DISCLAIMER: I do not own any locations, characters, or names associated with Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy X-2. I do, however, own this story J
Author's Notes: Okay everybody. I'm sure that you know what's going to happen in this chapter just by the title. Sin appears! This chapter's main focus is Yunalesca and Zaon. Also, the shows that Yunalesca flips through are based off of shows that are on now (Jerry Springer, The Simpsons, Will & Grace, & American Idol). I don't own those shows J
Below is chapter 19. Leave a review and let me know what you think J
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SILVER WINGS
by akksgurl
Chapter Nineteen: The Destruction of Zanarkand
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Yunalesca's eyes opened suddenly and she groped on the dark for the lamp. The sudden onset of light in the dark room woke her husband who was sleeping soundly beside her. The two had arrived at their hotel in Luca just hours before and had collapsed onto the bed in sheer exhaustion to sleep but something – a feeling of dread – woke Yunalesca. Zaon's sleepy question filled the room, "What's the matter?"
"Call Shuyin."
Zaon sat up suddenly, now seemingly completely awake, "Call him? Now?"
"Yes, now," Yunalesca replied, "Just call him. Humor me, Zaon."
Zaon shrugged, "I'm sure he's sleeping, Yuna." The look his wife gave him was a pleading one and Zaon felt compelled to call if only to calm this sudden fear in her. He reached for the hotel phone next to him and asked, "His home or his cell?"
"Try his cell. That way we'll get him no matter what." Zaon nodded and punched in Shuyin's number, "Put it on speaker…" his wife demanded.
Zaon nodded and pressed the speaker button. Three sharp rings sounded and were followed by the sound of someone picking up, but it wasn't who they thought it would be.
"I'm sorry, but the user you have dialed is out of service range. Please try again later."
"Out of service range?" repeated Yunalesca, "I thought that the cell phones were good for all over Zanarkand…"
"They are…" her husband replied as he dialed the number again.
"I'm sorry, but the user you have dialed is out of service range. Please try again later."
"I'll try his home number." Zaon said as he punched those numbers into the phone. It was followed by three…four…five sharp rings and then a click.
"Hi, this is Shuyin. I can't answer right now so leave me a message and I'll give you a call back when I can."
Yunalesca's brow knotted in concern and she leaned closer to her husband, "Should we try Lennie's cell?"
"But isn't she on the front line? It'd be out of range anyway." Zaon shrugged, "She probably left it at Shuyin's."
Yunalesca frowned and looked out the window just as the sun began to make its appearance over the crest of the horizon. The light glowed softly over Luca and Yunalesca would have smiled had the feeling of dread not been so poignant, "Oh, Zaon. I hope nothing's wrong."
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The Bevelle soldiers trudged through the snow that was falling sideways on the snowy slopes of Gagazet. Their bodies were chilled through and through for none of them had thought that they'd end up lost on the great mountain. The line of men followed their leader, Captain Durrn as he led them up yet another overpass, promising once again that this one would lead to the other side. The men were starting to lose hope in their leader and with shaking hands tried to hold onto their guns and knapsacks.
None of the men wanted to fight this war. None of them understood the need for it. Zanarkand was bigger, but Bevelle was more powerful and their alliance had worked for years and yet for some reason they were now told that war was the only option.
It made no sense.
A low cry echoed from ahead of them and word trickled to the back that the crest of Gagazet was ahead and soon they would be off the cursed mountain. The men, though frozen to the quick, let out celebratory cries and quickened their pace to reach the crest.
Inoreyo, hatenaku ebonju
The men paused and looked around. Captain Durrn shouted, "Who's singing that infernal song? You all know that the song is outlawed in Bevelle!"
Sekae tamae
"Whose doing it?!" Durrn screamed again as he forced all his men to stop in their trudging, "That is the song those Zanarkand dogs sing to make fun of Bevelle. I won't allow any of my men to sing it!"
Yume miyo, Inorigo
A light began to shine near Zanarkand and a cry went up through the soldiers, "'Tis a song from an otherworld!" screamed one near the front.
"An otherworld!"
A panic rose amongst the troops and Durrn saw the light behind him as well. The light formed into a giant ball of water and before he could see what happened after, he screamed, "Retreat!!"
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Yunalesca couldn't shake her bad feeling and crawled out of bed about an hour later. Zaon stirred next to her, "What is it?"
"I just can't sleep," she replied, "I'm going to watch the sphere."
Zaon tenderly grabbed her arm, "I'm sure everything is fine, Yuna. There's no need to worry."
"I hope you're right…" she whispered as she walked out into the living area and turned the sphere on. This particular hotel didn't have the cable channels that Yunalesca was used to. In fact, this particular hotel only had 5 stations.
Today on Lerry Sprinkler, aeons and the summoners who love them.
Yunalesca made a face and clicked on the remote again.
"Gart!"
"Don't have a fiend, man!"
Yunalesca laughed a little bit. 'The Tympsons' were really funny, but she'd already seen that episode.
We will return to 'Gill & Lace" after these messages.
"Stupid commercials," Yunalesca hissed to herself.
"What's wrong with commercials?" her husband asked jokingly as he stepped from the bedroom in his boxers to join her.
"I thought you were going to keep sleeping," she said.
"I can't knowing you're upset," he replied, "so I thought I'd keep you company."
Yunalesca smiled, "I'm just trying to find something to watch but I'm having no luck. There are only two more stations left," she said as she flipped to the next one.
Hi, I'm Nyan Moonflowcrest and I'm here to ask you the burning question. Who will be the next Luca Idol?!
"Oh now that is the burning question," Zaon said sarcastically as he rose, "Let's go back to sleep, honey. There's nothing on."
Yunalesca shook her head, "I still have one more station to try." She replied as she flipped the station. It was the news and she made a face, "Figures, I hate the news."
Zaon laughed, "Now let's just go to sleep," he said as he grabbed the remote from her hand and made to touch the power button when the sight on the sphere caught his attention.
"This is Lorni Isan of Spherechannel 23 with breaking news. I am live in Airship 23 above Zanarkand where a horrendous thing is happening. Bevelle soldiers announced today that while cresting Gagazet they heard a song and then a bright flash of light just before a monster appeared above Zanarkand."
Yunalesca gasped as she and Zaon crawled closer to the screen. The 'monster' was changing shapes between a large waterball and a huge piece of dirt.
"We're not sure what to make of this monster, but it appears to be ingesting Zanarkand as it passes over it, leaving behind only rubble in its wake. There also appear to be a huge number of fayth forming near the base of Gagazet in Zanarkand."
"What the…." Zaon whispered as his eyes watched the scene painted before them. This monster was indeed passing over Zanarkand and pulling houses and cars into itself before dropping them back on the ground in broken pieces.
"So far this monster has destroyed D-West and C-South and is slowly traveling toward B-North. With the trajectory it is traveling in, we estimate that it will leave most of A-East relatively unharmed structurally but no doubt kill any people still in that location. This is Lorni Isan and I'll keep you posted on this horrible story as it develops."
Yunalesca's hands were shaking as she reached for the remote her husband had dropped and turned the news off. Zaon looked at her, "They're dead…"
"That…that was…no, that can't be…"
Zaon squirmed closer to his wife, "You know what that thing is?!"
Her eyes connected with him and were rimmed with fear, "I thought it was a myth…" she whispered, "It's a final summoning called Sin and when a summoner calls a final summoning, they sacrifice themselves."
"Final summonings don't exist!"
"That's what I thought!" Yunalesca cried, "especially that one! It's volatile. Nobody can control it. It exists only to destroy and kill!"
Zaon stood suddenly and began pacing around the room, "Damnit, Yuna! Did your father call that thing?!"
"He said that he had a greater purpose for me…he must have called it."
"Then what the hell is his greater purpose?"
Yunalesca crossed her legs on the carpet, "The only way to defeat a final summoning is with another final summoning. A summoner must gain all the aeons that Spira has to offer and then summon the final aeon, but in return for that power the final aeon will kill the summoner."
"What?!" Zaon shrieked, "I won't let you die just to stop that thing!"
"I can't defeat it, Zaon." Yunalesca replied, "The aeon Yojimbo vanished and I didn't receive him. There's no way I can call the aeon without turning someone into an aeon."
"You can do that?" her husband asked, incredulously.
Yunalesca nodded, "All summoners can. It's a fail-safe just in case an aeon is stolen…like Yojimbo was." Her eyes locked with him, "There has to be a bond between chosen and summoner, for that is what the Final Summoning embodies."
"What sort of bond?" her husband asked.
"The bond between husband and wife, mother and child, or between friends. If that bond is strong enough then the summoner will gain the final aeon."
Zaon sat down next to his wife and ran a hand through her blond hair. Yunalesca looked into her husband's eyes and whispered, "I can't defeat Sin alone, Zaon. I need your help."
