Moon Says: So, I screwed up. I wrote the last chapter two times. I finally update, and write, in years, and I double dip! Life sucks, sorry for the lack of writing. I just go into MHA/BNHA and I just can't not write no more! I will finish this story within a few days, hopefully, I'll knock it out today, and then I will work on my master piece: ... The Wolf and the Raven. We will see about the others :) Thanks for bearing with me.

Posted: Oct 18 2022 (combined from two other chapters)

Words: 4, 125

Pages: 9

Intervention Chapter 12

Emma was not one to be cowered.

Did these Fayth think they could guilt her? Bully her?

She had faced the Creator and was found to be worthy because of her strength of will. She had chosen this life. She had accepted her punishment.

How dare they try and defy the Creator?

They wanted to be free because they were tired?

They tried to manipulate her with the one she loved most? The one who shared a love with her that doomed Spira?

She fucked Spira over a thousand years ago because she loved this man and her sister. Did they really think she was going to cave to them and help them take the easy way out?

Emma was no coward. She survived the last thousand years, and she would face the next thousand years.

Did the Fayth think she was still that naïve child that would do anything for them because they chose her? Because they accepted and cared for her?

No. She wasn't stupid.

They had tried to manipulate like through him and that was not going to work. There was a hole in their plan: they made him.

And when they were gone, free like they wished, he would be as if a ghost on the wind.

Apparently, the possibility, no matter how improbable, made the Fayth lose their minds and what sense they had left.

Did they really think that when she had him back, she would just let him go?

She had lived her entire life for others, sacrificing herself again and again to save everyone but herself. Then she fucked the world over with her selfish love.

Did they really think that her love for them would be more powerful than the duty she felt to the world?

No.

She had thought they were different. That they actually gave a damn about her.

But like many things in her life: she was wrong.

The Fayth were going to regret this betrayal.

Emma was going to damn sure that their savior tuned against them, and this undead fuck with a hard-on for their precious one was going to help her.

For the past thousand years, she had made herself numb. It became the only way for her to survive. Any emotions would weigh her down and destroy her.

After all, it was her emotions that got everyone into this mess.

It had taken her time to learn this lesson, and it cost her the only person she had left that not only gave a damn about her but also knew everything. He had been the only one who knew the Fayth secret. The one even some of them didn't even know.

Then she drug him into the shitstorm that Spira had become.

Another sacrifice.

Another level of guilt.

That's when she finally shut herself down, encased every part of her in ice. Until that day in Luca when she felt him again.

She had thought she felt him in the dream, but it wasn't the first time that stupid hope rose up. But then he was there.

In front of her.

Her lover was a bit off, but they had both changed. If a 1000 years didn't do it, then what happened in the Beville underground would.

But she had him back…or so she thought. The change in clothes didn't surprise her, nor the new name he went back. She two had changed in these things.

But there was still something nagging at her.

The Fayth were bastards, that's what.

They never gave fully, only pieces. So, she knew there was more to it than them giving her back her lover. One part of it was that they were using him against her and for their gain. It was in a half-assed attempt, though, especially since it worked against him.

They couldn't get all of him from that damn death cave, so they filled in the pieces—building blocks that would make him disappear if the Fayth got what they wished. Since they didn't have all of him, they filled him in with part of their own power by way of that dream.

They must have thought she was stupid. Just because they had become tired of their deals or punishments didn't meant that they had to drag her or anyone else into it!

Their desperation would be their undoing because, in the end, you cannot escape the Creator.

While she did have some empathy and knew they were soul tired of this world, it meant nothing to her. Emma was tired as well, but she refused to try and escape her punishment as well as the deal she made. Unlike most Fayth, her predicament was caused by both paths.

Just like the Creator intended, she wouldn't escape the path she was on no matter what she felt—soul tired or not.

What else was she to do?

For her, she refused to follow a different path unlike the Fayth were desperate to escape to; however, does it not say something that they would come to her?

There was a small part of her that wanted to help them, but she wasn't sure. Whenever Emma found herself unsure on a decision, she always asked him, but considering his current state, it was going to be very difficult.

Would he tell her to fight back against the Fayth? Force them to stop playing around and lie in the bed they had made? Or should she just fade away and give in to them?

As she thought about it, one thought came to mind: she was tired of this bullshit. Tired of taking everyone's shit. These thoughts solidified her position, her stance. Her path would be to fight.

She wouldn't stay still anymore; she wouldn't be passive anyone. She was going to keep what was hers.

NO.

Emma was tired to sacrificing herself, so she decided that on that mountain in front of these Fayth of the Dream that she wasn't going to be a whipping boy any more.

Filled with this rage that was hers and not, Emma decided to give the Fayth a big fuck you.

In the form of one of their weapons of course.

~~Yuna~~

Yuna looked a tad bit frightened when she saw Seymour again. They had killed him once, and he didn't stay dead, and now he wouldn't leave them alone!

What was she going to do?

The half-breed Summoner took a quick look at her idol, and fear took over her.

What if Shiki left her right here and now because she thought the young girl was weak? Yuna couldn't even Send this one man let alone kill him properly.

Yuna's fears turned to determination when Shiki spoke.

"Yuna," there was something in the woman's voice that Yuan couldn't identify, but it filled her hope that acceptance was coming. "Prove to me you are ready to enter Zanarkand. I have been doubtful of your skills, but you have made it this far. Tell me you are ready for the Aeon that awaits in Zanarkand. Show me you have what it takes to defeat Sin."

Shiki's eyes were filled with something that made Yuna's adreline rush. Yuna knew she should be scared or wary, but she wasn't. Yuna trusted the other woman.

Yuna's eyes hardened as she accepted the challenge given to her. The young Summone readied her staff as the other woman left to await them further down the path.

Yuna would prove herself and she would fulfill her one purpose in life—the one thing she wanted to do more than anything: to help.

~Tidus~

After the big revelation of the Fayth, Emma was quiet. I could practically see the wheels turning in her head.

I didn't know what she was thinking, but I knew my girl was done. The determined look on her face told me everything.

Emma was going to fight back against them all.

It didn't take long either for me to see the first wave of her plan.

The half-Guado man came in at the just the right moment. My focus was on Emma—the look in her eyes told me everything. If she got her way, if her plans succded, then the Fayth were fucked.

Seymour tried to appeal to Yuna one last time before she hit the final Summoning, but Emma wasn't having it.

"Yuna," getting the girl's attention, Emma pressed forward, "You wanted to prove to me you can defeat Sin and performed the Final Summoning? I will give you three tests. The first is to defeat this one. Stop his interference in your path and follow the mountain down. I will see you at the steps of the city."

Yuna took a deep breath before she centered herself. I could something changed within her. Maybe it was this powerful Summoner that she looked up to was acknowledging her. Whatever it was, Yuna responded with, "See you soon," before she took a stance and set her staff on the interfering half-man.

Before the battle got too intense, the two of us were out of sight.

As we walked down the mountain, I got the first glimpse of our old home.

Ruins.

As I took in the sight with my beloved, it made everything more of a reality to me. Emma's situation, her mental and physical one, her journey these past thousand years, solidified in my mind. Just seeing our old home, made everything not only more real, but it made so much more sense.

It reinforced our stance against the Fayth.

We did this.

I did this.

The only recourse was to pay for our sins.

After all, Emma and I built our lives on the philosophy of actions and consequences—at least until it came to her little sister.

But here we are.

Sin.

This is where we take that final step and atone.

However, there was something bothering me though about the Fayth of the dream.

"Why were there so many Fayth on the mountain?" I asked Emma, confused.

She sighed and tugged at the loose braid behind her head. "We designed Sin to be armor that would protect Zanarkand. However, it needed fuel—something to feed on to make it work. Something we never figured out which is why we never used it nor activated it. In his grief over his son and his fear of Zandarkand being destroyed by Beville, Yevon activated Sin with himself as the powersource, but he wasn't enough to fully power the machina. The old man couldn't leave all the ruin, all the death of the war, so he lost himself to grief and fear. Yevon refused to live in the world that we had made."

Emma stopped speaking, list in the memories of our past—a past I was dead for.

My lover didn't need to finish. Yevon was always a sentimental fool. Powerful. Peavelover. He never could handle war because of the fear which is why Emma, Yunalesca, and his son were anchors to keep him from drowning in the potential deathfilled future.

The more I thought on it, the more I realized that he must have called up his followers who worshiped the ever living shit out of him—they were sheep that clung to him. Reality didn't work for them, so they latched onto a powerful figure who had nice ideals that protected them from reality—mentally and physically.

So, what happens when you can't handle reality?

You create a dream of what you could handle.

A dream that triggered and maintained Sin.

These Fayth were keeping Sin and the Old Man Yevon alive. It made a lot of sense—but only to someone who knew the pieces of the puzzle that could be put together.

They became a shield that turned into a sword that would never die because Fayth couldn't die.

But what I couldn't understand was why tied all the Fayth together? The only way this all made sense was that if you kill Sin, you kill the Dream Fayth, which releases the other Fayth. But how were they connected?

I racked my brain until the only logical path came to me: how do you create a Fayth in the first place? The only way the connection could be made is if the Fayth of Spira helped create the Dream Fayth and were tied to them in the process.

So, somehow, the man Guardian Fayth were tied to the others—again, probably helped create them. This would, essentially, make sense as they believed destroying Sin fully would end the Dream Fayth, and, by connection, them as well.

All were tied together. One. Big. Loop.

But there was a problem with all this: Emma.

Emma was tied to the Ice Fayth deeply. Not to mention to the Zanarkand Fayth—though I didn't know how.

I was a Chosen as well, but I wasn't soul deep connected as she was.

Lie.

In the end, half of me was the dream—sustained and connected by the Dreamers of the Fayth. So if they go then I go.

Not to mention, Emma would be ripped away due to her connections with the Fayth. She was tied to them deeply, so if you took that away, how much of her would be left? How much of the Fayth had replaced her?

Honestly, I didn't see how the Fayth were going to win this one. Not only was Emma connected to the Fayth and used said connection to fulfill her duties (which she would never give up) not to mention she would have to give me up as well and be alone, again.

Emma had always made sure she was punished for every little wrong she had committed. Tired or not, she would never escape what she believed she deserved.

The Fayth were always counting on her self-sacrificing nature…but in the end, I didn't understand how they thought this could work.

They were really stupid to think she wouldn't let the all rot, herself included.

After all, none of us deserved that kind of peace that destroying Sin would give.

Which meant that being together was a punishment for us all.

~Emma~

One thousand years later and the sight of Zanarkand never changed. They ruins of the only home...on second thought, was it a home?

After all, all Emma could remember were not the happy times but memory after memory of the opposite.

The most horrible thing about it was that some memories were missing. She used to know the City of Zanarkand like the back of her hand.

Now? Nohthing made sense, even the buildings she frequented were broken and not right. But it was ironic that the two buildings that made her the mess she was today were connected, and no one knew. No one knew that the secrets they held despite a thousand years of bringing in sacrifice after sacrifice.

But fitting really because the Fayth were the essence of sacrifice after all.

~~EMMA~~

She said nothing as she took in the ruins of her old home. She heard her lover do the same, but Emma was desensitized to it these thousand years later. They didn't affect her like they used to. Used too be a gaping hole inside her, threatening to consume her, but now? Now that huge black hole had lessened and didn't hurt as much anymore. Even with him awakening old feelings and memories inside of her, she still didn't feel.

She had become too numb.

But that was the way it had to be. At first, when Sin attacked and the adrenaline left, and she was left alone…that is when the black hole hit her. Consumed her.

The only thing that saved her was the guilt.

Everything had been her fault. She caused all this. All the death from Sin…everyone she loved dead…

The only light was the war was over. Her job was done.

But it wasn't really, and that gave her purpose.

Sin gave her the will to live again. Sin had destroyed her and rebuilt her.

She would help Spira as her atonement demanded. Emma had accepted that a long time ago, her punishment for almost destroying Spira.

Emma began to look for those who, like her mentor, who could summon the Aeon that would, momentarily, destroy Sin. This was her punishment. She would guide them, train them, and help them as the Fayth would abiet in a different way.

That was her punishment, and she refused to get out of it.

The Fayth didn't understand what they wanted. Yes, she would be left alone again because she wasn't really a Fayth, and if they were free..

But that wasn't the point. The point was that they were bound before the threat of Sin. The creator had not released them. And it made her so angry that they would try and cheat…Emma did not. She was human, and she accepted what she did and never escaped her punishment.

Even now, she wanted to free the young girl. Emma would admit her dismissal was because she wanted to save the girl. She didn't want to her to defeat Sin. But it was not her choice.

It was Yuna's. And it humbled Emma that this child was accepting the way the world was and making her own place in it without being forced too. Yuna chose to play a part in this game, and the more Emma thought on it, the more she had come to accept it.

When Emma had stared down the wall of Fayth, she had made a decision to hurt the Fayth. They wanted to escape not only their punishment but her as well. Abandon both. Emma's rage and bitterness took ahold of her ontop of that mountain, and she made the decision to hurt hem back by using Yuna.

But as she stared at the Ruins of Zanarkand, Emma calmed down and came to terms with herself and her situation.

Yuna would choose her own path.

Emma just hoped that she would play by the rules that the Fayth were ignoring. Yes, Yuna would die and Emma hated that as Yuna was a representation of her sister, as sister she could save, but…

Choice.

Emma had denied her sister that once, and it led to this.

So, Emma would let Yuna make her own choices. She just hoped that it was one that would satisfy the bitterness in her against the Fayth.

As Emma felt Yuna and her Guardians approaching, her thoughts cut off. She turned around to look at them, acknowledge them. Yuna's group looked tired and worn, but Emma felt pride for them. Especially the young girl approaching her, stopping a few feet away, and bowing her head toward her.

Emma gave a small smile. "Good. You are getting stronger. The girl I met in Luca would not have made it this far, but you, child, have become stronger not just with your magic but inside," the older woman gently raised the young girl's head and looked her in the eyes. "You are ready to make the choice."

Yuna didn't hold back the tears or the emotion that overwhelmed her at the praise, but she did hold herself up, tall and with pride.

Emma nodded with approval and turned slightly so that Yuna could see past her toward the ruins of the once great city. "Walk the final gauntlet, Summoner, and prove to yourself that you can defeat Sin."

-Emma-

When they approached the dome, Emma felt a presence in the old man standing by the entrance. A presence she had felt all these years—someone who had followed her through from the beginning of the end.

It was always a pleasure to see something of the past. Though, it does sadden her heart, what was left of it, to see someone not fade as they were meant too…but, Emma did not see the world in black and white anymore. Everyone had a purpose, and if it was not for this old friend, there were many things she would have forgotten, and that would be the greatest traedgy of all.

As she approached him, she held her hands out for him to take. Once he had gotten to be an old man, he always wanted to grasp her hands as if, everytime they met, they would tell him a different tale.

"Ah, my lady, always a pleasure," then he paused as he took in her hands, "Is it that time already?"

Emma nodded with as heavy heart as she could manage. It still took a piece of her everytime she took someone here. Emma motioned for Yuna to approach them.

The old man gasped as he looked between them for a moment, and Emma knew what he was seeing. For the first time, though, there was more than the momentary hope that a Summoner she brought here awaken in his eyes.

"You know, it has been a long time since I remember this. Once, the most famous singer of Zanarkand stood before her greatest fan with her sister by her side and whispered a secret," he paused as his eyes trailed down to his feet. "The secret was the last plan for peace. Two sisters of two different worlds coming together for the first time."

Emma's eyes went wide as his words did bring a memory back. The first time she and her sister joined forces it would have ended the war. If the joining had come to pass. Sin would have never been awakened, and the only thing she would have lost was him…

But in the end, a thousand years later, Emma wondered if for the peace would she have sacrificed herself? Her happiness? Her entire life had been split into two: between her sister and her people. She had always sacrificed to keep both happy or content. She bore her soul and spread it then, used every ounce of herself to make sure her city and her world was safe.

The Creator knew this. The Creator had peered into her very soul more than a thousand years ago and given her what she asked for even though she had no understanding of that request. But she knew it was her purity, her wish to help, to save, to…

To make sure no one else ended up like her.

Emma remembered.

Her soul had been lost for so long, so wrapped up in her punishment that she had never considered that maybe this other path was acceptable. After all, she was here wasn't she? She was alive, a thousand years after she should have been dead.

After all, she had sacrificed her soul and the Creator accepted…

Maybe it wasn't cheating?

Emma was so lost in herself that she did not notice the conversation was over or that the group was ready to continue. A soft hand and gentle words brought her back.

Emma stared into Yuna's mismatched eyes, and something clicked inside of her.

Yuna was chaos. She was balance. She was everything that Emma destroyed herself to be.

Emma didn't want the girl to die. Emma didn't want anyone to die for her mistakes, but that was the only way to keep continuing to keep Spira safe.

Maybe the Fayth were right…

Maybe the Fayth were wrong…

In the end, Emma only reinforced her decision to stand by Yuna. If Yuna was mature enough to understand and decide to die for her world, her people, Emma would let her choose.

No matter the choice.

Because in the end, Emma had made her choices and doomed everyone. Yet, Emma still struggled within herself.

A thousand years of never-ending punishment. A woman who sacrifices all to save is in hell when she has to sacrifice others. A thousand years of the belief she deserved this hell.

Emma didn't know if she was strong enough to stand by that choice.

The old Summoner nodded to the girl and motioned for her to lead the way inside the dome.

As she waited for the others to pass, ignoring them all, her lover wrapped his arms around her like she loved. It always made her feel secure when his arms wrapped around her under her neck and around her chest. It should have made her feel nervous considered that was a position that could take her life easily…

"Ready to face the past?" he whispered, still holding onto her tight.

The problem wasn't if she was ready to face the past or even to accept the past.

Emma knew that following Yuna inside the dome and walking with her to the Fayth would test her.

The question was could she face the future or even accept that there was one?