Disclaimer: Square-Enix Incorporated owns all copyrighted material this fanfiction may include. All other materials, such as characters, events, dialogue, et cetera, all belong to Zeshin-kun.
Author's Note: At last, Chapter Eleven is here. With Seymour returned to the world of the living, many questions have been resurrected. For months, Shuyin's worked hard to redeem himself in the eyes of those he's hurt. Was that all a game? Is Shuyin actually in cahoots with Seymour? They both have the same goal: Destroy all of Spira. What does Tidus think about all this? And how will his thoughts effect the course of Spira's future?
Spira: The Eternal Discord
Chapter 11: The Darkness ReturnedTidus
When Shuyin went after Anima, I thought he was done for. For the rest of us, nothing really worked against that Aeon's Pain attack. I told him that I didn't have my Ribbon on me, but even if I did, Ribbon's effect still doesn't protect against Anima. Then, his sword blocked the attack for him. It seemed like at every turn, he was ready for whatever came at him. Sure enough, I think it makes him suspicious. How could he be prepared for everything? Well, it could have something to do with being in a huge war, but then, why wouldn't I know of any of those things? If Yuna was right, I was a dream of the fayth based off of Shuyin. That meant that we should have been equal in all parts. Instead, he had a sword that was supposed to be unsent so it could handle the power of instant death. Instead, he was the one who beat me in swordplay. Instead, he was better than me in blitzball. Things didn't fit.
Now, we stood in the Farplane, a suggestion that Shuyin was glad to accept.
"We have to go to the Farplane and seek out the fayth." Yuna had said, using more inner strength than I'd ever seen during her pilgrimage.
"I agree. They must know something we don't and they still owe you for the two times you saved this world." He replied right after, kinda rushed if you ask me .
I couldn't shake what Yuna told me. Well, she was already starting to trust Shuyin. Rikku was practically smitten by the guy and Paine seemed to be the only one who shared my idea, but even she started buddy buddying with Shuyin. Why was he so convincing? Then again, it really didn't take too much convincing for Yuna and her guardians, even Rikku and the Al Bhed, to believe that I was just some blitzer who came too close to Sin and lost his memory. Unfortunately, it also gave Shuyin the edge. With Seymour back, if Shuyin was in cahoots with that madman, he could sabotage any plan we might make to stop him, whatever his plans were.
It'd been ten minutes and Yuna still couldn't get the Bahamut fayth to show himself. He owed us for the favor we'd done for him and the rest of the Zanarkand fayth two years ago. From what I heard, they owed Yuna again for what she did for them when Shuyin went on his own rampage.
"Fayth! Please come forth! Seymour's a great threat. You know this! Why won't you talk to me?" Yuna pleaded.
"Yuna, it's been ten minutes already. If the fayth were going to show themselves, they had plenty of time to do so." I said to her, putting my hand on her shoulder to give her my support.
"I know, but…"
"Yuna, where's Rikku?" Paine asked, turning our attention to her.
"Rikku? Oh, I thought she was with you." Yuna said, looking around.
I started walking off into the distance. Something told me, I'd find Rikku further into the glen. While we were waiting before, I felt a strange presence. It was like an old friend, but I knew better. The presence was one of the fayth, one of the people of Zanarkand, one of Shuyin's old friends that just happened to have put a foothold into my memory. I followed my gut feeling.
"Rikku…" I heard my voice utter when I reached a purple and pink flowerbed.
Shuyin stood on a hill overlooking it, staring off into the distance. I walked up slowly, trying to make sure he didn't hear me. I wanted to make sure Rikku was safe before I let him catch me off guard.
Unfortunately, the guy was ready for that, too. "Rikku's down there. She was just singing. I… We should talk to Yuna. The fayth visited me instead."
"You? Why did the Bahamut fayth come to you?"
"No… not Bahamut… An old friend of mine." I knew it.
"Who? And what did they say?"
"Larea, the fayth who gave Yuna the power of her special Aeon, the Magus Sisters." He said lightly, his focus kinda offset to Rikku by the looks of it, "She said… 'Only the dream that can end dreams has the power.' I suppose she means you."
"Dream that can end dreams? Yea, the Bahamut fayth called me that once. It was on Mt. Gagazet when he threw me into some weird dream. That's when he asked me to end their dreaming once and for all." I explained to him.
"And then you stopped Sin at the cost of your existence…" He finished off for me, "It would appear you're being summoned again. I was told that you're the key and that we need to seek out the cloud of illusion. Know what that means?"
"Cloud of illusion?" Yea, I know what that could mean. Shuyin and Seymour's lies and deceit would fit the description.
With what Seymour tried to do over two years back, it wasn't too far from illusion. He tricked all of us into thinking he was some man of the cloth, taking over for his dead father. He never mentioned that he was the one who'd killed his father just to take his place as a Maester. Becoming Maester helped bring him more control so he could play out his plan to become Sin and take out all of Spira. What a creep. And that's where Shuyin came in. His goal was to take down Spira, also. He'd lied to Yuna, pretended to be me and lured her into his little game to get Vegnagun. He somehow controlled the fayth into attacking for him. He was a mastermind in another plan of evil. Both players are back and this seems like Yuna's pilgrimage all over again.
"You… you still don't trust me, do you? Otherwise you wouldn't have been so quiet. You know, I don't even intend for you to trust me. How could I ask anyone to? That's why I've only spoken with Rikku for these past weeks. She's the only one who came to me of her own free will, I wasn't going to turn down a friend." Shuyin started, noticing that I hadn't said anything since he asked me about the cloud of illusion.
"Yuna, she trusts you, I think." I told him to cover for me.
"Hmm, maybe, but that still doesn't mean you trust me. I can sense your caution and I don't blame you. Obviously, Yuna told you what I've done and I think Seymour's return doesn't help my case. Whatever the situation is, Seymour should be your first concern. Ask yourself this: If I really wanted to do you any harm, why didn't I just kill you after our first fight?"
"What makes you think I'm pairing you with Seymour?"
"Because I would…" He answered quickly, "I know what I've done and I know that if I were any of you, I'd have suspicions and doubts about my allegiance. Maybe it's from the war, but my behavior doesn't warrant me too much faith."
He was right, of course. I didn't trust him and Seymour showed up at just the right time to mess everybody up. We were standing in the Farplane because of him, the scene of Shuyin's final blaze of glory. It…
"Seems a little too perfect… He comes back just as people start to believe in me again. He starts up trouble in the same place he began his show of goodwill, deceiving you all into falling into his traps. What does it all mean? Why would he want to come back? If I remember correctly, his madness started with the death of his mother."
"The what? I thought…"
"Oh! Guys! I… Um, how did I end up here?" Rikku stammered, finally noticing the two of us.
That was perfect timing also. Shuyin was just about ready to spill some information that might tip the scales either way and Rikku interrupts. Although, from what Shuyin did manage to get out, Seymour was crazy, not evil. I know Seymour better than most, Yuna probably the only person who knew better… okay maybe that's not too true, but I knew enough about the guy to know he was pure evil. I mean, it takes a lot of darkness to reason out taking out a whole planet. Madness probably wouldn't do it, at least not in my opinion. You know, Yuna told me Shuyin wasn't the same person that his Lenne knew. She said he wasn't himself, that he was a shadow. I have other ideas. Wouldn't it be the best excuse to say he was crazy and now he's all reformed and kissing babies? Now, he makes the same statement about Seymour, that that lunatic was really just some poor soul who was lost. But Rikku was here. I didn't want to try anything that might get her killed.
"Rikku, I know… Don't worry, I can't really tell you I understand what was going on, but in any case, your secret's safe with me since this guy showed up after the show was over." Shuyin responded for the both of us.
"Well, that's all good, but I really don't know what happened either. I just remember coming into the Farplane and then I'm here. Maybe later you can fill me in on this secret you're keeping for me. I'm going to find Yunie."
Hmm, and now even more clues leading to Shuyin being a fraud of a reformed evil mastermind. "Yea, I think I'm going to go find Yuna, too. Whenever you're ready, Shuyin, come find us. I think you want to be alone for a little bit to think about all this."
We walked away from Shuyin as he continued to stare out into the glen, thinking about whatever but I wasn't going to take a guess. I'd always been better at solving problems as they come and, so far, that problem was Seymour. When Shuyin decided to show his true colors, I would deal with him. He caught me off guard twice so far, springing from the dead with all his sword skills intact and then revealing that new blitzball technique for the first time. I wasn't ready for those surprises, but I doubt the guy has too many more. In a fair fight, I could take him down. Now, for Rikku…
"So, what's this secret Shuyin's talking about?" I asked.
"Like I told Shuyin, I don't even know."
"You really sure…"
"Hey you two. Where have you been?" Paine interrupted.
Dammit Paine! Rikku could be in danger. Whatever this secret between the two of them, Rikku was playing right into Shuyin's hands by not telling me what it was.
"I was just over there with Shuyin when he came for us." Rikku said, pointing to me.
"Well, we're going. Yuna spoke with the Bahamut fayth." Paine informed us.
"What did he say?" We both asked, Rikku more surprise, me more worried curiosity.
"He said that Shuyin would know." Yuna answered for Paine, coming towards us.
Rikku suddenly jumped and looked at me, "Shuyin? Well, I didn't get a chance to ask him, but…"
I guess that was my cue, though I really didn't want to tell more people something that could've been a lie to screw us up further, "Uh, he said it had to do with me and finding the 'cloud of illusions' or something like that."
"Actually, there was more to it, but I just wanted to ask if you could make sense out of it." There he came, Seymour's new partner in crime.
"Oh? Can you remember what else the fayth told you?" Yuna asked our soon to be nemesis.
"Yea, and please, do tell the truth." Paine added, putting a figurative step onto my side.
Shuyin went quiet for a little bit, no doubt figuring out what else to lie to Yuna about, "Uh, well, if I remember this word for word: Dreams are meant to be fantasy. They turn into a lot of… possibilities, but um… something else. Only the dream that can end dreams has the power. Seek out the cloud of illusion. There lies the key that… uh, does something. I'm sorry, I didn't really understand that, but those were the key points, I'm sure of it." Or so he says. Well, then again, this whole talk to the fayth thing was probably different, too. I mean, he was probably just making all this up. He does a very good job, what with remembering to keep in the part about the cloud and me.
"Dreams are meant to be fantasy?" All three of YRP asked in sync.
"Yea, I didn't really get that part either, but I'm sure it's important."
"Hmm, well it's an obvious sentence, but I don't know, maybe there's something more to it?" Paine suggested, making sure to stress the parts where she was being sarcastic.
"Okay then, Dr. Paine. Why don't you figure it out then and give your cynical therapy a rest?" Shuyin retorted.
"… Um, Shuyin? It's Dr. P, not Dr. Paine." Rikku corrected in her usual carefree way.
"Uh, I knew that! I… Okay, you know what, forget it!" Shuyin grunted with a fake pout to fake being a good guy.
Of course, Rikku and Yuna both started laughing and falling further into Shuyin's grasp. Paine and I, on the other hand, stayed quiet. I hope she wasn't just keeping up her stoic attitude.
"So, Paine, got any ideas?" Shuyin continued once the laughter calmed down.
"Huh, what?" She replied, letting me know that she was caught under the snake's sly spell.
"You know, the thing we've been working on? Dreams and all that." Shuyin reminded, embarrassing the warrior.
"Oh! Well, we'll just have to think further into it." And with that, she turned her back.
"I think Dr. P's blushing." Rikku mused, hopping over to her and trying to get a peek of her face while she dodged Rikku's eyes.
I decided to put an end to the love fest, "Hey, Shuyin's got us our first clue and all you guys can think of to do is joke around?"
"Hmm, you're a little serious, aren't you?" Shuyin returned.
"Yea, is everything okay? You're acting a little strange." Yuna added, throwing more against my position.
I had to come up with something fast, "Well, I'm the key to this whole mess again, right? So we shouldn't be laughing it up. We should be finding Seymour so I can gut him."
"Amateur… Kid, don't be so hasty. If I know you, you think he's up to his old tricks. Well, if that's the case, why go head in and get caught in his trap? We should figure all this fayth stuff out first and then find him when we're all ready." Shuyin…
"Yea, I think he's right. Let's get out of here. We'll get some rest and think over it. If Seymour comes back, we'll handle him, but we shouldn't go out looking for him because that's probably what he wants." Yuna suggested.
Without another word, we all left the Farplane and went back to Besaid on the Celsius. In the Celsius, I decided to do a little investigating on my other half. They were chatting it up a while after we boarded, but eventually, Yuna and Rikku wanted to have some girl time so they along with Paine went to the cabin. Shuyin and I didn't have actual rooms on the airship, seeing how we both weren't really Gullwings or anything. So, for rooms, we picked any open area of the ship. I stuck by the bridge just to be simple, but Shuyin called the deck of all places. But, anyway, he was up there so that's where I was headed. I couldn't take the elevator up there, of course. That'd alert Shuyin far too easily. That's why I came up with a slick plan. Instead of using the elevator, I'd send the elevator down to the engine room and pry open the doors. Then, I'd just climb up to the deck as quiet as I can.
"You know, sending the elevator away so you can loudly force open two sets of automatic metal doors doesn't make you any less obvious." Shuyin muttered in boredom when I put my plan into action. Why is he so damn aware?
"Yea, well you're the key player in this game, aren't you? It doesn't take a genius to see how much you could make out in all this."
"If you mean finding Vegnagun and blowing up Spira while you guys are too busy with Seymour, you're sadly mistaken. Even if I was in cahoots with him, he'd want to be the one to destroy Spira."
"Oh, so you are on the same team!" I spurted out, just a bit too quickly for my head to realize how stupid that was.
"You did hear the part where I said even, right?" Of course, he had to say that, "I expected something like this from Paine. You never even saw how I was. Is this really about whether or not you trust me or is it a way to put the blame on someone for Seymour's return? I know how horrible he was in life. I felt it in the Den of Woe."
"I'm not trying to blame anybody for Seymour coming back! I'm just…" I tried to defend.
Suddenly the speaker on the deck came on and Yuna's voice shouted out for us to come to the bridge. I wasn't trying to blame Shuyin because Seymour came back. I wasn't… was I? No, it was because all these signs made it very clear that Shuyin would win out from this situation. He was just trying to confuse me!
"We've got a message from Besaid." Buddy announced when Shuyin and I reached the bridge.
"It's from Letty." Rikku clarified, "Here, I'll put up the volume."
"What is the problem, Letty?" Yuna asked him.
"You guys have to come quick. This weird looking creature showed up from the temple, ya? I think Wakka called it Anima. It… something took them! Lulu and Wakka are gone!"
"Seymour! He's kidnapped them!" Yuna gasped.
I growled and turned to my other half. Who was it that wanted to go to the Farplane again? "Shuyin, you wanted us to go to the Farplane, didn't you? Otherwise, we'd have been back here from Luca and Wakka and Lulu would still be here!"
"No, it's not Shuyin's fault. I was the one who wanted to speak with the fayth, remember?" Yuna defended for the bastard.
"That's what you think, Yuna. This guy tricked us all. Now, Wakka and Lulu are in trouble when we could've been there to help!" I screamed, pressing Shuyin against a wall with my forearm, "Tell us where Seymour's taken them!"
He tried to look away, still pretending, "I don't even know what he could do with them. I thought he was after me. That's what he said during our fight. If anyone else, I thought he'd want to go after you and Yuna, but why Wakka and Lulu?"
"He wants his revenge on all of us. He knows he can't get to the three of us who were in that pilgrimage. Plus, he'd want to save me for last if I know his twisted ways right. He's going after the rest of my guardians. If he's got Wakka and Lulu already, Auron's lost to him in the Farplane, the only person he still has to capture is Kimahri!" Yuna suggested, "We've got to get to Mt. Gagazet!"
"Oh wait!" Rikku stammered suddenly, "What about baby Vidina!"
"Oh, don't worry Rikku. Us Aurochs were taking care of Vidina when it happened, ya? Wakka and Lulu went to the temple to fix that hole in the chamber of fayth. When the temple exploded, we came running and saw something take them while they were running out." Letty clarified.
"Alrighty then. Next stop: Mt. Gagazet!" Brother shouted, turning the airship around.
This mess with Shuyin would have to wait. First, our old ronso friend needed us. Alone, Kimahri wouldn't be able to stand up to Seymour, just like Wakka and Lulu couldn't. Seymour knew that, with the pilgrimage over, they all separated to live out their destinies. Because of that, they were vulnerable. Yuna found safety with Rikku and added Paine to the mix. With me back, Seymour knew that it would be tough to get to us.
"Let's go get Kimahri!" I exclaimed, holding out a fist to motivate the gang.
Author's Note: So Seymour's after the old gang from Final Fantasy X. What does he plan to do if he managed to obtain all of them? Is Shuyin plotting something behind their backs to help Seymour accomplish his goal? Find out in the next chapter!