Standard Disclaimer. I do not own FFX or the characters in it. They are owned by Square-Enix. I do own this story, and my original characters. "The Stuff that Dreams are Made of" was written and performed by Carly Simon. "The Last Worthless Evening" was written by Don Henley, John Corey and Stan Lynch and performed by Don Henley. The title of this chapter is from a song by Tears for Fears.
Isaaru was still in Bevelle, according to the ship's oscillo-finder device. Yuna and Kimahri located him easily, and he seemed willing enough to come with them to the airship. It was not that the sight of the Ronso towering over him intimidated him into compliance. Isaaru simply no longer cared enough about his own fate to be concerned about Yuna's request. In truth, he had found it difficult to be concerned about much of anything since his pilgrimage had ended. As he had sunk further and further into listless depression, Maroda had finally taken Pacce away, and left him completely alone. Yuna's visit was the first time he had stirred himself in several days.
But when Yuna led Isaaru into the room that the party had used for their earlier meeting, he discovered that he had, after all, some spark still left inside him, or at least, some instinct towards self-preservation. I believe I face a tribunal, and these are my judges, he thought. Am I to be punished for my deeds in the Via Purifico? It would be fitting. I challenged she who will be the next High Summoner. It is their right. But when Lady Yuna invited me here, she said that they merely wished to talk with me. I refuse to believe that Lady Yuna lied to me. That is not possible. As Yuna took her place at the table, Isaaru saw eight faces turned mostly towards him. On his left, Yuna sat with the young man who claimed to be from Zanarkand, Tidus, with the Ronso standing behind them. To his right, the black mage, Lulu, the blitzer, Wakka, and the Al Bhed, Rikku. Standing against the far wall, Sir Auron was half-turned towards the windows; surprisingly close to a dark-haired swordswoman whose presence caught him by surprise. Isaaru wondered if Yuna had acquired yet another guardian
"Lady Yuna, I do not understand why you have brought me here. Surely, you have already been to Zanarkand. What need have you for a failed summoner such as I?" Isaaru asked, despair choking his voice.
"Lord Isaaru," Yuna began, but he interrupted her. "I am only Isaaru now, Lady Summoner."
"Lord Isaaru," she continued, steel in her voice, "you can still summon, can you not?"
"Yes."
"Then, Lord Isaaru, we have invited you here because we do need your help," Yuna continued.
"But you have won our challenge. You have met Lady Yunalesca and received the Final Aeon. What possible assistance could I provide?" Isaaru's voice carried a note of self-pity.
"We received nothing from Yunalesca," Auron said through clenched teeth. "She had nothing to give but death." Isaaru's mouth opened in shock at the older guardian's blasphemy.
"We fought Yunalesca, and defeated her," Tidus explained.
Isaaru turned to Yuna. "Lady, please, tell me that this is not so!" he shouted.
"Isaaru, it is so. Lady Yunalesca is no more. She showed us her true face. She was a fiend. She tried…to kill us all. We did what was necessary. For Spira. You must listen to us. You must understand," she cried in return.
"Nooooo!" Isaaru wailed.
This boy is an idiot, Auron thought. And I have heard more than enough of this. "That is enough," his voice cut the air. "Do you want to know what happened to those summoners and their guardians who reached Zanarkand? Do you know what Yunalesca asked of every summoner who reached her? Do you know the choice you would have faced if you had met Yunalesca?" His voice rose in fury with each word, as Isaaru's head swiveled back and forth between the dark guardian and his young summoner.
Mercy heard her husband's anger and just knew he was going to keep on going. Damn it, man, the point is to get him on our side, not scare him to death! "Auron," she warned, her voice low, as she laid her hand on his arm.
Auron heard her, but he couldn't stop himself from continuing, "Yunalesca offered every summoner who reached her a choice. She asked them to choose which guardian they would sacrifice to become the fayth for the final summoning." He stared the younger man down. "Which of your brothers would you have chosen to become your fayth?"
Isaaru turned fully back to Yuna in horror. "Lady Yuna, is this…abomination…true?"
She bowed her head for a moment, then raised her face to meet his eyes, "Yes, it is true."
Isaaru blindly stumbled to the table, and fell awkwardly into a chair. His head dropped into his hands. "My brothers…I could not have done it. Not even for Spira."
"But once you knew the truth, Yunalesca would not allowed any of you to just…walk away." Auron's voice was still gruff, but calmer now.
"Oh, Yevon," Isaaru cried out in anguish.
"I know, man, it's tough to even think about, ya," Wakka said in empathy. I know what it's like to lose a brother, the big man thought. I might be lacking in the imagination department, like Lu says, but this, this I know.
Isaaru eventually recovered himself enough to ask, "Why? What was the purpose of it?"
Lulu was the one who answered. "At the core of Sin is an ancient summoner, Yu Yevon. Every time Sin was defeated with the Final Aeon, Yu Yevon used the Final Aeon to create a new Sin, and thus was Sin reborn." She needs to display her knowledge, even in this situation, Mercy realized. It's that important to her. I wonder…this may explain a few things.
Isaaru searched out Auron's face. "High Summoner Braska?" he asked.
"Jecht," Auron ground out harshly.
Isaaru looked around the room again, visibly counting. But Yuna has all the guardians I met before, plus the woman with Sir Auron. In light of what I have just learned, this makes no sense, he decided. "But, Lady Yuna, you seem to have more guardians than you did before. What happened in Zanarkand?"
Yuna replied, "I would not sacrifice any of my guardians for a false hope."
Auron continued, "That is why Lady Yunalesca attacked us. She refused to let so many of us leave with the knowledge of her great secret."
Tidus continued, "Besides, we think there is a way to destroy Sin, and Yu Yevon, without the Final Aeon. We have to try."
"And that is where you come in," Mercy went on.
"But who are you?" Isaaru was clearly bewildered.
"Lady Mercy is Sir Auron's wife," Yuna interjected. Isaaru had started to get up, but he collapsed back into the chair at that announcement.
Mercy ignored his reaction. I'm starting to get used to it, I suppose. "We believe we have a way to defeat Sin and Yu Yevon, but we are not certain. We won't know until we try, and then it will be too late. All your 'teachings' point to Yunalesca, and the Final Aeon. Now they lead to an empty ruin. I don't know if you believe what we've just told you, or not. I hope so, but frankly, it doesn't matter. We only ask that you keep an open mind, and most important, that you remember what we have said. If we fail, we beg you, please go to Zanarkand and see for yourself. Please promise us that you will do that much. It is all that we ask."
Auron listened to his wife, and examined his own behavior during the group's recent discussions, and came to an unfortunate conclusion. We are directing things too much, he decided. Both of us, he reflected. We must step back, and let them take charge. We should not…remain here…after Yu Yevon is defeated. This will be their world…soon. They must learn to manage it for themselves. He looked over at Mercy. And she is not going to like hearing this, I am certain, he thought dryly.
Isaaru felt a sense of purpose return to him, something he had not been aware of in what seemed like a very long time. He would have cheerfully agreed to anything just to keep that feeling alive in his heart. He met each of their eyes in turn, then replied, "I give you my word. If you fight Sin, and do not return, I will go in your place. But please tell me, what is your strategy?" he asked, smiling shyly.
So they eagerly gathered around the table to discuss timetables, methods and tactics for the better part of the afternoon.
After Isaaru left, they all agreed that it was time to head toward Tidus' submerged temple, a location Rikku identified as Baaj, to see if it was the location of Seymour's aeon. Besides, Tidus had a score to settle with the fiend that lived in the ruins. He was really looking forward to meeting it again, especially since he would have Wakka and Rikku to back him up this time.
"How long will it take us to reach this place?" Mercy asked Rikku.
"I dunno, I'll ask my dad," the girl replied.
"Let me come with you, I'd like to ask him something myself," Mercy said in response.
"Sure thing," Rikku chirped.
Auron shot her a questioning look, but Mercy pantomimed playing a keyboard, and he understood. It had something to do with her music. That was all he needed to know for the moment. We can talk later, he decided. We will most likely argue later, and I am glad of the excuse to postpone the inevitable, he admitted to himself.
On the way to the bridge, Mercy prompted Rikku, "Remember when we met, and I asked you about music machina?"
"Yeah, sure I do," the girl chirped.
"Well, is there a cargo hold or some place like that, where your dad keeps a lot of machina, or spare parts?" the older woman continued.
"Sure there is. But do you really think the music machina you're looking for might be mixed in with Pops' spares?"
"Maybe. Probably no one here would recognize one of the little beasts. Not the way that…" Mercy's voice choked, stopped. Dafydd.
Rikku saw the grief on the woman's face, didn't know what to do to cheer her. "You okay?" she asked quietly, patting Mercy on the shoulder awkwardly.
"I'm okay. I was just thinking about my brother, that's all. He used to love looking for old music machina that he could play with. He would be in raptures at the idea of going through your dad's 'spares'. And…we used to sing together." Mercy's voice caught. "I miss him."
In a quiet voice, Rikku said, "Would you tell me a little, about Zanarkand?"
Mercy made an effort to shake herself out of her dark mood. "I'll make you a deal. I know you said you'd help me search for my music machina. In return, I'll tell you all you want about Zanarkand. Deal?"
"You bet!" Rikku responded enthusiastically, as the doors to the bridge opened.
"Hey, Pops, when will we get to Baaj?" Rikku asked Cid.
"Tomorrow morning soon enough for you?" the captain boomed in reply.
"Sure, Pops," his daughter answered back.
"Cid, can I ask you for a favor?" Mercy cut in.
"And what might that be, little lady?" he replied, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"I understand you have a cargo hold with some spare machina and parts. I was wondering if I could take a look through it, see if I could find a music machina I need," Mercy responded.
"Music machina? Sure, no problem. Take what you want. Good luck makin' anything in that junk pile work," he hooted. He continued laughing to himself, thinking that the lady sure had her work cut out for her, just trying to even sort through that mess.
"Don't worry about me. If I can find what I'm looking for, I can make it work. Thanks, Cid." Mercy turned to Rikku. "You ready to help?"
"Ready and willing," the girl said eagerly.
"Then let's go," Mercy started towards the door, rubbing her hands together in anticipation of the search.
Rikku led her to down to one of the lower decks, into a dimly lit corridor lined with identical metallic doors. "I think it's five left, six right," Rikku said, as she began counting off the doorways. When the young girl counted off what she thought was the right number, she opened the door to discover…barrels of flour, rice, oats and other such foodstuffs. "Oopsie," the girl said sheepishly.
Mercy opened the door across from Rikku, and asked, "Do you think this is it?" not sounding certain whether she hoped the answer would be yes, or no.
Rikku turned and stood beside her. "Yep," she answered, chirpier now, "that's the one. I've been here before. This is definitely it."
"Oh, shit," Mercy said, on a somewhat theatrical sigh. "I guess a girl's gotta do, what a girl's gotta do. This is pretty awful. But we might as well get to it. How about we each take one side of the door, and work our way around, opposite directions? Maybe we can at least cover some of this 'junk pile' before dinner. You still up for this, Rikku?"
"Sure, Mercy. I'll stick with you. I promised," the girl said earnestly. "And don't worry, I remember everything you told me about what to look for."
Mercy sighed again. "I'm not worried about you. I'm worried about this," she waved her hand at the disorganized piles of scrap parts scattered around the small hold. "I'm just grateful that music machina were such a niche market, that the machines were always pretty distinctive. We'll know one when we see one, if it's not in too many pieces. That possibility does worry me, but there's nothing I can do about it. Let's just get started."
As they worked, Rikku peppered Mercy about life in the machina city for the first hour or so, until they both became too focused on the search to concentrate on conversation. Eventually, Mercy realized that her tunic was sticking to her back with a nasty combination of sweat and dirt, plus grease from the machina she was handling, so she stripped it off, and used it to wipe her face. The black sports bra she wore underneath was more than adequate coverage. Rikku's orange top was streaked with gray dirt and black grease. Neither woman was sure it could even be salvaged.
After about two and a half hours, Rikku felt like she was going to die of thirst. She went over to where Mercy was sifting through a huge box of parts and asked, "Hey, you want to take a break and get something to drink? I'm really thirsty."
Mercy unbent her back, and unconsciously started trying to massage the crick out of her spine as she spoke. "I think I'm on to something. I've found some spare bits that I'm pretty sure are part of a Yamatoya, and I really want to see if the rest of it's in this box. I'm okay, but why don't you go?" Mercy paused, "but if you could bring me back something, that'd be great."
"If you're sure," Rikku asked uncertainly, her desperate need for a break warring with her conscience.
"I'm sure," Mercy answered decisively. "You go. I'll be fine. Just bring me back a drink. Okay?"
"Okay!" Rikku replied happily. As she headed towards the door, the girl said, "I'm going to prop something under this door, to keep it from closing all the way, so I can tell which one it is when I come back."
"Makes sense to me," the swordswoman replied, her head already bent over the box again. "Don't worry about me. I'll see you in a bit."
Rikku skipped down the hall to the elevator, heading towards a cool drink and a few minutes of rest and relaxation.
Mercy was totally focused on the contents of the box in front of her. The wires she saw leading downward looked like they were still attached, and she was trying so hard not to get her hopes up as she removed the layers of parts above her goal. About half an hour after Rikku left, she finally hit pay dirt, more or less. She had found the guts of an old Yamatoya instrumentation/backup machine just like one of the more basic ones that Daf used to use. This meant two things to her: one, that she should be able to program it herself; and two, that the casing should hopefully be around here someplace. However, now that she had reached her goal, she realized that she had another problem; she was doubled over the edge of the box, her hands barely reached the machine, her feet were no longer touching the ground, and all the blood was rushing to her head. But she was afraid to bounce herself off the side of the box, for fear of jarring something loose, now that she had found her precious machina. She was stuck.
Auron had realized not long after the 'conference' with Isaaru had broken up, that he had never found out the reason for the emotional scene he had been a part of earlier with Mercy and Tidus. Just as they had released each other, Rikku had opened the door behind him to announce that Yuna and Kimahri were on their way back with Isaaru, and then Lulu had come clattering down the corridor, and there had been no opportunity since. So, he had spent the past three hours trying to locate Tidus, in increasing annoyance, but without success. The young man had always 'just left' whatever location he himself had just arrived in, and he had finally given up in disgust and gone in search of his wife. One of the ship's crew had directed him to this dark, lower-level corridor when he had inquired about 'cargo holds' and he looked at the line of identical metal doors and was certain he would have to open each one. He found two rooms of dry food storage, and one sealed room marked 'Property of Rin's Travel Agencies', before he turned the corner. His frustration mounted with each door that did not lead to his goal. Then he noticed light spilling into the corridor at floor level from the propped-open left-hand door, and he knew his search was over.
Auron stepped into the cluttered hold, and was greeted with the sight of his wife's heart-shaped ass poised over the edge of a crate. He stopped thinking about anything at all, except getting his hands on her, as quickly as possible. He stripped off his glove and shrugged out of his coat as he moved swiftly through the debris.
She knew it was him before he reached her, just from the sound of his boots and the rustle of his long coat. At first, she just thought he'd get her out, not realizing the tantalizing picture she presented. Then she felt his hands kneading her backside, and she heard the harsh rasp of his breath as he asked, "My lady, may I help you?" in a low, husky voice.
The sound of his voice, the touch of his fingers, made Mercy's temperature rise. She stretched out her hand, brushed it against his thigh, reached up a little higher, and found that he was already hard. She heard his breath hitch as she rubbed her hand against him teasingly for a few seconds.
"You could help me up," she eventually replied, fairly steadily she thought, for someone hanging upside down.
"I could throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here," he responded, his voice still low.
She could tell that he was seriously considering the idea. "Love, I'm going to pass out down here. Help me up while you think about it. 'kay?" She put her arms straight back behind her, in a gesture clearly meant for him to haul her out of the box. He did, pulling her back into his arms immediately and holding her close, her back against his chest. He kept her butt snugged tight against his groin, by splaying one his hands low on her abdomen, and wrapped his other arm around her upper chest, caressing the bare skin of her midriff, brushing his arm over her breasts. Her head lay back against his shoulder and he took advantage of her position to nuzzle her neck. She started making incoherent murmurs of pleasure, because she felt like even her bones were melting.
As soon as the room's spinning slowed a little, Mercy lifted her head, and he loosened his hold, so she could turn and face him. She wound her arms around his neck, and pulled his head down for a long, brain-fogging kiss. When they both came up for air, she finally asked, "What brought you here?" in a low, purring voice.
His mind was a blank. From his perspective, the sight of her butt perched on the edge of that box had been reason enough to look for her. He was cupping her ass in his hands, and debating between 'against the wall, fast, now' and 'in bed, in the cabin, slow, in ten minutes', and 'now' was winning. He vaguely remembered that there had been something else on his mind when he came down here, but it took him several seconds to wrench his brain around to rational thought. When it finally came back to him, he moved his hands up to her waist, as the expression on his face shifted. He leaned over, letting his forehead touch hers. "There is something that we need to discuss," he said, in a serious tone.
"Can't it wait?" she replied, pretending to pout.
"Probably not," he answered, shaking his head.
"Well, then…" she prompted him.
"This afternoon, with Isaaru…and yesterday…the last three days," his brain almost seized in shock. Has it only been three days? It feels like a lifetime, he realized"We have been…directing things too much," he stammered out.
"The last three days," she repeated. "What is this 'we'? You mean me, don't you?" she accused, sliding out of his arms and stepping back.
"No, I meant both of us," he denied hotly, shaking his head for emphasis.
"What were you doing before, then?" she spat back.
His expression turned wry, almost amused for a moment. "Tidus or Rikku would say I was 'grumping' from the back, most likely. I did not 'take charge' of anything, except in battle. Now that you are here, I have been…different," he told her.
"I think you're still saying it's my fault somehow," she replied, her voice still a little petulant. She heard the tone of her own voice and decided, I have to stop this. He's being serious, and I'm being childish.
"Maybe," he admitted. "Because you're here, I am not…hiding in the shadows. And you were right when you said that we both like to be in charge. I have been allowing myself to do that. And it has to stop."
"And you want me to stop, as well," she queried.
"Yes."
"And your explanation would be…" she demanded.
"They will become too dependent on us," he said gravely. "It is often easier to let others make the decisions. Especially now, when everything is in such a state of disarray."
"And they are all willing to trust you, because of what you told me earlier, the whole 'legendary guardian' business," she said, thinking out loud, but realizing when he flinched that the words had stung.
"And they will trust you, because you are my wife," he shot back, knowing that would sting her equally. He knew she would dislike a respect that was not properly earned as much as he did.
"Except for Lulu. I believe that ship has already sailed," she replied archly. Then Mercy had a sudden, brilliant flash of insight. But I think the whole 'trust' thing is part of Lulu's big issue with me. That must be it. I waltzed in here and I can say anything I want, come up with any wild theory, and everybody listens. I get instant respect, just because of Auron. She's lost her position as the alpha female, and she resents it double because she figures I didn't even earn it. And he didn't even give her a tumble. No wonder she's pissed.
Auron grimaced, acknowledging the accuracy of her strike. "Enough."
"But why does it matter who runs the show, as long as we get the job done? We would do it more efficiently, more effectively, if we took control," she stated.
"You are right," he acknowledged. "But we…should not remain here long…after the last battle. The unsent should not interfere with the living," he continued quietly. "The others, especially Yuna, must be able to manage for themselves after Yu Yevon is defeated. They will not learn if we do not let them."
"But you could stay, if they needed you?" Mercy probed.
"We could, but I think it would be wrong. It will be their world. We should leave them to it," he stated firmly.
"Auron…I…Tidus…when the dreamers finally rest, the dream will…end," she stuttered. "Tidus and I…we're part of the dream. I told him that I'd be okay, that Yuna could send me…but he'll just…vanish." Tears began to fall down her cheeks. "It won't be his world, after all." Daf…and Marko, I don't know what will happen to them.
He folded her gently into his arms again. "I will be with you. Yuna will send us both when the time comes." Poor Yuna. If she manages to bring the Eternal Calm, she will lose all she holds dear. Braska, I am sorry. I know you hoped for better for your daughter. I…I certainly did.
She stared up into his face, reached up to touch his cheek. "I'm still not sure about this Farplane of yours. You know that, don't you?" I am afraid, she thought. And I am tired of death. I feel alive. I want to feel everything I can, every, single second. Starting right now.
Sadly, he admitted, "Yes, my lady, I do."
"Auron," she murmured against his lips, as her arm slid around his neck, and she balanced on her toes, bringing her mouth near his, "do you know if they do this on the Farplane?" she whispered enticingly, as she brushed her mouth against his, and her tongue flicked against his lips. He growled as his mouth opened greedily over hers.
Rikku rushed down the corridor with Mercy's drink in her hand, muttering to herself in disbelief because she had been gone for so long and she was just sure that Mercy was going to be real mad at her for leaving her alone way too long with that awful mess. But when the door slid up, the unbelievable image that greeted the Al Bhed was one that she swore later was going to be burned into her retinas for the rest of her life. Mercy was with Auron, well, he was with her, no, it was really an open mouthed, full body kiss that looked like it was going to go on forever. She couldn't see where their hands were, and, she decided, she didn't want to know. She was sure she'd seen too much as it was. Rikku closed her eyes, tight. Nobody ever kissed me like that, she thought. If anybody ever did…Wow! That must really be something. No wonder she fell in love with him. If I'd known he could do that…NO…best not to even think about that. But someday, I want to feel like that about someone. She cracked open one eye, and saw that they were both watching her now, amusement lighting both their faces. Rikku was too embarrassed to look at Auron, so kept her eyes focused on Mercy's face, and didn't see that Auron was blushing as furiously as she herself was.
Rikku started talking fast, wanting to discuss anything except the scene she had just witnessed. "I'm sorry it took me so long. I had to go halfway around the ship, and I ran into some of the crew, and Buddy wanted to talk about some problem he's having with Brother, and the time just got away from me. I'm so sorry. I hope you're not mad at me," the girl added, imploringly.
"It's okay, Rikku. Don't worry about it. Just let me have that drink," Mercy answered, laughing. "Besides, I found the insides for one of the music machina I'm familiar with in that box over there, so I know we're on the right track. I'd probably forgive you anything, as long as you didn't crush my 'baby', now that I've found one."
Rikku was all enthusiasm. "You mean you really found one?"
"Yep. It's all the way at the bottom. Auron's going to have to get it out for us, though. My arms aren't long enough." Mercy turned to her husband. "Would you please do the honors?" she requested politely.
"Of course, my lady. Where is this creature?" he replied, with equal mock-formality. He quickly rescued the music machina from its temporary burial site, while Rikku located a much smaller box to use as a container until its own could be located or something more suitable could be contrived for it.
"Rikku, it's got to be past dinner time. I think I'm ready to take a break for the night. But I'd like to try to find the casing for that baby the next time we have some spare time aboard ship. I hope you'll still be willing to help?" Mercy asked the girl.
"Yeah, sure I would," Rikku replied eagerly. "I promised, after all. Besides, I need to make up for bailing out on you today, don't I?"
"I'm just glad to have your help. Not to mention your company," Mercy sighed in relief. "This would have been incredibly dull without you."
"Glad to help," the girl chirped, her face still fairly pink as she left.
Now that they were alone, Mercy turned back to Auron. "How about we continue this upstairs," she teased, as she slid her arms around his neck.
The ship dropped them beside the ruins of Baaj Temple in the morning. Whatever submerged this place did a pretty thorough job of it; Mercy thought, since there sure isn't a whole lot above the waterline now. I know that Tidus and Rikku said that the inside of the temple is still mostly watertight, but I wonder how long it will stay that way. I could tell that Tidus definitely enjoyed settling the score with the monster outside the temple, with Wakka's and Rikku's help, Mercy observed fondly. I was just as glad to sit this one out on dry land. What there is of it in this place, she thought sarcastically. At least they cleared the way for the rest of us. All it took was one quick swim, and then we were all inside. But, she wondered, now that we're here, what are we supposed to do?
Tidus had been right, there was definitely something here. The problem was, they couldn't figure out exactly what. There was a door at one end of the room, but they could not quite reach it. Lulu walked slowly from statue to statue, peering at the symbols behind each one, returning to the barred door to study the symbols that protected it. Finally, the mage solved the riddle. "This is the Cloister of Trials," she said at last. "This one room is the trial. The symbols behind the statues represent the temples. See, there is one for each temple, Besaid, Kilika, Djosé, Macalania, and Bevelle."
"So what's the last one for?" Tidus asked.
"These same symbols were on the points of the lift that descended to the chamber of the fayth in Zanarkand," Lulu continued. "Therefore, I believe the last statue must represent Zanarkand. We must go back. There is still something there that we must do, before Yuna can enter this Chamber." They all turned to Yuna, waiting for her to decide their next move, now that they were more certain that some fayth did reside in the chamber beyond.
Yuna stood silent for a few moments, considering. "I think we should go to the Calm Lands next, to the Arena…I don't think that we are ready to go back to Zanarkand…yet," she finished uncertainly.
"As you wish," Auron responded.
Mercy reflected on what she had just witnessed. Lulu was clearly the 'expert' in the group, the one who always had all the answers, the one everyone else looked up to. I'm sure of it now. It's my supposed 'status' she envies, a hell of a lot more than she's jealous about Auron. I imagine she was even a little miffed when Auron showed up, and suddenly he was the expert. She'd never admit that, not even to herself, I bet. Then I appeared, and she dropped another notch in the pecking order. I'm amazed she hasn't sent a Firaga up my nose long before now, since she doesn't dare touch him.
"Then let's get back to the ship, ya?" Wakka prompted.
"Yeah!" Tidus responded enthusiastically. "Let's go."
It was late afternoon when they returned to the ship. Mercy and Rikku headed back to the cargo hold with renewed energy, hopeful that the rest of the machina they were looking for would be in there, somewhere. It helped that Mercy now knew exactly which one to look for, and could give Rikku a specific description, based on the parts she had already located. They found the casing within an hour, and, working together with surgical precision, had the machine fixed in less than two hours. It sure helps a lot when you know what you were looking for, Mercy decided.
Rikku had been a little shy as they worked, not asking nearly as many questions as the day before. She was trying to work up her courage to ask something personal, and it took her a little time. As Mercy started to program the machine to test it, Rikku finally started working her way around to what she really wanted to know. "Uh, can I ask you something, well, personal?"
"You can ask." Mercy replied coolly, but then she smiled up at the girl, to let her know that she meant it kindly. "Don't worry, that's actually kind of a joke," she continued. "Tidus used to ask me personal stuff all the time. The day I met him, I think I answered three quarters of his questions with 'none of your business'. He would ask the same question over and over, in as many different ways as he could think of, just to see if he could trip me up. Of course, he was all of twelve at the time, so his attempts weren't very subtle." The expression on her face was very fond. Then she bent her head back to the control panel of the machina, and her fingers busied themselves with the programming.
"So, how did you meet Tidus, then?" Rikku asked, figuring it was a safe place to start.
"Auron introduced us. He used to spend Lastdays with Tidus, and he took me with him. We'd known each other about a sennight, then, so I was pretty nervous. I wondered what I would talk about with a kid, not knowing that Tidus would do all the talking. Still does." Mercy grinned.
"But how did you meet Auron?" Rikku blurted out.
Mercy closed up the control panel on the machina, wiped her hands together, stood up, and dusted herself off. "My brother and I were performing in a club in Zanarkand. Auron was walking on the street outside, and heard me singing, and came in." She paused and took a breath. "I don't know if this is going to work, but I think I just programmed this machina to do keyboard backup for the song I was singing that night, or at least I sure hope so. I'm a little rusty, and so is this machina, so this might not work too well, but if you're game, I'll try it."
Rikku perched on a crate. "I can't wait. I'm all ears."
Mercy flipped a couple of switches on the little machina, tried a couple of experimental prayers to whatever deities might possibly exist and watch over performers on Spira, took a deep breath, and waited for the opening bars of 'Desperado'. Her stomach did flip-flops as the machine began to play, but when her cue came; she closed her eyes, and sang from her soul, seeing in her mind the night in Zanarkand when Auron walked in, and her world changed.
Rikku closed her eyes, too, and let the words of the song wash over her. This is so beautiful, she thought. And the story is just so…romantic. I mean, Auron really is the Desperado, isn't he? After the song ended, Rikku was practically bouncing with enthusiasm. "Mercy, you should do concerts. On the airship, I mean. You sound so good. It would be so cool. Everyone would come. Would you, please? Think about it, I mean?"
"I'll think about it, Rikku. I was planning to make some recordings, at least. That's why I wanted the machina. I'm not sure about doing concerts; it's hard for me to think about performing without Dafydd. But I do miss it."
"Dafydd? Is he your brother?" Rikku inquired.
"Yes," Mercy replied sadly. "He's in the other Zanarkand."
Rikku was slightly abashed. "Oh. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's not your fault." Mercy patted Rikku on the shoulder. "I promise I'll think about it, okay?"
"Okay!" Rikku replied enthusiastically.
Later, Auron found Mercy in their cabin, sitting on their bed, her head bent over the machina. He automatically sat behind her, and began to massage the stiffness out of her back and shoulders. She leaned into his touch with a grateful sigh. "Does it work?" he asked, indicating the little machine.
"Oh, yes," she answered. "It works all right. It actually sounds pretty good. In fact, Rikku thinks I ought to give concerts." She tilted her head to look at his face. "What do you think?"
"I think you are still the woman I met in Zanarkand," he replied, as he trailed kisses along her neck. "The one who said that her soul needed the music."
"You know, I had just intended to make recordings. To leave something behind, in the hope that, when the Calm comes, someone might find them useful, but it's not enough." She sighed. "You're right. I still prefer to sing in front of an audience, even if it's just Rikku." Mercy paused. "I'd rather sing for you. If I give concerts, will you be there?"
"Always, my lady," he murmured, as he pulled her down onto the bed. As she wrapped her arms around him, she whispered, "Love, I need my music, but not as much as I need you."
In the morning, the airship returned them to the Calm Lands. Tidus decided to train another chocobo before they rode to the Arena. Auron muttered something under his breath to Mercy to the effect that, "We do not have time for this."
Mercy whispered back fiercely, "Let it go, Auron. You know he has no time but this."
Mercy turned to observe the byplay between Tidus and Yuna before the chocobo race began. What is going on with them, she wondered. They are very much in love with each other, that much is obvious. Auron told me they were lovers before I met everyone, but not since we've been on the airship, at least not from what I've heard. I hope Yuna isn't worried about what people will think, or something equally stupid, now that she's got a chance of surviving. Or is Lulu filling her head with some nonsense like that? I know Tidus hasn't told her that he won't be around after Yu Yevon is gone. Yuna has no idea that now is all they have. She thinks there's plenty of time. I wish there something I could say to make her see otherwise. What we are doing is dangerous! Any of us could fall along the way. Now is all any of us can count on. They can't…we can't afford to waste a second of it. She took Auron's hand for a moment, clasped it briefly, felt an answering squeeze, and let go. Their eyes met. She mouthed the words, "I love you," soundlessly to him. Surprised, he smiled back, and nodded.
Tidus lost the race with the chocobo trainer. Still, they rented enough of the friendly yellow birds to travel swiftly to the old arena on the eastern edge of the Calm Lands. The old man was glad to see them return, and almost ecstatic when they agreed to help him restock his training ground. But they almost all groaned when they heard they would have to buy his special weapons, it did sound rather like a scam to most of them. Wakka is the most trusting, Mercy thought. He is so sweet; he believes the best of everyone.
It took them three days to capture one of every kind of creature in the Calm Lands. Three long, wearying, footsore days hiking the length and breadth of the vast plain. Mercy was not totally sorry to have missed the original trip through the place, except for the time she had lost with Auron. It would have been worth it, just for that, she thought. But only for that, she decided, totally bored with the process as they captured yet another Flame Flan. The party returned to the airship every night, which was a luxury they certainly hadn't had on their earlier passage. The quarters they had occupied had now been permanently assigned to each of them, and had become repositories for spare weapons and extra possessions, so they had become rather like home to them, and had begun to take on the characters of their residents. According to rumor, Rikku's were cluttered, Yuna's, neat as a pin, and no one ever got past the door of Lulu's, since facing the door was a set of moogle dolls staring at any would-be intruder until they fled in terror. Mercy tried not to think about what Tidus' cabin must look like, since she had seen what his houseboat looked like after he moved out on his own. She didn't know Wakka well enough to guess, and she had no idea what Ronso housekeeping was like. She and Auron weren't exactly neat-freaks, either. Or rather, she suspected he had been when he'd been with the warrior-monks, mostly because she knew he hadn't had enough stuff not to be tidy, but she wasn't, and he'd adapted when they'd lived together.
Their task finally completed, they returned to the arena to collect their payment. The old man rewarded them with, among other things, a chest that they couldn't open. Except…when Tidus dropped his pack next to the chest, his pack started to vibrate. It seemed that the cloudy mirror that he had won at Remiem in that chocobo challenge reacted to the box. The mirror wouldn't open the box, but it hummed, just like it did when it came in contact with that crazy map he had picked up as a prize. They hoped that if they figured out what the mirror was for, they could translate the map, and open this box.
Tidus spoke up. "I have an idea. Let's go through Macalania Woods. It'll be a change after all this grassland, and we can pick up a new set of fiends. How about it?"
Mercy asked, "Could we visit the temple? I think it might be a good idea to speak with the fayth again. To see if they have anything else to say, now that we are decided upon our course." I want to thank her, Mercy admitted to herself. She caught Auron's eye. He nodded.
Yuna agreed, "I think that would be a good idea, to see if we are on the right track. We will go through Macalania."
At Macalania Temple, when Yuna went in to pray to the fayth, Tidus, Auron and Mercy accompanied her, surprising her a bit. Shiva's message was addressed to Tidus, rather than to Yuna, who was clearly puzzled by the fayth's words. Shiva said, "Should the dreaming end, you too will disappearFade into Spira's sea, Spira's sky. But do not weep, nor rise in anger. Even we were once human. That is why we must dream. Let us summon a sea in a new dream world. A new sea for you to swim."
Tidus wanted to shout; I don't want a sea in any new dream world! I like this one just fine. I want to stay, but he kept still. He didn't want to alarm Yuna.
Shiva then turned to Mercy, saying, "Do you value the gift that we have given?"
"I…I thought that I was the gift, Milady," Mercy stuttered.
"Child, do not fail us now, so near the end," the fayth chided her gently.
Mercy frowned as she thought, very hard for several heartbeats. Then she brushed her hand against Auron's arm, met his eye for a moment, and began to speak, slowly. "Every day is a gift, every hour we have together. From the first…to the last. And these days, here, now…I value them more than my life," she finished quietly.
"Then you have passed the final test. Child, you have done well. And you have fulfilled all our dreams for this…stubborn guardian. Now it is time for you to dream your own dreams."
"I know. And I thank you." Mercy bowed to the fayth.
Auron took Mercy's hand in his. "And I also thank you," he said gravely. "You gave me the greatest gift of all."
"Guardian, it seemed a fair exchange. We hope that you believe so as well."
"I believe that I have the best of the bargain," Auron replied, smiling down at his wife.
"Then we are content," Shiva answered him.
They returned to the airship in the evening. Mercy had spent much of her previous spare time aboard ship programming the machina, and testing it. So on this occasion, she packed up the little machine and told Auron, "I am going to find a place where I can practice. I hope you don't mind."
"No, go right ahead," he replied calmly. He had been expecting this for some time.
In less than fifteen minutes there was a knock on the cabin door. It was Tidus. "She's three levels up, all the way forwards. There's a crowd already, and it's growing fast," the younger man said.
"We'd better go," Auron answered, getting up and heading for the door.
"Right behind you, boss," Tidus was already talking to the empty air. Auron was halfway down the corridor.
By the time they reached the impromptu concert, Mercy was almost halfway through the songs she had programmed into the machina. Based on the enthusiastic applause at the end of each number, this audience wouldn't care if she repeated every song. Twice. When Auron entered the room, her eyes met his, and her face lit in a dazzling smile. Yes, he thought, this is exactly what she needed. I must thank Rikku. Later.
She sang to him, as she had so many times before:
It's the stuff that dreams are made of
It's the slow and steady fire
It's the stuff that dreams are made of
It's your heart and soul's desire
It's the stuff that dreams are made of
And for them, it was, and it always had been, and always would be.
She saw Rin, in the corner of the room, holding up a sphere. Aieee! He's making a recording. He winked at her, as though they were making a deal. She nodded back. I do have a deal for you, Master Rin. We will have to discuss it. Later.
She had been thinking a lot about Yuna and Tidus while she had been programming the machina, so she had included something she hoped that Tidus would both hear, and understand, even if Yuna did not. Her own 'Last Worthless Evening' had been five years ago, but her boy was spending way too many of them, here and now. She stared hard at Tidus as she sang:
I know you're still afraid to rush into anything
But there're just so many summers
And just so many springs
Then she let her gaze wander over the crowd, as she repeated the chorus:
And this is the last worthless evening
That you'll have to spend
Just gimme a chance to show you how
To love again
This is the last worthless evening
That you'll have to spend, baby
'cause I'll be there when your broken heart
Is on the mend
As she wrapped up the song, out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Wakka staring at Lulu, and just for a second, she saw a stricken look on his face that tore at her heart. Then she turned to Auron, and smiled, and closed, as always, with 'Seven Wonders'. The applause was thunderous in the small space.
End Chapter Thirty