Chapter 2
Tidus made his way through the curving corridors of the airship until he came upon a door guarded by a giant. Like all Ronso, this giant had a leonine visage that was framed by long white hair carefully braided and a horn that protruded out of his forehead. He had blue fur covering a powerful frame dressed only in a green loincloth tied with red cord and a few black leather straps crisscrossing his chest. A long spear tipped with yellow feathers was clutched in one claw-tipped paw.
"Hey Kimahri," began Tidus uncertainly, "Is Yuna in there?" Kimahri stared at him impassively with amber slit eyes. The seconds ticked by uncomfortably.
"Is that Tidus?" inquired a faint voice from behind the door.
"Yes," replied Kimahri monosyllabically.
"Send him in please," said the voice. The door swung open and the Ronso gave Tidus a curt nod as he crossed the threshold.
A young woman sat on a bed in a sparsely furnished room with a table and a cabinet as the only other items of furniture. A circular porthole showed white clouds streaking by in a blue sky. The woman had shoulder length brown hair and mismatched eyes: her left eye was metallic blue and her right was emerald green. She was dressed in a white blouse tied to a long navy blue skirt by a thick yellow sash. Separate white sleeves were tied to her upper arms, leaving her shoulders bare.
"We've been worried about you Tidus," said Yuna in a gentle voice as she rose from the bed, "Are you alright?"
"I spoke with the Fayth of Anima," stated Tidus excitedly, "And I have great news!"
"Great news?" echoed Yuna uncertainly.
"Yes," he reiterated taking both her hands into his own, "I can take you to Zarnarkand!"
"You can?" she whispered, her eyes showing disbelief.
"Yes, she said there was a way," he said fiercely, "A terrible…."
"A terrible what?" inquired Yuna sensing the doubt creep into his voice. His hands dropped to his sides in defeat.
"Oh Yuna, we have so little time left," he said, "I just want to keep my promise to you."
"You mean before we take on Sin?" she asked placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Tidus, I would love to go with you to your Zanarkand, but maybe it wasn't meant to be."
"Maybe," he said as he gingerly took her hand, "But do you trust me?"
"Yes," she averred with a nod.
"Trust me now then," he stated, "Let me do this for you."
"You shouldn't have to if it's dangerous," said Yuna, her face creased with worry.
"She'll help us if we help her," said Tidus firmly, "I trust her just as you trust me."
"How will you help her?" she asked.
"I don't know yet," replied Tidus, "But I think Tromell knows."
"He blames us for Maester Seymour's death," stated Yuna quietly, "He won't want to speak to us."
"He will, if you come with me," explained Tidus with a wink. She blushed a bit and pulled her hand away self-consciously.
"Alright, but be careful," she whispered. He scratched his neck in faint embarrassment.
"Yuna, are you in there?" came a voice through the door.
"Come in," said Yuna faintly.
The door rose and a tall buxom woman strode in. She had crimson eyes, one of which was covered by stray locks of raven hair that was mostly trailing down her back in long braids. Her black low-cut fur lined dress was open in the front where crisscrossing belts mostly concealed her legs. She carried a stuffed doll that resembled a small knight in armor wearing an onion-shaped helmet.
"We're almost at Guadosalam," she began in a husky voice, "And I need to speak with Tidus."
"Don't look any farther Lulu," said Tidus with a sheepish grin.
"We're going to talk to Tromell," added Yuna.
"Is that so?" inquired Lulu glancing between them.
"Yeah," confirmed Tidus as he headed for the exit, "See you around Yuna."
"Bye," said Yuna faintly. Lulu watched him walk past then turned to follow him.
"Why are we speaking with Tromell?" she demanded once she caught up to him in the corridor.
"It's about Anima," sated Tidus grimly as he kept walking, "He knows more than he's letting on."
"I'm sure he does," she stated, "But we have more important things to worry about."
"You're really okay with what's been done to the Fayth?" he snapped turning to face her.
"It was their choice," she replied logically, "Their sacrifices have helped to protect Spira."
"But we're just using them!" he protested.
"They chose that as well," she replied. As they argued, a young Al Bhed girl with auburn hair sidled up to Lulu and tugged at her sleeve.
"Secc, dryd doll ec cu lida!" she said enthusiastically, "Frana lyr E kad uha?"
"Pardon?" asked Lulu looking down at her with a lost expression.
"She says she likes your doll," translated Tidus with an amused glint in his eyes.
"Tell her I'm sorry," said Lulu as she patted the girls' head, "But this is a weapon and too dangerous for her."
"Lulu cyoc cra'mm syga uha zicd mega ed vun oui," said Tidus with as much solemnity as he could muster.
"Oyo!" shouted the little girl hugging Lulu's waist before running off.
"What did you tell her?" demanded Lulu icily.
"I told her you'd make her one," replied Tidus with suppressed grin. Lulu held a hand to her forehead and sighed.
"Fine, you win," she stated wearily, "What's her name?"
"Pico," explained Tidus, "But I'll just buy a doll and say you made it."
"No, I'll do it," insisted Lulu, "I lost one of my dolls when I was her age."
Together they emerged onto the bridge. Cid turned from the glowing sphere.
"We're here kids!" he barked, "So get a move on!"
"Sure thing!" stated Tidus, "We're going in!"
The airship landed in a circular plaza between a forest and the mouth of a cave. Tidus walked down the gangplank, followed by Yuna, who was escorted by her other guardians. They made their way into a vast underground cavern filled with meandering passageways with buildings built into solid rock. They stopped before a great red door framed by stalactites guarded by a single soldier. Like all Guado, he looked like his whole body was unnaturally stretched. Well over a head taller than them, with long arms tipped with sharp nails on bony fingers. The lower half of his face was buried under a high collar.
"No one is permitted within the Maester's mansion," he stated stiffly.
"We'd like to speak with Tromell," insisted Tidus.
"No one is permitted within the Maester's mansion," repeated the guard automatically. The door creaked open slowly behind him.
"Who's there?" croaked an elderly Guado with a shock of unruly green hair and a tangled beard. He was dressed in a long yellow coat with red sleeves.
"Tromell, we need to speak with you," stated Tidus. The old Guado glared at them indignantly.
"Leave me alone in my grief," he begged, "Haven't you done enough?"
"We're sorry to disturb you," said Yuna, "But we need to know about your Mistress."
"I have no Mistress," said Tromell sorrowfully, "Now go." He began to close the door.
"Yuna, show him," urged Tidus. She nodded and drew out a staff tipped with golden wings. A glow surrounded her and they heard Tromell shriek from inside the mansion. Reflexively the guard threw open the doors and ran inside. Tidus stepped into a large atrium with two large curved staircases that led up to a second floor. Both staircases were lined with portraits of identical looking Guado leaders.
Dark clouds swirled on the ceiling and suddenly a three pronged anchor plunged out of them into a glowing pit that formed in the marble floor. The anchor slowly pulled up a hideous Aeon that shrieked in pain as it was hauled up by the chin. It was enormous and emaciated as if it had been mummified over the years, with its ribs clearly visible. The tattooed skeletal arms were folded across its chest, over which dangled a golden plate with the image of a woman's face. Its face was swathed in bandages, revealing only one aquamarine eye and a mouth filled with sharp teeth and curved tusks. A series of diamond-shaped pins pierced the scalp in a line that split in two back across the skull. Membranous wings were wrapped tightly around its body and held in place by a set of chains that staked it to the floor. A pair of woman's arms held another chain tightly against the creature's throat.
"No!" sobbed Tromell as he fell to his knees, "It cannot be!" Several guards ran down the staircase with their weapons drawn.
"It's Maester Seymour's Aeon!" gulped one of the guards.
"How did they get Anima?" demanded another guard.
"I cannot believe this!" protested Tromell as he got to his feet, "Maester Seymour hid her away!"
"She was well concealed," agreed Yuna sadly, "But she agreed to lend us her power." Tromell climbed one of the stairs until he was at the upper balcony and at eye level with Anima. It glowered at him balefully with a single eye.
"It is true Mistress?" asked the old Guado, "You agreed to help them?" The Dark Aeon roared at him with a horrific guttural scream that knocked him off his feet. The guards ran up the stairs and helped him up. Tidus began to climb after them but Tromell held up a warning hand.
"So it is true," he stated hollowly, "Follow me, guardians of Summoner Yuna."
"Kimahri, Lulu: stay with Yuna," ordered Tidus, "Rikku and Wakka: you're with me."
"Sure thing," said Wakka.
"You're the boss," chimed in Rikku.
They joined Tromell at the staircase where he led them into Seymour's private chambers. Inside was an ornate bed mounted on a rock platform. The decorations were a bit ostentatious, consisting of elaborate tapestries and gilt framed pictures. There was a prominent portrait of a black haired woman over the bed.
"What do you want to know?" asked the broken servant.
"Why was Anima sealed in Baaj Temple?" demanded Tidus.
"It was Mistress's last request to be entombed in the place where she and Maester Seymour had made a home," stated Tromell sorrowfully.
"Why were they living there?" asked Wakka curiously.
"They were exiled there by Maester Jyscal," explained Tromell.
"His own wife and son?" said Rikku with a gasp, "That's so mean!"
"He had no choice," protested Tromell, "Many Guado were opposed to the Maester having a half-breed son."
"So he just threw them away," said Wakka bitterly. He hated that kind of thinking.
"Do not judge him so harshly," growled the old Guado, "He had his people's welfare to consider."
"She was supposed to be his Final Aeon," stated Tidus, "Defeating Sin would have brought Seymour recognition and honor."
"But he'd have to die too," said Wakka, "I guess he changed his mind, ya?"
"She was already dying when she became his Aeon," stated Tromell, "It was the last thing she could do for him."
"So instead of taking on Sin, he sealed her away," added Tidus, "And locked the chamber with treasures he hid in the other temples."
"The destruction spheres," murmured Rikku as she pulled open a bag she was carrying with her. She retrieved out a small glassy orb that glowed with an intense violet hue.
"It's glowing," said Wakka. Tromell crossed over to a chest of drawers and pulled out an orb of the same color.
"Only destruction sphere can reveal the hidden treasures," he elaborated, "They are made of a material that can destroy any barrier."
"It can destroy anything?" inquired Tidus thoughtfully. He drew out Caladbolg and took the destruction sphere from Tromell. It softened into a gel-like material that slowly enveloped the blade, making it glow with a strange violet color. Suddenly a bright light burst forth from the blade and the other destruction spheres flew out of the bag. One attached itself to the Blitzball Wakka was carrying and another affixed itself to Rikku's claw weapon. The other spheres flew out into the atrium.
"What the heck?" gulped Wakka as he inspected his glowing weapon.
"Hey Tidus, what happened?" asked Rikku. But Tidus had already crossed out to the balcony.
"What's going on?" asked Yuna from below. Tidus didn't seem to hear her as he blankly inspected the blade and the Aeon before him.
"Oh no!" cried Lulu, "Yuna, dismiss your Aeon!"
"What?" inquired Yuna in confusion.
Tidus leapt up from the balcony and slashed across Anima's throat. The Dark Aeon roared and howled as the chain fell from its neck in two pieces.
"Tidus, don't!" begged Yuna.
He bore his blade down on the golden plate. A hairline crack appeared in it and then it fell in half. The chain around its midsection fractured and fell into small fragments. Anima reached out to him with one of its freed arms. Tidus began to shiver but defiantly stayed in place. The claw hesitantly reached Tidus and gently caressed his face with razor sharp talons. Although he was frightened he put his hand around one of the bony fingers.
"It's alright," he said soothingly as he closed his eyes, "I'm here now." A bloody tear streaked down the face of Anima at it gazed at him. It reached out with its other wasted arm and pulled Tidus to its chest in a tight embrace. It roared horrifically a final time as it sank slowly into the floor.
"Tidus!" screamed Rikku from the balcony.
"No!" screamed Yuna, "Let him go!" Wakka flung his Blitzball at Anima. It folded its leathery wings over Tidus to deflect the force of the blow. The ball rebounded off the wings back into his grasp.
Rikku jumped from the balcony, but it had sunk out of sight by the time she reached the marble floor.
It was gone.
Far away across mist-shrouded tunnels a man sat meditating at the top of a staircase lined with staves. His unnaturally elongated body and claw-tipped hands betrayed his Guado blood. His cobalt blue hair projected out into three long spikes, like the blades of a scythe. He wore a violet overcoat over a red shirt that was open at the collar, exposing the matching griffon tattoos on his chest. It shouldn't matter anymore, he thought. He was beyond the need for anything except Sin's power coursing through his veins. So why did he feel all of a sudden that a part of him was missing? He opened his pale eyes and rose as he took up a long staff.
His body glowed and dark clouds materialized overhead out of which an anchor plunged into a glowing pit before his feet. The anchor slowly rose again, completely empty. He gritted his teeth in frustration: she had abandoned him again.
"Mother!" he screamed in agony.