Chapter 14: Limit Break Overdrive

Floating in the sky above the collapsed city of Guadosalam, Goku and Bardock stared down the latest incarnation of their enemy. But this was no Sin, unless the very nature of the monster had changed. This was a man, albeit with a single black wing, with a face that looked human enough. The long sword he held looked like it could cut through anything, and that would surely be put to the test very soon. Goku was certain he knew who this man was, having seen a corrupted version inside of Sin, now restored to his true form, now more powerful than ever.

Yu Yevon stared back, his free hand clenching into a fist, knuckles popping in anticipation of battle. A black aura appeared around him, pulsing with raw power, channeling the essence of a thousand years of death. Red lightning crackled within the black aura, seemingly a mockery of the form Goku and Bardock used. Long silver hair was fluttering in the aura and the wind, and that one wing beat very slowly, as if for cosmetic effect. Raw energy pulsed through the blade of the sword, acquiring an aura of its own, making such a weapon even deadlier.

His gaze met Goku's, and Yu Yevon's eyes narrowed. "Die."

He flew forward in the blink of an eye, sword swinging even faster, aimed for the throat to take Goku's head off. Goku raised an arm, glowing with power he channeled into it, blocking the blade just in time. Clashing aura's produced a bright flash, and a trickle of blood flowed down the blade's edge. Yu Yevon swung the sword many more times, Goku blocked with both arms charged with power, and dozens of cuts were scored into his skin. It took all of his focus to keep up with the swinging sword, lest he succumb to death by a thousand cuts.

Then Bardock flew in at high speed, slammed both feet into the side of Yu Yevon's head, the blow launching him clear across the horizon. "Okay, what the hell are we dealing with now?"

"I believe," Goku said. He winced and cradled his arms, trying to stop the bleeding with his hands. "That would be Yu Yevon."

"He's finally revealed himself," Bardock said. He saw the black aura reappear at the horizon, their enemy making his way back here. "Hopefully, beating him this time will put him down for good."

Yu Yevon flew past both Super Saiyans, both ducking under the swinging sword, a few strands of golden hair cut off from each head. Goku and Bardock spun around, rose back up, and kicked Yu Yevon in the back together. Yu Yevon turned, swung his sword, and four aura-shielded arms blocked the blade. The sword swung faster and faster, requiring them to block even faster, with bright flashes every time the auras clashed. It was a brilliant light show for the people watching below, those that had dug themselves out of the collapsed city.

Bardock charged his hands, glowing brighter than ever, and caught the blade between them. His palms were bleeding as he held on, keeping Yu Yevon from freeing his sword. Goku punched Yu Yevon's face a couple times, got a knee to the gut for his trouble, and was kicked away. Yu Yevon yanked his sword free from Bardock, leaving hands that were bleeding badly, and swung the sword at him again. Bardock let himself drop, clenched his bloody hands, and flew back up to punch Yu Yevon's jaw. Then Goku swooped in and kicked Yu Yeven's back, and got slapped in the face by that one wing.

An elbow to the head and a kick to the gut knocked the Saiyans away, and Yu Yevon went after Goku. Bardock saw him swing the sword, but this time Goku didn't block. The sword went clean through the torso, and Bardock was shocked, until he realized there was no blood. Then Goku became translucent and faded away, revealing the use of an after-image. Goku reappeared behind Yu Yevon and slammed both fists into his back. Yu Yevon spun around and swung the sword, only to pass through another after-image, and Goku reappeared with both palms aimed at Yu Yevon's back.

Goku fired an energy beam at Yu Yevon, blasting him clear over the horizon again. "Okay, this is getting way too close for comfort."

Bardock flew up to him, eyes still on the horizon where Yu Yevon had disappeared. "That's a different disappearing trick you've been using."

"The after-image technique," Goku said. "It's not a hard thing to do. I figured it out after seeing it done a couple of times. It comes in handy for misdirection."

"I'll have to try it," Bardock said. He spotted Yu Yevon flying back, and he braced himself for impact. "Right now, it seems."

Yu Yevon flew in, sword cleaving through the air, slashing at Goku and Bardock. Both of them blocked, and then both punched Yu Yevon together. Those hits to the face knocked him back a few feet, and Yu Yevon swung his sword vertically, only to pass through another of Goku's after-images. Bardock took note, figured out how to use his energy for optical illusions, and made his own after-image when Yu Yevon swung at him. Still, the sword almost hit him as he moved out of the way, telling that proper use of the after-image required greater speed and reflexes.

Goku appeared behind Yu Yevon and kicked him in the back, which knocked him toward Bardock, who then swung both fists up in Yu Yevon's jaw, knocking him back the other way. But then Yu Yevon swung the sword early, before he reached where Goku hovered, the blade glowing with black light. A flat wave of black energy shot out from the sword, with an edge as sharp as the blade, aimed at Goku's waist. Surprised, Goku barely reacted in time, flipping himself horizontal and facing down, seeing the attack pass inches in front of his face.

"Whoa!" Goku shouted, eyes open wide and spotting a couple hairs cut from his bangs. "Sword Beam!"

Another sword beam attack came flying by, barely missing when Goku did a spin and dropped. He reoriented himself, saw another sword beam coming this way, and let an after-image take the hit. That after-image was dispelled instantly by the sword beam, and Yu Yevon's gaze followed Goku through the air. He swung his sword again and again, unleashing sword beams faster and faster, filling the sky and cutting off avenues of escape. Space was quickly running out as the sword beams closed in from several sides, and it would be impossible to dodge forever.

At the last moment Goku aimed a palm and fired a yellow energy beam, hitting the sword beam head on and clashing against it. The sword beam cut through at first, until resistance dulled its edge, and in a moment it broke apart and dispersed into nothing. Yu Yevon unleashed more sword beams, crossed together in a big X, hitting Goku's beam and cutting into it. Goku stopped firing, dodged the crossed sword beams, and dived at Yu Yevon. Both fists forward, Goku rammed Yu Yevon, and kept on going until he slammed Yu Yevon into the ground, creating a massive crater in the wilderness.

Goku flew back out, and Bardock flew in, slamming both feet into Yu Yevon, making the crater even bigger. There Bardock pummeled Yu Yevon ferociously, landing dozens of blows in a few short seconds, until Yu Yevon's free hand punched back. That blow knocked Bardock back into the sky, and Yu Yevon followed him up there, swinging his sword when he was up close. It passed through an after-image, swung again in another direction, right where Bardock had reappeared. He had to catch the sword in his hands, glowing bright yellow in gauntlets of energy, palms still cut by the sharp blade.

Coming from the side Goku kicked Yu Yevon in the head, knocking him far away from Bardock. "This is getting us nowhere. We're not doing any real damage."

Wiping blood off his hands, Bardock nodded in agreement. "Maybe if you fought him seriously we wouldn't be in this mess."

"I am fighting seriously," Goku said. By now the cuts on his arms had scabbed over, but there were still smears of blood on them. "He's not like anything I've ever fought before. That sword of his is really damn sharp."

"Surely you have more tricks up your sleeve," Bardock said. "Some new form you've been keeping close to your chest, perhaps?"

"Sorry, I haven't figured out a higher level yet," Goku admitted. "This is all I've got. Well, unless you want to-"

"No," Bardock interrupted. He braced himself, spotting Yu Yevon coming in fast. "That pose is undignified for any Saiyan, even low class warriors like us."

"The only person that's going to see will be dead for keeps when we're done," Goku reasoned. He held up both arms, blocked a sword swing from Yu Yevon, and saw Bardock doing the same right next to him. "We're already fighting together. We might as well take that all the way."

Both raised a foot and kicked Yu Yevon in the stomach, knocking him away and down from them. Then Bardock turned toward Goku again. "Fine. Let's just get it over with."

"One second, oh and don't look," Goku warned. He saw Yu Yevon flying back up, so he repositioned to put the sun behind him, and he held his hands to his face with the fingers spread apart. "Solar Flare!"

Bright light erupted from Goku's face, shining down upon the land below him. Amplified by the glare of the sun behind him, the solar flare was at its brightest, shining right into Yu Yevon's eyes. Bardock had to shield his eyes from the light, despite being behind Goku and looking away from the sun. Blinded by the light, Yu Yevon swung his sword aimlessly, missing Goku when he flew out of the way. The two Saiyans dived straight for the ground, landing a few feet apart, and took poses with both arms pointing away from the other person.

They started shuffling their feet, moving their arms up and over. "Fu…"

Yu Yevon turned and swung his sword down, unleashing a sword beam toward the ground, right at Goku and Bardock. The attack interrupted their technique and forced them to leap out of the way, letting the sword beam slice into the ground they had been standing on. They found another spot and started again, but didn't even get to the first step before another sword beam came down, forcing them to dodge again. By then Yu Yevon's sight had fully recovered, and he flew in toward the Saiyans, swinging more sword beams ahead of him.

They landed at another spot, and Goku had to jump away from another sword beam. "Okay… this complicates things."

Try as they might to complete the technique, Yu Yevon wouldn't let them do it. His attacks were relentless, giving no more than a few seconds at a time, not enough to do a complex series of poses exactly perfect. Goku and Bardock employed the after-image technique, having the illusions do the same series of poses, hoping it would buy the time they needed. It wasn't enough, as Yu Yevon had caught on to the after-image strategy, keeping his attacks focused on the real targets instead of the illusions.

After seeing a pair of after-images dispersed by a sword beam, and then dodging the next sword beam, Bardock flew in and kicked Yu Yevon away. "We need a distraction!"

Goku had to dodge another sword beam, and then he shot a look at Bardock. "I'm open to ideas!"

The city of Bevelle was being torn asunder.

Entire buildings collapsed as the foundations were annihilated, falling into the growing hole that led to the massive hidden chamber beneath the city. People fled for their lives as fast as their legs could carry them, desperately trying to outrun the collapsing streets, most failing to reach stable ground in time. City blocks vanished in seconds, disappearing into the void never to return. No one knew what was going on, whether or not the devastation would cease, or if it would consume the entire city and everyone in it.

Vegnagun forced its way up to the surface, ignoring the damage it caused in doing so, rising up from the underground like some mythical beast. The front legs came through first, taking hold of solid ground, crushing the streets into fine gravel. Then the head came out into the sunlight, mighty and terrifying to the people fleeing for their lives, larger than anything they had seen save for Sin itself. Vegnagun climbed on top of the Temple of Yevon and crushed it underfoot, seemingly without cause or concern, simply because it was there.

The summoner and guardians were still atop the head of Vegnagun, most desperately trying to hold on for their lives, two of them doing everything they could to shut down the ancient weapon of mass destruction. From there they had an excellent view of the destruction, and more came when Vegnagun climbed on top of several skyscrapers, using all of its legs to distribute the load for a stable position. There the machina was facing north, toward the ruins of Zanarkand far beyond the horizon, as if to finish a war that had been over for a millennium.

Suddenly Vegnagun stopped moving, holding position and becoming very still. Tidus carefully pulled his hands away from the controls, not wanting to accidently touch something. "Okay… I think that did it."

Rikku was also being gentle in letting go of the controls, and she took a second to wipe sweat off her forehead. "I'm not sure if we figured it out or just got lucky. Still, I'll take it."

There was a collective sigh of relief, and white knuckle grips were let go. Then the true gravity of the situation hit them, now that the immediate danger had passed. They saw the city of Bevelle in every direction, much of it in ruin after Vegnagun surfaced. From this high up the panicked screams of the populace were just a distant buzzing, and the people in the streets looked like scurrying ants. It didn't matter that the machine had stopped moving, its very presence was a terrifying sight to behold, and it had the people fleeing to the hills.

Then there was the other sight to behold, and they had the perfect view from atop Vegnagun. From there they could see the battle in the southern sky, all the flashes of light and booming shockwaves that came with it, even if the actual fighters were too fast for the human eye. The southern horizon was already torn apart by the battle, and that battle was only just beginning. They were fortunate that battle was happening there and not here, for Bevelle could not survive the cataclysm that would bring upon the city.

Looking at the battle in the distance, Auron wished he could follow the action properly. "They couldn't do that over the Calm Lands… why?"

"Looks like they're over Guadosalam," Lulu figured. "Could the Farplane be involved?"

"Does it matter?" Wakka asked. "They're fighting for the fate of the world, and there's nothing we can do about it."

Yuna quickly realized that he was wrong, and she turned toward the two people at the controls. "Do you think you can figure what this machina actually does?"

"You can't be serious," Tidus said. "We just got this thing to stop, and you want to start it up again?"

A particularly powerful shockwave hit them, nearly knocking everyone off their feet, and Rikku realized what Yuna had in mind. "You want to turn this thing on them?!"

"Yes," Yuna answered. "Aeons were never enough, these golden warriors aren't enough, Sin keeps coming back no matter what we do. It's time to try something new."

One building underneath Vegnagun collapsed, and the metal they stood on tipped to the side. Tidus grabbed the edge of the controls for balance, and he could see Yuna's point. "Okay, let's do it."

"That'll work."

Bardock had seen the giant machine from afar, recognizing it from his brief visit to the Bevelle underground, not caring why it had been brought to the surface. All that mattered was its nature as a weapon of mass destruction, certainly the most powerful this planet had to offer, the kind of power they could make use of right now. It couldn't possibly rival any of the three powers fighting in the sky, but it didn't have to be. It just had to keep Yu Yevon busy for a moment, for even weaklings could keep their betters at bay for a short time.

After kicking Yu Yevon in the head, Bardock shot Goku a look. "Just keep him busy a little longer. We're about to get some help."

"Yeah, sure," Goku said. He flew after Yu Yevon, hoping to strike before he recovered. "I can do that."

Yu Yevon flipped around and flew forward, sword slashing as Goku closed in. His fist swung around and hit the side of the blade, knocking it away to slash past Goku's right side, and he threw an uppercut with his right fist. The blow struck the face, knocking him upward, only to kick Goku's face as well. Both flipped around, Goku recovered first, and rammed both fists into Yu Yevon's chest. Goku was rewarded with a head-butt to the face, followed by the swing of that sword, which Goku caught in his hands and held at bay.

Meanwhile Bardock was watching the giant machine in the city, just in time to see it start moving again. He wasn't sure of the nature of its destructive power, whether it be blunt force or energy based, not until he could see it in action. He could barely see the two teenagers at the machine's controls, operating them as if they were some kind of musical instrument, playing a deadly song to bring about mass devastation. The machine repositioned itself, destroying several buildings along the way, bracing itself to withstand the forces involved in deployment.

Vegnagun anchored itself with all six legs, spread a pair of massive wings for balance, leaning back to face the sky. Its mouth opened wide and the chest unfolded, allowing a massive cannon to extend from inside the machine, with the face now resting just above the cannon's base. The cannon was nearly as long as the rest of Vegnagun, and it glowed with the kind of raw power only machines could generate, invisible to the senses Goku employed. There was no way to know how much energy this machine channeled, not until it was ready to fire.

Bardock turned toward Goku and pointed at Vegnagun. "Now!"

Goku saw him, looked at the machine, and nodded in understanding. He flew toward Yu Yevon, just barely dodged a sword beam, punched the side of the blade up close, and kicked the side of Yu Yevon's head. Then Goku reached out to grab that one wing Yu Yevon had, and then put two fingers of his free hand to his forehead. Both disappeared, reappeared far to the north, right in front of Vegnagun, staring down the barrel of its massive cannon. They got to see the inside glow bright with immense power, just about ready to burst.

Still holding onto Yu Yevon, Goku spun him around for a bit, and then threw him into the barrel of the cannon. Yu Yevon recovered quickly and flew back toward Goku, utterly ignoring the machine behind him. Goku blocked a couple of sword swings, slammed a head-butt into Yu Yevon's face, and then kicked him away and back down the barrel. He fired an energy beam into the barrel, hitting Yu Yevon head on, forcing him even further into the cannon. By then the light enveloped Yu Yevon, and Goku lost sight of him.

Vegnagun fired.

The charged power was unleashed, hitting Yu Yevon point blank, no room to move out of the way. Goku teleported out of there immediately, leaving Yu Yevon to take all of the blast. It shot Yu Yevon out of the cannon, firing him toward the northern horizon. But at half a mile out Yu Yevon pushed back, fighting against a beam of purple light fired from Vegnagun, forcing his way back bit by bit and overcoming the onslaught. He would not stand for this interruption, and would bring this massive machine to its knees.

Meanwhile Goku had teleported back to Bardock, and they landed one of the roads between Guadosalam and Bevelle. "Here's our chance."

They got back into the proper position, arms pointed away from each other, and started going through the poses. "Fu…"

Yu Yevon was forcing his way into the barrel of Vegnagun's cannon, sword in front and slicing through the energy beam flowing the other way. He appeared to vanish inside the massive machine, swallowed by the energy coming out of it, making his way into Vegnagun's core.

Goku and Bardock swung their arms overhead to point their hands at each other, shuffled their feet close together, and then swung their arms to hold their fists in opposite directions. "…sion!"

Vegnagun's blast was pushed all the way into the cannon, and all that power built up inside the machine. Cracks formed and spread across Vegnagun's metal hull, light seemed out through the cracks, threatening to tear the entire machine apart.

Swinging arms overhead again, sticking opposite feet outward, the Saiyans leaned toward each other. Index fingers stretched out, the tips touched, finishing the pose in perfect symmetry. "HA!"

Slashing the core of Vegnagun, Yu Yevon detonated all the energy within the machine. The entire thing exploded, scattering debris across Bevelle, laying waste to most of the buildings. Half of the head remained, launched into the air, the summoner and guardians handing on for dear life.

A bright flash of light erupted from the Saiyans, their distinct forms lost in the glare. Their auras enveloped one another and merged into a single golden column, reaching up for the heavens and filled with thin bolts of lightning. The immense energies amplified one another, becoming far greater than the sum of their parts, reaching a level neither Saiyan could achieve alone. A single body appeared within the light, generating the massive power radiating across the land, eager to put that power to good use.

At first glance, one might mistake him for either Goku or Bardock. They had been nearly identical, save for the scars and expressions, and this man stood in the middle ground between them. The scars were lighter and softer, barely noticeable in the sheer confidence he put on display. The red headband covered his forehead, just beneath the single golden bang in front of his face. He wore the open vest and white pants that came with the fusion technique, was shrouded in the aura of a Super Saiyan 2, his golden hair in the same shape both Saiyans had in that form.

He looked up to see the head of Vegnagun soaring across the sky, hearing the terrified screams of the people on it. He flew up to the disembodied head in the blink of an eye, grabbed hold of the wreckage in both hands, and stopped it from crashing into the ground and killing them all. He set down the head on the ground outside the city, and then flew up to hover above everyone standing atop the head. He looked down on the summoner and guardians, seeing their shocked stares at him, understanding how it must have felt to see him in his newfound glory.

Auron broke the silence. "Bardock?"

Tidus quickly followed. "Goku?"

The fused warrior smiled at them both, and spoke with two voices laid over each other. "They Saiyans? They're here, I am they, we are one!" He turned his head to look at Yu Yevon. "I am Baroku. It's over Yu Yevon! I've come for you!"

Baroku shot upward like a missile, aimed straight for Yu Yevon hovering over Bevelle, and slammed his head into Yu Yevon's face. The blow sent him flying away, Baroku flew faster, getting behind Yu Yevon to kick him in the back. Yu Yevon halted his descent, but Baroku appeared and punched down, and Yu Yevon plummeted even faster. He fell into the hole made from Vegnagun's ascent, impacted hard enough to create an earthquake, and flew back up into the sky. But then Baroku was in front of him again, jamming a knee into Yu Yevon's stomach, halting his ascent in an instant.

A flap of his wing pushed Yu Yevon back, and he swung his sword at Baroku's face. He caught the sword in one hand, wreathed in a barrier of golden energy, stopping the blade just short of touching skin. Baroku smirked, watched Yu Yevon struggle to free his sword, until he punched Yu Yevon in the face. The blow knocked him away, and Baroku remained holding the sword, and his free hand grabbed the hilt. Yu Yevon was flying back, but it was already too late. Baroku slammed the side of the sword into his knee, shattered the blade into a dozen pieces, and only the hilt remained.

"Enough of that, I think," Baroku said. He tossed the hilt away, and then clenched his fists. "What else do you have?"

Yu Yevon shot forward, threw a punch, and hit Baroku's face. Said face only moved back a little, and Baroku laughed while Yu Yevon's jaw dropped. Baroku punched his foe in the gut, Yu Yevon doubled over in pain, and Baroku punched him away. He flew after his foe, got behind him, and kicked him in the back. Baroku circled around Yu Yevon, inflicting blow after blow from every direction, knocking Yu Yevon back and forth like a pinball. A kick to the jaw sent Yu Yevon skyward, ending up high above Bevelle, right in front of the sun.

There Yu Yevon recovered and hovered while facing down, spotting Baroku flying up toward him. He generated a large black aura, and a massive gale blew away from him to slow down his foe. Yu Yevon held his hands just barely apart to conjure a sphere of dark energy, putting a massive amount of power into it. Baroku crossed his arms to block, only to see Yu Yevon throw the sphere into the sky instead. It seemed to disappear for a moment, only to swell into a gigantic size, and then come down like some cataclysmic meteor.

Baroku smiled and laughed. "Now that's more like it!"

He flew straight up, meeting the meteor head on, his golden aura flaring with raw power. Along the way he held both hands apart, fingers spread apart, and conjured two twin spheres of blue light above his palms. He swung both arms across his chest, throwing both blue spheres, sending them up and around opposite sides of the meteor. Then he cupped his hands, holding them toward the meteor, and fired a Kamehameha straight up. The bright blue beam hit the meteor front and center, piercing its way inside the dark energy, yet barely slowing down the meteor's descent.

By then the blue spheres had circled behind the meteor, stopped at two-thirds of the way around, and delivered their payload. Each sphere fired its own Kamehameha, using the immense amount of energy Baroku had put into them. Three identical Kamehamas pierced the dark energy, coming together in the middle of the meteor. On impact the three sets of energy combined into one, detonating an explosion inside the core of the meteor, consuming the entire thing in a massive blast that filled the sky with bright blue light.

Satisfied with his handiwork, Baroku turned his attention back to Yu Yevon, only to discover his enemy flying north at high speed. It seemed that the meteor had merely been a distraction, to give Yu Yevon enough time for a head start. Baroku flew even faster, quickly catching up to his foe, having flown past Mount Gagazet and into the skies above the ruins of Zanarkand. But then Yu Yevon halted at the edge of the ruins, and in his haste Baroku overshot the distance, needing to turn around to face Yu Yevon properly.

Yu Yevon raised both hands to the sky, calling out to the world around him. "Come To Me!"

Pyreflies rose up from the ruins of Zanarkand, all the souls of summoners and guardians that had failed in their pilgrimage at the last step of the journey. The fiends that roamed the ruins disintegrated into more pyreflies, joining the rest as they converged on Yu Yevon. And directly beneath him was a massive Fayth, shaped like thousands of bodies embedded in rock, now releasing souls that had been trapped for a thousand years. But this was not the way they wanted to be released from their endless dream, only to be put to service in a different fashion for their summoner.

Tidus suddenly felt empty inside, as if the very essence of his being was being stripped away.

Everyone else saw him shimmer and become translucent, fading out of reality.

"What's going on?" Tidus asked. He saw frightened looks from everyone, and his own panic only worsened. "What's happening to me?"

Yuna reached out to Tidus, only for her hand to pass through his. She then tried to wrap her arms around him, but passed through and found herself behind him. "I don't understand."

"The dream is ending," Auron said. He thought of the other Zanarkand, the one Jecht and Tidus came from, where he had resided in the ten years since Braska died. "The Fayth were trapped in an endless dream, and Yu Yevon is waking them."

"That doesn't make any sense," Wakka said.

Tidus faced everyone, shimmering with dim light, his body barely visible in the light. "I'm sorry. I really wanted to reach the end with all of you. But it looks like my story is over."

In that moment Tidus vanished completely, and Yuna reached for where he had been standing. "No!"

Then the pyreflies appeared.

Millions of them came from around the world, emerging from all the wild places, all rising into the sky and flying away at great speed. Everything that relied upon them for existence shimmered and faded, from fiends to Unsent and everything in between. All those pyreflies went straight north, save for the ones in Zanarkand, those pyreflies heading south to converge with all the others. They were summoned there by the most powerful summoner that ever lived, who needed the strength of the dead who walked among the living, in addition to the power already taken from the Farplane.

Auron cried out in agony, collapsing to his hands and knees, pyreflies emerging from his body. "Not now, I'm not ready to leave."

"Not you too?" Yuna pleaded. "You're all I have left of my father."

"Are you part of this dream thing too?" Wakka demanded.

"No," Auron answered, requiring all of his strength and will to remain corporeal. "I am, I was, Unsent."

That revelation shocked Lulu, for a second, before it made sense. "You stayed, for Braska's sake."

"Braska's, and Jecht's," Auron said. He felt his existence slipping away, and he spent his last moment looking Yuna in the eye. "Braska would be proud of you, Yuna."

"Auron!" Yuna screamed, seeing him vanish, her hand grasping at the last of the pyreflies from where he had been. "Please… no…"

"He's gone," Rikku said. She stood beside Yuna, holding back the tears. "He was a good person."

"I know," Yuna said. She turned back to where Tidus had vanished. "They both were."

Suddenly a strong southern wind hit everyone, nearly knocking them off their feet. It was accompanied by a bright golden light in the north, and Wakka spotted it first. "What in the world is that?"

As the pyreflies converged on Yu Yevon, Baroku felt his foe's power increase by the second.

It was only fair to do the same.

Baroku clenched both fists, held them apart, and spread his legs apart. His golden aura flared, the light intensified, and winds blew out in all directions. Soon he was enveloped in a golden sphere of light, screaming his lungs out as his power grew, ascending above the heights of power he thought were possible. The well of energy inside seemed limitless, surging out from the core of his being, greater than anything in his wildest dreams. And this was after surpassing Super Saiyan by a long way, greater than the Super Saiyan 2 form. This…

This was to go even further beyond.

Raw power radiated out from Baroku, spilling out in the wider world around him. Windstorms swept across the face of Spira, earthquakes shook every city and settlement in civilization, tsunamis raged against every island and coastline shore. Destruction on a scale unprecedented in Spira, greater even than the ravages of Sin, for this was happening worldwide. Mass panic overtook the populace across the globe, fearing that the end of the world was at hand, not knowing why the world seemed to be tearing itself apart.

Even the massive flow of pyreflies was disrupted, slowed down by the deluge of energy going the other way, but still converging on Yu Yevon. It allowed individual souls to appear within the pyreflies, souls that belonged to those that wished to remain among the living. Unsent such as Yunalesca, Maester Seymour, Grand Maester Mika, and other priests of Yevon, those that refused to let death take away their control of the world. And then there was Auron, still fighting to protect the children of Braska and Jecht, but even his will succumbed to the call of Yu Yevon.

As Baroku's power grew, his appearance changed to accommodate it. His golden hair grew longer, bending down to fall behind his back, stopping just short of reaching his hip. It reminded Baroku of his son/brother, wondering where in the afterlife Raditz was now, or even if his soul still existed after being used by Sin. His hairline receded a bit, his eyebrows disappeared altogether, leaving just the red headband to frame the top of his face. Still screaming as he powered up, Baroku's voice took a deeper tone, reverberating with sheer power.

Yu Yevon's appearance changed as well, though in a different fashion. The single black wing merged with his right arm, the limb growing longer with feathers as sharp as metal swords. His legs split and morphed into a pair of white wings each, and two more white wings sprouted from the back of his hip. Feathers covered everything from the waist down, his chest was left bare, and a five foot wide golden ring emerged from his back. The top of the ring had an emblem shaped like a sun, placed just over Yu Yevon's head, with a slightly smaller golden ring of its own centered around the sun emblem.

Light and Darkness erupted together, twin bursts of power shaking Spira to its core. Baroku was enveloped by a fiercely pulsing golden aura, filled with thick lightning bolts sparking around him, and his body had a glow that pulsed in rhythm with the aura. Yu Yevon floated on seven angelic wings, like some grand deity that came down from on high, enshrined by the black aura that enveloped his new form. Both auras grew and clashed in the middle, with lightning bolts flaring and thunder booming, just from two massive powers being too close.

Baroku put on a stoic expression, for it seemed fitting with this new form. "You know, if I had to put a name to this, I would call it Super Saiyan 3."

Holding up the single black wing, Yu Yevon swung it through air like a sword, as if to test it out. "You have pushed me to extreme measures I never thought I would need. I had to raise my people from the endless dream because of you. The memory of Zanarkand itself is at stake. You will cease to exist, the cycle of Sin will be restored, and the dream will resume, until the end of time."

Yu Yevon flew forward, six white wings beating the air, single black wing slashing forward. Baroku flew forward, faster than ever, ducked beneath the black wing, and swung a punch at Yu Yevon's face. His fist met Yu Yevon's, and the impact stopped both in their tracks, fists locked in a struggle to force the other out of the way. They separated, punched again, several times, neither making any headway. Each impact sent shockwaves that pummeled the land below, shattering the ruins of Zanarkand into further desolation, grinding the ancient buildings into dust.

A flash of dark light enveloped Yu Yevon, and a dark sheen covered his flesh. Baroku's next punch hit that sheen instead of flesh, like hitting a wall or a barrier that shielded Yu Yevon. He dodged a swing of that arm-wing, fired several energy blasts at point blank range, but they failed to penetrate that dark sheen. Then two of the white wings struck Baroku, knocking him away, and then Yu Yevon closed in, slashing with the black wing. Baroku ducked, the wing nearly clipped his extra-long hair, and he backed up a bit to get out of its range.

Baroku's aura flared, lightning struck from it, and his fists glowed with power focused into them. He flew forward, punched harder than ever, faster than ever. The first dozen strikes cracked the dark sheen, the second dozen made the cracks spread, and the third dozen chipped and shattered it. But then Yu Yevon snared Baroku's legs with two white wings, pulled him down with them, and slashed with the black wing. He caught the wing between his hands, stopping it just in front of his face. He twisted it to the side, pulled his legs free from the other wings, and did a spin kick to knock Yu Yevon away.

Then all seven wings of Yu Yevon swept forward, the tips aimed at Baroku, and immense dark power surged through them. Seven thin beams of black light shot out from the tips, converged inches from Baroku's face, and a black singularity appeared in front of his eyes. That singularity promptly exploded right in his face, and the blast wave spread across the sky, like some dark flare had punched a hole in reality. It eclipsed the sun and cast a shadow over the land, shrouding the northern half of Spira in darkness.

Bright light pierced the darkness, dispelling the flare from its core and spreading outward. Baroku was floating in the center, aura brighter than ever, generating winds that pushed Yu Yevon back. A bright sphere of golden light formed around Baroku, and he flew toward Yu Yevon, ramming into him straight on. The impact detonated a massive explosion that filled the sky, like some holy meteor cast from the heavens. After the blast Baroku was a little disoriented, and he spun around in search of his foe, only to discover Yu Yevon flying straight up into the sky.

That brought Yu Yevon toward the midday sun, making it difficult to look at him in the glare. Baroku was expecting a solar flare, but it didn't happen. Instead the black aura appeared and intensified, blotting out the sun entirely, save for a ring of light like some corrupted eclipse. Then it shrank and darkened, fitting into the space between Yu Yevon's hand and black wing, the immense power radiating outward. Baroku braced himself for an incoming attack, but then Yu Yevon threw the dark energy upward, straight at the sun.

The dark energy vanished in the light, but Baroku could sense that it wasn't gone. The light from the sun greatly intensified, becoming brighter by the second, making Baroku squint in the glare. Yu Yevon vanished in the light, as if rising up into some divine plane of reality. The sun appeared to grow bigger and bigger, filling up the sky directly above, threatening to burn the entire world. A wave of solar plasma came down upon Spira, with Yu Yevon passing through unharmed, sending it toward Baroku with all the power of a supernova.

Baroku faced the incoming attack, putting his hands together. "Ka…" He moved his hands to his side. "Me…" His aura intensified, the lightning arcing everywhere. "Ha…" Blue light glowed between his hands. "Me…" He thrust his hands forward, unleashing his immense power. "HA!"

He unleashed the Kamehameha, and it was far more powerful than ever before. It met the supernova head on, and the two energies clashed in the sky. The Kamehameha pushed back the supernova, until Yu Yevon concentrated its power into a smaller space, matching the blue beam and in turn pushing it down. Yu Yevon put everything he had into his attack, and it nearly pushed the Kamehameha all the down to Baroku. But then Baroku responded in kind, putting everything he had into the Kamehameha, and it overwhelmed both the supernova and Yu Yevon.

The Kamehameha continued onward into space, and would eventually hit and be absorbed by the sheer mass of the sun. Baroku stopped firing and watched the end of the beam disappear in the sky, its glare quickly vanishing in the sun's light. He flew up into the sky, reaching the altitude of Yu Yevon, getting to see the effects of his handiwork. Yu Yevon had taken quite a bit of damage, from the golden rings and sun emblem on his back being broken to every wing having lost most of their feathers. Much of his skin had been burned away, and plenty of blood oozed out of several wounds.

"That really did a number on you," Baroku observed. He had a sly smile, and he gathered his energy for another Kamehameha. "One more ought to do it."

There was a sudden flash of light, Baroku vanished, and in his place Goku and Bardock appeared.

"What the?" Bardock blurted out. He turned his head toward Goku, seeing both of them back in the Super Saiyan 2 form. "What happened Kakarot?"

Startled, and more than a little embarrassed, Goku rubbed the back of his head. "Uh… the fusion time must have run out."

"You never mentioned a time limit!" Bardock yelled.

Goku closed his eyes and tried to laugh it off. "Must have slipped my mind…"

"That's kind of important information!" Bardock yelled. "You had me thinking we could just undo it whenever we wanted! Now we're going to have to do that stupid dance all over again!"

"We might have a problem with that," Goku admitted. "When a successful fusion wears off, we can't fuse again for about an hour."

"This fight isn't going to last that long!" Bardock yelled.

Throughout this exchange Yu Yevon had been utterly dumbfounded, and taking a moment to recover from the shock of this sudden change in fortune. He certainly needed this reprieve, having spent a majority of his power and sustained severe wounds already. Nowhere near the peak of his strength, and with no more of Spira's dead to claim, Yu Yevon could not restore what he had lost. In the moment that his enemies bickered among themselves, he collected what strength he still had, channeling it into the black wing and raising it in front of his chest.

"You should have finished me while you had the chance," Yu Yevon proclaimed. His six white wings, damaged though they may be, beat the air for a sudden burst of speed. "You will not get another!"

The Super Saiyans snapped out of their argument, turning their attention back to Yu Yevon at the last second. The black wing was slashing at both of their necks, and both of them raised their arms to block. All four arms were glowing with energy for protective sheaths, barely stopping the sharp edge of the black wing from cutting their hands off. The impact forced both of them back, the wind whipping by their heads, Yu Yevon pushing them across the sky. The ruins of Zanarkand, what little remained of them, passed underneath them before vanishing in the northern horizon.

Struggling against the black wing pressing against them, the Super Saiyans were carried across the face of Spira. Between the extended fight and the expired fusion, their energy reserves were severely drained and falling fast. Their auras had vanished, the small bolts of lightning were gone, yet their hair remained extra spiky, barely keeping in the Super Saiyan 2 form. Goku pushed back with all his remaining strength, taking most of the pressure off of Bardock, allowing him to slip out and under Yu Yevon.

After tumbling in the air for a few seconds, Bardock found himself hovering over the Calm Lands, seeing Goku and Yu Yevon hurtling straight toward Bevelle. He quickly flew after them and got high above them, then dived just as they were passing over the city. Bardock rammed his entire body into Yu Yevon, the impact knocking him away from Goku, and both Saiyans saw their foe fall into the city. They heard an impact from Yu Yevon crashing into concrete, and they saw every building shake from the resulting tremor.

From this vantage point above the city, Bardock saw the remains of Vegnagun directly below, and the people standing atop the severed head. "That's it! We need to get him there!"

Goku saw Bardock pointing at the wrecked weapon of mass destruction, spotting the summoner and guardians down there. "Are you sure about that? One wrong move could get them all killed."

"It's our best shot," Bardock said. He spotted Yu Yevon flying back up, and he braced himself for impact. "I'll fill them in and get her ready. Teleport down when I give the signal."

Instead of flying in close, Yu Yevon swung the black wing and unleashed a sword beam at them. Both Saiyans avoided the attack, Goku going up and Bardock going down, barely getting out of the way in time. Goku then flew toward Yu Yevon, throwing a punch that hit his foe's arm, producing a shockwave that shook the city. As Goku fought Yu Yevon with all his might, Bardock flew down and into the city, ignoring the devastation Bevelle had suffered today. He descended upon the severed head of Vegnagun, landing right in front of the summoner.

"Yuna!" Bardock shouted, his gaze fixed solely on her. He cared not for any of her guardians, failing to notice two of them were missing, for they weren't important right now. "We need a Sending. It's the only way to make sure Yu Yevon stays in the afterlife."

A shockwave rained down on them, generated by Goku and Yu Yevon hitting each other in the face, nearly knocking Yuna off her feet. "He's not close enough. I can't Send him from here."

"Kakarot has that covered," Bardock said. "Just be ready to do it. We'll make sure Yu Yevon doesn't kill you while you Send him."

Wakka naturally objected to this plan. "Now wait just a second!"

Bardock ignored him, turned around, and fired an energy beam straight up. "We're ready!"

Busy punching Yu Yevon in the face, Goku spotted the beam and figured it was the signal. A swing of the black wing missed the target, but the follow up punch struck Goku in the stomach. Goku grabbed Yu Yevon's arm in one hand, put two fingers of the other hand to his forehead, and both of them disappeared from the sky. They reappeared directly above the head of Vegnagun, a mere ten feet above the wreckage. The sudden presence of their raw power generated a maelstrom that battered the people below, knocking several off their feet and nearly blowing them away.

Bardock caught Yuna before the wind could blow her off, and he gently set her down at the center of Vegnagun's head. "Ignore everything else. Focus on the Sending."

There was no time for an argument, as Bardock had flown up to strike at Yu Yevon. A spinning kick to the back created another shockwave, but this time everyone below had braced themselves. Yuna recovered, stood up straight, and held out her staff. She started spinning it around, going through the motions for the Sending ritual, having trouble focusing amidst the chaos above her. Still she powered through it, both the distractions and hazards and her own personal doubts, performing the ritual one more time.

At that moment, Goku catching the black wing, Bardock seizing Yu Yevon's arm, the Sending struck. Pyreflies burst out the three of them, a thick multicolored cloud rising upward, vanishing into the heavens. Intense pain struck the Saiyans, and they could see the pain in Yu Yevon's eyes as well. They fell out of the air and crashed right in front of Yuna, their battle abruptly halted by the sudden existential danger. All three of them shimmered and became slightly translucent, their forms blending with the pyreflies coming out of them.

Seeing both Bardock and Goku affected by the Sending, and realizing what it meant about them, Yuna hesitated to continue. "Not you too…"

"Don't stop!" Bardock yelled. "This is for the best! You know that!"

Yuna's hesitation halted the Sending for a moment, and Yu Yevon spent that moment beating his wings to fly upward. Goku leaped over him, slammed both fists into Yu Yevon's back, knocking him back down. Yu Yevon halted his descent halfway down, only for Bardock to jump up and grab him by the neck, flipping him around and pulling him down head first. The Goku dropped down and struck with both feet, adding to the downward momentum, bringing all three of them back into range of the Sending.

Pyreflies continued to come out of them all, their numbers swelling as Yuna redoubled her efforts to Send them to the Farplane. Weakened by its effects on him, Bardock struggled to keep his grip on Yu Yevon. Bardock's body shimmered with rainbow light, and all the Fayth of Spira emerged from within him. They took with them the power they granted, and Bardock reverted to the regular Super Saiyan form. The Fayth rose upward amidst the pyreflies, fading away and leaving this plane of existence, finally receiving the rest they sorely wanted.

With his strength severely drained, Bardock couldn't stop Yu Yevon from breaking out of his grip. Yu Yevon tossed him aside, and then turned down to put Yuna in his sights. He lunged forward to attack with his black wing, aiming for her neck to chop her head clean off. Goku got in the way, kicked the side of the wing to knock it away, and then punched Yu Yevon in the chest. The blow got him away from Yuna, stopping him from interrupting the Sending. Goku put his fists together and slammed them into Yu Yevon's head, and that strike slammed him into the floor.

By then the Sending was taking its toll, and Goku's power dropped too far to maintain Super Saiyan 2. Reverting to the regular Super Saiyan form, his next punch barely made a dent. Yu Yevon punched back, struck Goku in the face, almost knocking him back into Yuna. But Yu Yevon's power was dropping too, leaving with the pyreflies stripped out of him, and his form reverted as well. Gone were the white wings and shattered sun symbol, legs restored and black wing returned to its proper place, left arm restored and instinctively reaching for a missing sword, clothes returned but in tattered condition.

Yu Yevon grasped for a sword that wasn't there, clenched his fists in frustration, and lunged at Yuna again. Goku got in the way, punched Yu Yevon in the face, and received a punch to the face in turn, knocking Goku out of the way. With his power focused into his hand, Yu Yevon fashioned a sharp black blade around his fingers, thrusting it forward to stab Yuna. In a desperate bid to stop him, Bardock flew in between them, attempting to pin the black blade between his hands. He missed the timing, the black blade passed through the gap, and stabbed Bardock right through the heart.

Instantly reverting to base form, Bardock lost what little strength he had left. His body shimmered more and began to fade away, requiring all of his willpower to remain in this reality. But he saw Yu Yevon start to fade as well, but still considerably more solid than he was. Yu Yevon pulled the black blade out of Bardock, and was about to shove him aside when Goku struck with a kick to the head. That block knocked Yu Yevon away, flipping around for a bit before hitting the floor. Goku was fading too, not as much as Bardock though, who was barely staying on his feet.

Goku turned around, saw Bardock about to collapse, and grabbed his shoulders to keep him upright. "Stay with me Dad! Just a little longer!"

Bardock barely managed to laugh a bit. "I'll see you on the other side… son."

He faded away entirely, vanishing into the pyreflies floating away. Goku's hands clenched empty air, his eyes staring into the space Bardock used to be. His own strength continued to fade away, and even newfound anger wasn't enough to maintain the Super Saiyan form. Reverting to his normal form, Goku turned to face Yu Yevon, spotting him in the air and coming down for another attack on Yuna. Goku leaped up to clash head on, putting every bit of power he still had into his right fist, glowing brightly before he threw one last punch.

The power in his hand burst outward, taking the shape of a dragon's head around his fist. Yu Yevon crossed his arms to block, letting the attack strike him there. But his form was weakened by the Sending, and Goku's newfound dragon fist broke through Yu Yevon's arms. It kept on going and hit Yu Yevon's chest, punching straight through to the other side, bursting out his back and breaking off the black wing. With half his arm sticking through his foe, Goku found his face up close to Yu Yevon's, seeing him gasp for air.

Goku looked him in the eye one last time. "It's over."

Yu Yevon looked back, his face fading away along with the rest of him. "Congratulations. You have just erased the legacy of Zanarkand."

Those were his final words, and Yu Yevon vanished from this reality altogether. His essence was pulled along with the pyreflies, Sent to the Farplane to rest in peace. Yuna stopped the Sending there and then, now that it was no longer needed, and hoping it wasn't too late for Goku to remain among the living. Goku let himself fall back down to earth, landing in front of the summoner and guardians, no longer feeling the pull toward the afterlife. But his body remained transparent, barely visible amidst the background light, with a cluster of pyreflies clinging to his body.

Yuna tossed her staff away, done with the Sending now and forevermore. "Please don't go!"

"It's alright," Goku said. He turned toward Yuna, walked up to her, and slightly crouched to be at eye level with her. "Where I'm going, it isn't so bad. When it's your time, I'm sure we'll meet again."

The pyreflies around him drifted away, and Goku vanished from Spira.