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 song, "Check it Out" was written and performed by John Mellencamp.
When they returned to the airship that afternoon, Mercy sought out Rin in one of his usual haunts. "How may I be of assistance?" he greeted her.
"I believe we can assist each other, Master Rin," Mercy answered, trying to project complete calm and utter confidence, although she was a little shaky on both at the moment. She knew she couldn't let the merchant know how important this deal was to her, or he would take way too much advantage of the situation.
"I certainly hope so, Lady Mercy," he replied.
Mercy figured that she needed all the help she could get with Rin, so she decided not to forgo the title as she usually did. "I have a business proposition for you, sir."
"I am, as they say, all ears." And he was, too, she could tell. She had a strong feeling that Rin's primary motivation in life was business.
"I noticed that you made a sphere recording of my impromptu musical 'practice session', without my permission," Mercy began, easing around to the point of the whole discussion.
"You have a beautiful voice, Lady, and the music is unusual. You are yourself an…interesting person. I do not believe that anyone in Spira was aware that Sir Auron had married. Any one of those reasons would make the spheres quite popular. Taken together, well…" Rin spread his hands, indicating wordlessly that he expected to do quite well out of the deal.
"I plan on doing more concerts aboard ship, and recording some private practice sessions as well. Would you also like to distribute spheres of those, Master Rin?" Mercy asked, her tone indicating that she already knew the answer.
"Yes, I would, Lady Mercy," the merchant admitted easily. He would save his energy for their discussion of the terms, now that he understood what the terms of her proposition were likely to be.
"Good. Then these are my terms. You may record any public performances, and distribute the spheres. I will make spheres of my private practice sessions, and deliver them to you for safekeeping. You will not distribute the practice session spheres until I either give you permission or in the event of my death or disappearance. Now, as there would be no spheres without my performance…I think that the proceeds from the sale of the spheres should go ninety percent to me, or my heirs, and ten percent to you as my, shall we say, agent? Do you agree?" She tried to make it sound as if he couldn't possibly disagree with her conclusions.
"Lady, you drive a hard bargain. I believe that I can agree to all of your terms, except for the sharing of the proceeds. I think that ten percent is much too small. There will be considerable distribution and promotional costs, not to mention the time and effort my Agents and Agencies must expend in shipping and handling. Spheres are quite fragile, you know," he answered reasonably.
After a great deal of haggling, they settled on a sixty/forty split, sixty for Mercy or her heirs, forty for Rin, and had it all drawn up in a contract. Mercy named the entire party as her heirs, even including Lulu, knowing as she signed the document too much of how it would turn out in the end.
-
They returned to Zanarkand, to take the first step in determining if Lulu's earlier surmise at the submerged temple had been correct. Yuna had decided it was time to get Seymour's aeon, and that they had recovered from the sorrow they had found there the first time. The second trip was anti-climactic. Without Yunalesca, the old stadium had lost much of its power. It was still filled with fearsome fiends, and untold numbers of pyreflies, but ghostly images no longer stalked its halls. Their predecessors now only walked in their memories, not by their sides. One final puzzle awaited them in the Chamber of Trials; they solved it with ease, then returned to the airship for the journey to the watery temple on Baaj Island.
The map had indicated that there was a weapon to be found in Baaj, and in the former front portico of the submerged temple Tidus' prize mirror led them to it. The weapon turned out to be an Onion Knight moogle doll, clearly intended for the black mage in their party. In the Cloister of Trials of Baaj Temple, they found that all the statues were now activated, and that the door to the fayth was open. Mercy looked at the open portal and spoke directly to the mage, saying, "It looks like you were right on the money, Lulu."
Lulu stared, momentarily taken aback. She had been rethinking that conversation at the Thunder Plains Travel Agency for several days, and had wondered if she had given in too easily. She had thought that the 'truce' the swordswoman had mentioned hadn't really meant anything beyond a temporary cessation of hostilities, entered into in a state of exhaustion on both their parts. But now, hearing the older woman acknowledge publicly that she, Lulu, had been the one to see the correct answer to this puzzle, made her wonder if perhaps Mercy hadn't meant every word she had said that day. And that maybe, after all, her advice might be worth thinking about…at least a little bit. The black mage nodded to the older woman, accepting her acknowledgement, and showing just a tiny amount of respect as well. If she can show that she knows her own limitations in public…maybe I can think a little about mine, at least in private, Lulu decided.
Inside the cloister, they discovered the identity of the aeon. All their accumulated guesswork proved correct, it was Seymour's aeon that was hidden in these water-drenched ruins. But they were shocked anew to realize that the fayth behind Anima, the aeon of pain, was Seymour's mother, the woman they had seen in Zanarkand. We should have known, Mercy thought, as her mind reeled. I should have known! I'm glad she will help us, but I wish I could ask her some questions. But I know I can't. Shiva, yes, I had the right, but not this one. And it may be for the best. If I asked her what I really want to know, she would probably change her mind about helping Yuna. What the hell was the woman thinking? He was a child! He hadn't had a chance to live his life yet. Did she expect him to go out and die? And what did she think was going to happen to such a strange, lonely boy who had suddenly been given all that power along with so much trauma and grief? What kind of drugs was she on to do that to her son? She looked over at Tidus. At least Jecht sent Auron back to try to fix some of the damage he had done. She just made hers a thousand times worse. How many would be alive today if she had just decided to die in peace! Is this what Sin does? Make all bad choices into worse ones? In sudden anguish she pressed her cheek against Auron's arm. If we had ever had a child, I would have tried to do better than that!
-
After they returned to the airship, Auron called for a conference to determine their next destination. He was having second thoughts about the worth of the so-called 'Celestial Weapons', or, to be more precise, the lengths to which they had to go to obtain them. He had found the entire business of praying at the qactuar stones to be somewhere between absurd and insane, even if his participation had consisted entirely of standing around and watching while others made obeisance to the stones. And waiting around while Tidus raced chocobos all day had been bad enough, but having to stand by while little Rikku had dodged butterflies, risking her neck if she accidentally touched the wrong colored one, had been more than he was willing to stomach, at least without some at least some reassurance that the rewards would prove valuable enough to justify the time and effort being spent.
As soon as they had all gathered, Auron began by challenging both Tidus and Kimahri, "You each have one of these 'Celestial Weapons'. What makes them so extraordinary?"
Tidus was the first to answer, which surprised no one. "Besides the vision, you mean?" Auron growled in impatience. "All right, all right. Just checking," the younger man continued cheekily. "Besides, I know what you're asking, old man. You want to know if they're worth the trouble." Auron's right hand formed into a fist. Tidus was trying his patience.
Kimahri's voice rumbled into the tense discussion. "Kimahri use Spirit Lance in Zanarkand. Spirit Lance hit harder than Kimahri's best spear, hurt fiends much more. Spirit Lance is lighter than other spears, but stronger. Kimahri hit back faster, more often with this spear. Kimahri has never had spear so light, but so strong, with edge so sharp. And Kimahri think weapons must be found. Kimahri think we have duty to other guardians." Then the Ronso stopped speaking as abruptly as he had started.
Tidus picked up the thread, more seriously now. "Yeah, I agree with Kimahri. I agree with everything he said. This sword…it's really something. Of all the swords I've used since I've been here, this one, well, it's like it was made for me, or something. Everything I do is just, better. I hit harder with it, and faster. And like Kimahri said, I'm able to counterstrike more often, too. Sometimes, it almost feels like I'm learning from it, which seems really weird. I can't even explain that part. But I think Kimahri's right; I think that Lady Yocun would want her sword used to bring the Calm, especially since we're trying to do this so Sin never comes back. It just seems like the right thing to do. So yeah, I think they're worth what we have to go through, even if some of it does seem a little crazy." He grinned at Auron, knowing the older man well enough to guess what was really bothering him.
Wakka surprised everyone by stating, "I think I know what one of the weapons is, and, whatever you decide about the rest, I'm still gonna go after it."
Lulu, shocked, stared at him. "Are you really sure what one of the weapons is?" she asked.
He returned her stare, for once looking at her as though she was the one who wasn't too bright. "Lu, of course I ain't sure. I just said that, didn't I? But I think that one of the weapons is Lord Ohalland's ball. They say that one of his guardians brought it back, after he beat Sin, ya?" He looked earnestly around at his companions. "It would be an honor to carry Lord Ohalland's ball when we meet Sin. You understand, don't you?" His sincerity and his resolve were written clearly on his face.
Yuna tapped her staff gently on the floor. The movement caught everyone's attention, and the entire company stared at her. "I think," she began softly, then she continued with more conviction in her voice, "that we must find and complete all the weapons. Not just because of the weapons themselves, but also because we are trying to bring the Eternal Calm. I don't know why, but I think that the map and the insignia and the weapons are appearing because it is their time, and it would be wrong if we neglected them. But," and here, her voice faltered again, "The visions they bring are heart-rending. I do not think that anyone else should have to go through the process twice. I would say that we should not return to Macalania to merge each weapon until we have all the parts for it. Besides," she turned to Auron, and smiled a little, "going back and forth to Macalania so often would be a 'waste of time'."
The corner of Auron's mouth lifted slightly in response, a half-smile of acknowledgement, and he nodded. "So be it," he replied to his summoner.
They finally mapped out a route that would accomplish their goals: visit the remaining aeons, capture more fiends for the arena, investigate the rest of the symbols on the map, and return to Belgemine in order for Yuna to acquire the Magus Sisters. Auron believed that by the time they had completed those tasks, they would be ready to face Omega. If he were correct, they would then face Sin, and Yu Yevon. If his confidence in their abilities proved misplaced, they could all discuss it on the Farplane, if Yuna lived long enough to send them. They decided initially to return to Bikanel first, to fulfill the sigil quest marked on the map, then go to Kilika, then Luca, and retrace their steps northward along the highroads until they reached Guadosalam, then board the airship again to use Gagazet and Yojimbo's Cavern as final tests before reaching the Calm Lands and the Arena and Remiem.
As the ship flew toward Bikanel Island, Mercy spent the evening in their cabin, trying to program a few more songs into the little machina. It was not going well. She decided to take a shower, before she threw the machine across the room in frustration. She thought it was ironic, that in Zanarkand, she had always intended that her music would be what she left behind her. Not children, like most women, but songs. Then, when Auron had come into her life, she had learned that of everything and everyone she had known and loved, or who had known her or known of her, only he and Tidus would go out into the 'real' world, and that Auron, for certain, was living on borrowed time. But she had grabbed her life those five years and wrung every second of joy out of it she could, and then, in the last moments, asked for another way, and it had been given, and here she was, trying again to make song-children, on her own borrowed time, and still wringing joy out of every second. Maybe not quite every second, she thought, glaring at the machina again.
In the shower, she wondered where Auron was, and then remembered that he was using the gymnasium to spar with Kimahri. The Ronso had discovered that he had a lot of spare time, since it was now rather awkward for him to keep watch outside Yuna's door every night. In her mental background, her brain was going over the machina again, and she had another idea about the programming. As soon as she got out of the shower, she slipped on her robe and went to sit cross-legged on the bed, trying it out. By the time Auron returned, she was just as frustrated as she had been before, hunched over the machine, a small tool clenched between her teeth, cursing softly and incoherently as she tinkered.
She was oblivious to his presence when the door opened, so he simply watched her work, leaning against the wall with an indulgent smile on his face at first, until the smile was replaced by an expression that was much more bittersweet, filled with sadness, as well as love. He understood why the music was so important to her. He had accepted, long ago, that a guardian's fate was to be forgotten. He believed that they would be together, in some form, on the Farplane. It was one of the few beliefs that he had left. She had told him, back in the ruins of Zanarkand, that she did not believe in the Farplane, she only believed in him. He loved her, but he thought her belief was misplaced. She thought the only continuance of her soul would be through her music, and he knew that she was trying to ensure that through the machina she was cursing at so vehemently at the moment.
She was still, and would always be, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. To him, the silver in her hair, the lines of laughter beside her eyes only added to her allure. He hoped that her robe served to keep the chill off her back, because it gaped open over her breasts as she bent over the machine, a view that had not lost any of its power to arouse him, not in the five years they had been together. He removed his coat and armor, making a significant amount of noise as he did. He was concerned that, if he startled her, she would swallow the tool she was chewing on. She finally looked up when he sat on the bed to remove his boots. "What is the matter with the machina?" he asked cautiously.
She sighed in frustration, and took the probe out of her mouth. "Daf used to make this look so easy. It's not. I wish he were here right now." She blinked away tears that she felt it was useless to let fall.
His hand caressed her cheek. There was nothing he could say that would make this pain any easier to bear. Gently, he took the machina out of her hands, and tucked it under the edge of the bed. She opened her mouth to protest, but he could tell it was going to be half-hearted. "It will still be there in the morning. Stop for now," he urged.
"It will still be a Zu in the morning," she muttered, as he gathered her into his arms, and stopped any further protests with kisses.
-
As planned, they stopped in Bikanel. The quest to gain the sigil seemed endless, but it was eventually accomplished. Mercy decided to pass on seeing the wonders of the desert after the first day, and spent the second day practically beating the little machina into submission, and making some private recordings, including some songs that she did not believe she could, or in some cases should, manage to sing in public. She didn't think Auron would ever forgive her if she sang 'Slow Hand' in public anywhere on Spira. She recorded 'Go Insane' as well. The song had only required one public performance, and that, it had already had. 'Moondance' was the most difficult one for her to sing. It had always been Dafydd's solo. When she sang it, she couldn't help but hear his voice in her mind, in her heart. As she laid down the track of the recording, she promised herself that she would try to sing it for an audience, one more time. She thought Daf would want it that way. Although she knew that Auron believed that their 'souls' would reach the Farplane, she had never shared his belief. And in any case, her music was the only legacy she felt certain of. In the tiny, locked cabin, she recorded a song she had written in acknowledgement of that belief.
A million young poetsScreamin´ out their words
Maybe someday
Those words will be heard
By future generations
Ridin´ on the highways that we built
Maybe they'll have a better understanding
Check it out
Hope they'll have a better understanding
I hope they do have a better understanding, she sighed to herself. But as long as they still sing our songs, Dafydd's and mine, it will be enough. Even if they no longer remember us, it will have to be enough. Then she sat down in the empty room, and cried for all the songs her brother would never sing again.
End Chapter Thirty-Five