Of wandering guardians and summoning arts.
Chapter 4.
By: Kin-Ryu Chikara
This is a fan fiction based on the ps2 game Final Fantasy X and X-2. I have no rights to this game, names or characters from the game. That right belongs to Squaresoft. This story is based on the game and may differ slightly from the game play.
"Regular speech"
"YELLING OR LOUD SPEECH."
'thought'
"Song"
(A/N: my notes during the story. Stands for author's notes)
-- paragraph
At sunrise we woke up and started to get ready for a new day. Our last day.
Yuna and I changed into our summoning gear, and I had to use all my willpower to stop myself from staring, although I didn't really have to.
After a quick breakfast, we headed towards Zanarkand dome. I had my arm around Yuna's shoulder again and she leaned her head on my shoulder. We found that this was the most comfortable position to walk in, and we could enjoy each others warmth.
--
After a long walk and a lot of fights with fiends, we arrived at the dome and a old man stood there waiting.
"Summoners, step forward please." The old man croaked. Yuna and I took a step towards the man and he stared into our eyes.
"Show me you journey…. Ah, you have both travelled well. Lady Yunalesca will surely welcome you two." the old man said and we walked in the dome.
--
Once inside we saw a image of a summoner talking to her guardians. One of the guardians said something about the summoner using her life and it being the greatest honour for a guardian.
'"Use my life"? What did she mean by that?' I thought, but didn't say anything.
--
We went trough the dome and fought a lot of fiends, but none of them gave us any trouble, just minor inconvenience. Then we came to the trials. A really annoying trial too. Stepping on shining spots to activate a lift. And we didn't even activate the lift. Instead a huge dragon like fiend appeared and we had no choice but to fight it.
"SURROUND IT! TIDUS AND I WILL TRY TO DISTRACT IT AND MAKE IT ATTACK US. WHEN IT DOES, THE REST ATTACKS IT WITH ALL YOU'VE GOT!" I yelled as I, reluctantly, let go of Yuna and Tidus and I ran up towards the fiend and sliced it. The fiend roared and swung at Tidus and me, but when it did, two huge black magic spells hit it in the back and a sword, a blitz ball and a pair of claws also made themselves present. The fiend was about to turn and attack the ones behind it, but Tidus and I charged again and drew its attention again.
This continued for some time before the fiend finally fell.
We stood panting after the fiend was gone, and I wiped some sweat from Yuna's brow. She smiled at me.
"Were here. The hall of the Final Summoning." Auron said, completely spoiling mine and Yuna's mood.
"Go!" Auron said and Yuna and I nodded. We stepped onto the platform that had appeared, but we didn't go down. I stood with my back towards our friends when I made up my mind.
"My friends. What are you waiting for?" I asked.
"Come one, get on!" Yuna said smilingly. Our guardians then ran onto the platform and we went down to the chamber of the final Aeon. Yuna and I had a unpleasant lump in our chests. We knew what would happen now. I grasped her hand and squeezed it in what I hoped was a reassuring way. She looked at me and I could see tears in her eyes. It tore me apart that she was on the verge of crying, although I probably was no different.
When we came down, we were meet with the sight of a empty fayth statue.
"What the?" I said and then another old man appeared.
"This is the first fayth of the Final Summoning. This is Lord Zaon, but he has lost his power as a fayth. Lord Zaon is…his soul is gone." The old man explained.
"Gone?" Wakka asked
"You mean, there is no Final Aeon?" Rikku asked, a bit of hope entering her voice, but also fear.
"But fear not. Lady Yunalesca will show you the path. The summoner and the Final Aeon will join powers. Go to her now, and she will guide you." The old man said and disappeared.
Yuna and I turned and walked trough the door way that the old man came trough.
On the inside, we saw a door open and Lady Yunalesca emerged.
"Lady Yunalesca." Yuna said while she reached for my hand.
The Lady stopped before us.
"Welcome to Zanarkand. I congratulate you summoner. You have completed your pilgrimage." Yunalesca said gracefully but then she looked confused.
"But there is two summoners. Which one shall face Sin first?" she asked. Before Yuna could say anything, I released her hand and stepped forward.
"I will!" I said with a tone of voice that silenced Yuna. I didn't see her, but I could feel her raging emotions, most present sadness and fear.
"Very well. I will now bestow you with that which you seek. The Final Summoning…will be yours. Now, choose." Lady Yunalesca said and gestured towards my friends. I didn't know what she meant and she started walking towards me.
"You must choose the one whom I will change…to become the fayth of the Final Summoning." She said and we all gasped.
'What? Oh no…so that's what that guardian meant by using her life. No, I won't allow my friends to become fayth.' I thought but before I could say anything, Yuna stood beside me.
"Why must we choose?" she nearly yelled.
"There must be a bond, between hosen and summoner, for that is what the Final Summoning embodies!" Lady Yunalesca continued as she walked towards me. When she reached me, she reached up to touch my cheek.
"You hold powers well above any summoner to visit me in the past. If you wish, you can come and live her after you beat Sin." She said softly. I reached up, and pulled her hand away.
"I am sorry my Lady, but I already have someone I devote my life towards. My wife beside me. I don't love anyone else and never will." I said and Yunalesca nodded, took a couple of steps backwards. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Yuna unclench her fists. She looked angry, but relieved as well.
"I see. You pass the first test with excellent marks. I too loved someone that much. My husband, Lord Zaon. We shared a love so strong it was able to destroy Sin. I see your love for your wife is equally strong as my love for my husband." Yunalesca said.
'Strange test, but really easy to pass.' I thought and eyed Yunalesca suspiciously.
"You flirt with my husband to test his love for me? Why?" Yuna asked angrily. Yunalesca looked at her.
"And your anger show you love your husband greatly as well. I can see that the two of you are perfect for each other, even your souls fit together like pieces of a puzzle. If you two weren't summoners, you would live happily together for the rest of your lives. To bad you two will experience the same I and my Zaon did, all those years ago." Yunalesca said. I looked at Yuna and saw that her anger didn't diminish the slightest.
"The Final Summoning embodies the unbreakable bond. The bond between husband and wife, mother and child, or between friends. If that bond is strong enough, its light will conquer Sin. A thousand years ago, I chose my husband Zaon as my fayth. Our bond was true, and I obtained the Final Aeon. There is nothing to fear. You will soon be free of worry and pain, for once you call forth the Final Aeon, you're life will end. Death is the ultimate and final liberation. Your father, Braska, chose this path." Yunalesca said to Yuna. I saw Yuna shake, by fear or anger I don't know. I could not read Yuna, and it scared me a little.
Then we saw a vision of Braska, Auron and Jecht standing in the same spot we did.
Jecht chose to become the fayth, and he spoke of his dream of making Tidus into a star blitz ball player. He said his life would hold meaning if he fought Sin with Braska.
'How noble.' I thought and then Auron lost it and sliced his own image in the vision apart.
"The cycle of death continued." Auron said.
"We'll break it."
"If someone has to become a fayth, I volunteer." Lulu said.
"Me too, Yuna or Salmar! Which ever one of you who fights this time, I will fight with you, ya?" Wakka said.
"But it won't mean anything. You bring the Calm, and then what? Sin returns!" Tidus said, waving his hands around.
Wakka crossed his hand and apparently entered "lecture mode"
"Listen. You wanna defeat Sin and keep Yuna alive. You wanna make sure Sin never returns? That is just not gonna happen brodda." Wakka said.
"If you want everything, you'll end up with nothing." Lulu said.
"But I want everything!" Tidus said forcibly.
"Now you're being childish!" Wakka retorted.
"So? I don't want Yuna or Salmar to die. I don't want them to be thrown away. Everyone just thinks they can throw away a summoner and do what they want. And I think what Auron said was true. That there is a way to stop the cycle." Tidus said.
"You'll think of something, right?" Rikku said happily. Tidus nodded. I looked at Yuna and saw her troubled look.
I was about to say something but Tidus interrupted me.
"I'll go as Yunalesca. She's got to know something." He said and turned to walk away.
"Wait. We'll go with you!" I said, grabbed Yuna's hand and started walking towards the door. When I was about to take a step on the stairs I stopped and turned to Yuna. She looked puzzled at me.
"What?" she asked.
"I just want you to know that I love you. And no one can change that. Not even Lady Yunalesca." I said and kissed Yuna. She smiled and hugged me.
"I know. Come on, let's meet with the Lady." She said and we followed the thousand year old lady.
We entered a ruin with a starry sky above it. In any other circumstance I would have admired the view, but now I focused on the figure standing in front of me. Lady Yunalesca stood in the middle of the floor we were on.
"Have you chosen the one to become your fayth? Who will it be?" she asked me.
"Might I ask something first?" Yuna said hesitantly.
"Will Sin come back even should I use the Final Summoning to defeat it?" she continued.
"Sin is eternal. Every aeon that defeats it becomes Sin in its place…and thus is Sin reborn." Yunalesca answered.
"So that's why Jecht became Sin." Tidus said, mostly to himself.
"Sin is an inevitable part of Spira's destiny. It is never-ending." Yunalesca said as she spread out her arms.
"Never-ending? But…but…if we atone for our crimes, Sin will stop coming back, ya? Someday it will be gone, ya?" Wakka asked.
Yunalesca shook her head.
"Will humanity ever attain such purity?" Yunalesca asked.
"This…this cannot be! The teaching state that we can exorcise Sin if we atone completely! Its been our only hope all these years!" Lulu said in a loud tone.
Yunalesca looked at Lulu and shook her head again.
"Hope is… comforting. It allows us to accept fate, however tragic it may be." Yunalesca said.
The both Tidus and a vision of Auron yelled "No!" and rushed forward with drawn swords.
"WHERE IS THE SENSE IN ALL THIS? BRASKA BELIEVED IN YEVON'S TEACHINGS AND DIED FOR THEM. JECHT BELIEVED IN BRASKA AND GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIM!" the vision Auron yelled, swinging his sword towards the vision Yunalesca that had appeared.
"They chose to die…because they had hope." Yunalesca said and Auron screamed and charged at her. He tried to take a swing at her with his sword, but was knocked back.
"Yevon's teachings and the Final Summoning give the people's of Spira hope. Without hope…they would drown in their sorrow. Now, choose. Who will be your fayth? Who will be the one to renew Spira's hope?" Yunalesca asked.
I looked into Yuna's eyes and she looked into mine and we both knew what the other was thinking.
"No one." We said in perfect unison.
"The Final Summoning is a false tradition that should be thrown away." I said.
"Braska sacrificed himself to give Spira hope." Yunalesca said.
"No…my father. He wanted to take away Spira's suffering. Not just cower it up with lies. My father. I loved him…and that is why I will live my life with my sorrow. I will live my own live, together with my friends and my love. I will not continue this false hope." Yuna said, with amazing force and will in her voice.
"I was prepared to give my life for Spira, but not if it means that the people only lives with false hope. It is better to face the sorrow and beat it head on instead of cowering it up. I too will live my own life together with Yuna and my friends. We will find a way to beat Sin without the Final Summoning." I said with my own force and will in every word.
"Poor creatures. They will throw away hope. Very well. Let me be your liberator and set you free from this life filled with sorrow." Yunalesca said and got ready to fight.
"THIS IS IT. THIS IT THE TIME TO CHOSE. DIE NOW AND ESCAPE YOUR SORROW OR FIGHT AND LIVE WITH BOTH SORROW AND JOY. THIS IS THE FIGHT TO SHAPE YOUR STORIES." Auron yelled.
"Yuna needs Kimahri. Kimahri protect Yuna." Kimahri said.
"Well, I'm fighting!" Rikku said.
"Me too!" Tidus joined in
"I can't believe we're gonna fight Lady Yunalesca! Gimme a break!" Wakka said
"You can always run." Lulu said and Wakka humped at that.
"I'd never forgive myself…no way! Not if I ran away now. Even in death, ya!" Wakka said and Lulu smiled
"My thoughts exactly." She said happily.
"Yuna! This is our story. Now let's see this thing trough together." Tidus said and Yuna nodded to him. She took my hand and squeezed it before drawing her staff and reading herself.
--
The fight started with Auron and Tidus hitting Yunalesca as hard as they could. Then Yuna and I cast Holy spells on Yunalesca and Lulu used Firaga. Wakka, Kimahri and Rikku attacked as well. Right before I and Yuna was about to attack again, Yunalesca changed and got some tentacle things. I saw she was about to attack and launched my attack.
"We have to continue fighting. Don't stop. Do not allow her time to attack. If we do, then we are doomed!" I yelled and we continued to fight. I nearly got my head ripped of when one of the tentacles attacked me, but Yuna saved me. Then Yunalesca changed again, and this time a huge head with snakelike hair appeared.
"What is this woman?" I asked Yuna but she just shook her head and the fight continued.
I looked at my friends and saw that we were all badly roughed up.
"Shit! Yuna, I'll summon Bahamut." I said and she nodded. I called the Aeon and Yunalesca tried to stop me, but Bahamut stopped her.
"BAHAMUT, USE MEGA FLARE!" I yelled and he nodded, jumped back, charged up his most powerful attack and hit Yunalesca with it. That did the trick and she was beaten. The huge head and tentacles dissolved, leaving only Yunalesca lying on the ground.
--
"If I die, so does the Final Aeon and Spira's only hope." Yunalesca said while she lay on the ground, clutching her chest.
"Then we will find Spira a new hope." Tidus said
"Fool. Even if you somehow destroy Sin, Yu Yevon the immortal will only create Sin anew." Yunalesca said.
"Yu Yevon?" Tidus asked.
"Ah, Zaon. Forgive me. Spira has lost its hope and all that remains is sorrow." Yunalesca said and died.
--
After Yunalesca died, Yuna gasped.
"I cannot believe what we just did." She said. Tidus seemed very cheerful and said:
"Let's do something more unbelievable."
"What?" Rikku asked.
"Beating Sin without the Final Aeon." I said.
"Do you really think we can?" Wakka asked.
"We just defeated the first summoner to ever defeat Sin. I would say our chances are pretty good." Auron said.
'But what about that Yu Yevon Yunalesca mentioned.' I thought. Yuna saw that I was deep in thought and grasped my hand.
"What are you thinking so hard about?" she asked. I looked at her.
"Yu Yevon. If I understood Yunalesca right, he is the one who makes Sin. If we are to defeat Sin, we have to defeat Yu Yevon. Question is, what and where is he?" I said. Yuna nodded and thought deeply as well.
"Oh, don't sweat it. We'll find out." Tidus said.
"Let's get out of here for a start." Lulu said and we walked out. We went out of the dome as quickly as we could. When we emerged from the dome, we saw Sin waiting for us.
"Wow, now what do we do?" Wakka asked.
"We are no where strong enough to take him on now. We have to get away." I said and felt Yuna's grip on my hand increase.
Sin turned and started to leave and Cid's airship arrived.
--
We went to the bridge and saw Cid wait for us. He looked surprised to see me there, but happy none the less.
"Aren't we the happy lookin' bunch." He said sarcastically.
Brother asked where we were going and Rikku yelled at him. I smiled at the interaction. Then I noticed Cid eying me closely, but neither said anything.
"So, what do we do now?" Wakka asked.
"Any ideas?" Auron asked Tidus.
"Aw, come on. A little help please?" Tidus said scratching his head.
"We know that Sin is Jecht. Therefore you have a bond with Sin. That may be our key." Auron said.
"So, what do we do?" Tidus asked.
"We train, wait and think." I said. Auron the started to walk away and Tidus seemed down.
"That's two things I'm bad at." He said and I could hear Auron chuckling as he walked away.
Yuna then walked towards Cid and bowed to him, although I little hesitantly. Cid responded by turning and watching the sky fly by. Yuna looked a little hurt and walked away.
I followed her and Kimahri.
--
I caught up with them quickly enough and I saw that Yuna was crying. I stopped her by grabbing her shoulders. She tried to shrug me off, but I held on.
"Yuna, why are you crying?" I asked and she stopped struggling. Instead she turned to me and hugged me, laying her head against my chest and cried.
"Why won't uncle Cid look at me?" she asked. I rubbed her back reasuingly.
"He doesn't know what to say. He expected you to die, remember? We all did. He is probably overcome with emotions." I said and Yuna gently nodded. I lifted her chin up so I could see her eyes.
"But why are you crying? We won't die to summon the Final Aeon, so we have received a gift." I said. Yuna looked a little puzzled
"A gift?" she asked.
"Our lives back. We have received our lives to spend with each other. Now we won't die and can live together for many years." I said and she brightened. I think that idea hadn't sunk in until I said that.
"We really have the rest of our lives ahead of us, don't we?" she asked and I nodded. She then squealed happily and hugged me even harder.
"I'm so excited. We're married, in love and have our lives ahead of us. I feel complete now." Yuna said. I hugged her back.
"Me too, although I don't feel complete yet. We still have to defeat Sin once and for all." I said and Yuna nodded against my chest. She then straightened and looked me square in the eyes.
"So, any ideas? You always make the best battle plans in mere seconds, so that brain of yours have to have thought of something." She said.
"Kimahri agrees. Salmar good with battle planning." Kimahri said gruffly.
"Thank you for your confidence." I said grinningly. "And yes, I have a plan, although not very good yet. We wait, think and above all train. We have to get stronger. Yunalesca nearly killed us, and somehow I think Sin will be stronger." I continued and Yuna nodded. We turned toward a window and looked at the sky flowing past us.
Then Tidus came.
"What's you all thinking about?" he asked.
"All my life, I have been thinking about how to defeat Sin. But outside the teachings, I know nothing. I am sorry." Yuna said and I pulled her a bit closer and kissed the top of her head and inhaled the scent of her hair. A scent I could not place.
"Yuna, no apologies." Kimahri said.
"Huh?" Yuna asked and turned to him.
"Apology is running. Yuna never run away." Kimahri said. Yuna nodded and smiled.
"Thank you Kimahri." She said. Tidus turned to the Ronso as well.
"So Kimahri, any ideas beside Salmar's idea of training and waiting?" Tidus asked.
"Yevon's teachings." Kimahri said.
"But the teachings won't help us fight Sin." Yuna said sadly. Then I slapped my forehead.
"Why didn't I think of that. I know what Kimahri is thinking of. Damn, and you call me smart?" I said. both Yuna and Tidus looked at me like I ha lost it.
"What? Care to fill us in?" Tidus asked
"No answer lie in the teachings. Look for answer elsewhere." Kimahri said. Tidus looked confused.
"What Kimahri means is that the answer is not in the teachings alone. We have to know both the teachings and what lies outside the teachings to find the answer we seek. We have to search Spira to find the answer to our troubles." I said.
"Mika knows much. Find him, make him talk." Kimahri said and I nodded.
"I can arrange that. He still owes me more than just his life." I said with a big grin on my face.
"Wow, that is genius. Kimahri, you rock!" Tidus exclaimed and Yuna giggled at that.
"Well, let's go tell the others." Tidus said and we walked back to the bridge.
--
When we entered Wakka said he had a great idea, but Rikku cowered his mouth.
"Hey, it was my idea. Let me tell them!" she said but Wakka pushed her out of the way.
"It's like this, ya?" he began. Then Rikku came up behind him, crouched under his arm and ran in front of him.
"I just thought!" She began
"The Hymn is the key." Lulu said and Rikku looked down.
"Aw, I wanted to tell them." she said sadly. I walked up to her and patted her head.
"Don't worry Rikku. I'm sure you will think of something to tell us soon enough." I said and started to laugh at the expression she sent me.
"The Hymn?" Tidus asked.
"Sir Jecht likes the Hymn of the Fayth, correct?" Lulu asked.
"Well yeah. He used to sing it all the time. But how does that help us?" Tidus asked and for once I had no clue either.
"That's why he was listening to it in Macalania!" Rikku said. I was shocked.
"He was listening to it in Macalania?" I asked Yuna, who nodded.
"You didn't see that did you. Were to busy running away!" Rikku said while leaning towards me with her hands on her hips. I didn't respond to that.
"Sin…violence incarnate, listening peacefully." Lulu said. Then Wakka walked up to Tidus and rubbed his head.
"I know it's your old man, and I don't mean no disrespect, but…" Wakka said. He didn't get to finish since Tidus stopped him.
"No, it's fine. I've gotten used to it." Tidus said.
Lulu turned towards Wakka.
"Let me say it." she asked and Wakka nodded.
"If we attack Sin head on, our chance of victory is close to zero. But if we can distract it, that chance increases greatly. If Sin hears the Hymn of the Fayth, he will become docile." Lulu said.
"Yeah, and that's when we make our move! Might be against the rules and all, but who's keeping track, ya?" Wakka said.
"Yeah! It could really work!" Rikku joined in.
"Yeah! Yeah, its worth a try." Tidus said.
"Even so, I want to try Kimahri's idea." I said and Kimahri retold what he said to me, Yuna and Tidus.
"Wow Kimahri. You make just as good plans as Flames." Rikku said happily and I could swear I saw Kimahri blush.
"Well, of to Bevelle then." Wakka said and everyone started to make preparations.
--
While everyone was preparing, Yuna and I had gone up to the deck and stood watching the view.
"Salmar?" Yuna asked.
"Yes babe?" I replied, giving her a big smile.
"When should we…complete our relationship?" Yuna asked, blushing fiercely. I blinked a few times before I laughed and pulled her in for a hug.
"When we feel the time is ready. When we both want to. There is no rush." I said and she sighed relieved and hugged me.
"I was worried you wanted to do it as soon as possible." She said.
"Babe, I love you and would never force you into anything. When we both are ready, we will take that final step. No sooner, no later." I said and kissed her head. She sighed again and we stood there hugging for a while.
"Salmar?" she asked
"Mhm?" I replied.
"I don't feel comfortable calling you Flames anymore." She said sadly. I gently took hold of her shoulders and looked into her eyes.
"Why not?" I asked.
"We are both fire people now. I don't feel comfortable calling you that. I want to call you something only I can." She said and we thought for a while.
"Ah, I know." She said and smirked at me.
"Oh? Care to share?" I asked.
"If you are going to call me babe, then I'll call you stud." Yuna said happily. I thought my eyes would pop out but then I smiled back.
"Well, it seems good, if you think the name fits. And I don't see any others calling me that." I said and she nodded and hugged me.
"Well stud, what now?" she asked.
"I don't know babe. I guess we tell you uncle, which stands behind you by the way, that we are married now." I said and Yuna whirled around to see Cid walking towards us.
"What's the deal with you two?" he asked when he came up to us. Yuna and I looked at each other and showed him our rings. I chuckled at his look.
"You two are married?" he asked in disbelief.
"Yes, and before you say anything uncle Cid, I love Salmar and…" Yuna began
"Why do you sound so nervous girl? I love Salmar like my own son, and I couldn't have thought of anyone better suited to marry you than him." Cid said happily and gave both me and Yuna a big hug each.
"Congratulations you two." he said and slapped my back. "I always told you you would marry a hot girl." Cid said while I tried desperately to get my breath back.
"Um, Uncle Cid. How do you know Salmar?" Yuna asked. Both I and Cid looked at Yuna with an amused glint in our eyes.
"Yuna, I thought you remembered. I and my master helped Cid, Rikku and Rikku's mom many years ago. After that I have kept up contact with them." I explained and Yuna looked like she felt really stupid.
"Oh, right. You told us." She said.
"So Yuna, when did you two tie the knot?" Cid asked.
"When we came to Zanarkand." I said and he looked at me.
"So you haven't been married long then?" he asked
"No, we got married the night before last." Yuna said. I briefly thought about all the time that had passed inside Zanarkand dome. A whole day, but it seemed more.
"Okay, well we'll have to celebrate. After we get done in Bevelle, I'm gonna hold a huge party for you two." Cid said. I smiled at that and was about to say something when Brother called over the speakers.
"Father, we arrive in Bevelle in five minutes! "
"This is it. You two ready to face Maester Mika?" Cid asked and we nodded.
--
We arrived in Bevelle and was meet with angry guards.
"Infidel!" one of them shouted.
"We won't let traitors like you enter." Another said.
"And summoners like that are worse than trash. Traitorous summoners should just die." A third said and pointed to Yuna. Tidus and Rikku was about to say something, but I walked calmly towards the guard. He readied his weapon and fired, but my flames erupted and melted the bullet. I stopped directly in front of him.
"What did you call my wife?" I asked in a bone chilling voice. The guard swallowed nervously.
"She threw away Lord Seymour's offer and even killed him. She is a traitor." The second guard said.
"Stop!" Someone yelled. A woman came running and I recognised her as a follower of Yevon we had run into a couple of times.
"Lady Yuna, Lord Salmar and their guardians are not to be harmed, and I advice you to not provoke them any further. Lord Salmar is the famous Fire demon of the wandering guardians." The woman said and I remembered her name. Shelinda.
"They are not traitors. That is an evil rumour spread by the Al Bhed!" Shelinda said and I felt anger radiating towards her, from all of my friends, including Wakka.
"WHAT?" Rikku yelled.
"Maester Mika told me himself!" Shelinda said and it was obvious she believed it.
"Then what are we to do?" guard one asked
"Stand down!" Rikku said in a imitated voice of Shelinda.
"As she says!" Shelinda said and the guards did just that. After the guards walked away, Rikku really wanted some answers.
"What was that about evil Al Bhed?" she asked
"I…I don't really understand it myself. All Yevon is in a state of confusion. Yesterday they called me out of the blue and made me captain of the guard." Shelinda told us.
Auron gave a short laugh. "Short on believers?" he asked.
"Yes, the chaos is worse than I'd imagined. It's horrible and all the priests do is blame each other. But I will not give up. Lady Yuna, your courage has been a great inspiration to me. Even greater than Lord Salmar is to the troops." Shelinda said. I was confused.
"They just called me a traitor. How come they see me as a inspiration?" I asked.
"They don't know that you have left the wandering guardians. Most of the troops admire the legendary fire demon, but they don't know that you are a summoner now." Shelinda said.
"Yeah, that's great and all, but we came here to see Maester Mika. Is he here?" Tidus said and Shelinda nodded.
"I will take you too him. Follow me." She said and we did just that. She told us to wait in the courtroom.
"Hey, wait. What was that about the Al Bhed lying and stuff?" Rikku asked.
"Simple. Yuna and Salmar has become Mika's only hope." Auron explained.
"Oh… okay." Rikku said like it was no big deal.
"Just what does he think he can get away with?" Lulu asked.
"Time to teach him some manners!" Tidus said and Yuna turned to him.
"Yes, let's." she said.
Then I started laughing. Everyone looked at me with curious looks.
"Ah, I can't wait to see Mika again. I'll give him a good scare for what he did to us." I said and started walking towards the courtroom.
--
Mika meet with us, looking puzzled.
"Why are you here? You must go and defeat Sin, quickly! You have obtained the Final Aeon from Yunalesca, have you not?" he said and I could tell he was tired from the sound of his voice.
"Well, we did meet her." Tidus said.
"And talk to her." Rikku continued.
"And disagree with her." Wakka said.
"And get attacked by her." Lulu said
"We fought Lady Yunalesca" Yuna said
"And defeated her." I finished with a emotionless voice. All the colour drained from Mika's face.
"WHAT!" Mika yelled.
"Summoners and guardians will be sacrificed for the Final Summoning no more!" Auron said with an almost commanding edge to his voice.
"You have thrown away a thousand year old tradition? Fools! Infants! Do you realise what you've done? You've taken away the only means of calming Sin! Now Spira is doomed and it is all your fault." Mika said angrily.
Then my flames flared and Mika took a step backwards. I took a step towards him.
"No, you are wrong. We will find a way to destroy Sin for all eternity. But you don't realise that you have thrown away a even older tradition than the Final Summoning." I said. When he didn't say anything I continued.
"The dead go to the Farplane, and the living live in Spira. You have broken that tradition and you have in the process broken our friendship and trust. I believed in you Mika. I thought you were a wise old man, but you are just a coward hiding behind you power. I understand now why you wanted me to guard you so many times. You don't have the strength to fight for yourself. I pity you." I said, made my flames retract into my body and took a step backwards. Mika was breathing heavily and looked scared. Then he composed himself but nit soon faltered and he looked tired and sad.
"Yu Yevon's spiral of death will consume us all. I have no desire to watch Spira die." He said and his voice was without hope and life.
"It won't die!" Yuna said with force, but it didn't work.
"Who is this Yu Yevon guy?" Tidus asked.
"Lady Yunalesca also mentioned him." Lulu said
"Wait, gramps! Who's Yu Yevon?" Rikku asked Mika.
"He who crafts the souls of the dead into unholy armour. An armour called Sin. Clad in it, Yu Yevon is invincible. And the only thing that could have pierced that armour, you have destroyed! Nothing can stop it now." Mika said and raised his hands. He was about to send himself, but I stepped forward and grabbed his arm.
"What about the Fire God? You and master Shin told me stories about the Fire God defeating ever opponent." I said and Mika looked at me.
"It is true that the Fire God would be able to kill Yu Yevon if the Fire God exsisted and were to fight Yu Yevon himself. But first you would have to find the Fire God, then face of against Sin and somehow come before Yu Yevon and fight him. And even then, not even the Fire God may have what it takes." Mika said and went to the Farplane with the parting words:
"Not even you, my friend, has what it takes to do that."
When Mika was gone, I let my hand fall down.
"Disappear on us, will ya? Rotten son of a shoopuf!" Wakka said angrily. I had my head downcast and I heard someone run up to us.
"Where…where is the grand Maester?" Shelinda asked.
"He…um…" Yuna began.
"He's not here yet. How long must we wait?" Auron said and I nearly laughed.
"That's odd…I'll go look for His Grace." Shelinda said. Then I noticed the fayth of Bahamut standing next to Yuna. He told us to come to his room, meaning the chamber of the fayth.
"Okay." Yuna said and turned to Auron.
"I must go see the fayth." She said and Auron nodded.
"I see." He simply said and Yuna, me and Tidus went to talk to the fayth. The rest agreed to wait outside the chamber of the fayth.
--
After the walk to the temple, Yuna noticed a uneseness in me.
"Hey stud! What's wrong?" she asked while putting her arms around my waist. Our friends seemed interested in the new nickname, but didn't ask. I think they realised that was a name only Yuna could call me.
"Something in what Mika said. I will try and piece together my memories, but they hurt. So much pain and suffering, but I will fight it. And I must speak with the fayth. He may hold some answers." I said as we arrived and walked in the chamber. The fayth stood and waited for us over his statue.
"Hello." He said.
"I must thank you for the aeon." Yuna said and bowed. I followed suit.
"He is really strong." I said. The fayth noticed that I didn't feel well. Ever since Mika said that about the Fire God I felt some unknown pressure in my chest.
"So, what's up?" Tidus asked.
"So, have you found a way to truly defeat Sin?" the fayth asked
"Well…" Tidus said and crossed his arms.
"We fight Yu Yevon." Tidus said and uncrossed his arms.
"Yes…but to do that you need something more powerful than all the aeons. But if you defeat Yu Yevon, it will end. Tell me, what do you know about Yu Yevon?" the fayth asked.
"He is what makes Sin come back!" Tidus said
"Sin is his armour. It protects him." Yuna said.
"Yu Yevon was once a summoner, long ago. He was peerless. Yet now he lives for one purpose: only to summon. He is neither good, nor evil. He is awake, yet he dreams. But…maybe not forever." The fayth said.
"Yeah, that's right. Because we're ending it." Tidus said confidently.
"Yes." The fayth replied. "Even if you defeat Sin with the Final Summoning, Yu Yevon will live. Yu Yevon will join with the Final Aeon. And Sin is reborn." He continued.
"Yu Yevon merges with the aeon…" Yuna said.
"Then, protected by this new Sin he has created, Yu Yevon continues the summoning." The fayth said.
"For eternity…huh?" Tidus asked, looking down.
"But you know, there is no such thing as eternity if you end it, is there?" the fayth asked and Tidus nodded.
"Yu Yevon lives inside Sin. Yuna, Salmar listen. When you fight Yu Yevon, we will help you. Promise me you'll summon us. I'm afraid your swords and magic won't be enough. Please call us. Promise?" the fayth asked and both I and Yuna nodded.
"Mika and my master once told me some stories. About someone called the Fire God. Do you know anything about him?" I asked.
"That is not his name. His name is the Fire Lord. He too was peerless, and it is possible her was stronger than Yu Yevon. But the Fire Lord died a long time before Yu Yevon was born. I don't know much about the Fire Lord, only that he was really powerful and that he was reborn several times trough out Spira's history, each time he was reborn, he chose to be either good, or evil. If he would be reborn now, and chose to be good, he would be a great help in the fight against Yu Yevon." The fayth said.
"So, how do we know if this Fire Lord is reborn or not?" Tidus asked.
"There is a ancient temple up north. It is dedicated to the Fire Lord. Go there and see." The fayth said and I nodded.
"Thank you." Yuna said and bowed. The pressure I felt didn't diminish, but grew.
"But, you know…when it is all over…we will wake, and our dream will end. Our dream will vanish." The fayth said.
"Yeah. You've been dreaming a long time, haven't you?" Tidus asked.
"I'm sorry." The fayth said but Tidus shook his head.
"I'm grateful." He said with a big smile.
The fayth nodded and left and Yuna turned to Tidus.
"About what?" she asked. I too wondered.
"Oh, nothing. Hey don't make that face. Come on. We're going to beat Sin! Let's see some cheer, okay?" Tidus said and Yuna nodded.
"You're hiding something." I said.
"No, I'm not!" Tidus said and turned around.
"Really?" Yuna asked and Tidus nodded before he left me and Yuna alone.
"You're a bad liar, you know?" she said after him.
"That counts for you too." I said and she looked at me.
"And you. You're hiding something about the Fire God." She said accusingly. I waved my hands in a defensibly way.
"When I figure it out, I'll tell you. Alright?" I asked and she reluctantly nodded.
--
When we came out of the temple, Shelinda was waiting for us.
"I'm afraid the grand Maester is nowhere to me found!" she said.
"S'okay, we were just leaving." Tidus said.
"Oh…I see." She replied.
"Hey, maybe you can help us with the hymn." Rikku said
"Hey, good idea." Tidus said.
I and Yuna watched as Rikku and Tidus told Shelinda to tell as many people she could that when a ship in the sky plays the Hymn, and that we needed everyone to sing along.
"Rikku is really enthusiastic about this idea, isn't she?" I asked Yuna and she nodded.
"That's Rikku for you." Yuna said.
Shelinda left to tell all of Spira and we returned to the airship.
"So, what now? We got a plan or something?" Wakka asked when we had gathered on the bridge again.
"Yes." Yuna said and aparantly waited for me to continue.
"We train. We have to give Shelinda some time before we can assume she has told all of Spira. I suggest we go and search for the Fire Lord's temple." I said.
"Fire Lord?" Wakka asked.
"My master and later Maester Mike told me stories about a warrior from long ago. He had amazing abilities with fire, but what his true powers are have been lost in time. The fayth told us that the Fire Lord was real and that he has a temple devoted to him up north. The Fire Lord is reborn from time to time, and he then chooses to be either good or evil. If he is reborn now, and has chosen to be good, then he will be a valuable asset in the fight against Yu Yevon." I said.
"Well then. North we go!" Cid said and the airship speed of.
--
"You know, that Fire Lord guy really sounds like you or Yunie." Rikku said. The two of us were sitting on the deck together.
"Yeah, I know. But somehow I know that neither I nor Yuna is the Fire Lord reborn. I just know." I said and Rikku nodded.
"Well then, what do you expect to find up there?" she asked.
"I don't know. Perhaps some way to use my fire better. We'll see when we get there." I said and Rikku nodded enthusiastically.
"You'll see a lot sooner than expected." A voice said from behind us. We turned to see Cid and Yuna stand there.
"What do you mean Pops?" Rikku asked.
"We found a unknown temple not far from Zanarkand. We are heading there now." Yuna said and I nodded.
"So, you think you'll get stronger by going to this temple?" Cid asked me.
"I don't know, but I feel like I will at least find some answers there." I said. Yuna knelt down behind me and hugged me from behind.
"Well, we are beside you no mater what." She said and I nodded.
"Thanks Yuna." I said and squeezed her hand.
--
About an hour later we arrived in the temple. When we went into the temple, even Cid and Brother came with us. Said they were curious as to what I would find.
The temple was spectacular. It looked like it was built out of fire and ice, with lightning and water running trough it. All around were signs of the four elements.
"Awesome. Even more spectacular than the temple in Djose." Tidus said
"Yeah, its so beautiful." Yuna said.
I walked into the temple while admiring the view and Yuna quickly caught up to me. Inside we saw statues of aeons and of people I didn't recognise. And in the middle of the floor stood a pedestal with a huge book on it. The pedestal was shaped like a pair of hands holding the book. On the opposite side of the room, we saw a door with a strange glyph on it.
"Wonder what's in that book." Rikku said. Instead of answering, I walked up to it. The cower read: "The Fire Lord"
"The Fire Lord. Well, we did come to get information on him. Now's our chance." Rikku said. I stood in front of the pedestal and the rest formed a circle around me. Yuna stood next to me though.
I opened the book and a cloud of dust appeared. When it had settled, I began to read.
"When Spira was first made, the one who created all saw the wild elements and understood that something must control them to stop them from destroying what he had just created. He looked to the humans he had created, but saw little help there. What he did was make a being that not only controlled the elements, but was made of all of them. That being looked just like a ordinary human man, but held powers beyond any man. The first Fire Lord was not called Fire Lord, but Elemental warrior. He was neither good nor evil and he tamed the elements so that they did not destroy Spira. He made lightning come from the sky only when the sky was filled with its power. He made ice stay where the environment was cold, fire where it was warm and water in rivers and oceans. He tamed the elements so good that even after his death, they stayed that way.
Hundreds of years passed after the Elemental warrior's death and the one who made Spira left to deal with other worlds. But the maker had not left Spira without challenges. Evil existed in the hearths of some, and fiends started to appear.
Five hundred years after the maker created the first Elemental warrior, the second was born, and he saw that humans needed help against the evil, and we looked at the magic humans had. They were able to heal and to kill with magic, but not much else. So he decided to make it so that magic could call on the elements in their original destructive form, although not as powerful, and thus the black magic elemental spells was made. He took the name Fire Lord because the first black magic spell he used was a spell to call forth fire.
After his death, several others was born, and they all helped control the elements and so will the next one." I read out loud and took a break.
"Wow. Those Fire Lords were really powerful." Wakka said.
"Yeah. Imagine how it would have been to have one of them on our team." Tidus said.
"The seventh Fire Lord was the first to chose a side in the fight between good and evil. He had fallen in love with a human woman, but she was killed by fiends. He then joined the good side and fought against the fiends. But he never used his true powers, since he knew that they would destroy Spira.
The eight Fire Lord was the first to be evil. He chose to fight on the fiends side, but he too never fought with his true power.
I am the twentieth Fire Lord, and I chose to be on the good side. I wrote this book so that the next Fire Lord will have a chance to learn about our history from us. Humans tend to twist their stories, so I feel much more secure writing down the truth.
Inside this temple, there is a door. It should be right in front of you. Enter trough that door, and the spirits of the previous Fire Lords will see if you who read this is going to be the next.
The Fire Lord is not reborn an infant, but a grown person. But not any person. The ones who can become Fire Lord has one element in them. I have ice. Before I was made the Fire Lord, ice resided inside me and I could control it freely. If you have a element inside you, then go trough that door and try.
I don't need to write anything more, since if you aren't going to become the next Fire Lord, then nothing happens. If you are going to be the next, then all our knowledge about how to control the elements comes naturally. Good luck, and if you do get reborn, chose which side to be a part of but never use your true powers. That is our job, to control the elements and protect Spira.
Twentieth Fire Lord." I finished. On the next pages drawings and pictures of ancient people were and I understood that they were previous Fire Lords.
I looked up and saw that Yuna, Tidus, Wakka and Lulu were looking at the door.
"Stud, shall we try?" Yuna asked and I nodded.
"It is worth a try, and both of us have a element inside us." I said. We walked up to the door and opened it. Complete blackness.
"So, who goes first?" I asked.
"Let's draw on it." Yuna said.
"Okay." I replied and Tidus stepped forward. He held out his hands.
"Chose. The one who gets the one with my earpiece in it, goes first." He said. I chose right and Yuna left.
"Yuna goes first." Tidus said and I hugged her.
"Be careful in there." I said and she nodded.
"Careful Yunie." Rikku said. everyone voiced their concern and Yuna smiled at us.
"I'll be careful. See you in a little while." She said and walked up to the door, took a glance at us and a deep breath. Then she stepped trough the door and it swung shut behind her.
--
I paced restlessly in front of the door but no sound came from it. Then, after about ten minutes it swung open and Yuna walked out. She didn't look any different.
"So, what happened?" I asked. She shook her head.
"I am not the next Fire Lord. I heard voices inside and they read my soul. They said that even if I have the fire inside me, I am not to be the next. I am a bit relieved. It would have been a big responsibility." She said. I hugged her, whispered "I love you!" to her and stepped towards the door.
"Well, wish me luck." I said and stepped inside. The door swung shut and I was encased in darkness.
"Another one. So soon." A voice said. I then heard many more voices talking together and I felt like I was being watched and read by many pairs of eyes. This continued for a long time before the room went bright and I could see that it was a room filled with seats. Twenty one seats. Twenty of them were occupied.
The one of the figures in the seats rose and stepped towards me.
"We are the previous Fire Lords. I am the twentieth Fire Lord. I presume you read my book?" he asked and I nodded.
"Good, then you know about our history. We have read you and found that you are the next Fire Lord." He said and the rest rose, came down and they formed a circle around me.
"Now, don't be frightened. This was decided ever since before your birth." One of the said
"But just to make sure, are you ready to take on this huge responsibility for the rest of your life?" another asked. I nodded without hesitation. This was something I had been meant to become all my life.
"The woman who were here just now. You gave her the fire that resides inside her, right?" one asked and I nodded.
"Do you love her?" one asked and I recognised him from one of the pictures as the one who became the first good Fire Lord.
"Yes. I love her with my entire hearth. She is my wife and I will cherish her for the rest of my life." I said and he nodded.
"So, you wish to keep your current feelings, thoughts, memories and beliefs?" one said, more like a statement than a question. I nodded.
"Yes, I do." I said and they all nodded.
"Okay, but just to make sure. Which side do you chose the good or the evil?" the twentieth asked.
"The good." I said and they all nodded again. Then one of them stepped forward and I recognised him as the first.
"Now, you will join us, and I hope you and your wife will make each other happy. This will hurt, but it will be over shortly. After this, you will know what we know. We are brothers with a bond far stronger than blood. We are servants of the maker and we will now witness the birth of the twenty-first Fire Lord." The first said and the circle closed in. They all placed a hand on me and intense pain shot trough me. I could feel my self changing, my powers becoming the same that my kinsmen around me had held in their lives. The pain intensified and I screamed. I could see Yuna's face and I held onto the love I have for her for dear life. Then, after what seemed as eternity, the pain stopped and I was changed. The former Fire Lords drew back a little and I stood up.
"Wow, I feel so different, but still the same. Complete, like this was something I have been waiting for all my life." I said and stared at my hands. They looked exactly the same, but I felt different also.
"Yes, this is something you have been waiting for all your life. Now you have taken your place as a Fire Lord. You know what your job is, and how to use your powers. You will live just as long as you would have if you had not come here, and when you die, you will come here. If your love for your wife is strong enough, and her love for you is equally strong, she will follow you after her death as well. Now go and do your job well." The first said. I bowed to him. Then every one of my predecessors came up to me and gave me a hug.
"We are brothers, so if you need our help or advice, come seek us out, and we will do what we can." The twentieth said and I nodded.
After hugging and exchanging slight words of encouragement from all my new brothers, I walked out of the door.
--
Immediately on the outside I saw my friends, looking really worried. When I came out, Yuna rushed at me and hugged me. Tears were on her face.
"We heard you scream. I was so scared. Are you alright?" Yuna asked me, her voice gruff from the crying.
"I am fine babe. Come, let us sit down, so I can explain." I said and pointed to some chairs. All of us went and sat down, but Yuna refused to sit anywhere except on my lap.
When I was sure I had everyone's undivided attention, I smiled at them.
"Well, to make a long story short, I am the twenty-first Fire Lord." I said.
"WHAT?" Rikku, Tidus and Wakka yelled in perfect unison. Yuna looked a bit sad however.
"So, you were worthy then?" she asked. I looked at her and saw that she looked down onto the ground. I gently lifted her chin to look in her eyes.
"Yuna, it is not about not being worthy. It was decided that I become the next Fire Lord when I was born. You are not unworthy at all, actually you are just as worthy as I am, but only one of us can be." I said gently and smiled at her. She practically beamed with pride when I said that and I laughed at her expression.
"So, Your Grace… are you…like… invincible now?" Wakka asked hesitantly. I gave him a puzzled look but no one seemed surprised.
"Um, Wakka? Why are you talking like that? It's me, Salmar. I haven't changed. I am still the former wandering guardian turned summoner." I said and I could see everyone around me relax.
"But to answer your question, no I am not invincible, and my true powers I can't use. If I did the elements would return to their destructive selves and Spira would be destroyed." I said and Rikku saddened.
"So, we don't have an edge towards Sin then?" she asked.
"Well we do. I said I can't use my true powers, I still am much more powerful now than before. With all the power I can safely use, and not disrupt the elemental balance in Spira, I am at least ten times more powerful than I was before. And no element can harm me, and I can stop any elemental spell from hurting you too." I said and Rikku jumped excitedly.
"Then you are invincible!" she practically yelled. I shook my head.
"No Rikku. I have a huge weakness. Any non-elemental spell will hurt me more than you. A Flare at me now will damage me at least twice as much as before. So spells like Flare and Ultima will hurt a lot." I said and Yuna smiled at me.
"Good to know that the good Lord hasn't gotten arrogant from his new power then." Yuna said.
"As I said, I haven't changed in personality. Or feelings." I said and kissed Yuna. She smiled when I released her.
"So, can you tell us a bit about your new self?" Auron asked.
"Yes, but not all. I am the twenty-first Fire Lord. My role in this world is to control the elements and help protect Spira. That means that when a element start to slip out of the restraint it is put under, I will have to force it back. That is one of the times I can use my true powers. The other is if somehow Spira is doomed anyway. Then I can use my true power and unleash the elements on the danger, and then put them back in their restraints. I am powerful enough to do that, but it would destroy huge parts of Spira, and I will only use that as a last resort. When I fight, I will sometimes use my fighting power. That is a smaller version of my true powers, much smaller actually. Here, I'll show it to you." I said and walked a bit away from my friends.
When on a safe distance, I started to power up. I could hear gasps as my power started coming out. Fire, water, ice and lightning flowed around me, and the ground under me was getting destroyed by the sheer power. I screamed in pain is I brought out my power, a side effect to using it. Then the four elements ran trough my hair and it stood almost straight up, only allowing a few bangs to fall down to frame my face, and changed in colour. From being brown to divided in four: red, blue, white and yellow, and each part had a characteristic of its element, red was flickering, blue flowing, white standing completely still and yellow erratic and unpredictable. Then the elements around me stopped flowing and went into my body and I stood back, panting and with four coloured hair, but with no other physical change.
"This is my fighting form. pant I am sorry if I scared you, but it hurts to transform into this. The pain only lasts until the transformation is complete though. Now I am ten times stronger than I was only a minute ago. In this form, any elemental spell only strengthens me, and I can launch powerful elemental beams. A lot like Shiva and her Diamond Dust.
Luckily, in this form my weakness for non-elemental spells doesn't increase much, but still a good Flare or Ultima will hurt me badly. Regular physical attacks though hurt me just as much as you." I said; let my power stop flowing and my hair returned to its original state of flatness, cowering my ears.
"Wow that was cool Salmar. Do it again!" Rikku bounced with excitement when she said that, but Lulu took hold of one of her shoulders.
"Calm down Rikku. I don't think it is good to force him to use that power." Lulu said.
"Aw, why not?" Rikku whined at her.
"Because he screamed in pain when he brought the power out." Auron said and Rikku got a horrified look on her face.
"Oh. I'm so sorry!" she said, shrugged Lulu of and ran up to me and gave me a hug.
"Hah, don't worry Rikku. I'm fine. But I won't use that power now. You'll see it soon enough. Now, I don't have to tell you any of the Fire Lord's history, since you heard me read it in the book, so the last thing I'll tell you is that I am not invincible or immortal. I will die sometime, and then I'll go back here to join my predecessors, who by the way are my brothers, not by flesh, but by soul. And I don't want you to treat me like an almighty being. I am still Salmar, and I will not treat any of you any different. My feelings have, as I said before, not changed at all." I said, lifted Rikku onto my shoulders and walked over to the others.
"So, that is all we get to know about you and your power?" Lulu asked. I smiled and shook my head.
"If you have questions, just ask and I'll try to answer." I said and Rikku grabbed my hair.
"How come your hair is brown again?" she asked.
"It shows that I am in my fighting form. It goes back when I stop being in that form." I explained and she looked at me before shrugging.
"Okay. So, now what?" she asked. Everyone looked at me expectantly.
"What? I'm supposed to make all our plans?" I asked and most of them nodded.
I sighed and shook my head.
"Alright, I have an idea. We repeat our pilgrimage." I simply said.
"Huh? Why?" Tidus asked. Yuna got the idea though.
"If we repeat the pilgrimage, we get stronger and have a better chance of defeating Sin. Also, both I and Salmar said good bye to all the places we travelled trough. Now, we can say hello again, but not good bye." She said and I nodded.
"Kimahri think that is good idea. Make Yuna happy." Kimahri said and Yuna nodded.
"Yes, it would make me happy to make that journey again." She said and we bordered the airship.
"Where to?" Cid asked and Yuna and I looked at each other.
"Besaid!" we said together with equal grins.
--
We arrived at Besaid beach, and most of us felt relief to be back.
"Ah, it will be good to come home, ya?" Wakka said to Lulu who nodded.
"Yes, if only for a little while." She said.
"How long do we plan to stay here?" Auron asked me while we walked towards the village.
"A day or two." I said.
"We don't have all that much time." Auron said.
"I am sorry, but we do. Sadly. Firstly Shelinda needs time to travel around Spira and tell everyone. Of course, we will tell people as well, but she needs time.
Secondly, I have just gone trough a huge transformation and have been reborn. I have received a huge power, and true enough, I can use that power pretty well, but not perfectly. I still need to get used to the power, or I won't be able to use my power right against Sin. So we have time, don't worry. Try to relax instead." I said and Auron nodded.
"I still don't like it though." he said and I suppressed a chuckle.
--
After a rather enjoying walk, we saw the village.
"Come on!" Wakka yelled and started running.
"Wakka,
we aren't in a hurry. Get back here and walk with us!" Lulu
yelled after him. He came running back.
"But Lu!" he said but
she shook her head. Looking slightly deflated, Wakka resumed walking
with us.
"Wakka wants to get home and rest. Shall we pick up the pace?" I asked Yuna and she nodded.
"Yeah, let's." she said and we started walking a little faster. The others caught up and soon we saw the village gates. But a monk was blocking our way.
"INFIDEL!" he yelled. "PREPARE TO DIE!" he continued and I turned to Yuna.
"Well, he is certainly confident. What now?" I asked. Yuna took a step forward.
"Please, you must understand. We have done nothing wrong. We just want to rest for a little while. Please stand down!" Yuna said but the monk snickered.
"So afraid that you result to begging. How pitiful." He said. I could see a crowd gathering behind the monk, and they looked angry. At him. But before they could do anything, the monk summoned Valefor. A dark version of her.
"Look out! That is a very strong Valefor!" I yelled and we got ready for a fight.
Valefor didn't give us any time to get prepared though, and she sent a fire attack at Yuna. I watched in morbid fascination as the fire hit Yuna and was absorbed by her body.
"WHAT THE?" the monk yelled. "Well then, perhaps this will give you a harder time." He said and Valefor launched a Blizzara at Yuna. Yuna threw up her arms as to defend herself, but I threw up mine and pointed my palms towards the ice element. Then it went trough Yuna but didn't harm her. She blinked in surprise before she saw me and understood.
"Thanks honey!" she yelled and I nodded before turning my attention back to Valefor. The monk now looked seriously doubtful but he made Valefor launch elemental attack after attack at my friends and I turned them all harmless. When the initial shock had gone away, they started attacking Valefor and it was pushed more and more. Then suddenly it flew up and charged its Energy Ray.
"Oh shit. I CAN'T BLOCK THAT!" I yelled and my friends nodded.
"We'll take care of ourselves this time!" Lulu said and Wakka nodded.
"You just guard yourself!" Tidus said and I nodded.
"I have an idea. Lulu, quickly. Cast reflect on yourself." Yuna yelled.
"But that will only protect me." Lulu yelled back.
"I know, but Wakka and Auron should hide behind you. I'll cast reflect as well, and Tidus and Kimahri hide behind me and Rikku hide behind Salmar!" Yuna yelled. The others nodded and did as she said. I was about to use the spell as well when Rikku had hid behind me, but Valefor used her Energy Ray before I could.
"EEK" Rikku yelled when she saw the attack come. But right before I got hit I managed to make a wall of ice appear and block the ray. The attack missed me and Rikku and the others, but my wall had a nasty dent in it and I was tired. I had used twice as much power to make that wall than I really had to.
"Urg. I really need to become better with using my powers." I said and fell down to one knee.
"Flames!" Rikku sounded really worried and when I fell down she grabbed me.
"Hang in there!" she said and made me sit up.
"I'm alright, just tired that's all. Yojimbo!" I said and called the samurai.
"What is it master? I was about to come a moment ago, but you managed to save yourself. What do you need me to?" He asked.
"Fight Valefor!" I said. He nodded, drew his sword and charged. Yuna ran up to me and Rikku while the others kept Valefor busy.
"Are you alright?" she asked when she reached us.
"Yeah, just tired. I put way to much power into making that wall. I seriously need to learn to use this power better." I said tiredly. Yuna crouched down and hugged me.
"You scared me. Don't do that." She said and I nodded.
"Yuna, perhaps we should focus on the fight now?" I said and she nodded.
Yuna resumed the fight with her most powerful spells and Valefor soon was defeated.
The monk was chased away by the crowd that had gathered behind the fight.
I returned to my normal state, and Rikku helped me up.
"Can you walk?" she asked and I nodded. Using my staff as support, I walked, sort of.
Yuna came up to me, and put her hand around my waist and helped me. I smiled at her and she smiled back.
"So, our two summoners return. Please tell us that this is not just a visit." The head priest said, stepping forward from the group.
"Sorry, but this is just a visit. We came to rest a little before going up against Sin." I said tiredly.
"Oh well. Have you got the Final Aeon then?" the head priest said. Both Yuna and I shook our heads.
"No, we didn't. But can we talk later. Salmar needs to rest a little. That fight drained his strength." Yuna said and the priest nodded.
We started to walk away, but Yuna suddenly stopped.
"I would like everyone to come to the fire tonight. I have something to announce." She said. The villagers agreed and we went to Lulu, Wakka and Yuna's home. There Yuna laid me down on her bed and I instantly feel asleep.
--
I woke up when Yuna shook me.
"Hey stud! Wake up!" she said and I groaned.
"Hey babe, what's up?" I asked and sat up.
"I want to tell everyone here in Besaid that we are married. I think they will be happy knowing that." Yuna said.
"Okay, sure. Let's go tell them." I said and rose from the bed. I felt refreshed and energetic again.
--
We walked out of the hut and saw everybody in Besaid gathered around the fire in the middle of Besaid. Walking over to them, hand in hand, we saw the raw curiosity in the villagers' eyes.
When we reached the fire, it flickered nervously. I looked at Yuna and saw that she looked at the fire puzzled before she let go of my hand and clapped to make everyone quite down.
"Everyone, I have an announcement!" Yuna half yelled and all noise went away instantly. She grabbed my hand again. And took a deep breath.
"I have found the love of my life. Lord Salmar and I love each other, and are married. We got married in Zanarkand, and I love him with all my hearth." Yuna said. people looked at each other before cheering and congratulating us.
The head priest walked up to me and shook my head before leaning in to whisper in my ear.
"Take care of her. okay?"
I nodded and he smiled.
"Well, congratulations you two. I hope you are happy together." He said and both Yuna and I nodded enthusiastically.
The villagers decided to throw a party for the two of us, and we had a good time. But when the party started to dim down, Yuna dragged me out of the gate.
"Where are we going babe?" I asked.
"Let's go to the beach." She said huskily.
"Okay!" I said and we walked to the beach and enjoyed the moonlight and star shine. We stood by the shore and I realised my control over my powers was slightly better.
"Babe, you know my powers." I said and Yuna nodded
"Yeah, of course. Why?" she replied.
"I think my control grows over time." I said and she looked at me.
"Really?" she asked.
"Watch." I said, lifted my hand and made some water move and gather together. A little platform formed and I pulled Yuna with me on it.
"Wow, could you do this earlier?" she asked and I shook my head.
"No, but I can now." I said and started to move the platform around on the water.
"Hey, take us over there!" Yuna said, pointed to a part of the beach we never would have seen if we didn't come from the sea. I made the platform go onto the beach and we stepped of. The platform dissolved into water again and we sat down on the beach, Yuna between my legs and leaned against my chest.
"This is nice." I said and she nodded.
"I could stay here all night." She said and I smiled.
"That would be nice." I replied.
"Stud?" she asked.
"Yeah babe?"
"I love you!"
"I love you too babe!"
--
