A.N: Woohoo! A new Guardian has joined, but the minions of evil grow stronger! Wait, what? NOOOOO! Oh well. Anyways, we get to see Guadosalam and the Farplane. Really sorry for the long wait, and I won't bother you with the details. But I'm back now. Hopefully, for a bit longer than one chapter, too.
Disclaimer:
Jack Morris: Hey, wait, I'm doing this now? Why me?
Dark Diablo: Well, Jonathan's late, and I'd really like this done and over with.
Jack Morris: *sigh...* None of the elements used in this story, from game plot details, all the way down to this story's failure of a cover image, are owned by Dark Diablo. They are owned by their respective owners. Only I am rightfully claimed by him.
Dark Diablo: There, you see? What's so hard about- wait a minute, what was that about the cover image?! I'll have you know that I tried to work on that to present a good image of you!
Jack Morris: And now for dynamic exit-time! Catch ya later! *sprints out of the room in Winged Boots*
Dark Diablo: Get back here, you ungrateful little...! *teleports out of the room*
Final Fantasy: Aria of Ruin
Chapter Thirteen: Requiem for the Gods
Tidus and the young girl that he was arguing with wasted little time in turning to see the rest of the Guardians walking up. Jack thought that he had noticed a hint of recognition in Yuna's eyes when she saw the young girl, but it seemed to last only a moment before fading. "Friend of yours?", Wakka asked, pointing to the young girl. "Uh, you could say that", Tidus replied in confirmation. "Pleased to meet you! I'm Rikku!", was his friend's reply. The star player nodded at this. "Yuna, Lulu... I told you about her, remember? She was the one who helped me before I was washed up on Besaid!", he said. Silence followed for a second. "She's an Al Bhe... beh, beh, he he he", Tidus was about to add before reducing it to a soft laugh.
"Wow, so you, like, owe her your life! What luck meeting you here, ya? Praise be to Yevon!", Wakka said, bowing to Rikku. The young girl didn't seem to like the bow, though. "So, uh, Rikku, you look a little beat up! You okay?", the blitzer asked. "Uh, Wakka?", Lulu asked suddenly, catching Wakka's attention. "Huh? What?", he replied. "There's something we need to discuss", Yuna answered, frowning. "Oh, go ahead", the blitzer replied, nodding. Rikku walked toward the summoner and Lulu. "Girls only! Boys please wait over there", the young girl said, pointing. "Right. Sorry, Wakka", the black mage apologized. As the three girls left, Wakka groaned, obviously in complete disagreement.
"Dunno about you guys, but I'm gonna go have a bird's eye view of the area", Jack said as he ran towards a pair of trees, intent on climbing as high as he could manage. "How're you gonna manage that?", Wakka asked, having taken his mind off what the three females were doing, if only momentarily. A quick glance showed the hunter jumping between the two trees. "Whoa!", the blitzer added. "Yeah, did I mention Jack has this weird wall jumping ability? I'm still wondering how he managed to pull that off", Tidus said, having seen this in action back on Kilika.
Jack just merely chuckled at that, having heard the question from his current place on the taller of the two trees. Having reached what was best for the bird's eye view, he looked around, starting with the path ahead. A seemingly empty road that led to what appeared to be the open base of a really large tree was what greeted him. "Well, that looks like our destination", the hunter muttered under his breath. Looking away, however, gave him a rather shocking sight. "Sin...!?", Jack asked, more out of disbelief than anything else. Sure enough, though the view was blocked by some of the taller trees around the area, there was the great beast itself, far off in the distance. What proved very unsettling was that Sin seemed to glare back, almost as if knowing of the hunter's presence.
"Sir Auron... I would like Rikku to be my Guardian", the hunter heard Yuna say, prompting him to glance down at the rest of the group. Evidently, the females had finished their discussion, and had returned. Everyone who was nearby blinked in surprise, not expecting what had been asked. The silent guardian calmly walked over to Rikku and looked down at her. As if intimidated, the young girl lowered her head so her face wouldn't be seen. "Show me your face", Auron requested, nodding once. Rikku blinked. "Huh?", she asked. "Look at me", he clarified. Rikku did as she was asked.
Or, rather, she partly did so. She tilted her head up, but her eyes remained closed. If the red-robed man was getting annoyed, he certainly didn't show it. "Open your eyes", Auron said calmly. Rikku opened one eye, sighing. "As I thought", the red-robed man muttered. Rikku opened the other eye, looking embarrassed. "Um... no good?", she asked. Auron stepped back. "Are you certain?", he asked. "A hundred percent. So anyway, can I?", the young girl answered. "If Yuna wishes it", the red-robed man answered, turning around and walking away. "Yes, I do", Yuna said, nodding. "Hmph", Wakka said, folding his arms. Tidus looked at him.
"Rikku's a good girl. She helped me a bunch", the star player said proudly. "Well, I'm for it. The more, the merrier", Wakka replied, nodding. That prompted Rikku to smile. "Then I'll just have to be the merriest!", she responded. The blitzer smiled and nodded in agreement. "Rikku at your service!", the young girl added. Smiles could be seen in response to that on most of the group, before Yuna had looked warily around. "Where's Jack? Wasn't he here a minute ago?", she asked. At that point, Jack jumped down towards the ground level, intent on alerting the group of what he had seen moments prior.
The sudden landing took the summoner and Rikku by surprise. "Hey! Watch the landing, buster!", was the latter's warning, as the hunter had landed rather dangerously close to the two. The slightly paled look that Jack had didn't go unnoticed, though. "Jack, what'd you see up there?", Tidus asked. "I think... Sin's watching us closely...", was the hunter's reply. Predictably, most of the group stiffened at this. "We'd better get moving. Rikku will have to prove herself along the way", Jack added, certainly not going to blame them for their reaction. He definitely wasn't expecting to see the great beast, far off in the distance, glaring right back at him.
To everyone's relief, despite the sighting, their journey was undisturbed. The little events that did dare to disturb the group were mostly solid opportunities for Rikku to prove her worth in battle. Not only did she have a fair degree of skill with her claw weapons, but she was also a skillful thief that also possessed a talent for mixing items. That was something Jack would have welcomed back when he was dealing with Castlevania. It wasn't long when they found the entrance to what the hunter assumed was Guadosalam. As they went to enter the town itself, they ran into a strange humanoid being. "We have been expecting you, Lady Yuna. Welcome to Guadosalam", he greeted. The being was vastly different from a human, from its hair style to its green skin tone, though the clothing he wore definitely showed his faith in Yevon.
"This way, my lady. This way", the being said. Jack sensed that the being meant well, but regardless, he was cautious when it reached to take Yuna. "Ah, uh, me?", she asked, almost as if embarrassed to be receiving attention of this sort. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!", Wakka called out, rushing to her side. The hunter did the same. "Oh, I beg your pardon. I am called Tromell Guado", the being said, bowing. 'So that's a Guado. Hmm. He seems to mean well. Still...', Jack thought. "I am in the direct service of our leader, the great Seymour Guado. Lord Seymour has very important business with Lady Yuna", Tromell continued. This did not help much for relaxing the hunter, but it was something. "Business with me? Whatever could it be, I wonder?", Yuna asked, confused. Tromell nodded. "Please, come inside the manor. All will be explained. Of course, your friends are also welcome", he said.
He left the area, along with everyone but Tidus, Jack, and Rikku. "Twist our arms, why don't ya?", the young girl murmured. "Tell me about it, Rikku", the hunter mused silently. After a minute or so of Rikku teaching the other blondes about the idea of customizing their equipment with items acquired over the course of their journey, the three followed everyone else, along with Tromell into the manor. "This looks like a cozy place to live in", Jack noted silently as he looked over the manor's entrance hall, before standing with Yuna and Kimahri by another set of doors. "Why does he want to see me...?", the summoner asked, more to herself than anyone. The hunter could only shrug in reply. "Kimahri not like Maester Seymour", the Ronso said simply. Yuna, needless to say, was more than shocked at this and attempted to shush Kimahri.
"Yuna, as much as I hate to admit it, Kimahri might be onto something here. Though Maester Seymour hasn't done anything of any ill will to us, something about him rubs me the wrong way", Jack commented, silently enough that only the two could hear. He was lucky for that, as not even two seconds later, Tromell came through the doors next to the three. "This way, please", he requested, and everyone followed him into what appeared to be a large dining room with a large table of food. "I will go inform Lord Seymour. Please wait here", Tromell said before he left, leaving the group with the rather generous food supply.
Everyone noticed the rather dreamy look on Jack's face as he eyed the food. "So much food...", were his eloquent words as he quickly went to sit at the table, grabbing an apple as he did so. "Whoa... hit a soft spot?", Tidus asked, sounding amused by this. "Looks like we might have", Yuna added as Rikku joined along with the hunter. "I get the feeling he called us up here for more than just dinner, though...", Wakka said. Lulu simply went to the table, probably to ensure that the hungry blondes didn't eat their way into a food coma. "Mmmm! This is good!", Rikku said as she dug into the food, Jack not far behind her in following suit.
By this point, Tromell had made it back, and grew a smile when he noticed the two blondes digging in, before turning his attention towards Yuna. "Truly, it is good to have guests again. Since Lord Jyscal passed away, these halls have been too quiet", he said, making his presence known to everyone. "The death of Lord Jyscal is a great loss, for all of Spira", the summoner replied. "Lord Jyscal sounds like a person with a big heart. Probably would have gotten along great with him", the hunter remarked silently. "Lord Jyscal brought the teachings of Yevon to the Guado. Even without that, he has worked so hard to improve his people's relations with the rest of Spira. Truly, he is a great man", Lulu responded, having heard that.
"Truly, a loss for us all", Tromell said, sorrowfully holding a hand over his chest. He seemed to shake the sorrow off rather quickly, though. "But now, a new leader, Lord Seymour, has come before us. Lord Seymour is the child of a Guado and a human", he added, standing by the table opposite from the blondes at this point. 'Seymour, the child of a human and a Guado? No wonder his portrait looked the most human out of the bunch', Jack thought, remembering the series of portraits that he had seen in the entrance hall of the manor. "He will be the tie that binds our two races together. But, that is not all, I think", Tromell continued further.
The group seemed to beckon him to finish his train of thought, the hunter especially. "Lord Seymour... he will surely become the shining star that lights the way for all the peoples of Spira", he finished. 'Okay, so if it really sounds so hopeful... why do I keep getting a bad feeling about him?', Jack thought, but dared not say it out loud. "That is enough, Tromell. Must I always endure such praise?", a familiar voice called out. Glancing towards the other side of the room, the group saw none other than Seymour himself, having now entered from the leftmost set of doors. In greeting, he performed the Yevon prayer bow. "Welcome", the Maester added.
"You... wanted to see me?", Yuna asked shyly. "Please, make yourselves at home. There's no rush", Seymour said in reply. "Please, keep this short. Yuna must rush", Auron requested, short and to the point. "Geez... all I wanted was food, and he ruins it. What a meanie", Jack muttered under his breath. He had actually contemplated throwing the apple he had just grabbed out of the stash of food at the red-robed man, but decided not to. His parents had taught him better manners than that, after all. "Pardon me. It has been a long time since I had guests", the Maester said in apology to Auron, before turning his attention to Yuna. "Lady Yuna, this way", he added. Hesitantly, the summoner stepped forward, her guardians not far behind her at this point.
The next thing Jack knew, the group, along with Seymour, had stepped out onto what seemed to be empty space. The same hymn that had been heard in the temples at Kilika and Djose returned, once again with a feeling of calm, inner peace instilled in the listeners. Large pyreflies flew past them now, leaving everyone save for Auron and Kimahri amazed at the sight. "This sphere is a reconstruction created from the thoughts of the dead that wander the Farplane", Seymour said as a huge city began to materialize from the pyreflies. The group continued to look on in amazement and wonder as the city now flew past them, until at last, they found themselves on solid ground, among a large crowd of people walking across the street they now stood upon.
The voice of a man over a loudspeaker announcing the latest blitzball news, however, especially gave Tidus a moment of shock. "Zanarkand!", he cried out. "Correct. Zanarkand... as it looked one thousand years ago", the Maester replied. "Zanarkand? The Zanarkand? Looks like you weren't kidding, Tidus. Definitely looks futuristic compared to my home", Jack remarked to the star player, who had a smile now. Again, the city began to fly past the still amazed group, through a series of metal hoops, probably meant to serve as a tram tunnel. "The great and wonderous machina city, Zanarkand. She once lived in this metropolis", Seymour said, arousing everyone's attention by this point. Auron grunted in acknowledgement at this. "She, who?", Yuna asked the Maester, who simply gazed ahead.
A few seconds later, the group found themselves whisked away from Zanarkand into another room, this one looking to be a master bedroom of sorts. Jack's attention was sealed on the lone silver-haired woman on the bed, wearing little to hide her modesty. "Lady Yunalesca!", the summoner cried out, obviously in recognition. "Yuna-wha...?", Jack asked, confused at this. "She was the first person to defeat Sin, and save the world from its ravages", Seymour explained. "Ah... makes sense now", the hunter added in reply. "And you have inherited her name", the Maester added, glancing at Yuna now. "It was my father who named me", she replied.
"Lord Braska was entrusting you with a great task. He wanted you to face Sin, as Lady Yunalesca did", Seymour said. By this point, Jack had taken to sitting down on the floor now, still looking around the room in amazement. "However, Lady Yunalesca did not save the world alone. To defeat the undefeatable Sin... it took an unbreakable bond of love- of the kind that binds two hearts for eternity", the Maester added. The sound of footsteps clanking across the bedroom floor aroused everyone's attention. Looking back to the doorway, the group saw a man in glorious armor stepping towards Yunalesca- and through Yuna in the process- stopping once he reached her. The two shared an embrace as the summoner looked to Seymour.
As the two faded away, the room suddenly became much brighter, enough that most were unable to see what was happening. Jack, however, was not one of those so affected, and had a clearer idea. Though it wasn't much better than everyone else, he did see Seymour whispering something to Yuna. That something proved to be a shock, as the summoner gasped in reaction. And that was all the hunter had seen before even he was blinded by the sudden brightness.
As the blinding flash of light cleared away, everyone found themselves back in the dining room, with a very red-faced Yuna rushing towards a cup of water. She made no hesitation in drinking said water once she reached it, even going so far as to down it all in one gulp. A sigh of relief was heard once she was done, though her face remained red. Jack took the opportunity to approach the summoner, genuinely curious as to what the curses just happened. "Yuna, you alright...?", he asked. A quick nod was all he got from Yuna before she rushed towards the other two blondes. "Wow... your face is beet red!", Rikku pointed out in amazement. "He... he asked me to marry him", the summoner answered.
"He did...?", Jack asked, completely taken by shock at this. He was positive he didn't hear that right. A glance at Seymour's direction proved to be all the proof needed, if that smile of his was any indication. "You serious?", Tidus asked. Auron looked at Seymour seriously. "You know what Yuna must do", he said. "Of course. Lady Yuna, no, all summoners are charged with bringing peace to Spira. But this means more than just defeating Sin. She must ease all the suffering of Spira. She must be a leader for the people. I proposed to Lady Yuna as a Maester of Yevon", Seymour replied.
'As a Maester...? Oh hell no! You really are out of your league on this one, pal!', Jack thought, completely unamused now that the shock had worn off. So that's what he called the summoner over for, the equivalent of a political marriage. And most political marriages he was aware of... didn't end well. "Spira is no playhouse. A moment's diversion may amuse the audience but it changes nothing", Auron said, shaking his head. "Even so, the actors must play their parts", Seymour replied, before walking to Yuna. "There's no need to answer right away. Please, think it over", he added to the summoner. The red-robed man nodded. "We will do so, then. We leave", Auron replied.
The Maester nodded. "Lady Yuna, I await your favorable reply", he said before everyone began to leave the manor. "Why are you still here, sir?", Seymour asked suddenly in Auron's direction. The red-robed man merely stopped as if to acknowledge having heard the question. "I beg your pardon. We Guado are keen to the scent of the Farplane", the Maester said in apology. That prompted Tidus to sniff Auron, interestingly enough, though the latter did not even look amused as he shoved the former aside. Right in the perfect place for Jack to slap him over the head. "Ack! Hey!", Tidus cried out. "Didn't your parents teach you better than that...?", the hunter asked, also unamused. The star player did not give a reply at this, and he only walked out of the manor.
"What a bunch of...", Jack began under his breath. "You", the Maester began, now in the hunter's direction. Jack glanced around, and to his discredit, he was the only one of the group still inside by this point. "Me?", he asked as he looked at Seymour now. "Do you really think I know nothing about the artifact that you hide so well from your allies?", the Maester asked. That sent the hunter into full alert. As far as he was aware, only two people knew anything in particular about what was being implied here, and they definitely wouldn't have said this to anyone not in the group, even if their very lives depended on it. "Don't know what you're talking about", Jack said, hoping that the shock of what had just happened didn't show.
To his relief, Seymour chose not to push the issue, though whether it was for good or ill, the hunter couldn't tell. "Very well, then. I suppose I should leave you to catch up with your fellow guardians", he said finally. That was all Jack needed, and once he got out of the Maester's sight, he sprinted out of the manor.
"Yuna, the high summoner's daughter. Seymour, the leader of the Guado. Married in the name of Yevon, overcoming the barriers of race. It would give Spira something cheery to talk about, for a change", the hunter heard Lulu comment after he had exited the manor. "Sounds just like a passin' daydream, like Auron says", Wakka said in reply, indicating he didn't believe it would be feasible. "Come on, let's just get on with the pilgrimage! I mean, marriage?", Tidus added, completely unamused with the whole thing. Jack thought he detected a hint of jealousy in that, though. "Hmm... jealous?", Rikku asked, clearly thinking the same thing. "What? No way! We gotta defeat Sin. Romance can wait!", the star player replied in his defense. 'Horrible liar...', the hunter thought with amusement.
"He sure picked a fine time to lay this one on us", the blitzer added. "Maybe it is a fine time", Yuna said, much to everyone else's shock. "You serious?", Tidus asked. "If my getting married would help Spira... if it would make people happy... if I could do that for people... maybe I should do what I can", the summoner replied. 'Are you seriously telling me you'd do that for Spira? Oh, you don't even know the half of it...', Jack thought, but again, dared not say it out loud. "I never imagined doing anything like this. But I won't answer till I know what's right", Yuna finished. 'Great, she just read my mind', was the hunter's first thought after hearing that. But given the lack of change in tone, or, well, anything, he was probably jumping to conclusions on that.
"Seriously?", the star player asked again that day. "You could always just quit your pilgrimage and get married", Rikku offered. Jack actually thought she sounded more than a little hopeful at that. "I will... go on. I'm sure that Lord Seymour would understand", the summoner replied. "Um, I guess so...", the young thief said, sounding considerably defeated at that. "I am a summoner. I must fight and defeat Sin", Yuna added. "Like Braska, before you", Auron commented.
"'What's there to think about, Yuna? Just politely turn down Seymour's offer'
That was what I wanted to say out to her.
And if that was indeed jealousy I detected earlier, Tidus had the same thing.
But the both of us thought better of it..."
"Well, great, thanks for waiting up, guys", Jack suddenly said, now making his presence known. The rest of the group turned to glance in his direction. "What took you so long?", Lulu asked. "Maester Seymour merely wanted to know who I was, and why I was here in Yuna's company. Said he hadn't seen me before", the hunter answered. Everyone else seemed to accept that answer. "So, where to next?", Jack asked. "I'm going to the Farplane. I'm going to see my father and think on this", Yuna answered. "Go on, we'll be right behind you", the black mage said. "All well and good, but is there a shop nearby? I want to stock up on some supplies", the hunter asked the group. "Up there", Lulu said, pointing to a strange home up on the higher level of Guadosalam. "Thank you", Jack replied, before he went in that direction.
A few minutes later, the hunter came out of the home that turned out to be an item shop. Everyone else had left by this point, probably for the Farplane that Yuna had mentioned. "Great... now to find out which path goes to the Farplane...", Jack noted silently. He took a guess on the only pathway on the current level of Guadosalam that he was on, and headed that way. "Question! About this Farplane... when somebody dies, a summoner sends them to the Farplane, right? So their souls, or whatever they are, they go to the Farplane, right? But that's the Farplane we're going to, right? And Yuna's old man's there, too? Do dead people live there or something?", the hunter heard Tidus ask, presumably to the rest of the group, before he shuddered in fright.
"You thinking those funny thoughts again, ya?", Wakka called out. The star player chuckled at this, and an exasperated sigh was heard from Lulu. "You'll see once we get there", the blitzer added. "Thanks for waiting... again", Jack called out. "Oh, uh, sure. No problem, man", Tidus said in reply as most of the group now approached the glowing gateway that presumably lead to the Farplane Not everyone had plans for going, though. "Aren't you coming", the star player asked when he noticed Auron and Rikku not catching up. "I do not belong there", Auron answered. "You're scared!", Tidus said, more a statement than a question.
The red-robed man shook his head. "Searching the past to find the future... this is all that is there. I need it not. You'd better be going", he replied. "You're not going to see the dead, more like your memories of them. People think of their relatives, and the pyreflies react to them. They take on the form of the dead person- an illusion, nothing else", Rikku added. "That so? Well, this might be an interesting trip...", Jack said thoughtfully. "Well, have fun", the young thief replied. "Eh?", the hunter added, confused. "What, you're not going either, Rikku?", Tidus asked. "I keep my memories inside", Rikku admitted. "Huh?", the star player muttered. "Memories are nice, but that's all they are", Rikku answered. "Fair enough. I guess...", Jack commented, more to himself than anyone else, before he and Tidus stepped through the gateway, though the latter took quite a bit of time before doing so.
The sight that awaited the hunter was, to put it bluntly, quite amazing. The group stepped onto a stone platform, surrounded by clouds of pyreflies. Below the platform was a field of beautiful flowers and grass. Everyone went to a different spot on the platform to see their loved ones. Jack stepped to the only open spot, and before long, the pyreflies had reacted to his thoughts, and began to materialize into the form of a man, who looked to be in his early 40's, and wore what appeared to be a suit of green combat fatigues. What surprised Jack more, however, was the pair of swords that were present.
"Father...", Jack began, though after this was said, he stood as straight as he could manage. "Though it's only been weeks since I last saw you, it feels like its been years, instead. And though I wish nothing more than for your presence now...", he continued, unfaltering despite the threatening sorrow as he looked back on the day everything had changed for him. It was only after more pyreflies had materialized into the form of a woman, also in her early 40's, wearing much the same as the father, and the form of a young man about Jack's age, with a nightmarish resemblance to him, even down to the clothing worn, that any sign of the sadness he was undoubtedly feeling had manifested for anyone to notice.
And notice it, a few people did. Three were held at arm's reach by the lone mage, shaking her head as if to say no to interfering with this matter, while the silent and stoic guardian remained as he was. All risked a glance at Jack, who still stood on, still refusing to falter even against sorrow. Silence reigned for a few seconds, before the hunter saluted with his right hand. "... at least now, I can take solace in knowing you're keeping an eye on me, along with Mother and Justus, wherever you are", he added before returning his hand to his side. Only then, did he register the lone tear that had been set loose.
"'Devils never cry'
I remember Mother telling me that at one point.
She said it was the moral of one of the stories she told me.
I had little to no idea how true that was.
But back then, I was still a child, wondering about the legend of the Belmont clan.
That moment, there on the Farplane?
That was when I finally understood the meaning behind that"
"Rest easy, everyone. And though I hope it won't be for awhile yet... know that I'll be seeing you around", Jack finished, closing his eyes as the forms finally faded away into nothingness. Only when he turned around did he register the two arms that had flown around him, in an attempt at an embrace. He didn't even need sight to have a good idea of who was doing this, confusing as it may have been. "Ah, Yuna...?", he asked, finally opening his eyes again. Sure enough, it was Yuna who had rushed to embrace him, with everyone else not far behind her. "Need some more time?", Wakka wondered out loud. "No. I've said what I needed to. Now let's get going. We still have a world to save", the hunter answered. With nods of agreement, everyone began walking out of the Farplane, though Jack remained with Tidus.
"So, did Yuna decide on what to do about... that?", the hunter asked as the group passed back through the gateway, winding back up on the long road connecting the Farplane to Guadosalam. The star player nodded in reply. "Oh. Good. No worries then", Jack said in relief. A couple seconds later, the group met back up with Rikku and Auron. "Thanks for waiting, everyone. I'll go give my answer to Maester Seymour", Yuna said. Suddenly, several Guado gasped in terror. The group turned around to find a ghastly image of what seemed to be another Guado. It was staggering forward from the hole. "Lord Jyscal!", several Guado shouted as they ran. Auron looked concerned at this.
"It does not belong here", he simply said. "Time to send him back to his resting place", Jack added. "You heard him, Yuna. Send him", the red-robed man finished, in complete agreement. Yuna nodded in agreement before walking towards the hole, her staff in hand. Suddenly, Auron fell to his knees. This caused worry in the hunter, but only him. Everyone else was fixated on the image of Lord Jyscal. "Hey! You alright?", Jack asked Auron. He gave no reply, but he lightly held onto the hunter's shoulder. "Lord Jyscal...", Yuna began. "That's not Lord Jyscal any longer, Yuna! Send him, now!", the hunter cried out, turning to face her. The summoner nodded and began sending the image. "Took the words out of my mouth, hunter", the hunter heard Lulu whisper.
The image faded into pyreflies, and soon became no more. But the sound of something dropping, while missed by most, was heard by Jack. Yuna, having evidently seen this, bent over to pick up. Auron stood back up, thanks to the hunter's aid. The red-robed man gave Jack a look of thanks. "Talk later. We leave now", he simply said before leaving. This instilled worry in everyone else. "Wh.. what was that just now? That really Lord Jyscal?", Wakka asked in disbelief. Yuna shook her head at this. "I don't understand how a man like Lord Jyscal could die and not be sent", she answered. "Was Lord Jyscal not sent?", Jack asked. "I would think that he was sent once, but he stayed on Spira. Something, like a powerful emotion, could have bound him to this world. Such things happen", Lulu added. "That's against the rules, isn't it?", Rikku asked. "It means he died an unclean death", Auron said simply.
That statement was enough to instill worry even inside the heart of the hunter. With that, a new possibility revealed itself; Lord Jyscal, murdered in cold blood. But he was known in life for trying to improve the Guado's relations with the other people in Spira. What kind of person would kill such a man, even knowing that? It just didn't add up for him. Evidently, it didn't add up for anyone else, as the group remained silent until they made it back to the manor doors. "I will go... meet with Maester Seymour", Yuna said, walking up the manor steps. Jack looked as if he wanted to go with her. "By myself", the summoner added when she saw the hunter's look. "Yuna! Jyscal is the Guado's problem, not yours", Auron called out, stepping towards her. But his words were ignored, and she was already inside. Everyone started walking around, save for Jack, who remained at the mansion.
Making use of the time he had alone, the hunter went to thinking on the matters at hand. He had just one too many doubts about what had just transpired. Jack couldn't put his finger on it, but something just seemed... off, about the whole thing. "You seem deep in thought", someone called out, soundly shattering the hunter's thoughts. A quick glance to the left revealed the owner of that voice to be Rikku. Silence reigned for a couple seconds as Jack shook the surprise off. "Something doesn't sit right with me about Lord Jyscal, even after the explanation Lulu offered", he replied. His companion raised an eyebrow at that. "I wouldn't blame you for thinking that. But maybe you're just looking too hard into the matter", she said. The hunter shrugged at this. "Probably. Still...", he said, though given the way he had trailed off, there was undoubtedly more to it than just that.
That was when he realized that he might have had an idea of how "unclean" Jyscal's death was. "Rikku, you wouldn't happen to know how Lord Jyscal met his end, would you?", Jack asked suddenly. If the young girl was surprised by this question, she didn't show it. "Why do you ask?", Rikku answered with a question of her own. The look on the hunter's eyes did little to ease her, though. "Remember what Auron said about dying an unclean death?", he answered. She nodded, which was a given, considering those words were said not too long ago. "I'm assuming natural causes does not fall into the 'unclean death' category", he added. "If you're thinking that...", Rikku began, trailing off as Jack glanced around to make sure that no one else was listening in. His look darkened when he saw that the coast was clear.
"... then there's the possibility that we have a traitor in the midst. Unless I'm being paranoid, which, considering I just walked out of Castlevania, is a definite possibility", the hunter finished. "Castle-wha...?", Rikku asked in response, clearly confused by the remark. Jack was slightly confused by the question before it dawned on him that he never really told her anything about Dracula, let alone his castle. "Oh... Tidus hasn't told you about me yet?", he asked. A shake of the young girl's head served as her answer. "In that case, this might be a bit of a long story for you", the hunter warned. "We've got plenty of time", Rikku replied, gesturing around the two. Sure enough, the closest guardian to them was Lulu, who by this point, had been keeping an eye on the two for a minute now. Everyone else was still nowhere to be found nearby. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you", Jack said as he went towards the upper level of Guadosalam, with Rikku following behind him.
A.N: Uh oh... sounds like Seymour learned about the Vampire Killer. I sure hope he's not getting thoughts of enjoying its power now... but yeah, for better or worse, there's Guadosalam mostly done. Just a little bit more and then it's- *BAM!* *High jumps into the ceiling!*
Jack Morris: Dude, that thunderstrike wasn't even close. And how the curses did Bluehair Weirdo learn about that anyway...?
Dark Diablo: ... seriously? That's your nickname for Seymour? Come on. Though I'm pretty sure "Weirdo" fits perfectly.
Anyways, yes, the next segment should be interesting. Feel free to leave a review if you want, so long as you refrain from being overly negative. Though honestly, at this rate, I dunno if I should even bother saying those words time and again. Makes me sound like a broken record. *stands up menacingly* But enough talk... See you in the next chapter! *teleports into the background, cackling evilly*
Jack Morris: HEY! You still haven't answered my question!
*crickets*
Jack Morris: Great. Now I gotta traverse freaking Novelvania to even find the guy. *facepalm* This day sucks...