Chapter VI – Operation Mi'ihen
The Mi'ihen Highroad was a long windy path that led to Mushroom Rock, a canyon. Many summoners walked this path. The dirt road never wore down. Mi'ihen, as legend said, had been the first person to take a step on the road.
Jokes were tossed among the companions. The scent of laughter reeked in the air. The quiet Auron gave a slight laugh. Sara's last words on that route were clear and remembered by all, even the ones who didn't survive the journey. "Thank you. I want my journey to be full of laughter."
But Cid also heard Auron's voice.
"I made a promise to you. I will keep it, Cid. I will." It took him a second to realize that Auron was not speaking about him.
The pass between Mushroom Rock and the Highroad was surrounded by a steel fence. Sentries were stationed at set intervals of the path. They were clothed in metal plates with a scabbarded sword at their side.
"I'm sorry but there is a big operation going on. You may not pass," said the gatekeeper as the company arrived.
Alex crossed his arms. "What operation?"
"Operation Mi'ihen is a movement of all the Crusaders to destroy Sin once and for all." His voice was sharp and to the point.
Alex frowned deeply. "This involves the use of machina, right?" The sentinel nodded. "And machina mean Al Bhed, true?" A second nod was his reply. Alex exploded like a firework. "That's against the Teachings! No machina are allowed!" He went on and on until Maester Seymour came by. Sara made a hasty bow of respect.
"You want to pass, am I right?" he asked. He turned to the guard. "Allow Sara and her guardians to pass." The man opened his mouth to protest. "I will accept full responsibility."
As they went through the canyon, talk entered the silence. "Maester, you realize that the use of machina goes against Yevon!" exclaimed Alexander.
The Maester nodded his head slowly. "If it takes machina to kill, Sin then they must be used." He continued past Alex and vanished out of sight.
Alex's eyes fell on the sight of machina cannons, and he ran to kick the side as hard as possible. "Damn the Al Bhed! Damn their machina!"
"Don't say that," piped up the voice of Sara. "In the end, the Al Bhed work for what we do, right? We all want a Sin-free world. They just use different means to conduct their beliefs. We are our perspective of Al Bhed to them too."
"Well, yeah, but it goes against the Teachings. Sin is considered our punishment for sinning, and machina use is the worst crime." He sighed and proceeded through the canyon.
The Maester explained his plants at the base at the end of the canyon. "We have captured some Sinspawn. This Sinspawn will attract Sin itself. The cannon at the tower and the smaller ones down here will fire. If it is not affected, we will have to use our foot soldiers." Sara nodded. The plan began.
A guard ran to him. "Sir! The Sinspawn are missing!" The cages were empty, and the Sinspawn appeared in front of them. It killed the guard instantly with a pillar of fire. This one could use magic.
Auron was quick to strike at the Sinspawn's body, but it shielded itself with its hard arms of steel. Fire erupted from the ground as Cid and Edgar scurried like mice to the Sinspawn. Lulu formed gusts of wind and earthquakes on the ground, and Alex aimed for the head with his bow. Sara summoned Valefor. Surprisingly enough, Maester Seymour made wave after wave of water, fire, and ice. But the huge Sinspawn was not hurt at all.
Battle raged on with no ground gained. Physical attacks had little to no effect, and elemental magic was even worse. How does Sin possibly produce this monster? Why did JENOVA even do this in the first place?
An abrupt wind sent the Sinspawn hurdling into the sea. No, not at the sea, at Sin.
Sin stood in the water, seemingly as big as the vast ocean itself. Its outer coat was a cluster of various Sinspawn, tinting it a jet black color. It had the vague appearance of a shark. That fin was a little too memorable. Sin's head looked like one of a whale. A shrilling shriek caused Sara and the others to cover their ears.
The tower cannon had a line of electricity passing between the two tips of the cannons. While the main weapon charged, the lesser cannons, numbering more than a hundred, blasted huge projectiles of bullets at thousands of angles at Sin. The protection of Sinspawn completely nullified the attack. Thousands of Sinspawn shells clattered into the waters of the sea. They sparked to life and swam through the water. The foot soldiers waited for Sin to get closer, holding their mounts still. More cannons fired, but most were reloading. At last, the main blaster was ready. A gigantic mass of electric energy shot from the cannon tip. Sin threw up a blue shield. As the two forces collided, Cid knew that Sin would win. There was only one way to defeat Sin, and that was the Final Aeon. The blockade was immensely powerful, so much that it reflected the power back at the tower. The building split in three pieces. The fighters on foot dashed into the water to strike at Sin. A strange wave of blackness covered a group of them. In a second, they vanished out of sight, leaving black particles in the air behind. More and more died as Sin brutally killed mass numbers. The ones that Sin missed were handled by the water monsters. From the perch high above the battle, the company of six and the Maester watched without blinking the wrath of Sin, the wrath of JENOVA.
Sara took quick steps forward and raised her arms out to her side, staff in hand, to summon an aeon.
"Stop," ordered Maester Seymour. Reluctantly she lowered. "Your aeons are too weak. Sin will destroy them."
Cid could feel the dissatisfaction in Sara. Instead the courageous summoner raised her staff and moved in graceful dances. The pyreflies flew in the air as Sara performed a second Sending. People die, and Sara performs the Sending, perfectly normal for the way of the summoner. Once, a dance of the dead had been enough. Two times was pushing it. If Cid saw her perform another Sending, he would break down.