EPILOGUE

An old priest in shabby robes stood beside a cracked stone pillar, its bulk partially hiding him as a metal hulled ship edged away from its temporary mooring against a broken stone bridge. He shook his head sadly as several Al Bhed carried an unconscious blond haired youth onto the deck, dropping him carelessly against the side of a turret. "So, it begins again...," he said quietly as he looked down at the book Bahamut had given him a short time ago. He turned away as the ships engines roared to life and it moved away from the ruins. "But maybe this time it will be different. Too bad they will have to learn the truth for themselves..."

"Its been a while since I saw you last, Lady Reena," the old priest said quietly, looking down at the slender book in his hands with a saddened expression. "It is nearly time for another decision, are you ready?" He stroked the cover of the book gently, lost in thought for a moment. "I want to read you something, so you may know what your choice so many years ago brought about." The priest sat on a stone bench under a small dome supported by cracked columns, the pale morning sunlight filtering through the large holes in the roof to brighten the pages of the slender book as he opened it. "Will you listen?"

Water lapping against jagged rocks, and faint cries of sea birds echoing through the piles of stone were the only sounds as he waited for the fayth's response. He smiled slightly as a woman stepped closer and stopped beside a fragment of the temple wall to settle silently on it's rough surface. Tomi looked up as he felt a waiting silence. "So, where do I begin," he asked himself, turning the pages of the book carefully. "It's a story I hoped to never have to read, and it will make for hard reading indeed, but I think you need to hear it." He closed the book once more and drew his dirty feet up under him, sitting cross legged as he settled the book in his lap.

"Once, a long time ago when Spira was much different than it is now, there was a man...," the priest said slowly, sadness filling his voice as he rubbed the cover of the book gently with one gnarled hand. "He felt that the truth should be protected and passed to future generations without distortion. He started a journal, and hid it in a secret place within the chamber you now reside in. Over the years, other men found this book and added their stories as well, in an attempt to keep the truth alive, even though they knew the danger they would be in if it was discovered." He stopped for a moment and looked up towards the woman to make sure she was still there. "I'm going to read you the journal of a young man who learned that truth. He had to make a very hard decision, and a sacrifice no man should ever have to make." He sighed softly, and then nodded to her as she looked at him, a question in her eyes. "Yes, it was Braska's journal." He opened the book again and began to read. "You both gave your lives so others might have a better future, but only time will show which of you chose wisely."

Braska's Journal:

I was given an ancient journal many years ago, a journal written in the nearly forgotten language of Zanarkand, and then further hidden by a code it took me many weeks to decipher. I have set the translation at the end of this journal so you may know what I found and make your own judgment concerning it. Sometimes I wish I had never seen it, but then I think about all the lies I have lived with all my life and I realize I prefer knowing the truth. The truth...it is hard to know what that is sometimes. Most people prefer an easy lie to a difficult truth, and that is what brought us to where we are now.

The ancient journal was written by men determined to pass the truth on to others, so maybe someday, somehow, we could learn from it and bring peace to our world. We have lost so much in the last thousand years; entire cities full of people, people with dreams. Their art and music, machines and technology used to make their lives longer and happier - all gone, all of it gone, destroyed and finally forgotten. All because of jealousy and anger about something that in the end... didn't really matter.

A thousand years after Zanarkand fell, we are still fighting the war that destroyed it. Zanarkand's final weapon destroyed those it was meant to save, and brought the rest of Spira down with it. Sin, an aeon created by the desperation of one man, still lives - recreated each time it is destroyed. Spira's savior becomes the next destroyer in a never ending cycle, a cycle that must be ended if Spira is to survive. The aeon's aren't the answer, and so I am determined to buy us time to find another solution.

When I first began this journey so many years ago, I was young and innocent, I believed in the church. I believed what I had been taught, and didn't question. We weren't allowed to question. Later, I learned better...the worst fault a man can have is to believe unquestioningly what he is told. A lot of what I believed was a lie. Lies...lies told over hundreds of years until they are the new truth. Lies, told by those we trusted. Lies...told until the truth was destroyed.

I felt hollow and empty when I realized most of what I knew was untrue, but I have begun to fill that hollow with a new truth - one I am learning with the help of the fayth. Bahamut speaks to me, and I have learned to listen. He is the oldest of the fayth, and his wisdom guides me now as I journey to awaken the others.

Three of us have joined together to save Spira, a failed priest, a warrior monk, and a man out of his own time and place...each of us fighting for different reasons. I am the only one who knows the full extent of the sacrifice we will have to make when we reach the end of our journey, and I can't tell my companions, even though this secret is tearing me apart. I have known of it for many years, but I have only told one man what I have learned; Cid, the leader of a people destroyed by Bevelle, has become my ally, both of us fighting to destroy Sin in our own way.

Auron, my best friend, the brother of my heart, doesn't know what I learned from the journal Tomi gave me on Baaj. I couldn't tell him that everything he's believed his entire life is a lie. That the church, the foundation of our world, is built on lies and the desire for power over others. I know he suspects I am keeping a secret, and I can only hope it doesn't cause his death. One of us needs to live to tell the story, and I know it will not be me; my death was decided when I chose to continue my pilgrimage. My only regret is the pain my death will cause those I love.

Jecht, how should I describe him...except to say he is lost. Lost from his home, his family...and himself perhaps. He is a complicated man, more so than you would think from first appearance. He pushes people away and doesn't allow his feelings to show, and yet its clear to me that he does care deeply. Jecht has gained Auron's respect, at least for his fighting skills, but they are so different that I doubt they will ever be friends, and yet I know that each would die to protect the other...or me.

I am humbled by the trust they have in me, and troubled because I can not tell them the truth about what we are going to face. We will destroy Sin once and for all...someday, maybe not this time, but the sacrifice we make now may well set in motion Sin's final destruction. Bahamut has a plan to end the cycle of death, and we can only hope and believe that what we are doing is right; believe that our truth is enough to end the lies forever and bring peace to Spira at long last.

Here is the story of our journey, make of it what you will, but know that most of all...it is the truth.

Our Journey Begins:

We left Bevelle before dawn this morning, creeping through the darkness like thieves. The temple was determined to use our journey for their own ends, so we left, unheralded and in secret, by way of the north road, then circled back to the harbor and joined Rin on his ship. Jecht thought we should have had a grand exit, and I didn't have the heart to tell him that was exactly what we were avoiding by leaving so early.

The trip to Besaid was uneventful, although we were on edge the entire time watching for Sin. The weather was clear and we reached the island safely on the sixth day, days before a normal ship could have made it. Rin's ship is truly a marvel, and he is justifiably proud of it.

Besaid is beautiful, an island nearly forgotten by the rest of civilization. I never made it here on my first pilgrimage and I wish I had, because it is very peaceful here. The people are friendly and showed us great generosity and kindness. This is the type of place Yuna loves, I wish she could visit here someday. It would be a nice place to grow up. Maybe I will have Auron bring her here when this is all over.

We were able to enter the temple soon after we arrived, and moved quickly through the Cloister of Trials. I entered Valfor's chamber at long last, and laid Bahamut's pendant on top of the sleeping fayth as he instructed...the fayth glowed, and then the figure of a woman appeared, Bahamut standing beside her. We spoke for a time, and then Valfor agreed to join with me and grant me her aeon.

The villagers threw us a party on our last night, and Jecht got drunk. I had to cast sleep on him after he tried to start a fight, and he is in a foul mood today. He's been drinking more and more as the trip continues, and while it hasn't seemed to affect his fighting abilities, it certainly has affected his disposition. Auron and Jecht fight about everything, and spend most of the day in angry silence now.

I had reason to call Valfor to defeat a large fiend during our trip back to the dock, and the aeon was magnificent. Rin met us there and took us back north to Kilika. Our next stop is the temple at Kilika where, if all goes well, I will speak with the fayth of Ifrit. I gained this aeon long ago and it will be interesting to see what difference having the fayth awake makes...

Tomi read the journal for many hours, following Braska's journey from Kilika to Djose, and then to Macalania. The shadowy fayth waited, listening, as the sun slowly moved across the sky and angry thunder clouds gathered on the horizon.

Braska's Journal:

The Moonflow is beautiful tonight. The pyreflys glow above the floating flowers, making the river look like a ribbon of stars. Truly one of the wonders of Spira. It is hard to imagine that there is an entire Al Bhed city laying in ruins under its smooth surface.

Jecht got roaring drunk yesterday and attacked the shoopuf at the ferry. It took all my powers of persuasion, and most of my gil, to calm the Hypello. The only good thing about the whole incident is Jecht swore he will never drink again. I think he realizes how out of control he is, and feels he let us down. I have never seen Auron so angry, and yet...he seemed to have changed his attitude towards Jecht, and it seems they have agreed on a truce of sorts. I don't think Auron knew how troubled Jecht has been, and I have asked him to speak to Jecht and help him if he can, since he seems hesitant to talk to me about this.

We reached Guado Salam nearly a month after leaving Bevelle. We spent the night at the inn, and met Maester Jyskel and his son Seymour the next morning as we were preparing to leave for the next part of our journey. I was able to speak with them for a short while and I was concerned by Maester Jyskel's fervor; fanaticism of any sort makes me uncomfortable, and he seems to have a hidden agenda somehow. I was able to talk with his son Seymour in private for a moment and renew our acquaintance. Seymour has grown a lot since I saw him last, but it is such a shame the boy is still so afraid; he hides his fear by striving for power and believes that the more powerful he is the less he will have to be afraid of - it will not be long before losing the power will be his only fear. His mother would be ashamed, for he is turning into the very thing she strove to protect him from.

We had no real difficulty getting past the Guado to start the next stage of our journey, since we were on pilgrimage and it is against custom to block a summoner's passage, but there seems to be a growing hostility against outsiders; they outwardly follow Yevon, but I think there is something going on under the surface, especially when they speak of the Ronso. I can't bring myself to trust them fully for some reason.

The priests at the Macalania temple were all Guado, to my surprise. I hadn't heard that the temple had allowed them control there. They were outwardly polite, and gave us quarters for the night, but it took a great deal of persuasion to get access to the Trials. It seemed like they didn't want us there, and I had to hold Auron back after one of the guards insulted us. The whole situation was troubling. We eventually figured out the puzzles, and reached the chamber of the fayth where once again, Bahamut appeared to wake her. Shiva agreed to help us, and granted me her aeon, but she had some troubling thoughts about Sin.

Shiva was one of the last fayth left in Zanarkand after the city fell to Bevelle, and she remembered things about the final battle; she warned me about Mount Gagazet, about what we would find there. I dread what we will see when we reach the summit, but I don't know how to warn my companions without driving Jecht further into the depression he's fallen into. He fights against the fiends as if driven, and then he sits silently for hours after we camp at night, unable to sleep apparently. I don't know what he is thinking, but he seems sad, and Auron has been quiet as well. This journey has been hard on all of us, but it has to be done if Spira is to have any hope of peace.

"They fought fiends, weather, and priests determined to delay them, until they finally reached the Calm Lands and the last leg of their journey." Tomi summed up the next few journal entries as he continued to read. "Bahamut had told them of two hidden aeons; the first one an ancient warrior, locked in the farthest reaches of a fiend filled cave. They fought many mighty fiends before they reached the hidden chamber containing the fayth, and Braska sustained grave injuries, but in the end he was able to convince the ancient warrior named Yojimbo to join them." The old priest shifted on his stone seat, turning so the setting sun lit the pages once more. "The second location held three sisters joined together as one. They were locked deep inside a hidden temple, sealed behind an impenetrable door. Braska was able to open the door with Bahamut's help, and the three fayth also agreed to join with them in the effort to defeat Sin."

Braska's Journal

We camped in the Calm Lands for several days to rest up and heal our wounds before we began the climb up Mount Gagazet. It was on the third day that Sin appeared floating up from a huge rift in the plains. Jecht had no idea what we were up against, since he'd never actually seen Sin, and he seemed dismayed at the size of our opponent. We fought the Sin spawn, but then we had to make a hasty retreat through the pass. I had summoned every aeon without any noticeable effect on the monster itself, and we were all injured so we had to hide until Sin had gone. This was very hard on both my companions; Jecht seems even more depressed, and he has nearly stopped talking; Auront spent most of that evening sitting apart from us, an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. None of us has spoken of the battle...I think all of us were shocked by how little effect our attacks had on Sin.

"Mount Gagazet was next, and it presented a formidable challenge to the three. The mountain was covered in snow and ice, even in the middle of summer, and sudden snow storms could be deadly. In addition, the monsters on the mountain would be especially fierce, since many were the fiends of former summoners and guardians," Tomi closed the book for a moment with a sigh, looking up at the listening fayth. "They were very determined still, but their journey was to be even more difficult as they started up the mountain." He shook his head sadly and began to read once more.

Braska's Journal:

We came across a fight between several Ronso today. Two large males were battering a third who was younger and smaller. The older Ronso's laughed and ridiculed the younger one, who we eventually learned was called Kimari. The courage and determination of the smaller was inspiring. He would not give up. The smaller finally beat one of the larger ones and this seemed to enrage them to the point that the remaining one broke off the younger one's horn in retaliation. Jecht lost his temper when he saw this, and Auron had to pull him off the bully before he killed him. We camped for the night and protected Kimari while he healed. He told us he was considered the "runt" of his family, even though he towered over us all, and was not well thought of by his clan. He said he would probably be cast out now, since a broken horn was considered a sign of disgrace for his people. We offered to take him with us to Zanarkand, but he said he needed time to think about his future. I'm hoping we see him again.

We reached the summit of the mountain today, and we found horrifying evidence of the crimes the church of Bevelle committed. All the lives wasted; men, women, and even children - frozen here in the ice and rock for all eternity, never to reach the Farplane. Their bodies seem to have been changed into one large fayth somehow. Bahamut says the power of their combined wish to have their lives returned to them has summoned a dream of Zanarkand, the dream Jecht was torn from. We reached the top of the path down to Zanarkand just as the sun was setting, revealing the destruction war had brought to a once beautiful land. The city was in ruins, parts of it were blood red in the setting sun while the glow of thousands of pyreflys lit the rest with an eerie glow. It was sad to see the realization that his Zanarkand was truly gone reach Jecht. I think he still hoped the city he remembered would be waiting for him, along with his wife and son. He has been in a very somber mood for the last few days and I can only imagine what he is feeling now.

It took us most of a day to reach the edge of the city, and it will take another to reach the place where Jecht says the blitzball stadium used to stand, so we made camp early. We will look for the final aeon in the morning. Jecht seems to have accepted that his once lovely city is gone, but he hasn't spoken to any of us all day, not even when Auron tried to start an argument with him. I'm worried about them both. The closer we get to the final aeon, the quieter Jecht has become, and the more concerned Auron has gotten. He is watching me now, but looks away when I lift my head. I don't know how he is going to react when he learns the truth and I am dreading tomorrow.

Today has been the hardest of all my journey, the hardest day of my life. I had choose a friend to sacrifice. How do you choose which friend will die? Jecht offered his life and agreed to become the final aeon in order to defeat Sin. Auron was desperate to stop this from happening, but Jecht insisted. I can only hope this is the last time anyone will have to make this sacrifice.

All the lies were revealed today, and it nearly broke Auron. He doesn't want to accept that this is the only way. I wish I could have told him the truth before this, but I could see no other way - he would never have allowed me to come this far if he had known. I still haven't told him what will happen when I summon Jecht's aeon...I don't have the heart to tell him it will mean my death.

The fayth of Bahamut was able to gain more information from lady Yunaleska, and now I finally understand. Now we know what happened, how this all started...but we still don't know how to end it. Yu Yevon made Yunaleska murder her husband as the city of Zanarkand was falling to the enemy armies, then summoned the newly created fayth to make a powerful new aeon, dieing as he did so. Yunaleska could not bear the weight of the sin she had committed and the loss of her husband and father, so she killed herself, but even that wasn't enough to sooth her anguished soul. She has stayed in Zanarkand, punishing herself by repeating the sin over and over, trying to justify her terrible actions by granting the final aeon to other summoners.

Bahamut explained that Yu Yevon had figured a way to use pyreflys to make an armor, but he could not teach any of the aeons to cast the spell to form it so he had to join with it, in effect creating an aeon with the power of two fayth. With the armor an aeon would be able to defeat the weapon Bevelle called Vagnagun, the one they had used to destroy the Al Bhed city of Py'Nahdec. The new aeon was unable to repel the Bevelle army however, as it would take several years to gather enough pyreflys to create the armor, so in the end Zanarkand fell anyway and most of the people were killed.

We left Yunaleska with our hearts heavy. Auron isn't speaking to me, he is angry with me and I don't blame him. I lied to him, or at least kept the truth from him, and he is slow to forgive. I only hope we have time to work this out, because I would hate to die knowing I left him hurting.

I was surprised to see a ship in the destroyed harbor, and certainly didn't expect to hear another voice calling my name. Cid assumed that I had not gone thru with getting the final aeon when he saw Auron. I did not have the heart to tell him otherwise. When asked, he agreed to take us to Baaj - there is one more aeon that we need to get. Kimari, the young Ronso we met on the mountain, joined us just as we were boarding the ship. He has asked to accompany us since he has no place to go, and he would fight Sin with us to regain his honor. I allowed him to come with us with reluctance because the final battle will be dangerous, and it is a real possibility that none of us will survive it.

We arrived at Baaj to find it completely destroyed. Cid says it was attacked by Sin several months ago and nearly everyone was killed. After some searching we found the entrance to the Chamber of the fayth. It was difficult to reach, and we had to swim for a considerable distance, diving to reach the doorway.

Lady Reena would not grant me her aeon. She says her son still needs her. We spoke for some time and I gave her news about her son, but I didn't tell her my suspicions. I wish I had now, but its too late, we've already left the island. I asked Cid if he would take us to Bevelle - I wish to see my daughter Yuna one last time.

"The hand writing changes to Auron's here," Tomi says quietly, then continues to read, tipping the book to catch the last rays of the setting sun, its light turning the pages red, as if washed with blood.

I have watched Braska write in this journal as he sat beside our campfire at night. Putting his thoughts down on paper seemed to calm him in some way and I can only hope it will help me. If nothing else, it seems fitting to put the ending of this cursed journey down. Maybe someone will learn something and it won't have to happen again.

No words can describe the horror I witnessed three days ago. I am not sure I can write down what happened yet, but I must try or I know I will never be able to later. Sin attacked Bevelle, sweeping in from the bay and tearing through the harbor district, causing massive destruction. I can only hope my brother's family survived, since I have not been able to find him or his family yet. My best friend could not allow Sin to destroy Bevelle with his daughter and all our friends there, so we moved to meet the monster as it floated over the fields to the South of the city, leaving the city in ruins behind it.

The crusaders were fighting, but they fell as we watched, as did many of the temple guards. There was nothing to stop Sin now, so Braska started summoning the aeon's. They fought valiantly, but each was eventually beaten. Sin still remained and Braska was finally forced to call Jecht's aeon. Before he did, Braska gave me the pendant he had been carrying since gaining Bahamut, asking me to keep it safe. As I put it on I found a child standing next to me. I assumed it was Bahamut, since he appeared as Braska had described him. I pleaded with the fayth to stop Braska because I knew he hadn't told me everything about this summoning, but he said it was the only way Sin could be beaten.

The final summoning called forth an aeon of unimaginable power, a man nearly a hundred feet tall, but the act of summoning nearly tore Braska apart. He died in my arms, his blood covering me, but before he did he made me promise that I would live, live to fight Sin, live to find a way to defeat it forever. I promised him, though my heart was breaking.

I could only watch as the new aeon destroyed Sin, and a tremendous explosion of pyreflys escaped the monstrous corpse, leaving nothing behind. Just as I thought it was over, a new fiend attacked Jecht's aeon - it was some sort of purple spider or tick. It latched onto him, and could not be torn off until it had completely buried itself into his side. The aeon changed...it became distorted somehow, and it staggered off away from the city as if it had forgotten why it was there. I didn't know what it was then, but Bahamut has since told me it was Yu Yevon, still alive in some hideous way, continuing the cycle of death. I was left behind, holding the body of the man I considered my brother. We had won, but at what price? Two men sacrificed themselves to defeat Sin, but was it enough? Will this ever end?

I found out today that Machel and all his family are dead. They were down at the harbor when Sin struck. There was a mass sending of all the dead this morning, but I couldn't bear to be there. I want to remember them the way I saw them last - happy, laughing...alive. So many dead...this has got to stop!

I have asked Kimari to take Yuna to Besaid so that she can grow up away from the church's propaganda machine. The priests have already started trying to use her, and I won't allow it to go on. The priest at Besaid is no friend of the those at Bevelle Temple and he has promised to keep her safe. She will be happy there, and can grow up without their interference.

I'll give this book to Cid for safe keeping, then I will end this cycle - I will go and destroy Yunaleska so there will be no more final aeon. Maybe I will return to Bevelle someday, but for now... it holds too many memories.

I promised Jecht I would take care of his son, and somehow I will.

I will find a way.

"That is all that is written. The last entry is dated nearly ten years ago, and if Bahamut hadn't taken this book from that fellow who took the blonde haired kid away, we would have never known what happened." Tomi closed the book, and rose to his feet, then moved slowly down a hidden stairway leading to the partially collapsed prayer chamber, finally entering the Chamber of the Fayth, Lady Reena following him silently. "I'll just put this book with the other," he said softly, closing the hidden compartment before he turned to face the waiting fayth. "The whole truth is known now...there is no need for me to stay. The rest is up to you...it is your choice Lady Reena. I hope you choose more wisely this time." Pyreflys began to swirl out from his body, and soon he was gone, leaving a silent figure behind.

Ancient Journal Transcript:

The situation was horrifying right after the war; Bevelle suppressed all news from Zanarkand, and all the rest of Spira knows is that they won the war, and Zanarkand was defeated. What they don't know is the news we have heard from sympathizers; Bevelle had replaced the regular soldiers with temple troops for the last assault, and the victorious temple troops drove all the survivors out of the city. It was the darkest part of winter, and the pass over Mount Gagazet was blocked by many feet of snow, but still they herded the people out. Women, children, old men, it didn't matter to them. The last people of Zanarkand climbed out of the city, forced to at gunpoint, and they all died on the mountain.

May Yevon curse Bevelle for the lies it tells now. Only two years after the destruction of Zanarkand, and its already beginning. I overheard a story today while I sat in a small café in Luca. Two men spoke about the role Bevelle played in starting the war – and its nothing like what I know to have happened. The damn war started over a stupid disagreement, like kids arguing over a favorite toy, not as a holy war against blasphemers! The men spoke of a split in the doctrine, how Yu Yevon had led Zanarkand away from the true teachings and Bevelle had punished Zanarkand for their sins. I knew this wasn't true, and it was all I could do to keep silent, even though I am still in danger, even now, from the priests of Bevelle; they would have killed me on sight if they knew I was a priest of Zanarkand, and a Summoner.

Yesterday I heard several priests of the Bevelle temple saying that Yu Yevon performed a special summoning with help from his daughter Yunalesca and her husband, just before the city fell, and that there is a new fayth there now. I later asked Brother Rillic why Yu Yevon would have done that, what he thought to accomplish, and he told me a strange story. Yu Yevon had discovered a way to combine the powers of a fayth and a summoner; he planned to use that power to create a tremendously strong aeon, and armor it somehow, in order to defeat Bevelle. Brother Rillic said it must not have worked, because Zanarkand fell anyway. No one knows where Yu Yevon is now, so we can only assume he has died.

It's been many years since I've been back, and time has not been kind to the temple we built here on Baaj. I'm an old man now, and my time is ending; I will soon join my friends and family on the Farplane. I'm not sad about dying, but I wish I could have done more to keep the true story alive. Maybe it is better I die now, before history is totally rewritten.

I think Yu Yevon is getting his revenge; I've been hearing tales of a huge fiend, many times the size of any seen before, attacking the settlement Bevelle has been building in the ruins of Zanarkand. I've thought for a long time about the final summoning Yu Yevon and his daughter did, and I have decided that the only way such a plan could have succeeded is if someone actually combined with the aeon they created, combined with it somehow to guide it from within? That might explain why Yu Yevon's body was never found.

The fiend seems to be attracted to large groups of people, especially if they are using machines, and it leaves massive destruction behind it. The largest part of the Bevelle navy has disappeared, not heard from in months. People are talking of it, saying it is punishment for the sins they committed during the war, the atrocities committed against the people of Zanarkand and Py'Nahdec. I have decided to stay here until I pass to the Farplane; I will hide this journal in the secret niche in the chamber of the fayth now, and hope it is found someday.

Note: The handwriting has changed, and there are a number of mistakes in the translation - as if the writer is not familiar with the language.

I found this journal hidden away in the wall of a room built to contain a fayth. Master Priest Cultoth says it may have been built a hundred years ago by blasphemers from Zanarkand. It took me many days to figure out the encryption, since my skills in this language are slight, but I am likely the only one here capable of translating this at all. What I read has shaken me badly, and sometimes I wish I had never found this book. I have kept my knowledge secret because I know my superiors would destroy it immediately if they knew it even existed.

I don't know if I believe all that is written, but too much of what it says fits things I've heard and read in the temple archives over the many years I served there. The journal speaks of terrible things done by order of the temple of Bevelle, of how Bevelle controlled the news and has rewritten the histories to change what people believe to be the truth. I know the last as least is true, since I have participated in some of the cover-ups and have spread teachings I knew to be wrong, at my master's orders.

We just got word that the strange fiend that people are beginning to call 'Sin', attacked Bevelle a few weeks ago. Thousands of people were killed and half the city was leveled. The strange fiend has returned time and time again after we've destroyed it; after reading this account, I believe it to be the final summoning of Yu Yevon.

If the priest of Zanarkand spoke truly, the only way to defeat what we now call 'Sin' is to break the bond between the aeon and its rider by performing another summoning. How though, when none of our weapons have sufficed and we have no more Summoners; the church has banned them in order to keep tighter control on what the people believe. The Maesters think that Summoners remind the people of Zanarkand, and they don't want that part of our history looked at too closely.

The records of the war years have been changed so extensively over the last few years that the children of today know nothing of what truly occurred. A strange thing is starting to happen all over Spira; the young people have begun singing a song, one I believe to have originated during the war, as a hymn. None of them know what the words mean, but they insist it pleases the fayth…some swear they hear singing when the chamber of the fayth is empty…

Note: The hand writing has changed slightly, and a different type of ink was used. From what it says it seems this was written at a time much later than the first section?

The ship was two weeks late and only brought half the supplies we'd requested. I don't know how we will survive the storm season now. The ship refused to take anyone off the island, saying they didn't have any orders to evacuate us. Luca was attacked by Sin, with heavy casualties, and the villages of Konika, Sontiki, and Beliko were totally destroyed. The sailor who told me this says it's not safe to rebuild the villages, and the survivors are moving to Luca where they can be protected better. Fiends are overrunning the mainland, killing at will; they say there is nowhere safe to take us. I am old now and I'm not strong enough, or brave enough, to defy the orders of my temple leaders, but I can write my true feelings here in a record I will return to hiding, just in case we don't survive the storms. May Yevon have mercy on us all, because it appears Yu Yevon will not.

Note: A new entry, written by someone who signed with a priest's glyph, not one I recognize.

I found this journal hidden in a small niche behind a certain carving in the fayth chamber. I don't know what to believe of its contents, but the deceit and betrayal it speaks of sickens my heart. I can only wonder why these things were done, why Yevon allowed them to happen. Yevon must have deserted those people or maybe they deserted him?

Summoners exist again. Once it was determined the machina – machines – couldn't destroy Sin, the Church of Yevon decided the people needed at least the hope of defeating Sin, so they created the custom of the Journey. Each Summoner makes a Journey, or pilgrimage, across Spira to visit each Temple of the Fayth, visible proof that the church is trying to defeat Sin. I think it's to focus the people's attention on the Summoners, and not on what the Church is doing elsewhere. It has also had the effect of reinforcing the tradition of repentance and brought the Church more power. It remains to be seen if the summoners can succeed; the fayth have changed over the years - past teachings said that the fayth fought alongside their summoners as full, conscious partners, but it seems this is no longer true. It is as if they sleep now and assist us unknowingly, as if in a dream; no summoner has actually spoken with a fayth for several generations.

A summoner has defeated Sin for the first time, and we have hopes it is gone for good. It cost us the life of the strongest summoner in fifty years however, and we have no-one to replace him. The hymn of the fayth is sung continuously in all the temples now, since it seems to keep the fayth from fading. Two of the fayth had already gone before we discovered this; gone forever, in temples which did not allow the hymn - one was in the main temple in Zanarkand, the fayth of Lord Zaon. We no longer know how the fayth were created, so we have lost something irreplaceable.

Note: Several page gap between these two sections of the journal – the ink is badly damaged by water so I am not sure of the exact translation.

…seen off the coast of Bevelle - Sin has returned, barely ten years after it was defeated. Summoning does not appear to be the answer either. I have decided to leave a more tangible legacy than past authors of this journal, a clue to this information from our past, carved into stone. It will have to be a riddle, else the others will destroy it. Maybe someone yet to come can decipher it and have the strength to finally right the wrongs we have done.

We know what we are, for we have committed atrocities in the name of Yevon - but know not what we may be, if we are redeemed by faith and righteous action.

We hold our fayth as a shield, so they may protect us, and as a weapon, so we may protect Spira.

Sin stands before us, and our past actions have damned us from the Farplane.

But all eyes are closed in dreaming - the fayth sleep and we deny our past - open them, that we may know Sins true form and atone.