Chapter 7
Tidus didn't even stop to think; he simply leapt over the railing after Yuna and managed to grasp her ankle as she plummeted toward the courtyard far below. He drew out Caladbolg and tried to halt their descent by driving it into the walls of the tower as they streaked past. The sword gave off a shower of sparks as it grazed the side of the building, finally biting through the stone. They came to a stop so suddenly that Tidus nearly lost his grip of Yuna's leg with his free hand. She opened her eyes and stared up at him dumbfounded.
"Tidus!" she gasped.
"There's no time!" he yelled as the sword began to slip again, "Summon Valefor quickly!"
Yuna nodded quickly and swung Nirvana in front of her. She began to panic when no Aeon appeared; she couldn't sense her bond the Fayth anymore. The stonework crumbled and they began to fall again. Feverishly Yuna began to pray for the power to save Tidus. He pulled her into a tight embrace as he waited for the end. Gradually their descent began to slow as he heard a mournful buzzing. He looked aghast as Yuna began to fade away into a swarm of Pyreflies, but then she reformed with a strange pair of glowing ethereal wings.
"Y-Yuna?" he stammered. She opened her eyes and tears spilled out as she regarded him with loving sadness. Together they slowly drifted downward to the courtyard below.
"I'm so sorry Tidus," she said, "Please forgive me."
"Oh, just stop jumping off of buildings already!" he snapped in frustration. She merely nodded meekly; she couldn't bear to tell him that she was apologizing for something else. As they settled gently on the ground, their trembling legs gave way and they crumpled together into a heap. As they lay together looking up at the tower above them, Yuna desperately clung to him.
"Thank you," he said weakly, "You saved me."
"Only by renouncing myself," she replied bitterly, "Oh, I'm such a hateful creature."
"What are you talking about?" he asked as he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder. She sniffled softly.
"Even when I know what I am," she stated, "I do not want to give you up."
"You don't have to my child," said Alma as she emerged out of the nearby shadows. They both sat bolt upright at her words. Already a crowd was beginning to mill around them, murmuring to themselves. Yuna gently pushed Tidus away and turned to face her tormentor.
"Please let Tidus go, for Lady Yuna's sake!" she pleaded.
"Wait, aren't you-?" began Tidus.
"Valefor, you still can be Yuna," said Alma evenly, "I can make things the way they were." Yuna shook her head violently.
"I cannot live with what I have done!" she yelled, "You falsely gave me a life and love!"
"Do not deny your feelings," cautioned Alma, "You can make them your own."
"What's going on here?" demanded Tidus angrily. He turned to see the other guardians appear at the main entrance.
"Anima could not bring your friends to Zanarkand," said Auron, "She could only bring the Fayth across." Rikku and Wakka stared at him in shock, but Lulu merely looked thoughtful.
"That would explain it," she said as she looked at her bandaged hand, "I must be Shiva then."
"Is this true?" asked Tidus.
"Yes it is my son," she replied regretfully, "But they bear the memories of your friends through their Celestial weapons."
"I'm a Fayth?" gulped Wakka, "Which one?"
"Ifrit," said Lulu and Rikku in a chorus. He chuckled half-heartedly at that; he should have known.
"But why?" asked Tidus in despair. Alma walked up to him and lovingly placed a hand against his face.
"I wanted you to be happy," she whispered. Tidus couldn't reply to that. He had wanted so badly to go back in time and forget all that he now knew. But he had started this mess himself; he had freed her to do what he wasn't able to do himself.
"I'm responsible for what you did," he said as he took her hand, "So please send me back to Spira."
"Don't say that," she said fearfully, "I can't lose you again." Tidus frowned at her slightly.
"You never lost me," he said.
"All those years in darkness," she said in a brittle voice, "I cannot survive without your sunlight."
"The Prisoner has captured your sympathy Tidus," stated Auron, "But the Blind Queen possesses your soul."
"Silence, mercenary dog!" snapped Alma.
"Now we see your true face," added Lulu.
"After all that I have done," she said in a cold fury, "And this is the gratitude I am shown?"
Lost in thought, Lulu wondered why she couldn't remember any of Shiva's past. She looked at her doll for a moment and it became clear to her: the destruction spheres. She flung her doll to the ground, where it shattered. Wakka ran towards her as she dispersed into a cloud of Pyreflies. They swarmed and formed into a woman in flowing green robes with purple trim, her pale face buried in the folds of a long veil. She clutched her forehead in pain as the centuries of memories rushed back into her consciousness. Wakka gingerly took her bandaged hand.
"Lu, is that you?" he asked uncertainly.
"No, but you're sweet for caring," responded Shiva, "Now reclaim your memories, Ifrit."
Wakka nodded reluctantly and tossed his Blitzball against the nearby building, shattering it. With the destruction sphere broken, he could now remember the tomb in Kilika. The Pyreflies reformed into a muscular young man wearing golden armor and shoulder pads over a violet tunic with a matching hood.
"So it is true," said Ifrit as he angrily gathered a ball of fire in the palm of his hand.
"Stop it!" ordered Alma, looking panic-stricken. One by one the guardians of Yuna broke their weapons and rematerialized as Fayth. Shiva idly wondered how they could still be corporeal.
"Give up Anima," said Yojimbo, now a man in a blue jacket over white trousers, his face hidden behind an aquiline metal mask with yellow eyes. Kogoro padded up next to him and waited.
With Godhand gone, Rikku reformed into a young woman wearing a blue bandanna over dark hair and a purple shirt over a tight green skirt. Immediately the two sisters burst out of the crowd and nearly crushed her in a group hug.
"Sandy!" cried the younger sister tearfully.
"Mindy, is that you?" she said, looking surprised. The young girl simply nodded, too overwhelmed for words.
"You sure had us worried," said the large woman cheerfully.
"Sorry about that Cindy," said Sandy looking downcast.
"Hey we're all together," said Cindy, "That's all that matters, right?"
"You're the Magus Sisters," said Tidus in awe.
"No kidding," said Cindy putting a hand on her hip.
An old man stood in place of Kimahri, wearing a green suit with leather gauntlets and a triangular hat with tassels. He merely nodded to Yuna; she understood and raised Nirvana high over her head. As she swung down, Alma caught it.
"Tidus will vanish if you awake from the dream," she said, "Even if he defeats Sin, he will be parted from Yuna."
"Let go!" commanded Yuna.
"But if he stays here, he can be spared from that anguish," said Alma reasonably, "As Yuna, you can stay by his side forever." All the strength seemed to leave Yuna's arms. When Alma released her grip, she let the end of Nirvana rest against the ground lightly.
"I do love you," she said longingly to Tidus, "But my love for Spira is greater."
With that she raised her staff again and slammed it into the ground. Alma took a step back as the shimmering Pyreflies coalesced into the form of a young woman wearing a yellow dress with dark blue sleeves, her black hair tied into braids at the back of her head. Tidus walked up to her and could still see glimpses of Yuna in her dark eyes. He tried to speak but she put a hand over his mouth.
"Don't," whispered Valefor urgently. No words could express the awkwardness they both felt.
"Come with us Tidus," said Shiva, "And return to fight Sin."
"This will be on the house," said Yojimbo as he drew his sword.
"You fools!" snarled Alma darkly, "You would throw away my gifts so lightly?"
"I would rather die for the truth," said Shiva, "Than live for a lie."
"As you wish," said Alma hollowly.
"Wait!" shouted Tidus.
Kogoro already lunged at Alma and mauled her arm as Yojimbo slashed her across the chest with his sword. Her right eye began to glow infernally, sending out of a shockwave that blasted them backwards through the air. They disintegrated into a cloud of Pyreflies that spread out into the night air. The crowd began to run away in a panic as Shiva cast a massive ice block that crashed on top of Alma. She then snapped her fingers, at which the ice exploded into a shower of shards. A second shockwave careened at her but Ifrit jumped in the way at the last minute.
"I promised-," he said as his body broke apart.
"Ifrit!" screamed Shiva in anguish.
"Your bodies are frail," said Alma standing bloodied in front of her, "My power over you is weakening."
"Then we'll finish you off!" said Sandy striking a defiant pose with Cindy and Mindy.
"Attack together," suggested Ixion.
"Stop this!" said Tidus, "Please!" Alma smiled at him indulgently. She had to discipline them, lovingly but firmly.
Ixion sent a bolt of lightning crashing down, after which Sandy slashed Alma with a wrist razor. She responded with shockwaves that caught Ixion and Cindy.
"Sister!" screamed Mindy as she threw a barrage of daggers at Alma. A second shockwave blast broke the pavement into clouds of dust. Tidus started coughing as he tried to make his way around. As the dust settled, he saw Alma standing in the middle of a crater. Shiva and Valefor were only others still standing. The swarms of scattering Pyreflies told them all they needed to know about the fate of the others.
"We cannot defeat her," said Valefor mournfully.
"She is still bound to Tidus," said Shiva.
"Come my children," said Alma in a raspy voice, "I will give you a mother's love."
"Lady Yuna's waiting for you," said Valefor as she planted a kiss on Tidus' cheek. He grasped her hand in an attempt to stop her, but she pulled herself free.
Together Valefor and Shiva ran towards the expanding shockwave that engulfed them in a pure white light. Tidus slumped to his knees in despair. Even though they were not really his friends, he still mourned their loss. It was too cruel to contemplate, he thought as he felt a bloody hand rest on his shoulder.
"Don't cry Seymour," said Alma reassuringly, "Mother's here now." Tidus looked up into her bleeding face and saw madness in her eyes.
He screamed as he drew out Caladbolg. Reflexively she blasted him against the building. Tidus struggled to his feet painfully.
"You're not my mother," he said, panting heavily, "You're just a monster I freed."
With a high pitched wail she sent him flying with another shockwave. He lay still as the buildings around them began to warp and twist. Spikes began to emerge from the hotel and envelop her. Tidus heard footsteps and saw the young boy from before.
"This Anima desires only oblivion," explained Bahamut, "She will try to destroy everything."
"So we have to stop her," said Tidus wearily as he got to his feet.
"She is using your power," he added, "You cannot defeat that."
"So what should I do?" he asked in irritation.
"Let her win," said Bahamut simply. Tidus thought it over. The direct approach wasn't working. Maybe he could still reach the other Anima, the one Auron had called the Prisoner.
"Worth a shot," he muttered as he threw the sword away, "Mother, here I am!"
She made a strange strangled noise as she slowly turned to face him on her platform of shifting rock.
"It's your son Seymour!" shouted Tidus, "Forgive me Mother!"
"Seymour…," said Alma as she began to cry, her tears mixing with the blood. Tidus walked towards her, his hand outstretched. She let out a guttural scream and sent out a final shockwave that tore through Tidus' body. He slumped into her arms.
"Tidus?" she asked, shaking him gently but he didn't respond.
Bahamut picked up Caladbolg and carried it over to Alma. She weakly took it and inspected the sun shaped crest embedded in the hilt.
"Why do I always destroy the things that I love?" she whispered. Bahamut merely waited. There was nothing more to be said. She hoped it wasn't too late. Holding the sword aloft, she broke it against the pavement. Her body disintegrated into a cloud of Pyreflies around Tidus. Sin appeared over the horizon, drawn again to him like a moth to a flame….
Yuna felt cold metal against her face as her eyelids fluttered open; the blurry patches of colors resolved into the upper deck of the airship. The Dark Aeon loomed over her, staring with a single aquamarine eye that was crying a bloody tear. She had only been unconscious for a moment but it felt like a lifetime to her. Woozily she got to her feet and saw Lulu and Auron doing the same.
"Fine time for a nap," sneered Seymour.
Lulu replied with another doublecasting of Ultima that slammed into Anima. It shrieked and howled in pain. They found themselves sinking into the floor into a crimson colored space. The lower half of Anima unfurled out of the bottom edges of the wings. It had a hideous sharp toothed skull framed by billowing white hair. A crown of spines encircled its head, with four horns jutting out the sides, each capped with a tassel.
Cradled gently in claws was Tidus, fast asleep.
"Tidus, come back to me!" called Yuna as she ran over to Anima.
"Yuna, wait!" warned Lulu.
"Yuna," muttered Tidus faintly. He opened his eyes and looked in surprise at the creature holding him. It set him down next to Yuna, who clutched his arm fearfully.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said distantly.
Tidus held out a hand as he gazed into the metal plated eye sockets of the Dark Aeon. He thought he could sense it was trying to say something, maybe an apology. Chains appeared out of the void and wrapped around its wrist, pulling it back into the folds of the wings. It let out a last plaintive howl as they rose to the deck of the airship again. More chains burst from out of the ground and wrapped around Anima's midsection, pinning its arms against its chest. A final chain appeared in the arms around its neck that pulled tightly against its throat.
Seymour saw his chance. He dismissed Anima, which sank into the ground roaring. Tidus slumped to the spot where it had vanished, a single tear tracing down his cheek.
"I'm sorry Mother," he said. Seymour walked over to him and drove the end of his staff against the back of Tidus' hand.
"You have no right to weep for her!" he thundered.
"How can you not?" demanded Tidus. Seymour flinched and backed away from him to the edge of the deck. Looking down, he could still see Sin far below.
"This is boring," he said airily, "But do come and pay me a visit sometime."
"Wait!" shouted Tidus, "What was her name?"
"Who?" asked Seymour.
"Your mother," he said. A strange look of pain mixed with pity crossed Seymour's face. Somehow, he was beginning to understand this stranger a little better; not that it really mattered to him. On a whim, he decided to indulge him.
"Her name was Alma Guado," he said before leaping over the side. Tidus ran over in time to see Sin sinking into the waves far below.