The next time I fight, I shall make death love me....for I shall contend with it's pestilent scythe

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Chapter 10: Execution

Yo, man wake up...." A voice seemed to penetrate the slumber Tidus previously had become shrouded in as he awoke with the weakened groan of fatigue. His eyes slowly adjusting to the chamber's bizzare attributes of cold stone walls and graveled mounds of rock beneath his feet, torches scarcely lit with powdered fuel resembling nothing short of a primitive holding cell. Coming to release -- in fact -- that it basically was. Shards of shattered bricks scattering the gravel stuck between -- under -- and atop the rocks paving the floor, the foul, churning stench of mold polluting the air with it's aroma and embers crackling their way to the ground with a mere flick of wind."

Ugh...." Tidus found himself straining alone to speak out through his own astonishiment and confusion as the realization struck him through where he was held. Prickly shackles jagged with spikes binding through his wrist to the stone wall while chains placed upon his ankle held him firmly to back of the moss-covered structure cracked beyond him, pinned with nothing more than his nose sticking over the rim of the metal object, just barely over to whiff the aroma of mold and not inhale the seemingly toxic fumes of rusted material."

Bout time you got up!" Came the tone again through jubilance of reasons unknown as a figure blurred through mist progressed his way across the cell chamber, paving his course strait through the bars as he gently heaved them aside with the simple thrust of his palm. A wave of blonde hair shifting through the drafts of prison winds as his single eye quickly scanned his body like searching for signs of affliction such as newly opened lacerations or severed fingers or limbs. Letting go a sigh of relief the moment his arms folded behind his head. Relaxing nothing had yet been done."

You....It's you...." The confined man whispered through his barely parted lips chapped with dry skin peelings while forcing his head to raise up, so he could --- infact --- see who exactly had come to investigate, or assist, whatever reason Tidus's could not comprehend. Let alone decide why the hell he was here. Why Gippal had come to his aid." Gippal.....

Yeah that's me man! Surprise, Surprise right?" He tried to sound cheery through pitiful attempts as he failed to diminish the anger, the concern, the hatred building in his tone like tension mounting in the veins of his neck." Damn dude your getting worse...You look like shit!

" Tidus could not find it within himself to chuckle at the comment he had actually stated as a fact, unable to slightly smirk or smile in his dismay when he caught the humor he recieved through the man's particular choice of words." Why.....are you....here? Why....am I....here?" Tidus jumped to the point at his draining strength, choking them out to see the hesistant form upon the Al Bhed's expression. His lips carved upside down into that of a frown while his eye remained sympathetic."

Well...." Gippal gave as sigh as he swept around the room swinging his arms questionably to answer, deciding as to not he should tell or he should." Well, to answer the question concering your own predicament, you've been thrown into some holding cell in Zanarkand ruins for charges of attempted murder, well at least you would attempt any way. And as for me, well, I'm here to try and get you out. But this damn binds are so dense, rusted or not, i can't crack through them without my weapons. And that's to risky none the less.

" Tidus seemed rather confused and lost in the response he had least come to expect nor dream of. Why would he attempt to commit murder? Why would they think that? Why would they believe that? So many questions constantly banged his mind in a headache as his hazy eyes tightened close in pain, unable to understand all of this and why it was happening." Yuna...where is Yuna?" He finally brought himself to ask."

Uh she is being held on the Airship." The Al Bhed mechanic pressed his palm against his forehead while shaking it viciously, he too coming to see it difficult to believe." She went, well, crazy after they took you down here. Started thrashing out at guards, slinging threats as well as her pistols like a madman. Boy was she scary! I think the soldiers pissed themselves when she started firing, luckily none of them were hurt, so she got off alright.

I'm glad...." Tidus gave his response with a massive cough that extracted only yet another vast quanity of his barely remaining strength, driving him almost once again in to unconciousness -- barely -- leaning towards it's edge." I....d-don't want anything to happen to her..... So I can see her a-again...b-before I f-fade away.....

Well....Ack!" Gippal pratically roared as he slung his fist forth into the crevice of the splintered stones with a groan of depression converged with his warping emotions. Seeing how painfully this would be for Tidus to accept, coming to terms with if he could or not." Listen man, I..I don't know how to tell you this but your not going to see her again....Gah damnit! Fuckers! What, WHAT I mean to say is.... tomorrow your going to be.... well....executed..

W-what?" This nearly made Tidus leap out of his skin to the very thought of execution in such advanced times, how could they lower themselves to such primitive levels? Execution for something he would not commit? Did they fear him, or what he could do that much? Bringing the question what COULD he do to harm others, his skills have grown rusty with a blade, he could barely manage to wield one. So what?" I'm..I'm going to be killed...tomorrow?

I'm sorry man..." Tidus could practically see the dissapointment, the fear, the worry in Gippal's eyes and nearly taste it in the air. Tidus couldn't imagine how difficult this had to be on Yuna, they had only recently set out on her quest to save him, and now a Praetor, an army, and a Leader stands betwen her and her goal. He knew, for a fact she did not have enough time to save him now, Gippal knew it. Everyone knew it." But, if it makes any difference...... we're trying our best to stop this!" The Al Bhed exclaimed reassuringly, altthough it wasn't quite convencing."

It's alright...." The dream had come to accept his fate over the short amount of time knowing his end was near, knowing he would soon die. But he was able to see Yuna again, he was able to hold her, to kiss her, to love her like he did 2 years ago. His wish had been fulfilled, for now however, he would die once again for the sake of Spira, while Yuna would live on once again, without him by her side." I got to see her, I got to feel her lips against my own once again, I got to feel the warmth of our embrace as our body heats collided.........I got to touch her again. And...... although.....I'll.....miss it.......Her...touch......I won't....ever forget... it.

Listen man..." Again the Machine Faction leader spoke to raise his spirits once again from the pits in which they dwelled with depression." YOU are not going to die. Things are getting rather fucked up around her, but YOU will make it out of this. Yuna WILL save you, just keep your hope. Just keep believing..." With that being said and left with nothing more to confess, The Al Bhed gently turned his back to the suspened convict, and silently paced his way through the swung open gate and shut it behind him. Exciting through the door to the far right as he diminished within it's shadows, the sound of his footsteps forever echoing off from the creviced walls."

Dawn of the next day

" The sunlight gently peaked upon the ruin's horizon with a gentle glow as the cold winds of night faded and were replaced by the soothing winds of day. The distant sound of waves slapping against the shore filling the air with the scent of salt and water as the tides rose and died in a pattern of increasing and decereasing upon the shore. Leaving nothing more than dampened sand to be remembered by, showing it was once there on that spot, showing where it once fought with the very ground itself. Tidus knew, as he stood gazing forth across the land streaked with twilight and scarlet flashes that this would be the final sun rise he would ever see. This would be his final opportunity to watch as the ocean glowed with orange rays, and slowly the sky would become engulfed in it's illumination of glory and beauty uncontended."

Tidus...." Came the voice of Youth Leaque's leader as Nooj slowly stepped out from behind a line of guards circling behind him. Limping his way before the felon as he gently placed his hand upon his shoulder signaling the remorse he felt and would forever feel for doing this. For killing him." This is for the sake of Spira, although the crime has not been commited, the problem is it will be. And we have to use all of our strength, or power, to make sure that does not happen. Please believe me when I say, no when both myself and Baralai along with all other's, that we are sorry.

....." Tidus remained silently, as he continued to watch the horizon shine with elegance as the scarlet trails diminshed and found their way to the neon sky. Watching quietly as Nooj paced himself away and the stars slowly faded one by one into nothing. Replaced by the sun's rising light." I....really wanted to see you one last time...Yuna...." Tidus whispered through imense despair as a tear streaked down the side of his face and dropped off upon the desolated soil." I'm sorry.....so sorry 't always be there...

TIDUS!!!!" Came a sudden shriek that instantly caught the weeping man's attention to the west, moments before a sobing Yuna and angered Rikku bounded across the shattered stairs of the remaining temple. Both, through their tears, glimmering with their own determination, their own desire to save him."

Yuna!" Tidus practically wanted to leap right into her arms and snuggle her close hadn't he been bound by iron shackles weighing more than he himself. Taking a small step forwards but received the sound of a gun being loaded and immediately stopped, to frightened to move."

" Suddenly, expecting nothing more than the sound of gunshots and Yuna's faint screams, eveyrthing aburptly went silent. No gun being fired, no yells or cries of despair, only silence. Nothing more. As he looked frantically to the eyes of surrounding inhabitants, he saw that they had in fact not be fixed upon him but on something else, something that made a fear he had never seen before glow in their pupils. Then, as he quickly turned his head in the direction so many, no all, were looking, his mouth gapped open in awe to what he saw looming above him with a shadow cast darker than night. Staring blankly, yet fearfully to the skeleton-like creature baring it's fangs high before them."