Dark Summoner

“I ye yu I…”

“No bo me no…”

Faint strains of the Hymn, half mumbled under the blonde girl’s breath floated throughout the chamber as she sat cross legged on a large amber colored and glowing stone. Beneath her, and within its depths was a abstract, half complete statue that depicted a fusion of Flowers and Insects.

“Re en mi ni…”

“Luna, Stop it.” A sharp voice from one side reprimanded the humming girl as she continued to stare into space.

“…the dragons are stirring.” Luna murmured, more to herself than anyone else. The two girls that stood around the large circle turned and looked at her in surprise.

“What?” The shorter red head breathed out, crouching down and shuffling over to the young woman’s side. “Who?”

“Yo ju yo go…” Luna trailed off again, returning to her aimless singing. Once upon a time they had all sang the Hymn. People had come, seeking their alliance, and they’d been needed, useful. But over the years the visitors to their temple had dwindled and soon, it was like they had never been. So two of the Fayth had stopped singing. Hermione and Ginny, had long since given up hope in anyone else chancing across their shrine. When they’d agreed to become the powers that made the Aeons it had been a vain attempt to remain close to their Summoner.

“Ha sa te ka na e…”

That Summoner never came.

Luna though, still held onto her hope. The white mage with the bottle cap necklace refused to believe they where forgotten, so she continued to sing.

“Ku ta ma e.”

Forgotten… that’s what they’d been until Bahamut had come to them with a way to allow them to pass on. They’d agreed to lend their power to awakening a dream of the Fayth but the first attempt had failed. They’d waited ten long years to try again, but this had brought a completely unexpected result. Something changed! They didn’t know what it was for sure but this new dream would free them.

“So close…” Luna muttered. “So close but yet so far… He needs to hear us sing.” The last bit had been said in a delighted tone. The sing song words indicating she knew something more than they did. Ginny looked over her head at Hermione, an eyebrow raised. Who needed to hear them sing?

“Harry.” Came Luna’s blunt answer to the unspoken question and the other girl’s eyes widened.

Harry.

So when Luna opened her mouth again to continue her endless chant, Hermione and Ginny surprised themselves and joined in.

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

There where no real words that could describe the phenomenon that awaited them beyond the broken doors. Harry was instantly reminded of the roof of the Hogwarts great hall, but this was far more impressive. Countless stars where scattered across an illusionary dome of darkness and it gave the impression that the roof, the atmosphere and even the very light of the sun didn’t exist. It was like standing in a vacuum of space with no sign of life other than the ruined stone platform they stood on, suspended in the middle of it all.

“Ohhhhhh…” A soft murmur of awe sounded from Rikku as she saw it. The spectacular view was somewhat dampened by the weight of the situation. Their target emerged from a concealed staircase at the other end and glided toward a large glowing glyph drawn on the ground. As her bare feet moved across it the image grew brighter and the misty air around her began to disperse, bringing her further from the world of the dead and closer to the living.

“Have you chosen the one to become your Fayth?” She addressed Yuna. “Who will it be?” The girl gave her a distrustful look but had to ask even if she would never take on the Final Summoning.

“Uh… is it true…” She began softly. “Will Sin come back, even should I use the Final Summoning to defeat it?” Yunalesca eyed her, emotionless, before her eyes wondered across to Harry, acknowledging him for the first time with a dark look.

“Sin is eternal.” She explained airily. “Every Aeon that defeats it becomes Sin in it’s place… And thus is Sin reborn.” Her words decided their next action, even as they passed her lips. It was just more evidence toward Harry’s theory and the male Summoner didn’t doubt he was right. “Sin, is an inevitable part of Spira’s destiny.” The silver haired woman continued. “It is never ending.”

“Never ending?” Wakka choked out incredulously. “But… but… if we atone for our crimes, Sin will stop coming back, ya?” He was trying to cling to what little was left of his crumbling beliefs. “Someday it’ll be gone, ya? Ya?” The argument trailed off at the blank look Yunalesca still wore. She was silent as the grave as she looked from one face to another, the Unsent Veela gave a sigh.

“Will humanity ever attain such purity?” She was redirecting the conversation to something she could manipulate, grasping those dying strands of faith almost as desperately as Wakka did. He stumbled, almost as if someone had belted him in the face.

“But… but…” He floundered. Lulu took pity on him and asked what he had wanted to, her face decorated by the same traces of loathing she’d had earlier. Harry figured that Yunalesca, having some Veela blood, was most likely making the Black Mage jealous. It was a theory he didn’t dare say out loud for fear of what she might do to him. After all, the saying did go, ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’.

“The teachings do state that… Sin, can be exorcised with complete atonement. It’s been our only hope for so long.” Yunalesca sent her a lazy glance and have a ghost of a smile that quickly faded.

“Hope is… comforting. It allows us to accept fate, however tragic it might be.” A bubble of outrage built in Tidus’s chest at those words and he took a step forward as the denial burst from his throat.

“NO!”

“NO!”

…And not a second after he had done so, it was mirrored by an illusion of a Young Auron. The memory dashed toward the glyph, his sword swinging wildly in his grasp before he skidded to a stop, falling into a stance and bringing it up before him. His face was a mask of rage and pain.

“ Where is the sense in all this? Braska believed in Yevon’s teachings and died for them! Jecht believed in Braska and gave his life for him!” On the Glyph Yunalesca had faded to the same transparency as the memory and was caught up in the replay. Her face was dispassionate and condescending and she looked down her nose at him.

“They chose to die… because they had hope.” Clearly not accepting the answer Auron let out a inarticulate bellow of anger and charged. He leapt at Yunalesca sword first and was going to hit when Yunalesca suddenly went on the alert, as if only just registering the threat and swung a hand out before her. A shield of pure magic shimmered into being and the memory was repelled. His enormous blade went flying from his grasp and clattered to the ground beside him as he landed awkwardly. By all rights the blow of landing on his neck should have killed him but he rolled over and struggled to get back to his feet but with a final gasping wheeze he collapsed to the stone once more and was still.

It was to that macabre scene that the memory faded away, leaving Yunalesca standing in the Glyph, attached to reality once more.

“Yevon’s teachings and the Final Summoning give the people of Spira hope. Without hope, they would drown in their sorrow. Now, choose, who will be your Fayth? Who will be the one to renew Spira’s hope?”

There was a long silence before a loud snort disturbed it.

“Bullshit.” Harry scoffed. “Like that’s gonna happen.” Weapons where brought to bare and for a moment Yunalesca actually looked wary. “The Armour of Immorality is an abomination of a spell that creates monsters, like Sin and Voldemort.” As he announced that Yunalesca’s eyes widened almost comically.

“How did you know?” She wailed to her starry illusion and then looked back, acknowledging him for the first time since he’d entered. “The spell was our only hope.” She hissed venomously. “You would not understand why we used that spell. We where a dying people, already the rebels where ready to destroy us! And the filthy muggles and their weapons! We would not be defeated, this way, we would live forever as a terrible reminder as to why we where the superior race!”

Harry’s face morphed into a magnificent scowl that might have done Snape proud.

It figured that, even thousands of years after the rise of Voldemort the Waltz would still keep playing, and it figured that after all this time, the reasons for it to play would remain the same. He gripped his staff and whipped his face of all emotion, shaking his head sadly at the thought. Where they all doomed to make the same mistakes all over again. The explosive anger began to melt away into an odd sort of calm, he understood a little more with every passing day it seemed.

Taking one hand from his staff he brought it up to point at the long-haired unsent.

“You have lingered here far to long already.” He said calmly. “No one can live forever.” Yunalesca regained some of her focus.

“I beg to differ, Summoner.” She said, her false calm returning. “I am alive.” The others readied their weapons.

“No… you’re not.”

Yunalesca scowled and brought up her hand.

“Poor creature, you would throw away hope? Well… I will free you before you can drown in your sorrow. It is better to die in hope than live in despair. Let me be your liberator.” And then, in an eerie imitation of Seymour, pyre files filled the air around her, warping her features further. Her hair grew out in thick waves like steel cords and blew away from her like they where rattling in the wind, but for some reason, the hair was caught in the Glyph, not that it really mattered, they all felt the stiff burst of power that rippled out over the group and scattered as a psyonic projectile detonated where they’d been standing.

“Now!” Auron yelled out, almost gleefully. “This is it! Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain, or live and fight your sorrow! Now is the time to shape you stories! Your fate is in your hands!” Blade out he was powering up to do the strongest attack in his arsenal. Kimahri put himself firmly in front of Yuna who would be playing the healer in this battle. Harry was spared the duty, having a far more effective offensive arsenal. Rikku bounced over to support Gatta who was the first to attack with a hail of bullets that merely served to enrage Yunalesca further. She lashed out once more but Yuna had been busy in the few seconds she’d had to act. Those within close range of her namesake where protected by a reflect shield and the sleep spell she’d cast was reflected back at her. However, the unsent was far to powerful to be effected by such a simple spell.

While she was distracted though Auron darted in and delivered a blow that would have been devastating to anyone but an unsent. Wakka whined before hauling back his blitz ball and casting it into the fray.

“I can’t believe we’re gonna fight Lady Yunalesca! Gimme a break!” His eyes widened almost comically as his ball hurtled back at him on the rebound. The spikes that lined the circumference making it difficult to catch, but by that point he’d had far to much practice anyway.

“You can always run.” Lulu teased him before attacking alongside O'aka. They both cast Flare simultaneously and the ground beneath the silver haired woman exploded.

“Hah!” Wakka was trying to sound brave, and was nearly succeeding too. “I’d never forgive myself – no way! Not if I ran away now! Even in death, ya?” He put on a cocky grin and Lulu gave him a half smile as Rikku moved in to mug the spirit. She was really beginning to like that maneuver.

Seeing the others rush into the fight Tidus studied Yunalesca’s technique and leaned forward so his lips came to rest right by Harry’s ear.

“This is our story…” He commented in a whisper. “…We’ll see this through together.” Then, without a second of hesitation he broke away and dashed toward the unsent, his hands automatically going for his blade as he concentrated his energy. Yunalesca stumbled as he leapt at her and kicked off her hastily raised shield, having expected it from the memory of Auron. While he was in the air he brandished his sword and gold filled the air as lances of pure energy rained down on his target. Blow after blow landed and when Tidus was done Yunalesca had gone to one knee.

Far from impressed with their skills the woman stumbled upright and called on the powers beneath her feet. The Glyph glowed brighter and a new ring of symbols appeared around the first and most central, loosening the way for a sudden mass that drew up out of the stone. The hair, that had been stuck there, hadn’t really been hair at all. Yunalesca was changing, growing into something far larger and frightening than they’d first thought. The giant limb supported her, looming above them like a tower in the suddenly smaller space of the room.

Yunalesca gave a cold laugh at their surprise and before they could do anything the ground around their feet split open, revealing a horde of writing tentacles that beat against them. Wakka was thrown off his feet by one tentacle and stabbed before Rikku slashed the appendage with her claw and pulled him away. The younger girl went to give him a potion when Auron stopped her, a gauntleted hand grasping her wrist tightly.

“Don’t.” He warned as his skin took on the dangerously mottled pallor that Wakka’s had. “We’re infected, don’t try to heal us or you’ll just end up making it worse.” Rikku nodded numbly as Wakka got uneasily to his feet and gripped his ball to his side.

“Yuna should know how to cure it, ya.” Wakka offered as Gatta recovered from the attack somewhat and opened fire again. He had the infection too, but luckily, the others had been spared.

“No need gentlemen.” O'aka sidled over, looking a little worse for wear. There was already a layer of sweat on his face and rapidly dampening shirt as he continued to cast Firga spells as fast as he could. “Take a look in me bag would you squirt.” The mage addressed Rikku, who most likely hadn’t noticed the endearment. “There’s a bottle of holy water in there, there is. Just use that to get rid of yeh infection.” Rikku quickly rummaged around and found it before the Black mage jerked away and headed to Yuna for healing as those still fighting scattered to avoid more of the psyoninc blasts.

They where given a break from fighting for a moment later when Harry Summoned an Aeon. Bahamut, the mighty king of dragons gifted by the Fayth in Bevelle appeared from the Summoning Plane and soared into Yunalesca, forcing her into bloody close range combat with his claws. Struggling against him, the Unsent gave into her frustration one last time and a second new circle of symbols appeared around the Glyph. Bahamut was shunted away as the ground rumbled and Yunalesca’s strange tower of hair toppled back until she was lounging upon the appendage, a new enormous face ripping itself from the stone.

“Yunalesca’s true form.” Auron breathed somewhat wickedly as the tentacles from before began to wave lazily above the enormous face with the bright green slit pupil eyes and a disgustingly large tongue that lolled around on the ground before her. “To think, such a human form was hiding something like this all along.” Nearby, just having been cured from the Zombie infection Gatta nodded in mute agreement, his jaw hanging loose from the rest of his skull.

“Not so pretty now is she!” Harry proclaimed somewhat loudly and the behemoth head swivled around on its chin to face him. Eyes glowing it cast a spell of force, one that would probably have crushed the Summoner had Bahamut not shielded him with his own bulk. The multicolored feather wings flared out and the others where nearly blown off their feet as they flapped powerfully, flipping the dragon over into a ready position as he stomped into place.

The wheel that floated above the dragon began to spin at a pace almost to fast to follow as it dragged in the ambient magic before it opened its mouth and let loose its main attack of the unsent monster, the Mega Flare. As the attack continued the wheel span and the beam of pure energy grew to encompass Yunalesca’s form entirely.

It screamed.

The horrible pained shriek filled the air around them but the Mega Flare hadn’t finished the job. Enraged, the tentacles slammed into the ground before bursting back out bellow Bahamut’s feet and dragging him down. Small skulls formed on the ends, all matching the head they where attached to and began chomping down on the Aeon. It gave a bellowing roar of it’s own before Harry dismissed it himself. The sudden attack had startled him but as Bahamut leapt back onto the Summoning Plane Yunalesca turned her attention to the Guardians once more. There was a flash and Rikku screamed as a psyonic bolt, much stronger than Yunalesca’s previous attacks, hit her head on. The force sent her flying and she skidded toward the edge of the platform. Dazed as she was she wasn’t able to stop herself from slamming into a low stone edging with the sickening crack of something breaking.

There was a dark laugh from behind the head and Gatta rushed toward Rikku as fast as he could. He wouldn’t be much help while Rikku was out anyway, he was a good guardian in his own right, but when he fought with Rikku what one lacked, the other made up for in buckets. Pushing aside their concern for now, the others focused on the head. Tidus, Auron and Wakka began to take turns in hitting the head, hoping that the tag team style of fighting would buy them some time where it couldn’t attack. Harry brought up a hand and focused on the scan spell and memorizing the results.

“Yunalesca…” Harry murmured. “…Undead type, immune to most status ailments, and gravity attacks but weak against Holy…”

‘Oh, just like Seymour.’ He thought and waved to Lulu and O'aka to back off on the spells. The pair gratefully fell back, both exhausted from the constant high-level casting they’d been doing since the battle began. After O'aka had thrown one last Explodra at a group of tentacles they slid off to check on Rikku and Gatta.

‘Get ready to move! I’m going to Summon.’ At the silent message Tidus signaled the others still standing and Harry began the steps to a Summoning he hadn’t tried in a long time. Like Seymour, Yunalesca was unsent, but in this incarnation, she was far more powerful than Seymour ever was. Demeter had been able to take him out with a single attack last time, but for someone of Yunalesca’s age, they’d need something far more powerful.

Standing side on to the target Harry braced his feet under him and put his left arm behind his back, being the furthest away and held his staff like a fencing foil in his right. For a moment he didn’t move but then, with a sharp flick of his wrist, the emerald on the end ignited with red and gold flames. He couldn’t help but smile as he made a large sweeping gesture, and swirled his staff out before him in large sweeping circles. With every pass a trail of flames traced a ring in the air and then without any warning there was a booming echo of bird song. The haunting melody made the guardians grin, gaining confidence as their worry and pain was washed away by the song. The monster they where fighting shuddered in horror, beginning to scream once more as a portal opened in the ring, revealing blue skies and green hills before a giant golden bird swept through.

“You broke the cycle of Life and Death.” Harry intoned on the great Phoenix Aeon’s behalf as it circled the room. “Now you’ll have to suffer the consequences.” With that said the Phoenix glided down and utterly ignored the writhing tentacles as it perched on the giant head and began to sing.

“Wha… What is this?” Yunalesca choked out as the extensions of her mortal shell began to weaken under the sheer holy power of the creature. Eventually everyone fell back and simply watched as Pheo caught alight and slowly began to burn. The head moaned weakly as the Phoenix experienced a burning day and in the process, burned away the bulk of Yunalesca’s form before the newborn chick finally vanished in a flash of light, its job done. The silver haired woman sank back to her space on the floor, the two rings of symbols still there but the central Glyph had burnt black. Yunalesca went to her knees, gasping as if she really needed to breathe, but even as she drew them it was in a death rattle, eerily similar to a Dementor’s, it was the Voice of Death.

Pheo was a special Aeon in that when it attacked, it burned itself on purpose and in the process, it took away all the negative and dark energies from a person or being, cleansing them and taking them away, leaving only whatever good was left within them.

It seemed as though there had been some good left in Yunalesca after all.

“If I die…” She murmured, her voice still rasping. “So does the Final Summoning, and with it, Spira’s only hope.”

‘So tired…’

“Then we’ll find Spira a new hope.” Tidus retorted in a low voice, sliding his sword back into its harness now that it wasn’t needed. He moved over and crouched down before her, just a few feet away.

“Fools…” Her tone held no real venom, just resignation. “There is no other way. Besides… even if you did defeat Sin… even if you did find another way… Yu Yevon the immortal would only create Sin anew.”

“We know.” Harry joined them, crouching beside Tidus. Yunalesca’s eyes flickered to him and widened somewhat when they found the pale scar on his forehead.

“Master Summoner?” Harry and Tidus looked at each other then back.

“So you can finally see.” Harry gave her a bitter, absent-minded sort of smile. “It’s a pity it’s too late.” Yunalesca’s eyes dropped and she nodded before whispering her final words.

“Ah… Zaon… forgive me…” Then, she closed her eyes and her corporeal form simply broke into a handful of Pyreflies that drifted lazily upwards and vanished amid the illusionary stars.

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The world had never seemed so dim as it had when they finally emerged from the room that had once housed Yunalesca. The temple was ruined beyond what it had been last time they’d entered and they could see now just how much of the world around them was just a memory. Many of the Pyreflies that had lingered here where gone, the last remaining few drifting between the broken stones. Harry brushed his fingers over the scratched out lettering of the graffiti on the door as he passed, a sad smile on his lips as he took a moment to wonder what that Weasley had been like. Had they been like Ron? Ginny? Maybe even like Fred or George.

He looked back to his guardians and sighed at the almost pitiful sight they made. Not one of them had been left unscathed by the fight. Exhausted and hurt, Rikku was being carried by Kimahri as Yuna fussed over her cousin and Lulu was leading along Gatta by the hand as he stared after the trio, unable to take his eyes off the Al Bhed girl. Wakka was limping and Tidus was wincing every now and then as his ribs shifted. At least two where broken from one of Yunalesca’s attacks and others where bruised.

As if he’d heard his thoughts the blonde looked up from where he was cleaning off his blade and gave him a grimace that would have been a smile, had he not jarred his injuries again. Harry nodded back before hurrying after the others to help Yuna in caring for Rikku.

In the silence that fell after he left Tidus lowered himself to sit on the bottom step. Off to one side Auron stood waiting.

“We must talk.” The old monk spoke in a low tone, shifting away from the statue he leaned against. “There is something you should know.” The blonde looked up at him, traces of pain already leaving his face as the smaller of his wounds began to heal.

“About you.” It wasn’t really a question. Auron stared at him feet.

“I also am an unsent… you are not surprised.” Tidus let his blade rest against the stairs beside him and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees before shaking his head.

“I already knew.” He admitted. “I first suspected it when you reacted to Harry’s sending just after Operation Mi’Ihen.” They lapsed into silence.

“It was Yunalesca, wasn’t it, she killed you.” Auron frowned.

“When Braska and Jecht died defeating Sin… I just couldn’t accept it. I came back here… tried to avenge them. But she struck me down. Somehow I made my way, crawling, down Mount Gagazet. But my strength left me just outside Bevelle. That’s where Kimahri found me. I told him about Yuna… just before I died. I’ve been wandering ever since, never going to the Farplane.” Tidus eyed him and the man suddenly smirked.

“But being dead has its advantages.” Even as he said that the mottled effect of the Zombie infection faded away. “I was able to ride Sin and go to your Zanarkand.” At the abrupt reminder of where he had come from and where he was going, Tidus scowled.

“And you’ve been watching over me since then, haven’t you. Why?” Auron cocked his head to one side and set him with am unreadable expression.

“It is one of those things that is difficult to explain.” He paused before taking a step forward. “Very well. I will show you my memories.” Dark eyes slid closed and the remaining Pyreflies burst into activity, reading the images Auron was giving them. Soon they crowded to the center of the room and formed another image, a memory of a conversation no one else would ever hear.

Jecht stood with his back to the stairs. Braska was off to one side, standing as silent as the grave and Auron, his younger self, stood slightly to one side where Tidus could only just see the side of his face.

“Can I ask you a favor?” Jecht asked awkwardly, not turning to face him. “Uh… Nah. Never mind.” He reconsidered but Auron wasn’t having any of that.

“Out with it!” Jecht hesitated for only a second before he turned to face his friend.

“Okay, Listen good. Take care of my son. My son, in Zanarkand. He’s such a crybaby. He needs someone there to hold his hand, see?” Sitting there and watching the face of his father Tidus knew he was unaware of the fact that his voice was breaking. The high note under his words made him sound strangely vulnerable. “Take care of him, will you?”

“But how am I supposed to get to Zanarkand?” Auron questioned, sounding a little desperate.

“Hey!” Jecht regained some of his earlier bravado. “You said it yourself! There must be a way to get there, right? You’ll find it.”

“All right… I will.” Auron sounded determined, even if there was an undertone of resignation. “I give you my word. I’ll take care of your son. I’ll guard him with my life.” His voice wavered and he fell silent. Jecht moved back toward him and placed a hand on Auron’s shoulder.

“Thanks, Auron. You always were such a stiff, but that’s what I liked about you.”

Then, in the blink of an eye, the memory was gone and the silence reigned once more. Auron lifted his head and stared at the space where the memory had been before striding off after the others.

“That is why.”

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The sun was only just below the eastern horizon when they emerged back into the world outside the Dome. The gray light of the false dawn was fading rapidly with the new day but with it came the same eerie peace they’d been feeling since the battle with Yunalesca.

The calm before the storm…

As he walked away from the Dome the hairs on the back of the blonde guardian’s neck began to rise as he felt someone watching them. Tidus stopped and turned toward the source and was unsurprised to see the gigantic visage of Sin staring down at him. In the few seconds it took to look into it’s eyes he felt the spirit within and the rush of images that accompanied it.

“I know…” He said quietly, knowing his father would still hear him. “There isn’t a Final Summoning, not anymore.” Sin shifted restlessly at the news, drawing the attention of the others. Tidus continued to stare as more images pressed into his mind. “Give us a little more time, we’ll think of a way to get rid of the amour soon.” The ‘voices’ faded and Tidus was alone in his mind once more before Sin finally turned away. Lumbering back toward the ocean. In doing so it passed a familiar flying object that glided along side it in the other direction without so much as acknowledging it’s existence.

The party stood there, simply waiting for it to arrive, taking a small comfort in the fact that they where all still alive and whole. Harry moved back to Tidus’s side and gave him a slightly weary smile, one hand gripping his tightly.

“We’re still here.” He murmured as the Airship came in to hover above them. Al Bhed lowered down small platforms in order to hoist them up a few at a time.

“Yeah.” Soon they where the only ones still on the ground as the platform was lowered one last time. Tidus moved and stepped up first before helping the Summoner up. While they inched upwards Harry spoke.

“The others are good fighters… but they’re not there yet.” Tidus felt a ghost of a grin creeping across his mouth.

“Training?” He asked and Harry nodded.

“Training.” The sun finally peeked over the ruins and they where set ablaze in the light of a new day. Dawn was the time of new beginnings and with this one they had another chance. While the Final Summoning had been destroyed there was still hope for getting rid of Sin. They had the bare outline of a plan they’d come up with before the fight and they had all the knowledge Harry remembered of the Amour of Immorality. If anything else, they now had time to think of how they would implement their plan, but until they could, they’d just have to heal and improve. Then, they’d take on the gargantuan task set before them.

They had time.