Death Mountain: Return to the Past
( Hello everyone, and welcome back to more Shadows Over Spira. In the last chapter, our heroes begain their ascent up Mount Gagazet. As they neared the half way mark, Shadow Seymour decided to attack, but he was met with the unbridled fury of Fierce Deity Link. Let's join our heroes as they begin to continue their journey.)
Yuna: He will become Sin...with my help.
Auron: Lies. Forget them.
Yuna: If he becomes Sin, Sir Jecht will be saved.
Auron: We're leaving.
Yuna: [She runs to Link.] You know something! Tell me! Tell me
Link: (sighs) Sin... is Jecht... its my father.
Wakka: You hit your head?
Link: Sin is my old man. I don't know how... I felt him, inside. And when I did, I knew it was true. My old man is Spira's suffering.
Yuna: Even...knowing that Sin is your father... Still, you know, I must...
Link: I know.. we'll get him... together. I'm sure he would want that.
Lulu: You'd fight your own father?
Link: As sure as a Goron eats rocks
Wakka: Uh... 'Bout your old man... You sure this ain't some kinda bad toxin dream or something? Then, Chappu... I, uh... I think I'll just pretend I didn't hear nothing. I'm getting a little confused, ya? Why... Why'd all this have to happen?
Auron: We'll learn when we arrive. Soon.
[They continue on into a large open area where a large fayth dripping with energy is located. It's massive.]
Yuna: Wow!
Wakka: Wh-What are those?
Yuna: Those are fayth. A summoning! Someone is using these fayth! Someone is drawing energy from all of them!
Rikku: This many?
Lulu: Who wields power on this scale, and what could they be calling?
[Rikku runs to Auron.]
Rikku: Hey, you know something, don't you? Spill the beans!
Aurons: Look not to others for knowledge. This is your journey, too.
Rikku: Yunie might die, you know?
Link: Rikku, its ok... I can feel it... its the call of the Goddess of Time...
[Link touches the fayth and has a flashback to being in Hyrule.]
Link: What? Ordon... My treehouse.
[He climbs the ladder and walks up to the door to the treehouse and goes inside. There, he sees the 'Strange Boy' from Hyrule, glowing with the help of pyreflies.]
Fayth: Welcome home.
Link: You...
Fayth: Remember me? We met in Bevelle.
Link: Yeah.
Fayth: But that wasn't the first time we met. I've known about you for a long time. A long, long time.
Link: I know you... where are we?
Fayth: Silly, don't recognize your own home?
[Wakka's figure appears in the living room...Then, Rikku's.]
Wakka: What's gotten into you? Hey!
Rikku: Wake up! Wake up!
Link: I get it... i'm in a dream.
Fayth: Not exactly.
Link: what do you mean?
Fayth: You are not a sleep. You are out of phase. Your body is still in Spira, but your mind is back in the past.
Link: Huh? Wait a sec.
[Link chases the fayth to the upperdeck.]
Fayth: Long ago, there was a war.
Link: Yeah, with machina, right?
Fayth: Yes. A war between Hyrule and Bevelle. Bevelle's machina assured their victory from the start. Spira had never seen such power. After your subsequent defeat at the hand's of Ganon, the sages of Hyrule didn't stand a chance. Hyrule was doomed to oblivion. That's why we tried to save it - if only in a memory.
Link: What did you do?
Fayth: The remaining sages and the townspeople that survived the war... They all became fayth - fayth for the summoning.
Link: The summoning... You mean Sin?
Fayth: No. I mean this place. A Hyrule that never sleeps.
Link: What?
Fayth: The dreams of the fayth summoned the memories of the city. They summoned all the buildings, all the people who lived there.
Link: The people... What, they're all dreams? What about me?
Fayth: You are not a dream, you are out of Time. You and your father; but everyone else... all dreams. And if the fayth stop dreaming...
[The fayth shows him a Hyrule without any buildings - only his Tree house.]
Link: "No! So.. what if im out of time! I...I like being here.
Fayth: We've been dreaming so long...we're tired. Would you and your father... Would you let us rest? Both you and your father have been touched by Sin. Sin, the one whom all Spira - the spiral – revolves.
Link: What are you saying?
Fayth: You two are more than just dreams now.
[Yuna's figure appears in the dream.]
Yuna: Wake up! Wake up, please!
Fayth: Just a little more, and maybe... Maybe you are the one who will end our dreaming at last.
[The dream ends and Link wakes up on his back, the party watching over him.]
Yuna: Are you all right?
Rikku: Hey! We were so worried about you!
Lulu: You okay?
Link: I... yeah...
Yuna: What happened?
Link: Nothing... I blacked out. You called me...and I woke up. Nothing like a good nap! Well, I'm ready. Let's go.
[The party enters the caves and comes to the ruins of an old temple, still mostly intact. There are 2 areas that are still traversable, one being block by a locked iron door, the other down some stairs and submerged by water]
Wakka: Looks like we got a job to do, ya?
Lulu: If anything should happen in the water, we're relying on you three. If it gets dangerous, pull out quick."
Wakka: Right!
Yuna: Be careful, okay?
Link: (puts on the Zora Mask) We'll be back soon.
[In the passage beyond, Wakka, Z-Link and Rikku comes to a spinning device. Wakka takes aim, and hits it dead center with his Blitzball. In the second passage they come across three colored panels. The trio line themselves up with the panels and hit them at the same time, successfully finishing the trials.)
Auron: They'll be upon us soon. She has sent fiends to test our summoner's strength.
Yuna: Who is 'she'?
Auron: Yunalesca.
Yuna: Lady Yunalesca?
Auron: In Hyrule, she awaits the arrival of the strongest.
Yuna: She...is still alive?
Auron: As much as Mika and Seymour.
Yuna: I see.
Auron: Lost your nerve?
Yuna: No. Nothing frightens me now.
Auron: Braska would be proud.
Yuna: Then...I must not let him down.
[The team exits through the now unlocked large Iron door, and head to the next area. It is the remains of large chamber with 8 crumbling pillars circling what is left of the chamber, now opened up revealing the outside world and the rest of Mount Gagazet. In the middle of the room a Fiend stands, seemingly chained to the ground by its wrists, However, a blinding light flashes, and this seemingly harmless creature turns into a furious monster. It lights up in flames and breaks away from the chains that were holding it in place.)
Auron: It comes!
[The Sanctuary Keeper Fyrus attacks .Link pulls out his bow and takes aim at the shiny red eye on the head of Fyrus. Link's arrow hits its mark, momentarily stunning Fyrus. Kimahri quickly runs behind him and grabs the chains that are attached to his leg pulls back on the chain sending Fyrus crashing to the floor. Without a moments notice the others run to the head of Fyrus, dealing as much damage as possible until Fyrus gets back up on his feet. This fight continues on for what seems like an eternity, but our heroes, finally deal the kill blow. Causing Fyrus to turn in to pyreflies.]
Rikku: Hey! Can't we rest a little?
Auron: No need. We reach the summit soon.
Rikku: I know, that's why I want to stop for a bit. Soon means that... there's not much time left.
Yuna: Rikku...
Rikku: Fine. I'll think on the way.
[The party starts walking. Walka goes over to Link.]
Wakka: Hey, come on, let's go.
Link: We are almost there, aren't we?
Wakka: We've come a long way.
[Auron chuckles.]
Link: ... i say something funny?
Auron: You remind me of myself. Before, the closer I came to Hyrule, the more I wondered...when we arrive, Braska will call the Final Aeon... He will fight Sin, then die. I thought my mind was made up long before. But when I stood here, my resolve wavered.
Wakka: Huh, never would've figured. Legendary guardians choke sometimes, too, ya?
Auron: Legendary guardian? I was just a boy. A boy about your age, actually. I wanted to change the world, too. But I changed nothing. That is my story.
[Over the side of the summit, the party can see their first glances of the dead Hyrule Castle Town and Kakariko, nearly pristine in its decayed state.]
Link (narration): A city dead for a thousand years. Something i needed to see for myself. The end of Yuna's journey. The last chapter in my story. My thoughts were swirling around in my mind but would slip away before I could pin them down with words.
Rikku: Yuna, I say no! If we go down there, then you'll...
Yuna: Rikku. You're a true friend, and I thank you, but... I must go...down, to Hyrule.
Rikku: I'm not saying we shouldn't go. But shouldn't we think about it some more? There's gotta be some kind of way we can save you, Yuna!
Yuna: All my life, I knew this moment would come...
Rikku: Yunie...
[Yuna hugs Rikku and, in the process, drops a sphere. Only Link notices.]
Yuna: Thank you, Rikku. Thank you for everything.
Rikku: Don't say that, Yunie! It's not over yet!
Yuna: Tell Cid thank you.
Rikku: No... You can tell him yourself.
Yuna: Please...
Rikku: Yunie, don't say that because...we're gonna see each other again, okay?
Yuna: Kimahri, let's go.
[All but Link moves on. He looks at Yuna's sphere. Yuna's in it, recording at the Mi'ihen Highroad travel agency, on the hill.]
"Yuna: Sir Auron. Kimahri told me...when my father wanted me taken from Bevelle to Besaid... It was you who told Kimahri, right? I had always wanted to meet you someday. I am truly glad that I had that chance. Having you as a guardian was so great an honor that I don't know how to thank you. Perhaps if I defeat Sin, that will be my thanks to you. That's what I'll do. Yes. I will challenge Sin. I will defeat Sin. If you are all there watching this, then I guess Sin is already gone. And so am I, I suppose. Anyway, I just wanted to say: Sir Auron, I thank you. Kimahri... Do you remember the first day we met? I was only seven. My father had defeated Sin, and all Bevelle was celebrating. Everyone was saying what a hero my father was. I was so happy. But when night came, it occurred to me. My father had defeated Sin and now he was dead. Now, I was all alone. I couldn't sleep, so I wandered into the town, away from the celebrating crowds. I stood on the bridge to Bevelle where my father and I had parted. Standing there, alone, I could see the fiends where he had fought Sin. Then, you appeared, Kimahri. You said you were looking for the daughter of Braska, remember? At first, I was so scared. Until I realized what a gentle person you are. You weren't used to talking to children. When I told you that I was Braska's daughter...you said you would take me as far from Bevelle as you could. That it was the wish of a man facing death. I think...I cried then. Because that...that was when I knew my father was dead...and I would never see him again. You just held me, without saying a word. I cried after we got to Besaid, too. When you tried to go after leaving me in the care of the temple...I held onto you, crying, 'Don't go, don't go!' And you listened, Kimahri. You stayed. Kimahri, thank you. Thank you so much. And I've always liked your broken horn.
Wakka, Lulu: I'll never forget my days spent with you, growing up in Besaid. We always played together, us and Chappu. That's why I was always so happy, I think. And when you refused to let me become a summoner and I did it anyway... I'm sorry. I've always wanted to apologize. You know, when you tried to stop me then - really, I was happy. I could tell you really cared about me. You were like my big brother and sister. No... I think you really were my big brother and sister. What else... I love watching you play blitzball, Wakka. I even love it when you scold me, Lulu! Really!
I guess that leaves...the newest guardian. Star player of Hyrule's Ordona Province! You are... I am... Well, um... I'm glad...I'm glad that we met. We haven't even known each other that long, but... It's funny. So this is what it feels like. It's a much more wonderful feeling than anything I had ever imagined. Wonderful...but it hurts, sometimes. I wonder. I...I just want to say, thank you for everything. Maybe...maybe that's why it hurts. When I... When I think about us never being together again at all... I'm afraid. No, I shouldn't say that. I'll do that part over. Um...
Link: What're you doin'?"
[The sphere shuts off and Link catches up with the party at the bottom of the mountain's side. They're all watching the sunset and the colored clouds. They build a campfire and sit around it. After a few moments, Link climbs a hill and surveys the sunset. Damn... so that was Yuna's will... I sure hope Link and the others can find a way to keep Yuna from dieing! Well, that's it for this chapter, be sure to keep reading and come back next time! Next chapter.: Truth Revealed, A New Path Opens]