Traitors

I leaned against the wall of a Bevelle prison cage, Tidus pacing beside me. The guards had separated us from the others after the mockery of a trial, where we had been branded traitors for questioning Sin's eternal nature and the rule of Yevon by the dead. In the process, Mika revealed himself to be unsent. This should have been a great shock, and perhaps to the others it was. But in fact I was not all that surprised -- the man had led Yevon for fifty years and must be well over a hundred years old. The real surprise was that more people did not question the length of his reign. During the trial, Mika had recited essentially the same speech that I'd gotten from Yunalesca in Zanarkand, proclaiming the impossibility of stopping Sin's rebirth, asserting that false hope was the only hope. So Yevon was unified in this as well.

Tidus grabbed the bars and let out a yell of frustration. "Get me outta here! I want out now! You hear me?"

I glanced over at him. "You waste your breath."

He kicked the wall, then dropped to the ground with a sigh. "Man, I hope Yuna's okay," he said.

"She's strong," I said, raising my gaze to the top of the cell, which was suspended from the ceiling by a heavy chain. The waters of the Via Purifico cascaded down the walls around us. I had been here before, two or perhaps three times, escorting Brac on trips to visit condemned prisoners. The idea that I would be on the other side of these bars one day had never occurred to me then. "She'll make it."

He snorted. "'She'll make it'? What, so she can die?" Then he let out a sigh. "Why is it that everything in Spira revolves around people dying?"

In spite of our situation, I almost smiled. With all that he had been through lately, I sometimes forgot that Tidus had grown up safe and secure in Zanarkand, his greatest daily worries about girls and blitzball. He hadn't feared for his life every single day, as I had. When I thought about it, I envied his innocence. It was what I worked for, the dream that propelled me forward: a world full of people like Tidus. "Ah, yes. The cycle of death," I said.

He glanced up at me. "Huh?"

"Summoners challenge the bringer of death, Sin, and die doing so. Guardians give their lives to protect their summoner. The fayth are the souls of the dead. Even the maesters of Yevon are unsent. Spira is full of death. Only Sin is reborn, and then only to bring more death." I paused for breath and looked at the floor. "It is a cycle of death, spiraling endlessly."

Tidus sighed again, and then silence fell for a long time.

Several hours had passed when I heard four sets of footsteps. Glancing up, I saw Kinoc, accompanied by three men of Gray Squad. My old unit, the pride of the Order, fallen to executioner duty. The thought nearly made me ill. Kinoc stood on the walkway, his guards flanking him. I stood up straight to face him, and Tidus followed my lead.

"Come out," he said. "Your sentence has been decided."

"'Sentence'?" I responded. "Don't you mean, 'execution'?"

Kinoc actually chuckled. "Really, now. What person would execute a dear friend?"

"You would," I said flatly.

He did not even pretend to deny it. Without a word, one of the monks unlocked the cell door and reached for Tidus, who twisted away and shrank to the back of the cell.

I leaned over him and murmured in his ear. "Don't fight them yet. A better chance will come; save your strength. Head for the temple exit if we're separated." If I knew Kinoc, he wouldn't murder us directly -- more than likely, he would throw us into a fiend-infested area and count on the monsters to do his dirty work. Whatever found us there could be defeated. And then, perhaps, we would escape.

He relaxed a little and nodded. Turning to the guard, he submitted to being grabbed and having his hands pulled behind his back. "Remember!" I called after him as he was marched away.

Then it was my turn. Kinoc had the other two guards hold me, one on each arm. It was a smart move on his part -- I could have taken either of them easily, and though I could probably also defeat the two together, it would take enough effort that I would then be easily subdued by Kinoc. I doubted that he was any match for me hand-to-hand anymore, but I also assumed that his magic skills had improved. They turned me in the other direction, and we walked.

Soon, we stood before a barred gate, which led into one of the old, deserted parts of the temple. The Via Purifico, where criminals and traitors were purified by death. One of the monks escorting me pulled the gate open, pushed me through, and slammed it shut. I turned around to see them walking away. Kinoc remained, alone. "Nothing to say?" he asked when they were out of earshot.

"To you?" I grunted, a mirthless laugh. "No."

He glanced to the ceiling. "I am sorry, for what it's worth."

I stared at him open-mouthed for a second, speechless at his gall, then found my voice. "It is worth nothing. You're sorry?" Perhaps I had something to say after all. "For pretending to be my friend? For using my father to stab me in the back? For destroying my career and my family? For rising to power via treachery, then presiding over a religion every bit as corrupt as you are? For leaving me to the fiends now?" I shook my head. "Your apology is not accepted."

"I'm sorry you feel that way," he said, his tone even. "I'd hoped to make peace with you before you died, but if you don't want to do that…"

I snorted. "It's too late for that. And it has been for a long time." He looked at me thoughtfully, and I wondered what conclusions he was drawing from my words. Silence fell again, until I could hold back the question no longer. "Did you kill him?"

He didn't ask who I meant. "No. There was no need. He was old and very ill. I was with him when he died, but I had nothing to do with it."

"But you saw to it that he was sent."

Kinoc nodded. "At Mika's request. There's so much that you never really understood. Brac and Mika struggled for power, you see. For decades. When Brac chose to elevate you, he believed that you would be loyal to him without question. He planned to overthrow Mika with your help and rule Yevon himself, installing you in his old position." He sneered. "Brac knew you would serve him faithfully, do your duty, guard your precious honor and his without asking too many questions. You would've been the perfect yes-man."

"So now you're Mika's yes-man instead?"

He laughed, and for a second he sounded so much like his old self that I had to remind myself not to join in. "I'm my own man and always have been. But when I saw you were going to turn down Brac, I decided to make a move for myself. Get in good with Mika, who saw you as a threat, and take a large step up the ladder. With me by his side, Brac didn't have a chance to take the Grand Maester's throne, and before long he knew it." He spread his arms. "It wasn't anything personal, Auron. I admit that knowing you so well was an advantage, but I would have done the same thing to anyone."

"And you think that makes it better?" I shook my head. "How little you understand. Me, or anything." I started to turn away.

"Auron."

I looked back through the bars.

"So you don't want to forgive me. Fine, that's your choice. I suppose I can't even really blame you. After all, I'm guilty of nearly every accusation you make, although I really was your friend. Believe that or don't as you prefer, but it is the truth. But you should forgive Brac. He was a stubborn, proud old man, but he loved you. When you turned down the chance to be a part of his family, he was so hurt that he lashed out more harshly than he intended." He took a deep breath. "Letting you go off with Braska was his greatest regret. He told me so, on his deathbed. He thought you were Sin, you know." My good eye widened at this. "He assumed that Braska had taken you as his fayth. He went into a deep despair when he learned that you couldn't be found on the Farplane." He cocked his head. "But that wasn't the reason, was it."

So he did understand. I cleared my throat, then answered. "No."

"Then why go through all this?" He took a step forward to the bars, his expression earnest. "Get out of here. Go to the Farplane where you belong. Take your rest; you've more than earned it."

"I can't. I have promises to keep."

Kinoc sighed. "You and your promises. Fine, stay here. Rot with the fiends for all I care." We stared at each other for a moment more. Then he nodded. "Well. Goodbye then."

Goodbye. But nearly two decades of friendship and enmity pressed down on me, the weight of mixed emotions too much to allow a reply. I just kept looking, silent.

He muttered a word and waved his arm, and the heavy metal bars of the gate disappeared, replaced by a solid stone wall, leaving no evidence of a door. I was well and truly trapped. And, once again, Kinoc was gone.

I wandered the halls of the Via Purifico, sword drawn. There were fiends everywhere, but nothing beyond my abilities. Getting lost was a greater danger. This place was a maze of narrow passages without many landmarks. After what felt like several hours, I found a hallway that was different -- the wallpaper pattern had changed, and red sconces lined the walls. There was a transporter on the floor in the middle of the room, but it was not active.

This different hallway seemed the most likely to lead to an exit. Or a trap. I wondered if Yuna and the others were here somewhere. Should I try to find them first, or the way out?

"I hate this place," I muttered as I looked around.

Then a fast-moving beam of light caught my eye. It traveled along the floor, then gathered over the transporter, forming into human shapes. First Kimahri appeared, then Lulu, and finally Yuna. One question answered then. Yuna stepped toward me, bowing deeply, a flush spilling over her cheeks. Then she looked up at me, and I cut off her apology before she could make it with a silent hand gesture.

"There must be an exit somewhere," I told her. "We search." She nodded, and fell in next to me as we started walking down the red-lit hall. Lulu took a place on my other side, while Kimahri brought up the rear.

"The others?" I asked Lulu.

She shook her head. "I don't know. Wakka and I were held in the same cell after the trial, but when the warrior monks came for us they took him in a different direction."

"The same was true for Rikku and me," Yuna said quietly.

"For me and Tidus as well." I thought for a moment. "Perhaps they are together."

"I hope so." Lulu sighed and drew her wrap higher up on her shoulders. "The daughter of the High Summoner, branded a traitor for fighting a murderer and opposing Sin. I can't believe it."

I knew what she wanted me to say: Neither can I. But I could believe it. All too easily. And soon enough, she would understand why. Assuming we made it out of here and continued on to Zanarkand.

The hallway was infested with fiends and slogging our way through was a slow and difficult process. After a time, the passage opened out into a room. A figure approached from the other side, and by unspoken agreement Kimahri and I stepped forward, blocking Yuna from view, weapons ready.

"Lady Yuna?' The man approached us. It was Isaaru, another summoner. We had first met him at Djose, and then he had escaped with us from Home on Cid's airship. "So it is you."

Yuna pushed Kimahri aside and stepped forward. "Why are you here?" she asked.

"The Al Bhed dropped us off not far from here," Isaaru said. "When we arrived at the gates of Bevelle, Maester Kinoc called us here, ordered me to 'deal with the traitors.' But I never imagined that it might be you, Lady Yuna."

"You will fight us?" I asked him.

"The temple's orders are law!" he replied sharply. "Lord Braska's daughter or no, you are a traitor and must be dealt with accordingly. I am sorry, but I cannot let you pass." He bowed his head, and began to summon.

Yuna turned to her guardians. "Stay back," she said quietly. "I will handle this myself."

"As you wish, my lady," I replied, inclining my head as if to bow. She was right -- a man, a woman, and a Ronso would be of no use to her in a battle of aeons. Best for us to stay out of the way. I stepped back against the wall and settled in to wait.

It was a stunning display of power. Yuna had formed a strong bond with each fayth, learning how to exploit their strengths and buttress their weaknesses. Isaaru summoned three aeons, and each fell in its turn. The fight lasted only a few minutes. She had mastered her craft; I had never seen her equal. Not even Braska had handled his aeons so deftly. It gave me hope for the struggle yet to come.

Exhausted by the effort of calling and then losing his aeons in quick succession, Isaaru dropped to the floor, panting. Yuna stepped forward to aid him, and he waved her off. She turned away and returned to us, Kimahri placing a firm hand on her shoulder to restore her own strength.

Isaaru looked up. "There is a way to the surface up ahead," he told us, waving his hand to the right. Lulu, Kimahri, and Yuna took off in the direction he had indicated. I started to follow, then paused at Isaaru's feet.

I studied the young man for a moment. He had been a promising young man; I had been impressed by his intelligence and honor when we'd encountered him previously. But in the end, he was just another tool of Yevon. "Your pilgrimage is over," I said.

He did not meet my gaze or acknowledge my words. So I left him there, walking through the doorway that would take me to the exit and finally free me from Bevelle.

The corridor leading out of the Via Purifico came up near the main entrance of St. Bevelle, and I led the party the rest of the way there. The four of us had been resting for a few minutes when I heard a splashing noise behind me. We all turned to see Tidus, Rikku, and Wakka climbing out of the waterway rushing past the Highbridge.

"Yunie!" Rikku ran up to her cousin and embraced her. "You're all right? We were so worried. It's good to have you back."

"Thank you," said Yuna as she returned the hug, then stepped away, looking up at Tidus. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then started at a noise behind him. Seymour and Kinoc approached us, moving down the Highbridge, blocking our path to the exit. They were flanked by three Guado guards and a warrior monk, who seemed to be helping Kinoc along. Then I realized the truth of the situation as the monk flung Kinoc's lifeless body to the ground.

"Kinoc!" I breathed, the name coming from my lips almost involuntarily.

Tidus narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. "Why, you…"

"I have saved him," said Seymour, raising his head.

Numb, I looked at my old friend, sprawled like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Dead. I honestly had no idea how to feel. All I knew was that this was wrong. This was not how things were supposed to end between us.

I realized then that Seymour had continued talking. "….he spent his days scheming petty schemes. Chased by his fears, never knowing rest. Now he has no worries. He has been granted sleep eternal, death's sweet slumber. All the pain of life is gently swept away... Ah, yes."

He turned to Yuna. "So you see, if all life were to end in Spira, all suffering would end. Do you not agree? That, Yuna, is why I need you." Reaching a hand out to her, he continued. "Come, Lady Yuna. Come with me to Zanarkand, the lost city of the dead. With death on our side, we will save Spira, and then... Then I will take from you your strength, Yuna, your life, and become the next Sin." He dropped his head and looked up at her from lowered eyes. "I will destroy Spira!" he exclaimed fervently. "I will save it!"

Yuna stared at him, open mouthed, as Tidus voiced what the rest of the party was surely thinking: "You're totally nuts!"

Kimahri, though, was the first to act. He strode forward and slammed the point of his lance into Seymour's chest. The unsent Maester did not even flinch as he stared impassively at the Ronso guardian. "Unpleasant," he said. "Very well, I will give you your death. You seem to want it so." He raised his staff, and waves of power began to gather around it, pulling in the life essence from the guards that surrounded him as well as from Kinoc. Pyreflies surrounded him, forming a silvery armor as he howled.

Kimahri never moved except to turn his head. "Run!" he yelled to us. "Protect Yuna!"

The others hesitated, so I made the decision for them. "Go!" I shouted.

Tidus glared at me, the order provoking sudden obstinacy. "No way! I'm fighting."

I drew my sword and pointed it at him. "I said go."

This time, my tone allowed no space for argument. He and Yuna glanced at each other, nodded, and made their getaway. The others followed, and, putting away my sword, I brought up the rear. I felt a slight pang at abandoning Kimahri. In many ways, he was the member of this party with whom I had connected most: a young warrior, outcast from his family, utterly devoted to his summoner. But he was a guardian. Protecting Yuna was his sole purpose; if he died facing Seymour while giving her time to escape, he would have fulfilled his duty.

We were about three-quarters of the way down the Highbridge when defiance came from an unexpected source. Yuna stopped abruptly, and I almost crashed into her before I pulled up. "I won't leave Kimahri behind," she declared.

I gave her an exasperated look. "He is your guardian," I reminded her. "Protecting you is everything."

Yuna spread out her arms. "Auron!" she cried, clearly desperate to save her protector. I vaguely registered that this was the first time she had ever addressed me without using some sort of honorific.

Tidus broke in between us. "That's right," he said. "We're all guardians. And you know what that means, Yuna? Anywhere you go, I'll follow."

She looked at him. "Anywhere?"

He stepped past me and stood next to her, looking down into her eyes. "Anywhere."

They both grinned and nodded. "Let's go!" they said in unison. And they turned and raced back toward the temple entrance, Tidus shouting "Hey Kimahri! Leave some for us!" as they ran.

"Wait up!" Wakka called out as he turned to join them, Rikku right behind him. I heard a rustling as Lulu came up to my right side, her face glowing with anticipation. "I'll go too," she said, a smile in her voice, and then she hurried on, leaving me alone.

I couldn't help it; I laughed. Then I followed.

Somehow, in the last few minutes, warrior monks and machina warriors had gathered on the Highbridge, and we had to fight our way though. By the time we reached Kimahri, he was already fading, magical frost clinging to his blue fur. Seymour had taken a few cuts from the Ronso's lance, but he was clearly winning this battle. Yuna murmured something, then tapped the air with her staff, and Kimahri straightened, the healing spell giving him strength as he backed away to take a breather.

Seymour looked at Yuna as we approached him. "I am pleased to see you again, Lady Yuna," he said.

"I'll only be pleased when you're gone to the Farplane," she retorted, gripping her staff.

He shook his head with an infuriatingly tolerant chuckle, and I felt a surge of murderous rage course through me. But to my surprise, my anger was not for Yuna, and it was not for Spira. It was for Kinoc.

Seymour's eyes fell on me, and he must have seen something in my face. "Have you something to say, Sir Auron?"

I found myself taking a step forward. The words came slowly, but they were propelled by fury. "Although he was no longer the man I once knew, Kinoc was still my friend, Seymour." I turned my single eye on him, and I felt the full force of my hatred burning there. "You will pay for his death!" I raised my sword, my need for vengeance lending me strength as I rushed him, striking his chest. The edge didn't penetrate his armor, but still he shuddered under the power of the blow, then straightened with a gesture. A thunder spell knocked me away, and I fell to the ground.

"Stay back!" I heard Lulu shout from behind me as she countered with a burst of flame. I stood up and dusted myself off in preparation for another attack, and the struggle was well and truly begun.