Final Fantasy X-3: Peace Always Come With A Price

[Datomix]

I stumbled in Rin's Travel Agency soaking wet. I wrang out my hair as I began to curse and mutter beneath my breath.

"Damn Thunder Plains."

I calmly approached the clerk behind the desk with a forced smile as I inquired about the room.

"Sorry Ma'm, we are booked solid for the time being." She said.

I sighed as I raised my hand to obliterate the bitch.

Stop it! Now we're just being reckless!

"This does not involve you." I said aloud.

The clerk gave a look of fear and confusion as she gazed at me.

You honestly think we will get away with a murder? Our soul is damaged enough.

I laughed aloud.

If we take a life, we will be no better than a fiend!

"Hmm, I suppose...fine." I whisperd as my arm lowered to it's side.

"Just the stay the hell outta my head." I spoke softly, the clerk began furiously typing
on her computer.

The voice inside my head laughed.

I could say the same about you.

"Heh, it seems there is a room available afterall...heheh...last door to the left,
free of charge, I insist."

"Fantastic." I said.

The clerk let out a fake grin with a sigh of relief, sitting back down behind the desk.

As I headed to the hall I noticed some electronics for sale.

Hmm, I wonder?

"Excuse me?"

The clerk was immediatly startled at my words, jumping to her feet.

"Y-yes ma'm?"

I rolled my eyes.

"So...what excactly are these?"

"These?" Pointing to the sqaure shaped device.

"They are technology at it's finest. They are portable computers, more or less. Using
various airship computer technologies we have devised a new communications known as the internet! It really has anything you need to know about anything! This particular
device is known as a 'Innovative Personal Augmentation Device', also known as I.P.A.D"

"How much?"

"Oh-heh, we have a discount today - only 300 Gil!"

I opened my pouch and tossed over the Gil. As soon as she handed over the device I stormed
in my room, not in the mood for "Have a nice day!!" remarks.

"Aww man...now I gotta tell Dona her room was taken! Shes soo gonna kill me!" The clerk whimpered.

I slammed the door to my room behind me.

"Dona? The former summoner? Hmm, I will have to pay her a visit after I vanquish Sin."

I lied in the bed and turned on the device.

Baaj Temple? I thought to myself.

Never heard of it...but how do I know of it?

The pyrefly, perhaps? The voice stated.

I know that, but why is it so important? Who gave me that message?

The voice did not respond.

I sighed. I looked up all I could find on Baaj Temple on the device.

Apparently it was once a great island city until Sin totaled it. Now it is mostly ruins.

Why are old ruins so important?

I looked up more info and found coordinates to it, X=11-16, Y=57-63. Great. Now I need
a damn airship or a boat.

I could warp there. I thought to myself.

Thats not such a smart idea, remember last time we tried that? we almost died.

Good point. I thought, ignoring the memory.

Wait. I thought.

What do you mean "We"? You're not me. You're just a annoying illusion...pestering me...since the day Sin killed them.

The voiced laughed.

I am far more than a illusion.

Then what are you?

I am...you, I am who you used to be.

I laughed.

"What?" I said aloud between laughs. "That makes no sense."

It makes perfect sense if you think about it.

I humored my delusion.

"Then what am I?"



.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.



Corruption.

 

[Scribbles]

Jayx shuffled through the many twists and turns that made up the way to Besaid Village. She had lost Arcade some time ago, when she found herself, as usual engaged with some inanimate object on the side of the road. This time, fate found the youth staring a tiny green Cactuar down. She had never seen one so tiny, and as such, she HAD to investigate.

“Ohhhhh….” The brown haired girl’s exhausted cries echoed through the foliage. “Huh?” From the distance she heard the sound of metals clashing and guns cracking. Instinct made her think ‘Boss’, so she swiftly went to track down the source. What she found however were familiar faces, but not the ones she expected. “The Summoner!” She hollered out.

Reflexes from her days with Arcade told her to keep quiet though. After all, ‘Kid’ was supposed to be with her loving family by now. She sighed. Family. Jayx thought a bit melancholy. The words only left her struggling to try and remember anything of the sort from her life—but no cigar. For as long as she could remember she had been with Arcade.

The fiends that the Guardians were engaged with all fell swiftly, leaving a rainbow tinted sky in their memory.

“Oh! Maybe they know where the village is?” The fledgling criminal thought aloud, “Yeah! She’s the Summoner right?” Once they were a considerable distance ahead, Jayx stepped from behind the cover of the greenery, “…Awlright…” Carefully, she followed behind them.



* * *

Arcade stood on a cliff that overlooked the not so sleepy island village. The crimelord turned Sphere Hunter gripped at his mechanical limb, trying to some how ease the pain the currently shot through his nerves. Ash from the cigarette in his mouth tainted the pure air of the isle, a feat that he held no remorse for.

“Time to do some recon…” The pain slowly began to subside from Arcade’s limb, allowing him to finally reach into his back pocket for his set of cards. The images on the faces were all depictive of characters from his life; there was Jayx, Goatee, P. Stache, even Apu and his boys. This time though, he reached for the Jack of Hearts. This card showed the image of three elegant looking sisters, dressed in purple robes.

These were the three sisters of his fate. Long ago, Arcade cut each one of them down in order to gain his immortality.

With a blank expression, Arcade crushed the card in his steel fist. The pieces of the card turned a transparent white and scattered into nothingness on the wind. At once a purple bubble of energy formed around him. With a slight adjustment of his black cufflinks, the sharply dressed character leaped from the cliff. And, oh so gracefully did he float down to the center of the village below.


The people were much to preoccupied with the coming of the Summoner to pay him any mind, in fact, there was some buzz of her group making it to the temple floating around.

Arcade dispatched the field and coolly dusted his self off. He grimaced at the sight of a small black scuff on his white gators—oh how he wanted to vaporize someone at that moment.

 

[LongLiveLife]

The quiet murmurings in the shambling barricade gained in numbers until individual voices grew indistinguishable, a homogenous drone vibrating the air. One of the voices demanded the summoner, and the caustic venom in his tone suggested a welcome tour of the island was out of the question. The noise roused a feral bloodlust in Eve’s stomach with a light tickle. It was time to end their nonsense. As Eve reached for her guns, the summoner introduced herself and the riot diminished.

A curious eyebrow rose on her face. Did the villagers really buy into Lucille’s plea? Her first instinct was to drill a bullet into the flimsy wooden prop supporting the nearby fence and watch it collapse and scatter the crowd, clearing their path of the idiots who opposed. But the summoner was good: her appeal to emotion may just have won their trust. The white of teeth scintillated in the beginnings of a half-smile. There was wry amusement in how effortless persuasion could be when people led with their hearts.

They entered the village, still garnering the penetrating stares of those who had excluded themselves from the mob.

“This is where we part ways, for now,” Eve said, walking ahead. “Learn all you can from the fayth, should it decide to entertain your prayers. I’ll be around and about. Stay safe, Lady Summoner.” Hips swaying as she strutted on, repeated metallic chinks from ammunition clashing in her holsters, she raised her hand and gave a cursory wave with her back facing the group.

When she entered the hut on her right, she was overpowered by the smell of cheap alcohol and blurred conversation. The consortium of rowdy men and women guzzling both with wild abandon threatened to burst the gloomy, claustrophobic walls of the building with their numbers. It seemed bars around Spira shared the same culture. This was home, or something very similar to it. Eve bit her tongue to restrain the burning temptation to start taking orders; this was not her bar. Squeezing through narrow margins between bodies, she moved to the counter, for the first time in a while on the other side as a customer. The feeling sent shivers down her spine. It was wrong.

“Bartender, hit me with a double shot of the strongest thing you got.” He nodded, but she could smell the animal lust beneath his flesh. She propped both elbows on the countertop and leaned forward as he retrieved the order. “So, hot shot, where’s a girl meant to get supplies ‘round here?”

“You’ a traveller?” he asked, sliding the glass across the counter.

“The best there is.” She caught the glass and tipped its contents down her throat before slamming the empty container back on the counter.

“A bit dangerous for a lady like yourself to be travelling alone, no? Anyway, you’re going to want to stop by Hatto’s.” He made a vague gesture to the left. “He’s the local pharmacist and he’ll hook you up with the best deals for potions and the sort. If you’re looking for armory, the Crusaders’ Headquarters just across is your best bet.”

“Though your concern for me is absolutely riveting, I’ll be fine on my own.” She patted the guns hanging from her hip. He made a scowl. “I’ve still got time to kill. Entertain me.” She slid the glass back at him, knowing full well the summoner would take much longer with the fayth than she would getting a few odd supplies.

 

[Datomix]

Darkness covered me as i plummeted through the endless abyss. There was no pain, no sadness, just blackness and nothing. The only sounds that were audible enough to decipher was the whistling of the air as my body sliced through it and the whispers of 1000 souls.

Is this the afterlife? Is this what death brings? If so, it would be a shame to usher the inhabitants of Spira to this magnitude of ignorant bliss.

From above, a single fragment of light illuminated the black hole as it quickly shot down towards me. As it drew near, emotions of unfamiliarity swelled inside me, something I never felt before. My desire to destroy Spira burned in my mind, but...the motive, it's not revenge, it's sympathy.

The light drew closer it became apparent as to what it was: a single pyrefly.

It danced around my descending body, almost playfully it seemed. As I tried to reach out to it it simply darted away, out of reach. Was it teasing me?

It continually circled me for what felt like hours, only when I gave up was when it submitted to me. It darted around once more before it simply hovered next to my eyes. The light was blinding. I tried shooing it away but it quickly flew inside my head.

The pain was intolerable.

It felt like an iron balloon was inflating inside my skull. Piercing screams filled my head as I begged for blissful solitude. The screams only grew louder and inhuman shrieks cracked my mind. I begged for it to stop. I screamed. I cried. The screaming came to a sudden halt. Only the whispers of the unknown could be heard. One was of a woman. Her voice was dead and monotone. It harmonized with a sound I could only describe as demonic, as it whispered in my ear.

"He is the one who sowed the seeds of hatred. He is to blame."

My eyes opened only to instantly quint at the light bulb hanging over my head. After a moment of adjusting, I realized I had dozed off at the Inn. I looked at the clock, I had been asleep for an hour at most.

"What a odd dream." I said, whilst stretching out my arms with a loud yawn.

Thinking of a means to get transportation, I grabbed the device and began searching for any airships nearby. Everything is booked it seems. Damn it! Annoyed by my lack of results, I clicked on the "Current Events" section. It seems they have another summoner roaming about.

"Lady Lucille." I said aloud.

How dumb! As if it worked last time!

It seems they are In Besaid attempting to acquire the first Aeon. Hmm...

Don't you find it odd that a pyrefly had shown you memories in the Farplane, and now you just had a dream of another unrelated memory?

I sighed, I had hoped the voice was a dream as well.

"It was just a dream" I said aloud.

"Besides, I have more pressing matters to worry about, such as transportation."

Well, if you are willing to travel all the way to a bunch of old ruins on a whim, just because a passing pyrefly told you to, one would think that a cryptic dream like that that would have some relevance...

I sat in thought for a moment, but then it sank in. "I" was right.

"GOD DAMMIT!" I shrieked, hurdling the device acrross room. It shattered to pieces as it crashed into the wall, creating a rather loud BANG.

"I'm such a damn fool." I crumbled to the floor in tears. It was all just false hope, just like the Eternal Calm.

"I have nothing to live for."

That's not true, Crystella, we CAN defeat Sin, but not alone. You see these emotions you're feeling? That's what makes you human. That's what makes you me.

"You..." I said aloud.

The door to my room sprang open. A al bhed quickly rushed to my side.

"Secc, yna oui ugyo? E raynt y hueca vnus dra udran nuus."

I didn't pay attention to the man, my mind was focused on the voice - apparently what is left of my humanity. It finally hit me as to what I needed to do.

"Secc?" The man continued as he began to shake me.

"Kado ouin vilgehk ryhtc uvv uv sa." I gritted through my teeth.

The mans swirly green eyes gave a look of confusion and concern as he backed away, standing a few feet away.

"Emotions, humanity, that's the problem isn't it? The past has held me back, but no more. If I want to destroy Sin I have to be focused, and you are right, I cant do it alone. But I will not abandon the visions either, whether they are valid or not, they are worth investigating, and I will when given the chance. But now...the past is dead, the old Crystella is dead."

Crystella we are better than this!

"I am better than you, I am better than any mere human, you are the past, I am the future."

How do you even think you can kill Sin? You will not survive without allies let alone without humanity!

"Defeating Sin is a mystery for now, but, if there is any chance to defeat it it is in the in the hands of Lucille and her guardians. Whether they accept me as a guardian or not matters not. They are all simply pawns, and will be disposed of when their use runs out, and with them gone who gets the glory? Me. I will be a legend. Citizens will bow before me, and...I think that is much more satisfying then destroying the world...for now."

I smiled at the thought, fame, glory, the true driving force behind everything I have worked for.

You are a monster!

"Not yet," I said with a grin, glaring at the al bhed.

"Lnywo Pedlr..." He muttered, slowly backing up.

I slowly walked up to him, he just stared curiously, as if he thought I were to speak to him.
I
stared at him dead in the eyes, cranking my head to the side, observing his final breaths. I smiled. I put my lips next to his ear

"Life is but a passing dream, but the death that follows is eternal." I whispered.

In a split second, I unsheathed my dagger and quickly jabbed it through his throat.
Blood splattered on the wall behind him. Blood flowed from his mouth as I turned the blade, his head was barely attached as I let go of the blade, the lifeless corpse fell to the floor with a simple thud.

"No turning back now." I stated to myself.

Silence overtook the room, the voice was gone. I smiled.

"No time to waste." I said aloud, grabbing the handle of my dagger and ripping it out of the body.

Lucille's pilgrimage also allows me to collect aeons myself...hmm...if they would give me their power...but Shiva's fayth allowed me....perhaps the desire to kill Sin is enough...I will find out soon enough. I thought to myself.

It is lethal but I have to take the chance, i'll have to warp to Besaid. They wouldn't leave an innocent to die...I hope.

I closed my eyes as I warped myself to Besaid, I could feel the floor drop and the room spin. I fell to my knees, it was as if my life was draining out of of me. I felt nauseous, sick, and I could barely stay conscious. I opened my eyes and found myself on the ground in Besaid Village. I could barley muster the strength to keep my eyes open. A few yards away I saw Lucille and her guardians around a crowd of villagers. Standing between me and them was a single female villager, bow and arrow in hand, aiming directly at Lucille's head,

The guardians and the other villagers were completely oblivious.

"BLIZZARA" I shrieked.

Using the remaining energy I had left, I held my hand to the sky as ball of ice the size of a cannon ball formed over the crazed villagers head. It quickly dropped from the sky crashing onto her head. She collapsed as the arrow released, narrowly hitting Lucille as it passed and struck the temple.

Darkness covered my vision, and I was out cold.

 

[GrandMaster_Chris]

Lucille's words captivated the crowd. Whether they were true or not, they opened the path to let the group enter the temple. It could've been because of the hope she passed to them. Or, it could've been because of the guardians watching her, ready to fight at a moments notice. Regardless of circumstance, they were ready to enter temple.

"Thank you for letting us enter. We promise we will not let you down." Daniel said.

At that instant, the whole village seemed to turn their heads. A ball of ice crashed upon the head of a villager who had a bow and arrow ready to hit Lucille. The arrow was like a missile speeding towards them. The arrow grazed Lucille and it got stuck in the entrance way of the temple and remained lodged there. Daniel moved his eyes up a bit more and found Lucille's savior. The woman collapsed on the spot and the villagers gathered around the two of them. The woman with the arrow and the one who stopped her were then carried to the infirmary. Daniel turned his attention to the group minus Eve who took it upon herself to gather their supplies for the trip.

"Okay everyone, let's put this aside. We can go thank that lady when we're done." He said.

Daniel lead the group into the temple. As soon as they entered, the hyme of the fayth could be heard. A song long forgotten in the years that the Eternal Calm had come and the belief in Yevon had gone. The hyme of the fayth proved that the aeons had indeed returned, the dream was not over. A priest awaited them at the top of the staircase leading to the Cloister of Trials. "Once you go in, there will be no turning back. Not until you have finished the trials at least." He spoke.

Daniel looked behind him to Lucille, "We're ready when you are."

 

[Roaringflames]

Inferno watched as they had got off the boat with him following, trying to keep up with them but decided to run towards them. After a little while they got to the village and headed for the temple when an arrow came shooting at the entrance and a woman blocked it strait in front of them. As they entered the temple he noticed Eve was missing and decided that he must be doing something beneficial to the group when Dan said something to Lucile at a volume he could'nt hear so he told them that he was going to check out the trials and see if anything unusual was there and the monk said no. When the monk said that he pulled out a book titled "cure basics" and began reading to learn the cure spell in an hour's time and quickly tried it on himself and he felt better by just a little which pursed him to ask them " can we get some magic learning books it could help us improve"

 

[Scribbles]

Jayx kept a decent pace behind the Summoner’s group, enough not to be left behind, but enough not to be noticed. The fact that the Sphere hadn’t resonated with anything yet had her worried; maybe she wasn’t doing something right?

In her hands, the little girl dressed in harlequin juggled the orb, desperately trying to find any sign of life in it.

“Ohhh….” She groaned, head full of worry. “Maybe—UMF!” Jayx hit the ground after colliding with what felt like a brick wall—thankfully though, she still had the Sphere safely in hand. “Uh…”

“Watch where you’re goin’ kid. I’m tryna see de Summoner!” The tall, dark-skinned man spoke with a thick and annoyed island accent.

“S-sorry.” When Jayx pulled herself off of the ground, the youth laid her eyes upon the thick crowd of villagers. No wonder she hadn’t heard the voices of the Summoner and her Guardians for some time.

“Urrgh….what do I dooooo?” She felt a tingling in her right hand, “Huh?” Jayx’s eyes widened, when to her surprise she saw the Sphere glowing with a pulsating rhythm [albeit slowly]. “The Resonance!” She shouted, overjoyed. But where is it? Looking desperate, she leaped up on her tip toes trying to see over the sea of people. The Temple…? No…

Just then a particular event caused the crowd two disperse. When she looked to see what it was she saw a man sprawled out across theground—bad for him—but good for her.

Jayx scurried towards one of the temple’s outer pillars, just to check. She saw the red headed Guardian enter through the giant doors into the place, apparently he was trailing behind the others.

“Hrmm…letsee…”

She pulled the Sphere out from her giant bag, and lo and behold, it was glowing with a certain ferocity.

“It IS in the Temple!” Jayx gasped. “Now what do I do? How do we get in? We’re not Guardians…” The youth held the sides of her head in distress. That was when a lightbulb went off in the thief’s head, and she remembered the tiny white earpiece in her ear. “I should call the Boss! He’ll know!” A goofy grin played on her face.


A single steel hand parted the tattered cloth doorway that lead into a dimly lit bar. The clang of glasses in mid toast, the cheering of drunken elders, and the groan of men down on their luck—ah how Arcade loved a good bar. They were one thing that had never changed over the century he had been alive.

“Welcome, you wanna try the special hun?” A fair skinned woman dressed in the finest rags an islander’s money could buy came up to him, holding a plate covered in tall glasses of alcohol. He gave no verbal reply, but he did wave his hand in disapproval.

He slid the azure orb from his black vest’s breast pocket, only to be disappointed by it’s lack of activity. “Tch,” The sharp man scoffed as he neared the counter up front. The first thing that caught his eye was the rather…interesting assortment beverages the spot had. The second thing was the familiar beauty seated there, sipping away at a cup of the poison. It was one of the Summoner’s crew from the ship—the one that handled the red head.

A twinkle of desire flickered in Arcade’s lambent grey eyes as he sat on the stool directly beside her.

The barkeep blinked once, twice, two times at the newcomer’s appearance; whether it was the glowing eyes or the artificial left limb he couldn’t tell. Regardless, the man acknowledged Arcade with this ginger greeting.

“New in town…?” The pudgy fellow asked, wiping down one glass with the white towel at his waist. The immortal smiled a bit.

“Indeed. Just came off the boat in fact,” He coolly to the woman at his left.

“Really now? Wasn’t that the Summoner’s ship? Must be a Guardian?” The bartender leaned over the counter just a bit, one eyebrow raised higher than the other.

“Nah, fate just works in such a way. I was sort of, thrown on the boat.” Arcade shrugged, “This is a bar right? I’ll have the special.” The vagabond and the bartender maintained a rather strained lock of the eyes for what felt like an eternity, before the worker finally broke away to head for the kitchen.

“Fine, one Silence Soup, comin’ up. It’s 70 gil.”

“Right.” Arcade tossed two coins, a 50 gil piece, and a 20 gil one, the bartender’s way, who hesitantly headed for the kitchen to his right. “Tch, can’t catch a break…” He tilted the black fedora off his head just a bit, before he turned his head completely towards his target—the lady Guardian.

“Excuse me miss,” The chap gently rubbed his sideburn with his cool steel of his left hand, “I can’t shake the feeling that we’ve met somewhere before…” The white piece in Arcade’s right ear flickered with a green light, indicating an incoming transmission. “Perhaps in a past life or…”

Not now.

He ignored it.

 

[IceBlueWings]

"Woah." Cael said, caught by surprise. "I didn't know it would be this bad." He mumbled. He looked at the arrow that was lodged in the temple entrance and then to the woman who saved Lucille.

"Okay everyone, let's put this aside. We can go thank that lady when we're done."

"Hm." He said, his arms across his chest. He followed Daniel and the rest into the temple, standing behind everyone else. He wondered if Lucille was fine. He decided he shouldn't feel too comfortable in what seemed to be a nice village. As a result, his expression turned a bit serious, almost scary.

He looked up at the entrance of the Cloister of Trials. The hymn was nostalgic; even the Al Bhed sang this song. He remembered his mother singing it occasionally. He took off his shades. It was a bit too dark to see well. He actually thought that an Al Bhed being a guardian would cause a disagreement, but no point hiding it. He wondered what was in the Cloister. What sort of tests were there?

"Once you go in, there will be no turning back. Not until you have finished the trials at least."

He shrugged. "Whatever it is, we'll be okay." He said. "You know, we didn't come here only to be rejected." He kept a serious expression, a large contrast to his usual careree face.

"Can we get some magic learning books it could help us improve.", Inferno asked.

Cael scratched his head. "Er...I guess, if you'd like." He said. "But that will come later. The Cloister of Trials is our priority." He said. He waited for Lucille to make her move.

 

[Eva]

With a bow of Yevon, Lucille walked through the doors, opening themselves for her and her Guardians. She was looking around quite curiously; it was her first time in such a place, and who knew what the Trials would hold at the moment? However, she was dissapointed from what they were; a series of puzzles. They were solved in a manner of minutes; luckily the group had (for once) put their heads together to solve it, and soon enough, they had reached it.

The Chamber of the Fayth.

The sole Hymn of the Faith rang in their ears as they walked in, getting louder the close they approached the Chamber. Without a word, Lucille acsended, making sure not to trip, and waited as the door rose up to greet her. With a small breath to calm her nerves, Lucille looked back at her Guardians, and then at the opened door. Nervous was not the word to describe her feelings, not anxious, not worried. It was as if this was her calling; this was the moment of truth.

Though her body felt numb, she moved forward and entered, hearing the door close behind her. She paused before the Statue of the Fayth, noticing its fading glow. As she had practiced, she got onto her knees, put out both arms, raised them above her head, swung them to come together to form a sort of sphere, and bowed, concentrating all her thoughts, her prayers.

Please...Please come to me, Oh great Fayth...I...I need your strength to help me conquer Sin, once and for all...For Lady Yuna.

 

[Chill]

Fletcher kept moving in the shadows. Waiting for the right time to strike. As he did this he saw the Summoner.
'I don't beleive this. They would leave the summoner alone? Well I guess she is safe in there.' He thought to himself. Fletcher departed from his shadow form and became solid again. He stood behind the Guardians.
"I do beleive we haven't introduced ourselves to each other. I am Fletcher the one to kill you all and ensure that Sin wins." He summoned his Buster Sword and went into his battle stance.

 

[Light]

Felden waited about snooping outside, listening to the voices inside. He looked around th front and saw someone there reding a book. He turned and snickered to himself.
"Wait till they fell what's coming"
He waited around until it was the right time to strike.

 

[LongLiveLife]

Eve turned to face the newcomer in the bar. Even the shadowed dim of candlelight overhead could not hide his immaculate garb: polished leather hugged his feet, a blazer, either dark gray or black, wrapped his torso, and from under the umbral cover of his matching fedora peered twin orbs of steel. Denying the suavity percolating from the gentleman’s confident poise proved impossible, but Eve knew better than to let a man hold the upper hand. She regarded him with mild contempt—not so much to be rude, but enough to let him know where the balance of power lay. Possibly guided by the alcohol that coursed adamant in her blood, a thin smile parted blood red lips.

“Well, well,” she crooned, “what have we here? A lost lover, you say?” She staggered off the stool and meandered to the man. Then, standing behind him, she grabbed his shoulders, leaned in and whispered, “No matter how delicious you look, you’re going to have to tell me your name first.” An airy giggle slipped her lips, and in one swift slide she sat on the stool to his left, crossing her thighs.

“I overheard your conversation with the barkeep earlier. I was on the same ship as you, you dirty devil!” She laughed again. “Maybe that’s where you’ve seen me—though I hardly recall you being there. But it seems the Fates have crossed our paths more than once, so, go on.” She ran a light finger along the muscles of his forearm. “Amuse me.”

 

[GrandMaster_Chris]

Lucille went alone into the Chamber of The Fayth and began praying. In the center of the room was a statue of a little girl, the fayth of the aeon known as Valefor. The glow around the statue seemed to be fading away, the yellow aura that proved that it had indeed returned to it's resting place. As she continued to pray, the light grew stronger and brighter, then completely shrouding the room in white. The light dimmed in a matter of seconds. Standing in front of Lucille was a little girl with a smile on her face.

"So, one of you have finally come to see me! Now we can play!" She said, "But first, I think you have some questions to ask me?"

Outside the chamber, the guardians were waiting in the wings. Inferno was reading a book on magic, Cael and the other one were sitting around. The peace was suddenly disturbed by the appearance of Fletcher. He spoke of killing them all and helping Sin destroy everything. Daniel only smirked, "You do realize that's it four of us here and only one of you right?" He said. Daniel wasn't underestimating him, just warning him. Still, Daniel did not draw his sword.

"Alright guys, he might have some kind of trick up his sleeve so be careful." Daniel said, "Now, let's get him!"

 

[Chill]

"Now, let's get him!"
"Insolent fool!" Fletcher charged at the Guardians while at the same time casting reraise on himself. He then gripped his buster sword tightly and slashed at the Guardian that had just spoke multiple times. He then let the static run up his arm.
"You don't know what you've got yourself into!" He then punched the Guardian with an uppercut and then followed that up with a kick in the chest.
"Just give up! It's not just me here you know!"

 

[Eva]

Questions...

Lucille gave a small frown, unsure. It wasn't that she didn't have any; she just had no idea where to start. Where did this new Sin come from? Why was it here? Why did it kill Lady Yuna? On that note, why were the fayth back? Were the fayth and Sin connected, somehow? And for some reason, she wanted to know where the fayth came from. Why they were there. Where they came from. But time was of the essence; the less important questions could wait. She needed to know why Sin has returned. The real reason.

After a brief pause, Lucille decided on her question.

"I do." She admitted to the fayth with a small smile. It was funny; the image of a small girl in the place of a fayth around one thousand years old. "I suppose my first one would be why both Sin--and yourself--have returned. There's some sort of connection, isn't there?"

 

[Light]

Felden heard voices inside and had another peek around the corner. He thought the coast was clear so he casually walked through and into the room where Fletch had gone.
"Fletch you ready?"
Felden charged through into the room and looked at what layed out before him. The plan was going well, so he used Steel Guard and went back to back with Fletch.
"I've got your back. Have you got mine?" asked Felden.
Felden stared around the room, waiting for someone to attack, and to help Fletch at any moment.

 

[Datomix]

I slowly opened my eyes, only to quickly squint them shut from the blinding sun emitting rays into the cramped hut.

"Owww" I moaned. With every heartbeat it felt like a jackhammer piercing through my skull. Might as well had been the ultimate hangover.

I slapped my hand against my face in attempts to snap myself back in reality. The piercing sting that rang across my face was unbearable.

"You took a quite a beating, m'child" A elderly woman spoke softly, hovering over me.

"The best thing to do would be to refrain from using advanced magic beyond the comprehension of a little girl such as yourself, darlin."

I sighed. with each facial movement a sting rippled through my skin.

"I...um...my face..."

The woman raised an eyebrow.

"You could really use a tan, m'child. Apparently you burn easy."

...you're on my list.

"But you are very brave, m'child, a hero, Spira's last hope would have been extinguished if you were not there."

I chuckled.

"I'm no hero...trust me."

------------

What assholes! Just leave me on the road like that! Well, I suppose the fayth is more important...I just hope I can attain it

I walked the main path to the temple. The sun was beating down on me, the pain across my face stung once more, but it was tolerable...I hate the heat...that stupid hut...I feel gross, hot and sticky - never a good thing.

I drank a few potions and a ether the old woman had given to me, the "hangover" feeling and the stings slowly dissipated...you know she was actually pretty nice...I think i'll take her off my list, I doubt she'll be around much longer anyways.

I cut around and hopped over the fence, avoiding a rather large group of people gathering at the end of the path in front of the temple.

As I approached the temple the large group were apparently oblivious to my presence, they were all talking amongst themselves. Good, less confrontations the better, I need to keep my cool anyways.

I walked to the large doors of the towering temple, I attempted to slide in when a guard quickly blocked the entrance.

"Sorry miss, the temple is off limits until the summoner emerges."

"Ah..well you see...I'm a guardian, I had a little incident and just got back from the infirmary."

"Regardless...the process must not be disturbed. One of the other guardians are running about, perhaps you could meet up with her?. Or...you may wait here...if you'd like...so...ya single?" He said with a perverted wink, gazing at my goods.

I rolled my eyes as I waved my hand over the guard. "Stop." I muttered. The guard froze in place.

I slid in the temple and quickly shut the door behind me. Echo's of the massive doors smashing together bounced about inside.

And that's when nostalgia hit me like a meteor. The Hymm...It makes no sense...why is it here? Why are we following the old ways again? Everything I believed in...perhaps there is still faith in the old teachings of Yevon.

"Just give up! It's not just me here you know!"

...A fight? Already? I've no time to waste on fools. Better to get help, who knows how many enemies there could be.

I quickly opened the temple door, the guard stared in confusion.

"No time to explain! Temple is under attack! Find the other guardian, NOW!"

I quickly sped around running up the stairs, casting Protect, Shell, and Reflect along the way.

I turned the last corner to see the ensuing fight, two figures stood apart from the guardians, back to back, this will be too easy!

A few feet away from the enemies, I lunged into the air, as I twirled above them, I silently cast Snow Flurry and a violent wind of frost threw one against the wall as the other stood in place with a slight budge.

Steel Guard...clever. I thought.

I quickly maneuvered myself in the air attempting to land on my feet with the other guardians, only to smash into the wall. I still managed to land on my feet, saving what was left of my dignity as I gasped for air.

Damn, I need to get back in shape, perhaps I'm still a bit drained from the warp. I thought.

I quickly managed to get into my ass-kicking stance, unsheathing my dagger.

The guardians stared in slight confusion, but focused on the battle. Explanations will have to wait.

 

[IceBlueWings]

Once Lucille went inside the Chamber of Fayth, Cael sighed and relaxed, taking a seat at the bottom of the stairs. Until Fletcher appeared. Cael got up with little alert. "Who is this?" He asked rather indifferently. Daniel's warning to Fletcher made him chuckle.

Just after Daniel spoke, Fletcher took the chance to charge at him, attacking him furiously. "Daniel!" Cael said, although he knew Daniel wouldn't fall from Fletcher's attacks that easily. A new man appeared, taking his place behind Fletcher. Accomplices, Cael figured. "Hey." He looked at the agitatedly. "Are you two mad?"

"No, wait. What am I asking? Of course they're mad." He mumbled to himself before drawing his sword. "I would have much preferred to take this battle outside the village." His eyes narrowed into a glare at the presence of the two for a second before having a carefree look again. He looked at the other two guardians. "Don't be hasty and don't throw your attacks blindly. Remember where we are."

Standing calmly yet holding his sword in a defensive manner, he waited for Felden and Fletcher's next move, when a newcomer appeared; a woman. Watching her impressive appearance, though he flinched instead when she smashed into the wall, he looked at her. "Er..." He looked puzzled. Nevertheless, he greeted her. "Hello. I guess you're on our side." He said.

He looked at Felden and Fletcher. "I know you're confident and all that, but don't you think you're in a bit of a pinch?" He asked, looking at them in concern.

 

[Shinra]

Renn rested on the side of the chamber... It wasn't much to get inside though. But he started wondering... Just prior to before swearing his allegiance to lady Lucille, He looked through the scrolls of Yevon and found out through the chroniclations of one scholar Maechen. it told of the original adventures of Lady Yuna and her party, Tidus' father and High summoner Braska's guardian Jhect, and the truths of the connections between Sin and Tidus. Jhect became the fayth for the final Aeon, and so if he did, he gave the party the chance to defeat Sin once and for all. Sin was Jhect. And then, Renn followed on the adventures of Lady Yuna after Tidus' 'disappearance'. Renn now had a first concept as to why the fayth and Sin had returned.

 

[Light]

"We may be few... but we have FAR greater power than you! Don't push us. We will fight till you die... because we won't be the ones dieing."
Felden braced his arms even tighter, and kept his focus on the parties new accomplice.
"On three we break. One... Two... THREE!" whispered Felden
He jumped out at the new stranger slashing with a full combo, then smugly stepped back, to keep some distance. He had a face on himself that hinted of his intended plan.