Author: Gatecrasher12

Word Count: 6064

Genre: Action/Romance/Drama/General

Game: Final Fantasy 10-2

Published Date: 3-5-10

Author's Note: It took me a while, but here it is! The fourth chapter, my longest to date of seven pages, is finished. I'm so happy! I hope you all who read it like it. The stage is set, the characters are in place, and main acts are about to begin. So readers, please do enjoy.

Chapter Four: Day of SIN: part 2

"…HEAVENLY STRIKE." Shiva's soft spoken voice was even and low but resounding, like a ringing death chime, sending chills through all who heard, as high pitched whistling sound rang out. Several hundred tons of crystal ice fell from the sky like hail on a crowd of fiends, crushing and burying them in frigid tomb, that had appeared around Seymour. The icy queen wasted no time as she continued to beat a back fiends alongside the rest of the Aeons around her, moving with poise and grace of a dancer normally not found in any creature made of ice. She delivered a series of kicks to an Water Elemental, making it fall to pieces, and preformed a Blizzara on a oozing red Flame Flan, causing it to gurgle in pain and freeze over. Shiva gave the frozen blob a swift kick, shattering it, before giving a surprised cry as lacerations appeared on her side from the claws of a Master Coeurl that had suddenly pounced from nowhere. The blue ice Aeon flipped away the majestically savage beast, holding her side, before it could get in another swipe. Shiva cast a mild healing Blizzard on herself during a mid-air somersault then rushed the large predator when she landed, carefully evading the spells tossed at her from its long, magically endowed whiskers and delivered a harsh flying roundhouse kick.

The amass of Pyreflies that Seymour summoned would be used to recreate SIN, but as within their nature, had given life to thousands of fiends. The Aeons had decided to fight in two groups, the first group would go after Seymour to try and stop him while the second would stay behind to attempt to thin the number of fiends and keep them from interfering with the battle.

While fiends were a common yet meager sight in the Farplane, sighting only a small group or two every few miles or so, the sheer number of monsters in this one place alone would amount to several acres of land in the Farplane. They all pushed and shoved or trampled and climbed over each other in a chaotic effort to traverse the winding, overflowing roads and paths while in the air the wings of flying fiends made the sky seem dark to those below. They were all making their way to the Core of the Farplane where Seymour was busily rebuilding SIN, drawn by the power the crazed man was emitting like moths to a flame.

Ifrit roared in fury, his bestial instincts causing him to go into a animalistic rage that made him see all but his other Aeon pack mates as a threat. Most of the weaker fiends to flinch back as the stronger ones lunged at him in challenge. Ifrit growled in ferocious anger as he put his long sword like black claws to use, raking flesh from bone and painting the ground a gory mess of blood and meat. He opened his maw and spat out a large ball of exploding fire, yelling out "FIRAGA!" and incinerating all that was caught within it. Ifrit ignored the urge to look at his achievements, though the scent of cooked meat was a really… tempting, mouthwatering distraction. He spied some of the smaller, edible fiends and wondered if he could snap one up for a nibble or two unnoticed. 'NOW'S NOT THE TIME FOR FOOD!' the human half of his mind scolded, 'WE'VE GOT WORK TO DO! KILL FIENDS NOW, EAT LATER!'. Ifrit's head turned when he noticed a flying fiend about to dive-bomb at the fighting Yojimbo's turned back and moved to intercept. The ronin turned when he heard a screech to see a large winged fiend, a Zu, being wrestled to the ground by Ifrit, his jaws lock around its thick neck. His once pearly white fangs dripped with dark blood as he tore out its throat. In his lion-dog form, Daigoro was hardly any better acting than Ifrit as he used his enhanced speed to pounce, maul, and claw a Dinonix to a painful and savage death. Yojimbo immediately sidestepped out of the way as several Coyotes tried to ambush him, dipping between each of them, and pulled out a handful of kunai from the inner folds of his cloak, coating them with his Kozuka power to make them sharper and faster, and threw them at the wild beasts, killing and injuring them. Yojimbo's lesser but still trusted sword, Wakizashi, bit into a tentacle of a nearby Malboro as it tried to grab him, spilling blood and other questionable fluids, amputating many of its writhing limbs with precise, fluid cuts. Yojimbo quickly backed away as the vile creature roared --acidic saliva spewing everywhere through several rows of jagged, foot long yellow fangs-- releasing green, noxious gases of Bad Breath, as to not get poisoned. The hired sword threw more of his Kozuka kunai at the massive creature's many eyes, hitting and blinding several of them. The Malboro gave a shriek of pain as several of its eyes were penetrated. Yojimbo quickly summoned his Zanmato, unsheathing it and dashed for the nightmarish beast. In less time it took to blink, Yojimbo passed by the fiend and did not stop, switching back to using his Wakizashi and moved on to face the other fiends. The Malboro he left behind had only managed to turn after him before slimy green blood exploded from its body and fell apart in ten large pieces, its remains bursting into Pyreflies.

Mindy was flying around, using the rapid fire stingers of her Passado to take out small groups of Wasp fiends and several Evil Eyes that dotted the skies with near pin-point accuracy. She easily dodged out of the way of an Oversouled Divebeak that had tried to sideswipe her with its Blight Wing attack and threw a Demi spell after it, crushing it. The little bee started peppering the grounded fiends like the Fungi with many Fira spells, occasionally casting Osmosis and Drain on the more magically inclined fiends like the Larva or the Imps when she felt her mana stores and health begin to grow dangerously low. Cindy grappled with some of the more physically stronger monsters such as the Ogre she was currently circling with. The blue ladybug rushed forward, duck under the beast's four arms when it made to grab her, and had managed to get behind it. Cindy locked her arms around the Ogre's waist and opened her polka-dotted shell, letting her wings free, and flew up a few feet before leaning back, performing a high flying super suplex on the fiend, flipping the hairy creature on its head before it could realize what she was doing. She stood over the dazed brute and jumped high into the air, coming back down at extreme speeds for her Camisade. Her body slam created a wide crater and utterly destroyed her opponent. Close by, Sandy was utilizing he greater land speed as she zipped around the battlefield, looking like a deadly, unstopping red blur, and lashing out with her glowing sickle-like blades on her forearms to perform her Razzia. She could feel her mana enforced blades slice into soft flesh like a warm knife through butter. She only had a bit of trouble with fiends that had hardened shells like the short and enduring Helms and tough scales of the fierce Drakes. But all it took to hack into them was a quick Armor Break ability she learned from watching Sir Auron, Yuna's Unsent Guardian. The red mantis severed off the heads and limbs of any and all fiends that got in her way with cold precision, leaving a trail of death in her wake.

oO0Oo

Ahead of the six battling Aeons, the remaining four had just managed to break through the wall of fiends. Bahamut clawing through the last of the flying fiends while Valefor was sending several Sonic Wings out, plowing a path for Ixion and his passenger to run along on. Anima, in fayth form, clutched the thunder horse's mane tightly, riding on the charger's back as he dashed forward to their target.

"SEYMOUR!" Bahamut bellowed angrily.

The half-Guado smirked in mockery at the arrival of the Aeons. "Ah, Lord Bahamut, it is an honor to meet one of the oldest of Aeons in person."

The black dragon growled in response, "YOU WILL STOP THIS INANITY NOW OR WE WILL BE FORCED TO ERASE YOU FROM EXISTENCE." he pointed a golden talon at the man as the muscles under his scales tensed and bulged. Four large balls of black, non-elemental energy growing at his flanks, his Impulse attack ready to be thrown, showing his sincerity of his words. Close be hind him, blue-white thunder and lighting cracked and danced in wide arcs around Ixion's hooked horn, preparing his Aerospark while bright red energy of Valefor's Energy Ray gathered within her beak. Anima took the moment to materialize her Aeon form around herself, rising high above them all.

Seymour gave the larger beast a look condescending amusement. "Erase me? How, when you are already to late to stop me?" He then raised a hand and within it a long shard-like rune stone made of time roughened marble about the length of a Blitzball appeared in a flash.

The Aeon could feel two powers within the large hunk of stone as it pulsed with light that interchanged every second between blue and white forces; one of the energies was similar to the kind given off by the Core and the other was the recognizable energy given off only by a Summoner. …But the second energy was strange, however. It was old, somewhat familiar, yet highly tainted despite its pure color.

"Behold, within my grasp I now hold the key to my ascension. All the energy siphoned from the Core, in the palm of my hand." Seymour smirked at the Aeons and said, "Thank Lady Yunalesca for she gifted me with this delightful contribution. So without further ado, let the age of SIN begin anew!" At his words, the Guado's inhumanly long fingers tightened and snapped the marble in half. A wide ripple of energy rushed out was the stone crumbled to fine grains of glowing sand and floated up to the sky. The surrounding floating Pyreflies seemed to freeze their movements in the air for a moment before they suddenly shot towards rock grains, funneling around in a helix pattern.

Bahamut's eyes widened, memories of a similar event happening some thousand year prior with Yu Yevon. "WE WILL NOT ALLOW IT!" he yelled as he threw his Impulse, Ixion and Valefor also launched their respective attacks. Anima screeched as in agony as her lone eye glowed hot white with Pain, a bloody tear trickling down her cheek, and attacked the gathering Pyreflies. They hoped to scatter the tiny balls of memory and magic whilst vaporizing the crystal remains.

"You can not stop me!" Seymour moved to cut off the attacks, placing himself between them and his work, waved his hand and a vaguely mirror-like sheet of energy appeared around him. A little more. All he needed was just a few more moments and all his hard work would have finally paid off. He simply needed to last long enough.

The four attacks collided with the protective layer of magic, pushing against it, causing it to buckle inward and crack. Seymour sneered and poured more mana into his Reflect spell. The four attacks snapped back towards their originators. Bahamut and Valefor s wings gave a powerful flap and the dragon rose above his own while the bird rolled to the left. Ixion merely stood still as his sparking disks of condensed electricity struck him, giving back the energy the attack cost him. Anima quickly intercepted her attack with another, the chains that bound her making it impossible for her to properly move or dodge -- the attack was strong and would no doubt pierce the protective miasma of the underworld that always hung around the upper half of her Aeon body.

A dark overcast of clouds hovered high over Ixion and expanded to cover the entire sky above the battlefield; the white and grey horse reared back and tossed his head, bolts of lightning from his Thundaga spell surged down from the sky at his call. Seymour saw the stallion's spell conjuring stance and raised a NulShock that was immediately destroyed by Ixion's attack before throwing a level three fireball. The fireball struck the horse in the chest, throwing him away with a pained neigh. Seymour created a Shell as Bahamut flew at him, claws slashing down. The gold digits met with resistance from the red and yellow-orange shield. Two white seals aligned on the Mortiphasms and a large boulder of ice crashed into Bahamut's abdomen, forcing the ancient beast away.

Meanwhile, Valefor hovered above the battleground, her beak filling up with energy once more as Ixion distracted the hybrid Guado, when she reached the peak of her attack strength, her pony-tail of red and white feathers whipped out in a circle in the air in front of her. Seymour noticed Valefor just as a white-gold magic circle appeared in front of her before she let go of the broad ray of gathered energy into it, causing the circle to turn, and dozens of bending beams of her Energy Blast to come shooting out at her enemy. The fallen Measter, because of his form, was unable to evade but cast both Protect and Shell before the Overdrive hit him, halfing the damage done to him. He retaliated by sticking Valefor with Drain, ripping some of the health away from her with a sharp sting. Valefor was so disoriented by the sudden loss of stamina and energy that she found his hard to stay focused as she hovered in the air. As he regained a bit of health, while the bird Aeon was still confused, Seymour conjured a sickly looking ball of green-black light that gave off an overly sweetened smell, Bios, with the intent of poisoning the Besaidian Aeon. He didn't not get a chance to cast his spell when a bolt of lightning crashed between him and his target. Seymour raised his hand just in time to catch a golden horn that suddenly speared through his forearm that was quickly followed by a jarring number of several thousand volts of electricity that, had he been still alive, would have killed him before.

Ixion tossed his head with a abrupt jerk and threw away Seymour, ripping and destroying the man's forearm in the processes. The half-Guado managed to catch himself midair before he could land heavily on the ground, cradled his damaged and bleeding arm to prevent further harm on it, gritted his teeth through the immense pain, before glaring at the ancient warhorse, "You will pay!" he scream as his Mortiphasms turn, forcefully willing them to land on three or more blue seals. When the Mortiphasms jerkily rotated to blue, did he begin to cast a high powered water spell; his body was suddenly racked near unbearable pain, he let out an agonized scream. He turned to see the colossus named Anima towering over him, an angry yet emotionally pained flash in her eye.

"YOU LEAVE ME NO CHOICE, SEYMOUR. PLEASE, CEASE THIS INSANITY NOW. YOU STILL HAVE A CHANCE AT REDEMPTION!" Anima implored her son.

"… I will not, not when I am so close."

"THEN YOU WILL DEPART THIS LIFE THIS DAY!" Bahamut suddenly appeared in front of Seymour, his maw open, a sphere of energy compressed between his jaws that was quickly growing too large for him to hold, and the golden wheel floating above his back spinning rapidly.

Seymour raised both his hands together and gathered his power, "Never!", the amass of his mana approached and exceeded its limit. "I will not be denied!" he yelled. His rarely used Overdrive activated. "Let me play your funeral song for you! REQUIEM!"

"MEGA FLAR!"

The two Overdrives released and collided. The world around the two seemed to freeze before a massive explosion erupted.

Bahamut turned and reached for his comrades.

The Aeons let out inhuman screeches and roars as they were caught in the blast.

oO0Oo

The remaining six Aeons yelped in surprise when a sudden, deafening explosion sounded nearby. They turned to see a large shockwave barreling towards them, they scrambled behind whatever cover the larger rocks around them provided from the wall of searing fire and ash. Ifrit hunkered down and dug his claws into the ground, not at all affected by the rising heat but not wishing to be flung away, while the others huddled tightly together, Shiva raised a barrier of ice to reinforce the boulder protecting them. The shockwave hit and violently threw the friends they were fighting, those that didn't have an affinity for fire were badly burned to death. When the shockwave finally passed, the Aeons cautiously edged out of their hiding spot, Shiva's shield had melted down to a puddle of warm water, and looked around. Ifrit was off to the side, shaking his new coat of ash off himself like a dog. The number of fiends they were battling had drastically decreased to less than half, leaving only the fire type Fiends in prefect health and the more heavily armored ones injured but alive. All others lay charred to black and disintegrating.

"…Must be some party Bahamut and the others are throwing." Mandy muttered to herself but still loud enough for the others to hear.

Shiva looked worriedly over to where the explosion originated, only to see a massive grey and black cloud of burning dust and ash quickly mushrooming up and out towards the heavens. "… Bahamut…Ixion, Anima, Valefor… I pray for their lives…"

Ifrit looked at all the felled fiends with slight irritation before eyeing the still standing fiends that were similar natured to him. "FEH, WELL AIN'T THIS A BITCH… EVEN WHEN THAT BRAT DRAGON ISN'T HERE, HE TAKES ALL THE FUN OUT OF FIGHTING!" he hissed through his fangs in displeasure, knowing he was mostly ineffective against them unless he restricted himself to using just his claws, fangs and what little Black Magic he knew. 'Not to mention those damned hard shelled fiends are a pain in the ass to tear into.'

"Ifrit, darlin'…," Sandy spoke as she stood, "shut your oversized pothole and help us clean up the rest of these fiends so we could hurry up to the others." she ordered. Ifrit growled at her and muttered curses and swears under breath before attacking the closest fiends.

oO0Oo

Bahamut was kneeling down on one knee, breathing heavily, with his great wings wrapped around himself. Many of his protective scales were badly scorch, some he noticed were missing, being completely blown off, but he himself was mostly unharmed. The converter wheel on his back and the back of the colored 'feathers' of his wings were blackened to match the rest of his armored scales. The dark drake opened his wings, revealing his unconscious brethren tucked safely in his arms. The power behind the explosion had overwhelmed them and forced them back into their fayth forms, by that time Bahamut had enclosed them within the safety of his arms and wings, using himself as their shield. He wasn't to worried about what kind of damages he had endured for them -his scales were thick and as strong as tempered Mythril-, while his Overdrive wasn't as devastating as Anima's terrible Oblivion or similar to the all consuming combined power of the Magus Sister's Delta Attack, he was still a great force to be reckoned with and had higher defensive strength, both physical and magical, and endurance than the four of them. …Of coarse, that didn't mean he was exempt from pain and hadn't felt the damage done, because his back muscles were now screaming with each movement he made, and knew, even in fayth form, he was going to feel the hurt later on with vengeance. His scales may have numbed his sense of touch in this body, but he still feel a strong enough blow of magic. His dignity and pride as a dragon simply would not allow him to voice his pains unless completely alone.

These were the times he wished he had Ifrit's lesser tact and devil-may-care attitude.

The black dragon's glowing blue eyes shifted and he turned to look behind him when he heard movement. "SO… YOU ARE STILL STANDING, IF BARELY."

Blood from gaping wounds flowed and dripped to the ground under the hunched over figure of Seymour who was holding himself up through sheer willpower alone. He no longer had the energy left in him to hold his Omnis form and was now back in his original body; he was covered from head to toe with cuts, scrapes, bruises, and burns. His prestigious and grandiose robes hung off his frame in burned, unsalvageable scraps of cloth and Bahamut found Seymour Guado a pitiful sight to behold.

The dead Human-Guado hybrid's steely grey eyes looked up at Bahamut, displaying both the light of greater insanity and the darkness of black rage and hatred as he stood against the Aeon persistently. Still, the man was defiant and desperate; he looked ready to continue fighting just as much as he looked ready to fall over into oblivion. "T-this is… not the end… I won't… I won't let it be." he panted .

"…I WILL SAY THIS OF YOU, YOU ARE A TANACIOUS ONE," Bahamut reluctantly commended as he lay the other fayth on the ground and slowly stood, "BUT STILL, YOUR ATTEMPTS AT POWER ARE AS VAIN AND FUTILE AS THEY WERE IN LIFE." he stated, his Impulse already taking shape. "YOU WOULD DRAG TWO INNOCENT WORLDS INTO THE ABYSS FOR YOUR OWN SELFISH DESIRES, FOR REASONS I WILL NOT ALLOW TO COME TO PASS. I WILL DESTROY YOU NOW!" He said, the four balls rushed forward. 'FORGIVE ME, ANIMA.'

As the attack sped towards Seymour, something happened. A thick wall of Pyreflies encamped around the blue haired menace, deftly canceling out Bahamut's attack.

"WHAT IS THIS?!" the dragon demanded in surprise and angry confusion.

Then, seemingly without cause, the mostly forgotten Pyreflies that were now protecting Seymour lifted him up, raising him to the sky where other Pyreflies began to amass and congeal into a strange but dreadfully memorable form. Seymour looked around himself, comprehension dawning on his face, and started to laugh. "Hehehe! Yes," he said, "Hahahaha! Yes! My dream, my power, my time has finally come!"

Bahamut growled and snarled in denial. "Bahamut!" the dragon turned when he heard the voice of Shiva call to him and to see the remaining Aeons sprinting towards him.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" Ifrit questioned before his smoldering amber eyes spied the downed fayth laying not too far from their leader. A spike of anger and worry stabbed through him as he took in their battered forms. A low, yet loud growl vibrated deep in his chest, his eyes had not strayed at the three unconscious fayth, Cindy hurried over to the four and began casting Life spells and Curaga. "WHAT HAPPENED?" he asked dangerously.

"I'LL EXPLAIN AT ANOTHER TIME, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A MORE IMPORTANT PROBLEM TO WORRY ABOUT." The group of Aeons looked up at what their leader pointed at. Hanging up high in the air, Seymour looked positively enamored with the ghostly colossal monstrosity half shaped around him.

"OH, FUCKING HELL …" Ifrit swore vulgarly. "WE GOTTA STOP THE CRAZY LITTLE JACKASS BEFORE HE DESTROYS EVERYTHING!"

"Agreed," Shiva said as Ixion, Valefor, and Anima roused and sat up in a confused daze. "Bahamut and the sisters will go to battle Seymour in the air. We will send Valefor to join you shortly when she composes herself, whilst the rest of us give support from the floating islands."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Mindy said as she took off, her sisters and Bahamut close behind. The remaining grounded Aeons began to make their way to higher ground after Shiva cast an Esuna on the three mystified and disoriented fayth.

oO0Oo

"SEYMOUR!" Bahamut bellowed as he and the Magus Sisters leveled with the maddened half-Guado.

The blue haired man turned, a slow smile twisting his lips, his eyes half lidded, panting and shuddering as though experiencing an ecstasy like no other at the rush of power coursing through his veins. It felt like a drug that left his body tingling pleasantly with arousal. "You are out of time, I can feel it… SIN, is becoming one with me." His eyes began to glow at his words.

"Damn you, vile fiend!" Valefor screeched as she came charging past her fellows, leading the other flying Aeons who, after a moment of surprise at her sudden arrival, leapt into action after her. Not far behind them were the remaining Aeons, casting level three and stronger magic spells and, for those with long enough stretching reach, preparing to use their Overdrives.

Seymour smiled insanely as the Aeons stormed to him.

oO0Oo

He just couldn't sleep. It was late in the night- or should it be early morning?- and dawn was only a few hours away. The sky was already beginning to lighten to a dull blue-grey. Of the many scores of monkeys that had made a home alongside him deep within the ancient and most sacred temple in all of Spira, the Zanarkand Dome, this one monkey drew his ire more than the others. Duster, his pet monkey and companion, who had taken an unrelenting liking to the man, following Isaaru around everywhere he went and the like, even sneaking into his room at night to curl up with him before bed or stealing away into his luggage whenever the man left the ancient city to visit his brothers at Mushroom Rock Road or in Bevelle, would not stop his insistent and continuous screeching and howling. He had kept Isaaru awake for three nights in a row now. At first it wasn't so bad, only lasting an hour or two, but now it was beginning to wear at his usually patient nerves. As sweet and endearing as the little chimp was, at the moment Isaaru wasn't so against tossing the noisy little beast out the door, especially with the way he was jumping on his chest so persistently. The twenty-four year old ex-Summoner groaned in irritation as he rolled over in his makeshift bed, sending the monkey tumbling off.

Duster, apparently, wouldn't easily be subsided. Isaaru swatted at the little prime ape before he pushed his head under his pillow, already at his wits end, pressing the fluffy cushion tightly against his ears when Duster started shaking his arm and howling even louder. When that did little more than muffle the sound, the former Summoner of Bevelle sat up in a defeated groggy haze, childishly hugging his pillow to his chest while crossly gnawing on one corner of it.

Isaaru let go of his pillow and rubbed his burning sleep deprived eyes as he whined, "Please, be quiet Duster, so I can sleep."

Duster, when his human had finally risen, jumped off the bed and started baring tiny fangs; hissing and swiping his blunt nails at the door urgently, his fur standing on end and looking positively agitated.

Isaaru yawned as he looked down at the little white fur ball curiously. "What's wrong Duster? Do you need to be let out?"

Soulful brown eyes looked up at the human in seeming exasperation before Duster went back to growling. The former Summoner's brow furrowed, becoming a little more awake with suspicion at the monkey's hostile behavior. His little friend was usually a peaceable, if plucky, little thing and only got aggressive like this whenever a fiend or a malicious Unsent was nearby. The brunette threw off his covers and reached for his magic staff that he kept at his bedside as he stood up and made his way to the door. Slowly, Isaaru unlocked and opened his door a crack, just enough for him to see out of. The main hall of the Dome was innocently silent and empty. Instantly mental warning bells were ringing for Isaaru as he quietly closed his door again and relocked it.

"The main hall was empty… and quiet," Isaaru muttered to himself, "the nighttime chatter of the monkeys and the humming from the Pyreflies are always a constant anywhere one goes in Zanarkand." 'Something is wrong with this picture.' Monkeys were territorial animals and did not simply abandon their homes easily and the Pyreflies had been here for ages already. If either was missing, for Isaaru saw not a one Pyrefly floating about or a monkey that was lazing around either, then something was amiss. As the self appointed caretaker of the Dome it was Isaaru's duty to oversee it.

Deciding to look into the happenings in the temple, the brunette hastily threw off his nightwear and pulled on his blue Summoner's Robes and tied back his hair, tucked his Mythril Knife Maroda gave him in his sash, slipped on his Aegis Bangle that Pacce gifted him, a small pouch full of Potions and Antidotes in his belt, and he picked up his Flash Stick -a nifty and useful little Al-Bhed invention that resembled a torch with a sphere on top (it held the essence of Thunder magic in it) that would never go out; Cid had given it to him as part of a survival pack before he left the city- before cautiously venturing out his room. Duster loyally scampered up onto his shoulder as she closed his door firmly behind him.

Isaaru's brown eye roved around the antechamber warily as he held up and activated his Flash Stick, causing a wide yellow-white array of light to shine around him, his staff hung in his had at his side with expert ease, ready to lash out or cast magic. He looked towards the stairs that led to the Cloister, then he looked up towards the entrance doors he had locked earlier before retiring to his room and could see them still shut and locked. The once Summoner turned towards the Cloister of Trials and carefully, quietly ascended the many steps, noting Duster's increasing anxiety and every so often glimpsing a monkey darting away from his light in fright as he reached the top. He peered through the door of the first of the trial's puzzle rooms, checking the ceiling and every shadowy corner rather than carelessly walking in. He had heard about how fiends had managed to desecrate the temples all across Spira with their foul presence a few months ago from both Maroda and Pacce and knew even before then that Bevelle's hypocrisy besmirched its own temple by willingly housing both them and machina during the time of Old Yevon. He continued through, repeating a thorough inspection of the second puzzle room then ambled in, making his way to the elevator while keeping his eyes constantly roaming around the room. Isaaru cringed at the loud grating sound when he stepped fully onto the platform as it began to lower itself to the Chamber of Fayth.

The former Bevellian looked at the archway into the chamber with a strange sense trepidation, foreboding. The doorway itself was no different than usual… and yet… the young ex-Summoner couldn't seem to shake the feeling of dread that was shooting through him. Even with his Flash Stick lighting his path, the almost unnatural darkness in room beyond just seem absorb it. It was perplexing for Isaaru to feel nervous about walking into a room he had passed through many times previously when he should feel nothing. Even Duster was afraid, for the moment the elevator stopped in front of the Chamber he ferreted his way into the folds of his human's long vest-like jacket, his head poking halfway out the back of Isaaru's collar with his long ears flat against his head and body quivering like a leaf.

'Duster is usually so recklessly brave, but now he's so spooked.' Isaaru shook his head and put on a determined face. "Right, now is not the time for cowardice." he said aloud and stepped forward into the room.

Isaaru gave the chamber a slow looking over, finding the room had looked no different than how he seen it last; partially razed to ruins and dusty but in the midst of restoration, like the rest of the temple. Isaaru slowly walked in and was just stepping around the cracked and empty Fayth Statue when his eyes just so happened to wander to it. The brunette did a double take and found his brain had gone blank for a moment. His eyes widened and dilated as he paled and stumbled back two steps in blatant horror, his blood began pumping ice at what he was looking at.

"N-no… this- this can't be happening…" Isaaru mumbled as he stepped back again. Under the cracked protective crystal casing, the once blank stone statue of the Fayth was changing, was becoming alive with Fayth once more. Then, immediately he turned around and ran back to the lift when the face of the Fayth emerged. He had to get outside to the CommSphere he regularly used to talk to his brothers immediately. He needed to warn Lady Yuna, the Youth League, New Yevon, anyone who would hear him and heed his terrible warning.

Back within the Chamber of Fayth, the stone morphed into an elongated grey-black pentagon with 'pulsing' blue-green rune-like swirls decorated across it, at the top of the statue was a cracked half sphere with the insignia of Yevon in it, but it was the figure in the center frozen in pose that sent the young ex-Summoner scurrying away. Seymour Guado's partially turned upper body was protruding from the stone, his face was deceptively serene in a perfect picture of 'sleep'. Chains wrapped around his bare biceps, chest, and collared neck; one chain rope linked up to one hand dressed in a tarnished silver clawed gauntlet placed over his heart like a shackle while the other disappeared into the stone. At his waist, where the hem of a sash could be seen, was the back carapace of the creature known as Mortibody wrapping around its master like a loyal pet.

Had Isaaru stayed only a moment longer, he would have seen a group Pyreflies coming into the Chamber of Fayth from the opposite doorway, from Yunalesca's Master Chamber. He also would have seen the Pyreflies become a withered, infirm man in his forties dressed in bejeweled robes of a High Priest of Old with light of insanity coloring his icy blue eyes watching him leave. Cradled in his gnarled hands was a broken, glowing piece of a Yu Pagoda, identical to the one Seymour has destroyed.

The old priest stepped up to the Fayth Statue, his Pyreflies slowing being sucked into the stone in his hands. He raised the shard above his head, sharp end pointed down and said in a raspy voice, "With this deed… and your sacrifice, Seymour Guado, Fayth of SIN… the Fayth shall dream again and my memory of Zanarkand will be rebuilt." He then stabbed down, plunging it into the statue. Energy burst outward from the Pagoda and coated the enchanted sculpture of the wayward Halfling. "…I, Yu Yevon, give you my gratitude for all your hard work in allowing my resurrection of SIN." he expressed thanks before disappearing into the Yu Pagoda as it sank into the bust.

In that moment, the world around the ruined Zanarkand began to quake and the morning skies darkened once more. Lightning rained down onto the earth and the Pyreflies began to gather. Spira seemed to still and go quiet in anticipation as a cold chill swept through the land. The Spiral of Death would soon begin anew.