This story isn't dead! I just got stuck on this chapter for a long time. I ended up writing a huge thing and cutting it in half. My inspiration has been all over the place after having a pretty intense Writer's block. You may see me updating different stories over the next few weeks. Who knows?
Despite the utilitarian interior to Home, the barracks were tastefully homey and comfortable. They looked similar to the Al-Bhed travel agencies. They had showers with warm, clean water, and the mattresses on the bunks were just soft enough.
Tidus cleaned up, stripped down to his underwear for maximum comfort, and climbed up to the unoccupied top bunk while Auron took the bottom. Across the row, Wakka took the top bunk while Kimahri had the bottom.
"You gonna sleep?" Tidus asked Auron, hanging over the edge.
"I will rest later. I took the liberty of borrowing a few Al-Bhed primers from your inventory. I might as well read up while I have the chance."
"I'll take 'em next," said Wakka. "I dunno what the future has in store, but if we're going to be here for a while, I'd like to be able to talk to these guys."
"That's a good attitude!" Tidus praised. "What about you, Kimahri? You wanna read 'em?"
"Kimahri speak Al-Bhed already."
"What? No way, seriously?!"
"Ronso joke. Ha ha ha."
Wakka burst out laughing while Tidus sat there slack-jawed.
"I didn't know you had a sense of humor, Kimahri!" Tidus smiled.
"Kimahri joke sometimes. In good times. Safe times."
"Ope, now I'm sad again."
"You all should go to sleep," Auron suggested. "Who knows how long they're going to let us sleep in in the morning."
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Tidus quickly hunkered down with the borrowed blanket and pillow.
He was so exhausted from the day's crazy events, it didn't take long to fall asleep.
—
Before dawn broke, Tidus was shaken awake.
"Hey hey, boychik. Rise and shine!"
Tidus blinked awake slowly as the patting on his face brought him out of slumber. The room was still dark, but with the scant light from the low floor lights, he could make out his intruder.
It was a stranger. An Al-Bhed man, based on his tongue. He was blond, as they all were, but had styled his hair up into a Mohawk. He also had heavy eyeliner and seemed to be wearing only overalls with no shirt. He had purple flames tattooed all over his body.
"W-what? What time is it?"
"You're the groom, yeah? Have we got plans for you. Come on. We're gonna have breakfast before we go."
It was far too early for Tidus to fully translate what was just said. But there was something about food in the message, so he got up, as instructed and got dressed.
As he was about to leave, he checked on his teammates. Wakka and Kimahri were out cold, while Auron laid quietly with his eyes closed.
"Auron?" he called softly.
"I heard the Al-Bhed man come for you," he answered without opening his eyes. "I'll let the others know."
"Should I be worried?"
"Sounds like it's wedding related. You should go along with it."
"Oh okay…see you later then."
Auron smirked ever so slightly. "Have fun."
The strange Al-Bhed man was waiting on the other side of the room, impatiently tapping his foot with his arms crossed.
Tidus came to him. "Good to go."
The man lit up. "He speaks the mother tongue! And here I thought this would be torture."
"I am still learning. Might still be torture."
The man just laughed before leading him out of the room.
They traveled down the dimly lit hall, walking quietly past many doors. It wasn't long before his eyes adjusted, and he finally noticed the lines on the floor. Stripes in different colors, marking the paths to different places, no doubt. They were following the orange line.
Finally, they came to a wide room, filled with several tables of different shapes and sizes. It looked like an event room in a restaurant. An Al-Bhed woman greeted them as they entered.
The conversation was so fast that Tidus couldn't keep up with it. At one point, his new friend pointed at him and said something, but Tidus couldn't quite catch it. The word 'groom' was in there, but so was 'eggs'.
The woman left shortly after, and Tidus was led to a table.
His new friend kept quiet, but tapped his foot impatiently while looking at the door.
The woman arrived at the table with three cups of coffee and a pitcher of cream. That was enough of a clue that they were expecting someone else.
Only a few minutes later, before he could get extraordinarily bored, another Al-Bhed man arrived. He called greetings to the kitchen, before taking a seat at the table. He had darker skin, but still blonde hair. His green eyes were obscured with goggles.
"Hey –morning. You must be the lucky groom that rolled in last night."
Tidus heaved a sigh of relief. "That's me! I'm Tidus. And uh…what's going on exactly? My Al-Bhed is pretty rusty."
"Rusty is better than most! I'm Buddy, and this is Brother."
"Your brother?"
Buddy chuckled. "No, no. His name is Brother. It's an Al-Bhed name. But you're friends with Rikku, right? Rikku and Brother are siblings."
"Oh. So Yuna and Brother are cousins!"
"Correct!"
Tidus said to Brother in his best Al-Bhed, "We are family!"
"Almost almost!" Brother laughed.
Then, the woman returned again with several plates of food. Eggs, sausage, and hash browns, all smelling incredible to Tidus' empty stomach. He dug in immediately.
"Now," explained Buddy. "Cid recruited us last night—"
"Oh yeah. He wants a 'proper Al-Bhed ceremony for his flesh and blood' right?"
Buddy chuckled. "That's an oxymoron. There is no 'proper' Al-Bhed ceremony. But…we love to party. We take whatever excuse we can get to party, one of them being weddings. Since we aren't in a Calm, it's very rare that we get to cut loose. Cid's making an exception for you."
"I'm honored."
"Don't be. This thing is gonna get crazy."
"So…what are we doing up at the ass crack of dawn?" Tidus bit into a sausage link.
"Well, we Al-Bhed aren't really traditional. We leave those up to Yevon. But we have a handful of…practices that we like to make weddings feel official."
"Like?"
"I'm sure you've noticed that we're pretty big history buffs. We like digging and looking for artifacts. Usually old machina to restore."
"…yes, I did know that."
"Well, typically, the groom gives his bride a gift, something that he found. And the bride and groom don't see each other before the wedding. So, we're killing two birds with one stone here."
"Oh! I get it! So we're going to find something, while Yuna and I are separated for the day."
"You got it!"
Tidus' smile began to fall. "She is safe here though, right? I mean, the others are here…but I'm her guardian."
"Safe as can be," said Buddy with a shrug. "Yevon doesn't know about this place. We have cannons that shoot fiends on site. What else could you want?"
"I suppose you're right…so, we're just going for a dig in the sand?"
"Nonono!" Said Brother, emphatically. "I have a tip for a big prize, perfect for Yuna!"
"Brother heard a rumor for something good."
"Well, let's get to it then!"
"First, I finish my breakfast!"
—-
Yuna woke up first, having slept the most the day before. The room was unfamiliar in the dim light, but once she became more awake, the quicker she remembered where she was. A decent sized room, on an upper floor of Home. This was also Rikku's childhood bedroom, as noted by the wacky conglomeration of decor one accumulates through the phases of their life.
She and Rikku shared the double bed, while Lulu was set up in a cot.
The only light came through a small porthole, made of thick glass to keep the hottest of the desert's winds out.
Rikku and Lulu were still asleep, so Yuna rose quietly. Her stomach growled with hunger a moment after.
They were all safe at Home. There was no reason they'd be worried if she wasn't here when they woke up. But, just in case, she left a little note on her pillow and quietly slipped out of the room.
Leaving the room was the easy part. Yuna vaguely remembered the way they came, and backtracked to the lift.
The call button was easy enough to figure out, but the floors were labeled in Al-Bhed writing, and she couldn't begin to guess which one was right.
As she stood contemplating, the doors closed, and the lift started to descend.
"I'll just ask the next person who gets on," she mused aloud.
The next occupant was a woman with thick goggles. "Morning!" She chirped in Al-Bhed.
Yuna waved awkwardly. Then she asked, "pardon me, is there a kitchen or a place where they are serving breakfast?"
The woman smiled. "I'm sorry, Miss Summoner, I have no idea what you're saying."
She was only disheartened for a moment, before she brilliantly mimed the action of eating.
"Ahhh! I see! Yes, come with me!" The woman beckoned Yuna to follow as the elevator came to a stop.
They traveled down a dimly-lit corridor before entering a room full of tables.
"Thank you!" Yuna said to her companion.
The woman gave her a thumbs up.
"Lady Yuna?" A man's voice came from over her shoulder.
Yuna startled and whirled to face the newcomer. "Oh! Gippal, was it?"
He smiled. "Glad to know I made an impression."
"Have you seen the rest of my party?"
"Sir Auron has been spotted wandering around with coffee. Your groom was whisked away early this morning by Brother and Buddy for a treasure hunt."
"Treasure hunt?"
"Yeah, it's like a tradition or whatever. During a Calm, we put a little more thought and ceremony into the wedding. That's what Cid wants. So…I've been assigned as your temporary guardian for the day."
She frowned. "What of my friends?"
"Oh, Cid's got a chore for everyone."
"But why are you protecting me? Not that I don't think you aren't capable or anything…" she trailed off.
"No no, I get it. How to explain it…? Normally, the bride isolates herself from the groom, friends, and family, and meditates on her decision without anyone influencing her one way or another. Divorce gets infinitely more messy when everyone lives together in the compound."
"That makes sense, but—"
"You're already married, right. So you don't need to think this all through. Instead, I volunteered because I wanted to show you something I found. I want your thoughts on it, as a summoner."
Her eyes lit up. "Really? What is it?"
"Hard to explain. Let's get you some breakfast, and then I'll take you there. Oh, that is, after they get your measurements for your dress."
Yuna followed him as he headed for a table. "Will we be gone long?"
He shrugged. "No clue."
"Won't they miss us? What if they need something?"
"Ah, Rikku knows where you'll be. She'll take care of it."
—-
Wakka, Kimahri, Auron, Rikku, and Lulu met up in the cafeteria a little while later.
"Where's Tidus?" asked Rikku.
"A heavily tattooed Al-Bhed kidnapped him," answered Auron. "Where's Yuna?"
"She woke up early and came down here. I guess Gippal must have collected her already. He'll be watching over her while she's in isolation."
"This is turning into a whole thing, ya?" Wakka bemoaned. "Here I thought we were coming here to lay low."
"As did I," agreed Lulu. "But far be it from me to reject whatever the leader of the Al-Bhed wants."
"It's all just an excuse to party. Don't worry about it too much."
"It sounds innocent now, but when it comes out that we were partying after the death of a Maester, then what will people think?"
Rikku cringed. "Uh…"
"Well, well! Glad to see ya bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. We got a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it if we want a weddin' tomorrow!" Cid's voice called over the cafeteria.
"I think it's too late to convince Pops otherwise," Rikku lamented.
Cid came right up to their table, clipboard in hand. "I see the bride and groom are already off in isolation. Good good…now let's see what we've got for everyone else."
"This oughta be good," Wakka muttered.
"Miss Lulu, I'm putting you in charge of decorations. Nhadala will show you where we keep the party supplies, as well as the greenhouse to make a bouquet."
"Sounds painless enough."
"What's a weddin' without a feast? Ronso, you're in charge of hunting down a mighty beast for the dinner. I have a handful of hunter helpers for ya to boss around too."
Kimahri grunted, but did not object.
"Sir Auron, I'd hate to make you do this, but I'd like to send you to the mainland to pick up some drinks, and send for the musicians in the Macalania Woods."
"What!?" shouted Rikku. "I thought I was on drink duty!"
"You're not even old enough to buy liquor on the mainland! What did you think you were gonna do?"
"Oh poopie." She flopped back in her seat with her arms crossed.
"Besides, you'll be helping the ladies with Yuna's dress."
Rikku blew a raspberry at him.
"Whatcha got for me?" Wakka asked, lacing his fingers behind his head.
"Wakka–Rikku says you were a blitzball captain and that you're a rather devout Yevonite."
"Ya?"
"So you'll be writin' the ceremony itself. I'll translate it into Al-Bhed when you're done."
"You can't be serious! I'm no wedding expert!"
"Do I look like one? We ain't got no officiants here, so you'll have to do. Besides, the library has some spheres with previous ceremonies you can use for inspiration."
"Are they in Spiran?"
"…I'll show you where the primers are." He avoided eye contact. "Any other questions?"
"Is it too late to run?" asked Auron.
"You bet your bottom!"
—-
Tidus spent many a day training in the ocean. He lived on a houseboat and was a close friend to water.
That being said, he was beginning to hate sand.
He rode on a hover, sitting on the back leg while Buddy sat opposite and Brother piloted. It was dark when they left, but the sun was rising and casting the sky in pretty pinks and oranges. It was a peaceful ride.
Until he got more sand in his eye.
"How much further until we're there?"
"We get there when we get there!"
"He says not too far!"
Tidus rolled his eyes, but didn't protest.
About an hour later, they crested a dune to see a tower sticking out of the sand. It was just the peak, but Tidus could see the sigils so common to the temples.
"Here, we have made it!" Brother announced as the hover powered down.
"Wow…" Tidus admired the size of the building. It was huge, even if it was just the tip.
"Here ya go," Buddy handed him a shovel. "Better get to work."
"What–I'm going to move the mountain with this little thing!?"
"Just enough to uncover an entrance. And we'll help you too."
"But I am not doing all the work!" Brother protested. "I am the best digger, but this is not my job!"
"So," Tidus scooped up some sand and flung it far and away. "What's this special item supposed to be?"
Buddy translated while Brother explained. "A sandstorm uncovered this tower, and after doing research, it appears that this tower specifically was used by summoners or white mages. And we're mostly banking on the idea there's useful artifacts still within. Most of the buildings in this region of the desert were abandoned in a hurry and buried soon after, preserving most of what is inside."
"Oh so we got no idea what we're gonna find. Lovely."
"It'll be fine. The most important part is that you're spending time away from your bride. I hear some people have a real hard time with that."
"It's odd, to be sure. I've had Yuna by my side everyday for a while now. The fact that we're apart right now feels wrong. I mean, I am her guardian. I've gotten so used to keeping her within eyesight."
"How long have you two been together? What's the story?"
"Yes yes, tell us all of the lovey-dovey moments! Entertain me while I slave away in the heat!"
Tidus chuckled. "Well…it's kind of embarrassing, but…"
—-
"...and then he asked me to marry him. I said yes. We got married once we reached Djose the next day. Of course, it was after we helped with the survivors of the Operation," Yuna explained.
Gippal hummed from the other side of the dressing screen. "And that was how long ago?"
"About a week?" Yuna chuckled awkwardly, holding up her arms so the seamstress could measure her chest.
"Oh so you don't know this guy at all, huh?"
Yuna opened her mouth to argue that she knew him plenty, but then shut it. There was still an abundance of mystery around Tidus, and the end would probably come before she ever got that far. "No…I suppose I don't. But, people get married quicker than that, right?"
Gippal shrugged. "I guess."
"...and I am in a unique situation."
Gippal paused. "Yeah. Guess I had managed to forget about that for a while, huh?"
"You think I'm selfish, don't you?"
He shook his head. "Not in the slightest. You're on a road to self-sacrifice so that everyone can have a happy few years. No one should call you selfish for wanting love, no matter how short it may last."
Yuna smiled then, Gippal's affirmation momentarily blotting out the insults Seymour had hurled at Macalania.
"All done. She's free to go," said the Al-Bhed woman measuring her.
"Well," Gippal stood. "Are you ready to go?"
"Oh! Um, yes!" She bowed and thanked the seamstresses before coming around the dressing screen.
Gippal gave her a smile and then beckoned her back out into the hall.
"So, where are we going?"
"Down. Way way down. You aren't claustrophobic or afraid of the dark, right?"
"No, not really. As long as it's safe."
"It's…mostly safe. I should be able to take care of any fiends we encounter. But just in case, you're pretty good at summoning, right?"
Yuna chuckled, assuming it was a joke.
"I'm dead serious."
"Oh! Um, yes, I'm fairly good at summoning. It's been a few days…"
"Then we'll be fine! No worries!" And he turned to the lift.
—
Out in the desert, Kimahri led a group of five Al-Bhed armed with guns through the dunes.
"This is not what I wanted to spend my weekend doing."
"Just think of the party tomorrow! I heard they're sending Sir Auron to get booze! That guy has a barrel of Sake on his waist. I bet he knows exactly where to get the good stuff."
"Who's getting married again? Some Summoner? I don't get why they'd come here."
"It's Cid's niece. You remember his sister was married to High Summoner Braska?"
"I didn't know that. That's before my time. The old man rarely talks about his family…unless he's mad at his kids."
Kimahri grunted at them to be quiet.
They shut up for a few minutes.
"Still," one of them continued in a quieter tone. "Why do we have to tag along with the Ronso? He's leading us in circles."
"You'd leave the poor guy out here all alone? He's probably roasting in all that fur."
Kimahri held up a hand to halt their march. There was a bird-fiend scraping the sand with its claws, presumably looking for sand beetles.
One of the men took aim and fired, felling the fiend with one shot.
The group, except Kimahri, cheered.
"Alright! Grilled Condor breast!"
Kimahri started walking on without them.
"Where are you going?"
He called back, his voice just loud enough to be heard. "Not big enough."
—
"Lulu, this is Nhadala, she'll be your point of contact for today." Cid rested a heavy hand on the woman's shoulder, giving an emphatic shake.
"A pleasure," Lulu offered a polite smile.
Nhadala returned the smile with a forced exhale. "Likewise."
"Now, I hope you ladies become lifelong friends, I'm off to work!" And he rushed off, leaving no room for further questions.
Once Cid was gone, Lulu could see Nhadala roll her eyes under her goggles.
"I apologize for the inconvenience," Lulu began.
"What? No, no," Nhadala assured. "I'm just annoyed at Cid. I'm far from the most helpful person for this. But because I can speak Spiran, suddenly I'm an expert on the greenhouse."
"You don't need to hold my hand. I'm perfectly capable of picking some flowers."
Nhadala relaxed slightly. "You're right. Come on, let me show you where the ceremony is going to be held, then you can get an idea what we're working with."
She led Lulu to the lift and hit the button for the top floor. They rode in silence, Nhadala tapping her foot impatiently. At the top floor, the doors to the lift opened to a large, crescent-shaped room with a glass-domed ceiling. Here, people were setting up chairs and tables from the cafeteria. There was a stage with instruments on it, and a fountain against one wall.
"Oh, this is really nice," Lulu admired.
"This is Rin's venture. He wanted a room for us to relax in after a hard day of work. It was just recently finished."
"And it's fine for us to use it?"
"Why not? It's ideal."
"If everyone is sure…"
"They will be. Now, let me show you the greenhouse, it's right next door. Be aware, Adaline might not be very cooperative."
"Adaline?"
"The greenhouse keeper. It's mostly full of crops, but there is a section for flowers, and Adaline is pretty protective of them."
Lulu tightened her lips. "Well, maybe she can be persuaded."
—-
After hours of digging in the sweltering sun, finally, Tidus uncovered an entrance.
Well, a window. But it was good enough.
The thick pane of glass was still intact from the years and years of heavy sand and wind beating upon it. The surface was rough, and nothing was visible through it.
Tidus pried it open with his sword, and then called for a light to peer into the darkness.
The room was huge, and the window was easily fifty-feet from the ground. Thankfully, they had rope and could safely descend to the bottom.
As soon as Tidus's shoe touched the dusty floor, enchanted lanterns ignited with eerie blue flames, casting a dim light throughout the room.
In every temple he had been in so far, Tidus had witnessed the majestic statues of Lady Yunalesca and Lord Zaon. They were hard to miss, honestly. But this temple, still adorned with similar decor, did not have those statues. Instead, a statue of a man with six arms, and a sword in each hand, stood against the wall.
"Huh?" Tidus wondered aloud.
"Oh wow!" exclaimed Buddy, still on the rope. "That's Luchel!"
"Lu-who?"
"No stopping on the rope! I can't hang on!"
"The god of war. This place is pre-Yevon. Probably two-thousand years at least."
"Huh? I didn't know there was a pre-Yevon."
"Sure! Based on what we learned from digs, the power of summoning came from these ancient deities. The Fayth were granted power from them."
"So what happened to those gods? People don't worship them anymore so they don't interact?"
Buddy shrugged. "That I don't know. I doubt anyone outside the Farplane does. I would bet Sin destroyed them, but who knows."
Was Sin really strong enough to kill gods? What chance did they have of stopping it?
And stopping it without sacrificing Yuna?
"Are we here for a history lesson, or for treasure?" Brother asked, leaping down the last five feet of rope.
"A little bit of both," said Buddy. "If you know the history, you can know what treasure to look for."
"If this is a temple to the God of War, can we give what we find to Yuna?"
Buddy shrugged.
"Does Yuna like vases?" Brother asked, picking up a large urn that was easily the size of his body.
"I think we should look for something small she can take with her on the journey."
Brother set the urn down with a loud klonk.
"I don't see anything small in this room. There's a couple of hallways. Which way do you want to go?"
"Hmm…Eenie, Meenie, Miney…"
—-
Wakka took another sip of his potion. He didn't want to waste precious resources, but the oncoming headache was too much to ignore.
Everything was in Al-Bhed. Of course, he had a stack of Primers to reference, but it was taking forever.
"Ahhh this is a waste of time! I'm sure I could make something up and no one would care."
"You're Wakka, of the Besaid Aurochs."
Wakka dropped the sphere he was holding. "Ah! Who's there?"
A boy, dressed from head to toe in a tan utility suit peered over the top of a shelf. His face was hidden by goggles and a breathing apparatus. "You're the best shooter on the team, having made more goals on your own than any other player this season."
Wakka perked up a bit. "You notice that?"
"Unfortunately, every other team has at least three shooters and the Aurochs have notoriously bad blockers, and Keepa, despite his name, is the worst goalkeeper in the league."
"Uh. You really know your stuff, kid."
"I know everything."
"What's your name?"
"It's Shinra."
"Well Shinra, mind helpin' me out and translating a little bit?"
"Nah. Sounds boring. But you can help me out."
Wakka scoffed. "Look at you with the big britches!"
Shinra threw a device down to him. It looked like a giant magnifying glass with a speaker sticking out of it. "You can test out my new invention. It translates Al-Bhed into Spiran."
"It—what!? You for real?"
"It's supposed to. Al-Bhed into Spiran was easier, but I'm working out the kinks with Spiran to Al-Bhed."
"Kid, if this works, you've saved me from the worst afternoon I've ever had."
"You can thank me after you've taken my troubleshooting survey."
"Your what?"
—-
Yuna couldn't believe Home had this many floors to it, or that there could be anything buried this deep in the ground.
They were in a large cavern. Most of the space was occupied by two large machina ships.
"What are those?" Yuna asked.
"Celsius and Fahrenheit. Ancient Airships recovered from the ocean. Rikku's brother and father refurbished them."
"Do they really fly?"
"Think so. I wasn't here when they tested 'em."
Yuna stared at the ships, briefly imagining what it would be like to fly. How amazing, how liberating!
But that would just have to be a fleeting daydream. When would they ever get to?
"After we defeat Sin," she imagined Tidus' voice. "We'll have all the time in the world to explore Spira! We'll have a proper honeymoon on an airship!"
"Yuna?" Gippal asked. "You okay?"
"I'm fine. Just…admiring."
Gippal smiled, then gestured over his shoulder. "This way."
Even from here, she could see what he was talking about. The tip of an arched doorway was visible at the edge of the room. The rest was covered by the iron floor, but there was a little gap and a ladder to get to it.
The arch had the symbol of Yevon emblazoned on it.
Yuna ran over to the edge, shocked and awed that something like this would be buried in the desert.
Sure enough, the arch framed a doorway, which had an ancient glyph on it.
"A temple of the Fayth? Here?"
"See, that's what I thought it was, but no one was sure. We're not allowed in temples, so none of us have really studied them up close. Wanna check it out?"
"If that's alright, I would like to see if the Fayth is still intact, and maybe I could pray to it."
"If you're cool with an Al-Bhed going inside, then yeah."
"You're my guardian, no matter how temporary, you're duty-bound to follow me."
"Sounds like I'm absolved of guilt. Let's go!"
The door was roped off and they had to duck under. But as Yuna touched the surface, the glyph flashed blue and the door slid open.
Two large braziers ignited with a whoosh, and the interior illuminated. The statues of Lady Yunalesca and Lord Zaon stood prominently in the center of the room, built into the structure of the temple itself. Between them was the stairs that led to the Cloisters and the Chamber of Fayth.
But there was little else.
No statues to honor the High Summoners that succeeded. No memorials for Maesters and Praetors who served this temple. Just a thin dusting of sand on every surface.
"I wonder how long this place has been buried?" She wondered.
"No idea. Couple hundred years at least."
"Up the stairs there, we will have to face the Cloister of Trials. That is how we reach the Chamber of the Fayth. I…I worry though."
"About what, exactly?"
"It's so quiet. The Fayth isn't singing. I fear they may have been moved or destroyed."
"Only one way to find out. Come on, let's check out that Cloister!"
