With Luca finally behind them, the company soon found themselves deep inside lush, green forests. It was without a doubt the most enjoyable part of Yuna's journey so far. She had nobody running up to her, smiling at her or praising her. There were no tears of joy, or tears of sorrow. There was silence. The only sound that could be heard was the singing of the birds, the rustling of the leaves on the trees and their footsteps on the ground.

As the sun rose, the scenery around them became vibrant and full of colour. Because nobody knew these paths except Strider, they all followed her lead. Not even Lulu or Wakka, who had both been on pilgrimages before, knew where they went. Both of them only had experience on the pilgrim road, which from Luca to Djose lead north along the Mihen high road and then east along the mushroom rock road. Strider's plan was to avoid these roads as much as possible, and then make their way onto the old high road. The road had been out of use for some centuries but provided a safe and covert route to travel.

It was no wonder that few people ever travelled through the forests at Luca's edge. The terrain soon became treacherous and difficult to manage. The ground became hilly and steep and Yuna found it difficult to travel with dignity in her garbs. A summoners attire was made to look dignified at all times. The pilgrim road was not one that was physically difficult to walk, as much of the road was laid out for ease of travel. But in the wilderness, nature was dominant. Yuna soon found herself with many scrapes and scratches across her robes, and she was beginning to emulate the appearance of somebody who lives in poverty, with nothing but their shabby clothing. On that first day in the woods they had gone from a relatively easy ground to travel, to a more wary one. The next day they made it out of the woods, and Strider indicated that they were now far from Luca's borders. The Mihen highroad lay miles to the east. From the woods, they continued their journey north and traversed the vast flat lands. It was a welcome change to both Yuna and Lulu, who both wore impractical clothing for cross country. Although if Lulu was irritated at the conditions at which they travelled, she did not show it.

On the third day, dry flat lands soon turned to soggy wetlands. It was in these soggy, muddy lands that they began to see mushrooms, which came in all kinds of colours. Predominantly, they were red, but there were also oranges, greens and blues, to name a few. The enthusiasm that Yuna had felt on that first day in the woods soon turned to doubt and misery. The lands were difficult to cross, and her boots were covered in mud, as was the hem of her robe. Still, she could not complain, as she looked clean in comparison to Tidus. In his struggle to cross mud with the supplies on his back, he toppled. In his desperation to keep the bag clean he had used his arms to shield his fall, now covered thoroughly in mud. The night they spent in the swamp was their most uncomfortable night so far. Mosquitoes were everywhere and the night was hot and the air was thick with humidity. The heat made them feel parched, and although they had ample supplies of water, they did not risk over drinking as the only alternative source of water was that of the swamp.

Thankfully, they were out of the swamp by shortly past noon the next day. The ground became dry again, and a cooler air could be felt, and the party rejoiced. Mushrooms were still common along their path, and it was Strider who informed them that the reason why the road to the north east was named after mushrooms was due to them being so prevalent in the surrounding landscape. Ruins of cities of old also became widespread, and although Yuna was accustomed to seeing old machina ruins on Besaid, they were still awe inspiring sights. Many tall pillars towered out of the landscape, many of which appeared worn and rusted. The rest of the party appeared indifferent at the sight, as they were common across Spira. Only Tidus appeared saddened by what surrounded them. Fortunately, despite the eerie feeling of walking through a graveyard, the road became easy from then on. They continued their course north for the next two days. On the seventh, they made their way east.

On their turn east, they encountered harsh, rocky dry lands. Rest in those parts was not comfortable, and sleep came to them seldom that night. It was in the harsh rockies that they encountered their first real possibility of running out of water. The dry, sandy air was harsh and it stuck in the back of their throats, making them sore and parched. If it weren't for Strider, they may well have succumbed to dehydration. However, their salvation did not come easily, or entirely willingly. Strider was a seasoned hunter, and was able to hunt wild predators that stalked the rocks. When she returned to their camp at the foot of a large rock, with a beast slung over her shoulder she received frowns and looks of confusion. They already had food, it was water they needed. When Strider took out a hunting knife and slit an artery of the beast and cupped the blood into her hands and drank, her intentions became very clear.
"We're supposed to drink that?" asked Tidus, horrified.
"I assure you, It is quite safe." she said.
Very reluctantly, the others drank from the arteries of the beast, until much of the blood was drained. Blood was not a common thing to drink, and it had been done as a last resort. However, the Rangers of years past had done it on many occasions, when they went deep into the wild where water was scarce. The blood left them feeling bloated, and nauseous.
"Berries and herbs I can forage. Beasts I can hunt. But conjure fresh water, I cannot." Strider said, when they appeared wary and discontented.

Little else happened on their journey east. The next day, Kimahri set off on his own scouting mission carrying only his great halberd and their empty drinking canteens slung around his neck. They heard and saw nothing of him for the rest of that day. The following morning, he had tracked their trail and returned to them with their canteens filled with water. With fresh water to drink and food supplies withstanding the long road, they walked on with their hearts feeling lighter. Even the landscape appeared lighter. Old ruins became scarce, and the grass became greener and dryer, and soon all in front of them were great, green plains. Great long grass was before them, and they trudged on through. It was a wonder to Yuna just how diverse a landscape Spira had, or at least the small part that she had experienced. She had perhaps naively assumed that it was all of a tropical climate, like her beloved Besaid was.

After nine days in the wild, they began to make their way south. They continued their course through the plains until their eyes looked apon the mushroom rock road, far in the distance. They reached it by sun down. Under the growing darkness of the descending red sun, they crossed the road swiftly. Not far from them they could see an Al Bhed travel agency. Under more comfortable circumstances, they would gladly have stayed there. Unfortunately, due to the persistence of the Al Bhed, they were cautious about who and where they could trust. The next part of the journey was difficult, as they had to descend the cliffs in darkness. The rocks were sharp and dug deep into their fingers and palms. Yuna, who had never had to endure such hard labour, found her gentle skin tore and bled easily. Vertigo haunted her, yet she remained determined. Kimahri refused to risk allowing her to descend herself, so she wrapped herself around his back, and he made his way to the bottom. Strider, who had climbed down the cliff swiftly, looked up at their progress anxiously. Kimahri, who's kin were mountain dwellers would at ease on the cliffs and made it down safely. They found themselves settled in a gorge bellow the highroad. the outlines of an old road could be made out, although it had fallen victim to time, and much was overgrown and taken captive by vines and other such forces of nature. Whilst it was not quite night time, the cliffs overshadowed them and they were covered in darkness. Feeling it irresponsible to attempt to make it any further, they decided to set up camp right there that night.

The next morning they made their way quietly along the road. They were dangerously near people now, and on occasion they could hear travellers somewhere above them, about their business. Whilst being spotted was harmless, the thought of being spotted by Al Bhed was not. The road, overgrown with green, took them east for many miles. It was eerily quiet.
"I wonder why this road was abandoned." Yuna mused.
"It was destroyed by Sin, eight centuries ago." said Strider. "This old road has always been in close proximity to the sea. You see those walls?" Strider indicated to their right. "They are no creation of nature. They were constructed in the hope that they may be an adequate defence from Sin. Of course it was folly, but knowledge of Sin even after two hundred years was still very little."
"So the road above us was built afterwards?" asked Wakka.
"Indeed. Many would tell you the high road is the one which the fallen King Mi'ihen walked on his return to Bevelle, but it is not. It was this road which he walked in solitute, awaiting judgement from people who used to be his subjects..."
"Who was this King Mi'ihen guy anyway?" Tidus asked from behind them.
"The last King of Bevelle. When Yevons teachings came to Bevelle, he accepted them willingly. However, as peoples faith in the teachings grew, so too did the power of the clergy. The clergy began to demand higher positions and more authority in government. Eventually dissent grew and fear of rebellion was rife. Mi'ihen announced that Bevelle was to be a constitutional Monarchy, and the ministers would hold the power. This appeased people for a while but for Mi'ihen, he found his new Kingship, which involved no real responsibility to be inadequate, so he exiled himself and travelled across Spira." explained Lulu.
"It was sometime in those years of exile that he travelled to the Djose continent and founded the Crimson Blades. His reputation grew, and people flocked to join the ranks of the King. Bevelle feared that Mi'ihen had left to rally an army to retake power, and summoned him back to them for judgement. And so it was that he walked, alone, along this road to face the ones who once called him King." finished Strider.
"Ahh." said Tidus. "Sounds like a pretty brave guy."
"He was a great man," said Strider. "And he won the trust of Bevelle. They accepted the Crimson Blades with open arms, and renamed them the Crusaders. For six centuries they fought in Yevons name, and defended all the faithful in Spira."
"What about the last two hundred years?"
"They began to cooperate more with the Al Bhed, and help them when they were in need. The Crusaders claimed that it was their duty to protect all people of Spira, not just the followers of the teachings. Bevelle didn't agree it, and demanded that they stop allying themselves with the Al Bhed. The Crusaders refused, and broke off from Bevelle and settled here on the Djose coast, forming the Crusader Kingdoms." said Strider.
"They should never have gone against the teachings!" said Wakka, heatedly.
"And you don't think the Al Bhed deserve protection?" Strider raised her eyebrows.
"They use forbidden machina! Yevon teaches us that it is through complete atonement that Sin will be exorcised. How can we do that when they use their machina?" Wakka cried.
"I would not take everything Yevon say at face value, Wakka. You may be surprised what you uncover if you delve into their true nature." retorted Strider.
Wakka had no answer to this and simply resigned himself to casting her dirty looks every now and then.

They continued along the old road for many hours until they approached a large gate which appeared to be heavily guarded by Crusaders. The gate appeared to be the point where the old road and the new road met. Convoys of carts and heavily armed Crusaders could be seen passing through the gate. As they approached the gate they realized the convoy about to go through was led by Luzzu and Gatta.
"Gatta and Luzzu reporting, sir!" declared Gatta.
"This is the last of them." Luzzu informed the guard.
The guard nodded and motioned for them to go on through. The gates opened and the convoy moved on. The wagon moved slowly and terrible screeching noises came from within.
"What was that?" Tidus asked.
"I don't know." replied Yuna, biting her lip. "Strider? What are the Crusaders up to?"
"I am afraid I am not at liberty to tell you."
"Some of those Crusaders that went in there, they looked a lot like Al Bhed!" puffed Wakka.
"That is because they were Al Bhed, I have already told you that the Crusaders and the Al Bhed are cooperating with each other." said Strider cooly.
"But this goes against Yevon, the teachings!" Wakka said loudly.
"And you believe that because your bigoted temples tell us to treat them cruelly because they do not believe in what Yevon believes, we should do so?"
"They have no respect for the past, the teachings tell us that Sin came from our misuse of machina."
Strider sighed. "Oh, dear Wakka. You believe the answer is to discriminate against them, hunt them, abuse them, kill them? You will not find your solutions in prejudice, only in truth."
"And that truth is the teachings, ya?" said Wakka, stubbornly.
"I see I will have better results smashing my head against a wall than having a debate with you, Wakka." laughed Strider. "Come, like it or not, this is our road. You will have to deal with your prejudices or face being left behind."
They made their way towards the gate and the guard approached them.
"Halt!" he demanded. "All conveys are accounted for, this is now a restricted area. Civilians will have to wait until the operation is over."
"At ease, gate Captain. I am Lucil of the rangers. I am escorting the Lady Yuna and her guardians to Yocun." said Strider.
The guard Captain eyed the group in surprise. "A summoner? Here? Has Yevon approved this mission after all?"
"I am afraid not, Yuna is here by her own free will. I cannot state her business to you, only that it is a matter of great urgency."
"I see, I see." said the Captain, intrigued. "Very well, I will allow you access, but you're the last to go in."
"Thank you, Captain. You have our gratitude." Yuna bowed.
"So any news that you are at liberty to speak of, Captain? I have been away for quite some time." inquired Strider.
"Indeed, you have. From what I hear the rangers have had their work cut out for them lately, spread thin across Spira. I can only tell you that there is a rumour that Yocun is to host some council meeting of people from all over. Even Bevelle will be attending, which is surprising considering the poor relations of late. Did you know they recently hinted that they may send us a formal declaration of war?" said the Captain.
"Indeed? Well then I must make haste to Yocun, I fear Spira may be about to be in grave danger."

The party moved beyond the gate and found themselves on a road on the cliff side overlooking the Djose coast. The ocean sparkled from the suns rays and it was beautiful to behold. However, it's beauty was contradicted by many ancient machina canons which pointed towards the ocean. Their purpose needed little explanation.
"What in Yevon's name is this? Machina! No wonder Sin keeps attacking the Djose coast!" Wakka declared heatedly.
"Sin attacks places that have the most machina?" Tidus asked.
"Yeah!" replied Wakka, nodding his head vigorously.
"Then why does Sin attack places without machina? Like Kilika?" asked Tidus.
"'Cause they used machina on the ship! And Sin took it out on Kilika!"
"And do you have proof of that, Wakka?" asked Strider.
"It's obvious!" Wakka exploded. "If you don't follow the teachings, and you use lots of machina and Sin is attracted to machina then you're gonna get attacked by Sin! Not only that, but Sin may take it out on the rest of Spira!"
"But you do not know that for certain." said Strider.
"It's obvious!" Wakka cried incredulously.
"Strider?" Yuna asked timidly. "Do you think that Bevelle will really declare war on the Crusaders?"
"Hm." Strider mused. "It is possibly merely politics. The temples approval rating has taken hits lately. Summoners are seldom seen on pilgrimage now, the Crusaders continue to defy Yevon, so Bevelle needs to shock people with dramatic examples. They know that a loss of much blood here will leave the Djose region at risk of attack from Sin and its spawn, so to engage in a war now would be folly. They no doubt hope that the Crusaders will yield to their will and rejoin Yevon."
"Why do the Crusaders have to do this, eh? Do they not know that if Spira is divided then we'll be helpless against Sin?" Wakka asked.
"They do know that." agreed Strider. "Which is precisely why the Crusaders seek to unify Spira, all Spirans, both Yevon and Al Bhed.
"And you really think its going to help with the machina?" Wakka said.
"Why are you so determined to judge them without knowing them? Why do you hate them? I have never encountered a Yevonite who loathed them as much as you have displayed." asked Strider.
"I don't hate them as a people, just what they do. The machina! All you have to do is look around at all the old ruins to know where machina gets you, yet they still do it, ya? It's like they can't even learn, they refuse to learn."
"Perhaps they are the ones who are learning, and it is Yevon that is stuck in the past?" Strider suggested.
"Yevon guides us, Yevon seeks to protect Spira from making the same mistakes that lead to its ruin. Wars were fought with machina, fought over it. Now look, Spira could have its first war in over a thousand years because the Crusaders decide to killing machines from the past!"
"And isn't it interesting that it is Yevon who are the aggressors?" Strider asked quietly.
"They have their reasons! They just want the Crusaders to see sense, that's all!" Wakka insisted. "Why are you both so quiet anyway?" Wakka snapped, turning on Yuna and Lulu.
"Hm. I can only speculate about all of this. Without proof that is all we can do." replied Lulu.
"Hmph, Yuna?" Wakka asked.
"I...I don't know. We can't possibly know what Bevelle is thinking, nor will I judge the Crusaders for wanting to work with the Al Bhed. I think I'd rather just focus on my task. All of these arguments are about Sin, so if we can get rid of Sin, then all of this fighting will stop, and everyone will be happy."
"Wise words, Lady Yuna. I only hope it is that simple." smiled Strider.

They continued along the road. Yuna looked around her in awe. The cliffs were a stunning site to behold. They walked high above the coastline and although she did not dare stray to close to the edge, she imagined she would see jagged rocks and a perilous drop. Above her the cliffs continued, in beautiful colours of the ocean. Some of the rocks were of green and turquoise, and others of shades of deep red. In fact, to Yuna the terrain that surrounded them looked like a gigantic coral reef. It reminded her of the temple at Kilika, and her mind wandered to the the tragedy she had witnessed, and the dead that had lain there. Looking ahead at their road Yuna saw that the ground was filled with moss, and the familiar mushrooms they had seen on the old road.

The road was filled with Crusaders. Many seemed restless, stressed, excited and energetic. Others, who appeared more fresh faced looked anxious and scared. All appeared to be busy with preparations, preparations for what still remained a mystery. Amid all the chaos stood a young woman. She wore a green robe with white sleeves with gold lining with matching headdress. She looked young, and could easily have been Yuna's age. She had an innocent look about her, and her face appeared flustered and her eyes desperate. She stopped anybody who would listen and appeared to be pleading. She did not look poor enough to be a beggar, and she most certainly looked like she was from one of the temples. When she ran out in front of a couple of chocobo knights in an attempt to stop them and got knocked down, Yuna went to her. As she approached she saw that a Crusader had stopped in haste to help her up. When he attempted to leave quickly held her arms out in protest.
"Please you must stop this!" she cried.
"Do you see what you're doing? You're just getting yourself hurt. You're in the way! We'll defeat Sin anyway we can!" the Crusader yelled.
"But Yevon's teachings say..." she pleaded.
"Enough!" the Crusader interrupted, and stormed off.
"I-I only meant to..." she begged, desperately. When he walked off with out another word she dropped her arms and hung her head sadly. When she was alone, Yuna approached her.
"Are you all right?" she asked, kindly.
The young woman's mouth opened and her eyes widened slightly when she took in Yuna's appearance. Her eyes then wandered to her companions, all five of them.
"Lady Summoner...?" she asked.
"Yes, I am Yuna."
The woman gasped and bowed hastily. "It is an honor, my lady. My name is Shelinda. I am a disciple of Yevon."
"What was all that about? Sayin' they'll defeat Sin anyway they can. What are they planning?" Wakka asked.
"You mean the one Gatta and Luzzu were talking about?" Tidus inquired.
"Mm." Wakka nodded.
"I heard they were to use forbidden machina! I had to stop them." Shelinda said frantically.
"Huh? Why?" Tidus frowned.
"The use of machina is strictly forbidden by the Yevon priesthood." Lulu said impatiently.
"That's bad, ya?" Wakka said, looking pointedly at Strider.
"Let them use whatever they want." she said.
"But the teachings of Yevon must be upheld!" Shelinda cried.
"Yeah! Right!" Wakka nodded enthusiastically, glad to finally have a vocal ally.
"But you don't understand! The Crusaders won't even listen to me. And it's all because I'm just a lowly acolyte." Shelinda said, sadly.
"Don't say that." Yuna insisted.
Shelinda merely stared at her with a surprised look on her face.
"Well, I haven't been a summoner for very long myself, you see. Still, I can't put myself down every time I fail. People are depending on me. They're depending on both of us!" Yuna pressed.
"Yes! Yes, you're right, my lady. Absolutely right!" Shelinda said joyfully. "Thank you so much, Lady Yuna! Now I feel I have the courage to finish my training. I will do my best to get myself appointed to a temple, as a nun."
"Are you travelling towards Yocun?" Yuna asked.
"I think I will. I am going where I think people will listen to me. I have heard a rumour that there is to be a meeting of significance at Yocun in the next few days. Yocun appears to be at the heart of this Crusader issue, perhaps they will listen to somebody who is willing to hear their concerns. I could present my findings to Bevelle!" Shelinda said.
"Well, we are headed towards Yocun ourselves, perhaps you would like to accompany us for now?" Yuna suggested.
"That is most gracious of you, my Lady. I would be honoured to accompany you." Shelinda bowed, flustered.
"Our first stop will be the command centre." Strider instructed. "It is still quite a hike up the cliffs, if we are lucky we should be able to find room on a cart."

They had not walked much farther when a group of chocobo riders met them on the road.
"Excuse me, Lady Summoner Yuna?" One of the riders inquired.
"Yes!" she replied.
"Word of your arrival was sent ahead, they are waiting for you at the command centre, my Lady. We have been instructed to talk you there now."
"Very well, everyone?" She said, looking at her companions. Tidus appeared to be eyeing the birds with great apprehension.
"Chocobos? Those are chocobos?" He gasped.
"What? You've never seen a chocobo? What kind of backwater island did you come from, anyway?" said one of the riders incredulously.
Tidus merely laughed nervously before backing away slightly.
"They are quite harmless when treated with care." said Lulu, amused.
When everyone nodded their approval, they all settled themselves on their chocobos, sat behind their riders, and were lead swiftly along the road.

Yuna clung to the officer in charge as they raced down the road. Many of the Crusaders on foot rushed to the sides of the road to make way for the riders. She found the journey absolutely exhilarating. The wind swept her hair, the terrain and the faces she past blurred behind her, and her heart beat rapidly. She was rather enjoying herself and her heart was filled with excitement. She looked over at Tidus who was laughing with joy, all signs of apprehension erased. When he caught her looking at him, Yuna grinned nervously.

They continued on until they reached a large machina elevator. The road which continued on ahead of them lead down to the beach, where a large unknown number of Crusaders could be seen positioned on the shore.
"This is where we must part ways, summoner and guardians. We are taking position on the beach. You can take this elevator up to the command centre." the commanding officer said.
"Thank you." Yuna bowed. When everyone was safely on the ground, the riders moved out and continued down to the beachfront.

At the foot of the elevator they saw Luzzu and Gatta involved in what appeared to be a heated discussion.
"Why only you, sir? I want to fight, too!" Gatta protested.
"Order are orders." Luzzu replied firmly.
"I'm not a cadet anymore, sir! Let me go with you, and I'll prove it to them!" Gatta pleaded.
"Guarding the command center is important too, you know." Luzzu encouraged.
"But I came all the way from Besaid to fight Sin, sir!" he cried.
"I know, but an order's an order. To your post, Crusader." Luzzu ordered with finality.
"But, sir!" Gatta cried, exasperating. When he met Luzzu's determined eyes he growled and stormed off down to towards the beach. When he saw the party approach he sighed guiltily.
"They let you through, huh?" he asked.
"Mm." Tidus said. "Gatta deserves better..." Tidus began.
"At least there's no chance he'll get hurt. Why are you guys fighting, anyway? Aren't the almighty Al Bhed machina enough?" Wakka asked, spitefully.
"They still need some time to get them ready. Our job is to keep Sin at bay till they're done." Luzzu explained.
Wakka stood there looking at Luzzu like he was about to explode with frustration. Apparently unable to speak from rage, he simply stood there flailing his arms at Luzzu.
"Wakka... "I might not get another chance to say this. It's about your brother." Luzzu began.
"Luzzu, no!" Lulu cried.
"What?" Wakka said, looking at the both of them with a look of concern whilst Tidus merely stared in shock, who had never seen Lulu so vulnerable.
"I'm the one who convinced him...to enlist." Luzzu said gravely.
When he met Wakka's eyes he lowered his gaze in shame. Wakka at first appeared expressionless, and everybody appeared uncertain as to how he would react. He stepped slowly towards Luzzu, and suddenly his face contorted with rage and struck Luzzu in the face, who fell to the ground. Yuna gasped in horror whilst Tidus moved swiftly to restrain him.
"Wakka! That's enough, Wakka!" he cried, struggling to hold him back.
Wakka struggled to speak through Tidus's best efforts at restraint. "When we used to play blitz together, Chappu used to say...He'd say that-when we won the Cup, ya?-he'd propose to Lulu. And then one day...he goes off and becomes a Crusader. Just like that."
Lulu appeared to struggle with her emotions, covering her mouth and unsure where to look. Luzzu gasped on the ground and felt the blood that trickled from his busted lip.
"Chappu also said to me... That being with your girl is good...But keeping Sin far away from her is better." he gasped, but looking Wakka in the eye with determination.
Wakka's face softened and he turned to Lulu. "Lu, you knew?"
Lulu sighed, her eyes appeared red. "Luzzu told me...before we left."
"She hit me too." Luzzu chuckled darkly.
Suddenly a horn sounded from the direction of the beach.
"That's my cue." Luzzu said, making ready to leave.
"Luzzu! Don't die out there." Wakka called after him.
"So you can hit me more?" Luzzu said, turning around.
"Lots! Lots more!" Wakka grinned.
Luzzu smiled, and was turning to leave when Yuna rushed in front of him to block his path with her arms outstretched.
"Sir Luzzu, please! Please, don't go!" she begged.
"I have to, Yuna." he said, firmly.
"Let him go. The man has already chosen his path...As you did when you became a summoner." Strider said.
Yuna looked reluctant for a moment, before finally standing aside.

They all stepped onto the elevator quietly. As they ascended the cliffs nobody spoke. Yuna looked at the floor sadly whilst Lulu seemed determined to not make eye contact with anybody. Wakka on the other hand was constantly muttering to himself and Tidus who was stood closest was able to make out such words as "stupid" and "gonna kill him" amongst the chaotic and mostly incomprehensible tangent. Strider on the other hand appeared quite calm and had distanced herself from the drama that had unraveled before her eyes. Tidus also felt awful, considering he did not know Chappu, the man was already a person of significance to Tidus, as it was his sword that he carried, as well as apparently physical similarities. He was now beginning to understand why it was so difficult for Lulu to travel with him, and he felt sorry for her.

They reached the summit and stepped off the elevator. Before them lay the peak of the cliffs. An old watch tower ahead of them, which was obviously the command centre. Immediately before them were countless canons all lined up and aimed at the ocean. Wakka growled his disapproval and stepped approached one of them. At first it appeared as though he was merely inspecting it with curiosity, but suddenly he gave the canon a strong kick and howled in agony as his foot collided with the hard metal.
"OW! Curse these things!" he groaned as he hobbled around.
"He really hates them, huh?" Tidus said, worried.
"Chappu...He left the sword Wakka gave him in Besaid. And he fought with an Al Bhed machina weapon instead." she sighed sadly, giving the sword that Tidus carried a swift glance.
"That's got nothing to do with it! I just hate these sacrilegious contraptions!" Wakka called at them. "And what on earth are you doin'? You're a Crusader and you're actually gonna use that thing?" Wakka said to the Crusader inspecting the canon.
"The cannon got out of place when we fired a test shot. Packed too much powder, I guess. I have to set her in place before the operation." the Crusader replied.
Wakka appeared annoyed at the Crusaders response but said no more.
"Will these canons actually hurt Sin?" Tidus asked.
"Once Sin emerges from the sea, we'll commence firing. Our shots should stun it long enough for the Al Bhed machina to finish it off. We just fired a test shot, and this puppy roars! It near knocked me out. Heck, it probably echoed as far as Luca! Sin's gonna be a huge target. We probably won't even have to aim." said another Crusader, grinning.
"Grrr... It won't work anyway." Wakka said stubbornly.
"Don't say that." Yuna frowned. "It might be a hopeless campaign, and it might mean defying Yevon...But the Crusaders and the Al Bhed - they're doing their best to defeat Sin. They want to rid Spira of Sin forever. And that's just what we want, too, isn't it?"
"Hmph! All right, all right! But I still think machina are bad news. They're forbidden for a reason!" Wakka said, folding his arms.

They made their way towards the command centre. Along they way plenty of Crusaders could be seen practicing, many of whom were children who were apparently too young to join the fighting on the beach. Along their way they saw a young man and a child sparring with each other.
"Come on! Swing like a man! Do you wanna avenge your sister or don't you?" he shouted at the kid.
"I'm gonna beat Sin! I'm gonna beat it! I'm gonna beat it no matter what!" the kid said with determination, as he struck aggressively with all the strength he could muster. The young boy appeared to be no older than ten years old.
"Okay, come on now! Pretend I'm a fiend!" The young man encouraged.
"Die, die, die!" The child cried.
When they were out of earshot Yuna spoke. "I hope they won't be allowing children to fight..." she said, biting her lip.
"Does that really happen?" Tidus asked incredulously, looking back at the child.
"Sometimes." Wakka said sadly. "We fight to protect our kids, but you can never know when fiends will attack, ya? In some parts of Spira, if you are strong enough to pick up a weapon, you pick one up. Not everyone is lucky enough to come from a city like Bevelle or Luca."
"Luca didn't seem really that big to me, are you telling me Spira has only two cities?" Tidus asked.
"Luca is the second largest city in Spira." said Yuna.
"I thought every town was little. You know, like Besaid and Kilika."
"Towns don't usually get bigger than that. Because when a lot of people start to gather..." said Yuna.
"Sin...?" asked Tidus, glumly.
"Mm." said Yuna, sadly.
"What about Luca? Wasn't it safe there?"
"It's not any different, but the stadium is there. The Crusaders fight to protect it with all their strength." Lulu said.
"They protect the stadium?" Tidus said, his jaw dropping.
"Blitzball's really the only entertainment that we have, ya? Spira's a little short on fun these days." Wakka explained.
"Whoa! Talk about pressure!" Tidus whistled.
"That's right!" Yuna laughed. She hesitating for a moment, looking at Tidus. "Is Zanarkand like this, too?" she asked apprehensively, aware of Lulu and Wakka's reactions. Tidus appeared embarrassed and rubbed his neck absentmindedly. He looked at Wakka who appeared to be eyeing him with both slight amusement and concern, and Lulu who betrayed no emotion, but pierced him with her eyes.
"Hmmmm. Well, there are more buildings. All tall ones and cramped together." he mused.
"Oooooh! They must be so tall! Don't you ever get dizzy?" Yuna said excitedly.
Tidus laughed. "Nah, not really! Let's go, shall we?"