Wow. I am extremely happy right now. I got...8 reviews to my story after last chapter! Of course, 1 was for chapter four, but still. I applaud all my reviewers, thank you! By the way, if anyone has read my other story, FF8: The Shadow Slayer, you may want to check out my Behind the Scenes story. It's what I like to call, the gag reel. Now, on to the replies!
Iron Reaver: Uh, are you forgetting Yuna? And, I will act...well...normally.
Radzilla: Yup, he got trashed. I never liked him anyway. As for how he got Valefor, let me explain. Yuna summoned Ifrit, which got defeated. That left only Valefor for her to summon. When Ben used Overdrive Reels and copied her Grand Summon, Valefor was the only available aeon. So, he summoned it.
beastboy-had-a-brain: Thank you. Ok, let me explain Ben's Overdrive Reels a little more in depth. Overdrive Reels is a finishing move that allows Ben to copy the Overdrive of anyone he has seen use an Overdrive, that he knows (i.e. his normal Renzokuken finishers), or any that he sees. The only ones he can't copy are aeon Overdrives, Jecht's Overdrive, and Sin's, as those would be physically impossible for a person to do. If you didn't catch it, and I'm assuming you did, Ben copied Yuna's Grand Summon first.
Aalazzerath: It's okay, I understand being busy. Well, read on then!
missmanga90: Two reviews...spiffy. Thanks for the compliment, first. Yes, I do watch some anime, mainly Yu-Gi-Oh! when I can.
fighter-chick: If you happen to read this, welcome to Destiny's Call, and thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it.
anbu713: Yes, I pride myself on plot twists, lol. That little guy doesn't know everything, but darn if he doesn't come close. That always annoyed me, so...he just didn't know this time.
Now, on to the chapter! This one is about twice as long as usual, with very little action, but the next chapter...will be full. So, bear with me here. I apologize in advance for any spelling errors, as well.
Chapter 15—Weakening Faith
"Hey! Over here!" Tidus yells to me, noticing me approaching the group once again.
"What's going on?" I ask.
"Rin said we can rent some of these chocobos, as a favor for saving them." Yuna replies, and I nod.
"Faster than walking." I say, walking back inside the shop, everyone following. As we get inside, we're met by the same attendant from before, and she smiles.
"Thank you so much for saving the chocobos!" she says, eyes shining.
"It was nothing. So, Rin said we can rent some, correct?" I ask her, smiling.
"Yes. You'll find them out in back. Good luck on your pilgrimage, Lady Yuna!" she says to Yuna, as we walk out the back way, to the chocobo corral.
"So...how do you ride these things?" I ask, a little confused, as I've never tried to ride anything like this before.
"It's simple. You just get on, and hold on tight to the reins. You use the reins to steer the chocobo." Wakka explains, climbing on.
"Huh. Sounds simple enough." I say to myself, climbing onto my own chocobo, everyone else either doing the same, or waiting for the rest of us. After everyone is mounted, Tidus speaks.
"So, where to now?" he asks, Yuna turning to face him.
"The end of the Highroad." she says, beginning to ride her chocobo down the path. Tidus and I just groan.
"You mean this thing hasn't ended yet!" he exclaims, and I just sigh, laughing softly.
"Come on." I say, following Yuna and the others' lead, who have already trotted off a small distance ahead.
Honestly, I am very, very glad we killed that Chocobo Eater. Because otherwise, we wouldn't be riding these chocobos, and making such good time. Chocobos are fast. A lot faster than anyone I've ever seen run. And I'm pretty fast myself, but these things make me look like a turtle. So, it's no surprise to me when after only 15 minutes of riding or so, we come to a large, wooden gate, blocking the path off from everyone. Dona and Barthello are standing in front, arguing with the guard in charge.
"How many times do I have to tell you! I'm a summoner!" she says, sounding very irritated with the guard. The guard simply shrugs.
"Sorry, ma'am. No exceptions." he says, with a tone of finality. Dona looks like she's about to scream, and I laugh softly.
"You dare impede a summoner's pilgrimage?" she says, haughtily. The guard simply stands there, shrugging once more.
"Sorry, ma'am. No exceptions." he repeats. Dona growls, and motioning to Barthello, stomps off towards the way we just came.
"Useless!" she exclaims, walking past us without batting an eye. Before we can go any further, Clasko walks up to us, dressed in his usual half-suit of armor.
"You have to leave your chocobos here. Come on, everyone off!" he says, and we all dismount, the chocobos running back towards the agency.
"So that's how he knows how to find them. He doesn't need to, they find their own way back. Smart." I say, smiling as I watch the large creatures bound along the Highroad.
While we were dismounting, a chocobo and a large cage, with a strange looking fiend inside, went past us, moving up to the gate. As we step closer, we notice that it's Luzzu and Gatta again, the latter of which begins to speak to the guard.
"Gatta and Luzzu reporting, sir!"
"This is the last of them." Luzzu says, the guard nodding in approval.
"Good to have you with us. Go on through!" he says, motioning to two other men, who quickly open the large gate. Luzzu gets back on the chocobo, and Gatta gets on the front of the cage, as the duo continue on through the gate. They see Tidus as they're going through, however, and smile.
"Show me how to play blitz sometime!" Gatta yells, Luzzu nodding, and also speaking.
"Wait around. We'll have Sin beaten in no time!"
'Right.' I think, knowing how this turns out.
Tidus tries to follow the two through the gate, but is stopped by the guard, just like Dona and Barthello.
"I'm sorry, I can't let you pass." the guard says, noticing Yuna after a moment. "Hey, you're a summoner and her guardians, right? Sorry for the inconvenience." he says, turning to Yuna.
"Tell me about the operation." Yuna says, looking thoughtful.
"What, they didn't tell you?" the guard asks, surprised. Yuna shakes her head 'no', and the guard continues. "We're bringing Sinspawn from all over Spira here. Sinspawn inevitably draw Sin, right? We're going to lure it into a trap! This mission, Operation Mi'ihen, is a Crusader - Al Bhed joint mission. We Crusaders lure Sin in, and the Al Bhed strike it down."
"Well, why are you working together? I thought that disciples of Yevon hated the Al Bhed?" Wakka asks, wanting a better explanation.
"You see, Al Bhed hate Sin as much as we do. They've managed to salvage ancient machina. They say they're as powerful as the mighty aeons." the guard says, drawing a gasp of surprise from Yuna. "Well, you know machina are forbidden by Yevon. Ah...on second thought, let's not go there. Better for you not to know." he says shakily.
'Methinks someone is hiding something...' I think, smiling to myself.
"The Crusaders in Operation Mi'ihen have all been excommunicated. My own family won't even speak to me now. We have to beat Sin today. Otherwise, there's nowhere for us to go."
'If things go the way I know they do, you will be going somewhere. The Farplane.' I think, with a hint of sadness.
"Well, we may as well go back, if we can't go through here." Tidus says, and I smile.
"That's the first sensible thing I've heard you say since I arrived here." I say, causing everyone to laugh except Auron, who maintains the same expression.
As we turn to leave, we pause, as we see Maester Seymour and his assistants approaching. He gives me an evil smile, and I glare as he approaches. Yuna walks up to him, and they both do the prayer gesture.
"So we meet again, Lady Yuna." Seymour says, and Yuna smiles.
"Y-Yes?" she says, slightly stuttering.
"You look troubled. Is there anything I can do?" he asks.
"Well..." Yuna trails off, glancing at the gate. Seymour nods.
"I see." Seymour says, stepping forward to face the guard. As Seymour approaches, the guard gives a quick salute.
"Maester Seymour. Let me show you to the command center." he says, turning, but Seymour holds his hand up.
"Hold. I have a request." he says, coolly.
"Yes, Your Grace?" the guard replies, as Seymour turns slightly to face Yuna and our group.
"I need to have Summoner Yuna and her guardians let through to the command center." Seymour says, causing the guard's eyes to widen.
"But, Maester Seymour, sir." the guard protests, Seymour holding his hand up to silence him.
"Do not worry. I will take full responsibility." he says, the guard nodding.
"Very well. They may pass." he says, motioning to the gatekeepers. Seymour turns around to look at us once again, smiling at Yuna.
"It is done." he says.
"Thank you, Your Grace." she says, bowing to Seymour. I growl slightly under my breath.
'Annoying Maester. If he wasn't more powerful than me, I'd kill him right here and now.' I think, as Seymour walks through the gate. Yuna just watches, Lulu putting her hand on Yuna's shoulder after a moment.
"Yuna, it's time to go." she says, Yuna jumping slightly, as if she had been in a daze.
"Oh! Right!" she says, as we walk towards the gate. Tidus turns to me and Wakka, with a scowl on his face. Apparently, he can't stand Seymour either.
"Who does he think he is?" he says, annoyed. Wakka shrugs.
"He's a maester. Better get used to it, ya?" Wakka replies, causing me to facepalm.
"I may get used to it, but I don't have to like it." I say, glaring daggers at the back of Seymour's head.
A slight rumble of thunder catches my attention, and I look up, noticing the gray, cloudy sky, seemingly bearing testament to what is to come.
"Yup, this is not going to end well..." I mumble to myself, as a guard salutes Seymour.
"All hail Maester Seymour!" the guard says, as Seymour approaches a group of the Crusaders.
"Brave Crusaders of Spira, protectors of all Spira. Believe in the path you have chosen, let faith be your strength! I, Seymour Guado, maester of Yevon, will bear witness to your deeds today." Seymour says, causing all the Crusaders to salute in unison.
"Sir!"
"What's going on?" Wakka asks, watching the spectacle before us. "Why's Maester Seymour backing the Crusaders, eh? They're using Al Bhed's machina! They're violating the teachings!" he says, obviously angry at the Crusaders for taking on this mission. Yuna turns to him, in an attempt to calm him down.
"Even going against the teachings, they're willing to risk it for the greater good." Yuna says. "Wakka, I think Maester Seymour sees that, too."
"Lulu?" he says, still not convinced. Lulu just shrugs.
"Hmm...I can only speculate."
"Ask him yourself." Auron says, motioning. Seymour approaches us, looking first to Yuna, then Auron.
"Ah. Sir Auron. It is an honor." Seymour says, smiling a bit too much for my liking. "I would be most interested in hearing what you've been doing these past ten years." Auron simply grunts.
"I've got nothing to say about it." he says flatly, walking off.
"I...see." Seymour says, turning to Yuna. "Sir Auron must be a great asset as a guardian.
"Your Grace!" Yuna exclaims, turning to Seymour as well. Seymour holds up his hands.
"Please, there's no need for formalities." he says. Wakka shifts a little, uncomfortably, before speaking.
"Excuse me...Maester Seymour? Why is your Lordship...presently...present here...sir?" he stammers, apparently at a loss for words. Seymour turns to him, still smiling.
"Please, speak as you normally would."
"Isn't this operation against the teachings of Yevon? Aren't you gonna stop them?" Wakka says, slightly angry.
"It's true...I should." Seymour says, hanging his head slightly, before lifting it back up. "However...both the Crusaders and the Al Bhed truly wish peace for Spira. This Operation Mi'ihen was born from that wish they share. Although it may be sacrilege to Yevon, their intentions are pure. And I, Seymour Guado—the person—not the maester of Yevon...as a denizen of Spira, I wish them well in their endeavor."
'A touching speech. Too bad it won't do them any good.'
"But, using machina...that's bad, isn't it?" Wakka says, continuing to protest.
"Pretend you didn't see them." Seymour replies, causing everyone to gasp.
"Beg your pardon, but that's not something a maester should say!" Wakka says, stunned.
"Then pretend I didn't say it." Seymour says, turning to walk away.
"You're kidding!" Wakka exclaims, as I walk after Seymour.
"Seymour." I say, getting his attention.
"Yes? Oh, you again." he says, glaring at me.
"Question. You do know, that everyone involved in this, for the most part, is going to die, don't you?" I say, anger flashing in my eyes.
"Yes. Death is nothing but a vicious cycle, a cycle that keeps the world moving. I am merely...speeding this cycle along." he replies, grinning a sinister smile at me. I growl, glaring at him.
"Well, your death will be a fitting addition to that cycle." I say, turning to walk back to the others.
"It will indeed." he says to me, laughing evilly as he walks towards the command center.
Clenching my fists, I jump as I notice Yuna and the others suddenly appear right next to me.
"What were you and Seymour talking about?" Yuna asks, and I turn to her.
"The mission." I reply, halfway honestly. Suddenly, Clasko comes running up to us again.
"Excuse me, Lady Summoner Yuna?" he says. Yuna nods.
"Yes?"
"The command center...Maester Seymour requests your presence there, ma'am."
"Thank you." Yuna replies, as Clasko points down the path.
"Take that road to the command center. It's not far. We're still in the midst of preparations this way." he says, motioning to the way he came from. "Sorry." Nodding, we begin to walk down the path leading to the Crusader's base of operations.
After a short walk, we find ourselves at the entrance to the command center. And out in front are Luzzu and Gatta, apparently arguing over something.
"Why only you, sir? I want to fight, too!" Gatta says, Luzzu shaking his head.
"Orders are orders." he says simply, Gatta clenching his fists in anger.
"I'm not a cadet anymore, sir! Let me go with you, and I'll prove it to them!" Gatta insists.
"Guarding the command center is important, too." he tells Gatta, who does not seem any happier.
"But I came all the way from Besaid to fight Sin, sir!" he replies, Luzzu keeping a stern face.
"I know, but an order's an order. To your post, Crusader." he orders.
"But, sir!" Gatta protests, but Luzzu does the prayer gesture and walks towards us before he can do anything else. Gatta just runs off.
"They let you through, huh?" Luzzu says, looking at us.
"Gatta deserves better..." Tidus says, trailing off. Luzzu nods in agreement.
"At least there's no chance he'll get hurt." Wakka cuts in. "Why are you guys fighting, anyway? Aren't the almighty Al Bhed machina enough?" he says, throwing up his arms in disapproval.
"They still need some time to get them ready. Our job is to keep Sin at bay until they're done." he tells Wakka, who simply snorts and turns his back to Luzzu, crossing his arms. "Wakka...I might not get another chance to say this. It's about your brother." Lulu's eyes go wide at this.
"Luzzu, no!" she yells.
"What?" Wakka asks, his attention being caught by the mention of Chappu.
"I'm the one who convinced him...to enlist." Luzzu says, causing Lulu to gasp, and hang her head. Wakka walks over to Luzzu calmly. "I'm sorry." he says, Wakka staring him straight in the face. Suddenly, Wakka punches him in the side of the face, throwing him down. Tidus and I immediately hold Wakka back before he can do anything else.
"Wakka! That's enough, Wakka!" Tidus yells, trying to restrain the angry Wakka. Wakka stops struggling after a moment, and we let him go. Luzzu's still down on the ground, stunned.
"When we used to play blitz together, Chappu used to say...he'd say that—when we won the cup, ya?—he'd propose to Lulu. And then one day...he goes off and becomes a Crusader. Just like that." Wakka says, as Luzzu finally stands up, touching his face gingerly.
"Chappu also said to me..." Luzzu says, "that being with your girl is good...but keeping Sin far away from her is better." Wakka turns to face Lulu, ignoring Luzzu.
"Lu, you knew?" he asks her. Lulu hangs her head.
"Luzzu told me...before we left."
"She hit me, too." Luzzu cuts in, drawing a faint smile from me. Just then, Lucil rides up on a chocobo, turning to Luzzu.
"All Crusaders in the vanguard are to assemble at the beach!" she yells, several others in the area walking towards the beach, along with Luzzu.
"That's my cue." he says, Wakka turning back to him.
"Luzzu! Don't die out there." he says, causing Luzzu to turn.
"So you can hit me more?"
Wakka holds up his hand, and punches into it repeatedly. "Lots! Lots more!" I burst out laughing, unable to control myself any longer. Luzzu just stares for a moment, before walking towards the beach. Yuna steps in front of him.
"Sir Luzzu, please! Please, don't go!" she implores, Luzzu shaking his head reluctantly.
"Let him go. The man has already chosen his path...as you did when you became a summoner." Auron says, Yuna timidly stepping out of the way.
'But I didn't. I just am, somehow. My path wasn't chosen by me, it was chosen by fate. All I can do is play it to the fullest.' I think, sadly. Shaking my head, I follow the others up to the command center. Wakka notices several Crusaders standing next to a large amount of cannons, and he walks up to one of the machina.
"Curse these..." he says, kicking it with his foot, only to reel back in pain.
"He really hates them, huh?" Tidus asks Lulu.
"Chappu...he left the sword Wakka gave him in Besaid. And he fought with an Al Bhed machina weapon instead. Wakka turns to Lulu and Tidus, having heard the conversation.
"That's got nothing to do with it! I just hate these sacrilegious contraptions!" he says angrily. As we walk forward some more, we come to the cliff's edge, looking over onto the beach. Several Crusaders are lined up on chocobos, and they salute. The carriage we saw earlier is now open, with several Crusaders forcing the Sinspawn into a cage filled with several others. Wakka just snorts.
"It won't work anyway." he says, causing Yuna to turn to him.
"Don't say that. It might be a hopeless campaign, and it might mean defying Yevon...but the Crusaders and the Al Bhed—they're doing their best to defeat Sin. They want to rid Spira of Sin, forever. And that's just what we want too, isn't it?" she says, looking Wakka in the eyes. "Isn't it?" Wakka sighs, holding his arms up in surrender.
"Hmph! All right, all right! But I still think machina are bad news! They're forbidden for a reason!" he says.
"Lady Summoner!" a voice cries, and our attention shifts to the left, where Lucil is running towards us. "There you are! The command center is that way!" she says, pointing behind her. "Maester Kinoc is also there."
"Maester Kinoc, too?" Yuna asks, almost disbelieving.
"Yes. Please hurry, my lady." she says, leading us to the command center.
When we arrive, we notice Gatta standing there, looking very bored.
'Oh well, better bored than dead, I would think.' I think, as he welcomes us.
"The operation will begin shortly. Please check all your equipment." he says, rather unenthusiastically.
"Um, you all right?" Wakka asks, Gatta's face turning into an angry expression.
"Of course not! I came here to fight Sin! But they stick me here!" he replies, almost seething with anger.
"If you want to prove yourself..." Auron begins, Gatta's face perking up.
"Huh?"
"You must first complete the tasks you are given." he finishes. Gatta hangs his head silently, as we walk inside. As we enter, a short, fat man in an orange robe, looking quite official, stands up and hugs Auron, much to my surprise.
"I'd heard from Seymour, but I didn't know if we'd actually meet. Good to see you, Auron! Ten years, is it?" the man says, beginning to chuckle.
"That's Wen Kinoc, one of the Four Maesters of Yevon." Lulu explains to Tidus. "He leads the warrior monks and also commands the Crusaders." As Lulu finishes, Gatta runs in.
"All troops ready to move at your command, sir!" he reports, Maester Kinoc nodding in approval.
"Good. Dismissed." he says, Gatta saluting quickly.
"Sir!" he replies, walking out the door once again. Wakka and Yuna follow him, but I decide to stick around and listen to Kinoc.
"Tell me, Auron, where have you been the last ten years?" he asks.
"We don't have time for this now, do we?" he replies, Kinoc folding his hands behind his back, and turning to the wall.
"This plan won't work, you know that. We'll just let them dream a little longer."
"What?" Tidus says, and I have to think a moment, almost not believing what I just heard.
"Lord Kinoc..." a voice behind us interrupts, revealing itself to be Seymour. No one had even noticed him enter.
"Oh, yes. Proceed." he says, Seymour bowing slightly and walking back out.
"That Kinoc...a maester?" Auron mutters, and Kinoc turns around.
"I heard that, Auron. A lot has happened in the past ten years. What were you doing, and where?" he asks, trying to get a straight answer from Auron.
"Fullfilling a promise I made to a friend. I still am." he says, the cryptic remark almost seeming to make sense to Kinoc.
"Just tell me one thing: Have you seen Zanarkand?" he asks the monk, Auron giving a short grunt and walking out. Shaking my head, I do the prayer gesture to Maester Kinoc, before leaving the center as well. Tidus and I walk over to Yuna, as everyone else seems to be preparing for the engagement.
"I kinda...think we don't belong here." she says, after a moment. Just then, Kinoc walks out of the hut, and begins to speak to us.
"It is time at last. We must tell the Al Bhed waiting outside to begin the operation at once. The fiends may break through. This place is not safe. Make sure you're prepared to defend yourselves. Tell me when you're ready." Kinoc explains, walking back to the command center.
"Everyone ready?" I ask Yuna, and she nods.
"Yes. Go tell Maester Kinoc, please." she says to me, and I nod, walking over to the command center.
"Maester Kinoc. We're ready to begin." I tell him, and he nods, stepping over to a platform hanging over the cliff's edge. I follow him back, stepping beside Yuna and Auron.
"Will Sin come?" she asks Kinoc.
"Sin always returns for its spawn. To make sure, we're going to encourage them to call out to it." Kinoc replies. Auron shakes his head slowly.
"You won't have to. It'll come."
The ground starts shaking, as everyone prepares to begin the operation. The cage that the fiends are hanging from is electrified, causing howls of pain from the Sinspawn inside. The bottom of the cage suddenly opens, and the fiends are released onto the beach, most of them immediately going for the ocean, except one. A large, snake like creature slithers around, attacking people at random. Sinspawn Gui has shown itself at last.
"Let's get down there!" I yell, drawing my sword, and racing down the path to the beach. Yuna, Auron, and the rest nod, and follow me down. In the back of my mind, I know, however, that the war that is Operation Mi'ihen has only just begun.
Well, next up, the operation gets underway! Finally, something good might happen! Probably not, though. Anyway, please review, and once again, a big thanks to everyone who reviewed this chapter, and has done so thus far!
