Moon Says: So, it's been forever. I had tried to update before the New Year, but that didn't happen. Why? Because I got FFX HD for Christmas, and I have spent over 150 hours on it. Yeah. I had originally wanted to stop and go along with my story as I did in the game, but that just did not happen. Right now, I'm Inside Sin and trying to complete the Monster Arena along with the Dark Aeons before I finish the game, but it does not look like Nemesis and Penance are going to get beat (I can't get the Sigils for Tidus and Lulu). / Here is the update, and don't worry, TotG will be next with two chapters!

Words/Pages: 15 & 6, 392

Written/Posted/Edited: 1-13 & 2-29/ 3-4 /2-29

Intervention

Chapter 7

We barely got on the Djose Highroad when we both felt an enormous power coming straight for us.

Or rather it was coming for those idiots who thought they could lure Sin in close and destroy it.

A valiant attempt; no doubt their hearts were in the right place, but their minds? No, those left ages ago. Maybe that was too harsh. Was it their fault they knew nothing about Sin?

I turned toward Emma…no, she's Shiki now. I would follow her lead on this.

Even if she abandoned them all.

But hadn't we done that once? In the war, Bevelle had used a smaller version of their ultimate weapon, and there was nothing that we could do. If we stayed, we would have died as well.

It was something I hated myself for doing, but I never regretted the decision to run.

She tore her eyes away from the approaching figure—it was only a speck at the moment—toward me. I could see the thoughts running in her head.

Stay or go?

Emma sighed. "I've spent all these years leaving people to clean up their own messes while I stuck to the only way I knew how to clean up mine. This is the first time they've attacked the damn thing head on, though."

Her black eyes looked into mine, and what I saw there made me utterly loathe myself because I was the reason that this happened to her. That she had to feel this apathy.

Once, neither of us would have thought whether or not to join in a fight. The only question we had was how to take on our enemy.

Emma smiled faintly before turning back to Sin who was becoming bigger.

"I don't know if I can die. Maybe that's why I haven't inserted myself into these affairs. If I die, who will help them? Maybe I'm tried. Maybe I just don't have the will to do anything without a reason to or someone to remind me that I wasn't someone to stand still and let shit happen around me."

I grinned then as she turned back toward me and matched my expression. "No, we jumped in."

Emma laughed. A free one that made some of the guilt and all that negative shit I had on my shoulders because of what happened lift a bit.

Maybe this was my atonement. I was to bring Emma back to who she used to be, who she is, not who she has become due to being alone.

Maybe Emma had no other option than to be apathetic and only focus on the task she had in front of her. Emma was the sort that needed someone beside her. Sure, she was the strongest woman I knew and would ever know, but there was something in her that needed someone who anchored her to this world. Otherwise, she would drift and go into herself.

It was something I had forgotten. Ever since her parents abandoned her and her sister (then died somehow—Emma blamed herself for this, but she never told me what happened), she has always distanced herself from others so she wouldn't be hurt. But a few people pushed past her walls.

Then they, too, were gone—dead.

We had abandoned her, rather any of us meant to or not.

A thousand years by herself, alone with just her mind—a mind consumed with the guilt, loneliness, and helplessness of her past—made her into a woman I don't recognize.

This still is our story, and I'd be damned if it ends with us lost and a shell of who we once were…still are.

We reached the beach just as Sin was fully visible. I could see Yuna's group above on the cliff, and she was waving franticly at us. No doubt to tell us to get out of there. My Emma, though, was fully focused on Sin. I knew exactly what ran through her mind. How as she going to save as many as she could?

It was only when Sin started to attack that she did something, but so did the countless Chocobo and other warriors. They ran straight for Sin. Emma, though, had a thousand years of watching Sin to know what just what its attacks were—and how best to stop them, or at least minimize the damage.

I felt her power rise: a protection spell. I raised mine as well and summoned as much as I dared and added it to hers. When the idiots charging felt her power and saw the shield encompass the beach, they all stopped. Those who had their own magic decided wisely to add what other spells they could to those around them.

The spells weren't enough.

Sin's attack tore through every protection spell that was raised, but it did do its job. It took a majority of the blast; however, we were still thrown back.

I grabbed her right before we started flying backward through the air. I molded my body to hers, making sure when we slammed into the ground that my body as the one that took most of the blast.

After all, I could take more damage than she could.

Unfortunately, hitting the ground knocked me the fuck out. I've been slung around a lot before, so I knew it just wasn't me hitting the ground (or even the force of Sin's blast). Maybe everyone was right about that Toxin shit…

When I came too, I immediately squeezed my arms in an attempt to make sure that she was still with me. She was, but she was out just like I was.

Seriously, you'd think with all the experience we have between us, one hit like that wouldn't take us out. But, on the other hand, Sin was very powerful—after all, why else would an Aeon be the only thing that could kick its ass?

I careful sat up, making sure that as I did so, I didn't hurt her any further. As soon as I made my first move, she started to wake.

"Shit," she groaned. "No wonder I've stayed the fuck away from this thing. It's hurts worse than a Behemoth King."

I chuckled only to feel a mass wave of power as well as a cry. Our hands snapped up toward the cliff. Yuna was fighting alongside Seymour and one of her other Guardians against the Sinspawn that these hopeful idiots caged.

There was nothing that we could do, so we stood up on shaky legs and started walking around what was left of the beach, looking for survivors and those who needed mercy killings.

~Tidus~

Yuna and her Guardians were weak and exhausted as well as haunted by what they had seen. Wakka was all over the use of Machina until my Emma gave him the evil eye.

It would be wrong of us to just leave them there, especially since even the weakest fiends could tear them apart at that point. We walked them to the Djose Temple where they healed and rested.

While they did that, the two of us entered the Temple. Our bodies had taken worse damage over the years, and this was nothing compared to what injuries we sustained when we defended Atlantis or even Bikanel Island.

We were used to fighting with injuries. The Squad didn't have much time to rest a lot of the time in between missions.

The Fayth was waiting on us after we made a quick dash through a completed trail. While this temple's trail wasn't that difficult, it was annoying…not as annoying as the one in Bevelle, but still. Annoying.

As we entered the Fayth's Chamber, our eyes went straight to the Seal. Sorrow entered my heart as I gazed upon it, but sorrow soon left as it was replaced by gratefulness. I can't recall how many times the Fayth's Aeons saved our lives over the years.

I didn't forget, however, my wariness towards them that I had acquired since I had escaped the Fake-Zanarkand. Maybe this one would give us the answers we seek.

When Ixion's spirit formed, his first words to us were, "The pain, sorrow, and death that Sin inflicts is only growing. It is time that we finally do something about it."

Emma's face took on a pained look. "I know this. But what can we do? We have stopped Sin in the past even if it momentary.

Ixion only looked sad as he knew his next words would cut her deep inside and he did not wish to do that. No, if anything, this was the kindest Fayth of the all. It was his kindness that led to his punishment. "We had forgotten how to move forward. Your never ending pain stilled us in the past from this course, but when he came back into your life, we were reminded that we must go forward. We have all become stuck so deep it the past that we have forgotten that time goes on and so must we. Yes, we must run. We must embrace it. Let us go, you who share our dreaming. Come, we will run together till the dream's end."

After his last words, the Fayth faded back into his Seal.

I turned to face my beloved, and it was very obvious that she was holding back tears.

All she had were the Fayth. They were a part of her. They kept her anchored and a part of something since everyone she loved, that was living, left her. They had become her family, and I could feel what their wants were doing to her.

It was clear what they desired. The Fayth had been stuck inside these Seals, in their punishment or choice, for over a thousand years. Centuries before Emma and I were born. Some, more than that. I don't blame them for wanting peace. For wanting to stop watching Summoners, those of the living that they get attached to, that they become one with, die whether by age, fiends, or Sin.

It had only been less than a week, maybe two at the most, since I've come to this time, the future of where I once lived. Just seeing the little I've had makes me want it all to end.

The Emma I knew would not have rested until she had devised a way to destroy Sin and protect Spira. Even if she died doing it. But this was not my Emma. Something had happened to her after Bevelle. Something triggered her possessiveness. Her clinging nature.

Ixion's words combined with the words of my Fayth made me realize what was going on. Sin was still alive because of Emma. Someone knew how to defeat Sin once and all, but it had never been spoken of because of her.

Because of what it would do to her.

Was the Fayth being released from their imprisonment, their Seals, what it would take to defeat Sin?

I didn't know. There was much I didn't know. Emma would share with me what I needed to know when the time came.

Whatever way it was that could destory Sin forever, Emma refused to even think about it, but I think she knew deep down, in the deep recesses of her mind (where the solution existed too), that the Fayth had chosen the Summoner to end this.

And it was killing them to do this.

Because it was killing her.

Whatever had happened this past millennium, it had tied the Fayth with her even more than she was already bond to them.

I just hoped that when Sin was destroyed, because there was no other way this could end, that it didn't destory us both.

But maybe that was the price we had to pay. Maybe our second chance was to make this right, and, like the Fayth, fade away as none of us belonged in the future.

After all, what use were Fayth, Aeons, and war-scarred warriors in a peaceful future?

~Tidus~

When we entered the main hall, there was a Summoner with two Guardians just entering the Temple. It confused me when I saw that one of his Guardians was a child…this wasn't a game. It was appalling to me that he would put the boy through …he didn't know.

No one knew that the Final Summoning involved a Guardian, and if this one took the child…that child would be left alone in the ruins of Zanarkand…unless his Summoner returned him to someplace where other people could take care of him.

I wanted to tell the Summoner, but one look at the closed off look on Emma's face stopped me.

If the world needed to know what went on with the Final Summoning, then more people would be making it to Zanarkand and back.

Besides, if we defeated Sin for good, then what is the use of others knowing?

We met the group in the middle of the hall, and the Summoner exchanged the stupid victory greeting—Emma did not. She only tilted her head at him.

"Bringing a child on your pilgrimage…do you think this is a game?"

All, well, at least someone said something.

All three males in front of us were shocked at her words. Well, who wouldn't be?

"He is my Guardian as well as my brother," was the response, but it wasn't good enough.

"So you couldn't find someone to take him in? Tell me, if you make it to Zanarkand and perform the Final Summoning, what will you do with the boy? Would you have him scarred for life by making him witness his brother's—"

"Enough," the other Guardian interrupted. "What right do you have to interfere with my Summoner's choice of Guardian or the way he does things?"

Emma only raised an eyebrow. "I'm only looking after the boy. But if you wish to damage him, go right ahead. Go on, continue collecting Aeons. You will find if you make it to Bevelle that the Fayth there will not appreciate what you are doing."

Then, Emma took a step back and did the proper greeting and farewell of the Summoners.

I tried not to laugh because I saw it for what it was: she was mocking him.

There was no way he was making it Zanarkand. They would spend too much time protecting the boy and won't be able to really make any progress.

The three of them stood stunned at what had taken place, not really knowing what to do.

Just as we were about out of the temple, she turned around and looked straight at the Summoner. "You might want to beware; I hear Summoners are disappearing."

As we made our way out of the temple, I thought on her words. Who would be making Summoners vanish?

Then it hit me: Rikku. The Al Bhed.

Outside of the temple, everyone of Yuna's group was waiting on her. Apparently, she was a slow riser.

Just to piss of Wakka, I questioned my love in a language I knew what mess with him. "Cu, Summoners yna paehk gethybbat po dra Al Bhed," I paused as second as I remembered something we had discussed long ago. "Ev drao yna ytimdc, lyh drao pa gethybbat?"

She laughed, and I knew it was both for my question and for messing with Wakka. "Ruf muhk yna fa kuehk du ryja dryd tapyda. E tuh'd drehg fa'ja ajan lusa du y luhlmiceuh."

Wakka only fussed as we left them behind.

Honestly, we had a good time just enjoying the peace and slaying fiends when they were stupid enough to attack us. Of course, that peace shattered when we had to wait a few hours to continue past the Moonflow.

We could have crossed a different way if Emma had summoned the Water Aeon, but she didn't do that. That was how we had crossed all those years before. That or we used a different Aeon. Once we climbed the ranks in the Squad, we were about to pilot one of the airships, but, well, we didn't have access to one of those at the moment.

So our only option was to wait for the Shopuff to wake up.

Which meant that Yuna's group had time to catch up, and they did.

~tidus~

Riding the Shopuff took about an hour or so in total to get where we wanted to go. Wakka lasted about twenty minutes before he started talking about shit he didn't know about.

Somewhere deep inside, I knew that Atlantis had to be no more, but seeing the ruins underneath the water…it hurt. I had quite a few good memories in that place.

And it pissed me off that Wakka was, unintentionally, trying to take them from me.

Emma set him straight though.

"Do you believe everything anyone tells you?" Emma interrupted. "If I told you that the reason why Mushroom Rock is shaped the way it is was because people built houses inside the cliffs, rocks, and walls all around the place and had too much machina so Sin destroyed them, would you believe me? If that's true, then Luca should be buried under rubble. Luca has the second most machina in the city in Spira today. If what you say is true, why isn't it destroyed? Oh wait, Yevon says that machina is good. Idiot. The whole machina is bad, we sinned, yadda yadda yadda, is false. If Zanarkand was destroyed because of machina, so would Bevelle. But you won't believe me till you see it."

Wakka sputtered at her before he gained his wits, or at least some of them. "Then, if you know so much, then tell me why this city was destroyed if not to punish them for the hubris?"

Emma looked at Wakka before responding, "Do you really want to know the truth, or are you content in believing what Yevon says?"

Wakka thought about it for five minutes before looking at me. Maybe he was seriously trying to do better. "Tell me then, and I'll decided if it sounds real. After, you can tell me how you know so much."

Emma titled her head in the way that let me know she was editing what she was about to say. "After Sin was created, or got enough power to actually move, it went a bit insane. Or so I am told by someone who was there at the time. Sin did the opposite thing it was created for by destroying Zanarkand, and it only fueled the madness. In that insanity, the need to defend was so great that it went after powerful cites that were seen as threats due to its power. The ruins of the city you see below us never took sides in any wars. It was always neutral. The Fayth there would not have it any other way."

Wakka blinked. "There was a Fayth in that city?" he asked as he looked over the edge.

"The Water Fayth," Emma replied, relaxing a bit since it seemed Wakka was starting to accept more information about the world. "From what I have been told by the Fayth himself and other Fayth, the Fayth of Atlantis always lived on the banks of the Moonflow. But after his people were almost wiped out due to fiends, famine, and the like because they had no place to call home or walls to protect them, he sacrificed himself so that his people would have a permanent home. And since his element was Water, building the city over the Moonflow was the best place."

Wakka was quick for a while, no doubt trying to absorb the information that he had been given, before he spoke again. "The city is destroyed, so where did the Fayth go? Was he destroyed too when Sin attacked?"

Emma sighed and looked out in sorrow over the river. "That's the thing; no one is really sure what has happened to him. After the city was destroyed, all Summoners who had access to his Aeon were no longer about to Summon him. However, if you go near where the ruins of his Temple are, you can still feel his power."

Yuna asked, "What do you think happened?"

Emma didn't turn from the water as she responded. "I think the Creator released him from his Seal as a Fayth as his purpose was done and he was no longer needed. The Fayth do not disappear completely from this world if they are released. There will always be echoes of their power and presence everywhere they touched."

That made a lot of sense as the Temple in Zanarkand still felt alive with the power of a Fayth.

"And the Fayth told you this?" Wakka questioned though his tone wasn't hostile just curious.

Emma nodded before she froze. Her eyes then snapped to Yuna just as the girl was yanked into the water by a man.

The Guardians freaked the fuck out. Wakka jumped into the water desperate to get his Summoner back.

Emma only sighed as she tugged off her jacket and threw it to Lulu. "Give that back to me after you get your Summoner."

Lulu nodded as Emma and eye locked eyes; a small smile spread across her face. "It's been awhile since I've been swimming in these waters."

Then we stood on the seats and dived into the water after Wakka. We got to him just in time too as he was getting overwhelmed by some fish fiends.

The three of us took care of them quite quick, but as soon as we killed them, some machina came into view. One that had some sort of cage with Yuna inside.

With the three of us attacking the thing, we made it let loose Yuna in no time. Wakka grabbed his Summoner and was about to head straight for the surface before he looked at the two of us. Emma shook her head and pointed in the direction of the machina. Wakka understood and took off with Yuna.

We were going to go after the Machina and whoever was inside of it.

Emma and I ended up on the other side of the Moonflow banks not too long later. What we found was a girl lying on the banks looking half dead. It only took me a moment to recognize the girl.

It was Rikku; the girl who had saved me before. I quickly reminded Emma of the fact, and she responded with going straight for the girl and healing her.

Emma may have focused on her warrior abilities, but that didn't mean she hadn't made sure her magic matched whatever progressed she made.

Balance, she always told me, was important.

A few minutes later, Rikku woke and went off on me for being a meanie. After her rant, she seemed to realize that Emma was standing there looking amused.

"Oh, who is this?" Rikku asked, kind of excited now.

Girls. Never will understand them.

"This is the one I was looking for," I told her before I remember the whole kidnapping Summoner thing.

Rikku's eyes widened. "This is your Summoner? The one that doesn't want to sacrifice herself to kill Sin?"

Emma raised an eyebrow as she took in those words. It only took her a moment, though, to realize exactly what those words meant: I had told Rikku that Emma wouldn't have support the dying for only a little time of peace.

Had I but known that she was directly involved with it all.

Oh well. We were changing all that, right?

Right?

Rikku took a good look at Emma before she nodded and decided on something. "Are you traveling with the other Summoner?"

Emma shrugged, "Only off and on, really. Honestly, I think she and her Guardians need babysitters as they don't seem to really be strong enough to make this journey."

Apparently, that was the right thing to say to Rikku as the girl volunteered herself as Emma's Guardian.

"You need someone else to help you keep them alive, and I'm going to help."

Emma blinked. "Then why not be Yuna's Guardian?"

Rikku shook her head. "The three of us are going to keep her alive, and it's better if we're together. Besides, if we get separated or something with her group, the three of us are still together and we can talk strategy on how to keep that girl alive as well as the rest of the Summoners. Besides, it's better to be a Guardian to a Summoner that won't go dying on me or trying to whatever. Won't have to really worry about protecting you, and we can spend more time thinking of ways…" Rikku continued on for a few more minutes, but I don't think Emma or I were really listening anymore.

Emma looked like she was trying to figure out the girl's logic as was I. Was she hit by Sin's Toxin, too? I honestly thought that if that was Rikku's plan, it'd be better served by Yuna's side. But the girl seemed to think that the three of us were going to constantly be with Yuna…oh shit.

We really can't get away from that girl, can we?

I look at Emma, and her eyes tell me she has come to the same conclusion. It seemed that our lives would always be plagued with protecting that girl, but at least this time we know just how deep not to go.

Emma waved the girl on. "Come on, to the City of the Farplane with you. We can wait for them there. You still aren't fully healed, so you need to rest up. No doubt Yuna will need healing as well.

~Tidus~

The old headquarters of our Squad changed but at the same time it didn't. The city had been chosen as a reminder of what our job was. We were next to the Farplane for a reason. It was a constant in-your-face reminder that we were Guardians of this World, neutral, just as the Farplane was.

Now the Guado had overrun it, making it their home, and it no longer represented a place of safety and peace. The feel of this city…it was no longer the same. I could practically feel the fear and isolation. From the few things I heard on the way here (my journey through Spira as well as the reception at Luca), the Guado were outcasts.

The people probably didn't even remember why anymore. My guess it was because they took over this city and instead of peace and safety, they shoved people out and didn't let them stay. The people of Spira no doubt had suspicions that they had done something to the Squad. Because, why else would someone be here? Where was the Squad?

Yeah. Things had changed in the past thousand years, and the more I traveled through Spira, the more I realized that it really wasn't for the better. And if Emma let this happen, if she didn't fight it, then there was seriously something more dangerous going on that that I didn't know about.

My bet was on the Fayth that used to occupy Zanarkand. There was something going on there that I didn't know about, and I wondered just how much my Emma knew. There were certain battles that Emma never engaged in, and if this was one, then I really was afraid for the world.

The Creator help us all if this was a force that we had no hope of ever beating.

As soon as we entered my second home, or what used to be, an older Guado came to us and started interrogating us about Yuna—though it was clear he was trying to be welcoming and polite.

"She will be along soon, but I will need to do some healing if she hasn't already," Emma responded. "We had an…eventful trip across the Moonflow. We went ahead to make sure—"

He interrupted her, assuming what we were going to say, and went on about how safe this place was and everything was prepared.

Emma was not going to say any of that. If anything, she'd probably have said something like they went ahead to make sure Yuna and the others lived because someone, either Emma or myself, was going to kill someone.

Sigh.

Being political was exhausting.

He led us into the main house where we used to house our Squad and where we also stored all our weapons and secret stuff.

I raised an eyebrow to Emma after I caught her eye and looked between where we kept that stuff hidden and back to her. She rolled her eyes, "Like anyone would find that shit," she whispered. "I made sure no one got in, but it's still there."

I nodded and accepted her answer, but I didn't like it.

Some of that stuff I didn't even touch myself. We held it hostage so no one could have it.

We didn't have to wait long, but in the meantime, my girl looked Rikku over and healed her up.

"Anything else that I missed?" Emma asked softly. She seemed overly concerned that the girl be okay.

I wondered what this meant.

Rikku the hyper girl started jumping up and down until she slipped and fell.

"Owwiee," she rubbed her butt as it was what she fell on.

Emma and I shook our heads, but we both wore a slight smile on our faces.

"What has you two in such a good mood?" Wakka's voice asked from behind us.

The smile quickly left our faces and Lulu smacked him good. "Idiot."

It didn't take long for Seymour to call us back and he started up a sphere. "This is a memory created from those who reside in the Farplane."

All around us Zanarkand started to rise up: as it was one thousand years ago. My eyes cut to Emma whose face was not telling me anything. Her eyes just took in what she saw.

Seymour continued to narrate, and the others seemed in awe.

Of course they were. Zanarkand was the greatest city I knew of back then. I'm afraid to even look upon it now.

My eyes narrowed as did Emma's when Seymour went on about how "she" once lived here. Auron snorted; and his eyes cut to Emma.

Then the room flashed and the scene cut to somewhere I knew quite well. It was my Emma's bedroom.

Our mother was on the bed, like she had been many times before, so it was hard to know which scene this was. There was no sound. We only saw the couple that took us in, those we called our parents.

Lady Yunalesca and Lord Zaon.

Neither Emma and I paid attention to Seymour; no, we were focused on images of people we used to love. They greeted each other as they always did as if they had been away for a long time. Any time apart was always too long for them even if just a few minutes.

A part of me aches at this memory, to see people I once and still loved, but I longed to hear their voices again.

As soon as the images left, I knew Emma felt the same way. She immediately asked Seymour where the sphere and device was.

He showed her and asked what she was doing.

"I can extend the scene with Yunalesca and add sound," was her only reply. It didn't take her long to tinker with the machine.

"Learn that from your boyfriend?" I asked amused. It seemed she had gotten better over the years.

She walked toward me with her tongue sticking out.

The sphere showed the beginning of the scene again, with Yunalesca on the bed, except we could hear her now.

"You are taking too long, my dear. Just put on the outfit I laid out for you," I almost cried at hearing the woman I considered my mother again. But like Emma, I didn't show what I was feeling.

I could hear Emma growl from the side room, her closet. "I will not be going out among all those people naked! I don't care if you like it, I do not."

Then our father came into the room and mother went toward him. "What is taking so long, my favorite ladies?"

"Your wife is making me dress like a…something! If she wants to show her body off, she can." Emma said as she came out the side room.

The entire room gasped as they saw a long haired version of the woman next to me. She had decided to wear pants as usual, but over it she had a dress so to speak that went above her knees and split down the sides. It was a dark green; usually, she stuck to black, red, and/or bluish silver. She had her long boots on, but I could only see the bottoms. Her shoulders were bare, and I knew it would show the top of her tattoo Seal on the back if she turned toward me.

"Well, I wouldn't mind," I heard my voice coming from the hidden side door near her closet.

More gasping that we ignored as we were too focused on the people in front of us. I had my old uniform on that was similar somewhat to what I was currently wearing—what I found in my room at the old safe house.

"You would," Emma responded without turning to me, "if men keep hitting on me."

My imaged self just chuckled. "Those idiots know you're off limits. Besides, I doubt any man would be brave enough to come near you let alone ask you anything of that nature."

"Then I'll go change," Emma bluffed, and in response, I had grabbed her and pulled her to me. "On second thought," I said as I buried my face in her neck, "You're fine the way you are."

Emma smirked then she frowned. "Before we go to the festival, I need to update the two of you on the war. Bevelle is getting closer to declaring war. I'm not sure how much longer we can hold it off. We are eighteen now, and I don't know what declaring us your heirs will do. Right now our power lies in the neutral position of the—"

I let go of Emma as I frowned myself as my words cut her off. "It doesn't matter. The war will happen either way. While our focus should be Spira, you know that Zanarkand will be Bevelle's only target. They wouldn't dare attack the other cities. Right now the Sq—"

I was interrupted by the arrival of Emma's sister. It was hard seeing her again. As I looked at her, in the outfit she always attended ceremonies in, her red almost foot length dress, I remembered her bleeding out, crying, and dying beneath Bevelle.

She came toward us, bowed to mother and father, but smiling. "I always love the yearly festival where we celebrate our peace," she then saw the worried face of her sister, "Do not worry sister, the naming of the heirs will stop the foolish talk of war. Neither Bevelle nor Zanarkand will declare war on each other. I will make sure of that."

Emma frowned, "And how do you propose that? Only the current Grand Summoner and Head Guardian have that power."

The girl smiled and then looked at mother, "I am the next Grand Summoner, right, Mistress?"

Lady Yunalesca sighed before she went and took Emma's sister in her arms. "You have not completed your training, my dear, so even if I wanted to, I could not name you the next Grand Summoner."

Emma's eyes widened as she looked a bit horrified as she realized that her sister was going to put all these pieces together and come to the conclusion that she wasn't going to be damned heir but Emma was.

The confusion was evident in the brown haired girl's eyes. "But are you not naming your heirs tonight?"

That is when it clicked for her, and her hand went straight to her mouth as she realized that once again, she was not as good as her sister. That once again, her sister had taken what she wanted. That her sister was always better than her.

"I don't understand. Were you not grooming me and Sh—" she didn't finish her sentence before she took a breath and steeled herself. "I see. My sister is the next Grand Summoner; she who is better suited for a Guardian," the bitterness was clear in the voice. "Very well, your will be done, Grand Summoner."

She then preformed the Summoner's Prayer before she spoke, "I believe everyone is waiting for you and the heirs. That is why I came up, to tell you that it was time," she bowed and then left.

Emma closed her eyes and ran her hand through her unbound hair. "Why is it that I am always hurting her? Nothing I do is ever right. I get strong to protect her, and that is the worst offense that I make."

Mother went to her and grabbed her hands. "One day she will mature and realize that she is her own person, and she will not be in your shadow any longer because she has found her own place as well as her own shadow to cast. Come, my darlings, let us go enjoy the festival. It may be our last."

Then the image cut, and everyone's eyes went to Emma and me.

Seymour looked very thoughtful. "Your family is very dedicated to still be in the service of Spira to this day. It's Guardian," he mused, but I could tell there was something else in his voice, something else in his mind.

"When our world calls, none of us can ignore her call," was Emma's only answer before she turned around and headed out of the room.

Clearly, she was trying to put our past where it belonged: behind us.

But as I followed her, I really began to wonder if it was behind us, because each step I took toward Zanarkand told me a different story. Our past haunted us, dogged every step we took, and I had no doubt it would decide our fates before this was over.

To be continued…

Translations:

"Cu, Summoners yna paehk gethybbat po dra Al Bhed.": So, Summoners are being kidnapped by Al Bhed.

"Ev drao yna ytimdc lyh drao pa gethybbat?": If they are adults, can they be kidnapped?

"Ruf muhk yna fa kuehk du ryja dryd tapyda. E tuh'd drehg fa'ja ajan lusa du y luhlmiceuh.": "How long are we going to have that debate. I don't think we've ever come to a conclusion."