A tip for writing a book of any kind. Write every single day; whether it's a sentence or two pages, every little bit counts. Also, keep reading well-written books. It will help improve your writing.
We're about to get neck-deep in Operation Mi'ihen! I had a blast writing this chapter, and the one after it. It's such a pivotal point in the story of FFX! All the action, along with that unforgettable Seymour quote; "then pretend I didn't say it."
Well, anyways, read and enjoy, and I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to leave a review!


Chapter Fifteen

The sky was clouded, casting a haze of gloom over the proceedings on the Mushroom Rock Road. Tidus ground his teeth together, unable to shake the premonition that something was going to go wrong. All the Crusaders, Luzzu and Gatta, that guard by the gate; they all seemed so sure of their success. But…
"All hail Maester Seymour!" a guard called out to the assembled ranks of Crusaders. Then he stepped aside hurriedly and let Seymour through.
"Brave Crusaders of Spira, protectors of all Spira," Seymour began. "Believe in the path you have chosen, let faith be your strength! I, Seymour Guado, maester of Yevon, will bear witness to your deeds today!"
"Sir!" The Crusaders responded with a unison cry and salute. Yuna's party hung back, behind Seymour and his entourage.
"What's goin' on?" Wakka asked angrily. "Why's Maester Seymour backing the Crusaders, eh? They're using the Al Bhed's machina! They're violating the teachings!"
"Even going against the teachings," Yuna started hesitantly, "they're willing to risk it for the greater good. Wakka, I think Maester Seymour sees that, too."
Wakka spluttered in astonishment. "Lulu?" He turned to his fellow guardian.
"Hmm…" Lulu paused, seeming to take pleasure in Wakka's confusion. "I can only speculate."
Wakka sighed.
"Ask him yourself," Auron spoke up, turning towards the road. The Crusaders had been dismissed, and Seymour was approaching the group. Tidus couldn't help but see he was zeroed in on Yuna. However, when he reached them, it was Auron who the maester addressed.
"Ah, Sir Auron," he said. "It is an honor. I would be most interested in hearing what you've been doing these past ten years."
"I've got nothing to say about it." Auron turned and walked off with heavy footsteps, leaving Seymour standing there, question unanswered.
"I… see," Seymour said, not sounding like he did. It was the most uncertain Tidus had ever heard him, and ever would.
Seymour turned back to Yuna. "Sir Auron must be a great asset as a guardian," he commented.
"Your Grace!" Yuna exclaimed, dropping quickly into a bow. To Tidus, she almost seemed afraid.
"Please," Seymour said in a soothing voice, "there's no need for formalities."
Yuna rose, but before she could speak, Wakka approached Seymour.
"Excuse me… Maester Seymour?" Wakka asked, seeming terribly nervous. "Why is Your Lordship… presently… present here… sir?"
Lulu let out a sigh and shook her head.
"Please, speak as you normally would," Seymour said patiently.
"Um… Isn't this operation against the teachings of Yevon?" Wakka asked. "Aren't you gonna stop them?"
"It's true, I should," Seymour replied with a nod.
"Hm!" Wakka nodded vigorously.
"However…" Seymour continued, "both the Crusaders and the Al Bhed truly wish peace for Spira. This Operation Mi'ihen was born from this wish they share. Although it may be sacrilege to Yevon, their intentions are pure. And I, Seymour Guado- the person, not the maester of Yevon… As a denizen of Spira, I wish them well in their endeavor."
Tidus clenched his fists. This Seymour sure had a way with words.
"But using machina… that's bad, isn't it?" Wakka looked utterly lost.
"Pretend you didn't see them," Seymour answered plainly. A gasp rippled through the group.
"Beg your pardon," Wakka said, "but that's not something a maester should say!"
"Then pretend I didn't say it." Seymour's voice was almost a scoff, hinting of something underneath his silky speech.
"You're kidding!" Wakka exclaimed.
Seymour didn't answer. He just turned his back and walked away down the road. Tidus stood there, staring after him. He had never liked Seymour, not from the first time he'd laid eyes on him, but…

From down the road, a young man came running towards the group. Tidus recognized him as the third chocobo knight who had ridden with Lucil and Elma.
"Excuse me, is this the Lady Summoner Yuna?" he asked.
"Yes," Yuna answered.
"The command center… Maester Seymour requests your presence there, ma'am."
"Thank you," Yuna said, nodding to the young man. She quickly glanced over her shoulder at Auron, who nodded.
The young man pointed down towards a road winding off the main path into the cliffs. "Take this road to the command center. It's not far. We're still in the midst of preparations this way. Sorry."
"It's not a problem," Auron replied. "Come on, everyone. Let's get going."
Auron took the front of the group as they walked down the pathway towards the command center. Tidus' feelings of angst grew. This was definitely bad.

The party continued to travel down the road. Crusaders were everywhere, scurrying about like cockroaches. After a while, Tidus decided to ignore them. Fretting over this operation of theirs would do no good.
A ways ahead on the path, Tidus could see Luzzu and Gatta arguing over something. After a few footsteps, the group was close enough to make out what they were saying.
"Why only you, sir?" Gatta asked, his voice almost desperate. "I want to fight, too!"
"Orders are orders," Luzzu replied sternly.
"I'm not a cadet anymore, sir!" Gatta persisted. "Let me go with you, and I'll prove it to them!"
"Guarding the command center is important too, you know," Luzzu said.
"But I came all the way from Besaid to fight Sin, sir!" Gatta's voice became even more urgent.
"I know, but an order's an order," Luzzu said firmly. "To your post, Crusader."
"But, sir!" Gatta stammered for a moment, then fell silent. His eyes still shone with fire, but he stopped his argument. Without another word, he dashed off up the path. Tidus clenched his fists, feeling a small part of Gatta's frustration. How can Luzzu be so unfair?
"They let you through, huh?" Luzzu commented as the group approached.
"Mm." Tidus nodded slowly, still feeling a bit of resentment. "Gatta deserves better."
Luzzu's face remained neutral, showing no sign of having heard Tidus' remark.
"At least there's no chance he'll get hurt," Wakka responded to Tidus. Then he turned to Luzzu, not looking so happy.
"Why are you guys fighting, anyway?" he asked bitterly. "Aren't the almighty Al Bhed machina enough?"
Again, Luzzu remained perfectly unfazed. "They still need some time to get them ready. Our job is to keep Sin at bay till they're done."
Wakka didn't reply. Luzzu's placidness seemed to be getting to him.
But then a quick look of guilt crossed Luzzu's face before he spoke again.
"Wakka… I might not get another chance to say this. It's about your brother."
That got Wakka's attention. Tidus was surprised, too. This Chappu everyone keeps talking about, Luzzu knew him too?
"Luzzu, no!" Lulu jumped forward, distress written across her face. Tidus wasn't sure if she had even looked this distraught when Yuna was kidnapped. Lulu's exclamation really perked Wakka's suspicion.
"What?" he asked.
Luzzu let out a tired sigh before speaking.
"I'm the one who convinced him… to enlist."
Silence filled the tense air for a moment, and Tidus could hear clearly the far-off sounds of Crusaders scrambling about in their preparations. Wakka stared at Luzzu, then turned his heavy gaze to Lulu. The mage dropped her eyes to the ground, refusing to meet it.
"I'm sorry." Luzzu's words sounded small and inconsequential in the thick silence, the ripple of a raindrop in an ocean. Wakka turned back to Luzzu, staring heavily for a long moment. Then he leaped forward, punching Luzzu square in the jaw.
Luzzu dropped to the ground, holding the side of his face. Wakka would have continued pummeling him, but Tidus jumped out and grabbed him.
"Wakka!" he shouted, struggling to hold back the larger man. "That's enough, Wakka!"
Wakka stopped struggling. He stood there, a thousand emotions racing over his features. Anger, sorrow, frustration, recollection; he stopped and took a shaky breath before speaking again.
"When we used to play blitz together, Chappu used to say…" Wakka paused for a moment, breathing heavily. It seemed like he was talking to no one but himself. "He'd say that- when we won the Cup, ya?- he'd propose to Lulu. And then one day…" Wakka looked down at the ground, still breathing hard. "He goes off and becomes a Crusader. Just like that."
Luzzu pushed himself back up to his feet, still holding the side of his face. He, too, seemed reminiscent. "Chappu also said to me…" Luzzu took in a sharp breath, looking directly at Wakka. "That being with your girl is good… but keeping Sin far away from her is better."
Wakka spun to face Lulu, who still didn't meet his gaze.
"Lu, you knew?" he asked quietly.
Lulu let out a sigh, her eyes dropping to the ground. "Luzzu told me… before we left."
Luzzu let out a chuckle, still massaging the side of his face. "She hit me, too."
Again, silence held domain for a few moments. Tidus watched Wakka's face, and Lulu's, too. They both seemed lost in their memories, not looking at anything in particular. Tidus didn't blame them.
The sounds of a chocobo's scuffing footsteps broke the silence. Captain Lucil, solemnly astride her mount, rode up to Luzzu.
"All Crusaders in the vanguard are to assemble on the beach!" she relayed quickly before rushing off again. She seemed to be in quite a rush, and very on edge, too.
"That's my cue," Luzzu said calmly. His hand had dropped from the side of his face, and he was ready to leave for the battle.
"Luzzu!" Wakka spoke up, his voice surprisingly friendly. "Don't die out there!"
"So you can hit me more?" Luzzu asked, one eyebrow raised. A smile played over his lips, though.
"Lots! Lots more!" Wakka replied, smiling as well.
Luzzu turned to leave, but Yuna rushed into his path.
"Sir Luzzu, please!" she pleaded. "Please, don't go!"
"I have to, Yuna," Luzzu answered, a hint of sadness in his voice. Tidus recalled that Luzzu was from Besaid. He wasn't just Wakka and Lulu's friend; Yuna probably knew him well, too.
"Let him go," Auron spoke up. "The man has already chosen his path. As you did when you became a summoner."
Yuna looked at Auron for few moments, her gaze conflicted. There was a look in her eyes, a glimmer of painful emotion that Tidus couldn't quite understand. With one last look at Luzzu, Yuna reluctantly stepped out of the way. Luzzu continued on without any goodbyes, disappearing around the corner. It would be a long time before Tidus ever really understood the reason why Yuna let Luzzu pass that day.

Up at the top of the bluff, a row of artillery cannons pointed out to sea. Tidus was had seen plenty of machina in his day, but weapons of war like this were something he had never encountered.
"Curse these…" Wakka growled under his breath as he walked up to one of the cannons. He gave the device a solid kick, then leaped backward in pain.
"He really hates them, huh?" Tidus said to no one in particular.
It was Lulu who answered. "Chappu… He left the sword Wakka gave him in Besaid, and he fought with an Al Bhed machina weapon instead."
Tidus didn't answer. His rested one hand on the hilt of the sword tied at his belt. He could only imagine how Wakka must have felt. And that made him wonder all the more why Wakka had given that same sword to him.
"That's got nothing to do with it!" Wakka shouted in angry reply to Lulu's explanation. "I just hate these sacrilegious contraptions!"
No one replied to Wakka's outburst. Tidus wondered where the command center was. It certainly wasn't there. We need to get somewhere safe before this operation starts!
The group silently watched the final preparations. Crusaders transported Sinspawn around and Al Bhed prepared weaponry. The hum of quiet conversation was drowned out by the sounds of Sinspawn squealing and machinery clanking.
"It won't work anyway," Wakka growled.
"Don't say that," Yuna said, still watching the Crusaders. "It might be a hopeless campaign, and it might mean defying Yevon… But the Crusaders and the Al Bhed- they're doing their best to defeat Sin. They want to rid Spira of Sin forever. That's just what we want, too, isn't it?"
When no one answered, Yuna turned to Wakka. "Isn't it?" she asked again.
"Hmph!" Wakka folded his arms over his chest. "Alright! Alright! But I still think machina are bad news. They're forbidden for a reason!"
Before Wakka could continued his rant, Lucil appeared, riding in on her chocobo.
"Lady Summoner! There you are!" she called out, coming to a halt beside the party. "The command center is this way!" She pointed toward a parting in the rocky cliffside. "Maester Kinoc is also there."
"Maester Kinoc, too?" Yuna asked.
"Yes," Lucil answered, and again Tidus detected unease in her voice. "Please hurry, my Lady."

The group hurried over to the command center, Yuna in front. Guarding the entrance was Gatta, looking very dull.
"The operation will begin shortly," he said, his voice overly unenthusiastic. "Please check all your equipment."
"Um, you alright?" Wakka asked the young Crusader.
"Of course not!" Gatta exclaimed, breaking quickly from his lifeless demeaner. "I came here to fight Sin! But they stick me here!"
"If you want to prove yourself…" Auron started. Gatta looked up quickly, eager for the suggestion.
"First, you must complete the tasks you are given," Auron finished. Gatta sighed; clearly, this was not the advice he had wanted. Tidus could see exactly where Gatta was coming from. He wanted to go fight Sin, not be sitting here doing small jobs. But, however hard it was to admit, Auron was right; the small jobs are important. The only way to prove he was ready was for Gatta to follow orders and stay behind.
"I guess so," Gatta replied to Auron with a sigh. "But I…"
"We are to go to the command center," Auron said, starting to get impatient. "It's this way, right?"
"Oh, yeah. Just through here." Gatta stepped back and let the party through. Tidus took one last look at the Crusaders rushing about under the dark, stormy skies, getting ready to face Sin. How many of them would live to see the sun break through those gloomy clouds?

Inside the command center, almost all the preparation was complete. Crates and tarps were stacked against the cliff walls, and the whole thing looked like it had been patched together at a moment's notice. Crusaders were scattered here and there, going about various tasks.
As the party entered, a portly man in thick orange robes came over to meet them. Much to Tidus' astonishment, he walked up to Auron and gave him a great big hug.
"I'd heard from Seymour, but I didn't know if we'd actually meet," the robed man said with a smile. Auron didn't respond.
"Good to see you, Auron!" the robed man continued, taking a quick look over the rest of the party. "Ten years, is it?" He ended with a bright laugh, not quite cheerful. Tidus was quite puzzled.
"That's Wen Kinoc, one of the Four Maesters of Yevon," Lulu whispered to Tidus. "He leads the warrior monks and also commands the Crusaders."
That guy? Tidus thought. He doesn't look like a warrior to me. Then again, you got to be pretty brave to give Auron a hug like that. How does this guy know Auron, anyway?
Tidus' musings were cut off as Gatta came rushing into the command center.
"All troops ready to move at your command, sir!" he announced, saluting.
"Good," Kinoc replied. "Dismissed."
"Sir!" Gatta saluted again, then rushed off.
"Tell me, Auron," Kinoc said turning back to, apparently, his old friend. "Where have you been the last ten years?"
"We don't have time for this now, do we?" Auron asked impatiently. It was clear to Tidus he didn't want to explain how he had lived in Zanarkand for those ten years.
"This plan won't work, you know that," Kinoc said with a bit of a scoff. "We'll just let them dream a little longer."
"What?" Tidus couldn't help but exclaim. What was Kinoc talking about? Surely he wouldn't attempt an operation he knew would be a failure?
"Lord Kinoc…" A new voice said with a warning note. Tidus was surprised to see Seymour there. Has he been here the whole time and I didn't notice, or did he just arrive?
"Oh, yes." Kinoc turned to face Seymour. "Proceed."
Seymour left, apparently to deal with part of the operation. Most of the exchange was lost on Tidus.
"That Kinoc, a maester?" Auron muttered, obviously to himself. However, the indignant whisper was audible to everyone.
"I heard that, Auron," Kinoc said, turning back to him. "A lot has happened the last ten years. What were you doing, and where?"
"Fulfilling a promise to a friend," Auron answered plainly. "I still am."
"Just tell me one thing," Kinoc kept his voice level. "Have you seen Zanarkand?"
Tidus was shocked for a moment. He probably just means the ruined city everybody thinks about when they think of Zanarkand. How could this Kinoc guy know about my Zanarkand?
Auron didn't answer Kinoc's question. Instead, he just walked away, leaving it completely unanswered. Kinoc didn't look surprised. Without another word, he, too, walked off, leaving the party.
"I kind of… think we don't belong here," Yuna said nervously, trying to smile.
"I know what you mean," Tidus replied, watching Kinoc's back. He had a bad feeling about all this. A very bad feeling.