded.

He looked at her, seeing the reflection from the fire in her eyes. He started to open his mouth then turned a cheek to her, looking off into the forest.

"So you was going to sell us out to the Al Bhed, huh?" Wakka jumped in his face, "Huh!"

He shoved Felix, to which Felix jumped to his feet, breathing heavily in Wakka's face.

"You know, ever since you showed up in Besaid, I been wanting to knock your damn lights out," Wakka reared back to throw a punch.

"Wakka, stop!" Rikku shouted, jumping between the two, "Don't hurt him. He didn't have a choice."

"Rikku?" Wakka stopped, "What you mean?"

"He didn't have a choice," Rikku repeated herself, a sob in her voice, "He was forced to do it. We both were."

* * *

"Wake up," Auron's stern voice pulled Tidus out of the darkness.

"Huh? What happened?" Tidus sat up and started looking around; he was lying on the seats inside the stadium.

"You blanked out in the hallway," Miki told him, her eyes showing concern as she watched him sit up and rub his head, "Are you okay?"

"He'll be fine," Auron smirked, "He's taken harder hits than that before."

"What do you mean, Auron," Tidus stood up as Auron walked down the row of seats, "What are you hiding from me?"

"I'm not hiding anything," Auron turned his head slightly, "You're hiding it from yourself."

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Just look," Auron's gloved hand reached up, pointing towards the sphere.

Tidus and Miki looked to where Auron was pointing and the sphere flashed bright as if it had been filled instantly. However, the water was different. There were images inside the great ball of oxygenated water, millions of images flashing brilliantly.

"Tidus, it's you," Miki pointed to the images, "In every one of them."

"What are they?" he wondered.

"Some would say memories," Auron spoke, "However, for you, they're more like dreams."

"Memories? Dreams?"

"Yes, of a life you've forgotten," Auron turned back around to face them, "It is your story in its entirety. Is any of this making sense?"

"Not really."

"Perhaps you should think harder," a little girl's voice spoke.

Tidus looked at Auron to see the little girl from the alley emerge from behind the old man.

"It's you!" Tidus pointed a finger at her, "What are you doing here?"

"Please, sir," the little girl bowed in the symbol of victory in Blitzball, "I'm so tired. I want to rest like the others. Please allow me."

"The others? What's she talking about, Auron!" Tidus yelled.

"You don't belong here, you're needed out there. That's why I'm here, to make sure you escape. It's beginning," Auron spoke, "Look at your friend."

Tidus turned around to see Miki take a step backwards. Her hands were becoming transparent as balls of light flowed from her body.

"Tidus!" Miki screamed, "What's happening to me?"

"Miki!" Tidus reached for her, but his hand passed right through hers.

"It's too late for her," Auron shook his head, somberly.

"Miki! No!"

"Tidus," Miki's voice returned to being cool, almost calm, "Auron's right, it's time."

"No, I won't let you go," Tidus reached for her again, his hands passing through her body still, "You're my girl and I won't let you go!"

"Always a showman," Miki laughed, "Your girl is waiting for you there," she pointed to the sphere, "Go to her."

Miki started to fade quicker as her lower half started to disappear into the balls of light.

"Good bye, Tidus," she smiled, a tear running down her almost completely transparent cheek. The tear fell from her seconds before Miki's face disappeared into the balls of light. The tear fell to the pavement, splattering onto Tidus's boot.

"Auron!" Tidus shouted, "What have you done?"

"The fayth is in dire trouble," Auron stood firm as Tidus pounded on his chest, "You must escape from here before it is too late."

"How?" Tidus sobbed, his pounding on Auron losing its strength under the weight of his emotions.

"Take my hand," the girl offered her tiny hand, "Only through me can you escape."

Tidus looked at Auron for a moment before reaching out for the girl. His hand touched hers and he felt a bright sensation run through his body, like the one he had felt in the alley. Around him, he could see the stadium start to disappear like Miki had. He screamed as the lights enveloped him.

* * *

"What do you mean, you were forced to?" Lulu asked.

Rikku and Felix sat side by side on the bench. Felix would not move, nor speak while Rikku sobbed in her hands.

"It happened.... almost two months ago..." Rikku cried, "...while we were rebuilding Home...when my father discovered some ancient books about Yevon in an ancient city. My brother, Milevan, became so engrossed in the studies, father tried to make him quit, but he wouldn't. He just kept studying."

"What were these books about?" Yuna asked.

"It was about a city," Rikku continued, "A city buried over a thousand years ago when Sin first appeared."

"Zanarkand?"

"No," Rikku shook her head, "Another city. A city of machina almost as brilliant as Zanarkand. There, the books claimed there was a fayth made almost as strong as the one in Zanarkand was. But, the book said the city was leveled by Sin before the fayth was finished."

"What does this have to do with us?" Wakka demanded.

"Let her finish, Wakka," Lulu glared evilly at him.

"Milevan, he became so obsessed with the city, he started making threats against Yevon. Father was furious and ordered him to stop. It was about a month ago when it happened. Milevan had convinced some others about his plan and they attacked us one night. Father and our family fought him, but Milevan used magic and other weapons from Yevon. We were overpowered and helpless."

"That's awful," Yuna gasped, "Rikku, we're so sorry."

"That's not all. Milevan then held father captured to make the other Al Bhed follow him. Eventually, everyone but father and myself were working him. I escaped to Bevelle where I found Felix..."

"I'll take it from here," Felix calmed her with a hand on her shoulder, "Milevan had followed us to Bevelle and his men overpowered us. He forced me to find Yuna and her guardians and take them to the moonflow where he would take you to the lost city. He was hoping to use you to finish the fayth and grant him ultimate power to destroy New Yevon."

"That monster!" Wakka pounded his fist.

"We must stop him," Lulu declared.

"I doubt you can," Felix stood up, "I couldn't."

A moment of silence circled the camp as they all set and pondered over the events that had just transpired.

"We should go to Zanarkand," Yuna spoke first, "Maybe...maybe we could find some clue to the lost city's location there."

"Good idea, ya," Wakka agreed.

"Then it's settled," Lulu stood and brushed her dress out straight, "We leave for Zanarkand in the morning. We'll follow the river until we reach Gagazet then hopefully Kimarhi can enlist his kinsman to help us cross the peaks."

"Kimarhi will try," the Ronso nodded.

"Stay on your guard," Lulu ordered to the guardians, "If its Yuna they want, then we'll probably have more fights on our hands before we get there. Felix, you need to rest."

"Hah," Felix laughed, "You sound more like a leader everyday."

"I'm just concerned for Yuna," Lulu glared at him.

"Whatever you say."