Chapter 6: Revelation

The next day Goku awoke from a good night's rest, having slept in far into the morning, later than anyone had expected. There had been a rich breakfast awaiting him, provided by priests grateful to have him here, but had gone cold by the time Goku got to it. Still he consumed it all anyway, and like he did everywhere else Goku startled the priests with his ferocious appetite. Afterward Goku was feeling fresh and energized for a new day, and he was eager to get it underway. Places to go, people to meet, monsters to slay, all of it was on Goku's to-do list for today.

On his way out Goku saw Mika standing near the exit, apparently having gotten there just ahead of him. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Must you be in such haste to leave?" Mika asked.

"There's nothing left for me to learn here," Goku answered. "If you have something else, either you would have told me already, or you're not going to tell me at all."

"Very insightful," Mika admitted. "Still, I must insist that you remain in Bevelle. When Sin returns, the people will need their Super Crusader."

"Please don't call me that," Goku asked, still annoyed by the unwanted title thrust upon him. "Oh, and that's another reason I have to leave. Sin is after me personally. If I am somewhere else, Sin won't come here."

That remark convinced Mika, and he stepped out of Goku's way to let him take the danger elsewhere. "Very well. Do as you wish."

Goku wished to leave, and he walked out of the temple and into the morning sunshine. Like before there were crowds eager to see him, though they were smaller than they had been yesterday. He could have walked through with little disruption if he wanted to, but he would still have preferred to just fly away instead. Goku saw Maester Kelk at work preaching the word of Yevon to the crowd, seemingly the only honest man in power within this city. He walked over to the ronso, who seemed happy enough to see him.

"Ah, Goku, you are still here," Kelk said, giving the Yevon bow to him. "I had thought you would have left by now."

"I was just about to," Goku said. He blushed and put one hand behind his head, realizing that he needed a reminder. "This Zanarkand place you mentioned before, where was it again?"

"North, beyond Mount Gagazet," Kelk said, keeping the directions as simple as possible. "It is about as far north as you can get before the continent ends."

"Okay, thanks," Goku said.

A white aura formed around Goku and he took off into the sky, amazing the people standing in front of the temple. From the city he turned and flew to the north, passing over expansive green fields outside the city. There was a large canyon that divided these lands in two, as well as ancient craters filled with fresh grass, marks of a battle fought here long ago. But while these lands would have been excellent farmland, there was only one small outpost and no other settlements. Goku put this place in the back of mind, thinking it would be a good spot for his next fight with Sin.

Beyond the fields there was a massive mountain, and the only road went up the mountain's slope. The mountain's peak was shrouded in clouds, hidden from view from every possible angle. This had to be the place Maester Kelk mentioned, the mountain known as Gagazet. Goku sensed many people similar to Kelk living on the mountain, and he guessed that this was the place Kelk's people called home. He also sensed various creatures higher up the mountain's slopes, no concern for him but dangerous for those that had to use the road.

Whatever challenges posed by the mountain were utterly ignored, bypassed entirely by flying right over the mountaintop. Beyond the mountain was a single road, leading straight to the northern coast of the continent. There lay the ruins of an ancient city, crumbled buildings still recognizable despite a thousand years of decay. At the far end of the ruins was the remains of a large stadium, its dome cracked open and partially caved in. Goku stopped and hovered over the threshold to the ruins, staring at the sight that lay before him.

"This must be the place," Goku muttered to himself.

Surrounding the city was a gigantic cloud of pyreflies, like a shimmering fog that covered the ruins for eternity. It reminded him of passing through the Farplane, another place that straddled the line between the living and the dead. Goku could only imagine the sheer number of souls trapped here, unable to pass on to the afterlife. They weren't the only ones inhabiting the ruins, as Goku sensed many nonhuman creatures waiting to ambush visitors. Those small monsters were of no concern for Goku, for multiple and obvious reasons.

Goku flew over the ruins at a casual speed, passing through the cloud of pyreflies and trying to ignore the creepy feeling going down his spine. There was one presence that felt like a human being, separate from the creatures throughout the ruins. Goku stopped and hovered above the broken stadium, looking down towards what he sensed deep underground. At a slow pace he descended into the stadium through the cracked dome, passing through the densest cluster of pyreflies along the way. Inside Goku set foot on a piece of stadium rooftop, spanning the building like a makeshift bridge.

Being here reminded Goku of the blitzball stadium in Luca, and he figured the same sport might have been played here long ago. He imagined the crowds that once filled the stands, cheering for players and teams that were now gone and forgotten. Except for the sounds of Goku's own breathing, it was utterly silent inside the stadium. He sensed the presence further below him, but didn't see a direct route to reach it. Goku put two fingers to his forehead and focused on that presence, and when he vanished he left the stadium empty once more.

Reappearing inside a large chamber, Goku looked around at the sights. He stood at the top of a tall staircase, looking down at the circular chamber, its walls lined with statues depicting various people. But he didn't see the person he sensed, still feeling the presence despite not seeing whoever it was. Then he saw some pyreflies drifting past him, converging in a doorway behind him. As Goku turned around the presence he sensed took physical form, a woman walking out of the doorway to greet a visitor.

"Not what I had expected," Goku commented.

Of all the questions Goku had, the woman's appearance was the oddest one. Her long white hair seemed like an attempt at distraction, reaching past her knees and flowing out like a natural cape. The attempt wasn't effective, for the eye was drawn to her outfit, or lack thereof, anyway. All she had on was the equivalent of a bra and bikini, covering only the very essentials and nothing else. Goku kept his eyes on the woman's face, which was cold and detached from any semblance of emotion. Her eyes glared at Goku, and the tiniest bit of surprise peeked through.

"I was wondering when you would come," the woman said. She saw Goku surprised at that remark. "Sin has been destroyed twice in a handful of days. It was only a matter of time before its vanquisher arrived at my doorstep."

"You can tell when Sin is gone, from all the way out here," Goku surmised. "Then you must be the person that I am looking for."

"Yes," the woman said. "I am Yunalesca."

Deep in the depths of the Farplane, the black pyrefly sought out another fallen soul.

The last one had not been sufficient to defeat the foe, even if it had been more powerful than any soul turned into Sin before. But it was merely the first of many souls with a grudge against the interloper, and next in line was another that had fallen by the golden warrior's hand, even if he had not been the one to kill him. The next soul was trapped in colorful fields of torment, eternally mocked for his relative weakness in the grand scheme of things, and his death at the hands of the one man he could have called a friend.

Oni and demons saw the black pyrefly approaching, having gathered in response to the previous incursion. They sounded the alarm on sight of the black pyrefly, and unleashed their fury upon it. Fire and brimstone rained down in an inferno of destruction, centered on the single moving target. But the black pyrefly ignored all of it, piercing the fire and flames like they weren't even there. It would not be deterred from reaching its desired soul, no matter how hard the wardens of the damned fought to keep their prisoners.

The black pyrefly found the desired soul, claimed the soul's power for itself, beginning the creation another Sin.

It took the fastest chocobo money could buy, knowledge of secret routes across Spira, and need for haste unlike any before, but Kinoc made it to Bevelle in record time.

And yet, he was not surprised to learn that Goku had come and gone already.

Kinoc could only imagine what it was like to possess such speed, able to cross the face of Spira faster than even the airships of legend. Coupled with the strength and power Goku possessed, it made him seem more like a force of nature than a living person. He was like Sin in a twisted way, able to appear anywhere in the world without warning, the people helpless to stop whatever wrath was headed their way. Yet to Kinoc he was even scarier than Sin, for Goku could lie in wait amidst the populace and wait for the right moment to unleash his might.

His fears weren't shared by the people of Bevelle, not yet at the very least. Kinoc passed through the streets with great haste, the people quickly vacating those streets ahead of Kinoc's entourage, respecting the will of a maester of Yevon. From the back of a carriage he saw the people governed by his religion, most of them still caught up in the celebrations of the Calm. But he also saw apprehension and fear amongst them, coming from the few that would not be in denial, knowing that Sin had returned once already and would return again soon.

The news of Sin's premature return had shocked Kinoc, hearing it just prior to entering the city. It was supposed to take months for that to happen, time enough for the Final Aeon's will to submit to corruption and become the next Sin. Kinoc had been planning on having to deal with only one problem until that time, but now he would have to handle both of them at once. It was all the more need for haste to reach the temple, for he needed to discuss the matter with Grand Maester Mika. Kinoc wasn't looking forward to it, but hopefully it would be over sooner rather than later.

His carriage arrived at the temple, a servant opened the door for him, and Kinoc walked past several priests on his way inside. It was a flurry of activity inside the temple, priests and clerics trying to justify Sin's early return in the Yevon dogma, many possible solutions being passed back and forth. Whether or not any of them were true or even slightly accurate was irrelevant, the only thing of importance being if the people would accept it. Kinoc noted some of the good ones before moving on, and he made his way to Maester Mika's office.

Inside the office he found Mika conversing with Kelk, and they turned when Kinoc entered the room. "I see the two of you have met Goku."

"Is it that obvious," Kelk said.

"Report," Mika ordered. He was quite curious to hear Kinoc's perspective on recent events. "What did you see at Operation Mi'ihen?"

"Everything was going as planned," Kinoc said. "But then Goku appeared and interfered in the endgame for Crimson Squad, three finalists are still alive by the way, they're with Seymour at the moment. When Sin arrived, it appeared that the battle would be lost."

"Wait, you let any of the candidates live?" Mika questioned.

"Didn't have much of a choice in the matter," Kinoc said. "Goku was right there, and it wouldn't look good to kill people he just rescued. If I had done it anyway, I'm sure he wouldn't have hesitated to kill me first."

"Besides, they may still prove useful," Kelk said. He was silently relieved, being the only one of the maesters that had objected to eliminating Crimson Squad after they'd completed their objective. "We're getting off track. Please, continue with the operation."

"Yes, of course," Kinoc said with a polite nod. "When Sin attacked the Mushroom Rock, the Al Bhed weapon failed to destroy it, exactly as we expected. But then Goku intervened, revealed his true form, and he struck down Sin singlehandedly."

"And he did it again here," Kelk said, greatly concerned about the battle with the reborn Sin. "Did he reveal the full extent of his power the first time?"

"Doubtful," Kinoc said. "Unless Sin returns more powerful than before, and Goku struggles to defeat it, we might never know what he is truly capable of. He may even have the power to destroy all of Spira, if he so wished."

"It would be better if we never have to find out," Mika said. He let out a short sigh and folded his hands, for once unsure of how to proceed. "Until we learn how to control him, we must not antagonize him, lest he want to overthrow us."

"I don't think we need to worry about that," Kelk said. He saw puzzled looks from his fellow maesters. "I get the feeling Goku doesn't care about political power. He seemed annoyed by the pleasantries of being treated like a hero of the people."

"Still, we can't afford to take any chances," Mika said. "There is too much at stake. We've worked too hard to let one man throw it all away."

"Where is Goku now?" Kinoc asked. If they were going to manage the issue, they were going to have to keep tabs on him at all times. "Do you even know where he is?"

"We suggested he go to Zanarkand," Kelk said. "That should keep him busy for a time."

Standing face to face with Yunalesca, Goku wasn't sure what to make of her.

She had this otherworldly presence around her, like someone that had ascended to a higher plane of existence. But there was a deep malice beneath the surface, contained within a calm tranquility. Although she appeared to be a young woman, she was really ancient beyond comprehension, the appearance of youth being a boon from being dead. She was studying Goku with keen eyes, wanting to know everything about this guest in her domain, so very different from the usual folk that come before her.

"Welcome to Zanarkand," Yunalesca said.

"I'm told people come to you when they want to destroy Sin," Goku said. "Surely you know how it keeps coming back, and how to prevent that."

"The first is simple, the second is not," Yunalesca answered. Her eyes narrowed, seemingly frustrated by the situation. "And you have complicated both."

"Let me guess, because I survived," Goku said, sensing a theme here. "I'm also told that usually doesn't happen."

Yunalesca nodded, and made a wide gesture to all the statues in the chamber. "All of them gave their lives so that a summoner could defeat Sin. Their souls became Final Aeons, and they defeated Sin to bring the Calm. Every time, when Sin's body is broken, its essence takes hold of the Final Aeon."

Remembering the black pyrefly, which fled the second time instead of attacking like the first, Goku nodded to Yunalesca. "Yeah, it tried to do something to me."

"Tried," Yunalesca repeated. She looked at Goku more closely. "Yes, I see it now. Yu Yevon has touched your soul, yet you remain unchanged. That is most impressive."

"So I hear," Goku said. Then he recognized the name Yunalesca used, the same one the Fayth in Bevelle had used. "Yu Yevon, that thing inside of Sin, what exactly is it?"

"Yu Yevon is a summoner," Yunalesca answered. "A thousand years ago, he was the greatest summoner the world had ever known. Now he exists only to summon, and Sin is the guardian that protects his summoning. So long as Yu Yevon remains, Sin will always endure."

"Then all I have to do is destroy Yu Yevon, and Sin will stop coming back," Goku surmised. "Now why is this not going to be as simple as it sounds?"

"Surely you already know the answer to that," Yunalesca said, crossing her arms. "After all, you are Unsent, just like him."

"Unsent?" Goku questioned. "I'm not sure what that word means."

"You are dead, but walk among the living," Yunalesca said. She saw the look of surprise on Goku, and she made a weak laugh. "Don't be so shocked. Surely you have noticed other Unsent during your visit. We have a way of knowing when others are near."

"It never crossed my mind," Goku admitted. Still, the revelation made one fact very clear. "So, even if I blast Yu Yevon into oblivion, he will just walk right back out of the afterlife again."

Yunalesca nodded. "In fact, he has already done just that. Without the soul of a Final Aeon to remake Sin, Yu Yevon left this world to find a suitable replacement."

"Raditz," Goku said. "But why him? How would Yu Yevon know to use my brother's soul and not someone else?"

"Now that is a true mystery," Yunalesca admitted. She turned her gaze away, as if looking at something else far in the distance. "Perhaps his next choice will be more illuminating."

A massive energy appeared in Goku's senses, and he turned toward the south. "It's back." Goku turned toward Yunalesca. "That reminds me. When I arrived in Spira, I couldn't sense Sin. Now I can. Would the soul Yu Yevon uses be responsible for that?"

"I wasn't aware that you could sense others at all," Yunalesca said. She looked to the south, where she sensed Sin's presence. "He is coming quickly. You have little time to prepare."

"Yeah I'm going," Goku said, putting two fingers to his forehead, just about to vanish. "We'll see what happens this time."

After spending the night camping on the south bank of the Moonflow, Tidus was up early and ready for the day.

But it seemed that Rikku was ready even earlier.

She wasn't in the camp when Tidus got up, which had him wondering where she could have gone. Since he needed to wait for everyone else awaken, Tidus found Rikku's trail and followed after her. It led him down the bank of the river, away from the nearby settlement, toward a strip of forest between the water and a road. That was when he spotted Rikku near the shore, but she didn't see him just yet, and so Tidus slowed his pace to sneak up on her. It was hard to avoid rustling the bushes or the leaves of the trees, but Tidus managed to get within earshot of Rikku.

And it seemed she wasn't alone.

A few people were surfacing from beneath the water, wearing suits that offered breath and mobility even in the depths of the ocean. Rikku appeared to be happy to see them, clearly knowing who these people were. One by one they removed their scuba helmets, opening their strange spiral eyes in the morning sunlight. These were Al Bhed, like Rikku, hence why she would have known they were here. But they didn't look happy, as if they were on a mission and wanting to get back to it instead of standing around doing nothing.

Rikku faced the tallest among them, a teenage boy with a blonde mohawk. "Puo ys E kmyt du caa oui Brother."

It was a strange name, though neither of them questioned the man that gave him the name Brother. "Rikku, fa kud ouin cekhym. Drec ryt paddan pa esbundyhd."

"Oayr, E cyf oui kioc mingehk ynuiht eh dra nejan," Rikku said. "Oui fanah'd ypuid du gethyb Yuna, fana oui?"

"Syopa," Brother said. "Vydran tet fyhd ic du cdub cissuhanc vnus lusbmadehk bemknesykac."

"Famm oui'na hud dygehk drec uha," Rikku said. "Yunie ec ihtan so bnudaldeuh. Cu tuh'd pa kaddehk yho etayc frema fa lnucc dra nejan."

Brother groaned, grudgingly accepting the order. "Veha. Pid oui ufa sa vun drec Rikku."

He put his scuba helmet back on and walked back into the water, and all the other Al Bhed followed suit. They quickly disappeared beneath the surface, heading back to whatever machina they used to get around underwater. Rikku was let out a sigh, glad that went as well as it did. But then she heard a twig snap, and she turned around, spotting Tidus amongst the trees. She froze for a moment, worried that someone else was with him and might expose her little charade. But no one else was there, so she ran over to where Tidus was standing.

"How long have you been standing there?" Rikku asked.

"Long enough," Tidus answered. "What did you tell those people to do?"

"Huh…" Rikku muttered, only to remember one little detail about Tidus. "Oh right, you don't speak Al Bhed."

"I did hear you mention Yuna," Tidus said.

Rikku let out a long sigh. "Look, let's just keep this between us. Brother and the others were going to bring Yuna to a safe place, whether she wanted to or not. I told him he didn't need to while I'm around."

"Good," Tidus said. He pointed a thumb back toward camp. "Let's get back to the others before we're missed."

Having crossed Moonflow yesterday, Maester Seymour was well ahead of any particular party of summoner and guardians.

Fortunately his unwanted entourage had turned out to be decent company, as Seymour found it refreshing to travel with people outside the clergy. He didn't participate in the idle chitchat Crimson Squad had, but didn't tell them to stop either. Most of them were young, and it was illuminating to hear what the young folk were concerned with these days. Their conversations had been regularly interrupted by fiend attacks, but only for the few minutes it would take for Crimson Squad to dispose of the fiends.

Immediately after one such attack, Paine still had her camera rolling. "Now that was a good one. See if you can do it again next time."

Gippal was putting his weapon away, before smiling to the camera. "Okay, now that you've said that, you know I'm gonna mess it up when you try to film it, right?"

"Is this really what we need to be worried about?" Baralai asked.

"We shouldn't have to worry about anything at all," Nooj said. "But such is the world we live in, when even the Calm can come to an abrupt end."

"Don't be such a spoil sport," Paine said.

Baralai wanted to change the subject, so he turned toward Seymour. "How much longer until we reach Guadosalam?"

"We are nearly there already," Seymour said. He didn't slow his pace, wanting to continue making good time. "It is right at the end of this road. The entrance is at the top of that hill. You can see it from here."

"Ah good," Gippal said. He took out some binoculars and looked to the north, spotting the tree covered hill in the distance. "So we're only an hour away, give or take fifteen minutes."

"I would like to cut that in half," Seymour said. He quickened his pace, forcing everyone else to keep up. "I have business to attend to back home."

"Then we shouldn't dawdle," Nooj said.

Maester Seymour and Crimson Squad continued on their way, making good time to Guadosalam.

In the sky above the ruins of Zanakand, Goku appeared out of thin air.

Directly above the remnants of the stadium, he floated high above Yunalesca's sanctuary before. There he faced south and looked for Sin, sensing his presence already passing Bevelle. That city was spared from the destruction Sin usually wrought, and the ruins of another city were at risk instead. Goku flew to the edge of Zanarkand, stopping at the threshold to a vast clearing between the ruins and the mountain ahead. There he waited for Sin to arrive, and he did not have to wait long before Sin came around Gagazet.

Just like it had done the last time, Sin had taken on a form different from before. Now it took the form of a giant gorilla, slightly smaller than its previous form, and reminding Goku of one of the most memorable battles he had ever fought. However this corrupt great ape lacked anything resembling fur, completely smooth skinned from head to clawed toe. Extra-long arms dragged on the ground as Sin walked toward the ruins, its wide mouth baring immense teeth, and dark red eyes set on Goku hovering above the threshold to Zanarkand.

In a bright flash of light Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan, casting a bright golden light over this dead city. "You want me! Well here I am!"

Sin charged forward with surprising speed, crossing the gap in only a mere moment. A giant clawed fist swung at Goku, only for him to fly out of the way. He went up and punched Sin in its wide mouth, knocking Sin's whole head backward. Goku punched again to knock Sin further back, and punched again and again until he knocked Sin completely over. Sin back hit the ground and shook it for miles around, causing more than a few avalanches on Gagazet. Sin lifted his head off the ground, only for Goku to punch it back down again.

A giant right fist swung and hit Goku, knocking him away and toward Sin's left. As Goku recovered from the blow Sin got back on its feet, and then charged at Goku while he flew toward Sin. The great ape pulled back a fist, Goku got ready for the punch, only for Sin's mouth to open wide and spew black energy at him. The black beam struck Goku head on and blasted him away, across the edge of the ruins to the far end of Zanarkand. Goku escaped the black beam there and drifted to his left, hovering over ruins that were once a suburb.

Standing up tall with both fists in the air, Sin fired the black beam from its mouth again. This time Goku avoided it entirely, letting the beam hit ocean beyond Zanarkand's coast. Sin turned its head to aim the black beam, following Goku's path through the sky as he flew towards Sin. Up close Goku flew underneath the black beam and rammed Sin's throat, jamming the flow of energy within and stopping the beam, and creating a buildup inside of Sin. The throat swelled up immensely within seconds, and then ruptured in a massive explosion, with Goku right in the center of it.

The blast hurled Goku away, spinning in the air all the way across Zanarkand, only coming to a stop upside down above the northern coastline. Sin in turn was pushed backward, a torrent of black blood pouring out of its neck like a waterfall. Goku reoriented himself and flew back towards Sin, seeing that the wound wasn't killing the monster. Black energy was coalescing around the neck wound, materializing new flesh that closed and sealed the wound. The flow of black blood stopped, and Sin made a mighty roar that shook the ruins.

But as Sin healed Goku sensed a sharp drop in power, the regeneration taking a toll on Sin's energy reserves. Goku accelerated and rammed Sin's throat again, puncturing flesh that was still fresh, and burst through the back of Sin's neck. On the other side Goku turned around and fired a barrage of energy blasts, targeting the new hole and making the blasts explode within. He made the wound considerably bigger, until Sin turned around and covered its throat with its left hand. Again black energy worked to regenerate the wound, and Sin's energy decreased considerably.

As if sensing its enemy's intentions, Sin struck before it could take more damage. Sin lunged forward and swung its right fist, and Goku swiftly dodged the attack. Twisting its whole body backward, Sin swung both of its legs upward, the right one missing but the left finding its mark, kicking Goku hard and high into the sky. Sin fired its black beam again, hitting Goku and blasting him even higher. At a mile high Goku escaped the beam, and he saw another one shooting up at him. He dodged that black beam, and put two fingers to his forehead.

Disappearing from the sky and reappearing beneath Sin, Goku aimed both palms forward and fired a large yellow energy beam. It struck in a usually sensitive spot, penetrated all the way through Sin's torso, and came out through Sin's mouth. Goku charged a ball of energy between his hands, filling it as much power as he could put in that small space, and threw it into the hole he had created. Contained within Sin that explosion's effect was amplified, shredding the torso and tearing Sin limb from limb, the shattered flesh falling around Goku.

The pieces of Sin were still falling when they disintegrated into pyreflies, massive clouds of light rising into the sky all around Goku. He drifted to the side and out of the pyreflies in time to see an image appear, that of a very muscular man with a bald head. Goku couldn't place the name belonging to the mustached face, but remembered the first person he fought after his first resurrection. The once mighty Saiyan warrior looked just as angry as ever, even as he vanished back into the pyreflies that let him appear.

In his place the black pyrefly appeared, and Goku aimed his palm at it. "Got you!"

Goku fired a large yellow beam at the black pyrefly, aiming to destroy it and Yu Yevon for good. But the black pyrefly moved out of the way, and shot toward the southern horizon.

"No you don't," Goku said, flying after the black pyrefly. "You're not getting away this time."

No time to power up and increase his maximum speed, Goku flew at the greatest speed the basic Super Saiyan form allowed. The black pyrefly flew through the clouds covering the peak of Gagazet, as if to lose Goku in the veiled mountaintop. Goku aimed one palm forward and let out a quick burst of energy, creating a pressure wave in the air that struck the clouds, dispersing them to reveal the mountain's cragged peak. He saw the black pyrefly passing above ancient ruins atop the mountain, and both of them ignored the ruins for more pressing concerns.

Past the mountain the black pyrefly headed south, passing over the vast green fields in a straight line. Goku steadily closed the distance between them, and glanced at Bevelle passing by along the side. They continued onward to the lands south of the city, the gap gradually shrinking as Goku caught up. Goku fired several energy blasts at the black pyrefly, which dodged the attacks but lost tiny bits of speed in the process. They were halfway across the continent when Goku caught up with the black pyrefly, and he charged his hands for an attack at near point blank range.

But then the black pyrefly dived straight down, and Goku overshot his target, spinning in midair to keep sight of it. "Damn it!"

Looking down Goku saw an everlasting thunderstorm, adjacent to the place where he had entered Spira. The black pyrefly had passed through the storm clouds, heading for the northern entrance to the underground settlement. Goku followed into the storm and made a hard turn just above the ground, flying into the tunnel to Guadosalam. But he lost sight of the black pyrefly, and he made an abrupt stop in the middle of the city, unleashing a powerful gale drawn in his wake. His arrival startled all the guado living here, who were already frightened by the black pyrefly's passing.

"Where is it…? Where is it…?" Goku grumbled, head turning in every direction in frantic search of the black pyrefly. He saw only two directions it could have gone, and one of them led out of this place. "There!"

Goku took the other path, away from the outside world and to the deepest part of the city. He flew down that tunnel at breakneck speed, but abruptly stopped when he reached the barrier between the worlds of the living and the dead. Goku saw ripples moving across the surface of the barrier, a sign that the black pyrefly had passed through and entered the Farplane. Knowing that he would never find it on the other side, Goku landed on this side and looked at his reflection in the barrier. Goku sighed and reverted to his normal state, frustrated by the black pyrefly escaping him again.

But now he knew where it went every time he destroyed Sin, and where it was sure to emerge. "Sooner or later, you'll have to come out."

By the time Tidus and Rikku returned to camp, everyone was up and nearly ready to leave and cross the river.

"So where did you two wander off to?" Wakka said, arms crossing and smiling.

"Just getting another view of the river," Tidus answered, jerking his head toward the water. "So where do we go from here?"

"We cross the Moonflow," Lulu answered. In the late morning sunshine, they could see the lands along the northern bank. "From there we pass through Guadosalam, cross the Thunder Plains, and go Macalania Temple."

"And Yunie gets another aeon there," Rikku said. She looked down at her feet, one shoe digging into the dirt. "Do we really have to cross the Thunder Plains to get there?"

"It's the most direct route," Auron said. "Going around would take weeks."

"And it's not that bad," Wakka said. "Stay close to the path between the towers and the lightning wont strike you. We'll be fine."

"So let's get going," Tidus said.

Looking out at the water, Yuna nodded. "Let's go find the shoopuf."

"Shoopuf?" Tidus questioned.

"You'll see," Auron promised.

With everything packed up and ready to go, the group made their way over to the nearest river crossing. They immediately saw the large animal that was the shoopuf, resembling an elephant with a strange trunk. The animal's thick blue hide supported an open carriage on its back, and on its head was a space for a driver. Managing the shoopuf were these strange short beings, like little blue humans with thin limbs and weirdly shaped heads with bulging eyes. Tidus was quickly told these were hypello, and they typically lived in wet places near open water.

There was no toll for crossing the river, though one would have to wait for when the shoopuf was available. Everyone climbed in the carriage aboard the shoopuf and it walked right into the river, surprisingly buoyant in the water and swimming across with only its bottom half submerged. The shoopuf wasn't very fast through, so the trip across the river was going to take some time. But they had a gorgeous view of the Moonflow, being right in the middle of it. The water was crystal clear too, allowing a view of the ancient ruins at the bottom.

"Hey," Wakka said, getting Tidus's attention. He tilted his head toward the water. "Take a look."

Tidus got up and looked over the edge of the shoopuf, seeing the ancient ruins with his own eyes. "There's a sunken city down there."

"A machina city, a thousand years old," Wakka specified. "They built the city on top of bridges across the river."

Lulu figured she could describe it better from here. "The weight of the city caused the bridges to collapse, and it all sank to the bottom."

"Right," Wakka said. "It's a good lesson."

"Don't build a city over water," Tidus said. "Seriously, anyone could have told them this would happen."

"I'm sure they did," Wakka said. "But they wanted to prove they could defy the laws of nature."

"They just got too arrogant," Rikku said. "If they had just been sensible and put this city on the shore, this wouldn't have happened."

"Well they didn't," Wakka said. "They kept building bigger and bigger machina, until they thought they could do whatever they felt like doing. It's why Yevon forbids machina, so that it doesn't get abused."

"Doesn't forbid all machina," Rikku pointed out. "Like the stadium, or the viewing orbs, who gets to decide which machina is allowed and which is not?"

"Yevon decides," Lulu answered. "Destructive machina is especially forbidden, so that war does not rage again."

No one noticed Tidus clenching his fist out of view. "War…"

"More than a thousand years ago," Yuna said, hands folded on her lap. "Mankind waged war using machina. Bigger and bigger they built their machina weapons, until they became so powerful it was believed they could destroy the entire world. And people feared Spira would be destroyed."

Rikku looked at Tidus. "Did they have any such machina in your Zanarkand?"

"No," Tidus said. "Things would have been very different if we did."

"Oh," Rikku said. She turned back to Yuna, wanting to hear the Yevon version of this story. "So what happened to all the machina weapons?"

"Sin came," Yuna answered. "It destroyed the cities and their machina. The war ended, all sides lost, and the survivors were left with Sin."

"Sin is our punishment for letting things get out of hand," Wakka surmised.

"Could any of these weapons have survived?" Tidus asked.

That was when Auron finally joined the conversation. "If any did, they are either forgotten, or Yevon has them under lock and key."

Wakka looked personally insulted. "That's sacrilege!"

"He's got a point," Rikku said. "You really think the-"

"Don't bother," Auron said. "If he doesn't want to face reality, there's no point trying to convince him otherwise."

The conversation came to an abrupt end, and a few people weren't looking at each other for a while. The rest of the trip across the Moonflow was uneventful, everyone spending the time looking out at the water. Only Tidus noticed Rikku giving a discreet hand signal, and he imagined her using it to reinforce a point made earlier. It took about another hour to finish the crossing, and at the northern bank the shoopuf walked onto dry land. Everyone got off the animal and back on dry land, ready to continue on their journey.

There was a road not far from where they were dropped off, cutting through the forests on this side of the Moonflow. But as they walked down that road they saw a lot of traffic flowing the other way, both humans and guado leaving the place Yuna and company were heading towards. And they were certainly in quite a hurry, not willing to stop and tell them what was going on. They were going to have to see what the commotion was for themselves, when they reached the underground settlement of Guadosalam.

Though the danger had passed, for the moment at least, the feelings of fear and dread remained in Guadosalam.

Goku couldn't blame the locals for it, considering that the core of their greatest fear had just passed through their underground settlement. He also realized that his dramatic entrance had not helped matters, having come and gone through the main area without a word of explanation. He sensed some of them leaving the place entirely, heading back to the surface world through both exits. Many remained in their homes, hoping that they could wait out whatever was going on. A few brave guado entered the tunnel that led to the Farplane, approaching Goku still standing before the barrier.

At the front of the group was an older guado, wearing green robes with red sleeves, his wrinkled face framed by green hair and a thick green beard. "Excuse me, sir, are you the one they call the Super Crusader?"

Goku turned around and faced the old man, and did his best to try to be polite. "I wish people wouldn't call me that."

"My apologies," the old man said. "I did not mean to offend."

"It's alright," Goku said. "I'm just a little on edge is all, mister…"

"Tromell," he said, introducing himself. "We were not expecting your presence here. I would have made sure to set up accommodations to your liking."

"That really won't be necessary," Goku said.

"Oh…" Tromell muttered. Although disappointed by the refusal of his services, he didn't let that get him down. "Still, I shall go and let Lord Seymour know that you are here. I am sure that he will want to speak with you."

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Goku said. He watched Tromell leave and take the other guado with him, and when he was along Goku turned back toward the barrier. "Finally."

Staring into his reflection in the barrier, Goku thought about that lay on the other side. Through the Farplane one could reach the rest of the afterlife, from the pits of hell to the end of Snake Way and everywhere in between. Though Goku knew he should pass through the barrier and search for the black pyrefly, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind saying he shouldn't do it. If he passed through and returned to the afterlife, there was a small possibility that he might not pass back through to the world of the living again.

And even if he did, there was no way he could track down something he could not sense, especially not in the labyrinth that was the afterlife. However, there was someone who might, and Goku focused on that person but did not teleport to him. "King Kai, can you hear me?"

There was a delay, likely from him not expecting a call, but eventually there was a telepathic response. "Yes Goku, what is it? Have you found out what is going on down there?"

"I'm piecing it together," Goku answered. "Look, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure," King Kai said. "What is it?"

"I was chasing something and it fled into the afterlife," Goku said. "I lost the trail here. I was wondering if you can search for it on your side."

"I can try," King Kai said. "Could you please describe it to me?"

"It looks like a sphere of black light, with an insect buried in the middle of it," Goku described, remembering the brief glimpse he had. "It's invisible to my senses, like the androids were. A bunch of things here are like that."

"Okay, I'll look," King Kai promised, though he seemed a little annoyed. "This could take a while. There are a lot of places to search."

"I understand," Goku said. He glanced down the tunnel, sensing a familiar group about to enter. "I got to go. Let me know if you find it."

"Of course," King Kai said.

The voice in his head went silent, and Goku faced the tunnel. He waited a little bit, and saw the group approaching this end. "What brings you guys down here?"

Ignoring the maester walking with them, Goku's focus was on the members of Crimson Squad. He hadn't been expecting them to come here, and it was clear they were surprised to find Goku here. It seemed that Nooj and Baralai had doubted the news when Tromell informed them, whereas Gippal and Paine had been more than hoping it was true. Seymour seemed a little incensed that Goku was ignoring him, though he could tolerate it for the moment. Goku didn't really care about him, but could appreciate the company he brought with him.

"What brings you down here?" Paine asked.

"Didn't realize you were interested in the Farplane," Baralai admitted. "I thought you would have gone to the biggest party in Bevelle."

"I was there this morning," Goku admitted. "But something came up, things happened, and I wound up here."

"Well tell us all about it," Gippal asked. "I'm sure you've got quite the story to tell."

"Perhaps he doesn't want to tell it," Nooj said, judging by Goku's lack of specifics. After telling off Gippal he turned back to Goku. "Please, whatever it is that brings you here, do not let us disturb you."

"It's fine," Goku said. "I'm just waiting around for something to show up."

That remark seemed to put Seymour at ease. "In that case, please feel free to make yourself at home in my estate. I'm sure my escort would enjoy giving you the tour of my home."

"I'm okay right here," Goku said. Right about then he sensed another familiar group of people to the south, travelling in the opposite direction of everyone else on that side of the settlement. "However, I don't suppose you mind making that offer to Yuna and her little band?"

If Seymour was surprised by that, he hid it well. "This soon? I thought she would take a break from her pilgrimage. This is supposed to be the Calm after all."

Paine shrugged. "Maybe she doesn't want to sit around doing nothing."

Seymour turned Crimson Squad and gave new orders. "See that Yuna and her guardians are properly welcomed. Give her the tour of the manor, if she is interested."

"You don't want to give it yourself?" Gippal questioned.

"I have matters to attend to," Seymour said. "I assure you, I am well familiar with the Farplane. I will not need your assistance in this matter. And I am sure you don't want to just stand around at the entrance doing nothing while you wait for me to return."

"True," Baralai admitted. "We will do as you ask."

"Good," Seymour said. "I should not be in there too long."

Seymour turned away and walked to the Farplane alone, leaving behind everyone else to watch him approach the barrier between this world and the next. He passed through the multicolored veil without any resistance, as if it wasn't even there at all. It had Goku wondering about how the barrier worked, specifically how it could tell who was living and who was dead, and let them pass or not accordingly. He didn't want to test any thoughts about it, for it had been difficult enough getting through the first time, and he had a feeling it would be harder to do so a second time.

Once Seymour was gone everyone else turned around and left this tunnel, save for Goku, who remained where he stood and gazed at the Farplane. He imagined the members of Crimson Squad meeting up with Yuna and her guardians, only to sense the two groups moving in different directions, one heading deeper into the settlement and the other heading his way. Sure enough it was Yuna and her guardians approaching, not bothering to stop anywhere else before coming here, having business to attend to here.

Yuna seemed to be the only one eager to be down here, and her mood brightened when she saw Goku standing there. Kimahri was indifferent as always, while Wakka and Lulu were hesitant but willing to follow Yuna all the way to the Farplane. At the back were Rikku and Tidus and Auron, the latter two outright stopping before the others did, with Rikku finding herself in the middle of a widening gap between them. She stopped as well, while the remaining four walked up to Goku, surprised to find him here of all places.

"I didn't think you would be down here," Yuna admitted.

"Well I only just got here," Goku said. "I don't know how long I'll be staying."

"Still, it's good to see you," Yuna said. "When we saw you fly off, I wasn't sure if we'd ever meet up."

"I have been busy," Goku said. "Seeing places, meeting people, fighting Sin, you know, the usual."

"Fighting Sin," Wakka specified. "It came back, so soon?"

"Don't be so dense," Lulu said. "We all felt the tremors. We knew it had to be Sin."

"And I destroyed it again," Goku said. "And again, and I'm sure I will have to do it again, and again."

That seemed to put Rikku at ease, enough for her to walk up to the others and closer to the barrier. "Does this mean we won't need the Final Aeon anymore?"

"Hopefully, once I figure out the right way to do this," Goku said. "I'm hoping to get it right the next time."

"When would next time be?" Wakka asked.

Goku shrugged. "Tomorrow maybe? Sin's been very eager to take me on."

A look of fear struck Yuna, and was quickly replaced by newfound urgency. "Good luck with your fight. We shouldn't be standing around here all day."

"Good luck to you too," Goku said.

Yuna walked past Goku and approached the barrier, Kimahri right behind her as she reached the threshold. She walked right through the barrier, like passing through thin air. Wakka and Lulu soon followed, right behind Kimahri as all three of them walked through. It seemed that the barrier had no sway over the living, letting them pass back and forth without any resistance. The remaining three of Yuna's guardians remained behind, each finding their own place to wait for the others to return from the Farplane.

Auron had intended to wait it out in silence, but changed his mind when he saw Goku about to pass by. "Thank you."

Stopping in his tracks, Goku turned to Auron. "For what?"

"For saving Jecht," Auron answered. "He had been trapped within Sin for ten years. Now he is free, and I'm sure he has found his way back to Braska."

"Oh," Goku said. He couldn't help but feel that he was missing something. "Jecht, Braska, those were your friends, weren't they?"

"The closest I ever had," Auron said. He looked at the barrier, beyond which those two souls resided, surely waiting for him to join them. "And yet I remain. My main purpose no longer exists. And the other doesn't seem necessary anymore."

Overhearing that part of the conversation, Rikku took a few quick steps over to them. "You mean guarding Yunie?"

Auron nodded. "If summoners are no longer needed, then what need is there for guardians?"

"You're thinking too far ahead," Tidus said. "Sin keeps coming back, and I doubt Goku is going to stick around forever. We might still need the Final Aeon, which needs a summoner, who needs guardians to protect her."

"Well I think Goku can put Sin down for good," Rikku said. She turned towards him, hoping that it was true. "Right?"

"I still have some more tricks up my sleeve," Goku promised. "Each time I fight Sin, the closer I get to finishing it off."

Auron was about to say something, but was interrupted by approaching footsteps. All four of them turned and saw Maester Seymour emerging from the Farplane, alone and not at all surprised to see the others waiting outside. Auron imagined the conversation he must have had with Yuna on the other side, something that she would not have been very comfortable with. Seymour seemed to be satisfied with what he had seen in the Farplane, as if there was some secret of the universe that he finally understood, actually smiling when he stopped and stood between Auron and Goku.

"Strange that you remained here, isn't it?" Seymour asked, looking at Auron in particular. "A guardian that does not follow his summoner wherever she goes, it is quite unusual. Shouldn't you be at her side at all times?"

"She is safer in there than anywhere else," Auron said. "And if you haven't noticed, we are living in strange times. The old norms may not have their place anymore."

"So it may seem," Seymour acknowledged. Only now did he seem to notice the two blonde teenagers nearby, wondering why Yuna bothered with those guardians when she had Auron around. "I can't remember the last time a summoner travelled with such a varied party. A boy from Zanarkand, an Al Bhed girl, childhood companions and the Legendary Guardian himself, who could have imagined it?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tidus demanded.

Seymour ignored that remark, turning his attention over to Goku. "And then there's you. At first, I didn't know what to think. But now I understand perfectly. You can drop the charade."

Goku blinked twice. "What in the world are you talking about?"

"Don't play naïve with me," Seymour said. "I've figured out who you really are."

Of all the accusations to send his way, this one never crossed Goku's mind. "Wait, what?"

Auron sighed and stood up straight, facing Seymour and taking a couple steps toward him. "I highly doubt that Goku is anyone other than he says he is."

"Are you really so easily fooled, Auron?" Seymour said. "Or are you guarding your own secret as well as his, given that you both reek of the Farplane?"

Tidus threw up both hands in complaint. "Could someone fill Rikku and I in on what's going on?"

Seymour turned toward Goku again, glaring into those deceptively innocent looking eyes. "Your clothes may have changed, you've hidden your scars, and you play a very convincing heroic type, but I know better. You can drop the act, Bardock."