Chapter 3
A young woman hurried across a narrow bridge that spanned between two massive buildings. The carpeting was decorated with a triangular motif and arched windows spaced equally along the length provided a panoramic view of Bevelle. It was a city of domes and spires, terraces and staircases, all built to the glory of Yevon. However, the people were now in disarray and confusion, the direct result of the loss of the Maesters.
The young woman reached the end of the bridge and paused for breath. She had long brown hair and dark eyes and was dressed in a long sleeved robe with green shoulders and white sleeves with a matching pointed hat. A black and white sigil started from her chest and trailed down to her blue skirt.
"Still the dutiful servant, Captain Shelinda," said a man standing at a door under an archway flanked by pillars.
"Please, Sir Auron," gasped Shelinda, "No need for titles."
"Sir Auron?" echoed the man with a trace of amusement. Auron was dressed in a long red robe with black trim over an ebon high collared sleeveless shirt and matching pants. Metal-plated boots were on his feet and a jug of something intoxicating dangled from his belt. He wore a pair of dark glasses that concealed his missing right eye and his graying hair was swept back. An enormous sword wrapped in cloth was held by his gloved right hand, while his left arm was slung inside the robe, sleeveless.
"Well, you are a living legend," explained Shelinda apologetically, "And I've only been appointed to my position recently."
"Let's get to the point," suggested Auron quietly, "Why have you asked me here?"
"I have something to give you," she elaborated, "Follow me."
She led him through the door and down a staircase to a vast circular room. Round windows were placed around the tops of the walls, underneath the domed ceiling, letting in faint shafts on sunlight to the room below. The walls were covered with tall bookcases filled with tomes, books and scrolls of every description. Several long tables were arranged in neat tidy rows across the crimson carpet. One table had a single black book lying on top with a note lying next to it. Shelinda gestured for Auron to have a seat. He picked up the piece of paper as he sat.
"Maester Kinoc left instructions that this be given to you," she explained as he unfolded the note and read it.
My dear old friend,
If you are reading this, then I am dead. Well, more than just unsent at least. No doubt I got what I deserved. Maybe I should have listened to you. Still, I'm not about to go down without taking the other Maesters with me. Take this and use it to defeat them.
Happy hunting,
Kinoc
"Do you know what's in the book?" inquired Auron after finishing the note. He couldn't avoid a twinge of guilt when thinking about Maester Kinoc. They had once been friends ten years before, but Auron didn't recognize him when he returned to Spira. Nevertheless Kinoc had deserved better than the dog's death that Seymour had given him.
"I believe it is the Maester's diary," said Shelinda hopefully. Auron leafed through the pages all written in a precise neat script.
"You're right," he replied as he pushed up his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose with a thumb and forefinger.
"Are you all right Sir Auron?" she inquired.
"I'm just…tired," he stated with a faint sigh.
"Captain!" yelled a Bevelle guard upon entering the library. He wore a yellow shirt and dark pants along with a round helmet.
"What is it?" asked Shelinda.
"An airship is approaching," he reported, casting a suspicious glance at Auron.
"I see," she responded thoughtfully, "Allow them to dock at the Highbridge."
"Captain?" gulped the guard, taken aback.
"You heard me," she said frowning slightly.
"Yes Ma'am!" said the guard as he quickly left. Auron stood up.
"Thank you Shelinda," he said, "This is going to prove useful."
"Not at all," he said as she bowed slightly, "Just take care of yourself."
"Very well," he said they made their way back to the Highbridge. The silver airship slowly came into view and pulled alongside the bridge, extending a gangplank. Auron nodded to Shelinda as he waked across the narrow plank into the bowels of the ship. Several anxious people were there to greet him.
"Where have you been?" demanded Lulu, "We needed you."
"Tidus is gone!" said Rikku, trying not to sniffle.
"Everything's gone nuts!" added Wakka.
"Wait," stated Auron gruffly, "One at a time."
"Dark Aeon take Tidus," intoned Kimarhi.
"How?" asked Auron incredulously.
"He broke her chains," explained Lulu, "He used the destruction spheres on them."
"I showed him how," cried Rikku as she leaned against Wakka, "I'm so sorry!" Wakka looked shocked but gingerly put a comforting arm around her shoulder.
"We'll get him back, ya?" he said with more hope then he felt.
"All our Celestial weapons have been bound to destruction spheres," added Lulu. Auron unwrapped his sword, revealing a purple glowing blade split into vicious curved spikes at the tip and hilt.
"That would explain this," stated Auron.
"Young fool," muttered Kimarhi.
"He felt sorry for her," said Wakka, "He was just trying to help."
"It was still a foolish thing to do," said Lulu.
"Where's Yuna?" asked Auron eventually.
"She's locked herself in her room," said Rikku between sobs, "She won't let anyone in."
"Fine," said Auron as he strode down the corridor. He walked down the corridor to Yuna's room and rapped lightly on the door. There was no response.
"Yuna," said Auron, "Tell me what happened."
"Sir Auron?" inquired Yuna from inside. He could tell that she was just on the other side of the door.
"Yes," he replied, "I'm here."
"Forgive me Sir Auron," she said full of remorse, "It's my fault."
"How is it your fault?" he asked.
"He promised me he'd take me to Zanarkand," she stated sorrowfully, "And I kept telling him how much I was looking forward to it."
"Don't be so hard on yourself," advised Auron, "Just get some rest for now." He turned to the other guardians standing around him.
"We'll take care of everything," added Lulu.
"Good," said Auron as he walked down the corridor toward the bridge, where they found Cid arguing with Brother.
"Fryd cruimt fa tu huf?" whined Brother helplessly.
"Eteud!" roared the old man, "Mega E ghuf!"
"Ir, kioc," interrupted Rikku hesitantly.
"About time you showed up," growled Cid to Auron.
"I was delayed," replied Auron calmly, "Set course for Sin."
"Why Sin?" demanded the old man.
"She will come when we are close to Sin," he replied.
"How come?" asked Wakka.
"Sin brought Tidus here to Spira," explained Auron, "And only Sin can send him back to Zanarkand."
Back in Guadosalam, Tromell was lighting a bowl of incense in the great hall. The other Guado guards formed a semicircle behind him.
"Mistress, please find your way to the Farplane," he prayed, "And continue to guide Maester Seymour's soul to his eternal rest."
"Say no prayers for me," ordered a man with cobalt hair as he appeared at the top of the staircase.
"Maester Seymour, you have returned!" shouted Tromell in a stunned voice.
"I thought I'd never see this place again," commented Seymour wistfully as he looked around at the portraits lining the walls. He paused for a long time before the picture of Maseter Jyscal, his father. Several of the guards backed away from him fearfully. Tromell cleared his throat.
"Maester Seymour," he began hopefully, "I have longed to see your-." Seymour spun around, cutting him off with a gesture.
"Spare your babbling old man," he sneered, "Just tell me where she is." Tromell fell before him, grasping at the hem of his robe.
"Please show mercy young Master!" begged the old servant, "I do not know how they came in possession of her!"
"So my bride has found where she was imprisoned," murmured Seymour thoughtfully.
"It was his fault!" stammered Tromell, "That rapscallion guardian of hers!"
"What did he do?" demanded Seymour softly.
"I tried to keep them out," continued Tromell, "But he told her to summon your Aeon and-."
Tromell screamed as he found himself levitated high into the air. He almost crashed into the ceiling but came to a sudden stop. He peered down to see Seymour with his hand extended in the air.
"No excuses!" thundered the Maester, "Just tell me what he did to her!" Tromell had rarely seen his master looking so upset.
"H-he brought destruction spheres from all the temples and used them to sever her chains!" yelled Tromell, "She then seized him and vanished!" Seymour frowned and let his hand fall to the side. Tromell plummeted towards the marble floor but his fall was broken just in time. He settled gently to the floor and felt the cold stone against his cheek.
"So she's found another soul to devour," commented Seymour dryly, regaining his composure. The guards moved out of the way as he walked through the main doors of the mansion. He would make her pay; he would make all of them pay.
Auron was making his way up to the flight deck when he noticed Lulu sitting in a windowsill sewing the arm on a doll.
"Do I want to know?" he asked after a lengthy silence.
"It's a promise I made to a little girl," she said smirking slightly, "According to Tidus at least." Auron chuckled softly.
"I see," he said, "We're almost there."
"I'm ready anytime," she stated as she stood up. Rikku ran up the staircase and joined them.
"I'll relay the orders to Pops," she said brightly, "You can count on me!"
"Good," he replied, "Let's go." Lulu and Rikku nodded. They walked up to the elevator at the far end of the corridor, which lifted them to the upper deck. The giant doors trundled open, revealing blue sky and clouds streaking past.
Seymour was waiting for them.
"You certainly took your time," he commented leisurely.
"I'm surprised you found the courage to crawl out of Sin," stated Auron with a faint smirk.
"Laugh now if you want," he retorted, "But it won't be for long."
"Lose an Aeon recently?" asked Lulu coldly.
"Lose a guardian recently?" replied Seymour smugly.
"You can summon her now," suggested Auron dryly, "It's what she wants."
"What?" demanded Seymour, finally taken aback.
"You tried to summon her before," continued Auron adding more salt to the wound, "But she wouldn't come to you."
"And I suppose she would come to Yuna?" he bristled.
"No, she was waiting until we got close enough to Sin," stated Auron, "So summon her already."
"Or are you afraid?" taunted Rikku.
"I do not need her anymore," he averred, "My power is far greater."
"Than why go looking for her?" asked Lulu.
"Have it your way then," said Seymour as he raised his staff. The dark clouds appeared and the anchor pulled Anima from the glowing pit. It roared and swung its arms to the sides as it flapped its wings.
"Where's Tidus?" asked Rikku.
"She's still holding him in her arms," replied Auron. Rikku gave him a strange look.
"But Auron, her arms are empty," she pointed out.
"We can only see her upper half," he explained, "He is with her lower half now."
"How can we get to him then?" she asked.
"We must get her into overdrive," said Lulu, her mind racing, "We have to hit her fast and hard."
"Kill them," ordered Seymour. Anima ignored him and turned around so it faced outwards towards the open ocean. Its eye glowed and sent out a shock wave that crashed into the waves far below. Lulu muttered an incantation and hit Anima twice with a glowing explosion of magical energy. Auron cast a haste spell on himself and his allies. More shockwaves crashed into the waters below.
"Should we pull in closer?" asked Rikku.
"No, we need to keep our distance," said Auron.
"I said kill them!" commanded Seymour imperiously.
"Switch with me!" said Yuna, hurrying onto the deck.
"Right!" said Rikku running back to the elevator.
Yuna raised her staff and glowed. A giant form streaked across the clouds and landed with a tremendous crash that caused the deck plating to buckle. It was an enormous humanoid dragon with dark violet scales and golden claws. It had a large pair of wings with crimson feathers and tipped with twin claws. A giant golden wheel decorated its back. It bellowed fiercely.
"Lend us your strength Bahamut!" pleaded Yuna.
Bahamut roared and planted all four claws into the metal and breathed out a pillar of pure light that almost knocked Anima off the edge of the airship. It was then that they heard singing, a terrible guttural voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.
Ieyui nobomeno ren miri yojuyogo hastae kanae kutamae
"She sings to Sin," said Auron.
"No," protested Seymour, "You will obey me!"
A giant dorsal fin broke through the surface of the ocean, revealing a leviathan, with a huge gaping maw lined with sharp teeth underneath multiple eyes inset on the forehead. It raised a pair of enormous fins and sent tidal waves crashing out in every direction.
Auron struck at Anima's midsection with his blade as Lulu desperately cast Ultima again.
"Bahamut quickly!" ordered Yuna.
Bahamut growled and four purples spheres of energy appeared across its wings and struck the Dark Aeon. Anima continued to sing although the toothy maw did not seem to move. Sin bellowed and roared as the world seemed to shimmer around Auron. He slumped to one knee and grunted in pain.
"Sir Auron?" asked Yuna. By now Lulu noticed their weapons glowing with unnatural brightness.
"Yuna, dismiss your Aeon and run away!" she ordered.
"I'm not leaving you!" said Yuna defiantly.
"We're too late," whispered Auron as he slumped to the ground. By now Yuna and Lulu began to feel faint as the world shimmered and swirled around them. The last thing Yuna saw was Anima slowly turning and meeting her gaze with its single aquamarine eye.
Then all was darkness.