Legal Disclaimer: The majority of the characters portrayed in this fanfic are copyright of Squaresoft, now until forever. Unless they sell out somewhere along the lines. Don't sue me please, I'm poor. Really. My contact information is somewhere below this. This fic is a sort of 'What if?' fic. There are some spoilers to the game in this fic, so it is not suggested to read this fic if you have not played Final Fantasy X till the very end. By the way, this piece of work is Copyrighted by Rocky Valkyrie 2002, all rights reserved etc. etc. Rockythehercules@yahoo.com AUTOR'S NOTE: This fanfic is not very good. I can tell you that in advance. Any and all convulsions, regurgitations, vomiting, swearing and etc. cannot be attributed to me or my Fic. Legally. Please? ;;^_~ Enjoy the fic, if and only if you can. Also, I aplogize for my last fics, which was really REALLY bad. Smoking is hazardous both to your health and to your sanity. Especially weed. The Final Aeon- Grief Based very loosesly on Final Fantasy X by Squaresoft. By Rocky Valkyrie Just as bad seemed to be going to worse, the worst thing imaginable happens. Seymour comes. The mongrel, half-guado, half-human, comes and approaches Yunalesca and the rest of the party. He comes from the sky, riding an aeon, Bahamut. It would seem that he also mastered the art of the Dark Summoning. Just like Yunalesca. The Bahamut looked evil and dark like the one that Yunalesca summoned. "What do you want, ya?" Wakka demmanded of Seymour, "Brudda, if you gonna make trouble... this ain't the time, ya?" "I have a solution. To Yevon. To everything..." Seymour says in his strange, otherworldly voice, "...make me Sin. Your Tidus will be saved, and I shall have my way." "Even if we did..." Yunalesca says, trying to keep her eye contact to a minimum, "Yuna is dying as of now." She points to Yuna, "She cannot summon you, and the bond is not strong enough anyway." "But... I will become Sin... I WILL BECOME SIN!" Seymour demmands, as he grabs Yunalesca, "I will end humanity. I will save it." "You can not control Sin's power." Yunalesca pleads. "Then I will be both the summoner and the aeon!" Seymour shouts. Now, Yuna, still phasing from tangible to intangible, gets up, and still phasing, approaches the party. This catches everyone's attention except for Yu Yevon. She walks, stumbling but still going, towards Seymour, the one who is closest to her. Lulu moves in her path, but when Yuna looks up at her with her puppy dog eyes, Lulu is forced to move away. Seymour, grinning, goes in her direction. "Milady summoner. Please! Let me become Sin... through you." Seymour says. "I... I... Lady Yuna-" she coughs, blood comes out as she coughs, "Lady Yunalesca, please. Make Seymour... give him the power he wants." "NO!" Yunalesca says, "I will not again repeat the mistakes of the past. I am tired of sheilding my father. Tired of giving him new shells when the old ones have worn out. I will not continue down this blood-sucking path." "NOOO!!!" Seymour shouts, "You will do as you are told, woman!" He glances back at Yu Yevon, seeing his time is limited, "Do what I wish of you... now!" "Seymour..." Yuna says, "I will... I can do it. I watched her. I'll do it for you." Seymour approaches Yuna, with an evil grin, "And you would do this for me, milady?" Yuna looks away, and then nods. She paints him and chants, causing him to quickly become a stone monument in the ground. She summons him, becoming less and less visible, and he appears. But by some twist of fate, he does not become another Sin. Yes, he becomes an aeon, an aeon of great power; more than that of any aside from Sin, but not at the caliber of Sin. But Seymour is unaware of this. He attacks Yu Yevon, several times, pushing him back only a bit each time. It would seem that even this solution is not a solution at all. Finally, Seymour realizes that he has been duped. Angry, he turns his attention to Yuna and charges at her with his attack. He charges at her at full speed. He is about to hit her, full power and all. But someone jumps in the way; Khimari. The ronso is hit with the great blow, and is pummeled back a few thousand feet, but gets back up, bloody, and with his horn completely taken off. The aeon now begins to speak. "Is it not ironic," Seymour says, "that of the race that i had wiped out... the only survivor... will throw his life away, to me?" This angered the ronso; Khimari readied his spear. Seymour came charging back at him again. Khimari attacked with his spear. The spear broke into many pieces. Khimari himself was injured badly. But not completely useless was this attempt. It stunned Seymour, it stunned him long enough to be dismissed by Yuna. "No... You fools! I will rise again... and then... truly as Sin!" Seymour said, as he disappears. Khimari was down, bloodied, and almost unconsious. It would be difficult for anyone to survive even as long as he did. Yuna cried... the only time she had really cried in the span of 10 years. Her only true cry. She was sad, this time. After all, he was so strong... so protective... he was the last one she would have imagined would have died. She had never even thought of losing him... he said he would protect her... he said he would... She cried. This grief that Sin had brought... everything. She finally realized the true reason why she hated Sin so much. It wasn't because it destroyed everything, although that made it easy for everyone to hate it. It was because Sin made her realize what she missed. Her father, the people, everything... it brought back memories of those unpleasant things. It was dispair incarnate. But were the Yevon teachings hope? No... before her was the creator of the Yevon teachings, Yu Yevon himself. He was not hope; he was the source of the dispair... without him... without that deranged man, there would have been no Sin. But without Sin, would she have met Tidus? Did she really hate Sin that much? Yuna wondered, breifly, about the things that happened because of Sin. She had met Auron, Rikku, Khimari... Tidus, even... and she was joined by the likes of Lulu and Wakka... this was all because of Sin. Without Sin, she would not have experienced life, and its ups and downs. If not for that bit of darkness... how would we know and appreciate light? How? Was Sin really so horrible that it had to be destroyed? Even if Sin was... she could bare to think of it no more. Lulu just stood there, nonchalantly. Beneath her calm facade she was nervous. Nervous and anxious. She did what she could... she could do no more. For the first time in her life, she was really and truly scared. But she preffered to keep that part of her hidden. She knew that the others were having their own problems and she did not want to add on to them by telling them about her fears. She wanted to do something... she really did. But she could not do much. She was afraid, and that fear was not something she could handle. She was used to being in charge. She was used to having control. She didn't have that now. Wakka was sitting back. He was curled up. No one had mentioned this when they talked about facing Sin. This... this power. Beyond help. His faith was shaken... he realized how small and pitiful his influence was. He didn't have power; not like Seymour... not like Tidus, not like Khimari, not like Auron. He viewed himself as weak. He... he was having trouble accepting everything. Perhaps because it all happened to quickly, but maybe it was because he always felt he had something over everyone else. His trump card. He was wrong; he had nothing and they had more power than he had imagined. He couldn't take it... he hid, curled up, leaning against a rock. "Khimari... help..." Khimari says, between gasps, coughing, "...help Yuna. Yes?" "Yes... yes..." Yuna repeats, stroking Khimari's head and neck, "...you helped me." "Khimari... is... happy..." he says, softly, "...Khimari is happy, to help... Yuna." Yuna could not answer. All she could do was cry now. She felt so... helpless, so vulnerable, and she could only imagine how Khimari was feeling. She was so afraid, that perhaps, perhaps she couldn't help him. She was afraid of losing him; he was her security blanket. Without him, she felt helpless, like she did now. He was forever her guardian. Her tears flowed down her face, her cheek, and fell on the dying ronso. Khimari was in such pain that was not imaginable. So excrutiating, but he said nothing of the pain. His only thought was that he had somehow failed Yuna, that he could no longer protect Yuna. He did not want to be useless. "Khimari... can..." he manages, "Khimari can still help..." "Shhh... you shouldn't..." Yuna starts, but is cut off. "Khimari can still help... become aeon. Of Yuna's power." Khimari says to Yuna. "But... Yu Yevon will only take advantage of that and merge with you..." Yuna says. "Khimari will... prevent. Khimari will..." Khimari could say no more. He was starting to fade, just like her. Just then Yunalesca, in her cold tone, lays her cold hand on Yuna's shoulder. The teary- eyed girl looks up at Yunalesca. Yunalesca then speaks in her usual calm voice. "He wills it..." Yunalesca says, "...and it is our only hope." "But... but..." Yuna starts to stutter, "...no! I won't! I can't have another one!" "Do you want to end it or not?!?" Yunalesca asks with authority. "Khimari... wants... to help. Only way left... so..." Khimari says as he straggles to a stand. Yuna just turns around, both angry and sad. Yunalesca sorrowfully applies the ritual markings on the heroic ronso. Who would have thought he would be the one to save the world? It always is the quiet ones. Khimari stands firm and silent. He has on a serious look. His arms are crossed. His face starts to squirm, but he still tries his best not to show his pain. He does not want Yuna worrying for him. He suffers quietly. He starts to change... to turn into the ornate, colorful stone that is the resting place of a fayth. But... the markings come off, become like electric purple energy, pure energy, swatting this way and that. Something is going wrong! Frantically, the ronso moves this way and that, but is entangled by the out-of-control markings. He is wrapped and several times is hit by the energy that had once been markings. Apparently the final summoning doesn't work on ronso. Or does it? Khimari starts flailing his arms, trying to dodge the purple electric lighting which has him captured. The ground beneath him turns into an abyss; a void. He starts to slip into it, and when he resists, the energy comes down after him, attacking him. He leaps up to avoid it, but it is as good as attached to him. It grabs a hold of his foot, and brings him down, then tangles with him even more. It starts to wrap him... even with his resistance; his struggling, he is unable to wriggle, or squirm, away. But... he lets out a burst of energy himself, a burst of emotion, if you will. He breaks the bonds. He comes off and runs; with no direction nor purpose, but just running... but his pursuers take him. They take him, wrap him, and pull him down into the abyss in the ground. When Khimari is taken, he does not go kicking and screaming. At that point, he just accepts whatever hand fate has dealt him. After all, what was in store for him could not be more bleak that the reality he is facing now could it? What was stranger than Khimari's little incident was that neither Yuna nor Yunalesca even hardly reacted to it. Both were so... passionate, so... full of life, but neither of them did anything to help Khimari. They all seemed to have an unspoken understanding; there could be nothing worse than this. This fear, this helplessness, this... situation. It would end, and it would end now. All the fear. They would accept what would come and deal with it then. Then after the fireworks are done, something comes, and pops out of the ground. It is a stone monument thing. The symbol of the fayth. Yuna sees this. She understands at once what this means. She performs the ritual, she summons the aeon. This would be the last time that she ever summons an aeon. Yuna summons Khimari's fayth. The sky goes dark, the land near the beach rips itself out of its hull, and the wind starts to blow. Lighting comes down from the sky on one of the pieces of land that is floating in the air. Something shines on the piece of land; it seems to be a piece of jewlery or something of that sort. It is a crystalized tear; it starts to shine brilliantly, and then some light starts eminating out of it, and before anyone can tell, it lets out a pillar of black light. Out of the pillar of light steps out another aeon. Griever. Griever is different. It is large, with a semi-humanoid torso covered with brownish- yellow fur, with distinct markings all over it. Its head is a lion-like figure which can strike fear into anyone's heart. The shoulders look armored, black and red shoulder pieces can be clearly seen, and around 3 on each shoulder. Between the shoulder pieces are thousands of very poisonous needles which can shoot out almost instantly as Griever wishes it. Down its serpent- like arms are out-of-place, bulging, unnatural-looking muscles which also have distinct, green markings on them. The hands are like claws, sharp and vicelike; hard and rough, strong enough to rip out a hole in the green earth. The legs are like those typical of a reptile, long, but mostly curled back to provide power for its mighty leaps. The legs are scaly, deadly, fearful, and most of all, they bend 3 times, in 2 different directions. It has a long tail, branching at several points, with spikes going out of the top, and a serpent's head at the end. Yuna, pleased, falls, backwards, and then sits down. She smiles for a breif moment, well... that may be exaggerating. Maybe for a fraction of a moment, she smiles, thinking back on all that had happened to them in their journey. The good, the bad... everything regretted, everything kept close to the heart. She could have wished for nothing more... nothing. She was about to end Spira's spiral of destruction. She was... for once in the many years since she had chosen her path, happy. It was a first for her. She had fulfilled evrything she had wanted to do. She was content. All she could now was... fade... fade away. Never to be seen again. She had done it, and now was... even for the breifest moment, enjoying the fruits of her labour. She then fades... happy, sad, all the memories taken in, together. Griever does not look back. But, a solitary tear can be seen flowing down and off of its face. It roars, to send off the best that has ever been. Now its agenda is with Yu Yevon. Yu Yevon, in his convenient ball of light, floats slowly towards the fading Sin. Yuna had disappeared, so her influence on this world starts to fade along with her. But Griever does not seem to be affected in a similar way. Griever, being the aeon of a ronso fayth, seems to have gained special capabilities. It attacks Yu Yevon, piercing the ball of light, and destroying it. This wakes Yu Yevon up. He stops summoning for a moment. Griever attacks Yu Yevon. Yevon sheilds himself, but is hit by Griever's charge. Yevon's arm is scratched. Yevon attacks Griever back by casting several Ultima's, Flares, and Holys. Griever is hit by these, but then just shakes them off and continues his assault of the most powerful summoner of all time. Yu Yevon then chants something quickly. Griever is attacked from behind. Sin... Tidus, attacks Griever. Griever turns around and sees the badly damaged Sin ready and about to strike Griever again. Griever flies straight and quickly towards Sin, stopping right at Sin's face. It then scratches Sin repeatedly, then flexes its muscles intimidatingly, allowing the thousands of needles to escape from its shoulder areas. The needles all turn and hit Sin, damaging several areas horribly. Then Griever lets out a breath of this light blue electric energy, ripping both of Sin's arms painfully, one at a time. Then Griever raises its hand, and before long, something materializes in Griever's hand. It is the legendary spear, the Heartseeker. With this new weapon, Griever charges at Sin, and plants the spear in one of Sin's main cores, then pushes off and flies to a distance. Sin explodes several times, then disintegrates into beautiful cherry blossom petals. The angered Yu Yevon then turns his gaze at Griever. Griever has no power over him, either. Yu Yevon is completely immune to any and all magic; including magical entities like aeons. And although physically, Griever can hurt Yu Yevon, since now Yu Yevon is not summoning a dream of the fayth that requires such great strength, namely Sin, Yu Yevon can now assimilate into Griever at any touch. Griever is powerless against Yu Yevon. But the Al Bhed always seem to find a way to help. Practically out of nowhere, the Al Bhed airship comes and smashes into Yu Yevon. Cid can be heard from inside, swearing and laughing and shouting like a madman. Yu Yevon then, after being brutally hit by the airship, flies up into the air. This is the only thing that Yu Yevon fears; machina like the one that Bevelle used to defeat Zanarkand all those years ago. But before he can think another thought, Cid orders the airship to transform into its attack mode. The major guns of the airship come out, and fire a round at Yu Yevon. This stuns him, turning him all blue and like that. This cues Griever to cause another Heartseeker to materialize. Then Yu Yevon snaps out of it. He charges at the airship; the ariship charges at him. As they are about to collide, the airship fires another round. Yu Yevon is stunned, and is hit. This gives Griever enough time to attack the fallen summoner with his legendary spear. Yu Yevon explodes. There is no more of him left. Finally, Spira is finally restored. Spira is released from the web... no, the spiral of destruction brought on by the likes of Sin, and Yu Yevon. Spira is... free. It is the end. There is no more Sin, nor the one who brought him on, Yu Yevon. Moreover, the dream of the fayth of Zanarkand is ended. The fayth can finally rest; they are tired of dreaming, and they dream no more. Griever returns to his fayth stone. As he is about to return into it, he notices a couple of things. Wakka is out cold on the floor, and so is Lulu. They are set in pools of what could only be their own blood. What happened? Griever turns around, and there stands Yunalesca, with a grin of evil. She quickly becomes enclosed in a light ball, and before anyone could say anything, she and her light ball quickly are launched towards Griever... End.