At first there was silence. Then there was screaming. Crusaders shouted down at the beach, in the hope that they would hear a reply. The sound of horns was also heard, in the hope that they may hear a replying call. But none came. The beach was virtually unrecognizable as it was soaked red with blood. It was littered with swords and shields and machina weapons, as well as the blue entrails of sinspawn. Yuna stirred, and looked around her. She was fortunate to have survived, but her mind immediately went to her guardians, who she saw to also be stirring not too far from her. Lucil was stood at the cliff edge, looking down at the aftermath in silence. It took her a moment to realize she could not see Tidus. But before she called out she desperately searched her pouch and grasped the ring. It was still safe. She exhaled deeply in relief. She could not stand to lose it. All would be lost. And she would never have been able to see it again, to touch it again...
"Yuna!" Wakka called. "You alright, ya?"
"I'm okay." Yuna nodded.
"I said this wouldn' work." Wakka cursed. Even though he had been adamant it wouldn't work, he seemed anything but smug. In fact, he appeared genuinely disappointed.
"Where's Tidus?" he demanded, looking about frantically.
"I...I don't know!" Yuna said.
"Well he must be here somewhere!" Wakka said, and began to start calling his name.
"It is likely that he was killed in the attack." Lucil said, having returned now that everybody appeared to be stirring.
"Don't say that, he can't die." Wakka said, heatedly.
"And yet many just have." Lucil retorted. "He could have gone down to the beach to fight. He appeared to be a headstrong young man. Or he simply fell in the crash. If we can make it down to the beach, we should seek to find him there."
"Wait, where is Lord Kinnoc? And Shelinda?" Yuna asked.
"Lord Kinnoc returned to the command tent. The great loss of life shook him. Shelinda went to comfort him, no doubt to try and persuade him to return to Yevon." Lucil replied.

They made their way back along the road and down the elevator. As they passed the canons they noticed many of them had been displaced by the force of the canon fire. Much of the Crusaders sat in disbelief, just staring at the beachfront, unable to believe what they had seen. When they tried to approach Crusaders they passed and try to comfort them, their eyes simply gazed right through them. When they reached the beachfront the horror of the situation hit them harder than they could possibly have imagined. Wakka groaned at the site of all the blood, not for lack of a strong stomach, but because he seemingly could not comprehend the waste of life. Looking out at the ocean, it already appeared calm. Were it not for the fact that they had just witnessed Sin's onslaught and the aftermath it had left, it would have just been another beautiful day on the Djose shore. As they trudged on through the bloodied sand they became aware of corpses that had remained intact despite the wave. They were now being picked at by birds, and they lay motionless face down in the sand, all dignity and honour gone. Seeing it all made Yuna want to cry. She wondered how Lucil could remain so calm. Or perhaps she wasn't. Yuna noticed something different in Lucil's demeanor, a more rigid walk, a tenser composure. Yuna came to the conclusion Lucil was suffering, and struggling to contain it. Not far ahead, stood by the shore, they could make out two figures. Tidus and Sir Auron stood by the water, apparently unharmed. When they realized they were safe, they rushed to them.

"Tidus! Sir Auron! I'm so glad you're okay!" Yuna panted, having sprinted to reach them. "Are you hurt?" she asked Tidus.
"Nah, I'm okay. I think." he replied.
"What are you both doin' down here?" Wakka asked.
"We were just taking it all in." Auron said.
"Yeah, too many died today." Wakka said, sadly.
"You were in contact with Sin again. The toxin - are you okay?" Lulu said to Tidus, sounding surprisingly concerned.
"Umm, yeah. I think so." Tidus replied, sounding taken a back.
"We found dead. They will need to be sent." Auron said.
"Yes." said Yuna.
Auron guided them away from the shore, towards the Djose road. There they found numerous bodies, all dead lined up. Fortunately, there was also some who had been on the beach who had miraculously survived the onslaught. Many appeared shaken, and had suffered wounds from the sinspawn but seemed to be otherwise okay. Shelinda was tending to them, and making crude attempts to use white magic.
"Are you alright? Here let me heal you." she said, when they approached. She pressed her hands gently onto Tidus's wounds and it felt the pain subside slightly. He still felt tender, but he put on a brave face, after all, Shelinda looked awfully tired and out of her depth, and he did not wish to hurt her feelings.
"Keep up the good work!" Tidus encouraged, forcing a cheery smile.
"Thank you, I will." Shelinda said, feeling slightly pleased with herself.
As they stood back and watched Yuna perform the sending Tidus could not help letting his mind focus on the tragedy that had befallen everybody that day. How many died today? He thought to himself. He mused on how it seemed that people die, and Yuna dances. He wondered when it would stop, when she would stop. He realized that Yuna would not stop dancing until Sin was gone. It upset him greatly. He felt like he had barely been in Spira for long and yet he had already been in contact with Sin three times since he had arrived, not to mention the first encounter that had got him there in the first place.

He was pulled from his musing when he noticed O'aka standing with the crowd watching the sending. He caught Tidus's eye and looked at him guiltily. He walked over and spoke in a quiet tone.
"I made a bundle with the operation prices. But the way it turned out, they deserved a better deal. I guess the summoners are our only hope." he said, crestfallen.

The Crusaders who survived and were being tended to by Shelinda did not take their loss well. As Tidus and company stood there, watching the sending, it was possible to overhear some of their conversation.
"More than half of our frontline soldiers perished. My battalion was annihilated, too...The Crusaders will never rise again. We shouldn't have defied the teachings."
"It wasn't supposed to end like this." said a young, Crusader having her wounds tended to. "Damn it! How many died today?"

Kinnoc had managed to compose himself well enough to come down to witness the sending. His eyes appeared red, yet he kept his strong demeanor. As he stood there, watching Yuna perform the sending he could not help but express his concern and misery. "Those who turned from Yevon died, while the faithful live on." he said.
"Do not blame yourself, Lord Kinnoc." said Lucil. "Many of us turned from Yevon, and rejected their teachings. And here we stand. This tragic loss has nothing to do with rejecting the teachings. There is a way to defeat Sin without their scripture. We will find it. Have courage."
"Hah! I am glad you arrived when you did, Lucil. If only to give kind reassurance to a war wary old man." He looked at the sky and saw that the sun was setting rapidly. "If you are to make it to Djose by nightfall you should get going. Many of the Crusaders are heading there in an attempt to pray for forgiveness. I fear many may turn away from us at this vital point, and return to Yevon." he said, sadly.
"Loss has a way of making people see the divine. Perhaps in time, when they have had time to deal with their sorrow, they may return to us. All we can do is let them cope with their grief." Lucil said.
"Hmph. Wise words. Yes, you are right. All is not lost. Not yet." Kinnoc said.

When Yuna had finished the sending, and she had returned to the group, Shelinda approached her.
"Lady Yuna." she bowed. "You do not look so well. I tried to warn them. But now more than ever, you must be the people's strength, their confidence. Anyone else would be expected to show their sorrow. But you...are a summoner. You are Spira's hope. Until Sin is defeated, you must not relent. Do you understand?"
"Yes. I understand." said Yuna, taken aback. She noticed a strength in Shelinda she had not noticed before the operation, or perhaps it had no been there until now. Her eyes were different. Within them she could see the sorrow and tragedy that everyone had witnessed, but now there was a fierce determination there. Almost like a zeal.
"Are you afraid?" she asked Yuna. She said nothing in reply, only appeared shaken. She did not think she could possibly tell a servant of Yevon all of her fears. And she was right. She had to be brave, for all of Spira. Even if she was not walking the path they believed that she was, it was important to maintain the image that she was. When she said nothing, Shelinda smiled and bowed.
"Lady Yuna. Until next we meet, farewell."
"Praise be to Yevon." Wakka said, bowing to her.
"Well she certainly changed." Tidus said, after she had walked away.
"You can't ignore the teachings." Wakka said.
"A lot has happened today. Many people will question themselves. We all saw Sin with our own eyes, and came into close contact. Mortality is on the mind of many now. Many question the direction their lives have took. Shelinda, a young Yevonite who allowed herself to be pushed around, and dismissed, now seems determined to be a voice to be heard. I wonder what will come of her." Lucil said.
"The sun is setting, we should make haste to Djose." Lulu said.

They made their exit from the beach and began to make their way along the Djose highroad. It was a fairly narrow road that lay above the coast yet was nestled bellow the cliffs. Many Crusaders could be soon slowly walking the road and headed to Djose. Much of the command centre had been abandoned, and the main camps for the frontline troops had been position on the beachfront near the Al Bhed machina canon. Now all of it was decimated, and the nearest place of rest was located at Djose. In light of what had happened, the walk down what would surely have been a beautiful road in different circumstances seemed considerably morose. It was because of this that Tidus seemed surprised by how cheerful Yuna appeared to be. She stormed ahead whilst closely followed by Lucil, Lulu and Wakka. Kimahri and Tidus trailed behind. Yuna turned swiftly and waved cheerily to them.
"Hey, you two! Hurry up!" she giggled.
"She's awfully cheerful." Tidus said to himself, in disbelief.
"In dark times she must be. She must shine bright." Kimahri said.
Tidus just gaped in disbelief. He had been under the impression Kimahri could not speak.
"Now are dark times. Yuna tries hard." he continued.
"We should help her then." Tidus said.
"If we worry, she tries harder. Do not frown."
"Don't worry, be happy?" Tidus said incredulously.
"Kimahri try, too." the Ronso nodded.
"Smile! Let me see." Tidus grinned.
The Ronso stood and bared his teeth at Tidus. Whether or not it was an attempt to intimidate him or smile at him, he honestly could not tell. All he knew was it certainly did not make him happy.
"Sad." Tidus said, shaking his head.
Kimahri said nothing, and continued the rest of the walk in silence.

As they walked the road they encountered many Crusaders, disheartened. They looked completely and utterly broken. Some were in tears, others where just in complete shock, the color drained from their faces. Tidus couldn't possibly stand by and not see how they were doing. They had been through such a traumatic ordeal, and he was concerned about their wellbeing, and so he spoke to many on the road.
"The Crusaders have been ordered to regroup at Djose Temple. Not many left to regroup, but...it's my fault. My men died in vain because of me. It's all my fault." he wept.
"Hey man, it's not your fault. You did what you had to do out there. You were trying to defeat Sin. It's what everyone wants, right?"
The Crusader did not reply, he merely continued to weep in utter despair. Also along the way, the came across Monks who had left Djose to ensure the Crusaders made it safely, and had brought medical supplies and food and water to those who were having difficulty continuing along the road.
"As followers of Yevon, we believe in aiding all those who are wounded. Even the excommunicated Crusaders. They have suffered so much. I believe the time has come to welcome them back. A heartbreaking defeat it was...Yevon's blessing has spared us." A monk in orange said, when Tidus asked why he was aiding the Crusaders.
"We've decided to rest at the temple. I just hope they let us. We've been excommunicated, after all. They might throw us out." A Crusader dressed in purple said, when dragging along the road, slowly. They came across another Crusader in green who said "My comrades are dead, all because we ignored the teachings. Relying on a forbidden machina...what the heck were we thinking? I guess it's time to seek the monk's help and embrace the teachings once again."

Tidus struggled to cope. He had experienced so much death since he had arrived in Spira as it was. He had already seen the death and suffering and fear that Sin brought. But none of what he had experienced had prepared him for such a great loss of life that this operation had brought. He could not take it. He had rarely had to experience death, or pain, or loss in Zanarkand. He had lost his parents, but besides that he had rarely had to endure it. His heart reached out for home. But he knew he could not go back. He was stuck in this strange world, where the use of machines were forbidden, and comfort was frowned upon, and hard, laborious work was encouraged. He did not know how events would unfold but he had a terrible feeling more death was to come. He slumped his shoulders in sadness. Finally, they caught up to Yuna and the others.
"Hey! How much longer till Zanarkand?" he asked.
"Still a ways."Wakka said.
"First down the Moonflow to the Guado city of Guadosalam...Then we cross the Thunder Plains to the temple of Macalania." Lulu explained.
"And before that, we get to pray at the temple in Djose!" Yuna giggled.
"We can't just skip all that? Can we, huh?"
"Mm-mm. I have to pray to the fayth in every temple in order to earn the Final Aeon." Yuna said.
"That's a summoner's training. She's gotta prepare mind and body, all just to get ready for the Final Summoning." explained Wakka.
"Hmm. Must be tough, Yuna." Tidus said.
"I'll be fine with you here!" she said, emphasisng the you. She smiled at him for a long moment and continued down the road. They came to a crossroads. Tidus assumed one led to Djose, the other along the very long route that Lulu had explained. They took the north road and crossed a bridge, and entered Djose. It was an old town that had had many new buildings constructed in recent times. Djose had long existed as a Yevon town, with the temple as the foundation. However, since the Crusaders had rebelled against Yevon, it had experienced a new wave of construction and it had swelled in size. Despite the temple belonging to Yevon, the Crusaders had no cast them out. Nor could Yevon easily choose to leave Djose and leave the contents of the temple in Crusader hands. And so a mutual agreement had developed that they should leave each other alone as much as possible. However now the town was considerably empty, given that much of its more recent residents were Crusaders, many of which had died in the battle.

As they crossed the bridge there was a large tremour.
"Sin?!" Tidus exclaimed, looking around frantically.
Kimahri pat him on the shoulder and pointed towards a large rock.
"Is that...the temple?" he asked in shock.
The rocks broke a part and surrounded by a wave of electrcitiy they spread out and revealed the temple, in all its glory.
"Awesome!" Tidus exclaimed.
"The Lightning Mushroom Rock. It only opens when a summoner is addressing the fayth." Lulu said.
"which means another summoner's already in there." Wakka said.
"Another summoner?" said Yuna.
"What if it's Dona?" Tidus asked.
"We have to hurry." Yuna said suddenly.
"Right! In we go!" Tidus said.

The temple appeared to surge with electricity, but it did not stop them approaching and entering the temple. With slight reluctance and hesitation, Tidus made his way inside.

The first thing that was noticeable upon entry to the temple was the absence of torches to provide illumination. Unlike the braziers of Besaid or the torches of Kilika, Djose had pillars with great electric orbs that shone with intense blue light. Also within the temple was the familiar statues of High Summoners past. It seems remarkably empty. Usually there were monks to greet them, but in these troubled times they were preoccupied with catering to the wounded and the repentant. As they gazed around the hall, the great doors to the chamber of the fayth opened. Out came a smartly robed man, flanked by a younger looking mine and a child. When the robed man saw Yuna, he smiled and walked towards her.
"I beg your pardon, but may I ask your name?" he asked with great courtesy.
"I am Summoner Yuna, from the isle of Besaid." she replied, bowing deeply.
"As I thought! The daughter of Lord Braska. You have the look of your father." he said.
"My father? You knew him?"
"No, I have never met the man." he chuckled. "Ah, my apologies. I am Isaaru. I am a summoner, like you." he bowed deeply.
"I'm Pacce. Pleased to meet you." the child said happily.
"And I'm Maroda. I'm guarding my big brother here." the younger man said.
"Since I was a child, I've always looked up to Lord Braska. I wished I would someday become a high summoner like he was. You must have some of your father's talent in you! I believe you might someday defeat Sin."
"I...I'm not really...I've only just become a summoner." Yuna said modestly.
"Of course, I've no intention of losing, either. So perhaps we should race to see who can defeat Sin first, no?" he smiled.
"Very well then. I accept your challenge." Yuna bowed.
"Isaaru!" Maroda called. He and Pacce were now at the entrance door of the temple, preparing to leave.
"Yuna, I beg your leave. Good luck, to both of us!"
"Yes." she smiled.
When Isaaru and his guardians had left the temple, Tidus spoke. "Well, he seems like a nice guy. Good to know not all other summoners are like Dona."
"She's just a bad egg, ya? Summoners are highly respectable members of society."
"Although she must have the strength, otherwise she would never have become a summoner." Lucil said.
"Not all summoners make it to the end though." Lulu said quietly. Wakka shot her a concerned look. He was about to open his mouth and say something when he noticed something in the corner. "Isn't that...Luzzu?" he asked. They all turned round and indeed, in the corner was Luzzu. He had a blank expression on his face, and he appeared empty.
"Hey." he said, when they noticed him. "Gatta, he's...he's dead. He was a good fighter. He just wasn't lucky enough." he sounded hollow, like all emotion had been drained from him. But suddenly he exploded and started punching the wall over and over, until his hands were bloody and raw.
"Ah, damn it! He was young! He pushed his luck! What was he thinking - going up there in the front lines like that? He should've stayed back with command! Damn it! Damn it all!" He roared.
"Luzzu! Knock it off!" Wakka said.
"Y-You don't know what it's like!" he said frantically, grabbing hold of Wakka by his suspenders. His eyes appeared manic.
"I...do...know!" Wakka said. In a forced calm. It took a moment for Luzzu to register what Wakka was saying, and gradually his breathing calmed, and he slumped, looking ashamed of himself. "I'm sorry." he said.
"Why don't you...go home now, to Besaid. Take it easy a while. Rest, ya?"
"Rest?" Luzzu said, heating up.
"You need some R & R. You're hurt, ya?" Wakka said hastily.
"You...you don't understand!" Luzzu said wildly, almost to himself. "All that I've done. This is punishment for all my sins. I deserve this. I must live with my suffering."
"Luzzu. Chappu, Gatta's death, you can't blame yourself anymore." Lulu said.
"It's not just that." he moaned. "It's Gatta. He...he was my son."
There was a sudden intake of breath from everyone.
"Your son? But Luzzu, how did we not know? Who was his mother?"
"It was many years ago. I was young and foolish. I was stationed here in Djose. She was an apprentice nun. We'd speak often. We fell in love and she conceived a child out of wedlock. We couldn't marry, as nuns can't. And I had my responsibilities to the Crusaders. She died in childbirth and I brought Gatta with me back to Besaid, saying he was an orphan I had taken responsiblity for. This is my punishment for betraying the teachings. First my sweet love, and now my son." he wept.
"Luzzu..." Yuna began, but unable to speak, she closed her mouth and lowered her head.
"You have suffered enough, Luzzu. Wakka is right. Go home to Besaid. For all your decisions in life, you do not need to have the weight of the dead on your shoulders. This was not your fault. Go now, and take solace and safety within the temple in Besaid. Home." Lulu said.
Luzzu looked at her in surprise. "T-Thank you, Lulu. Coming from you, that means a lot. I'm sorry all of you, for everything. And Yuna, safe journey." he bowed.
"And you, Luzzu." she bowed in return.
He slowly made his way out, gave them one last look and a brave smile, and made his way out of the temple.
"Poor guy." Wakka said, sadly.
"'Poor guy'? 'Poor guy'? Is that all you can say?" Lulu asked.
"Well yeah, I mean, he is a poor guy, ya? He's been through a lot."
Lulu made an attempt to hide a snort, but whether deliberately or not, failed to.
"Alright! Guardians, at attention!" Wakka said.
"We are ready." Yuna said.
"All right...Let's do it!" Wakka boomed.

They all turned and made their way up the stone steps towards the entrance to the chamber of the fayth. Only Tidus lingered for a moment, looking back at the exit. He wondered if Luzzu was okay, and if he would manage to make it home to Besaid. As he turned, he heard the doors open. Isaaru entered, with Maroda and Pacce.
"Hey, you." Isaaru said.
"Me?" Tidus inquired, looking around.
"You are Yuna's guardian, no? Maroda has heard a curious rumour. I thought you should know."
"I heard it from those Crusaders. Seems that summoners have been going out on pilgrimage and just...disappearing." Maroda said.
"It could just be the fiends got them...but not so many so quickly." Isaaru mused.
"Sorry I don't know more, but...watch your back. Ain't much future for a guardian without a summoner, eh?" Maroda said.
"What? What? Whatcha all talkin' 'bout?" Pacce interjected.
"We're talking about doing your job as a guardian." Maroda said, strictly.
"Hey, I'm doing good! Right, big brother?" Pacce pouted to Isaaru.
Isaaru laughed and nodded in encouragement, then turned back to Tidus. "Please, be careful."
"Will do!" Tidus reassured him.
He and Maroda bid their farewell and walked away. Pacce lingered, like he wanted to say something else.
"Pacce!" Isaaru called.
"Oh...what?" he said, shaken from his daydream.
"We're leaving!"
"Be right there!" he called after them. "See ya!" he waved and grinned at Tidus, who grinned back. He watched and smiled for a moment as they walked away to their next destination. He wondered if they would make it to Zanarkand. Breaking away from his thoughts he gathered himself and followed the rest through to the chamber of the fayth.

Within the chamber he found them all waiting quietly. It was difficult to say how long Yuna could take inside, considering how she had been there for hours in Besaid when she first became a summoner. He began to pace about impatiently, which earned him a curious look from Lucil and a less than pleasant look from Lulu. He went to Wakka, who was usually willing to converse with him during these situations.
"We wait here." he said, quietly.
"You should try to settle down. Yuna will be blamed if anything happens." Lulu hissed.
"But I'm bored." Tidus whined.
"Well now we must wait. This is also a guardians duty."
Tidus was about to retort when the doors opened. Instinctively he looked towards the chamber, where Yuna was praying, but it was from the entrance that the sound came from. Dona and Barthello had made it to Djose at last, having missed the events on the Djose shore.

She walked in, arrogantly, spotted Tidus and smirked. "Well, well. You again. Still travelling around with quite the crowd I see." she drawled.
Barthello looked at Lucil curiously, who returned his gaze. He walked up to her slowly, as if unable to believe his eyes.
"What is it, Barthello? You know this riffraff?" Dona asked.
"You are...a ranger, no?"
"What of it?" Lucil asked him.
"Can...I shake your hand? I've always heard about the rangers, but they are almost a legend."
Lucil chuckled and offered her hand.
"Thank you! This means so much to me!"
"Barthello, enough! Get back here!"
"I swear, I'll never wash this hand again!" he said.
"Please! Touch me with that hand and i'll remove it!" she snapped.
"But I met a ranger! An actual ranger!"
"How much longer?" Dona huffed impatiently. "She sure is taking her sweet time. We've got places to go. We can't be kept waiting like this."

They waited for a few moments in relative silence. Wakka crept up to Tidus and whispered in his ear.
"Quite the show, ya? Not so good on the heart, though. Not all summoners are like Yuna I guess."
Tidus smiled and began to pace around again, impatiently. He walked up to Kimahri who merely growled lowly.
"Pick spot. Shut up. Wait." he said. That stopped Tidus's pacing.

Eventually, the door rumbled open and Yuna staggered out, looking exhausted and weak. She fell and Kimahri promptly rushed and caught her.
"You owe much to your father." Dona hissed. "All these guardians...and now a ranger, too? And I hear you've even met Lord Kinnoc. You world must look different when you're the daughter of Lord Braska."
"This has nothing to do with my father! I am travelling on my own, as a full-fledged summoner!" Yuna answered, indignantly.
"Oh, is that so?" Dona said, heating up. "Then try standing on your own two legs for once. Your guardians won't be able to protect you when the time comes."
Wakka buried his face in his hands, and even Lulu who normally kept her composure let out a sigh and look down at the floor.

They slept there at the temple that night, as well as in the inn in the town. Yuna insisted on aiding the temple nuns and monks by helping to heal the wounded, and send the fallen. Tidus and Wakka had found shelter within the inn, although they had to make do with sleeping on the hard floor as beds had been deemed a priority for the Crusaders who needed them. After a rough nights sleep, they awoke at what appeared to be late morning. Upon exiting the inn, the town seemed much emptier than it had the night before, when Crusaders had been streaming in, many with horrific injuries. Tidus had heard their agonizing screams well into the night. They awoke late morning to find the inn mostly empty. Only the most severely wounded remained. They left the inn to find the sun was already high in the sky. They found Kimahri, Lucil and Lulu waiting outside the temple.
"It's late." Wakka said.
"It was a rough night." Tidus said.
"No matter how dark the night, morning always comes. And our journey begins anew." Lulu said.
"Get ready for the journey ahead." Lucil said to everyone.
"Dona has left. Isaaru, too." Kimahri said.
"We're leavin' once Yuna gets here." said Wakka.
"Where's Yuna? She should be up now right?" Tidus asked, looking around.
"She is still resting. She was up until dawn." Lucil said.
"Yeesh. Talk about about pressure." Tidus said. "I'll go see how she's doing." He turned from the group and headed to the temple.

Inside the temple the first thing Tidus realized was how empty it was in comparison to the night before. He was greeted by a lone priest.
"May I help you, young man?" he said, eyeing Tidus's clothes with bemusement.
"Hi. I'm looking for Yuna?" Tidus replied.
"That's Lady Yuna." the priest corrected. "Lady Yuna performed the sending all night. I imagine it must have been quite hard on such a young summoner. I solemnly pray Lady Yuna will become a wonderful summoner. Please take care of her."
"Don't worry, I will. She has some of the best guardians out there!" Tidus reassured him. The priest smiled and indicated to the room on the left. "She is resting, if you want to check up on her."
"Thanks!" Tidus said, and entered the room.

As he entered he saw a nun tending to her work. In the corner lay a bed. And on it lay Yuna, sleeping soundly.
"Are you one of her guardians?" the nun asked.
"Yeah. How is she?" Tidus asked.
"She was working until dawn. Healing the wounded, sending the fallen." the nun said, looking down on Yuna with admiration and sympathy.
"Okay...I guess I'll just let her sleep for now, then." Tidus said, quietly. As he said it, Yuna stirred and woke up. She raised her head and sighed. "Ah! Morning!" Tidus said, surprised.
"What? Morning?" Yuna said. As it dawned on her she gasped and leapt out of bed.
"Don't worry!" Tidus said, hastily.
"But it's morning!" Yuna fretted. "I'm so sorry! I-I'll get ready right away! Just a moment!" she flustered about in a panic, desperately trying to gather herself.
"Don't worry! It's okay!" Tidus soothed. He left her too it, and returned to the others. No sooner had he reached the group, Yuna came bursting out of the temple.
"Yo! Sleepyhead!" Wakka greeted her.
"Sorry! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me." she said apologetically, bowing deeply to Lucil.
"Really, there's no rush...Here, your hair." Lulu said gently. She removed a brush from the luggage and began to brush Yuna's hair.
"A summoner with bed hair! What's the world comin' to?" Wakka teased.
"You could've woken me up!" she pouted.
"Ah... we called to you, but with all that snoring..." Lulu said.
"Mmm...what is it today? Everyone's picking on me!" Yuna said, causing everybody to laugh.
"Oh! You too, Lucil?" Yuna whined, when she noticed Lucil joining in.
"Once Lady Yuna fixes her hair, we leave!" Lucil said, causing everybody to roar with laughter.

They set off from Djose and across the bridge. A few Crusaders remained but appeared in good health, and were conversing with one of the monks. When they spotted Lucil, they saluted her.
"At ease. The rest of the Crusaders have left, why do you linger?"
"I'm going to help out with guard duty here for a while. It's the least I can do to repay them for taking us in." the Crusader said.
"The Crusaders deeply regret their actions. I believe it's time to put the past behind us and forgive them. Yevon shall forgive those who seek redemption." he smiled in approval at the Crusader. "Should you need a place to recuperate, please return. You are always welcome here." he added to them.
"Thank you." Yuna bowed.
"Praise be to Yevon." the priest said, bowing in return. Everybody bowed, except for Lucil, who did not move. The priest eyed her with apprehension before shaking it off and waving in farewell.
"So where to next? " Tidus asked.
"We continue to Yocun. At good pace, without distraction, we should make it by the evening. We have already wasted much time here this morning."
"I would very much like to know what this matter of urgency is in Yocun. Yuna must continue her pilgrimage." said Lulu.
"All will be made clear when we arrive. You have my word." Lucil said.
"I mean it's an honour to have a meeting with the great Lord Jyscal, ya? I mean, I know there aren't many summoners left, but what does he want with Yuna?" Wakka asked.
"Again, all will be revealed in time." Lucil said.

When they reached the crossroads, Lucil lead the way and trudged up the hill and through the bushes and plants.
"We goin' off road again?" Wakka asked skeptically.
"The Guado have no love of civilization in our sense. They prefer the solace of nature. Our route is again deviating from the pilgrim road. However, we are not going cross country. This road is seldom walked from here, and has become overgrown. It will be a rougher walk, but not as bad as our earlier travels." Lucil reassured him.

And so they spent the remaining hours of the morning walking in solace along an old road that took them far into the green country. Yuna found it most welcoming, after her long ordeal the night before. It already felt like it had been such a long and laborious journey. She felt like she had somewhat aged since Besaid, not so much physically as mentally and emotionally. She remembered how naive and inexperienced she was, and now she had endured so much pain and seen so much death. The road they walked was peaceful. The only sounds they heard were the rusling of the leaves and the singing of the birds. It reminded her of the peace she had felt when they left Luca.

They continued on in silence through the morning until the afternoon. Then, some time after noon they decided to rest. They had been travelling for hours and needed food. They found a spot on a large patch of grass along the side of the road, and began to eat.
"Not that I'm complaining, but I kinda miss having a proper cooked meal. What is this stuff anyway?" Wakka inquired, to nobody in particular.
"Dry bread from the temple. After all that Yuna did to help last night, they insisted we take it. After everything that they did for the Crusaders, this bread probably came from their own private food stores." Lulu said, shutting Wakka up.
"It was very admirable, what you for us Yuna. It is an honour to guard you." Lucil said.
Yuna just smiled and lowered her head in modesty.

It became gradually apparent to them that the air was growing thick, and they were being engulfed by fog. It suddenly felt very cold and it grew dark. Figures began to appear infront of them. They were transparent and surrounded by pyreflies. The party could recoginize them as Crusaders. The figures drew their swords and moved towards them.
"Everybody come closer, stick together!" Lucil said, urgently.
"What are they?" Lulu asked.
"The result of very rare, foul magic." Lucil said, disgusted.
"What do we do?" Tidus urged.
"We must stand and fight." Lucil said.
They drew closer together as the manifestations surrounded them. In reply, the guardians created a circle, surrounding Yuna, protecting her. They drew their weapons in anticipation of attack.
"Lulu, fire may be our best hope." Lucil said.

Lulu aimed a fire spell at one of the approaching manifestations. It burst into flames and wraithed in apparent agony on the ground. The rest of them charged suddenly as soon as the fire had hit. Combat was upon them and Lucil, Wakka and Tidus began hacking and slashing through hordes of the apiritions whilst Lulu continued to throw fire down. Kimahri kept close to Yuna, whilst using his mighty halberd to cleave through any who attempted to get near. Despite their best efforts they soon began to find themselves overwhelmed and separated. Lost in a sea of undead Crusaders. The constant assault began to wear them down and it seemed no matter how many of them they felled, more took their place.

"The fire, it's no good, they keep coming back!" Lulu shouted.
"We need to burn them more, we need something more powerful. Yuna, call Ifrit!" Lucil called.
But Yuna did not answer.
"Yuna!" Lucil called.
Still there was no answer. They looked around frantically and found her clutching a gaping wound.

Kimahri rushed to her side, closely followed by Lulu. They were still over whelmed by Crusaders, and Lucil, Wakka and Tidus desperately fought to hold them back.
"Yuna! Can you hear me?" Lulu said urgently, as Kimahri cradled her in his arms. Yuna moaned and cried out in pain, clutching her wound tightly. Her hand was soaked with blood. Lulu managed to convince Yuna to lift her hand so that she could see the damage. It was a deep, piercing wound and had pierced her side. Bloody poured profusely from the wound, and Lulu hastened to put pressure on it. "She must have been pierced by one of their blades!" Lulu said, after inspecting the wound.

"What can we do?" Wakka shouted over the chaos.
"We need to hasten to Yocun!" Lucil called.
"How can we ensure she will even get there?!" Lulu cried. "She is too weak, and we can't hold back these Crusaders. They will not relent!"
"Yuna! Do you have strength to summon?" Lucil shouted, urgently.
"Summon? In her state?" Are you mad Lucil? It may kill her!" Lulu said.
"We have no choice, our lives depend on it. Yuna, you must try, else we will likely all perish here!"
"No!" Lulu said, firmly. "I will not allow it. We will find another way."
"Lulu...It's okay." Yuna said quietly, grasping Lulu's hand weakly. "I believe I am strong enough to do this."

Kimahri helped her to her feet, and using him as a pillar to lean on, she grasped her staff. As she began to spin the staff, the ground trembled and the earth shattered and rocks burst from the ground. Then there was a great circle of fire and out of it emerged a Jackal like creature. It had a canine like physique and was hunched over on all fours although its hind legs looked strong enough to be able to support themselves. It growled viciously and snorted fire from its nose. Despite its terrifying demeanor it had a gentle and loyal look in its eyes when it looked to Yuna, who lay exhausted against Kimahri.

"Please...help us." she managed.

Ifrit nodded and leaping into the air it mustered a great blaze and rained down small balls of flame onto the army of apparitions, followed by a second, larger great meteor like object. Finally it dug deep into the ground and hurled great chunks of the earth into the flames, exacerbating it. The flames grew and grew, and the heat was unbearably intense. Through the flames it was almost possible to make out dozens of figures burning. After what felt like a few minutes, the flames finally subsided. And there was silence. There were no Crusaders to be seen, and the road was empty. But still the fog and the cold lingered. A foul wind blew, and what felt like harsh whispers could be heard. Then through the fog emerged not dozens, but tens of apparitions, possible near a hundred.

"How can this be?!" Lulu said.
"Lucil! What do we do?" Tidus said, urgently.
But Lucil did not answer. She merely glared into the fog, her sword held high, defiantly.
"Yuna weak, Kimahri protect." Kimahri said.
"We have to get her out of here. She's losing consciousness." Lulu said. As she said it, Yuna began to slip into a sleep. Kimahri shook her to try and keep her awake. Lulu, in desperation conjured up a burst of water, and splashed Yuna, who screamed in shock.
"We need to get her out of here, but how?" Lulu said, almost to herself. She looked at Ifrit who looked ready to fight. The apparitions began to act curiously. Whilst before they had been indiscriminate with whom they attacked, now they seemed to pay little to no attention to the guardians, and instead made for Yuna. Not even Ifrit was enough to distract them.
"We have to get Yuna outta here!" Wakka called.
"Ifrit!" Lucil cried. "I know I am not a summoner, but you are duty bound to protect them. Yuna needs your help. You need to get her to Yocun immediately! Will you help her?"
Ifrit snarled and glared. Slowly it bowed its head and moved towards Yuna and scooped her up onto its back. Immediately the apparitions charged. Ifrit roared and cleaved a path through them and running on all fours, dashed down the road.

"Run!" Yuna heard Lulu cry.

As Ifrit sprinted along, Yuna weakly lifted her head and looked behind her. She could see that the apparitions were on their tail, and gaining fast.
"Ifrit, they're gaining on us!" she cried.
Ifrit began to sprint harder and faster, and it seemed that the surrounding landscape became a blur as the road ahead of them twisted and turned and they became surrounded with dust from the friction. The speed and adrenaline of the situation helped Yuna remain conscious, although she was aware she was losing a large amount of blood.

Finally, after what felt like an hour on the road she noticed the tree's had become lush and green and they had an enchanted feeling to them, like man had not tread on or disturbed the area for many years. Yuna realized they must be close to Yocun. But then something troublesome happened. They had come to a river. Ifrit refused to cross and back away from the riverbed. However the apparitions were still on them, and now they approached slowly.
One of them stepped forward and drew his sword. As it walked closer to it seemed to manifest more, and solidify, as if it was becoming more powerful. Ifrit snarled viciously and raised a claw, preparing to retaliate.

"The ring." It hissed. "Give us the ring."
"W-What?" Yuna gasped. "I don't know what ring you speak of!"
"The ring!" It repeated, coming closer.

Yuna was weak, and pale. She felt clammy and felt herself passing away into deep slumber. She wanted it to happen. She wanted to slip into a deep sleep, it was so inviting, and it would be peaceful. But another part of her urged her on, willing her to fight. She drew the dagger that Lucil had given her, as she had not the strength to wield her staff.

"You shall have neither me or the ring!" she cried.

The apparitions laughed in a disturbing way and all of them advanced. Yuna poised herself to attack and Ifrit raised its claw higher...
And then Yuna slipped out of consciousness. All else faded. And the last thing she remembered was being engulfed in light.