Hi everyone! It's been awhile hasn't it? Though I guess when it comes to me it always is forever, you know? Well after the long wait I'm back, and here's the newest chapter!
I just want to thank all of my reviewers. Thanks for your continued support and patience. I always seem to take forever updating…:Warui-Usagi; Kaia Moonchild; Lirael Black; Hermione494; SavannahX; Debi6988; ENTRIKIT; Yunie; Damson; Nantukoprime; G-Anakin13; JJ Chow; Kirby; JC Banister and Satsuki-San.
Oh, and just a note from the previous chapter in case you forgot:Maester Seymour CAN possess his 'real' self; IE. The 'not dead' one. He can do this pretty much whenever he wants for a reasonable amount of time. He just can't maintain it for very long. And when Seymour DOES possess his other self, he can influence those around him(remember Bickson and Graav?), which is why the guards weren't objecting to what he was doing to Yuna and her Guardians.
Angel Wings
Chapter Thirteen: Fighting For All She Holds Dear
Yuna was afraid. It was an emotion she was familiar with, though she wasn't very fond of it. She had been afraid when she had fought Sin, and she had felt apprehension when she gazed into Seymour's eyes and realized she was married to him. She had even felt terror when she woke up the morning after she had defeated Sin and realized Tidus wasn't with her.
And though she was used to feeling fright she always got around the pesky emotion by thinking: 'I've survived worse than this, I can do it again'. But now…
She was tied up in a huge tent, her staff locked in a chest in the corner, with an impassive Crusader, obviously possessed by her wicked, dead husband, standing over it. Her Guardians were spread throughout the tent, all guarded and unable to help themselves, let alone her.
And she was frightened. Oh Yevon was she afraid. She had no idea what to do. She wanted to summon Ifrit and burn the ropes away and run. But if she did free herself, how could she ever live with herself if she left her Guardians behind?
The sheer amount of power it took to summon Ifrit would drain her leaving her too weak to escape. And if she did get away--which now that she thought of it was nearly impossible--she wouldn't be able to rescue her Guardians.
I didn't accept the Fayth's offer just to turn tail and abandon everyone. I'm no coward. The whole reason I'm here is for Tidus and his future. And if I run what will I be left with? Guilt that I couldn't handle, that's what. So I need to get a hold of myself, take a deep breath, and THINK. If anyone's going to escape from here alive, it's going to be us.
Yuna felt better. She would use what time she had left to think. With the guards standing around her she wouldn't be able to help anyone. Though it killed her, Yuna forced herself to sit still and wait. They would get through this, they had to.
&(($$&()&$$
"Come on Summoner Yuna," A black haired Crusader said, his eyes glowing red, and his sword digging into Yuna's throat. "Move faster. Sin is coming…"
"Let her go!" Tidus cried, his protests falling on deaf ears. Yuna tried to look behind her, desperate to reassure not only Tidus but also her Guardians, yet she couldn't see them. The wall of Crusaders escorting their small party down to the beach blocked everything from Yuna's view.
Her hands were bound together and she was flanked by two guards on both sides, and the one guard directing her from behind, his weapon held against her vulnerable throat, ready to kill her at the slightest provocation.
Yuna still didn't have a clue what to do, but she was vigilant, ready to spring and attack, to run, whatever, should the chance arrive. She wouldn't leave her Guardians behind, though. So if she was going to get away she was bringing them with her.
Too soon for Yuna's liking, the beach came into view. Yuna stumbled in the sand, her feet sinking into the grainy depths. The guards glared at her, irritated at the delay, and Yuna winced at their blank stares, pupils glittering eerily in the red depths.
Crusaders and machina were everywhere. Wherever Yuna looked she saw men and women readying themselves, faces shining with sweat, their eyes determined. They never looked at Yuna and her Guardians, didn't even appear to notice their presence. Yuna saw why.
Maester Seymour stood on the sand and turned at the sound of the approaching guards. Yuna noted Seymour's jerky movements as if he were a puppet on strings. Yuna stared into now familiar red eyes and tried not to flinch.
"Hold Lady Yuna and her Guardians at the edge of the water so that Sin can…meet with them. If any of them so much as move---kill them."
"Please don't do this!" Yuna pleaded as she was dragged to the water's edge, waves lapping at her feet. Her Guardians stood beside her, hands bound behind them, swords pointed at their throats.
"Maester Seymour think of the ramifications if we are executed." Lulu pleaded. "You will be stripped of your title and banished from Spira if you go through with this."
Seymour threw back his head and laughed hideously. His soulless eyes pierced Yuna and she swallowed in revulsion. "And yet I don't care. The honor has been all mine Summoner Yuna." Measter Seymour bowed and waved at his guards as he walked away.
Yuna stood stiffly hardly daring to breathe. Wakka held Lulu's hand tightly, eyes locked with hers. Yuna turned away not wanting to interrupt such an intimate moment. In an effort to block out her impending death she glanced at Auron out of the corner of her eye. Sir Auron was silent and he seemed lost inside himself, his face furrowed with worry.
And then a loud, piercing cry shattered the relative silence that had fallen across the beach. Yuna knew it could only be one thing: Sin. The crusaders charged the fiends swarming through the water. Yuna's eyes fell closed in horror, tears clogging her throat as she heard the shouts of the wounded and dying.
"We have got to get away!" Tidus cried, frustrated. "We cannot die here! Yuna can't die here! There must be something we can do!"
"I…I just don't know." Yuna whispered, hopelessness filling her. A terrible lethargy swept through her body and Yuna wondered if she was going to faint.
"Yuna," Auron whispered his voice rough with disappointment. "Are you really going to give up? The Fayth were wrong to send you back if you are just going to die without fighting."
Yuna exhaled sharply and bit back an angry retort, so unlike her. But really, she was acting like a drama Queen, wasn't she? Granted she was about to die and the circumstances did call for a little hysteria, but hadn't she always fought with every fiber of her being? Yevon, she was being stupid!
Okay so none of them could move unless they wanted to get stabbed. But what did that leave her? Screaming for help would be useless. Who would aide her anyway? All the crusaders were busy charging fiends, and the men holding her prisoner were under Maester Seymour's control.
I suppose I could try and Summon an Aeon. There is the chance, however, I might be killed before either Valefor or Ifrit arrive. I don't really have much of a choice when it comes down to it, do I?
Valefor I have need of you! Yuna thought desperately. She hoped Valefor was quick. She had precious few moments before Sin reached her party and killed them. Yuna stood helplessly as time ticked by at a snails pace, each passing second bringing her closer to her doom.
A gust of air knocked Yuna and her Guardians to the ground. Yuna gasped in both pain and delight when she caught sight of Valefor, its eyes fixed on its mistress. The men holding them prisoner lay in the sand, stunned.
"Now's our chance!" Tidus cried unnecessarily. Yuna was already climbing onto Valefor's back, Kimahri close behind. Tidus and Wakka, snickering, made sure they stepped on the guards as they followed Yuna onto the Aeon. Auron followed last, looking around cautiously before he gave Yuna the go-ahead.
"We must leave, now," She said, her voice breaking, a tear sliding down her cheek. She didn't want to flee, she really didn't. Yet she knew if she fought Sin she would die. It hurt that she still wasn't strong enough to make a difference.
Valefor flapped its wings and lifted off the ground, leaving death and destruction in their midst. With a heavy heart, Yuna watched the Crusaders below, tears running down her face.
Sin surged through the water, creating havoc and killing many people in seconds. The machina began charging its giant beam as Sin rushed on, heedless of the weapon threatening it.
Wakka sighed dejectedly. "We're not going back to help are we? We're running…away?"
Auron crossed his arms and pierced Wakka with his one eye. Yuna looked down at her Aeon, unable to meet Wakka's accusing eyes. She knew leaving was wrong and it hurt her so much to flee. But things would only be worse if she stayed and fought
"Wakka…you are not thinking. If Yuna were to stay and fight she would die. In order to defeat Sin Yuna must obtain the Final Aeon---which she doesn't have. If she stayed on the beach either Maester Seymour would kill her---or Sin. We'd all die."
"Don't be a jerk, Wakka!" Tidus cried, slapping Wakka's shoulder---hard. "Can't you see Yuna's upset?!"
Yuna managed to smile weakly at Tidus, but the smile never reached her eyes. She knew that she was pale and shaking, and she had a death grip on Tidus' hand. The Swordsman had been kind enough to leave his left hand near her, sensing that Yuna needed to grab onto something, anything, to relieve her anxiety.
"You did the right thing Yuna. I know that it was difficult for you to leave. Just remember, we're behind you one hundred percent, no matter what you decide." Lulu touched Yuna's shoulder before settling back beside Wakka.
"….Thank you all so much. It hurts to know that I may have been able to help. But Sir Auron is right. Without the Final Aeon I can do nothing, and Sin is virtually unstoppable. I must continue my Pilgrimage. Our next stop is Djose Temple."
It was difficult for her to say 'Final Aeon'. Every time she thought of the 'Final Aeon' anger swirled through her body. Lady Yunalesca had deceived so many Summoners, leaving no other options or alternatives. They either had to embrace death and the power that came with it or not defeat Sin.
She often wondered as she lay in her bed in Besaid aching for Tidus, if she was the first Summoner to question Lady Yunalesca. Was she the first to say no? She supposed that she had wanted so badly to live, to be free to love Tidus, that she had been willing to forsake everything in order to find another way to destroy Sin.
But after a thousand years if Sin still came back, why did no one search for an alternative? Yuna supposed she would never have the answers. It all came down to her unwillingness to continue what were both false hopes and false traditions. She hadn't wanted the endless cycle of death to continue any longer.
Yuna shook her head to dispel her thoughts. She leapt off Valefor when the Aeon landed beside the tent where Maester Seymour had held her and her Guardians. Yuna ignored the confused looks her Guardians shot her and ran inside the deserted tent. It seemed that Maester Seymour and his entourage had fled, leaving the Crusaders to fight and die by themselves.
She emerged moments later with all of her Guardians weapons and climbed back onto Valefor. Once she was settled Valefor flew into the air, leaving everything and everyone behind. Yuna and her Guardians were quiet as the Aeon flew to Djose Temple, everyone too engrossed in their conflicted thoughts to speak, let alone attempt to form words.
Yuna watched the Djose Highroad speed past, Valefor's speed impressive, the Aeon zooming effortlessly through the air. She could vaguely make out people walking along the road, seeming no larger than ants. The sun shone in the cloudless sky, and Yuna wondered how the sun could be shining, how the sky could be clear, and how life moved on after the massacre she had fled from.
Self loathing filled Yuna and she felt tiny and insignificant. Was she doing the right thing? Would Spira forgive her for fleeing from Sin like a small child when it was her sworn duty to destroy Sin? Would they care that she hadn't had the power necessary nor the Final Aeon to vanquish Sin? Or would they see her retreat as cowardice?
Yuna managed a weak smile when both Tidus and Lulu touched her shoulders sympathetically, sensing her inner turmoil and doubt. Thank Yevon for Tidus and her Guardians. Without their unwavering support and love she could have never succeeded and Sin would probably still be around.
Valefor landed in front of Djose Temple and the small party disembarked. Yuna patted Valefor's beak affectionately and watched as the Aeon flew into the air and disappeared. Without another word Yuna walked to the entrance and watched appreciatively as the door appeared.
((&&(&(&(&(&
"You would do well to watch yourself Summoner Yuna. I've heard rumors of Summoners disappearing even with Guardian's protection." Issaru said ominously. Yuna fought the urge to roll her eyes. She didn't need to worry. Her cousin Rikku was behind the kidnappings and she wasn't in mortal danger.
"Thank you Issaru." Auron said. "We will be sure to watch Yuna at all times." Issaru smiled politely though his eyes showed doubt. Issaru flushed and looked away from Auron.
"It was a pleasure to meet you Issaru. May Yevon protect you on your journey." Yuna bowed and watched as Issaru and his Guardians exited Djose Temple, Issaru's younger brother jumping around energetically.
"Shall we?" Yuna asked, leading the way into the Cloister of Trials.
((&(&(&(&(&
Djose Temple was truly magnificent. The lightning added a majestic, mystical feel to the whole place. All of the doors opened with flashes of near blinding light. Yuna was almost sorry when she arrived at the Chamber of the Fayth.
She left her Guardians outside and knelt beside the Fayth's statue and bowed her head. This time she prayed for all the lives she hadn't saved at Mushroom Rock Road. She begged the ethereal beings for safety on her journey, and the strength to defeat Sin, again, for good.
Yuna started when a shadowed image of a Fayth appeared, its body translucent, and its eyes sad. Such sadness and desolation emanated from it that Yuna felt tears of sympathy fill her eyes.
Summoner Yuna The Fayth said its voice thin and wobbly. The earth screams from the desecration brought upon it. Maester Seymour is an atrocity that Spira cannot seem to rid itself of. Spira will not survive if Seymour is not forever banished.
"I know this," Yuna said refusing to flinch under the Fayth's accusing eyes. "I will stop Seymour. I give you my word."
A small condolence this is, Lady Yuna. You stopped Seymour once, did you not? Killed him. Yet he managed to follow you here, and now is more dangerous than before.
Yuna gasped, shocked. "You would hold the being that once existed against me? I stopped Seymour, that is true, but I wasn't the one who brought myself back to the start of, well, everything. The Fayth were. They are as much to blame as I."
The Fayth seemed mollified. It sighed and looked away from Yuna's pale visage. I agree, Lady Yuna. You have put me in my place. I should not have spoken so.
Yuna stayed silent. She didn't trust herself to speak at the moment when angry words burned her throat. Instead she looked down at her hands, surprised to see them clenched into fists.
I will now bestow you with what you came for.
Finally! Yuna thought jubilantly. A tingling sensation, much like the tickle of a feather, startled her. She scratched absently at her leg. Soon the tickling spread over her body and Yuna was shocked to see threads of blue/white lightning covering her skin. The bands glowed brightly for a second and than sunk into her skin and were gone.
Yuna smiled exuberantly. Hello Ixion. She now had another Aeon by her side and a faithful ally. Maester Seymour had better be on his guard because the next time they met, he wouldn't find her to be such an easy target.
End of Chapter
A/N: Okay, so I left off at a crappy place. But considering the trouble I had writing this chapter, I'm relieved it was even FINISHED. That was nothing short of a miracle. I must have rewritten the hostage/beach scene six or seven times, and I'm still not happy with how it turned out. I dunno, when I rewrite this chapter, I'll see if I can fix it up some more.
Next chapter won't take so long---I think. I have finals until the 21 of December, and than after that, I get a month off. Hopefully in that timeframe I'll get another chapter written.
As always, comment/suggestions are welcome!
Kristen