Seeing more in Seymour

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Final Fantasy Ten. (This is my fan fiction, meaning certain things that happened in the game will not be mentioned or will be twisted in the ways I see fit. Thanks, enjoy!)

Yuna and her guardians made their way to the Temple of Yevon in Djose. After the traumatic happenings of operation Mi'ihen, Yuna remained cheerful. She could give Seymour most of the credit for lifting her spirits. Tidus, as usual, was in a hurry to get the pilgrimage going strong again and he whined about the stall in the trip.

"First we will have to pray at the temple in Djose!" Yuna said as if it were a song, unable to hide the enthusiasm in her voice; she skipped ahead of everyone. The group followed, Kimahri trotted to be at Yuna's side, while everyone else simply walked. The fiends on the road were not as numerous as the roads they had traveled already; Tidus suggested it had something to do with Sin's toxin. Lulu laughed at the remark, but was kind and said nothing in rebuttal.

Yuna and Kimahri stood in front of the temple. Tidus cocked his head to the side, confused.

"What's up with this? It's a rock with a door in it." Tidus said as he raised his right eyebrow in suspicion.

Wakka slapped him on the back, and Lulu leaned close to him. Just as Lulu was about to speak… The rock burst open and bolts of electricity held the pieces together; the electrified magic show moved around the beautiful temple beneath it, like a carousel. Tidus jumped back in surprise.

"The Temple only does this when a summoner is inside addressing the fayth." Lulu said, trying to keep herself from laughing at Tidus' reaction. Yuna and Wakka prayed to Yevon.

"There must be another summoner currently inside." Yuna did the prayer of Yevon, and proceeded to go inside. She knelt in front of the statue of her father.

"So Braska, you're a hero of Yevon now." Auron said in a voice of admiration. Yuna prayed to Yevon, and closed her eyes.

'Father, please protect the souls of the crusaders who gave their lives today.' Yuna said as she closed her eyes and prayed once more. Yuna jumped as the door to the chamber of the fayth slammed close. She continued to pray, and a voice called out to her.

"You're summoner Braska's daughter, right?" The man asked. Yuna nodded. "With talent like that in your genes, you are sure to beat Sin one day." He smiled, and then grimaced as if he remembered an errand he forgot to run. "Excuse me, I am Isarru." He said as he prayed the prayer of Yevon.

"I am Yuna." She said as she prayed in return. Isarru smiled.

"Your father is the reason I became a summoner. I hope to become a high summoner one day." Isarru said. "Well, I will take my leave. Good luck to us both, Lady Yuna." Isarru said as he walked away. Yuna completed the Cloister of Trials and obtained her newest aeon companion, Ixion. By that time it was near to nightfall, and everyone decided it best to rest for the night. Everyone said their goodnights and headed off to bed. Yuna knew there was more work to do before she could rest. She kept thinking of all the dead, and even more so of the wounded.

Yuna quietly exited the rest area and entered the temple once more. Crusaders lined the walls; some with severed limbs, others with broken bones, and even some she knew she could not save. She had to fight the urge to cry. Yuna knew long ago what being a summoner meant, she was to do all she could to ease the suffering of Spira's people. She closed her eyes for a moment; she realized that she would be unable to stop until all these people were taken care of. Yuna was the only summoner around, and she couldn't help just a few select people. She knelt to the first man, asking him what she could do to help. He just smiled.

"I'm here with my buddy." He pointed to a body lying in his lap. "He, unfortunately, didn't make it. I was wondering if you could send him..?" He asked, his voice beginning to shake. Yuna couldn't find it in herself to speak; the thought of holding her best friend lifeless in her arms was enough to make her cry. She blinked back the tears and nodded. She stood and spoke in a loud voice.

"Anyone who has a friend or comrade that needs to be sent, please place them in the center of the room." She said as more than a dozen people stood, each holding a body in their arms. Yuna's sadness turned to shock. The disaster in Kilika hadn't taken this many lives. Yuna knew death, and was no longer afraid of it; the sheer silence of the gesture was what disturbed her the most. The crusaders all stood in a circle, set each body down, but held it up. Then the next would place a body down, letting the bodies lean against one another. The large circle of bodies seemed only to be in slumber; their chins against their chests, and their eyes closed. For a moment, the sadness subsided, and only respect filled the room. Many were injured, but those still alive had an immense respect for those who didn't see the sun set that day.

Yuna waited several minutes and began her sending. She hummed the hymn of the fayth as she danced. Flipping her staff like a baton, and her dance as swift and graceful as the breeze rustling flower petals. Yuna began to twirl, and souls slowly slipped from the bodies. Many crusaders hummed along with her, as men and women united for this special event. Yuna knew they couldn't all be friends or even acquaintances but they united, as a people of Yevon; comforting arms around the necks of the crying, others being strong symbols of hope. Yuna did the final twirl of her dance, and held her staff in front of her, unmoving.

"Yevon, bless these souls and the souls of those whom they left on earth." After she spoke many sighs and choking sounds emitted fro the crusaders. She had helped ease their pain, without even knowing. She opened her eyes and stepped to the next man, whom was lying on the ground; his leg had a compound fracture. She didn't bother to ask the question she had in mind. Yuna simply cast Cura and watched as the white light spread over the fracture, and watched as the bone reset itself. She then asked if he felt well enough to stand, and offered the man a hand to rise up. He took it and walked about, praying thanks be to Yevon, and thanks be to Yevon for summoners like Lady Yuna. Yuna then went on to the next person. As she cast cure and cura over and over again, she wondered if Seymour was doing the same now. Maybe once he was out of her sight he had begun a night of work like she had. Somewhere deep in her heart Yuna knew he was.

Seymour silently left the tent his guardians had set up for him, and walked back to the beach. The scent of the dead and the farplane were almost suffocating. He brought his sleeve up to his nose and breathed deeply the smell of laundry detergent, and then dropped his hand back to his side. As a maester and a guado, Seymour thought those smells should no longer bother him. Then he thought, those smells hadn't bothered him until his father had passed away. He shook the thought from his mind. His father's untimely death was still fresh on his mind, having only happened two and a half weeks ago. His father would be proud of him. Being inducted as a maester, and having found love. Seymour shifted his attention to the area surrounding him. He could smell the farplane scent stronger than before, and he saw a man approach him.

"Maester Seymour!" He called out, he sounded as if he had a cold. "You must send me now, before I turn into a fiend!" He asked frantically.

"Only an honorable man can face death such as you have." Seymour said as he laid his massive hands on the man's head. He muttered a spell and the man fell to the ground. Seymour knelt down, and put his hand over the man's eyes, gently closing them. The man's body began to disappear and the iridescence of his soul flew to the heavens above. It made him wonder if the moonflow would shine brighter tonight. He had picked a dozen moon lilies for Lady Yuna, but in his excitement had forgotten to give them to her. Seymour could imagine the pyre flies dancing around the moon lilies and illuminating Yuna's already angelic face. He could imagine her hugging him in thanks, and then leaning slowly in to kiss him. A splash disrupted his thoughts and he rushed over to it. A sin scale laid flipping in the tide, Seymour stepped on it, and crushed it beneath his boot.

'Someday Sin… someone will defeat you… and you won't have an opportunity to return and devastate this world ever again.' Seymour spun the toe of his boot left and right, and then stepped back. He shook his head, and sat down. 'Why didn't I trust my instincts? I could have prevented such a massacre; all the senseless deaths. I will not take this matter lightly with Mika…' Seymour thought broodingly. The tide wet the bottom of his robe, but he didn't care. Seymour couldn't stay anywhere near this desolate place any longer. He hurried to wake his guardians and made his way to the manor in Guadosalam before daylight.

Yuna woke with a jump, and a priestess next to her.

"Lady Yuna, it is past dawn, and your guardians are worried about you. Are you feeling well?" Yuna rubbed her eyes sleepily and looked at the priestess. She nodded, but the crusaders words echoed in her mind.

"I'm fine, just had a late night." She said as she thought of what was said. Her mind rushed back.

Flashback

"I hear Lord Seymour is quite taken with you." The statement made her stop in her tracks. Yuna raised her eyebrows at the crusader.

"Really? Where did you hear that?" Yuna said, as she dabbed a wet cloth on the large cut at the man's temple. He leaned closer to her in a whisper.

"Some of the lady crusaders saw the two of you talking, and they said the look on his face was proof enough." Yuna blushed.

End of flashback

Yuna went outside to meet her guardians. She led the way to the moonflow, eager to call her new aeon in battle. They did battle with every fiend that stepped in their way, defeated it and then reveled in the spoils of victory. Every so often a citizen of Spira would pass and do the prayer of Yevon to Yuna, and then go on as if nothing had occurred. Yuna loved to speak with the common folk and did so whenever she could. She was a small town girl after all.

Auron laughed when they hit the southern junction of the moonflow. The moonlilies were beautiful, as were the pyre flies dancing around them. Tidus' jaw dropped.

"It's stunning." He said in awe.

"At night the pyre flies swim around the river, and it looks like a river of stars." Lulu said. Tidus rose his arm with a quick jolt!

"I have an idea!" He said excitedly.

"No, we aren't staying until night fall to see it…" Auron said authoritatively. Tidus' head fell low and Auron continued forward. Yuna smiled happily as the shoopufs came into sight.

"Whoa… what the… whoa!" Tidus said as he hurried to the shoopuf.

"I haven't ridden one in such a long time, ten years ago to be precise." Yuna said smiling. Kimahri humphed and Yuna burst into giggles.

"Kimahri bring Yuna to Besaid, Yuna fell into the water. Shoopuf picked Yuna up with long nose. Yuna jump in three more times just for fun." Kimahri said, looking at Yuna.

"I'm sorry Kimahri." Yuna said and bowed.

"It all right, Yuna was happy. It make Kimahri happy." He said as he folded his arms defensively against his chest.

"All right everyone, let's go." Auron said as he boarded the shoopuf. The ride was passing slowly, but peacefully, when the shoopuf reared onto its hind legs. Everyone stood to steady themselves, when a small Al Bhed grabbed Yuna and drug her into the water. Tidus and Wakka jumped in after her. Yuna was safely kept inside an air bubble atop an Al Bhed machina. Wakka and Tidus defeated it quickly and brought Yuna back to the shoopuf. One by one the shoopuf picked them up with its long nose and placed them in the seating barge above it.

"Ish everybobody shafe?" The director asked. Yuna stood up and called out loudly to him.

"Yes, we're all fine!"

"Yuna! Sit!" Auron said, Yuna meeped apologetically and sat down. "Let's hope the rest of our ride goes uninterrupted." Auron said, the aggravation dripping from his words.