Chapter 11: Shades of the Past

The body wasn't even cold yet when Tromell had it carried away.

How could he possibly stop to think about what had happened? Not only had the leader of the guado been struck down, the second to fall in as many years, but by those that sought to rid the world of Sin for a time? He could not even begin to listen to their excuses, the rage enough to make even his calm blood boil. The perpetrators had to be punished for their transgressions, and Tromell had ordered the guado to strike without hesitation. Though it was not his place to give orders to his people, they had eagerly complied in light of the tragedy.

Maester Seymour was dead.

Slain in the heart of the temple he presided over, by a summoner and her guardians, along with the two guado escorts Seymour had brought with him. The icy chamber was stained with their blood, shed in self-defense by Tromell's reckoning, despite the considerable power Seymour could bring to bear. When faced with the larger guado force Tromell had brought, the summoner and guardians had fled from the temple as fast as their legs could carry them. Even now they chased them across the icy waste that was the surface of Lake Macalania, where there would be no respite from the guados' wrath.

So long as the ice sheet of the frozen lake held up.

Goku hadn't been sure where they would reappear, but it certainly wasn't a place like this.

Emerging knee deep in cold water, they were standing in the shallow end of a large lake. Sparkling light to the east caught the eye, like a sunrise sparkling through thousands of little lenses. They saw a massive sheet of ice hanging overhead, frozen long ago when the lake was much bigger, and maintained by supernatural means unfamiliar to either of them. Bardock recognized the place as Lake Macalania, though he hadn't seen it from this far below the ice sheet. There was also a hole in the ice, and chunks of it were scattered around this spot, amongst other debris.

"Huh…" Bardock muttered. "Neat trick."

His voice carried a long way, gathering the attention of everyone nearby. A small group of people was there, and Goku recognized all five of them. Yuna was sleeping on a piece of debris, watched by Kimahri standing guard over her. Lulu and Wakka were standing off to the side, in the middle of a conversation that was interrupted by the arrivals. In the middle of them all was Auron, surprised to hear the voice of an old friend, and shocked to see two almost identical people standing there. Goku smiled and waved at everyone, while Bardock faced the only one he knew personally.

"It's been a long time," Bardock said. "Ten years, give or take, right Auron?"

Auron nodded. "You haven't changed at all."

"Whoa, hang on a minute," Wakka interrupted. "I think we all have a bunch of questions about this guy most of us don't know squat about."

"Guys, this is my dad," Goku answered. "Bardock, you know Auron, these are Wakka, Lulu, Kimahri, and there's Yuna over there. And um… hey how come Tidus and Rikku aren't with you guys?"

"Rikku wouldn't go through the Thunder Plains," Lulu answered. "Tidus volunteered to go with her to Bevelle ahead of us."

"Speaking of which, we should be going there as soon as possible," Auron said. "It's the next stop on the pilgrimage."

"After she sleeps," Kimahri insisted.

"Sure," Goku said. He looked around the lake again, having only one thing to ask. "How did you guys end up down here?"

No one wanted to talk about it, and the first one to work up the will to speak was Wakka. "We made a terrible mistake."

"He left us no choice," Lulu argued.

"It doesn't matter," Auron said. "What's done is done."

"What is done?" Goku asked.

"We killed a maester," Wakka answered, the thought of it still making him feel sick. "Right in the middle of the temple, and got caught in the act."

"Which maester," Goku asked.

"Seymour," Lulu answered. The memory of the incident was still fresh in her mind. "And the guado chased us out before Yuna could send him."

"They've probably sent word to Bevelle already," Wakka said. "We're going to be excommunicated for sure. We'll be wanted fugitives wherever we go."

"Not yet," Auron said. "At best, the guado have only reached Macalania Woods by now."

"That helps us how?" Wakka asked. "They'll beat us there by days."

Auron turned and looked at Goku. "Your 'disappear and reappear' trick. Can it take all of us anywhere you want?"

Goku nodded. "If someone is there that I recognize, I can take us all right to them."

"Tidus and Rikku should be near Bevelle by now," Lulu said. "Will that work?"

"Tidus no, Rikku yes," Goku said. He searched for Rikku's energy, quickly found it, and held out his hand. "Got it, we can leave when you're ready."

Kimahri crouched next to Yuna and gently shook her shoulder, taking care not to cause any accidental harm. "Yuna, wake up. It is time to go."

Yuna slowly woke up, was groggy at first, and she quickly noticed the extra company. "Okay, what did I miss?"

"We'll explain on the way," Wakka promised. He turned back toward Goku, now more curious than upset. "So how does this work?"

Goku put one hand to his forehead and offered the other to everyone. "Just hold on to me, or hold on to someone that is holding on to me."

Everyone took hold in one way or another, some grabbing Goku's hand, others holding onto each other. Once Goku was certain no one would be left behind he put his free hand up to his forehead, focusing on the energy he felt from Rikku. In an instant the entire group disappeared, and it reappeared in a different place. It was the grand high bridge leading into Bevelle, and people passing by were surprised to see a group appear out of thin air. Tidus was there and fell flat on his back, startled by the sudden appearance of the rest of their party.

"What the…" Tidus muttered. He got back on his feet. "How did you do that?"

"It was me," Goku said.

Rikku saw him and Bardock too, very curious about that. "Will someone tell us what is going on?"

"I would still like to know that," Yuna said.

"Walk and talk," Wakka said. He looked around the high bridge, expecting to see Yevon soldiers any minute. "We don't have a whole lot of time."

From here the group walked down the high bridge, heading into the city proper and toward the Temple of Yevon. They did get a lot of odd looks from the public, but all because of the two nearly identical men walking with them. There were Yevon soldiers among the populace, and they smiled and waved at the group passing by. That put Wakka and Lulu at ease, though they knew the friendly reception could change in an instant. But no one stopped them from reaching the temple, though they were slowed by people who wanted Goku's autograph.

Although Goku had been to the temple before, this time he got to see parts of it that he hadn't been to on his previous visits. There was a special and confusing passage into the lower levels, some kind of puzzle that needed to be solved to proceed. Moving floors, symbols made of light, small glowing spheres and slots to put them in, it just seemed far more elaborate than was needed for a summoner on pilgrimage. Yuna solved the puzzle and opened the door at the end, allowing everyone to enter the room that led to the Chamber of the Fayth.

However, Bardock noticed something when they entered. "We lost someone."

Yuna had been about to pass through the next door when she turned around, noticing that someone was missing. "Where did Tidus go?"

"He was just behind us," Wakka said. He walked back to the door they came through and looked outside, still not seeing Tidus anywhere he looked. "How did we lose him?"

"I think he wandered off," Lulu said.

"Where would he go?" Rikku asked.

"I don't know," Yuna said.

"He won't take long to find," Bardock said. He turned towards Goku and nodded. "Do your energy sensing thing."

"It doesn't work with him," Goku said. "I'm still not entirely sure why."

"Then we'll have to find him the old fashioned way," Auron said. He pointed at the people we wanted for the task. "Bardock, Rikku, you're with me."

Bardock shrugged. "I got nothing better to do."

Rikku was confused. "Why me?"

Auron didn't answer that, and he was already on his way out the door. Rikku was quick to follow, if only to not upset a man that could be terrifying when he wanted to be. Bardock followed at a slower pace, not really interested in this little endeavor. Everyone else stayed on this side of the door, each having one reason or another to leave Auron's group alone. Yuna continued on ahead alone, entering the Chamber of the Fayth to pray for another aeon. That left the four of them in the room, each standing in a different part of it, looking at each other.

Wakka groaned and slammed one fist on the wall behind him. "Why are we still doing this? What is even the point anymore?"

"You know why," Lulu said.

"I really don't," Wakka said. He waved an arm in Goku's direction. "I mean, the entire point of the pilgrimage is to defeat Sin, and he's been doing that over and over again. No one needs to do this anymore."

"Sin keeps coming back," Lulu said. She waved her arm in Goku's direction too. "Even he hasn't been able to destroy Sin permanently."

"Um… excuse me," Goku said, getting both of them to look at him. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"You stay out of it," Wakka snapped. He turned back to Lulu. "The pilgrimage is pointless. There's no reason to keep doing this. But Yuna still insists she goes through with it. Why?"

"She feels she has to," Lulu answered. "That's really all that matters."

Goku stretched his arms and waved to them. "Well if that's the case, I really have no reason to stick around here. See ya."

He put his fingers to his forehead and disappeared.

Startled by the sudden departure, Wakka was left wondering if anyone could do that trick. After staring into empty space for a few seconds, he turned back to Lulu again. "Do you think he teaches that?"

"Probably not," Lulu figured.

Meanwhile Auron, Bardock, and Rikku had made their way back through the Cloister of Trials, having an easier time going backwards instead of forwards. On the other side they backtracked through the temple, trying to figure out the last place any of them had seen Tidus. It wasn't far from where the Cloister of Trials began, and there was a hallway adjacent to the one they had gone through earlier. While the adjacent hallway looked like it did not see much use, there was a fresh set of tracks on the dusty floor.

So they followed that hallway and the tracks within, which brought them to a locked door. However, the lock was familiar to Rikku. "What's this doing here?"

Bardock took a look at the lock. "It's a keypad. Why wouldn't it be here?"

"It's a machina lock," Rikku explained. "Yevonites don't use machina."

"Can you open it?" Auron asked.

"Someone did that already," Rikku said. She pointed at the keypad, which had been disassembled and hastily put back together, though the pieces were still loose. "Whoever got here first took the lock apart to get the door open. Looks like they tried to put reassembled it poorly, like from being in a hurry."

"Should be easy for you to break then," Bardock said.

Rikku only needed to take the keypad apart to figure out how to unlock the door. "Ta Da! In we go."

On the other side the hallway was dark and unkempt, with a thin layer of dust covering every surface. Fresh footprints in the dust confirmed that someone just passed through here, and they were a match for Tidus's shoes. The footprints led far down the hallway, which had none of the usual Yevon trappings on the walls, a sign that this place predated the temple. The hallway had a downward incline, leading below the rest of the temple and into an older structure. There was another door at the end of the hallway, which Rikku opened just as easily, and even she stopped to stare at what was on the other side.

A vast chamber awaited them, its full size concealed by the dim light and extensive shadows. A ring shaped platform spanned the outer edges of the chamber, with several paths leading to several different exits. Inside the ring was a central column, holding up several metal cages, which were moving around on massive gears and other mechanisms. The mechanisms moving the cages seemed to have been activated recently, judging by the sheer amount of dust floating in the air. The moving dust erased the tracks on the floor, but they were no longer necessary.

Tidus was standing on the ring platform, facing the central column, staring at one metal cage in particular. "It's exactly as it was…"

He didn't seem surprised when the others approached, and Auron stopped right behind him. "Why did you come down here?"

Tidus didn't answer that, didn't even glance back at Auron. He just stood there and stared at the cage, lost in a memory from a long time ago, still as fresh as the day it happened. "They didn't even clean it."

"Wait, have you been here before?" Rikku asked, more than a little confused. "I thought this was your first time in Bevelle."

"It is," Auron said. He stepped forward to stand beside Tidus, his gaze narrowing as he looked into Tidu's eyes. "What is going on here?"

This time Tidus looked back at Auron, finally brought back to the present day. "This is none of your business."

"I think it is," Auron said. "There's no reason for you to be down here."

"Oh there is…" Tidus muttered. "It better still be here."

He turned and walked away from Auron, heading for one of the other exits from this place. Auron followed, curious about what Tidus was after, and concerned about this strange change in behavior. Rikku was just plain curious, wondering where all this machina down here came from, and what else was hiding underneath Yevon's holy city. Bardock followed out of boredom, having nowhere else to be, and just wanted to stay near Auron. Through the exit was another hallway, leading deeper into the underground, where few dared to tread in the modern age.

Yet Tidus seemed to know where he was going, as if he had been down here before. Auron and Rikku kept track of all the twists and turns they took, making sure that they could still find their way back to the surface. The further they went the more ancient their surroundings looked, built centuries ago if not a millennia or more. Eventually they reached a chamber even larger than the last, with an entrance that was deceptively small. The chamber itself was spherical shaped, with a narrow path leading to a platform in the center, with a view of Bevelle's greatest secret.

A massive machine filled up the far half the chamber, so large that a human being was only the size of a mouse by comparison. The eye was drawn to a massive skull-like face in the middle, like it was deliberately designed to be a monstrous machine. Six massive legs and a tail were curled around a massive torso, all with thick hull plating protecting the mechanisms within. It was like an insect wrapped up in a cocoon, waiting for its time to awaken and spread its wings. This massive machine was clearly a weapon, the kind that hadn't brought its wrath upon Spira in a thousand years.

Tidus was standing in front of the machine, gazing upon its face like it was an old friend. "All this time, and you're still here. Just like me."

"Explain," Auron demanded. "Now."

"You wouldn't understand," Tidus said. "No one would understand."

"Try us," Bardock dared. He passed by a quaking Rikku, and then passed Auron's ever calm composure. "I've been through quite a lot."

"Don't get too close," Rikku warned, forgetting for the moment who she was trying to warn. "That's the biggest machina I've ever seen. It's bound to be very dangerous."

"Vegnagun is," Tidus said, turning around and looking Rikku in the eye. "The greatest weapon Spira has ever known, and it just sits here gathering dust. It isn't right. I am going to make it right."

In that instant, Bardock moved in front of Tidus, blocking his way. "I don't think so."

"Get out of my way," Tidus said. He tried to walk around him, only for Bardock to grab his arm and hold it tight, and no amount of struggling could get him free. "Let go."

Bardock looked at Auron. "Now, I don't know this kid at all. But I am pretty sure something is wrong with him."

"There is," Auron agreed. He grabbed Tidus's other arm and turned him around to look him in the eye. "Tidus wouldn't know this place exists, or what is down here. There is no way he could have learned about it in his short time in Spira. So tell us, how do you know?"

Pyreflies erupted from Tidus's body, so sudden that both Bardock and Auron let go of him. The pyreflies clustered around Tidus, and in their glow he looked a few years older. "I know because this is where I died."

Rikku was staring at him, not sure of what she was seeing. "Is he… Unsent?"

"Yes, and no," Tidus said, his voice echoing with that of another that was almost the same. "This body is alive, but I died long ago."

"He's possessed," Bardock surmised.

Tidus laughed. "Of course, not for much longer."

The pyreflies around him intensified again, and in a large cluster they left Tidus's body. They went straight for Bardock, who raised his arm to block, only for the pyreflies to enter his body. Tidus fell to his hands and knees, breathing heavily and looking like he was going to pass out. Bardock felt the pyreflies inside of himself, and a strange presence appeared within his mind. It was like someone else was trying to take control of his body, to use his strength for its own purposes, something that Bardock could not allow.

In a bright flash he transformed into a Super Saiyan, yelling louder than ever and his aura surged bright. "This is my body! There is no room for you!"

Meanwhile Tidus was beginning to recover, Rikku helping him up, and he looked at Bardock with sheer horror. "You've got to stop him! That thing inside of him wants to kill us all!"

The pyreflies reappeared around Bardock, mixed with the golden aura, distorting its colors into dark and twisted shades. Bit by bit the cluster of pyreflies were pushed out of his flesh, and one by one pyreflies were flung away from the cluster. Bardock's aura grew bigger and brighter, colors mixed with the pyreflies in a warped rainbow, until a core of yellow returned around his body. Now pushed out of him the pyrefly cluster was stretched apart, pushed to the edge of his aura, struggling to stay together in the torrent of raw power.

"Get Out!" Bardock yelled.

In that moment the pyrefly cluster was torn apart, the pieces split into their individual pieces, and flung away in every direction. Bardock's aura was restored to its golden purity, rid of the pyreflies that had corrupted it, and the presence in his mind gone with them. He relaxed and his aura shrank to its normal size, his power dropping to a stable level. Once he was certain his power wasn't needed anymore Bardock reverted to his normal form, mentally exhausted from the experience, but perfectly fine physically.

Now calm and curious, Bardock looked at the others. "Would someone please tell me what that thing was?"

All eyes were on Tidus, who was on shaky footing and looking like he might collapse. "I would call it a ghost. But that doesn't really cover all of it."

"It wasn't like normal Unsent," Auron said, knowing from experience. "They don't possess people, but keep their own body after death."

Tidus nodded, and then looked away in silence.

That had Rikku even more concerned. "It was even worse than that, isn't it?"

"Yeah…" Tidus muttered. He struggled to put it to words, unsure of how to describe the experience. "It's like… he was me, but more than me. He filled in holes I didn't even know were there, as if I were asleep and finally shown the waking world. But I don't know why."

"That's alright," Auron said. He put one hand on Tidus's shoulder, trying to emulate a concerned parent. "You don't have to explain it."

Rikku nodded, and she changed the subject to the enormous machina nearby. "What are we going to do about that thing?"

"Leave it be," Bardock suggested. "Some things are better left forgotten."

When Goku reappeared in another part of the temple, he was glad only one other person was there.

"Tell me about Yu Yevon."

In this small room was Grand Maester Mika, who simply turned around to face Goku. "I suspect you know more about him now than anyone has before."

"Not enough," Goku said. "I even met the guy, and I still have more questions than answers."

"You met Yu Yevon?" Mika asked, amazed that it was even possible. "How?"

"I got pulled inside of Sin," Goku answered. "Yu Yevon was in there, and he spoke to me."

"Incredible," Mika muttered, wondering what that experience must have been like. "To think, that after a thousand years, his mind still exists inside of Sin."

"Surely you know more about him," Goku said. "You seem like the kind of person that would know."

"All I know is the ancient myths and legends about him," Mika said. "While they may have seeds of truth in them, a thousand years is a long time to grow an elaborate fiction."

"Anything would help," Goku said.

Mika sighed and closed his eyes, thinking about all the tales told of Yu Yevon in the highest levels of the Yevon religion. "They say he dreams the everlasting dream. He is a summoner that summons without end. And the memory of Zanarkand lasts forever, never forgotten, until the end of Sin."

"That's not very helpful," Goku said.

"It is difficult to learn about someone that exists in the core of Sin," Mika said. "Most people never question Sin, few ever bother to learn anything about it. It is simply the way of things in Spira."

Goku wanted to question more, but he sensed the energy of someone approaching, and he turned in time to see a door open. "Do you mind? We're having a conversation."

A priest was entering the room, apologetic but still insisting on coming in. "Sorry, excuse me, it's urgent. Grand Maester, there is grave news from Macalania Temple."

"Report," Mika ordered.

"Maester Seymour had been killed," the priest reported. "Lady Yuna and her guardians killed him."

"Are you sure about that?" Goku asked. Although he remembered being told that it happened, he feigned ignorance for Yuna's sake. "When did it happen?"

"Yesterday," the priest reported. "The fastest couriers only just arrived here."

"Well then something has to be wrong," Goku said. He paused when he sensed a large power spike, wondered what Bardock was doing underground, and ignored it for now. "Yuna's been in the city since this morning. Pretty sure she couldn't have beaten your fastest men here."

The look Mika gave spoke volumes. "Not unless she knew someone that can vanish and reappear elsewhere in the blink of an eye."

Goku made a weak laugh and put one hand behind his head. "Well… when you put it that way…"

Mika saw Goku put fingers to his forehead and disappear, gone to wherever he felt like going. Mika turned to the priest, who was shocked by what he saw. "Send word to everyone. Lady Yuna and her guardians are to be apprehended immediately. Use force if necessary, but not if Goku is with them."

Reappearing deeper into the temple, Goku returned to the chamber that he had left only a short while ago. Wakka and Lulu were still there, though they had stopped arguing and were standing in silence until Goku reappeared. Kimahri was standing at the door to the Chamber of the Fayth, helping an exhausted Yuna recover after obtaining a new aeon. They were all surprised to see Goku return so soon, wondering what he wanted with them this time. The concern on his face was apparent, though he was still calm about whatever was going on.

"What happened?" Lulu asked.

"You've got to leave," Goku warned. He turned toward Wakka. "That thing you were worried about. Well the news caught up. They're looking for you guys now."

"I knew it," Wakka complained. He threw his hands up in the air. "It's over. We'll be excommunicated for sure, probably executed too."

"I can get you guys out of here," Goku offered. "Give you a head start far away from here."

"Can you bring us to Zanarkand?" Yuna asked. "I think I'm ready to end my pilgrimage."

"Won't they expect to look for you there?" Goku asked.

"Yevon's troops don't go beyond Gagazet," Lulu said. "Zanarkand is beyond their reach."

"It's also inhospitable ruins, or so they say," Wakka added. He spotted a slight nod from Goku, confirming that expectation of his. "We won't be able to live there for very long."

"Where would you have us go instead?" Lulu asked.

Wakka didn't have a good answer. "I don't know."

"Maybe they know a good spot," Goku proposed, pointing at the door. "You should ask them."

The door leading out was opened from the other side, and Auron's little group returned with Tidus in between Bardock and Rikku. Auron noticed the worrisome mood, being very obvious to him. "What's going on?"

"We've been found out," Wakka answered.

"I see," Auron said. He turned towards Goku. "I presume you will get us out of here."

"Just need to know where to go," Goku said. "So, any suggestions?"

Rikku raised her hand. "We could go to Home. Yevonites don't know where it is. They won't find us there."

"What are you talking about?" Wakka asked.

Remembering the kind of person Wakka was, Rikku hesitated to answer him. "Well… it's where the Al Bhed live. It's a city built from salvaged machina, filled with people living in peace. It's the perfect place to hide from Yevon."

Wakka crossed his arms. "And you know this-"

"It'll do," Bardock interrupted. "Can you get us there?"

"I don't know where it is," Goku admitted. "If you go there ahead of us, I can lock on to you and get everyone there."

"That'll work," Bardock said. He heard rushed footsteps from outside the chamber, and he pointed it out for the others. "But first we should just get out of here. They're about to arrive."

"Okay, everyone together now," Goku said. He held out one hand, everyone else took hold of either his hand or someone else's, and Goku put two fingers to his forehead. "Here we go."

Approaching Yevon soldiers got there just in time to spot them all there, only to watch them disappear in the next second.

In one of the inner sanctums of the Temple of Yevon, Grand Maester Mika was waiting for a particular guest. He sat in his comfy chair and reviewed the latest reports from the guado, reviewing the circumstances of their leader's demise. It was disappointing to learn that Lady Yuna was responsible, he had such high hopes for her, but would have to put his plans for her aside. Even a man of his position had to enforce the Yevon Doctrine, and there was no bending of the rules that could avoid the required excommunication of a rogue summoner.

Mika heard the door open, then footsteps, and he looked up to see his guest entering the room. "I see it did not take you very long to get back on your feet, Seymour."

Appearing as if nothing had happened to him, Maester Seymour walked into the room and closed the door behind him. "I'm sure you have plenty of experience in such matters."

"Of course," Mika said, admitting that he too was Unsent. "Still, walking off death is not a trivial thing, and to do it so quickly, it's like to were ready for it."

"As ready as anyone could be," Seymour said. He smirked and crossed his arms, looking Mika in the eye. "I do have a special connection to the Farplane."

"It is good to have you back," Mika said. He tossed the report to Seymour, who caught it in one hand. "Is this an accurate telling of your apparent demise?"

Seymour skimmed through the report, paused in a few places, and tossed it on the table when he was done. "It is accurate enough. Tromell can be a bit melodramatic at times, but he got the gist of it."

"I see," Mika said, a little disappointed in the honest confirmation. "Such a shame, I really liked Yuna."

"As did I," Seymour said. He had long entertained the thought of a political marriage, but in light of the current situation that idea was no longer practical. "Lady Yuna is a minor concern now. We need to focus our efforts on Goku. Controlling him must be our highest priority."

"That may be even harder than any of us ever thought," Mika said. "It seems that he can simply disappear and reappear anywhere he wishes, and he can take others with him. He did just that with Yuna and her guardians, it's like they vanished without a trace."

Seymour was surprised by that bit of news. "Where would they go?"

It was a pleasant day at Djose Temple.

Survivors of Operation Mi'ihen had taken shelter there, waiting for their wounds to heal before moving on, and paying their respects for the dead in the meantime. Although news had come and gone about Sin's repeated resurrections, the people here were not frightened by it. They could rest assured that Sin would be destroyed again and again, as many times as needed to make death stick. In small groups the survivors left the temple to return to their homes elsewhere in Spira, their faith stronger than ever, but not in the order of Yevon.

That faith was reinforced today, for Commander Lucil at least, thanks to the appearance of a miracle.

She saw a group of people appear before her, as if conjured out of thin air in the blink of an eye. Most of them she recognized on sight, from Lady Yuna to her guardians to the Super Crusader himself. She didn't know the man that resembled Goku, nor did she get the chance to meet him. That man leapt into the air and took off into the sky, flying far to the west and over the horizon. All eyes were on that man flying away, until they could no longer see him anymore. After that everyone looked at Goku again, wondering why he had decided to come here.

Lucil was the first to approach the group, leaving Elma and Clasko behind, and her eyes met Goku's. "What brings you back here?"

"Oh, just passing through," Goku answered. He sensed Bardock flight across Spira, waiting for him to reach the place they were going to go next. "So how are things going on here?"

"Pretty good, all things considered," Lucil answered. She looked at the others around him, the summoner and her guardians. "Are you guarding Lady Yuna now?"

"Nope," Goku said. "I'm just helping her out right now."

"And I appreciate it," Yuna said. She was still wrapping her head around moving so quickly, being back here in an instant when it had taken days of travel the normal way. "How is everyone doing?"

"Fine, all things considered," Lucil said. She gestured to the crowd gathering in front of the temple, all wanting to just see Goku and company. "Everyone is on the road to recovery, thanks to you, Goku."

"Don't mention it," Goku said.

Elma finally worked up the will to walk over, putting her hands together while trying to make eye contact with Goku. "So where are you heading next? And can we go with you guys?"

"We're going Home," Rikku said. "Well, my home anyway. I don't think some of these guys aren't going to be happy with it though."

"It would be best to minimize our entourage," Auron said. "We will be dropping in on them unannounced. You don't want to be a part of it."

"Want my spot?" Wakka said. He saw all the strange looks coming his way, though he didn't mind them at all. "I really don't want to go there."

Auron walked over to Wakka, stood in front of him, and looked Wakka in the eye. "Where else would you go?"

Going to his home came to mind, but Wakka knew he couldn't go back to Besaid alone. "Fine."

Tidus sighed and took a look around, hard to see through the crowd. "It's strange to be back here again. It feels like it's been forever."

"We're not staying long," Auron said. He looked at Goku. "Has Bardock reached Home yet?"

"He's still moving," Goku answered. "Wait, no, he's slowing down… and okay, he's stopped."

"Okay, let's get going," Rikku said.

Goku held out his hand again, Yuna and her guardians took hold, and the group vanished.

Lucil had trouble believing her eyes, seeing them all gone as quickly as they had arrived. "Well that was brief…"

"At least we got to see him again," Elma said. She sighed, looked up at the sky, and smiled like some vain schoolgirl. "I wasn't expecting him to be back so soon."

Behind them both, Clasko finally approached his fellow Chocobo Knights. "Shame he couldn't stick around longer. Where were they going again?"

"Whatever this 'Home' thing is," Lucil said. "Wherever that is…"

Home may not have been his home, but it still felt good for Bardock to see it again.

In the middle of a desert in the middle of an island in the middle of an ocean, this city was as isolated as any place could possibly be. Home was a city built from materials salvaged from earlier civilizations, filled with machina forbidden in the outside world. Bardock had landed on the roof of the tallest building in the city, with the best view of the misshapen urban landscape below. Beyond the buildings was the expansive desert, and beyond that and over the horizon was the sea, a seemingly insurmountable distance in the common perception.

It meant absolutely nothing to someone that can teleport.

Not even a minute after Bardock had arrived, everyone else appeared next to him. Bardock got to see several surprised looks among them, along with one incredibly bright smile. Rikku was the only one to recognize this place, and she was overjoyed to finally return Home. Everyone else was staring at the makeshift city before them, most having no idea such a place could actually exist, let alone be standing in it right now. Wakka in particular looked ready to explode, seeing the place as an affront to Yevon, even if Yevon had turned against him.

"What kind of place is this?" Wakka demanded.

"It's Home," Rikku said. "As long as Yevon is after you, you'll be safe here."

By then the Al Bhed were responding to Bardock's arrival, and a woman was the first to reach this rooftop, coming out through a door up here. She wasn't expecting a small crowd. "Ur So…"

Goku blinked twice. "What?"

Fortunately Rikku had understood the woman, and didn't need to translate at the moment. She said a few words to the woman in Al Bhed, she understood and went back inside the building. Rikku sent the woman ahead to deliver word of their arrival, and then she led the others through the building to head into the city proper. After a short trip down some stairs they walked out of the building, entering the crowded streets of Home to walk among the Al Bhed populace. The people parted to let the group pass, allowing them to walk a little bit faster toward the center of Home.

It was very surreal to Wakka, having never known that a place like this existed, let along be walking through it right now. He got to see far more Al Bhed than ever before, and here they just seemed like ordinary people going about their daily lives. He kept his mouth shut and walked close beside Lulu and Yuna, staying near the people he knew better than most. Now aware of Rikku's true nature as an Al Bhed, he tried to stay behind her, where he could keep an eye on her. It seemed like he didn't know anything anymore, like everything he had known was a lie.

"Is anyone else super uncomfortable right now?" Wakka asked.

"Just you," Lulu answered. She walked a little bit faster to get beside Rikku. "I take it you know your way around this place?"

"Of course," Rikku said. She saw a familiar building up ahead, and she quickened her pace a bit. "In fact, we're where we need to be."

That building was the headquarters of the Al Bhed government, which would be full of people on a typical day. Today those people had come out to the street in front of the building, all wanting to see the strange group of people that had come unannounced. Though every part of Home was represented by these people, the real political power was wielded by one individual. That man was coming out of the building now, his bald head and very short beard standing out, wearing yellow clothes that were formal yet practical.

Rikku knew him very well. "Hi Dad."

"Back already," the Al Bhed leader said. He then looked over everyone with Rikku, and he was pleasantly surprised. "Well, color me impressed. Never would have thought you would gather up a group like this."

"Cid," Bardock said, looking him in the eye. "It's been a long time."

"That it has," Cid said. "I had the impression you weren't coming back."

"They needed a place to stay," Bardock said, slightly turning toward everyone else.

Cid's gaze settled on Goku, noticing the similarity instantly. "I take it you two are related."

"He's my dad," Goku said. "So how about it? Are you going to let Yuna and everyone stay here?"

"Yuna?" Cid questioned. His gaze moved to the young summoner, finally connecting her appearance with the descriptions of Lord Braska's daughter. "Yes, of course, any summoner is welcome in Home."

"Thank you," Yuna said.

Cid turned back towards Bardock and Goku, silently appreciating the scars to tell the two faces apart. "Is that all? Are you planning on staying here for a while with Yuna?"

"Probably not," Goku said. He didn't notice the disappointment Yuna and a few others shared. "We're overdue for another resurrection of Sin. I'd rather not be here when it happens."

While that remark had people worried, Bardock wasn't concerned in the slightest. "You'll just destroy it again."

"I'm not doubting that," Goku said. "Thing is, it's been using the souls of my enemies to recreate itself. At this point I'm expecting it to use C-"

The way he trailed off was becoming familiar to Bardock. "Sin's back, isn't he?"

"Yes it is," Goku answered. He held out a hand toward Bardock. "Care to come along?"

"Of course," Bardock said. He eagerly grabbed Goku's hand, waiting for the teleport straight into battle. "I wouldn't miss a good fight for anything."

Goku put his fingers to his forehead, and then he looked at Auron. "Hold down the fort for us."

Everyone saw them disappear, gone as if they hadn't been here at all."

Above the open ocean, in the middle of a clear blue sky, Goku and Bardock reappeared. Goku had locked on to the energy of Sin and teleported far in front of it, giving them a few short moments before Sin would reach them. Bardock looked around to get his bearings, figured out where they were, and saw a black speck on the horizon. Both him and Goku faced the eastern horizon and the approaching Sin, the latter sensing far more energy than the creature had ever produced before. The promising fight had both Saiyans' blood pumping, in a way that both could enjoyed a little too much.

Twin flashes of light accompanied twin transformations, both turning into Super Saiyans. Bardock took a second to look at Goku, appreciating the chance to see the transformation from the outside. "You look good transformed. Your power must be enormous."

"Oh this is nothing," Goku said. He clenched his fists and held them apart. "Check this out."

His golden aura intensified, summoning an intense gale with it, and Goku's power rose dramatically. He yelled while powering up, and slowly brought his fists close to his chest, aura condensing into a brighter golden glow closer to his body. Goku's hair grew the slightest bit longer, became a slightly darker shade of gold, and spiked upward slightly more than usual. A second glow appeared within Goku's flesh, pulsing in a steady rhythm, matching his heartbeat. Then he relaxed a bit and let his fists drop, basking in the glow of his own power.

Bardock had drifted back from the display, gawking at the power he saw with his own eyes. "That's… that's a level beyond Super Saiyan, isn't it?"

"Yes it is," Goku answered. "One of many in fact, though most have some drawback."

There was no more time to elaborate, for Sin was nearly upon them. The black speck had grown to an enormous black light, darkening the land and sky for miles around. Yet they could not see Sin itself, for it was shrouded in darkness that could not be penetrated. The shroud was bigger than a city, and it stopped in front of Goku and Bardock, tempting them to dispel the darkness with their golden light. Then the darkness shrank at a drastic rate, becoming much smaller than Sin had ever been before, turning into a black aura thrice as large as Goku's aura.

The new form of Sin was revealed in the black aura, and it was only slightly larger than Goku. It's lithe form resembled a lizard standing on its hind legs, the front legs restructured into arms and the head placed like that of a human's. Black scales were small this time and densely packed together, like a suit of chainmail armor embedded in its skin. Sharp teeth were revealed in a wicked grin, and a sinister growl came out of dark lips. Clawed hands clenched into fists, spread apart from each other, ready to strike.

"Done with giant forms I see," Bardock said.

"Good," Goku said. He was already getting into a fighting stance, staring into the dark eyes of Sin. "This will be a lot more fun."

Sin roared, widened its stance, and its black aura intensified. Goku lunched forward, Sin did the same, and they clashed in the middle, black and golden auras mixing in midair. Fists flung back and forth, striking arms held to block, neither landing a direct hit on face or torso. They moved far father than the human eye could see, and even Bardock's eyes could barely keep up with the melee mayhem. To him it was a flurry of motion that blurred together, gold and black blending into each other, moving on a level far beyond his own.

"Incredible," Bardock muttered.

Goku landed a punch on Sin's face, knocking the monster back. Sin's foot came up and kicked Goku's jaw, knocking him back as well. The end of Sin's tail wrapped around Goku's ankle, yanked him back, and Sin punched him in the gut. Goku slammed his head into Sin's, then punched the face, and slammed his other elbow into Sin's tail, making it let go. He grabbed the tail and yanked on it, swung Sin around a few times, and then threw it away. Goku flew so fast he appeared to vanish, reappeared in front of Sin, and smashed both fists into Sin's head.

After a brief tumble Sin recovered, and it flew back to Goku even faster to punch him in the face. He countered with an energy blast to the face, though the small attack didn't damage anything. It did blind Sin for a moment, long enough for Goku to land several face punches. He slammed his elbow into Sin's gut, kicked its right side, then grabbed Sin's tail again and yanked it back in, and punched Sin's face again. Now there was a crack in the side of it, with a small trickle of black blood, which Sin wiped away with a clawed hand.

Sin scowled, clenched its fists, and the black aura intensified. It unleashed a massive explosion, creating shockwaves in all directions, pushing Goku away to tumble in the air. Sin then held both hands forward, a large black sphere of energy appeared there, and fired a massive black beam at Goku. He saw it coming and braced himself, arms crossed when the beam hit, blocking with the strength of his golden aura. Goku emerged from the top of the beam, flew around to the point of origin, and kicked both feet into Sin's head.

The beam stopped firing, Sin fell away, and Goku pursued at high speed. He swung a leg and kicked Sin's torso, launching him away only to pursue again. Sin spun around, recovered, and shot back the other way, punching Goku in the gut. Sin's hand then opened, fired a black energy blast at point blank range, blasting Goku away. He recovered and flew back to Sin, punched its face, and landed a flurry of punches on Sin's torso and gut. Sin countered with a kick, knocked Goku away, and put both hands together to charge an energy attack.

Sin fired a large black energy beam, Goku braced to block, only to see the beam split into dozens of smaller beams, which curved around to strike from every side. The smaller beams pummeled Goku everywhere, created a shroud of dark smoke around him, concealing him from view. The smoke settled and revealed Goku, clothes ruffled and skin bruised in places, golden aura dimmer than before. Sin disappeared, moved faster than the eye could see, and got behind Goku. Then Sin grabbed Goku from behind, right arm around his torso, left arm around his throat, and tail around his legs.

Only Goku's left arm remained free, and he slammed his elbow into Sin's gut over and over. It did little to stop Sin from strangling him, the right arm tightening around Goku's throat. There was a low grumble coming from Sin, pleasure taken in strangling its foe to death. Goku's vision faded around the edges, he struggled to breathe through the strangling, his lungs feeling like they were on fire. It became difficult to stay focused, and Goku's power started to slip away, his golden aura dimming bit by precious bit.

That was when Bardock intervened.

He slammed into Sin's head feet first, putting all of his power into the attack. The blow knocked Sin away, breaking the grip it had on Goku, and Sin fell away from both of them. Bardock chased after Sin, charged a blue energy sphere in his hand along the way, and he threw it at Sin at point blank range. The sphere impacted Sin's face and exploded, the blast filling the air and sending shockwaves to every horizon, and left a long crack in Sin's scaly skin right between the eyes. Bardock flew in a delivered a spinning kick to Sin's head, needing all his strength to knock Sin to the right.

Then Goku flew in, punched with all his might, and struck the crack in Sin's face. His fist broke through the scales and punctured the face, and Goku's fist was buried inside of Sin's head. Black blood oozed out of the wound, while the rest of Sin's body froze in place. Goku opened his hand and unleashed his power, detonating a massive energy blast inside of Sin's head, obliterating it entirely. The headless body of Sin fell down to Spira, pyreflies flowing freely from the stump of a neck, and Sin's energy plummeted even faster than the body.

Sin's body shattered into black dust, releasing thousands of pyreflies into the air. They rose upward in a large cluster, quickly reached Goku and Bardock's altitude, and then began to disperse. In the resulting multicolored veil of pyreflies an image appeared, that of a tyrant who had ruled over the Saiyan race and so many others. It was the true form of Frieza, one that Bardock had never seen, the only one that Goku had ever known. There was just enough time for Frieza to scowl at them, before the image disappeared with the pyreflies.

"Where is it?" Goku muttered, eyes searching through the pyreflies as they vanished into thin air. "There!"

The black pyrefly had appeared and was hovering in the air, still at the lower altitude where Sin had disintegrated. Its outer edge was more transparent than usual, permitting an obscured view of Yu Yevon inside. The silhouette looked almost human, having lost nearly all of the insect proportions it once had. The one exception was the right wing, but it was longer than before and almost resembled the wing of a bird. Long hair flowed past the wing and down to the waist, flowing from side to side as if by the wind.

Bardock was already flying straight down, hand forward and charging an energy blast. "Don't let it get away!"

Goku flew down as well, easily overtaking Bardock and closing in on the black pyrefly. "I got it!"

The black pyrefly flew to the west, but Goku changed course and got ahead of it, prompting the black pyrefly to swerve in another direction. The delay allowed Bardock to close in and fire his energy blast, striking the blast pyrefly and exploding. The black pyrefly emerged and flew southwest, but Goku intercepted again and fired his own energy blast at it. This explosion was bigger than the one before, and the black pyrefly plummeted toward the ground. Both Super Saiyans followed at high speed, chasing the black pyrefly all the way to land.

They had nearly caught they black pyrefly, only to see it vanish into the dirt.

Too close to stop in time, Goku crashed into the ground and made a narrow but deep crater. Bardock was still high enough to stop before impact, and he got see Goku dig himself out of the dirt. Goku leapt up into the air, got to Bardock's altitude, and unleashed a barrage of energy attacks onto the ground. The assault erased the narrow crater and made a bigger one in its place, yet did not destroy anything but dirt and stone. Bardock did not see anything emerge from the destruction, and it was clear that Yu Yevon had escaped yet again.

"How does he keep doing this?" Bardock demanded. He slowly descended toward the crater, watching Goku do the same. "It should be easy for you to destroy him. You're far more powerful than he is."

"He keeps getting stronger," Goku said. He touched down at the edge of the crater, and he heard Bardock land behind him. "He also does a lot of things we don't. He always finds some new way to surprise me."

"It's really frustrating," Bardock said. He relaxed and reverted to his normal state, and remembered what he saw in the pyreflies. "Was that really Frieza back there? I heard he could transform, but I never saw that form of him before."

"Yeah, that was him," Goku confirmed. He reverted to normal form as well, worn out from the fight but otherwise fine. "Wait, he could transform?"

"You didn't know?" Bardock asked.

"I only ever saw the one form," Goku answered. He thought back to when he first fought Frieza, remembering the periodic increases in power he had sensed beforehand. "It explains a lot."

"We can talk about it on the way back," Bardock said.

"Sure," Goku muttered, still thinking about old times. He took off with Bardock and started flying toward Home, and he realized something strange. "It's weird that Yu Yevon used Frieza this time."

"Why is that?" Bardock asked.

"He's been going after people I've fought and turning their souls into Sin," Goku said. "And he's been using them in the order they died."

"So you killed Frieza after most of the Ginyu Force," Bardock surmised, something he realized he should have assumed a while ago. "Nothing wrong there."

"I didn't kill any of them, but that's beside the point," Goku said. He remembered something else entirely, between the fights on Namek and his return to Earth eight years ago. "I fought someone else in the meantime, before Frieza died. I was expecting Yu Yevon to use that soul before Frieza's."

"Maybe Yu Yevon skipped to the stronger soul?" Bardock guessed.

"I don't know," Goku said, not liking the thoughts coming to mind. "Unless… he found a way to cheat death…"