"Ow oww owwww!" cried Tidus as Yuna pummelled his shoulder.

"Fiends!" she screamed. "In the garden! Please wake up!"

Tidus groaned and turned on his bedside lamp. Light immediately filled the room making Yuna's eyes sting. Tidus' hair was a mess and drool was hanging from his lip. He was in no fit state to fight fiends, not after drinking rum last night. Granted, he had not gotten drunk like Wakka, but he was still suffering. She'd have to fight them herself. But how? The only black magic spell she could use was thunder.

Didn't Wakka say that the fiends were coming from the sea? Water fiends were susceptible to thunder magic. She had to try.

She jumped out of bed and held onto her bump as she scurried across the room, as if her hands alone would be able to protect the fragile foetus inside of her. She grabbed her staff from the side of the wardrobe, put on her night robe and walked into the hallway, which was pitch black. She turned on the lights and made for the screen door at the back of the house.

"Yuna, don't go out there!"

She turned around. Tidus was standing behind her with his sword grasped tightly with both hands.

"Stay here! I'll go out there and slice 'em up. You can heal me from the doorway."

"Be careful!" she cried as he sidled past her into the torrent of rain.

Visibility was low. She could see long, dark shadows lurking in the background. The monsters looked like some kind of serpent. One hissed and the rest soon followed as if in song. Tidus lifted his sword into the air, jumped into the affray of fiends and swung his sword round in an arc. Pyreflies erupted into the air, and danced wildly in the rain before disappearing, but more serpents crawled out of the sea to take the place of those that had fallen.

There was another hiss. Yuna could have sworn it sounded fiercer. Suddenly Tidus screamed out in pain.

"Tidus!"

Yuna raised her arms and spread her fingers. Tendrils of pure white magic cascaded from her fingers, undeterred by the rain and encircled Tidus' body. He glowed bright for a second or two and in those moments Yuna could see the valiant yet pained expression upon his face. He was doing this for his family. She also saw the two large puncture wounds on his neck.

Poisoned? She thought.

She conjured the Esuna spell. Shards of magic erupted from her fingers and surrounded the bite marks, but she could tell in an instant that the poison hadn't been dispelled from his body. His body was weakening and his chest was heaving as he struggled to breathe. There was another almighty hiss as another serpent sunk its venomous fangs into Tidus' neck.

"Leave him alone!" Yuna screamed.

"Yuna… Run… Save yourself…" Tidus tried to shout. Each word sounded painful.

"Never!"

"Think of…the baby…"

There was a sickening thud as something hard and heavy hit the deck. Yuna flung the Curaga spell at her lover and saw him lying there, eyes wide open, his mouth gaping as the serpents, sickeningly grotesque, slithered all over his body. They were green and slimy, with huge sharp scales running along their backs. Their eyes were red, the colour of rubies and blood. Their fangs were about two inches long.

She looked at Tidus one last time and thought about using her Revive spell to bring him back, but she dismissed the thought. He was beyond reviving. He was gone.

Think of the baby…

His last words. Without looking back, Yuna turned around and ran from the house. She bolted through the rain as serpents slithered from the sea and up onto the boardwalk. She could hear people screaming and sobbing. She heard a splash as a man fell into the water. He didn't make a sound and had probably died before he hit the water.

A child ran past her. She hurled a Cure his way, not knowing if it would do anything to save his life. But she had to do something. Swords were clashing and Pyreflies were dancing in the air as more serpents were slain. She continued down the boardwalk, passing ruined huts and grotesque serpents. She eventually made it to Wakka and Lulu's house and could hear the sound of Lulu's frightening Thundaga spells ricochet off the surrounding buildings.

Oh, how she prayed they were alright…