Can you hear me?

Van wasn't sure if he could. Or, well… he could, but it was tenuous at best. It was like trying to talk to someone in a dream… to someone who remained hidden behind a screen of murky water. "Yeah… I think so."

I'm sorry for bringing you here… but I really needed to talk to you.

This was a dream, wasn't it?

It felt like one… what with an ethereal voice calling out to him, a place shrouded in misty fog, the sensation of his body weighing nothing. As Vanitas focused a bit more, however, his surroundings gradually came into focus and he realized he was in a room. A white room… white walls, white ceiling, white floor, everything was white. As though no other color existed in the world, anymore.

"Where am I…?"

Don't worry, I will send you back to your friends soon.

Not the reply he'd hoped for. In fact, it made him frown. "Are they okay? The temple… everything was falling apart."

They are well, all of them. I'm also sorry for attacking you… but I was unable to stop it.

This much didn't make any sense – unless he was talking to Xemnas? But this voice wasn't like Xemnas' at all. Van couldn't hear it too well, and it sounded more like it was coming from a sphere filled with static, but it was still far too gentle to be the maester. Squinting, he was able to discern the outline of what seemed to be a… some sort of chair? A big, fancy chair? …Wait, those were called thrones, weren't they? Was he talking to some royal person, then?

"Who are you?"

We don't have much time… I must be quick, before the Immortal realizes what I'm doing.

"The what…?"

He who crafts the souls of the dead into unholy armor.

Yeah, it had to be a dream… Regardless, he wanted to pay attention to what was going on. Something about this voice, about this person, made Van feel like he ought to listen and remember. Something told him he could trust this person, whoever they might be.

"What did you want with me, anyway?"

Please, listen carefully… Maester Xemnas must be stopped. He has a dreadful plan already unfolding, which will plunge all Spira in eternal sorrow. But… he's not the only one you should be wary of.

Well, wasn't that great. Not only he was getting (some sort of) official confirmation that fucking Xemnas was up to no good, but apparently he also had a buddy to help him with his bullshit? "And who's that? What should I do?"

The response he got was a wave of static, as if it really was a sphere that was about to lose signal. And… that reminded Van of the strange things that'd occurred at the Farplane, too. "Hey… You still there?"

My time is over… Look for me, and I shall tell you everything in detail.

"What…? I don't even know who the hell you are! Where can I find you?"

Look for the lost temple of Baaj. You'll find me.

Van woke up to the sensation of sand everywhere. In his shirt, in his pants, all over his hair, sticking to his skin… Was he back at Besaid? As he slowly opened his eyes, though, he didn't find a hut's roof made of straw – rather, the fabric of a tent. Frowning, he didn't move yet and tried to make sense out of everything that had happened and was still happening.

The fight with Xemnas, of course… that freaking freaky aeon that'd wiped the floor with their faces, Ven and that ice woman saving them, Terra and Aqua falling in the lake. And… he couldn't really recall much else, after that. It was like he'd entered a black hole and then landed directly in that weird dream just now. The person sitting on that throne… who was that? And this Baaj place… Van had never heard about it, but the name was familiar in his mind nonetheless. Groaning, he sat up and absently dusted some sand off his head. Before investigating the whereabouts of Baaj Temple, the priority was to find out where he was, right now.

This tent was far larger and cozier than the meager little things you could buy at item shops. And a bit of relief found him already as he glanced around, realizing Aqua was sleeping nearby. There was an empty mattress in between them, that must have been where Terra had rested as well – given that his longsword was still there. There was no sign of Ventus anywhere, however… and, sadly, no sign of Flood. Hopefully, she'd been entertaining herself with the butterflies and had been well away from the temple, when the whole thing began (literally) going down.

Not wishing to disturb Aqua's rest, Vanitas got up and exited the tent quietly – having to immediately shield his eyes with a hand, as he stepped outside. The sun was bright and hot above, the air was stifled and without the semblance of a breeze… and one look around sufficed to understand why he had sand all over him: because, indeed, it was everywhere. The tent was mounted on a sand dune, rather than regular ground, and more and more dunes stretched into the horizon. And Van didn't need more than this to recognize a desert when he saw one.

"Hey, oui'na yfyga! Ruf yna oui vaamehk?"

[Hey, you're awake! How are you feeling?]

Still struggling to adjust to so much light, Van turned in the direction of this voice – finding a girl probably around his age, with brown hair styled in two cute braids and messy bangs falling on green, swirly eyes. She was dressed in a simple combination of a sleeveless salmon-colored crop top with some Al Bhed text at the front, jeans shorts in a vivid green tone, and even greener sneakers.

"Huh–"

"Oh, sorry! I forgot you're not fluent!" Smiling, she airily held out a hand. "I'm Olette, nice to meet ya!"

Vanitas shook that hand and was about to introduce himself back, when another voice – this one all too familiar – broke in. "Hey, Van. Are you feeling better?"

Terra seemed as half-blinded by the sun as Van himself, and this made the younger guardian smile a bit. "Yeah… where are we?"

It was Olette who answered, already fetching water bottles from a portable freezer nearby to offer them. For everything derisive that was said about them, the Al Bhed did know how to cater for visitors who'd fry in the desert heat all too fast. "Bikanel Island. It's where our Home is. We found you guys washed up at the oasis, yesterday… it's really lucky that a caravan was passing by!"

Terra nodded, looking at Van. "Sin must have brought us here, after attacking the temple."

Vanitas scratched at his head, not sure if any of this was a good or a bad thing. Obviously, having been saved was good… but something else was still worrying him, and a lot. "What about Ven…?"

"That's Roxy's brother, right?" Olette offered an apologetic frown. "Sorry… we didn't find him anywhere. He wasn't at the oasis."

"There's a chance he didn't fall in the lake… so he might still be at Macalania." Terra folded his arms a bit too tightly, well aware of what this meant. If Ven had stayed there… then he was at Xemnas' mercy, all on his own. Then again, he highly doubted thatXemnas had survived to start with. Being impaled by a thick, sharp icicle tended to not be too good for a person's health.

Sighing, and already feeling a headache burning behind his eyes – whether from dehydration or from worry, he couldn't really tell – Van opted for focusing on a lighter topic, for the sake of his own sanity. "So… you're Roxas' friend?"

Olette smiled now. "Huh-uh! We went to school together – well, if you can call it a school, here. It's basically a tent where some grown-ups teach the kids about the stuff they need to know. Me and my guardians and Roxy, we were all in the same class."

This made Terra raise his brows. "So… you're a summoner?"

Olette grinned, suddenly looking so proud of herself. "Pretty cool, huh? How many Al Bhed summoners do you know of?"

Van had to smile. This girl's cheerfulness was kind of contagious, even when everything else was falling apart. "Well… technically, Ven is half-Al Bhed. You're not that special."

With a hearty laugh, Olette was about to tease back when the noise of an engine approaching made the three of them glance that way. The mane of long red hair showing underneath the mask ruined the mystery already, and Lea's big grin was soon showing as he revealed his face.

"Hey guys!"

For once, Lea wasn't entirely covered by a long coat or a stealth suit. The pants were still black but made of a much thinner fabric, reaching a couple inches above his ankles. He was also wearing a red top that revealed half of his belly, with a black vest on top that was really just a jacket that'd had the sleeves ripped off. The sneakers were similar to Olette's, but in vibrant red. What really stood out, though, were the tattoos that decorated both his arms – beautiful drawings of various forms, a mix of flames and flowers and birds and skulls and Al Bhed writing, in red and orange and black tones.

Catching Van staring in awe, Lea struck a pose with his hands on his hips.

"Amazing, I know! Though the most special one is here." Saying so, he flicked his right hand around to show off the Roman numeral VIII tattooed on the inner portion of that wrist. "Rox has a matching one."

Van blinked curiously. "He's got a number eight, too?"

"No! He's got the thirteen – that's the day we first met, the thirteenth of August.

"…Really now? How sappy can you two be?" Vanitas laughed – as if he had any moral ground to judge people who tried so hard to come out as tough but, in truth, had a heart made of squishy jello. Especially when it came to their significant other.

"Shut up! Last time I checked, you were jealous of us!" Lea laughed along, playfully punching Van's shoulder as he walked by with the big bag he'd just unloaded from his vehicle – which, honestly, looked exactly like a jet-ski that'd been made to ride on sand, rather than water. And he had a teasing wink to toss at the guardian as well, before entering one of the tents. "He'll be here soon – check the back of his neck."

Olette shook her head, with a big smile. "Lea's gotta be the biggest dork I know. I love him!"

"What's with that bag?" Van was wondering.

"Machina parts. He and Roxas spend most of their time digging in the desert."

"Digging?"

"Yeah, we have some established excavation sites. You know… Our ancestors once lived a big, thriving city here in the island – but it was wrecked by Sin, a thousand years ago. We can still find those ruins around the desert, though."

"And that's where they dig up the parts?"

"Mhm! Those two are crazy machina freaks, they're always putting together one thing or the other."

Hearing this, Van could understand the duo's outrage over the destroyed machina a little better – considering it was so much of a hassle to build them, as it was. That aside, Terra was soon excusing himself to return inside the tent, to both escape the merciless sun and to be by Aqua's side, and Vanitas was about to do the same – when the noise of more vehicles arriving made him turn back around.

Speaking of Roxas – there he was.

Two other fellows parked right after him, and Roxas chatted to them for a brief while after removing his mask and poofing his ride back into a capsule. Much like Lea, he dressed in accordance to the furnace that was Bikanel – and in a color scheme that, either purposefully or by coincidence, was a matching opposite to his lover. His capri pants were of an ivory white, actually resembling Ven's own style. He also wore black boots and a vivid gray, sleeveless tunic that was at least one size too large for him. His skin was just as tanned as Lea's but only his right arm was covered in ink, similar motifs in tones of black and silver and blue – though, through the oversized top, it was possible to see that the dragon that started at his shoulder continued down along the right side, coiled around the hip bone, and likely stretched further along the thigh.

And, from the current angle, Van could indeed notice the XIII on the back of his neck.

Which was right before Roxas turned around, noticing him and opening a smile.

"Hey, cmaabehk payido. How ya feeling?"

[sleeping beauty]

Van smiled back, as Olette giggled beside him. "Depending on what that means… I may be feeling in the mood to whoop your ass."

Roxas' grin widened, walking closer whilst carrying along another parts-filled bag, then holding up his fist – that Van promptly bumped with his own. "Oversensitive, as always!"

"Says the one who–" The one who's always ready to fight the sun, Vanitas would have added, but didn't have the chance to. As if to prove him right, Roxas was already facing Olette instead and furrowing his brows in a scowl.

"Fryd yna oui tuehk uid uv dra Sanctum?"

[What are you doing out of the Sanctum?]

Olette, in turn, rolled her eyes and folded her arms defiantly. "E's punat uv paehk drana ymm dra desa, Roxy! Fa haat vnacr yen!"

[I'm bored of being there all the time, Roxy! We need fresh air!]

It'd become a game of eyerolling, and it was Roxas' turn. "Oui'na vilgehk esbuccepma." [You're fucking impossible.] And, with that, he went into the tent where Lea already was – though not before his friend's final comeback.

"E maynhat ed vnus OUI!"

[I learned it from YOU!]

Needless to say, Van hadn't understood a single bit of that exchange. "What was that all about…?"

Olette huffed, shrugging her slender shoulders. "You should go ask him. Ask him what the Sanctum is."

"You know, you're not making it sound like anything good."

"It's not that it's bad, it's–" With a sigh of defeat, she shook her head. "I know he's trying to do the right thing… but he's doing it the wrong way. And he just won't listen!"

That much had Vanitas smiling – because here was something he could well relate to! Clearly, it ran in the family. "If it's any consolation… the other twin is just as freaking stubborn."

It did work, and Olette's frown melted into soft laughter. "Why do we deserve this, am I right? One wasn't enough, there had to be two of them!"

It wasn't long before Van realized that Roxas was pretty much a celebrity around these parts.

As Olette had mentioned, after the Machina War, the Al Bhed tribe had been scattered to every corner of Spira – and Cid, the twins' uncle and their late mother's brother, was the one who started the construction of Home. Since Eraqus' Calm began, ten years ago, he'd been gathering the Al Bhed with the intention of providing a safe ground for his people.

Cid had also raised Roxas since that time, and the two of them quickly became like actual father and son – and, eventually, Roxas came to be the second in command. Whenever Cid was away from Home, either keeping up with Rin's business (as Rin was the one making them all the money, really) or gathering more Al Bhed, the power of decision fell on Roxas – which inevitably meant there was always someone requesting his input and opinions about one thing or the other.

Not that much of a chance to question him about the Sanctum, so far.

As it was… Vanitas wasn't even sure if Roxas was aware of what had happened at Macalania, and that had landed the three guardians on this side of the world – away from their summoner. He doubted Terra would have omitted such a thing, though, and he doubted even more that Roxas wouldn't have asked immediately where his brother was… Yet, for some reason, the usually fiery twin was acting all too tranquil about the situation. And, honestly, it did feel a bit like the deceptive calm before a big storm hit.

Among all this, the evening brought about a rather drastic drop in temperature – from the daytime heat, that could almost cook dough into bread without the need for an oven, to a chilly breeze that welcomed a nice bonfire. Typical desert climate, that the three of them were definitely not used to, and so they stayed close to Lea as he roasted their dinner – and then a nearly comical big pile of marshmallows. It turned out that the sweet tooth was something else the twins had in common.

As the sun was setting and bathing the dunes in beautiful shades of red and pink, small groups around the camp were gathering by the respective fire, chatting and laughing over their food. The actual Home – as in, the actual series of buildings that looked like a regular city being built – was located further into the desert, but some Al Bhed were all too used to the nomadic life or, simply, preferred a nice tent to stay at. Lea and Roxas were the best example, despite the whole Roxas being their official vice-leader and what not – though it didn't really surprise Vanitas that the younger twin wasn't one to care too much for his status. If Ventus was the wind, then definitely Roxas was the freedom that came hand-in-hand with it.

"Hey, freeloader, do me a favor." Lea looked up from the masterpiece he'd been working on – a plate filled with roasted marshmallows, as well as cubes of grilled fruit – to hold it in Van's direction. "Go feed His Majesty while I finish here."

The mock title made Van smile in amusement, promptly getting up to help – though, as he entered the tent, he had to admit it wasn't totally inaccurate. Maybe Roxas didn't have a throne (…unlike the person in that odd dream), but the large, colorful cushions he was lazily half-sprawled on made for a decent replacement. He was also surrounded by machina parts and tools, so absorbed by the gun-shaped weapon he was fiddling with that he only noticed Vanitas when the guardian was already sitting next to him.

"…Fuck, don't scare me like that!"

Van smirked – amused at how the reaction was exactly the same as Ven's, save for the swearing, and handed over the plate. "I was sent to feed the King of the Desert."

Roxas laughed now, gladly taking the food as he put the weapon away and sat up properly. What he did before anything else, though, was to reach for the glass beside him and finish the dark green-ish liquid inside. An unlabeled bottle rested nearby, already three quarters empty.

"Do I wanna know what that is?"

"How 'bout you don't be a wimp and give it a try?"

Which Van did, promptly. And… well, the best way to describe it was that it tasted like the scorching desert sun, as it drizzled down his throat. Not expecting it to be that strong of a liquor, Van actually made a face – but drained his glass like a champ, nonetheless. "Do you guys make this shit out of an actual cactus? 'Cause it pricks like one."

Roxas snickered as he could, with his mouth now full of grilled fruit – which kind of make him look like a swirly-eyed chipmunk. "You mainlanders are such softies!"

Van teased right back. "What, Radiant Garden counts as mainland too?"

"Oh, right… I forgot you're special! Forget I said anything, then – I'm sure the great Machina City has much better booze than us, lowly peasants."

Laughing, Van snatched one of the cushions for himself to sit on, which Roxas gave up without much of a fight – by now, all too captivated by the roasted marshmallows to care for the rest of the world. And, since they seemed to be on the topic of geography… Van thought he might as well ask.

"Hey… you ever heard of a place called Baaj?"

Much to his surprise, the reply was positive.

"Yeah, it's just south from here. We got an excavation team stationed there, near the temple. There's always a lot of neat stuff to be found around underwater ruins."

"So, there is a temple there?"

"Well… what's left of it, really. They say Baaj used to be an island, but the whole thing went in the water after Sin's attack."

Van tapped at his chin thoughtfully – and, noticing Roxas' curious stare, decided to share what was on his mind. "I'd a freaking weird dream… or, at least, I think it was a dream. About this person, I don't have a clue who it is, telling me to go to Baaj Temple."

Roxas furrowed his brows, munching on a particularly big chunk of grilled apple. "Didn't know you're one of those wackos who believe in dreams."

"It's not that, it's just… I dunno how to explain it. I just feel like I really should go there and see what's going on. Especially 'cause it may be something about Xemnas."

Roxas snorted at that last part and, coincidence or not, he pushed the plate with the rest of the food away – instead turning to refill his glass. Honestly, Van couldn't even blame him for reacting like this to the maester's name.

"He's dead, anyway." Roxas flatly let out, after draining his glass again – and props to him, because he didn't even flinch and it was more like he was drinking plain regular water.

"How do you know that?"

"Didn't you say Ven put an ice lance through him? People don't usually survive that – not even fucking parasitic Yevonites."

"Yeah, but–"

"He's dead."

It was right there and then that Van realized what should have been obvious – how hard Roxas was actually trying to stay in denial about the current state of affairs. It added up, now that he thought back on how Roxas had stayed in this tent all day, even when Lea would go out for a break – from the looks of it, keeping himself distracted with drinking and assembling machina parts.

"Got it. Want me to leave you be?"

"No, don't be stupid. Stay."

Funnily enough, Roxas might share body and face with Ventus… but, when it came to personality and dysfunctional coping mechanisms, including the very clumsy way of asking for comfort, he was definitely Vanitas' twin instead. With a small smile, Van nodded and got entertained with sorting out the parts and tools near him, while Roxas flopped back on the cushions and just stared at the ceiling of the tent for a while – though the silence didn't last long.

"This fucking sucks…"

To be said of many things in Spira, but Van knew exactly what it was about. "He's fine. Have you seen him with his aeons? He kicks fucking ass, no way the temple flunkies got to him." And, yeah, he was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince Roxas.

"I fuckin' hate those aeons."

Now, though, Vanitas frowned. "Why?"

For a moment, it seemed like the topic was going to die there – considering Roxas didn't answer and returned to his silent sulking. Maybe because the strong liquor was getting to him and loosening up his filter, though, he eventually continued.

"I hate it. The aeons, the temples, the pilgrimages… I fucking hate it all. Our dad died because of that."

And he might have added more… if it wasn't for the ruckus that suddenly took over the tent. Olette rushed in first, with a sphere in hand, quickly followed by her guardians – Hayner and Pence, whom Van had met earlier on. Lea came in after, and then Terra and Aqua, and the tent actually became small for so many people.

"You guys! We were watching the Psyches' match and– Wait, you have to see for yourselves! Make room!"

Olette promptly got to making room herself, kneeling in front of Roxas' worktable –which, really, was just a crate covered with a towel so worn out that you couldn't tell the original color anymore – and pushing aside parts and tools and even the marshmallow pile. Which Roxas was on the verge of ranting about, having sat up again, though the recording being broadcasted was faster in stealing the spotlight.

… –their whereabouts remain unknown. After the events at Macalania Temple, which resulted in heavy damage to the temple itself and serious wounds inflicted on Maester Xemnas, the three former guardians are still on the run.

"The fuck…?" Van leaned closer to the sphere. Apparently, they were today's topic on the news…? The recording flickered for a few seconds, as the signal in the middle of the desert, unsurprisingly, wasn't ideal – and, when it stabilized again, the camera was alternating between the journalist and Xemnas himself, as he was interviewed.

Your Grace, would you please describe what happened?

It was, indeed, as treacherous and unexpected as you have already reported. They invaded the temple, injured several of the guards and also the priests and acolytes, and made an attempt on my life. It was only through my faith, and the blessing of Yevon, that I was able to survive.

…What the actual fuck. With his jaw dropping, Van glanced at Terra and Aqua – whose expression was a perfect blend of indignity and anger. Resisting the urge to kick the sphere all the way over to the mainland, Van had to be content with slamming a fist on the ground. "Is he fucking serious…? How the fuck is he still alive, anyway?"

"He isn't…" Terra's eyes narrowed. "We all saw what Shiva did, no one could have survived that. He's become an unsent."

Aqua scowled just as deeply. "But how would the other maesters allow such a thing…?"

As if on cue, after some more flickering, the camera was now pointed at the Grand Maester Ansem.

… –the Holy Council cannot ignore such a grievous incident. All three maesters were in agreement – Maester Xemnas, representing the Guado, Maester Kinoc, representing the humans, Maester Kelk, representing the Ronso – as well as myself. The traitors are to be found and captured, and shall then be presented to trial.

Being branded as a traitor of Yevon, by the grand maester himself, was something that Vanitas could easily feel proud of – if it wasn't for the fact that the report of what had happened in that temple was being shamelessly rewritten at their best convenience. Before any of them could properly react, however, the camera shifted back to Xemnas.

Is it true they also attacked Lord Summoner Ventus?

Yes, most unfortunately. These heathens turned on their own summoner, on their sacred pledge to Spira and to the people. I tried to protect my fiancé, but I was cowardly outnumbered. Lord Ventus is well and recovering, but still in need of rest.

Will the wedding be postponed, then?

No. As announced, it shall happen tomorrow morning at–

CRASH!

No more Yevon rights to filthy lies and slander, as decreed by Roxas himself – who'd just smashed the sphere with the first machina part coming to hand, shattering both to pieces. And he did scare the living soul out of his friends but, for once, he'd only done what everyone else was wishing to do. Not waiting for any reactions, he was also clearly done with calm and tranquility, already heading outside.

"Let's go get everyone. I want the Fahrenheit up and flying at dawn."

Lea followed suit, and Hayner and Pence exchanged a look with Olette – leaving as well, at her nod of silent agreement. Just like that, it seemed like the only ones not sure of what to do were Ven's actual guardians.

"What's the Fahrenheit?" Aqua asked, as lost as the other two, but ready to get to action.

Olette nibbled at her lip for a moment. "It's… our airship. We found it sunk underwater, but it was still functional. We've been repairing it for months now, it's almost ready to use." Small wonder she'd hesitated in sharing such a fact with non-Al Bhed folks.

"You mean… it actually flies?" Terra's eyes were wide… but, at the same time, he didn't look bothered in the slightest. Machina such as this airship were some of the most forbidden… and yet, if the choice was between obeying the precepts or rescuing Ven, there wasn't a single ounce of hesitation to spare. Yevon had already declared them traitors anyway, what did they have to lose?

Aqua's expression was telling exactly the same story.

"It better, before dawn… You heard Rox!" With a smile and a wink, Olette exited the tent to go get to work.

Despite the late hour, the Al Bhed heeded the call immediately. The labs and engineering rooms were located in the actual Home, with the airship stationed in the underground hangar, and so that was where most of the camp had moved by now. The tasks to get done were mainly split between finishing to put together and calibrate the airship itself and to load it up with everything that would be needed for the upcoming mission. This included a vast arsenal of weapons, so other teams were also busy with crafting all types of grenades, bombs, mines, and elemental explosives.

Terra, Aqua, and Vanitas weren't exactly on the engineering side, nor did they have any clue how to assemble machina weapons, and so they'd been helping around the different teams with whatever they could. A few good hours of productive work went by, and dawn would be breaking soon – and everything seemed to be well underway.

And that's when it happened.

There was an initial loud explosion that multiplied in a matter of seconds, and the first logical guess was that something must have gone terribly wrong in the hangar – where the final check-up on the airship was already being performed. Just as suddenly and as unexpectedly, however, the building was being overrun by fiends and panic began spreading like wildfire. The three guardians were doing what they could to rescue as many people as possible, but… not only the odds were against them, these fiends were also not at all supposed to be here. Since when did Dual Horns or even Chimeras exist in Bikanel…?

As they were guiding the survivors along the corridors, Roxas called over from atop the stairway leading to the alchemy labs – which, for the Al Bhed, consisted in the art of mixing parts and ingredients in order to create new items to be used in battle. "Hey! Get them to the Summoners' Sanctum, it's the safest spot to keep everyone at!"

Van was about to finally ask where that Sanctum was and what it was, when yet another explosion stole that chance. This one actually came from within the nearest lab, sending the door flying into pieces. One of the technicians who'd been still in there was projected violently against the opposite wall, while the other went even farther and toppled over the bannister and to the floor below… and Roxas himself was knocked down the steps, landing like a bag of old rags.

The guardians immediately ran over to help him, but the fiends that'd been in the lab were faster and got in the way. Three Bombs, one of them already looking far too swollen and far too close to the detonation point… At least, now they could understand what was provoking the explosions.

"Watch out!" Terra stood in front of his friends, holding up his sword in hope it might shield them from the worst of the blast… but, fortunately, it didn't turn out to be necessary. The Bomb did go off and it triggered the other two to go along, but they caused literally no damage to anyone – because all of it was absorbed by Lea's chakrams and armor. Having landed by Roxas' side just at the right time, he grinned as the damn things exploded into pyreflies.

"Gotta love your fire-eater abilities!"

Thankfully, as well, Roxas didn't seem to be too seriously injured, because he was already pulling himself back up – despite still a bit unsteadily. "Fuck's sake… You couldn't have done that sooner…?"

"C'mon pypo [baby], don't ruin my epic moment!" Regardless, Lea was promptly turning around to help his lover, checking him all over to make sure he was as all right as someone could be after a Bomb literally exploded on their face. "You okay? I got Potions–"

"I'm fine! You seriously think I'd go down that easy?" A perfect opportunity to demonstrate that had just presented itself, as a Dual Horn erupted from what was left of that same lab. Grabbing the collar of Lea's sleeveless jacket, Roxas tugged him down for a deep kiss before turning around with a smirk.

"Out of OUR HOME, you piece of shit!"

Then he practically bolted up the steps, summoning his weapons – one sword in each hand. One was radiant with light, the other was black as darkness, and they looked downright mesmerizing as Roxas swung them together in perfect synchrony, landing a long streak of ground and midair hits on the Dual Horn. For all its size and intimidating demeanor, the fiend keeled over in less than ten seconds.

As Roxas crouched down by the lab technician's body and checked her pulse, however, half-buried under the destroyed wall that she was, the scowl quickly returned to his face. Dead already… as were so many others. "Where the fuck are these things coming from, anyway…?"

The others quickly made it to Roxas' side, and Lea left a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder – looking no less upset. "Rox… I've brought down a few Guado guards on my way here."

Roxas jolted back up immediately, hearing that. "…What? You're telling me–"

"The Guado…" Aqua cut it, just as shocked. "Did Maester Xemnas send them here to start Yevon's war against the Al Bhed…?"

Lea turned around to face the guardians, shrugging with a frown. "Dunno if it's actually that… or if they're just here for the summoners. Or both. But this is definitely their doing, they're the ones calling in the fiends."

"Those fucking vile cowards, doing something like this…" Roxas was shaking in rage, grasping the handles of his swords so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. Still, well aware of his leading role, he knew there were priorities to get to – much as what he wanted to do was to dash down the corridors and rip the entrails out of every Guado he came across with. Breathing in deeply, he turned to the others.

"You guys get the survivors to the Sanctum, like I told you. I'm gonna go look around with Lea, to see if we can find anyone else."

Sounded reasonable, given that he and Aqua and Terra didn't know the building and would take forever to go through it, and would likely miss a lot of rooms as well… But Van wasn't going to miss out on another chance to ask.

"Roxas, wait… What is this Summoners' Sanctum, after all?"

Lea looked suddenly hesitant but, unlike him, Roxas replied immediately and nonchalantly. "It's where we keep the summoners."

"What do you mean, you keep the summoners…?"

"I mean exactly that. We bring them here and we keep them safe."

Van's frown deepened. Sure, he better than anyone knew what Roxas was willing to do to convince Ven to quit his pilgrimage, what with the repeatedly failed kidnapping attempts… but this sounded like a whole new level, right now. Because the ordeals at Luca and the Moonflow, that'd been just a thing between brothers, or so Vanitas had thought. He'd taken it as, simply, Roxas trying to solve matters in his own tempestuous way, as he always seemed to do, but… from the looks of it, the explanation wasn't so linear.

"You mean… you actually kidnap people? You keep them here against their will? Roxas, what the hell?"

Not only Roxas didn't deny any of it, didn't say it was a misunderstanding and try to clear it all up, he actually was now glaring at Vanitas rather angrily. "What are you, stupid? Yeah, I keep them here! So they won't have to do pilgrimages anymore. So they won't have to be fucking sacrificed anymore."

"…Sacrificed? I know the pilgrimage is tough, but if guardians do their job–"

No chance for Van to finish the sentence, as Roxas was suddenly dismissing his blades and grabbing him by the front of his shirt. "Cut that fucking crap! What difference does that make? It's really fucking easy for everyone, isn't it? Guardians do their jobs, summoners are privileged, blah blah fucking blah… And then what? What good is that bullshit for? In the end, you throw them away like fucking disposable trash!"

Van was nothing short of bewildered. Watching Roxas lose his temper wasn't exactly a new experience… but the present moment went beyond everything he'd seen before. "I… I don't get it. Who do you think you're helping by doing this? If you stop the pilgrimages and stop the summoners – then who's gonna defeat Sin?"

What followed was a violent shove that practically threw Vanitas back against Terra, as Roxas laughed bitterly and turned away. "Wow… I was really fucking wrong about you, wasn't I? You're just the same selfish fuck as everyone else… Let's make the summoners save the world and save our sorry asses while we sit back and do fuck all!"

"Roxas–" Lea tried to calm down the mood a bit, gently grabbing one of Roxas' arms – only to have that hand immediately swatted away.

"It was like that when dad defeated Sin, too… Everyone laughing and celebrating and dancing and cheering… The same fuckers who'd spit on his face before that, because he married an Al Bhed woman. But now he saved the world, so that didn't matter anymore! Now I should be so proud of him, because he was everyone's hero! And what the fuck was that good for? The hero was dead, my father was dead! And that's what you want for my brother, as well! YOU, of all the fucking people!"

"Have you gone insane…? I'd never–"

Roxas turned to face Vanitas again, by now trying so hard to hold back his tears that the blue of his eyes was glistening under what was left of that corridor's lighting. "Stop fucking around with me! You know very well what I'm talking about! If Ven gets to Hollow Bastion and calls the Final Aeon– If he defeats Sin and brings the Calm and saves this world and every fucking idiot in it, then– then it'll be just like our father! He's gonna die! He's gonna fucking DIE! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?"

Van felt like the ground was suddenly shattering under his feet, like he was falling into a dark endless void, like he was going to be sick and double over to throw up, like he was going to faint right on the spot – all at the same time.

"He's– he's gonna… what…?"

Roxas, who'd been one flicker away from hitting Vanitas repeatedly till he broke his knuckles, was also suddenly looking very different – looking genuinely confused, as Van himself had been just before.

"You know, don't you…? Of course you know! You– …Ven didn't tell you? With the Final Aeon, he can defeat Sin, but… but there's a price to pay for calling upon so much power. The body can't take it… Performing the final summoning is going to kill him, like it killed our father and every other high summoner before him! Even–" At this point, Roxas' voice did break, and he lowered his gaze as his hands curled into tight fists. "Even if it defeats Sin, it'll kill Ven too…"

Despite the explosions and the screams in the background, still filling up the building, everything around them was now deathly silent. Lea wrapped an arm around Roxas' shoulders, who apologetically accepted the affection this time, Terra and Aqua might as well have become breathing statues… and, somehow, Van wanted to laugh. He wanted to laugh out loud, so loud that the walls would crack and crumble, so loud that his throat would bleed – at his own stupidity and obliviousness.

"Was I… the only one who didn't know…?"

Terra and Aqua did not answer, still averting their gaze.

Of course… now it made sense, didn't it? When Ven told Vanitas he couldn't give him a future… this was what he'd referred to, wasn't it? This was why he'd called it a dream, and a mistake…? This was why he'd never really talked of the times to come after the pilgrimage, why he'd sometimes lingered behind at the places they were journeying through – to stare one last time at everything, as if he'd never see it again?

"Why…? Why didn't you tell me…? Why did you hide it?"

Aqua spoke in a quiet tone, with a thick knot in her throat. "Van, I'm sorry… It's not like we wanted to hide it."

Terra continued, leaving a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. "It was just too hard to tell."

Just like that, the roles were reversed. Roxas was still staring at that same spot on the floor, in sullen silence and as if all the fight had gone out of him, and Vanitas was shaking in rage – eventually lashing out. His fist landed harshly on the wall beside them, and he kicked the nearby door so violently that he knocked it off the hinges.

"HOW COULD YOU? How fucking could you, both of you? Isn't he like your little brother? I thought you were FAMILY! Why didn't you do something?"

Aqua was clearly holding back her tears as well, but her voice came out as unyielding as steel. "Don't you think we tried to stop him? We were devasted when he made his choice, we tried everything we could to talk him out of it! We cried, we begged, but… but Ven follows his heart."

With a nod, Terra now wrapped his arm around Aqua and pulled her closer. "Ven knew what he was doing, when he chose to become a summoner. He knew what would be the consequences, if he managed to defeat Sin. We have no right to stop him… no one does."

And the worst part was, Van knew they were right. Actually, he couldn't even imagine what they must have felt like, the day Ventus told them of his decision… but, right now, his brain was refusing to think rationally. All he wanted was for this to turn out to be a nightmare… that he'd soon wake up, horrified that he'd dreamed of the person he loved being sentenced to such a gruesome fate, but relieved that it wasn't real.

Of course, reality wasn't that kind.

"All this time… I've– I've been telling Ven…" A breathless laugh did come out, as Vanitas covered his face with his hands. "Let's go beat Sin! I'll take you to Radiant Garden after you beat Sin, we can be together after you beat Sin…" His hands dropping, Van breathed in shakily. "And he… he'd just smile…"

I learned to practice smiling when I'm feeling sad.

That's what he'd said, that day, at the Mi'ihen Highroad.

How many of those smiles had been forced ones, just to hide the sadness with? Just so that he could keep being Spira's ray of hope and the rock for everyone else to lean on? Disposable trash, Roxas had just said… Summoners die, so that the rest of Spira can be happy.

With another angry growl, that could have easily shamed any of the fiends still rampaging around, Van slammed his fist against the wall again – again and again and again, crying out in rage with each hit, only stopping when Aqua firmly but gently wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"Stop hurting yourself… he wouldn't want that."

Wise words, from the wise big sister… that made Vanitas ashamed of the cruel things he'd just yelled at her, even if he also knew she wouldn't take it to heart. Heaving a loud, heavy sigh, he left one last, feeble punch on the wall before turning back to his friends. "We have to find him… I have to apologize, I–"

In that precise moment, the double door at the opposite end of the corridor crashed over with yet another explosion – and they all glanced that way to notice the flames spreading by the other side, which likely had already consumed the rest of that floor.

It was Roxas' turn to collect himself, reassuming the leader role and already starting the way downstairs. "We gotta get underground for now."

The others followed promptly, but Lea looked slightly hesitant. "Is that a good idea…? This whole thing looks like it's gonna collapse sooner than later, I'm not sure if even the Sanctum will hold."

Roxas smiled bitterly at that, stopping by said Sanctum's door to input the password that would allow them through the heavily locked door. "We're not staying. We're gonna load all the survivors into the Fahrenheit… and then we're blowing the fuck out of this place. And the fucking fiends along with it."

Aqua and Terra gasped, Van widened his eyes, and Lea almost tripped down the final step – rushing to his boyfriend's side as the door began lifting. "…Rox! You sure about this…?"

"We can always rebuild Home again. But, if we stay here, we die a dog's death… And I dunno about you guys, but I still got a wedding to crash."

Despite Roxas' confident grin, matters in the Sanctum were, unfortunately, as chaotic as everywhere else – with corpses littering the ground, pyreflies and smoke filling up the air, walls crumbling and flames spreading. In fact, as the younger twin ran inside, a Chimera lunged from a ledge above… and didn't land right on him because, before it had the chance to, it was caught in a web made of electricity that exploded and turned it into a soft rain of pyreflies.

After the Thunder Plains, Van had seen enough of Ixion's powers to know exactly what this was about – looking around till he, indeed, found the aeon and, beside it, two faces that were as familiar as they were unexpected. "…Naminé! Xion!"

They smiled at him, just as surprised to find him and Terra and Aqua here, though quickly Xion was turning to Roxas with a frown. "Do you really have to be reckless all the time?"

"Shut up! You're only here because you get the special friend treatment, this is a no-guardians zone!" Opening his big smile again, Roxas walked over and caught the two girls in a tight hug at the same time. "Fuck, I was worried about you… How are things around here?"

While Xion playfully rolled her eyes and reached over to ruffle Roxas' hair, Naminé hugged back with a smile of her own – though it faltered, as she answered his question. "Most summoners are safe… the Al Bhed– your people, your friends… they died bravely, protecting us."

Roxas pursed his lips, nodding in acknowledgment to those words. "They won't be forgotten… and it won't be in vain. But, right now, we gotta take care of the living – we gotta gather everyone and get 'em in the airship, as fast as possible."

"Wait," Naminé reached for Roxas' hand, as he was already turning away. "Let me perform their Sending, before we leave… it's not much, but it's the least I can do."

This sounded so much like something Ventus would have said that it actually made Van's chest physically hurt. To the point where he couldn't hold back his comment. "Why… Why are you doing this?"

Naminé turned to face him, looking puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"The pilgrimage, the Sendings… everything. Why would you choose to sacrifice yourself? Don't you ever regret it? Aren't you… aren't you afraid…?"

Xion opened her mouth to say something – but clearly was unable to find the right words. Instead, she hung her head with a sad expression… until Naminé caught her in a warm hug, cradling her head on the crease of her neck.

"Van… this is our choice. This is my choice. We all live in fear of Sin, you know that. And a world without Sin… that is the dream of all Yevon's children. I'm willing to use that power – even if it means my life." As if the words weren't compelling enough, she said this last part with an earnest smile, while looking Vanitas in the eye. "I'm sure Ven feels the same."

The only thing that made Van feel a little bit less frustrated was the fact that Roxas looked just as exasperated as he was himself. It's still fucking unfair and shouldn't have to happen, both of them thought at the same time, but neither had the courage to say it out loud – not when Naminé looked absolutely unwavering on her resolve.

The creaking sound coming from the other corner of the room was useful to divert attentions to something else, in the worst possible manner – as the large stairway that connected the Sanctum with the outside was swaying dangerously, about to collapse after all the damage that its supporting pillars had taken. With impeccable timing, however, Olette poked her head through the passage to the airship's hangar.

"Guys, what are you waiting for? Hurry up, I got this!"

As she said that, Ifrit followed her command and dashed to the stairway, holding up the structure and giving them just enough time to send the dead and to finish gathering the living – and soon everyone was making their way inside the Fahrenheit. Lea and Roxas headed for the cockpit immediately, where Pence awaited as he went through the control panels.

"Yna fa ymm cad?"

[Are we all set?]

Pence scrunched up his nose, glancing back at Roxas from his seat. "Sucdmo… Fedr dra fiends pnaygehk eh, fa teth'd ryja desa du vehecr tuipmalralgehk dra ahkehac. Drana'c y lryhla dryd symvihldeuhc femm rybbah."

[Mostly… With the fiends breaking in, we didn't have time to finish doublechecking the engines. There's a chance that malfunctions will happen.]

Roxas didn't need longer than two seconds to ponder their options, already taking the main pilot's seat as Lea settled beside him. "Tu ed. Ev fa cdyo rana, fa tea."

[Do it. If we stay here, we die.]

There was no arguing with that, even if Pence wasn't entirely pleased with the decision. Regardless, he activated what needed to be activated. "Drnaa sehidac mavd."

[Three minutes left.]

All the lights were turning on, as the engines and generators were started, and Vanitas had to make a brief pause to look around in awe as he reached the cockpit. He'd never seen this sort of technology, not even back at Radiant Garden!

Through the large windshield, he could watch as the ceiling of the hangar opened, a torrent of sand falling in as the way outside was cleared. Once they had confirmation, through the ship's intercom system, that all the passengers had been loaded and all the doors were shut, Roxas, Lea, and Pence initiated the lift-off. The Fahrenheit trembled all over, and soon was leaving the ground and passing through the now fully open ceiling, towards the dawn-painted sky above.

"This is fucking awesome…" Despite himself, and despite everything terrible that'd happened within the past hour, Van couldn't hide his astonishment. They were flying… they were really flying!

As seen from above, Home had become no more than a heap of rubble, fire, and smoke. Fiends and Guado guards could still be seen in several different spots, growing smaller and smaller the further the airship ascended, and the sight of them made Roxas grasp the controls all the tighter.

"Dah caluhtc mavd," Pence announced.

[Ten seconds left.]

Van wasn't sure what that meant, but he knew in his gut it was going to be something big – and, boy, was he not wrong. As the countdown reached zero, with the airship already flying away, a series of panels along its exterior opened to reveal the canons within. Rows and rows of the forbidden machina, which began firing missiles all at once and bombarding what was left of Home. Again, as seen from above, it was like the sky was falling – dropping countless stars that became balls of fire as they hit roofs, floors, tents, the sand, everywhere. Eventually, it reached the fuel deposits and a massive explosion drowned all the minor ones, covering the entire area in a cloud of thick smoke just as massive.

By now, the Fahrenheit had accelerated exponentially and escaped the worst of the turbulence, even if it still sent a few passengers rolling around. With a final glance behind, Lea then turned his gaze to the path ahead. "Man… Cid's gonna flip his lid when he hears about this."

Roxas remained silent for a moment longer, before murmuring back with a smile. "Fuck that. He would've done the same."

The two exchanged a knowing look and then a few quick kisses, before focusing back on what they were doing, and Van walked closer – leaving his arms rested on top of Roxas' seat. "Hey… How are we gonna find Ven?" Maybe it was too soon for such an abrupt change of subject, but hey… what else could he tell them? I'm sorry that Yevon wrecked your Home that you worked so hard on for a decade and made you have to blow it up to smithereens? Thankfully, he and Roxas equally hated unnecessary, politically correct small talk.

It was Pence who answered the question, however – turning on his seat to point to the large sphere by the control panel in the middle of the room. "Easy! We have the Sphere Oscillo-finder. It's used to store data, and it's helpful to find people and all sorts of things."

"That won't be needed." Aqua had just made her way into the cockpit as well, stopping shortly before Vanitas. "If the maester is getting married… the ceremony must be held at the Palace of St. Bevelle. It's the heart of Yevon, after all. I'm sure Ven will be there somewhere."

Lea glanced over at Roxas with a grin. "Full speed ahead, then! We should be arriving at Bevelle in roughly an hour."

Roxas nodded at Lea, and Van nodded to himself.

One hour.

Just one hour longer, and he'd have Ven back in his arms.

"I won't let him die… I swear it, I won't."

Roxas nodded again – this time, with a smile.