"We gotta get Yuna…" Cait piped up, jumping on Mog.
"I agree. If Seymour is as twisted as his father said him to be…" Vincent started, eying Sephiroth as he spoke, "Then we must stop him before it is too late."
Auron blinked and said nothing.
The Party followed Kimahri as he pushed a monk to the floor and charged up the stairs.
"Let’s go," Zidane called. Kuja shook his head and walked behind all, keeping pace with Sephiroth.
"What do you suppose this one is up to, dear Sephiroth?" Kuja asked. The black-clad Demigod shook his head.
"I know not. I’ve… had this feeling since we met him for the first time in Luca…"
"He must be stopped, as Vincent had said."
Sephiroth placed a hand to his forehead.
"I fear there is more to that… I feel as though he must be destroyed."
"Where’s Yuna?" Tidus called. Seymour turned his head and looked at the Party.
"She’s praying to the fayth," he said simply. Reno closed his eyes, in taking his mother’s song. Seymour looked toward the Turk and smirked.
"You must be the one… she has told me many things about you," Seymour replied as he gracefully walked over to Reno, who had opened his eyes. The Guado placed his hand on the Turk’s chin, raising Reno’s face to meet his own. "You have her eyes."
Cid impatiently leaned on his Venus Gospel, watching as Seymour talked… Does this guy ever shut up? By the Lifestream—
The door opened and Yuna walked through.
"Aah, Lady Yuna…" Seymour said, turning to her. She glanced behind the Guado.
"Why?" She questioned.
"We know… we saw the sphere," Tidus replied. Yuna tensed a bit.
"Yuna…" Reno started, but stopped. He figured now wasn’t a good time. As Seymour continued to talk, Yuna disagreed with him and stood with the rest of the Party. The twenty other members surrounded her, agitating the Guado.
"Well," he started, lifting his arm up, "I’m just going to have to kill you all then."
The Party fell into attack stances as two Guado Guardians came up behind Seymour.
"This isn’t happening," Wakka stammered.
"Believe it," Amarant stated plainly as he attacked a Guado Guardian. The guardian Auto-Potioned himself, allowing Seymour to attack with Blizzara. Reno took the full hit, but was still active enough to use Turk Light on Seymour.
"Seymour… why are you doing this?" Yuna asked, exasperated.
"Your eyes… they burn with resolve. Beautiful," Seymour replied.
"Okay, you’re pissing me off, I JUST WANT TO GO HOME!" Cid cried as he used his Limit Break, Big Brawl. Acting quickly, he finished off a Guado Guardian and severely damaged the other, who Auto-Potioned himself. Steiner finished the other guardian off, using Mental Break. It was Seymour’s turn.
Off in the distance, a lone figure watched the fight, and smiled. My boys are there… this is fantabulous! Simply maaahvelous! He resisted the urge to prance over and fight, also suppressing a giggle.
Watera. It would have killed Vivi, had Reno not stepped in front of his new friend.
"No!" Vivi squealed, watching as the drenched Turk slumped to the floor.
"…" replied Amarant.
Reno coughed.
"Just… DIE already!" Amarant suddenly burst out. Despite the fight, Seymour stopped.
"He is dead, you fool."
Amarant coughed.
"I’m not dead yet," Reno mumbled.
"You’re right. He’s gotta be dead… I mean… two attacks from you and no healing in-between…"
"I’m getting better… I have Regen…"
Seymour smiled and bowed his head saying, "I’m grateful for your compliment, but I believe that this tragedy will not stop our battle…"
"I think I’ll get up now," Reno mumbled. Auron blinked, looking towards a shadow. The shadow seemed to disappear as Rufus helped his lover up.
"I FEEL HAPPY!!!"
Kefka Palazzo smiled upon screaming out those words, seeing the confused faces of the 22 people. He pranced out, singing, "I feel happy, I feel happy, I feel happy!"
Amarant had a bewildered look on his face, whilst some of the other Party members blinked.
"I missed the start of the battle? Oh man…"
"Well," Auron started, "we’re all here."
Seymour let out a sigh and cast Firaga at the Party.
"The battle isn’t over yet."
Sephiroth glared at Seymour as Cloud and Vincent slumped, unconscious. He held Masamune at his attack position, and leapt up. While Yuna and Garnet healed the ailing warriors, Sephiroth sliced the air, sending a wave of energy at Seymour. The twisted Guado stepped backwards; not realizing the energy wave was a decoy until he felt Masamune in his side. Sephiroth leapt back.
"Feel my pain… come Anima!" Seymour roared as he called on his Aeon, the mysterious and frightening Anima. Kefka giggled.
"What a sight… what a sight, eh?" Tidus ignored the Mage and looked at Yuna.
"The new Aeon, Yuna!"
Yuna nodded and summoned her newest Aeon.
Reno looked on in awe, and Kefka gaped in pleasure.
Shiva looked on behind her icy home, finally shattering the ice like it were glass and tossing Yuna her cape.
Kefka waved madly at the beautiful icy warrior.
"HEYA, SEXY!"
Reno blinked and smiled, whispering, "Mama…"
"Please, help us," Yuna prayed.
Shiva flipped back her long hair in acknowledgement. Looking up at Anima, she realized she could be on a suicide mission. The ferocious Aeon roared, as if responding to Shiva’s thoughts. Determined to stop Seymour in hopes of helping the young Summoner, Shiva clenched her fists and hit Anima with Heavenly Strike. In return, Anima hit her with Pain.
"Mama!" Reno blurted, making everyone turn in his direction. Everyone, that is, except Kefka, who only grinned. Shiva turned to him, casting Blizzara on herself.
"Come here," She called. Reno did so. "Can you do it?" she asked. He nodded and turned toward Anima.
"Together… we destroy him together," Reno replied. Shiva nodded.
Anima roared again.
Their moves similar in style, both mother and son cast the devastating Diamond Dust attack at the Aeon. The ferocious Aeon roared in agony as Seymour dismissed him.
"That power that destroyed Anima… it will be mine!" Seymour called, casting Multi-Thundara. Reno held up his nightstick to deaden the charge.
"Ah, ah… now!"
Steiner, Zidane and Cloud attacked head on, the twisted Guado, whilst Yuna dismissed Shiva. The Mages (with the exception of Kefka) cast Fira, and Cait Sith whomped down on Seymour. Kimahri finished the twisted Guado off. He stumbled back and fell to his knees as Yuna, Auron and Sephiroth walk over.
"You would… pity me now?" Seymour coughed. He lay back looking over the faces of the three and stopping at Auron’s. A small smile spread on his lips as he went limp. Auron shook his head as Yuna closed Seymour’s eyes.
"That was magnificently fun! Let’s do again!" Kefka cried out.
They stood silently. Then all eyes were on Kefka and Reno.
"What?" Reno replied. Tidus tapped his foot.
"You really aren’t from here… and yet you called Yuna’s new Aeon your mother…"
"Out with it, ya?" Wakka replied. Reno shook his head.
"It’s hard to explain—"
"Then let me," Sephiroth said, placing his hand on Reno’s shoulder.
"Rufus, Cloud, Reno, Cid, Yuffie, Vincent, Cait Sith and I are from a different Planet, as, I assume, are Steiner, Garnet, Zidane, Vivi, Amarant and Kuja. And I suppose you are, too?"
Kefka nodded, his grin widening. Sephiroth continued.
"I’m not sure how we all got here, but I suppose it was fate that brought us together. Fate, called Sin, JENOVA and Necron."
He received a few stares from the Gaians and Auron, but he continued after taking a breath.
"It seems that Sin had called upon those two forces from our worlds and somehow transported us here."
"Hey… that’s not what I asked. I asked Reno why he called Yuna’s new Aeon his mother," Tidus growled. Reno stepped up, as well as Kefka.
"Shiva IS his mom… and I’m his daddy," Kefka giggled. "Mwehehe, I betcha don’t know who I am. Oh well… I Kefka."
Reno stared at Kefka.
"Lord Seymour!" they heard Tromell call.
After a brief confrontation, we had to run to get away from the Guado Guardians… away from Macalania Temple. I wanted to just leave to finish our quest, as did the others, but with the Guado at our heels, we had to run twice as fast.
We reached the ice and I slipped and crashed into Steiner, and that’s when we had to fight a sasquatch-type creature, along with two more Guado Guardians.
Wendigo, the Sasquatch, didn’t pose as much of a problem as the Guado and Kefka. Yuna summoned Ifrit and used his Overdrive, Hellfire to get rid of the Guardians. The rest of us pounded on Wendigo until we defeated it.
As its last resort, it jumped and cracked the ice below it, and we fell through.
"Ugh… where are we?" Yuffie asked as she lay on her back, drenched, but too lazy to get up.
"It seems we are under the surface, that must be the temple up top," Vincent replied.
"Ugh," Yuffie replied again.
"I can still hear the hymn…" Reno said, sitting on a rock. Wakka shook his head.
"Traitors to Yevon… I can’t believe this…"
"Get over it," the Turk growled.
"Sephiroth… I’ve been meaning to ask you something," Auron began, watching the silver Demigod fold his arms in disgust.
"When will this end, Auron?"
Auron shook his head.
"I do not know…" he replied, stopping when he heard Reno and Wakka singing the hymn, along with the fayth. "So that is how he knows the hymn."
"…" Sephiroth said, tapping his foot impatiently. "I don’t really care about that, Auron. This may sound childish, but I want to go home… back to my dying Planet, back where I know where I am… and I’m sure the other fourteen would agree with me."
Auron looked down.
Rufus sat on a rock, away from the water. His suit was already dirty; he didn’t look the part of a president anymore.
"It’d be NICE if we could rest up and WASH UP!" he screamed out to the other Party members. Vivi was perched next to him.
"I’d like that too, Mr. Rufus."
"As do I." Rufus looked over to see Kuja, combing the ice out of his hair. "I do not like looking like a common ruffian."
Rufus nodded and looked toward Garnet, Steiner, Cloud and Zidane… Probably arguing about something, I suppose.
"This is utter bullshit…" Cid sighed, shaking his head. Tidus and Lulu agreed. Cait Sith looked up from his perch on Mog.
"It’s kinda damp down here…"
The other three agreed. Tidus walked around, waiting for Yuna to wake up.
I heard Cid and he was right. This IS bullshit.
It wasn’t long before Yuna woke up, and we heard the roar of Sin again. It seemed that Sin followed us everywhere Tidus was, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the twerp was a link to defeating it. The giant monster lifted the 22 of us out from under the ice and into the sand. I landed with Kuja, Vivi and Rufus and… lucky me, I had to hear the pretty-boy and my lover complain.
It wasn’t long before we met up with the others and, according to Rikku; we were in Sanubia Desert, near her Al Bhed home. I, myself, asked the others where Yuna was… hey, I didn’t know…
Kimahri said that the Al Bhed took her away, and that’s when Rikku decided to take us to her home. I couldn’t complain, what was there to lose? When we got to her home, though…
It was under siege by the Guado and Fiends. I could have cursed every Guado within my reach, but I didn’t have the chance to.
"We have to get to the Summoner’s Sanctum!" Rikku cried, "Come on!"
"Mwehehe… oh the destrrruction!" Kefka cheered. Reno hit him over the head. "Owie!"
"Shut up, or I’ll deliberately feed you to a Chimera," Reno growled. Kefka pouted. "This is no time for fun and games, even I know this!" he hissed. Kefka pouted more.
Kuja cursed as a Dual Horn plowed through him.
"Vile fiend!" the White Mage cried, casting his most devastating spell, Nova Blast, causing the Dual Horn to keel over in agony. He brushed his hair out of his face and the Party continued to the Summoner’s Sanctum.
Rikku’s heart stopped. She couldn’t believe it had come to this… her family… the other Al Bhed…
"Rikku," Wakka said softly, placing his hand on her shoulder. She couldn’t take it anymore, turning and bursting into tears, her face buried into Wakka’s chest. "Damn the Guado!" Wakka cried out as Fiends, which were easily brought down by Sephiroth, Steiner and Amarant, with a little help from Kimahri and Auron, surrounded the party.
They were nearly done.
"What’s the… Summoner’s Sanctum?" Tidus wondered. Rikku, her head bowed, answered.
"It’s where we keep the Summoners."
"You kidnapped them," Wakka said flatly.
As Rikku informed the Party about the Summoner’s Sanctum and why the Al Bhed "kidnapped" them, I watched Tidus’ expression turn from anxiety to thought and back again.
"But if the guardians do a good job when the Summoners reach the end… they’ll be safe, right?" Tidus questioned. When nobody answered he repeated worriedly.
"Right?!"
Kimahri was the first to say something.
"It’s quiet. Kimahri goes now," he replied as he walked down the stairs. One by one the other Party members followed until only Tidus was left. What do they know that I don’t? he thought as he hurried to the Summoner’s Sanctum.
"Yunie, please be here!" Rikku cried out.
To no avail. Yuna wasn’t here. Everybody’s face dropped when they heard that the Al Bhed sacrificed themselves… and when they heard that the Al Bhed thought that the Summoner’s were being sacrificed—that they didn’t need to do the pilgrimage. Rikku informed the unknowing that Yuna would die if she got the Final Aeon. Tidus went ballistic, lashing out at Wakka and Lulu, then at a Valefore, who only lowered her head.
Rikku told everyone to meet at the Airship, and Cid’s eyes lit up.
"Airship?"
Rikku nodded. Cid cheered.
"Son-of-a-bitch! Well, what’re we waiting for? Let’s go!" the pilot crowed as he ran for the docking area.
"We’ll get her… I know it," Cloud said reassuringly to the ailing Tidus, who only nodded. Zidane also nodded vigorously.
"It’ll be a snap with us!" the Genome cried, pounding his chest.