Chapter 87 – At the Edge of a Sword
Seymour stared at Lenne with an amused smile crossing his lips. "Oh? And who might you be?"
"Lenne." Her eyes burned with a seething fire, ready to unleash all her pent-up anguish.
"Can't say I've heard of you before. I don't see how you would be in the same vein as a hero like Yuna," he said.
Lenne glared. "It doesn't matter if you know who I am. Only know that I've spent a thousand years destroying tyrants from Bevelle like you."
Seymour's amused smile morphed into an inquisitive expression. "That seems like a long time to be realistic. Perhaps you're just a ghost."
The obvious mockery in his tone led Lenne to the edge of eruption, but she held back. Like a dam about to burst, her entire body trembled from the overwhelming powder keg of emotions swelling inside of her. Memories collected from her time entwined with Yuna trickled in amongst her own feelings.
This vile man attempted to assault Yuna in every way imaginable. Seymour nearly killed her and her guardians when they discovered he murdered his father. He had tried to force her hand in an unsanctimonious marriage atop Bevelle. He invaded Mt. Gagazet to wipe out the Ronso. In a final act of treachery, he combined with Sin to destroy the world.
"Maybe I am a ghost," Lenne said. "But you are a monster."
Seymour laughed. "You're as sorrowful as the rest of Spira. Allow me to take pity on you and end your miserable existence."
Emerging from behind Seymour's back, a sharp-bodied fiend lashed out. In a vicious show of force, it snapped towards Lenne. Mortibody, as Seymour declared it, would be their doom.
Energy coursed through Seymour's metallic being. He fired a blast of watery magic at Lenne, thrusting her back. The water turned icy cold in an instant, prickling her exposed skin like tiny shards of glass.
His Guado followers took this as a sign to resume their attack. They engaged with the Ronso again, and the ringing of steel echoed throughout the peaks. Rikku ran up beside Lenne, brushing off the crystallized bits stuck to her clothing.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Lenne flashed a half-smile. "I'm fine. I won't go away that easily."
"Yeah, that's right!" cheered Rikku.
Paine marched up to Lenne's other side with her sword held in front of her. "If you want to beat him, we need to do this together."
For the first time in a thousand years, hope swelled in Lenne's heart. Between her friends dying during the war and Shuyin's death underneath Bevelle, Lenne had found herself alone for far too long. Such feelings of encouragement had been something she had nearly forgotten could exist.
"Then let's finish this together," she said firmly.
Like Yuna in years past, Paine and Rikku formed on Lenne's flanks, creating a formidable wedge. Paine led their barrage by conjuring a circle of dark orbs around her body. As a purplish haze of light surrounded her, she launched them at the monstrous creature guarding Seymour. Paine clenched her chest in agony while Mortibody reeled back behind Seymour.
He shot a streak of electricity at the incoming Rikku, who dodged the blast but tumbled to the ground. A cloud of powdery snow kicked up into the air. Lenne sped into the cloud, emerging from its cover to unleash a psychic blast from both of her hands. Seymour ducked the first blast, but her second shot connected with the dark steel of his armor. He cackled after brushing off its impact.
Lunging out from behind Seymour, Mortibody snapped at Lenne. It slammed itself into her body, knocking her back. She would have fallen to the ground if not for her innate ability to hover. She felt little injury from the blow, but her ribs still ached with pain. Rikku ran out in front of her, countering the fiend by tossing a large explosive device.
She flung it in front of Seymour's face. The concussive blast shuttered his entire body and thrusted him and Mortibody back. He hesitated for a moment, his senses succumbed to the deafening explosion. A faint aura glowed around Mortibody, which power it used to heal its master.
Running around to his left side, Paine leapt into the air, slashing her sword down into him with a mighty crash. He stumbled back momentarily before counterattacking with a fiery blast of magic. The flames consumed Paine's form, singeing her clothing and hair. Immediately Seymour fired a second blast of fire at Rikku. She screamed as the blast blew her off her feet again.
Lenne darted over to her. "Rikku, are you alright?"
She groaned. "Uh, yeah I think so."
"He's tougher than I expected."
Rikku groaned when Lenne helped her up. "Seymour isn't like a regular fiend. He's super strong!"
"And so are we," retorted Lenne with a grin.
She turned again to face her seemingly indomitable foe. Seymour's eyes pierced her with a maniacal gaze. Lenne felt her throat tighten just from his look. It reminded her of all the hardship he caused Yuna. Try as Lenne might, her shared experiences with Yuna stuck to her psyche. She had to push past them if she wanted to defeat Seymour.
Lenne gestured with her head, motioning at Seymour. Rikku cracked a grin and quietly nodded. Lenne fired another blast of psychic energy in front of Seymour's feet, kicking up a cloud of snow. He paid little attention to her misfire and started mocking her until Rikku leapt in from his right side.
She sliced away at his chest and shoulders with her curved blades. After performing an evasive backflip, she launched a grenade at him. It exploded by his legs, causing significant damage as displayed by the painful expression on his face. Mortibody immediately cast a healing spell on Seymour, restoring his vitality.
"That stupid thing keeps healing him," said Rikku with a giant frown.
Paine added, "Lenne, focus your fire on that weird thing!"
All the grief and animosity holding her heart hostage erupted out of Paine's command. Lenne shot a relentless stream of psychic blasts at Mortibody, alternating between her left and right hands. Icy tears trickled down her face during the barrage. A thousand years of darkness left her body.
The impacts knocked the alien fiend around until it hung nearly lifeless over Seymour's shoulder. It cast a spell, beaming energy out of Seymour into itself, invigorating it with new life.
"Damn, it's still not dead!" yelled Paine.
Rikku shook her head. "It's okay, I think we're on the right track!"
Everything surrounding Lenne blurred, and all the sounds of the world deafened. She heard not, nor cared not, what her friends said. Her mind narrowed on a singular focus—irradicate Seymour. All the boiling rage inside her told her that all would be well once Seymour ceased to exist. More shared memories from Yuna flashed in her mind, further aggravating her anger.
"What else can we do?" Lenne asked without looking away from Seymour.
Paine replied, "Keep your focus on the fiend, Rikku. Lenne, let's keep our focus on Seymour."
"I'll try my best!" Responded Rikku with a salute.
Wasting no time, Lenne continued her assault. The noise from the Guado and Ronso clashing behind her faded into the distance. She unleashed a pair of psychic blasts from her hands again, combining with Paine's onslaught of sword cuts. Seymour moved himself back while getting healed by Mortibidy.
He growled before casting a shot of lightning at both Lenne and Paine nearly simultaneously. Paine grunted in pain and retreated from her close position to Seymour. The extra electricity sent greater static through Lenne's body. She felt burning heat all over for a second before it dissipated. The air around her still crackled from the attack. A black gem flew in above Seymour, hanging in the air for what felt like an eternity.
Bursting out of the gem, a wave of black energy exploded, sucking life out of both Seymour and his fiend companion. Just as it had done before, Mortibody pulled life force out of Seymour and delivered it to itself. In visible pain, Seymour hunched over.
"There we go!" cheered Rikku. "Don't stop now!"
Without hesitation, Lenne channeled all the energy within herself. She fired a bright line of light at Mortibody, shooting the intensely focused energy through its torso. It sagged over limp for a moment before again sucking lifeforce out of Seymour. Visibly injured, Seymor stumbled backwards, holding onto his chest.
With his other arm, he extended his hand and unleashed arcane fire that detonated in between Lenne and Paine. Unable to move out of the way, a halo of light followed by a concussive blast knocking Lenne off her feet. She slammed hard into the ground. The snow did little to pad her impact. Wincing in pain, her mind waded between conscious and unconscious.
A muffled voice cried out. Lenne opened her eyes to try to spot where the voice emanated from. Everything around her appeared fuzzy, like she was looking through a foggy window. She shook her head, desperately attempting to snap herself back to lucidity. Before she realized it, she stood up with the help of Rikku. Her friend's wide eyes held so much fear in them.
Lenne blinked and her vision cleared. Looking past Rikku, who continued to ask her if she was hurt, she spied Seymour firing more magical attacks. This time, he targeted the Ronso. By now, they had subdued most of the Guado attackers. Seymour's magic, combined with Mortibody's piercing attacks, overwhelmed the remaining Ronso. Kimahri stood in front of his clan, deflecting the attacks using his own body as a shield. Bloody wounds littered his body.
She watched as Mortibody flung itself at Kimahri, rushing in for a killing blow. Lenne vanished from before Rikku, who gasped in reaction. Positing herself in front of Kimahri in lightning speed, Lenne imposed herself between the fiend and him. She crossed her arms in front of her, taking Mortibody's strike straight on.
Lenne felt the force of the attack against her body. It pushed her back but inflicted on pain. Whether she felt nothing because of her powers or because she was numb didn't concern her. Uncrossing her arms, she stared at Seymour, ignoring his pet fiend patrolling around him.
Lifting her arms into the air, Lenne conjured a cloud of dark blue energy around Seymour. It elevated him higher above the ground. He struggled to fight against her power, worming his body around like a fish out of water. Her cross eyes watched him rise higher into the air. She yelled at him incoherently as unbelievable rage ran through her veins.
The cloud of energy collapsed, condensing down on Seymour's diabolical form. He screeched out in agony from the immense force crushing him. Falling to the ground, he landed in a heap of snow. Mortibody sunk beside him, bursting into a cluster of pyreflies before dispersing into the glittering snowfall raining down from the sky.
"It's over," Lenne stated, her expression turning neutral.
Seymour cackled. "Is it?"
Paine rushed over to cleave him with a killing blow. Seymour raised a hand into the air and cast an explosion of fire, blowing her into the air. An enormous cloud of snow and smoke kicked up, splattering superheated water into the air. Lenne had to shield her face from being burned. A thousand tiny specks enflamed her skin.
She coughed from the thick smoke entering her lungs. Pushing through, she navigated the smoky clouds searching for Seymour but saw him nowhere. She started to rush away in pursuit, but the sudden explosion interrupted her rage enough for her to think clearly. Her eyes instead searched for her friends. Lenne found Paine face first in a snowbank.
Hovering above her, she leaned over to lift Paine up. She looked up at Lenne and huffed. Letting out a sigh, Lenne responded with a bitter smile. She helped brush the snow off of Paine before locating Rikku. A great wave of relief came over her when she saw her friend tending to Kimahri.
"Thank goodness you're both safe," Lenne said.
Rikku flashed a thumbs up. "Hey, we're pretty tough ya know."
"Kimahri thankful for your help."
Lenne smiled with more glee. "You're welcome. It's the least I could do."
"Where is Seymour? Did you destroy him?" asked Rikku.
"No," murmured Lenne, looking out towards the north. "He's still out there somewhere."
"He can't be far," Paine said.
Lenne nodded and pointed north. "He must have fled that way."
Rikku gasped. "Are you sure?"
"It's the only way that makes sense," answered Lenne. "What is that way?"
Rikku's eyes fell to the ground. She poked the snow on the ground with her foot, shuffling it to the side. Lenne looked over to Paine, who had an exasperated expression on her face. Her demeanor shrank just as greatly as Rikku's.
"What's the matter?" Lenne questioned.
Paine sighed. "That way . . . is Zanarkand."
The weight of Paine's words finally sunk in with Lenne. She understood, and appreciated, her friends' concern. In her mind flashed images of her beloved city, shining with dazzling lights. It had been nearly an eternity since she witnessed its majesty in person, not registering that the Zanarkand of the present bore no resemblance to her old home.
"It's fine. Let's go before Seymour escapes us."
She led her friends from the battleground, winding their way across the narrow paths through the mountain. The snowy weather relented, revealing the sun once again. Lenne welcomed the increased visibility until light shone on a landscape of desolate ruins below. She stopped moving, unable to process what her eyes looked upon.
Broken buildings grew out of a lifeless land. The tops of some towers had caved in, while others leaned over, looking like a tired old man ready to collapse. The setting sun colored the remains with an orangish glow. A slight haze blanketed the ground, hiding where the people and streets should be.
No lights shined in the windows and no machina paraded through the streets. No hubbub or excitement from a blitzball match buzzed in the air and no people shouted or cheered. Zanarkand—her city—lied in ruins. Her home was no more.
Lenne put a trembling hand up to her mouth. Of course, she knew already that Zanarkand no longer stood as it did in her time. To see it as a desolate heap, a lifeless graveyard of abandoned structures, melted her heart. She cried out and collapsed to the ground, unknowingly reverting out of her dressphere. In the songstress attire she had fought and sang for her home in so long ago, the crushing weight of pain overpowered her.
Curling up in a ball on the cold, stone ground, Lenne wept. The sound of her cries echoed across the gulf between her and Zanarkand. The city's present state mirrored her own life which had become nothing more than a ruin. She had no home, no love, and no future. Helping Yuna had provided her with the only glimmer of hope remaining in her existence. Even under the weight of her own sorrows, knowing that Yuna might work out a way to fix everything for both of them gave Lenne something to hold onto.
With Yuna flung into the distance past with Shuyin, she would never see either of them again. Nothing could now reverse the nightmare constructed under Bevelle a thousand years before. Her soul receded into the darkest depths of her mind, knowing that she existed with no purpose anymore.
Rikku kneeled beside her, holding her tightly in her arms. She whispered words of comfort in Lenne's ear, but she never registered them. Paine stood next to her, unable to conjure anything to say that might help. Her determination to hunt Seymour dissolved away.
Lenne registered no concept of time. The sun set behind the remnants of her home. Night cast long shadows over her, providing her with a modicum of welcomed comfort. Happy for the world not to see her so vulnerable, the tears began to relent. Her reddened eyes stung so much. She couldn't bear to cry any longer.
Rikku helped Lenne to her feet and wiped away the wetness on her blush cheeks. She exhaled a long-held sigh. With her sobbing complete, she looked out across the distance again. Her heart hoped to see lights. Nothing but darkness lit the land until she spotted a handful of stars twinkling along the horizon. For as appalling as the thought was, Lenne came to terms with the fact that Zanarkand was as dead as herself. Neither her home nor she would ever come back to life.
"Thank you for staying with me," she said. "But what about Seymour?"
"Don't worry about him. He'll turn up again," replied Rikku.
Paine nodded. "That's right. We'll chase him down then."
Lenne looked up at her. Guilt replaced her sorrow. Even though she had no future, the rest of Spira did. Her friends deserved to be safe. While she never faced a foe like Seymour in her own time, she understood the threat a tyrant like him posed.
"Now what?" she asked meekly.
Rikku patted her on the shoulder. "Let's just get back to the ship. I'll have Barkeep make you something warm to eat."
Without replying, Lenne stood by, watching Paine call up the Celsius. She quickly explained the situation and called Brother to pick them up. Lenne's whole body felt numb. Though she had a physical form, she didn't feel like she existed within it anymore. Her head felt light. She closed her eyes hoping the dizziness would stop.
The Celsius touched down near them a few minutes later. Mindlessly she walked onto the ship and headed for the cabin. She slumped on to one of the stools and rested her head down on the bar. The warm wood felt pleasurable compared to the wintry conditions of Mt. Gagazet.
Barkeep said little to her, none of which she acknowledged. He brought out a glass of water and a large bowl of piping hot soup. Lenne stared at the skinny wisps of steam rising from it. She would rather waste away than take a bite, even if the meal smelled delicious. Barkeep retreated from the cabin, leaving her alone. At first, the silence comforted her—no one could see her in such a pathetic condition.
As time passed, the silence increasingly agitated her. Left to her own devices, intrusive thoughts continuously bombarded her. She had enough of the constant barrage and walked into the lift. Before her grief and self-pity swallowed her up, she needed the refuge of company. She clicked a button to take her to the bridge.
Just as she hoped for, the sound of chatter filled the room. She spotted both Paine and Rikku huddled around Shinra. Brother and Buddy were both walking over themselves. Everyone had an expression both curious and stern on their faces. They all were too focused on Shinra to notice Lenne had entered the bridge.
"What are you all talking about?" she asked.
Brother, who faced away from her, nearly jumped out of his skin. "What the! Oh, Lenne, it's just you."
"Sorry to scare you," she said.
Rikku rolled her eyes. "He's just being a nitwit. I'm glad to see you up here."
"Thanks. I needed the company."
Paine gave Lenne a playful tap on the arm. "Hang in there. You got friends here to help you."
Trying to muster a smile, Lenne nodded. "I'll try."
Shinra spun around in his chair. "So, to answer your question, Lenne, I've been tracking a large anomaly."
"Is it related to Seymour?" she asked.
"Nope. It's way too far away to be him."
Rikku poked him on the head. "So, tell us what it is then, dummy!"
He cleared his throat. "I was getting there. What I'm detecting is a huge buildup of energy here between Kilika and Luca."
Paine said, "That's in the middle of the ocean. Wait, is that—"
"Yep, it's where Iutycyr Tower is located," interrupted Shinra.
Rikku smacked her fist into her other hand. "Then something must be going on with the machina on top!"
"Do you think it's Yuna trying to return home?" Paine questioned.
Rikku nodded furiously. "It has to be!"
Shinra sighed. "Even if she can charge up the machine on her end of time, she still requires the key to activate it."
"You mean the spheres Shuyin used before?"
"No, from my studies, there is another sphere Iutycyr made. Three to go back but one to return."
Paine slammed her fist onto his console. "You mean after all this, she's stuck there?"
The pit of Lenne's stomach tightened, and her heart sank. How could the universe be so cruel to Yuna, the one who championed Lenne's cause for so long. The one who bore all her grief while trying to save her own love. She felt agony overtake her again until another thought clicked in her mind.
"Wait, it's not over yet!" she exclaimed.
"What do you mean?" Buddy asked.
Removing a violet sphere she had stowed away, Lenne showed it to everyone. "When I was down in Bevelle with Isaaru, he told me Shuyin was searching for another sphere. Another crafted by Iutycyr. This is it I believe."
Shinra snatched it out of her hands. "I'll have to run some analysis. But if what you say is accurate, this is the key we need."
All of the Gullwings cheered in unison. Brother rushed back to his cockpit seat to lay in a course for the tower. Lenne hoped Shinra would find her to be correct. Purpose and confidence flooded back into her. She would move heaven and earth to bring Yuna back. Not even time itself could stop her.