Epilogue
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Epilogue
When word first came that all the residents of Spira should sing the Hymn of the Fayth when Cid's airship appeared in the skies above Bevelle, Nooj was dubious. But Paine, who had been doing some reading in her spare time, was able to convince him otherwise.
"I found this book on the ancient machina wars between Bevelle and Zanarkand," she told him one night over dinner, which was, as usual, a private affair in the quarters they shared. "Would you believe that the Hymn was originally a song of protest, sung by the people of Zanarkand in defiance of Bevelle? Yevon just appropriated it, along with lots of other customs around summoning. I think it's totally appropriate to use as a weapon to fight Sin."
"Perhaps so," Nooj replied. "Still, I wonder what use it could possibly be."
Paine shrugged. "No idea. I guess we just have to trust that Uncle Auron and the others know what they're doing." Nooj nodded in assent as he bit into his bread, and the conversation moved on to other matters.
And so two weeks and three days after the final defeat of Yevon, Nooj and Paine found themselves standing in the pinnacle courtyard, surrounded by the other residents of the former temple and by the resounding tones of the Hymn, ringing out from the courtyards and the city below. Nooj did not join in, but Paine did, lending her soft alto to the chorus, the tune familiar from her childhood. Sin floated in the sky above the city, seemingly pacified by the sound of the music, and then the airship attacked.
For many minutes the battle raged, Sin rocked by missile salvos and what appeared to the spectators as tiny blasts of magic. The flying machina occasionally shook as the gigantic creature struck in return, but clearly the ship and the warriors on it were winning. And then the tide turned as, with a mighty roar and a shudder, the monster sucked the airship inside and the entire world fell silent.
Paine stepped closer to Nooj, who seemed not to notice her as he rested both hands on his cane and stared at Sin. Then she felt a hand slip into hers; she looked and it was Baralai, his eyes also on the sky, lips moving silently in what might have been a prayer. She squeezed his fingers and then returned her attention upwards as well. No one spoke. Minutes, hours, even days seemed to pass as Spira waited for something to happen.
And then, all at once, without warning, Sin exploded. Fire filled the sky, bathing the city in its yellow glow, and then millions, even billions of pyreflies began to rain down in a shower of colored lights. As they dissipated, the airship appeared, slightly scorched but otherwise unscathed, and a great cheer finally rose from the assembled throng as it sunk in that the battle was over. Sin was defeated and would never return. The sounds of impromptu celebration were already evident in the city below, and those who had gathered on the pinnacle raced down the stairs to join in, Baralai pausing only to embrace Paine quickly and then follow the throng. Soon only Paine and Nooj remained on the heights, watching the airship angle downward and head for the landing docks.
Paine looked up at Nooj and smiled. "I saw it, but I'm not sure I really believe it. Sin, gone for good? I guess it's going to take a while to seem real." She turned her eyes back to the airship. "I hope my uncle made it out all right."
Nooj swallowed hard. The time had come, the time he had been dreading. When he had heard of the approaching final battle with Sin, he had known that he must be ready to tell Paine the truth about Sir Auron and had spend hours at his desk and more hours lying awake in the night rehearsing exactly what words he would use and now, when it had come the time to use them, they had mostly fled. He stood for a long moment with his arm around her shoulders and then gently turned her to face him.
"Paine, my dearest, I need to tell you something. Your uncle ..." he swallowed again and cleared his throat, "... your uncle is dead. He died more than a decade ago, shortly after the pilgrimage with Braska when Jecht became Sin. Sir Auron tried to single-handedly beat back the cycle of the resurrection of Sin and fell in that noble struggle."
"Don't be ridiculous," she replied, the denial almost automatic, as she looked over Nooj's shoulder into the sky. "He was the great Sir Auron, the only guardian ever to defeat Sin and come home to tell the tale. Everyone knows that. Now c'mon, the airship will be landing any minute and I want to be there to congratulate them." She wrapped a hand around his metal arm and made to pull him forward, toward the lift, but he did not move, and she paused too, at the serious look in his eyes.
"Paine," he spoke softly. "It's true. He told me weeks ago that he would stay until Sin was defeated. He had made a vow. But then, he could delay no longer. Beloved, he is dead. You must understand that."
She found herself focusing on his face, his words a dull roar in her ears. She loved that face, from the hair that fell gracefully across one eye to the strong curve of his jaw, even the little gap between his front teeth. Maybe if she concentrated hard enough on that, he would stop talking and just kiss her, and all the words would go away. Because she had a feeling that she didn't want to understand those words, just now.
Nooj was confused by the lack of comprehension on her face. Was she not hearing him? Had the noise of the explosions deafened her? Not likely, it had affected no one else so severely. He shook her gently and spoke more clearly, "Paine! Listen to me. You have to listen. Sir Auron is gone. He has been clinging to human form until he could fulfill his oath to destroy Sin for good. Now he is ready to move on. Yuna will send him if she has not already done so. Paine, my love, hear me. He wanted you to know the truth. Paine!" He shook her a little harder, the worry in his eyes intensifying.
Jolted by the last shake and the repetition of her name, Paine snapped back to attention, going back over the words she had heard but not yet registered. "You mean he-- he..." Her voice dropped to a whisper and she had to force the words out, her mouth suddenly dry. "He was... unsent?"
Her lover pulled her into his embrace, cradling her head against his chest. "Yes, he was a great man and used his powerful will to stay with us until he could save this world. He was stronger than any being I have ever known and you are of his blood. He loved you deeply and saw much of his own character in you. In many ways, he entrusted his legacy to your hands. Grieve for him, my dear one. You have that right but resolve to continue his struggle to give Spira the future it deserves. We are his heirs and we honour him with our hope." He stroked her and felt her tremble. An overwhelming need to guard and protect her swept over him and he wrapped her ever more securely in his arms. "Ah, Paine. I love you so much."
She clung to him as her eyes filled. "Oh Nooj," she moaned, her throat tight. "Why didn't he tell me?" She pounded her fist against his chest, grief and helpless frustration coming together as the first tears fell down her cheeks. "Why didn't he give me the chance to say goodbye?"
"I don't think he could bear to spoil your happiness the last time he saw you. Dearest one, his last words to me were about you and how he wished he could stay and watch you for years to come. He loved you very much and your future was of great concern. It's all right to grieve. Take as long as you need." He continued to stroke her and breathe into her tousled hair. "Don't be angry with him. If there had been any way he could stay, his concern for you would have kept him. He has found peace now and is on the Farplane with those who went before. He left us one another for consolation." He did not try to stop her blows, letting her release her sorrow as she must. She beat him as she wept, grieving for her uncle as she had not been able to grieve ten years ago.
Soon her anger subsided; then her sobs did as well, and she leaned into Nooj's solid warmth. When she felt calm enough to speak, she looked at his face again, wiping her eyes as he brushed back her hair. "Thank you for telling me," she said. "And I understand why you couldn't before. More things make sense now -- why he didn't come back for me after the pilgrimage, why he never seemed to want to talk about the future." She laid a hand on his warm cheek with a sigh. "I'm more glad than ever that you're going to stay."
He turned into her hand and kissed the palm. "I am here and will be for so long as you need me. Are you ready to go down now?"
"I think so. Just let me stop by our rooms for a minute so I can wash my face. I can put on a smile for a little while, so long as you're with me." She brought his face closer to hers, and he pressed his lips against her forehead before moving down to her mouth. He kissed her tenderly, and she returned the kiss, drawing the comfort and courage she needed from him. When they broke apart she did not move away, instead leaning her forehead against his and breathing in. "I love you," she murmured.
"You are my heart and my reason for being," he responded. "Let us go put on an appearance with the others then we can go up on the hillside above the city and have our private wake and decide how best we can bring honour to those we have lost. We must not forget that we have been charged with the future of our world. There is much waiting for us, beloved." He guided her toward the lift which would take them back to the real world then on to the great challenge which lay ahead.
-x-X-x-
Authors' Note: And so our story officially draws to a close. Many, many, many heartfelt thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, and/or lurked, whether you've just started or have been with us from the beginning. We appreciate you all more than we can say.
Epilogue
When word first came that all the residents of Spira should sing the Hymn of the Fayth when Cid's airship appeared in the skies above Bevelle, Nooj was dubious. But Paine, who had been doing some reading in her spare time, was able to convince him otherwise.
"I found this book on the ancient machina wars between Bevelle and Zanarkand," she told him one night over dinner, which was, as usual, a private affair in the quarters they shared. "Would you believe that the Hymn was originally a song of protest, sung by the people of Zanarkand in defiance of Bevelle? Yevon just appropriated it, along with lots of other customs around summoning. I think it's totally appropriate to use as a weapon to fight Sin."
"Perhaps so," Nooj replied. "Still, I wonder what use it could possibly be."
Paine shrugged. "No idea. I guess we just have to trust that Uncle Auron and the others know what they're doing." Nooj nodded in assent as he bit into his bread, and the conversation moved on to other matters.
And so two weeks and three days after the final defeat of Yevon, Nooj and Paine found themselves standing in the pinnacle courtyard, surrounded by the other residents of the former temple and by the resounding tones of the Hymn, ringing out from the courtyards and the city below. Nooj did not join in, but Paine did, lending her soft alto to the chorus, the tune familiar from her childhood. Sin floated in the sky above the city, seemingly pacified by the sound of the music, and then the airship attacked.
For many minutes the battle raged, Sin rocked by missile salvos and what appeared to the spectators as tiny blasts of magic. The flying machina occasionally shook as the gigantic creature struck in return, but clearly the ship and the warriors on it were winning. And then the tide turned as, with a mighty roar and a shudder, the monster sucked the airship inside and the entire world fell silent.
Paine stepped closer to Nooj, who seemed not to notice her as he rested both hands on his cane and stared at Sin. Then she felt a hand slip into hers; she looked and it was Baralai, his eyes also on the sky, lips moving silently in what might have been a prayer. She squeezed his fingers and then returned her attention upwards as well. No one spoke. Minutes, hours, even days seemed to pass as Spira waited for something to happen.
And then, all at once, without warning, Sin exploded. Fire filled the sky, bathing the city in its yellow glow, and then millions, even billions of pyreflies began to rain down in a shower of colored lights. As they dissipated, the airship appeared, slightly scorched but otherwise unscathed, and a great cheer finally rose from the assembled throng as it sunk in that the battle was over. Sin was defeated and would never return. The sounds of impromptu celebration were already evident in the city below, and those who had gathered on the pinnacle raced down the stairs to join in, Baralai pausing only to embrace Paine quickly and then follow the throng. Soon only Paine and Nooj remained on the heights, watching the airship angle downward and head for the landing docks.
Paine looked up at Nooj and smiled. "I saw it, but I'm not sure I really believe it. Sin, gone for good? I guess it's going to take a while to seem real." She turned her eyes back to the airship. "I hope my uncle made it out all right."
Nooj swallowed hard. The time had come, the time he had been dreading. When he had heard of the approaching final battle with Sin, he had known that he must be ready to tell Paine the truth about Sir Auron and had spend hours at his desk and more hours lying awake in the night rehearsing exactly what words he would use and now, when it had come the time to use them, they had mostly fled. He stood for a long moment with his arm around her shoulders and then gently turned her to face him.
"Paine, my dearest, I need to tell you something. Your uncle ..." he swallowed again and cleared his throat, "... your uncle is dead. He died more than a decade ago, shortly after the pilgrimage with Braska when Jecht became Sin. Sir Auron tried to single-handedly beat back the cycle of the resurrection of Sin and fell in that noble struggle."
"Don't be ridiculous," she replied, the denial almost automatic, as she looked over Nooj's shoulder into the sky. "He was the great Sir Auron, the only guardian ever to defeat Sin and come home to tell the tale. Everyone knows that. Now c'mon, the airship will be landing any minute and I want to be there to congratulate them." She wrapped a hand around his metal arm and made to pull him forward, toward the lift, but he did not move, and she paused too, at the serious look in his eyes.
"Paine," he spoke softly. "It's true. He told me weeks ago that he would stay until Sin was defeated. He had made a vow. But then, he could delay no longer. Beloved, he is dead. You must understand that."
She found herself focusing on his face, his words a dull roar in her ears. She loved that face, from the hair that fell gracefully across one eye to the strong curve of his jaw, even the little gap between his front teeth. Maybe if she concentrated hard enough on that, he would stop talking and just kiss her, and all the words would go away. Because she had a feeling that she didn't want to understand those words, just now.
Nooj was confused by the lack of comprehension on her face. Was she not hearing him? Had the noise of the explosions deafened her? Not likely, it had affected no one else so severely. He shook her gently and spoke more clearly, "Paine! Listen to me. You have to listen. Sir Auron is gone. He has been clinging to human form until he could fulfill his oath to destroy Sin for good. Now he is ready to move on. Yuna will send him if she has not already done so. Paine, my love, hear me. He wanted you to know the truth. Paine!" He shook her a little harder, the worry in his eyes intensifying.
Jolted by the last shake and the repetition of her name, Paine snapped back to attention, going back over the words she had heard but not yet registered. "You mean he-- he..." Her voice dropped to a whisper and she had to force the words out, her mouth suddenly dry. "He was... unsent?"
Her lover pulled her into his embrace, cradling her head against his chest. "Yes, he was a great man and used his powerful will to stay with us until he could save this world. He was stronger than any being I have ever known and you are of his blood. He loved you deeply and saw much of his own character in you. In many ways, he entrusted his legacy to your hands. Grieve for him, my dear one. You have that right but resolve to continue his struggle to give Spira the future it deserves. We are his heirs and we honour him with our hope." He stroked her and felt her tremble. An overwhelming need to guard and protect her swept over him and he wrapped her ever more securely in his arms. "Ah, Paine. I love you so much."
She clung to him as her eyes filled. "Oh Nooj," she moaned, her throat tight. "Why didn't he tell me?" She pounded her fist against his chest, grief and helpless frustration coming together as the first tears fell down her cheeks. "Why didn't he give me the chance to say goodbye?"
"I don't think he could bear to spoil your happiness the last time he saw you. Dearest one, his last words to me were about you and how he wished he could stay and watch you for years to come. He loved you very much and your future was of great concern. It's all right to grieve. Take as long as you need." He continued to stroke her and breathe into her tousled hair. "Don't be angry with him. If there had been any way he could stay, his concern for you would have kept him. He has found peace now and is on the Farplane with those who went before. He left us one another for consolation." He did not try to stop her blows, letting her release her sorrow as she must. She beat him as she wept, grieving for her uncle as she had not been able to grieve ten years ago.
Soon her anger subsided; then her sobs did as well, and she leaned into Nooj's solid warmth. When she felt calm enough to speak, she looked at his face again, wiping her eyes as he brushed back her hair. "Thank you for telling me," she said. "And I understand why you couldn't before. More things make sense now -- why he didn't come back for me after the pilgrimage, why he never seemed to want to talk about the future." She laid a hand on his warm cheek with a sigh. "I'm more glad than ever that you're going to stay."
He turned into her hand and kissed the palm. "I am here and will be for so long as you need me. Are you ready to go down now?"
"I think so. Just let me stop by our rooms for a minute so I can wash my face. I can put on a smile for a little while, so long as you're with me." She brought his face closer to hers, and he pressed his lips against her forehead before moving down to her mouth. He kissed her tenderly, and she returned the kiss, drawing the comfort and courage she needed from him. When they broke apart she did not move away, instead leaning her forehead against his and breathing in. "I love you," she murmured.
"You are my heart and my reason for being," he responded. "Let us go put on an appearance with the others then we can go up on the hillside above the city and have our private wake and decide how best we can bring honour to those we have lost. We must not forget that we have been charged with the future of our world. There is much waiting for us, beloved." He guided her toward the lift which would take them back to the real world then on to the great challenge which lay ahead.
-x-X-x-
Authors' Note: And so our story officially draws to a close. Many, many, many heartfelt thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, and/or lurked, whether you've just started or have been with us from the beginning. We appreciate you all more than we can say.