Chapter XIV: Explanation

Maylina awoke in a mysterious bed. She was now in a room filled with oriental paintings and flowers of all different colors and species. It was obvious she was in a house, and a very nice one. She got up to survey her surroundings. There was one window that led out onto a balcony, and it had a view of a city that went on for miles. That was when she realized where she was. The city she was surveying was none other then Bevelle.

The last thing she remembered was passing out from Seymour's power in Luca. How did she get here, and where were her friends?

Then the door to the room opened, and Seymour came walking in with two drinks in each hand. Maylina came back into the opulent room with her arms crossed.

"Why the look of disgust? You should be celebrating the peace for Spira. Also, with your victory over the dead."

"I only came back, because you forced Yuna out of me," she replied to him irritably.

"I don't want anymore set backs. We head for Zanarkand tomorrow," he coldly said handing her the glass.

"If I refuse?" she asked defiantly.

"Then I'll have those bounty hunters just outside take care of your friends. You wouldn't want to resist anyway. Spira is falling apart as we speak at the hands of New Zanarkand. The sooner you get there the better."

"For you maybe," she retorted.

Seymour approached her more closely pushing the glass into her hands.

"Drink to your success summoner," he said with a devilish smile.

She took the drink finally, but once she took a sip she spat it right back at his face.

"Try and force me to do what you want. I would like to see you try for my friends will come for me," she angrily made a note of.

With his free hand he hit her hard across the face, with her falling to the ground holding where he slapped her.

"It is obvious you don't have complete control over Jyn. You're not as strong as you think. Pathetic," Maylina said with tears swelling in her eyes.

Seymour was going to strike her again when one of the Guado guards with Trevan came in.

"Lord Seymour, Bevelle is at the brink of falling apart. It seems the city is being over run by the cult followers."

"Puzzling how they are able to spread so fast," was the only reply from the long since dead Guado.

He continued, "Trevan, stay here. I want the guards to ready my ship as I go to make a few arrangements as we prepare to head for Zanarkand immediately. Watch Maylina, and don't let her go anywhere outside this room until I return."

"Yes, Lord Seymour," was the human's stoic response.

Seymour left the room taking both the Guado guards at the door. Now Maylina was alone with the young leader of Spira and his gun. She didn't want to try anything drastic, because even if she escaped she could be easily captured by the cult followers.

For several minutes there was only silence. Most, if any, sounds were coming from outside the window within the streets of the city. There was distant gunfire, but more or less just the screaming of men and women. A feeling of grief overcame Maylina. All these people were suffering so much, and all she wanted to do was to end it.

Then someone came into the room, a middle-aged human. Trevan turned to him, and seemed to know him.

"Sorren, what are you still doing here?" the young leader asked.

The man walked up to Trevan, and out of nowhere punched him. The young man obviously couldn't handle the blow, because he was no longer conscious. The man named Sorren picked up Trevan's gun, and finally acknowledged Maylina's presence by looking at her.

"We need to leave now lady summoner," were his first words.

"Who are you?"

"No time to explain. Your friends are in Bevelle as we speak, and are looking for you."

"We need to bring Trevan. I'll explain that later," she retorted as she picked herself up.

"You drive a hard bargain," he replied lightly.

He picked up the unconscious Trevan, and they both headed to the streets of Bevelle.

It felt like it was a dream. He lied there for what seemed like hours in a field of flowers with Pyreflies flying every where. Though Mason knew it was not a dream. It was like his body was separate from his spirit. He remembered when the pain took over him. That was when it felt like his mind and spirit were ripped away from his body, and someone took over. The after effects now left him with an aggravating headache.

He awoke slowly to find himself lying on the ground on a roof of an unknown building. Next to him he found his sister and Connie. They both had concern upon their faces.

"Are you alright Mason?" Marie asked as they both lifted him up.

"Yeah, I just have a splitting headache," he replied rubbing his head.

Then his pain intensified when he felt the slap of Connie's hand across his head, "You are so stupid Mason for going after her like that. Why did you do that?"

Turning to her and smiling he took her into his arms as he was glad more then anything else to see his friend.

"It's a long story, but you should know Maylina and I didn't come here of our own free will."

Tears falling down her face, the young Al-Bhed held onto him tightly.

"Renac and her brother have gone into town to find Maylina," his sister's voice finally drowned out Connie's sobbing.

"Where are we?" he asked as he coaxed Connie softly.

"This is the Palace of St. Bevelle, in the city of Bevelle. For now we need to get back to Cid's ship. This city is being over run with cult followers just like Luca," his sister replied sorrow filled.

All three began leaving the palace heading back to the ship in haste.

Renac and Cid ran through the streets of people running immense the chaos. It had taken them forever to find Seymour's place. Now they were only a couple of blocks away from it.

As they rounded the corner a crazed Guado came running into them screaming as they fell before their feet bleeding to death from a head injury. Cid bent over and quickly examined the site finding it to be a shot to the head as the object was only a bullet sized hole.

"That shot where it is located. It is unusual for a shot to kill someone. The markings around the wound, it's like there are veins from the skin being stressed forming. Or the bullet had some poison in it that spread through the blood stream. I have never seen such weaponry before," Cid tried to figure out.

From the crowd they saw Maylina running towards them with the man who kidnapped her in the first place, and he was holding another man over his shoulder.

"Renac, before you do anything, don't. He helped me escape and we have Trevan, leader of Spira with us."

Even though she warned Renac he still drew out his spear at Sorren, the bounty hunter.

"Well, since we've found you it's time we leave," Cid spoke breaking the eerie silence between them all.

"You all go. I need to go to the temple and pray to the Fayths. Don't even try to follow me, because I can do this myself. Now go," Maylina practically barked at them.

She turned from them, and headed back towards the temple of Bevelle. With no arguments the rest of them headed back to Cid's ship in no time.

They made it back to the ship with little trouble. There were few people that weren't Guado who tried to attack them, but were no match for the group of travelers. When they got back Marie and Connie had already found Mason, and were waiting for them.

Cid explained to them where Maylina was while he prepped the ship for flight. He maneuvered the ship slowly through the sky of the city, and headed towards the temple. Once they reached their destination Maylina, in an exotic dress of the color of magenta, was waiting. The dress was most likely put on her while she slept in Seymour's villa. The winds the ship created brushed her knee length blue hair, which was drawn down, all around. The ramp descended before her, and she climbed on board.

Once onboard went straight for the bridge without acknowledging any one who was in the cabin.

"So, where to next lady summoner?" Cid asked as they went back to the high skies.

"For now we should just stay to the skies," she replied calmly.

"Alright," he answered briskly.

Maylina went back to the cabin area to find Connie and Marie with a worn out Mason. Renac and Sorren were next to the unconscious Trevan.

"Are you alright my lady?" Sorren asked almost changed from the cold hearted mercenary from Besaid.

"Yes, thank you. The question is: why did you help me?"

"Simple, I don't agree with Seymour's ethics. Unlike my ex-partner, I have morals. The woman we did capture wasn't you so I didn't care. Then you changed, and I knew Seymour's plans were bad news. The next city you all stop at I will leave though. I did cause problems for you all, but…"

"You were doing your job, that is what you were paid for," Renac finished.

"How about if I paid you to stay, and be my guardian?" Maylina asked sweetly.

"Why?" he asked a bit stunned and puzzled.

"I have this feeling you need to be here with us on our journey."

"Well, for a profit I guess I'm in. Just pay me when this is all over."

"That's fine," she smiled to his acceptance.

"Oh, by the way, I know how this cult is able to spread so far and fast. It seems they are using a kind of nano-machina. Kind of odd since they don't believe in machina weapons. A few men came into a town with guns that when pointed at someone shoots out a bullet. When it pierces the skin nano, or cell-sized, machines invade the body, and they quickly spread to the brain. Within moments that person is another follower of the Zanarkand Light. Rumors surfaced that one great machina in New Zanarkand controls the machines and gives orders to them all. Of course it's impossible to get into the city," Sorren brought up.

"For right now, but we'll get inside somehow later," Maylina replied hopefully.

Marie walked up to Maylina with a question, "What happened to you and my brother?"

"It's hard to explain, but plainly speaking the dead possessed us. That can only happen when the person's spirit is weak, but now their gone. Yuna has disappeared entirely by some unknown power, and Tidus I have no idea as of yet."

"Yeah, well another spirit had my brother before he turned back. He said something about Tidus and his lover both missing, and that you were the only one that could save them," Marie revealed to the young the summoner.

"I don't know as of yet what that means, but I intend to discover the meaning," she ended quickly.

Maylina then left the cabin, and went to the engine room alone. She needed guidance on what to do, and only the dead had her answers.

That was when suddenly Pyreflies appeared out of nowhere. They converged on one place, and created a ghostly figure of a man. He looked almost exactly like Tidus. Not only did he look like Tidus, but Mason looked somewhat like him too and built just like him. That was the first time she noticed that.

He walked up to her, and even though he was only a spirit his hand was still able to give her a chilling sensation when he touched her.

The first words he said were, "You look just like her with your hair down like that."

He then embraced her, and she didn't understand why. While in his arms she felt comfort and warmth, but at the same time a dark hatred in her swelled up.

Maylina pulled away enough to give space between them.

"Who are you and who do I look like?" she asked with great curiosity.

"I am Shuyin. I do not speak of my love, but of someone else. That person is my sister, the one who cared me as I grew up. I'm surprised to find it to be so. Of course you felt a dark hatred swell within you for good reason. My sister and I did not end on good terms before my demise."

"Now I am confused. Why is it that I am surrounded by the dead? Why have you come here?" she asked in total confusion.

"You're a summoner and you have Guado blood. You have a keen sense of the Farplane and the dead. You need to discover the whereabouts of several long since dead summoners and guardians. I am here, because you need to find yourself and save Spira from the living and the dead. You need to make sure you stay focused on your journey. Please, do not fail and let Spira fall."

He looked down as he finished his words sadly, "Like I tried to do 300 years ago with Vegnagun."

Maylina smiled as she took to step to him, "It is okay. I have a feeling you were saved so do not worry."

He walked up to her, and embraced her one final time. To Maylina it seemed he felt close to her, because she reminded him of something that her mind just could not quite figure out.

From behind her she heard the door open and footsteps were heard. Maylina turned to find Mason limping in, and when she turned back to Shuyin he was gone.

Mason approached Maylina slowly while holding his side.

"Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

"Yes, but it's you that is hurt," she replied worryingly.

"Oh, it's only my arm. Held onto the ledge to long. I wanted to talk to you about us. It's kind of hard to explain this. I've never really…"

She cut him off briskly, "No need to explain. For one thing, we are not like Yuna and Tidus. My duties are to my temple and to the people before anything else. I serve the people of Spira. I gave an oath to the temple that I would be in no relationships, and only marry if it was a governmental marriage. That's why I am married to Seymour."

Maylina began putting hair up in a bun with the spare pins she had, and even though it was messy she still looked gorgeous.

"You're married to that freak?" Mason asked stunned.

"Of course, I thought you knew," she replied calmly.

"No, how could you even think of doing that?"

Maylina replied with an outrage within her voice, "My marriage was to unite the Guado, and brought an end to the war. I am High Priestess of Macalania. I have duties to serve. I don't have time for such foolish emotions. For I don't love Seymour, and I don't love you!"

With that she stormed back to the cabin of the ship leaving Mason in total shock. One half of him was relieved to hear she did not love Seymour, but his heart fell to pieces hearing her confessing no love for himself.

"How can she be like that?"

When Maylina returned to the cabin, Trevan was awake again. Renac brought him up to help get his balance back.

"Oh dear, my head hurts. Where am I?" he asked in confusion.

Marie spoke to him softly, "Lord Trevan, you're on board a ship above Bevelle. Are you alright?"

"Marie Rexx. Well, I guess it's good to see a familiar face. The last thing I remember was meeting the new leader of the Guado, and then I awoke with a headache here," he replied still rubbing his head.

Maylina walked up to join Marie to introduce herself, "I am High Priestess Maylina Guado, wife to Lord Seymour. It is a pleasure to finally meet the real you."

In a period of a few moments Maylina and Marie explained everything to Trevan.

Mason returned to the cabin with a gloomy look upon his face. When all was said, Trevan did not seem very happy.

"This threat from Zanarkand goes beyond the cult I'm afraid," he commented upon the situation.

To Continue…