© Lexiter Jackson 2003
Tears of the Fayth
Chapter 8:
Tears of Blood
Well, I've finally made the eighth chapter. I'm really sorry to all the people who have been waiting for this – I didn't really mean for it to take so long, but I can't control life, unfortunately.
Right. Anyway. I've had a seriously crud few weeks – my dad's ill, I'm ill, and one of my mum's friends is dangerously ill. Yay. So sorry if I seem a little…iffy.
Warnings: Yaoi as always – I swear I will get round to actually doing the relationships *nodnodwinkwink* so watch this space…yeah, and an extra warning. I will be twisting the plot into unimaginable shapes over the next few chapters, but hopefully I'll be sticking to at least the outline of the game ie. What should happen does, one way or another.
Disclaimer: [insert standard disclaimer here] It's pretty obvious what is mine and what isn't. Jassu, Danny, St Anger and other related crap are MINE!!! Use and I'll sick St Anger on you.
Anyway, that's my blathering done. Read and review, and flame if you dare.
Oh yeah – just in case FF.Net decides not to allow italics again, here's the key.
/blah/ - Jassu or current POV thoughts
//blah// - St Anger
///blah/// - Others
*~blah~* - Dreaming
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
/Um.../
//Don't even ask.//
/Why?/
//Your stunt with the Maester? I need time to recover//
/Ah./
Jassu readied his sword, even as the others spread out to surround it. There was no question of going around it – the fact it was flanked by two Guados drove that point home.
'Jassu?' The quiet voice of Yuna reached him. Jassu looked across and shook his head.
'Rammas is out of action.' Seeing her blank face, Jassu explained. 'Rammas is the name he gave me.'
'Oh.' Yuna nodded.
'Enough talk! Now you will suffer the fate of traitors.' One of the Guado ground out. Suddenly darting towards Tidus, he brought a knife into the boy's face, making Tidus drop his sword and grab his torn cheek. The Guado was about to finish Tidus off when an enraged yell, coupled with a blitzball in a tender place distracted him.
'You little son-of-a-bitch!' Wakka screamed as the Guado curled up. 'How dare you attack a defenceless man, ya?' He pounded the Guado well past unconsiousness. Auron smiled, looking across at Jassu. Jassu met his eye, and grinned back.
Auron nodded, then brought his sword down on the head of the other Guado, splitting him in two.
'That just leaves the Wendigo.' Lulu remarked. Rikku grinned.
'Hey, I'm gonna mix! Keep the furball off me!' She yelled. Jassu came in behind the Wendigo as the Al Bhed crouched down, delving into her pack. Bringing his sword around in an arc, the huge Fiend didn't realise it was being attacked until Original Sin bit into its side. Jassu backed off, and Auron came in for another hit-and-run attack. Wakka finished curing Tidus, and infused his blitzball with Darkness, blinding the fiend for a while.
'Finished!' Rikku yelled, holding a grenade that glowed an ominous sullen red. 'Uh...I dunno what this is, but if I were you...' She pulled the pin, keeping her hand on the trigger as she prepared to throw it. 'Duck!' She yelled, lobbing it at the Wendigo and throwing herself on the floor. The rest copied her actions as the grenade hit the ground by the Wendigo's feet and...did nothing. Rikku raised her head hesitantly, frowning.
'I set the fuse...' She muttered. Suddenly a high-pitched sound emitted from the grenade, and then it imploded. The implosion soon turned into an explosion, the force feeding on its own energy. The shock flattened everyone to the ground, including the Wendigo.
The group all got to their feet, and the Wendigo groggily blinked at them. Then it shook its' head, roared, and slammed a fist into Auron. Auron fell with the weight of a stone, knocked out by the blow.
'Shit...' Jassu growled. St Anger was still resting, so that option was out of the question. 'You asshole!' Jassu roared. He suddenly realised he was moving faster as he ran towards the Wendigo. He jumped, landing on the Wendigo's shoulders. The Wendigo roared, flailing as he tried to get the irate Jassu off.
Jassu pulled the sword up, then plunged it into the neck of the fiend, crunching through bone. The body under him stiffened, then jerked as nerves were severed. The dead fiend fell to the ice with a crash, and Jassu pulled the sword out.
'Well, that was...' He was interrupted by an ominous creak. He looked down at the ice as it increased in volume. 'Oh...'
The ice, already weakened by Rikku's grenade, finally gave up and caved in, taking the body of the Wendigo and the rest of the group with it. Jassu grimly held on to Original Sin and crouched down on the Wendigo's body as the ground rose up to meet them. Then he was hit by a block of falling ice, and the world went black.
*~d-r-e-a-m-i-n-g~*
'There's only so much that books and men can teach you.' A voice from his past murmered to him as they walked along a path under a waterfall.
He nodded in agreement. 'I know, my Lord. There's already so much I've learnt in...well, a couple of weeks!'
Braska laughed. 'And you'll learn more yet, little one.'
He blushed. 'Why do you call me that, my Lord?'
'Because you have the innocence of a child, Jassu.' Braska sighed. 'Perhaps if we could see things through the eyes of children, this world would be free of hate.'
He nodded again. 'Heh, I don't think I've got the innocence of a child.'
An arm was flung around his shoulders. 'Aw, I dunno about that, Jas. You seem pretty young t' me.'
He smiled. 'Yeah, gramps.'
'Hey!' Jecht mock punched him. A short scuffle erupted, ending up with the two of them covered in dust and laughing.
'Jassu! Jecht! What are you doing?' The tones of a young Auron echoed to the two. He smiled, trudging back down the path towards an openly laughing Braska and an Auron who was trying not to smile.
'Aw, loosen up, Auron.' He grinned, surruptiously brushing the dust off. Auron shook his head, chuckling slightly.
'Still so much to learn, little one.' Braska smiled, looking him in the eye. 'How's your eye now?'
He sighed. 'I'll never see out of it again, but it doesn't hurt too badly now.'
*~g-n-i-m-a-e-r-d~*
Jassu slowly came round, his head pounding with pain. He groaned, raising a hand to his head and pulling it away covered in blood.
/Oh great./ Was his first muzzy thought. Everything waved in and out of focus. Far above him he could see the hole in the ice where they'd fallen through. It was dark up there; he must have been out for a few hours at least.
Jassu heard movement near him; he clenched his fist and realised he still had Original Sin in his hand.
'Hello?'
A small green blurry shape suddenly appeared over him. 'Found him! Aurey, found Jassu!'
A grunt echoed the Jassite's cry, and a bigger red blur leaned over him.
'Aurey indeed...Jassu, you alright?'
Jassu tried to sit, but fell back with a groan of pain. Now his body was coming back to life, he could pinpoint several places of intense pain. He tried to tell this to Auron, but when he opened his mouth no sound came out.
'No, shit.' Auron swore. Jassu was pinned from the chest down by a large block of ice. He was very pale, and blood flecked his mouth and chin. And by the way the ice was stained, Jassu had bled fairly heavily. His eye blinked slowly up at Auron, but it was obvious that there was not a lot there. Jassu opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out except for more blood.
Auron swore fluently, then called Yuna over. 'Yuna, we have a slight problem.' Auron pointed at Jassu, and Yuna gasped. 'He was right in the centre when that ice came down.'
Yuna nodded. 'We need to get that block of ice off him.'
'TIDUS! WAKKA! KIMAHRI!' The three guardians ran to Auron's side. 'We need to move this.'
Tidus gaped at the size of the block. 'How the hell we going to move that?'
'Carefully.' Was Auron's unhelpful answer as he removed his sword and robe. He stopped and fixed the others with a glare. 'Move. His life may depend on a certain speed.'
Kimahri moved to the other side with Wakka, and Tidus joined Auron.
'On three. One, two, three!' The four strained as Lulu and Rikku came over. The block moved slightly, and Jassu groaned as the weight shifted. Danny was by his head, trilling and laying a paw on Jassu's cheek as he tried to comfort him.
'Again.' Auron grunted. Despite the cold, he was starting to sweat. Lulu broke in.
'Would it be better if I melted some of that block away?'
Auron looked at her, and Lulu could see the tears behind Auron's stoic expression. He was very, very scared. 'I could almost kiss you.' Was all he ground out, however. Lulu just smiled, moving closer. 'Just do it carefully.'
Lulu nodded, using only a Fire spell to melt most of the block away. Soon it was small enough for Auron to lift on his own, which he did.
Jassu was a mess. His legs were obviously broken, and there was almost nothing left of his chest. His hand still gripped Original Sin in a death grip, however, the blade miraculously unscathed.
Auron shook his head, tears building up in his eye. There was so much blood.
'This is gonna take more then a potion, ya?' Wakka stated very quietly. Yuna nodded, tears standing in her eyes as she looked over to Auron.
Auron knelt by Jassu's head, smoothing back his hair as Jassu's eye focused on his.
'I'm...gonna...'
'Don't even say it.' Auron shook his head. 'You're not. Not this time.' He wiped the blood off of Jassu's face with a shaking hand. 'Not ever.' He almost whispered, squeezing his eye shut against the sight.
'Auron...'
Auron looked down at Jassu, who managed to smile.
'Love ya.'
Jassu's eye slid shut, his face going lifeless. Auron blinked, then searched his face frantically for a sign of life.
There – just below Jassu's chin, a pulse, faint but still there. 'Yuna!'
Yuna knew what to do without being told. Auron moved out of the way as Yuna forced a Phoenix Down into the guardian, then cast Cura after Cura onto him until he could breathe properly, although it was still heavy and uneven. Yuna stood up, a little pale from casting so many spells in such a short time, and looked over to Auron.
'He's alright at the moment, but unless we get him to a healer...'
Auron only nodded before going to Jassu's side again.
'So...where are we going now?' Tidus asked, tearing his eyes from the inert Jassu and the guardian trying not to cry kneeling beside him.
'To Bevelle.' Wakka stated firmly, folding his arms. 'We's gotta ask for forgiveness, ya?'
'But he was bad!' Rikku cried, her eyes widening.
'Doesn't matter.' Was Wakka's reply. 'He was still a Maester.'
'How about we let Yuna choose?' Lulu smiled slightly as Wakka raised an eyebrow.
'So, Yunie?' Rikku smiled at her.
'I think...Bevelle. There is a Temple I need to visit, and Jassu...' She glanced back to the comatose guardian. Everyone nodded, not needing to know what she was going to say.
'Hey, do you hear that?' Wakka suddenly frowned.
Tidus looked around. 'No. I don't hear anything.'
'The Fayth has stopped singing.' Lulu nodded to the Macalania Temple suspended high above. Suddenly the ground started to shake.
///Where there's water, I'll find you...///
'Sin!' Wakka shouted, wrapping his arms around Tidus as chunks of ice started to fall from high above. Auron pulled Jassu to his chest, covering them with his robe and holding his sword in his hand. Suddenly everything merged together and then there was only black.
Somehow, through all the haze clouding his head, Jassu knew he was dying.
Voices from the past, voices that were so old he couldn't even remember who they belonged to faded in and out of his hearing, and shards of memory flew past him unheeded as he floated. Somewhere, he knew that he was in pain, but it was removed.
The fact that he was dying didn't really bother him as much as he thought it would, in another time. How long had he been here? He couldn't even remember when he came here; that was an eternity ago.
For some reason, the fact that he couldn't remember anything from the time before bothered him. He frowned. Shapes, names, faces appeared out of the fog, none of them making sense. A gentle face of a woman, one eye green and the other blue drifted through his mind.
One face in particular stirred strange feelings through him, most prominatly regret. It wasn't that great a face, really, he thought as he looked at it. Although it was exceptionally handsome in a rugged kind of way. Long, silver streaked black hair pulled out of a chiselled face by a hairband. A scar going through one ruined eye down to the throat, the other the colour of dried blood. Jassu frowned. There had been two, at one point. Hazel.
He reached out to touch the face. Auron. But who was Auron? Jassu knew that he was important, but the more he tried to grab the elusive piece of information, the more it slipped away from him.
He was dying, and he didn't even know who he was.
The thought made him start to chuckle, then to laugh, laugh so much it hurt. He was on his knees on the ground, tears pouring down his face as he sobbed. One hit the back of his hand, and it was the colour of blood.
'Still so much to learn, little one.'
He looked up, to see a man in a long blue robe smiling down at him. Jassu stood, wiping the tears from his face. He recognised the man in front of him, but like the other, he couldn't remember.
'You don't remember me.' The man said, smiling still.
'No.' His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't used it for a long time.
The other man raised his hands, lightly touching them to Jassu's temples. 'You will. You cannot come back yet, Jassu.' With that, he was gone, and Jassu was left alone.
He was dying. But he shouldn't be. Jassu held onto that thought like a lifeline as he drifted deeper into his mind.
Auron woke up with a grunt, and the first thing he noticed was that Jassu was nowhere around. The second was that where he was was hot and gritty. The third was that there was no other people around him.
/Where have you taken me now?/ He didn't expect any reply as he got to his feet, pulling the robe on and resheathing his sword.
//Ah. You've finally woken up.//
The thought caught Auron by surprise as he began to trudge through the sand. /What the hell...who the hell are you?/
//My, aren't we in a good mood? St Anger at your service.//
/What the hell are you doing in my head? I thought you could only be with Jassu. Unless.../ A cold fear suddenly gripped Auron's chest. /Unless he's...dead?/
//Oh no. He's far from dead. Don't worry about him, Auron.// For some reason, the Aeon's voice was gentle, as if he was trying to comfort Auron. //In essence, I'm still with him – I can't exist otherwise. Walk to the left, you'll meet with the boy and a fight.//
Auron obeyed, and sure enough, over a sand dune, he saw Tidus trying to dodge a Zu and drew his sword, running in and slashing at the bird's eye.
'Need a hand?' Lulu appeared with a Thundega. Auron smiled slightly.
Between the three of them they pulled the giant bird down. Auron took in a breath, letting it out and sheathing his sword as he looked around. There was sand, sand and more sand as far as he could see, under a blistering sun.
'Auron?' Tidus called him. 'Where's Jassu?'
Auron looked down, then at Tidus. 'I don't know.' Was all he said. He clamped down on the rising panic and fear that was situated somewhere in his stomach, leaving him feeling lost and empty. Hell, Jassu could even be dead now for all he knew.
Without looking back to see if the others were following him, Auron started up a sand dune, squinting against the glare of the sun. By the fact that it was nearly in the centre of the sky, Auron judged that they'd been out for at least twenty four hours.
/You'd better have kept him safe, Jecht./ Auron didn't know whether Jecht had heard him or not, but for some reason he felt better.
'Hey! Over here!'
A voice distracted him from his thoughts, and he looked down into a gully where Wakka was sheltering under a piece of discarded machina. Tidus shot past him and caught Wakka in a hug, burying his head into the taller man's shoulder.
Auron felt a lump rise in his throat, but he sat on it, keeping his face expressionless as he walked across to the two, Lulu right behind him.
'Any of you seen Rikku?' Wakka asked, not letting go of Tidus just yet. 'Or Kimahri?' His face fell as they all shook their heads. One look at Auron's face told him that Jassu or Yuna wasn't around either. 'And I guess nobody knows where we are either.'
'I do!' A chirpy voice called from the top of yet another sand dune. Rikku slid down the dune to the rest. 'But you can't tell anyone else where I'm gonna take you, okay? Nobody, Wakka.' She said sternly as Wakka grunted. 'I'm gonna take you to the Al Bhed Home.'
'What about Kimahri, Yuna and Jassu?' Lulu asked the Al Bhed.
'Kimahri's just over that rise.' Rikku said, pointing. 'Yuna is probably at Home, but Jassu...' She glanced at Auron. 'He's probably there too. C'mon!'
The group joined up with Kimahri again, and after various battles with fiends, the group topped a rise, Home in sight.
It was under attack.
Jassu slowly came to, his eye opening to a wooden roof. For some reason, everything was moving, or was that just his head? And why was he lying down?
He tried to sit up, but a bolt of agony jolted through his chest and he moaned, slumping back down. Suddenly everything came back to him – the fight with the Wendigo, Auron...
'Hey, you're awake.'
A quiet voice made him turn his head slightly, everything hurting as he moved. Yuna was leaning over him. There was a smudge of dirt on one cheek, and a cut above one eyebrow.
'How do you feel?'
Jassu opened his mouth, but when he tried to speak all that came out was a croak. Swallowing, he tried again.
'Like a ton of rock hit me.'
Yuna smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. 'That's what happened. Hold still.' She knelt beside him, and laid her hand on his chest. 'They've Silenced me and taken my items away, but at least I know how to bandage something.'
Jassu frowned. 'They?'
'The Guado.' She sighed. 'After Sin split us up, I was with you. I was trying to cure you when they suddenly appeared – a whole group of them. Seymour – or whatever he's become now he's Unsent – was with them.' Yuna looked down as she began to take off the bandages wrapped around Jassu's chest. 'I tried to fight them, I really did, but there were too many.'
Jassu gasped as Yuna finished taking off his bandages. He raised his head, trying to look at his chest, but Yuna pushed him back down. 'Wh-where are we going now?'
'Bevelle.' She frowned as she looked at Jassu's chest.
Jassu realised that Yuna had taken his jacket and tee-shirt off to bandage his chest. He also remembered something else. 'Where's Danny?'
At this, Yuna's eyes teared up. 'H-he tried to protect me...'
'He's not dead, is he?' Jassu said, closing his eye. Danny was much more then a pet to him – more like a friend.
'N-no.' Yuna turned and picked up a small, green bundle. 'But he's injured.'
Jassu stroked Danny as Yuna finished replacing his bandages. 'Sit me up.' He commanded, suddenly. Yuna shook her head.
'Not until I can heal you properly.' She stated. 'You bled a lot, and your legs and chest were crushed. By all rights you should be dead. You're still dying.'
That brought it home to Jassu. He lapsed into silence, gazing at the roof of the wagon they were travelling in. He wouldn't die, not now, not without saying goodbye to Auron first. Without knowing it, his fist clenched. And not without taking that asshole, Seymour, with him.
He must have drifted off after that, because suddenly the wagon was stopping. His vision was blurring, and he was numb as the back was opened. Yuna was pulled out, taking Danny with her. Then two Guados came in to get him.
'He's awake!'
'Leave him be!' That was Yuna. 'He's dying!'
'Bring him out.' Seymour. 'But be careful. That's an Aeon.'
He was lifted onto a stretcher, and carefully lowered out of the wagon. It was dark, so it must have been night. Everything was blurry, but he recognised the face of the Unsent Maester.
'Seymour...'
Seymour smiled at him as his vision suddenly sharpened. 'I told you you would serve me.'
'Never.' He gasped as he was picked up again. 'I'll die first.'
Seymour smiled, then laid a hand on one of Jassu's ruined legs. 'I doubt it.' Suddenly he squeezed, and Jassu's scream echoed through the huge white city.
Seymour, watching as the guardian passed out again, smiled coldly. 'Take him to the healers. Tell them I want him fully healed by the ceremony in two days time.' Then he turned to Yuna as Jassu was taken away. 'And you will marry me on that same day.' His smile widened to a grin. 'What a fitting gift to give to your new husband. An Aeon.'
Auron plunged his sword into another Guado and followed the others through to the Summoner's Sanctum. So far he had not seen Yuna or Jassu, and the knot of fear was getting larger at every empty room. Now, he searched the room frantically as the Summoners completed the Al Bheds' Sending, hardly noticing the pain lancing through him at the call of the Farplane.
'He's not here...' he ground out, pulling back into shadows away from the flickering fires.
'So where's Yuna, huh?' Wakka placed his hands on his hips, glancing around the wrecked room. He fixed Rikku with a glare.
'She must have been taken by the Guado.' Rikku looked down. Auron felt pity for the girl – the olnly home she had ever known was falling down around her. Literally.
'So what's the Al Bhed's excuse for kidnapping the Summoners then?' Wakka crossed his arms.
'Summoners shouldn't have to sacrifice themselves.' Rikku mumbled.
'What?' Tidus said, frowning.
'I said Summoners shouldn't have to die!' Rikku cried. 'You know what Yuna's going to do? She's going to Zanarkand...she's gonna get the Final Aeon, y' know? Then she gonna...then she's gonna...' Tears where falling down Rikku's face. 'She's gonna Summon it, and defeat Sin, but then she's gonna...'
'She's going to do what?' Tidus quietly asked.
'The Aeon'll kill her too! Yunie's gonna die!'
'Yuna's...going to die?' Tidus turned, and looked at Wakka. 'You knew this?'
Wakka slowly nodded, casting his eyes to the floor as Tidus grabbed his vest.
'Why didn't you try to stop her! Why! Isn't she like a sister to you?!'
Wakka took Tidus' hands into his own, pulling the crying teenager into his arms. 'It wasn't like we didn't try to, ya?'
'But...' Lulu spoke up. 'She wanted to do it.'
'Why didn't you tell me?' Tidus sobbed into Wakka's chest, Wakka smoothing down his hair and looking up at Lulu.
'It was...too hard to say.' Lulu sighed.
'But that's why we take the Summoners into custody.' Rikku said quietly, walking to Tidus and laying a hand on his shoulder. 'To stop them dying.'
Donna walked over, and her normally arrogant face was replaced with a resolution and a sadness. 'We have known that we will die at the end of this, but that is why we are here.'
'And we'll carry one using the Aeons, even if it means our lives!' Issaru cried, and Valefor roared his defiance as he shimmered into existance behind him.
'But...it shouldn't happen...' Tidus whispered. Auron closed his eye briefly, remembering Braska and his solid belief in what he had to do. He walked past the group to the door at the far end of the room.
'But it does.' He stated. 'Let's go.'
The group followed him out into a huge hanger beyond, in which an airship was waiting like a huge animal.
'Wow...' Wakka gaped as they walked up the steps to the doors. 'What is it?'
Rikku grinned. 'The biggest machina you'll ever see.' She said, opening the doors for them. 'Come on in!'
'Where's Yuna?!' Was Tidus' first question to the captain, Cid, when they walked into the bridge.
'What, you wanna find her just to send her to her death? Like everybody else? Huh.' Cid growled.
'No! I won't let her die!' Tidus slammed a fist into a wall. Cid looked at him appraisingly.
'You better keep that promise, boy...' He narrowed his eyes. 'Or I'll hunt you down.'
'No need to, gramps.' Tidus snorted. 'Just get moving already.'
'Already done.' Cid grinned as the airship shuddered, pulling free of her restraints as two huge doors opened above her.
Cid crowed with delight as the ship rose into the air. She sped a little ways away from the burning Home, then turned and stopped. Cid laid a hand on Brother's shoulder as he began to cry. 'Here we go.' He turned, and began to sing, the crew joining in as more began to cry. Auron blinked; they were singing the Prayer of the Fayth.
'What's happening?' Wakka asked quietly, although he had an idea when a targeting icon zeroed in on Home.
'They're gonna blow up Home...' Rikku whispered, tears starting to run down her face again. Wakka hugged her as missiles shot out of the airship, speeding towards Home.
'Ku!' Cid ordered as Home erupted into a ball of fire. Brother turned the ship around and threw it into overdrive, trying desperately to outrun the shockwave. For a moment they were almost caught in it, but then the airship picked up speed and altitude, rising above the shockwave and the glittering desert spread out beneath her.
Cid let out the breath he'd been holding, and turned to the rest. 'You might wanna get some sleep. It'll be a while before we'll find my niece.'
They all agreed whole-heartedly, and trudged to the crewman's quarters.
Auron sank onto his bed, little more then a strip of metal attached to the wall, and sighed. There was still no sign of Jassu, wherever he was, and St Anger hadn't spoken to him for a while. Auron knew it was useless to worry about something he couldn't do anything about, but that was what was hurting him the most. He glanced down at his calloused hands. 'I can't do anything...' Before he knew it, Auron felt tears running down his face. He shut his eye, finally submitting to the fear that Jassu may be dead.
Unbeknownst to the sobbing Auron, however, Jassu was very much alive, and none too happy with it. He was currently strapped down to a bed, his chest wrapped in bandages and his legs in splints as they were healed with the healers' curative magic. He was awake, and clear-headed. Danny was curled up on the chair beside him, fully healed from the knife-cut by the healers.
Jassu was now out of the danger zone, with the bandages around his chest just there as a precaution. At least Seymour had been intelligent enough to set out knew clothes identical to the last set that he'd ruined, but there was no sign of Original Sin. Presumably that was being kept somewhere well out of reach, along with his knives.
A nurse came in, smiling at him as she prepared to change that cressings on his legs. 'These are nearly healed, now.' She said, prodding them. Jassu grimaced and twitched as she hit tender spots. 'I don't know how you stayed alive as long as you did.' She frowned as she wrapped them up again. 'Anyone else and that would have killed you. There we go.' She smiled as another Curega did its job. She fixed the silent Jassu with a look. 'Is it true you're an Aeon?'
Jassu frowned. 'Maybe.'
'Well, you don't look like one. Did you know that you're a wedding present to Maester Seymour?'
Jassu growled for an answer.
'Thought you did. Between you and me,' she leant in conspiratously, 'he's an asshole. If you could find it in yourself to send him back where he belongs, we'll all be grateful.' She pulled away, gave his leg one last pat, and went out. Danny raised his head, stood, and carefully climbed onto Jassu's bed.
'Girl after your own heart, eh, Jas?'
Jassu blinked at the little Jassite as he scratched behind an ear. 'Hey, you weren't talking that good before.'
'Course not. I've been able to speak Spiran for years, Jas. Same as the rest of us. Can you imagine what would happen to us if everyone found out?' Danny gave a toothy smile that Jassu couldn't help but return.
'I've always thought that you were more intelligent then you looked.' Jassu chuckled. 'You're still cute.'
'Thanks.' Danny said dryly. 'Anyway, you're healed up now. I don't care what that bint said – although I agree with her opinion of Seymour – you can walk.'
'Uh...'
Whatever Jassu was going to say was interrupted by a cry that sent shivers down his spine. Voices were yelling outside, and he strained to hear them.
'Evrae! There's Evrae!'
'What's he chasing!'
'Looks like a giant machina!'
'Holy shi- there's people up there!'
'Wow! They're giving Evrae a run for his money!'
Jassu blinked as suddenly there was activity outside his door. Suddenly two Guado burst into his room, pulling him up and forcing him into his clothes.
'The Maesters say that you have to help Evrae.' A coldly familiar voice sounded from the doorway. Jassu turned to face Seymour, growling. 'Ah ah, Rammas. You're still all bandaged up. You do as you're told, nothing,' Seymour licked his lips and looked him up and down suggestively, 'bad, will happen to you or your friends.'
Jassu growled again, but slumped his shoulders. 'What do you want me to do.'
'I want you to use those pretty wings of yours to help Evrae see off these pests.' Seymour gestures with one hand, a monk scurrying forward and handing Original Sin back to him. As soon as Jassu closed his hand around the hilt, something uncurled in his mind. He walked out to the balcony – Danny had been right, he could walk - and the cold air stung his bare, bandaged chest.
The rage that had unfurled in the back of his mind spread its wings – and at the same time something changed. Suddenly he whirled to face Seymour, who was grinning viciously. He raised a hand.
'Kneel!' Seymour roared. Despite his efforts, Jassu found himself going down on one knee. /No no no no no.../
'Rise, Rammas, and destroy my enemies!'
Jassu stood, again against his will, blood tears of rage streaking down his face as his wings burst free. Leaping into the air, he pushed himself up to the airship above him. The bandages whirled off, and tears were still pouring down his face. /I'm being controlled.../
Evrae screamed at its foes, and Jassu closed his eye in grief as he suddenly saw who they were.
'Jassu!' One joyous voice rose above the rest, and Jassu opened his eye.
'Auron...' He moaned as he drifted closer. 'Please...' Jassu tried to fly away from the ship, but the same thing that had caused him to kneel to Seymour held him in place here, and he knew that though he may try to hold back, he would still kill the others. 'Please...'
'Join us!' Rikku called. 'There's still some left!' But Auron could see there was something wrong. Tears were streaming down Jassu's face as he seemed to struggle against something.
'Please...Auron...forgive me...' Jassu moaned, even as he brought Original Sin up and hovered beside Evrae. He cast a Curega on the huge serpent.
'Jassu!' Rikku screamed. 'What are you doing!'
Jassu closed his eye, trying to make this easier by pretending they were fiends. He felt the push telling him to attack, and he had no way of stopping it. 'Move!' He cried even as he dove down, an angel of Death as he aimed for Wakka. A sword met his own, and he met a furious Tidus. He dodged Tidus' attack, and went for him, only to have it parried. The tears came faster as he closed his eye, feeling Original Sin bite into flesh and Tidus' sword drop from his grip. Opening his eye, he saw Tidus at his feet, wounded but not badly so. He looked up at the rest of the group, pulling his wings back in as his sword tip rested on the deck of the ship. He faced Evrae.
'Go.'
The winged serpent screamed, then plunged down through the clouds. Then he turned and faced the group. Against his will, he started to walk towards them. 'Please, run...I can't stop it...'
The group stood their ground, however, moving to surround Jassu. He looked into Auron's face, and groaned, shutting his eye.
He tried to hold himself immobile as he felt a blitzball hit him from behind, but he whirled, letting loose a whirlwind attack that left Wakka bleeding on the ground. Lulu struck him with multiple Firas, to which Jassu answered with three Thundegas and an uppercut that laid her out. In one move he sheathed Original Sin, caught the fist that was flying to his jaw and twisted. Rikku screamed as her wrist broke, and was silenced by a punch to the jaw. Jassu's eye was unfocused, as if he had crept somewhere where nothing could touch him.
Kimahri tired to skewer him on the end of his lance, understanding the guardian's silent wish, but he found the spear ripped out off his huge hands and turned to face him. He looked down at Jassu's pale, tear-streaked face and nodded.
'NO!' Jassu cried, throwing the lance down at the Ronso's feet. A white-hot spear of pain burned through his chest, making him double over as Seymour's laughter echoed through his head. He stumbled forward, then straightened, looking up at Auron.
Auron held his sword ready as Jassu drew Original Sin and started walking over to him. His movements were slightly jerky as Jassu struggled with something that Auron couldn't see. 'Why are you doing this, Jassu?' Auron asked as Jassu came closer.
'Seymour.' Was all Jassu said. The name sent shivers of rage through Auron. 'Seymour is making me...'
'What the hell did he do to you?' It came out as an angry growl as the two began to circle.
'I...don't know.' Jassu answered. 'I can't hear St Anger anymore...'
'I know.' Auron nodded.
'Jassu felt himself bunch up for an attack. 'Auron!'
Auron narrowly avoided Original Sin, spinning away and waiting for the next swing. The air made a quiet, almost gentle ripping sound as Jassu swung again and again, each time meeting Auron's sword with a clang and a shower of sparks.
This was one fight he was going to lose, Auron knew. Even without Seymour – Yevon did he want to rip the Unsent Maester limb from stinking limb with his bare hands – backing up his moves, Jassu was basically a one man army, as he'd proved to Auron several times.
Auron ducked another swing, panting slightly for breath as he defended against another. Also, Jassu's stamina was matched by no-one.
'Auron! Stop being defnsive!' Jassu roared, anger fuelling his words. He was angry – angry at Seymour for controlling him, angry at himself for being controlled, and angry at Auron for not attacking. 'Kill me or I will have to kill you!'
Auron shook his head, barely wincing as Original Sin bit into his bare shoulder.
'I can't.'
'Damnit, Auron!' Jassu growled, even as he brought Original Sin screaming down towards Auron's head. Auron swung his sword up, pushing the immense blade away. 'Please!'
'No.' Auron smiled slightly, a plan forming in his head. It meant gambling everything he'd got, but that was what chance was all about.
'Jassu?'
Jassu looked up as the point of Auron's sword went down.
'Do you play poker?'
Jassu cried in despair as he thrust Original Sin into Auron's chest, the tip emerging through his back. Auron sagged as his blade fell out of his hand, the sound of it hitting the deck ringing through the air.
'I love you.'
Auron fell forward onto the deck. Jassu raised his arms, screaming at the uncaring sky, the blood from the sword's blade running down his arm. He lowered his arms as Kimahri approached.
'Go. Kimahri take care of rest.' The Ronso looked up at an unmoving Jassu.
Jassu shivered, looking down at Kimahri with a face devoid of all emotion, his eye a cold, dead grey. Suddenly running off the deck, Jassu plummeted through the bitingly cold air until whatever Seymour was using to control him opened the wings from his back and flew him to the same balcony that he'd started off from. He landed gently, dripping blood onto the floor.
'Well done.' Seymour's voice broke through to Jassu. He looked up and fixed Seymour with a dead gaze.
'All are out of action as you commanded, my Lord. Auron is dead.' Funny, that hadn't hurt when he'd said it. Seymour smiled, despite the fact that Jassu cleaned the rest of the blood of Original Sin and resheathed it.
'Good.' Seymour shivered slightly as the dead gaze rested on him again. 'Be so good as to clean up, then fetch Lady Yuna for the wedding.'
'Yes, my Lord.' Jassu moved past him, walking through to the bathroom leading off the room.
Jassu looked into the mirror above the sink as he washed the blood and the tears off, taking in the cold grey stare looking back at him. He cocked his head slightly. His eye hadn't been that colour, once. He'd been happy then as well – he'd had something to live for. But that was all gone, now. Dead along with the robed monk in his dreams. All that mattered now was serving Seymour. Why bother fighting it anymore? There was nothing to live for.
Nothing.
So why did he feel like he was betraying someone?