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Chapter Sixteen
Kinoc stood on a wide platform placed on the edge of the cliff, watching the Al Bhed prepare their great machina devices. He wore the same calm expression he had worn all the while. The way he watched the Crusaders prepare, the way the stood there and watched looking almost smug… Even though he had said the operation would be a failure, he looked satisfied. He looked like a spider that had just caught a fly and was savoring the moment before diving into its meal.
The party stood a ways off from Kinoc with the base captain, and all were tense. Tidus stood beside Yuna, who worked her hands nervously.
"Will Sin come?" she asked the base captain.
"Sin always returns for its spawn," the man answered. "To make sure, we're going to encourage them to call out to it."
"You won't have to," Auron's voice entered the conversation, sounding dark. "It'll come."
At that point, Tidus remembered what Auron had said. Not that he'd forgotten, but at that moment, he couldn't help but recall.
Sin is my old man. Sin is Jecht. How can that be? How does a human being become that?
An image of his father appeared in Tidus' mind; Jecht, standing on the pier, shirtless and strong, a smug, toothy grin stretched over his face, gloating over how the Abes would trounce their next opponents. Or he would swim in the deeper waters just off of their house, practicing, or sometimes, he'd take a boat out to sea for a few days to practice in really deep water. One day, he'd gone out and hadn't come back…
Could he have really ended up in Spira that day, just like Tidus? No, it couldn't be. Auron just couldn't be right…
Tidus' confused thoughts were shattered by a commotion coming from a cage nearby that held one of the larger Sinspawn. The door to the enclosure flew off, sweeping away the Crusaders who were supposed to be guarding it. Panic swept through the assembled people as Crusaders scrambled for their weapons. Tidus let out a gasp and instinctively swept out his blade. Yuna, beside him, tensed, grasping her staff tightly. Three Crusader knights charged for the loose Sinspawn with swords drawn, only to be swept away by one of the creature's wide arms. The beast itself was hideous, like a massive centipede with thick legs at its base to hold its head in the air. The creature clacked its slathering jaws hungrily, making a sharp clicking noise.
Ugh, Tidus thought, stepping between it and Yuna. These things are everywhere, aren't they?
"We have to help!" Yuna exclaimed.
"You heard the summoner!" Wakka said, stepping up beside Tidus. "Let's get this thing!"
"Be careful, and strategic," Auron warned.
"Yes, this creature seems powerful," Lulu added. She already stood in a spell-casting stance. "Watch out for its arms."
"Will do." Tidus left Yuna back with Wakka a dived for the Sinspawn. It tried to deflect Tidus like it had the Crusader knights, but he dropped and rolled under its swinging arms. Once up close to the creature, he swung his blade savagely at the base of its arm, hoping to knock the appendage off. If it can't deflect us with its arms, then we'll have a much better chance.
Swoosh! A loud splashing noise echoed off the cliff walls as Lulu's water spell hit the Sinspawn's head. The creature let out a squeal and started to move towards the mage. Tidus leaped back to avoid being crushed. Auron came at it from the other side and dealt one last blow to its arm. The appendage dropped off and faded into pyreflies. The Sinspawn noticed imminently and directed its wrath towards Auron. It hit him with its remaining arm, and he flew backward. Out of the corner of his eye, Tidus saw Yuna rush over to Auron's side and crouch down next to him.
Tidus rushed over to the Sinspawn and joined Kimahri in slashing at it. As they hacked away, another water spell hit the beast's head. Tidus and Kimahri had almost got the other arm off when Auron rushed back to join them. Once both its arms were gone, the Sinspawn started to back away. Clearly, it knew it was beat. A blast of fire to its head from Lulu, and the creature dropped to the ground. It was still twitching ever so slightly, however, and had yet to burst into pyreflies. It was still alive, but not causing any more trouble.
"Look!" Lulu's astonished cry tore Tidus' attention from the still-twitching Sinspawn. She pointed out over the cliff, where the sea had begun to seethe. Something was coming.
Slowly, a massive dark shape rose out of the sea, eerily familiar. Tidus had seen this before, the massive dome of water breaking away from the ocean. This can't be happening again!
With a rushing sound audible all the way up on the cliff, the water clinging to Sin's sides washed away, revealing an enormous whale-like creature, the color of shadows in the forest at night. An oily film covered its whole body, but Tidus could still see the glint of its many eyes. There was something horrifyingly familiar there, though he couldn't believe it.
On the beach, just a couple hundred feet away from the terrible beast, hundreds of Crusaders gathered, mounted on chocobos and ready for action. The Al Bhed cannons set on the cliff began to go off, launching fire at Sin. As each blast hit, clusters of Sinspawn dropped off into the sea below to meet the Crusader knights. And through all the confrontation, it was eerily quiet. Rumbles echoed off the cliff walls as cannons fired, joined by the cries of knights on the shore, but it was all so distant. But there was no denying the silent menace that stood in the sea. Sin was here, like the Crusaders had wanted, and there was no going back.
"Look out!" Auron called suddenly, jerking Tidus from his horrified daze. Auron quickly grabbed Yuna and yanked the stunned summoner behind a pile of crates. Tidus had no idea what was going on. Aren't we safe all the way up here?
But he was wrong. And he soon saw just what the danger was.
The oily outer coating protecting Sin began to dissolve, fully revealing the massive fiend. It had dark, leathery skin and red gills under its broad fins. Across its long, whale-like face were thousands of small, beady eyes, glimmering even though the sun was hidden.
A glowing dome of sparkling energy suddenly materialized around Sin, cutting off the outside attacks. Then the dome began to expand, and Tidus got the horrifying feeling that Sin knew exactly what it was doing, that it had planned this all along.
In a split second, the dome exploded outward, growing until it encompassed all the Crusaders on the beach. The field of white, crackling energy wiped through them, eradicating the opposing force. And it didn't stop there. The wave of energy flew over the Mushroom Rock Road, ignoring rocks, cliffs and pathways, wiping out everything it touched. The last thing Tidus remembered was a flash of white, and…
…
Yuna moaned. Every inch of her body ached. She felt like she'd been trampled by a herd of chocobos.
What happened…?
The last thing she remembered was… Sin. Sin had come, just like the Crusaders wanted. They'd been fighting it, with the machina the Al Bhed brought, but then… Then Auron had grabbed her by the arm and dragged her behind a stack of crates, and then… Light. She remembered lots of light, and screaming.
Now Yuna lay face down on the ground, and everything was quiet.
Where's Auron? Where are the others?
Yuna forced herself to get up. She couldn't just lie around, even though she felt like she could sleep forever. Even though her muscles protested, Yuna forced her head up from the ground.
I've got to find the others. I've got to…
Yuna nearly forgot her worry for her companion at what she saw. Maester Seymour, staff in hand, facing off against the massive Sinspawn that had escaped just before Sin's arrival. The creature now lacked its two arms, but it was crazed and savage. Auron was there, too, helping the maester in his fight. There was no time to mount a search now; Yuna had to help those before her.
Now standing, Yuna fought to stay that way. For a few moments, she just stood there, willing the soreness to ease from her muscles. I have to help!
Yuna scrambled up to Seymour's side, and he glanced over at her.
"Stand back, Lady Yuna," he said urgently.
"Y-yes," Yuna stammered in reply. But she wouldn't run away. She couldn't.
The Sinspawn fell easier this time. It was already mortally wounded, though it put up a surprising fight. Throughout the battle, Yuna was surprised at Seymour's strength; his talents as a summoner were far more advanced than hers, though he used his magic for offence rather than healing. Soon, the Sinspawn faded into pyreflies.
"The others?" Yuna asked, still catching her breath. Auron turned towards the cliff, and Yuna followed. She ran towards the edge, only to stop short. Sin was still there.
Yuna was vaguely aware of Seymour coming up beside her, but her focus was elsewhere.
A massive set of energy cannons were perched on the cliffside, pointed at Sin and preparing to fire. Sin was still surrounded by a thick barrier of energy, seemingly impenetrable. After a few moments, the Al Bhed energy cannon fired a stream on lightning on the dome, shoving into the barrier. A battle ensued, the forces of energy shoving back on one another; it was unclear who would win. For one heart-pounding moment, Yuna thought that the cannon would get through. The barrier was dipping so much, growing so thin, they were so close…
Then they weren't. Sin turned its great head towards the cannon, and the barrier pulsed outward. The section that was locked in combat with the energy beam sprang out, shattering the tower to pieces. Sin's shield vanished, and for a moment, the great fiend just stood there. Yuna's thoughts were in as many pieces as the Al Bhed cannon.
This is what I must fight.
This is what I must defeat.
I know what I must do.
I cannot give up.
I must make sure this never happens again.
I will defeat Sin. No matter the cost…
…
Tidus groaned. Every inch of his body throbbed. He felt like he'd just been run over by an eighteen-wheeler.
What just happened?
Trying not to think too much, Tidus shoved his hands against the ground, forcing his face out of the sand. All around him were bodies. Corpses, strewn over the sand, hundreds of Crusader knights, wiped away by Sin's terrible power.
Tidus was down on the beach. Somehow, he'd been swept down to the seashore where the chocobo knights were fighting. And somehow, he was still alive.
Yuna! Where is she? Tidus' first thoughts were about the young summoner. Auron got her to safety, so she's probably still up at the command center.
Tidus pushed himself up into a kneeling position. I have to get back to the others. Gathering all his strength, Tidus stood up. He tried not to look too closely at the scattered bodies, but that proved impossible. They were everywhere, and picking a path through was difficult by itself.
How many died today? And for nothing! It was all so pointless…
Farther up the path, Tidus found Gatta, kneeling on the ground up against the cliff, holding his head in his hands. He was still alive but didn't seem to notice Tidus walking by.
"Gatta?" Tidus asked tentatively, crouching down beside the young Crusader. His eyes were wide and looked almost like he was sleepwalking.
"What's… going on?" he whimpered. "Why? What? What's going on?!"
Tidus clenched his teeth, backing away. If he thought too long about the death and destruction, about Sin and its terrible, unbeatable power, he might lose his grasp on sanity, too. How could something like this happen? So many died, so many who were just like Gatta, with so much life left to live. And how many were there like Gatta now, broken by what had happened?
Tidus turned back towards the sea, where Sin loomed. The great monster stood there, surveying its destruction. A great monster who Auron had said was…
Sin started to turn away, diving back into the dark waters where it had come from. Tidus couldn't take it.
"Don't you run away from me!" he hollered, racing back through the field of bodies. He couldn't just stand there and take it all in. So, when he reached the water's edge, he sucked in a deep breath and dived in, swimming after Sin.
…
Yuna stood there on the cliff's edge, feeling more helpless than she ever had. Sin had just wiped out hundreds of lives, and now it was leaving. She was supposed to keep Spira's people safe! She was supposed to stop Sin! How could this happen?
"Everybody stand back!" she called, pulling out her staff. "I'll summon!"
"You won't hurt it," Seymour said, coming up close to her. "Your powers are still… too weak."
"But… I must do something!" Yuna insisted. Seymour shook his head, but she continued anyway. Yuna held her staff in front of her and began to twirl, the dance for summoning Ifrit, the aeon she had obtained at Kilika.
"You can't!" Seymour said firmly, almost a shout. He grabbed one of her wrists mid-twirl, causing her to drop her staff. Yuna almost felt like crying.
"I'm supposed to defeat Sin!" she cried. "How can I do that if I can't even stop this?"
Seymour was silent. Yuna pulled back from him, jerking her hand away.
"You know how to defeat Sin," Seymour said calmly. Yuna looked away. She knew.
"The Final Summoning," Seymour continued. "Lady Yuna, you will grow stronger, and defeat Sin. You mustn't give up."
Yuna could speak, so she nodded. She knew. She wouldn't give up. Not now, or ever. She would defeat Sin.
…
Tidus was swimming. Swimming through the ocean after Sin. Before he even knew what he was doing, there he was, chasing him down like a thief at market. His thoughts were all a mess, ripped to a thousand pieces. All the death and destruction Sin had brought down on them that day were almost too much. Instead, all he could think of was Zanarkand. Zanarkand… and his father. All he could do was remember…
Tidus stared up at his father, who stood looking out the window with his back turned. He wondered how he could say what he wanted to. He wondered if his father even knew he was there…
"What?" Jecht asked, turning around suddenly. Tidus nearly jumped in fright. He stammered for a moment, then just blurted it out.
"They say you don't practice anymore, that you're gonna retire." That wasn't what he really wanted to ask about, but it seemed a good way to broach the topic.
"Let them talk," Jecht replied to his little son, grinning. "I'm still the best."
Tidus launched straight into it. "They say you're no good 'cause you drink all the time."
Jecht scoffed. "I can quit drinkin' whenever I want!"
A spark of silly hope went off in the little boy's head.
"Then do it now," he said.
"What did you say?" Jecht asked, and Tidus felt his hope draining away.
"Y-you just said you can!" he insisted.
"Heh," Jecht scoffed again. "Tomorrow, maybe."
"Why not today?" Tidus almost pleaded.
"Why do today what you can leave for tomorrow?" Jecht asked with a chuckle. Tidus clenched his teeth, feeling tears welling up in his eyes. Of course it wasn't that easy. Of course his father wouldn't listen to him. Why would the great Jecht listen to a pitiful little boy like him?
Tidus felt the familiar sensation of dampness sliding down his cheeks. Unable to stand there and face his father with his tear-stained face, Tidus turned and ran for the door.
"There he goes again…" Jecht sighed as Tidus left. "Crying!"
There, in the water that day, swimming after Sin, he could feel it. A presence he knew oh so very well. His father.
Jecht.
How many died today?
That was what Tidus thought when he crawled back out of the sea and on to the beach. A cold breeze met his soaked skin and sent a shiver through his body. Tidus let his eyes wander over the scene of destruction. There was Yuna, dancing. She stood, surrounded by corpses, swinging her staff and dancing. A sending, like the one at Kilika. Again, Sin had killed so many, and again, Yuna had to dance.
People die, and Yuna dances.
When will she stop dancing? When will it stop?
Yuna won't stop dancing, not until Sin is gone.
"I see you're still here." A familiar voice pulled Tidus from his dull thoughts. Auron.
"Huh?" Tidus turned to see the man in the red cloak who he'd known for so long. But for all that time, I had no idea he was from Spira. I had no idea he knew my father. I guess I never really knew Auron at all.
"Many stories ended here today," Auron continued, "but yours goes on, I see."
"What?" Tidus asked vacantly. Him and his stories again… Is this really the time?
Auron didn't clarify further. He turned and walked off, headed towards Kinoc and his guards. Yuna stood up at the top of the path. Tidus was glad to see the summoner was unharmed, but he didn't feel up to talking with her at the moment. Instead, he looked around. A little ways off, he spotted the rest of their group standing together against the cliffside. He was relieved to see them alright, too. We're all okay, but so many others…
The image of Gatta, crouched against the wall, screaming, appeared in Tidus' mind. He was sure he would never be free of that image.
Curious, Tidus followed Auron as he walked up to Kinoc.
"A swift retreat," Auron said curtly. "Satisfied?"
"What do you mean?" Kinoc asked, not sounding very confused.
"Those who turned from Yevon died, while the faithful live on," Auron said, locking eyes with his former friend.
"Hmm." Again, Kinoc didn't seem surprised. He didn't look guilty. He just looked… satisfied, like Auron had said.
"The past ten years have changed you, I see," Kinoc said, then turned to leave. Tidus took this moment to leave, too. He didn't want to dwell on conspiracies, but the thought that all of this had been planned…
Tidus turned towards where the others leaned against the wall. No more conspiracies. He'd go check on his friends.
"Hey, guys," Tidus said, approaching the group. They all looked up, visibly relieved.
"Hey, Tidus," Wakka replied. "You okay? We were looking for you, earlier."
"Oh, yeah, I'm… fine," Tidus answered slowly.
"But you were in contact with Sin again," Lulu said. "The toxin- are you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah, really." Tidus came up and stood with the rest. "I don't think I've forgotten anything."
"Good to hear," Lulu sighed.
"Lots weren't so lucky," Wakka said grimly, staring over the beach. Tidus didn't follow his gaze; he'd seen enough of the death and destruction. Instead, he moved over to where Kimahri stood, a little apart from the others.
"I can't believe this could happen," Tidus thought out loud. "It's just like Zanarkand, only… I'm still here. Sin came and went and I'm still here." Tidus paused and let out a sigh. "I guess Sin won't take me back to Zanarkand."
Tidus glanced up at Kimahri. The Ronso stood about a foot taller than him and was still as silent as ever. But he had looked down, locking his eyes on Tidus. It was more of a response than he usually gave.
Tidus looked away from Kimahri back towards where Yuna stood at the top of the path.
At least Yuna's all right, he thought with relief. Auron did his job as a guardian well. I can't say the same about me. If I'm going to stay in Spira, then I have to do a better job. I'm going to protect Yuna so she can defeat Sin. We'll stop all this death and destruction together!
Yuna stood at the top of the path to the command center, watching Auron and Maester Kinoc talked. They were too far off to hear unless she really listened, but Yuna guessed it was none of her business. She could see all the others hanging off at a distance, and was relieve to see they were alright.
Unlike so many others…
Maester Kinoc came walking by, and Yuna jerked out of her thoughts. She quickly bowed as he walked past, but he didn't seem to notice. She looked up to see Auron walked over towards the others. I should go join them.
Yuna was just about to make her way down the path when Seymour approached her from behind. She turned around and tried not to look surprised.
"You do not look so well," Seymour said in his usual smooth tone. It would be so easy to let herself be pulled in by that calming, gentle voice, but Yuna couldn't shake the feeling that there was something behind it all. Something more.
Seymour came closer. He was half-Guado and much taller than Yuna, so he had to look down to meet her eyes.
"But, now more than ever," he continued, "you must be the people's strength, their confidence. Anyone else would be expected to show their sorrow."
Seymour pulled his eyes from Yuna and gestured over toward the rest of her party. Wakka crouched beside the body of a Crusader knight, and the rest looked just as forlorn.
"But you are a summoner," Seymour turned back to Yuna. "You are Spira's hope. Until Sin is defeated, you must not relent. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand," Yuna replied with a nod. Though she was wary of Seymour, what he said made sense. They were the same words Yuna had been saying to herself.
"Are you afraid?" Seymour's words surprised Yuna. She looked up into his red-violet eyes and couldn't answer. She didn't want to be afraid.
"Yuna, take me as your pillar of strength." Seymour gestured to himself. "As Yunalesca had her Lord Zaon."
Yuna wasn't sure how to reply to that. She knew the story of the first High Summoner, Lady Yunalesca. She knew who Lord Zaon was, as well. Since all this began, Yuna wasn't sure what to think of Seymour, but this? He didn't mean…
"Lady Yuna," Seymour pulled Yuna from her thoughts as he turned to leave. "Until next we meet, farewell."
Yuna still didn't speak, but she did a deep prayer bow as Seymour walked away.
I need to go to the others.
She would think about Seymour later.
"Hello, everyone!" Yuna waved to the others as she approached, keeping a smile on her face. Just like Seymour had said, she needed to be the light to the others during this time. They needed her to be bright while things were dark. That was her duty as a summoner.
"Yuna!" Tidus called out straightening from where he had slumped against the wall. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she answered. I'm just glad you're okay.
"Yuna, what's our next move?" Auron asked, breaking up the reunion.
"We have to keep going, to the next temple," Yuna replied, still holding a smile. She had to smile. She had to, no matter how dull she felt.
"We should leave soon," Auron said.
Yuna nodded. "We will. I just want to make sure everybody is rested, first."
"Wise," Auron said with a nod. Yuna came to stand by the wall with everyone else. Auron pulled Tidus away, and she figured it was best not to bother them.
We'll leave soon. The pilgrimage must continue. I can't stop.
Auron practically dragged Tidus away from the others. Before Tidus even had a chance to asked what it was all about, Auron began.
"Sin is Jecht," he said firmly.
"Yeah," Tidus replied dully. "For a while there, I thought I could feel him."
Tidus suddenly became aware he was agreeing with Auron's wild claim about Sin.
"But that doesn't mean I believe you!" he quickly clarified.
"Sin is Jecht," Auron repeated. "He came here for you."
Tidus tried to reply, but his words caught in his mouth. All that death and destruction, all that pain and grief…
Finally the words came. "So he killed all those people just for a chance to see me?!"
"That's what Sin does," Auron said. "He wanted to show that to you." Auron's voice took on a tone of urgency. "Do you know why?"
Tidus suddenly felt tired. "How am I supposed to know?"
"So you would kill him." Auron's words startled Tidus into wakefulness. "As long as he is Sin, Jecht will keep killing. He wants you to stop him."
"Y-you gotta be kidding," Tidus said. "How do you know all of this, anyway?"
Auron just chuckled, that aggravating, mysterious chuckle he always did when he didn't want to answer. Without any other reply, he turned and walked away.
"I'm not done talking to you!" Tidus called after him. "Don't you run away!"
"You're the one running," Auron called back over his shoulder. Tidus stood there, silent.
…
The party left shortly. The Crusaders were gathering all their survivors to the Djose temple, so the path was hardly empty. Those who could walk carried those who couldn't. Yuna had spent much time sending the dead, and a few commanders remained behind to burn the bodies left behind. Several soldiers had also remained there to watch their comrades' funeral pyre. So much death…
Tidus was glad to get away, but couldn't find it in him to brighten up. Not after everything that had happened. He dragged his feet in the dust, falling behind to the back of the with Kimahri.
"Hey, you two! Hurry up!" Yuna called back brightly. Tidus just scoffed and stopped completely, letting the others go on.
"She's awfully cheerful," he muttered.
Kimahri stopped and walked back over to Tidus. Tidus looked up at the big Ronso, who looked down at him.
"In dark times, she must be. She must shine bright."
As soon as Tidus realized his mouth was hanging open, he shut it. Kimahri can talk!
"Now are dark times," Kimahri continued, his deep voice rumbling. "Yuna tries hard."
"We should help her, then," Tidus said.
"If we worry, she tries harder," Kimahri said. "Do not frown."
Tidus sighed. "Don't worry, be happy?"
"Kimahri try, too," Kimahri replied.
"Smile!" Tidus said. "Let me see!"
Kimahri… sort of smiled. The expression that grew over his face seemed more like a snarling feline than a smile.
Tidus sighed and shook his head. "Sad…"
