Chapter 19 - Celestial Weaponry

The airship approached the general vicinity of the long-deserted Baaj Temple, in the middle of the ocean. Tara and Gian had to descend to the entrance via ladder as there was no place for the airship to set down. The air in the temple was cold and moist. Tara and Gian walked along a bridge towards the far end of the temple. Gian stopped when he noticed that the door on the other side was covered with wreckage.

"It doesn't look like we're gonna get through that way," he noted.

Tara looked back toward Gian.

"How's your swimming? Mine's not too bad."

"Good enough," the guardian replied, "I hope..."

The pair jumped into the water. Looking at Tara, Gian cast a spell that would help the pair stay under water longer without having to return to the surface for air. The pair swam around, looking for something - anything at all. They did not find anything.

Something found them, though. An extremely large, gruesome fish-like creature had appeared, looking for something to snack on.

Wasting no time, Gian slashed at the creature with his sword, halting its progress. Tara cast a Firaja spell, noting that the spell was powerful enough to work under water. The molten flames enveloped the creature, causing it to shudder in pain. The creature then open its large mouth, and swallowed the guardian whole.

Panicked, Tara readied another Firaja spell, when she noticed the creature's midsection convulsing. She saw the tip of a sword pushing through, and with a tremendous slash, Gian emerged from within the creature. Once Gian was safely out of the way, Tara let loose with Firaja once more. The creature began to shake and convulse uncontrollably. Gian swam up and ran his sword right through the creature's skull, causing it to explode into pyreflies.

Gian looked over at Tara and pointed upward. She got the message. Returning to the surface for air, they decided to rest for a moment.

"Yeah, I need to get back to the airship for a shower, once we're done here," the guardian quipped.

Tara looked at Gian who was covered with guts and grime. "Swim for a while longer, hopefully that stuff will... go away!"

The pair returned to the water. Tara followed Gian as he began to swim towards an underwater doorway. Making their way through the doorway, they found themselves in an antechamber. The back room of the antechamber was sealed away. Off to the sides were pedestals - three on each side. Tara took note of the inscriptions on each pedestal:

Besaid. Kilika. Djose. Macalania. Bevelle. Zanarkand.

"What could this mean?" she questioned.

"I'm not sure, really," the guardian replied, "but we've been to each of these temples."

Tara walked up to the Kilika pedestal and touched it. It began to glow, and it then retracted into the wall. She then noticed that a portion of the seal that was guarding the back room had disappeared.

"I think we're onto something here!" the summoner exclaimed. She hurriedly touched the other pedestals in succession, causing each to glow and retract into the wall. The pair observed as the seal that guarded the back room dissolved.

They made their way into the back saw one of the secrets they had longed for since the early portions of their journey - a gleaming platinum summoner's staff, with red and silver tassels attached to it. Underneath the staff was a plaque.

Perseus

Taking hold of the Perseus Staff, Tara noticed that she felt no power from the weapon.

"You think maybe we have to take this back to that orb in Macalania?" she asked.

"Safe bet," the guardian replied. "You ready to return to the ship?"

Tara nodded, and the pair began to swim back to the temple entrance with the weapon in tow.

Once aboard the airship, Gian headed off to the shower, while Tara talked to Cid.

"Well? Did ya find anything down there?" the Al Bhed leader inquired.

"We found a weapon," Tara replied. "It's supposed to be one of the weapons of ages, but it feels lifeless. We think we know how to fix that though."

"I see," replied Cid. "Where's your man at?"

"Taking a shower, hopefully," the summoner replied. "He got into... a bit of a mess down there."

Cid noticed the peculiar expression on Tara's face. "Don't tell me. I don't think I want to know." Chuckling, he made his way back to the control area. "Stenn! Off to the Omega Ruins!"

Gian emerged, after a shower and a fresh change of clothes. His garb still resembled a Kilika Beasts blitzball uniform, but the familiar green and yellow colors were replaced with white and gold.

"That's an interesting combination," Tara remarked. "It looks a bit more... prestigious and regal?"

"It's all I could find that would fit," the guardian replied. "Are we off to the Omega Ruins?" Tara nodded. "There are going to be fiends there, the likes of which we've never seen. They're going to be incredibly powerful. That place hasn't been touched since... who knows when. We must persevere though. If we can't defeat what's there, then we won't be able to defeat Sin."

"I'll be ready," Tara replied.

The ship set down at the entrance to the Omega Ruins. The pair made their way inside. Gian began to explain.

"Seven hundred years ago, a monk rebelled against the Order of Yevon. He was branded a traitor and exiled here, where he's been ever since. I shudder to think of how powerful a fiend he's become. He might even be more powerful than Sin itself."

"Gian, you think 'traitor' might be a relative term, considering what we know of Yevon now?" Tara inquired. "At any rate, I'm ready. Let's do this."

The pair made their way deeper into the ruins, where they encountered some of the most powerful fiends they had ever seen. In one of the caverns, they noticed a switch.

"What do you think this does?" Tara asked.

"Only one way to find out," Gian replied, as he threw the switch. A platform materialized behind them.

Tara and Gian stepped onto the platform. On the next level, a terrifying fiend awaited them. They wasted no time springing into action.

Tara cast a Thundaja spell on the creature that caused it to shake uncontrollably. Its roar echoed throughout the structure. Gian ran his sword through the creature's midsection and slashed it into two, where it exploded into pyreflies.

"That's it?" Tara remarked.

"I doubt it," Gian replied. "Somehow, I think the main event is still to come."

Another platform appeared from behind where the creature once stood. They stepped onto the platform, making their way to the next level. They emerged onto a landing where they saw a series of smaller platforms high above a sea of black water. The path formed a spiral that lead to a central location. Each platform had a powerful fiend that the pair was forced to defeat.

The pair stepped onto the final platform where Omega revealed himself. The creature's roar shook the entire structure.

"Okay," Tara quipped, "I think this guy's for real!"

"You know what to do!" replied the guardian.

Tara wasted no time readying Ultima. The spell caused Omega to stop in place. Omega swiped at Gian who dodged the attack. Slashing with his sword, he drew a long incision in the creature's arm. Omega roared, looked at his arm, and began to heal himself.

"Oh cred!" Gian exlaimed. "He has heal spells too!"

Tara began her summoning ritual, wondering when Gian had time to learn Al Bhed curse words. The area around the pair went dark. A large and terrifying Samurai warrior appeared, with his equally fearsome dog in tow. Yojimbo drew his sword and unleashed his most powerful attack, the devastating Zanmato strike. He then disappeared.

Omega's roar once again shook the structure. Gian put his hands together once more in prayer-like fashion and unleashed Holy on the creature, causing it to roar even louder and convulse uncontrollably.

Tara summoned Shiva who covered the creature in a thick sheet of ice. Snapping her fingers, the ice exploded, impaling the creature with shards of ice.

Finally, Gian ran up and impaled the creature with his sword, executing his signature slash maneuver. Omega fell to his knees in defeat. The terrifying visage of Omega was replaced by a slender man in monk's garb. He spoke.

"Seven hundred years, I've been imprisoned in this place..." Omega glared. He then collapsed, lifeless.

Tara performed the sending ritual, allowing Omega to rest, finally and forever.

Gian made his way back towards the wall where he saw the most incredible sword he had ever seen – a gleaming platinum blade with the same silver and red tassels as Tara's weapon. He took note of the plaque underneath the weapon.

Centaurus

Gian grasped the Centaurian Blade, and much like Tara's Perseus Staff, he noticed it was lifeless.

Once outside the Omega Ruins, the pair basked in sunlight. Gian looked over at Tara.

"I believe we're almost ready to face Sin."

"We still need to visit the temples once more." Tara replied, "Remember what Bahamut said? He said the other Fayth will have additional words of advice for us."

Gian nodded, as the pair boarded the airship. A short time later, the airship set down once again at the exit of the Thunder Plains. Tara and Gian made their way back to the path of light in the Macalania Woods, and stood in front of the orb.

They read the inscription on the plaque once more.

From lands afar, two warriors arrive
Centaurus and Perseus, the symbols they wear.
Weapons of ages, they are destined to find.
The burden of all will be theirs to bear.

Tara reached forward to touch the orb, which began to shine – reacting with the mirror that Gian had obtained from underneath Remiem Temple. A voice reverberated throughout the woods.

Have you the Celestial Weapons?

Tara stepped forward with the Perseus Staff in hand, her medallion glowing. A blast of blinding white light appeared as the Perseus Staff floated in place in front of her. As the light subsided, Tara took hold of the staff. She had a shocked look on her face as she felt the raw power emanating from the weapon.

Gian stepped forward with the Centaurian Blade in hand, his medallion also glowing. The same blinding flash of light shone across the woods as the Centaurian Blade floated in front of him. He took the weapon once the light had subsided and he too, felt raw power coursing through the blade.

"Mystery solved," quipped the guardian. "Let's go see the Fayth now."

The pair made their way back to the airship, which took off. They were headed home.

Back to Kilika.