The Fantasy Games (Final Fantasy Fanfiction)

Chapter Twenty: Zanarkand's True Demise

She knew this was a dream the moment she opened her eyes to see herself looking down upon a glowing city before her. The buildings were so tall and round, some wide yet some skinny as bridges linked the large skyscrapers, machina zooming up and down the roads like flowing pyreflies.

She was standing on one of these large buildings, leaning out over a balcony to be more specific, wearing fine robes as her long braid blew to the side in the strong breeze. She should've been feeling cold considering her shoulders were bare but she felt nothing, no warmth, no cold, no happiness, no sadness... nothing.

This place seemed familiar to her for some reason, it wasn't the Capitol, she knew that much. The Capitol had a slightly aqua green glow to it but this place was all orange and yellows, it wasn't the same. But she had seen it before, once while she was praying to Bahamut... She remembered he had shown her this place...

"Zanarkand..." She whispered softly to the wind, her eyes widening as she stared out at the beautiful view before her.

No one but the fayth knew why Zanarkand was now in ruins in Sector Ten. She had learned it had been a once thriving city and home to some very famous summoners. Nearly a thousand years ago it had been destroyed by some unknown force, wiped from history so that no one knew what it was. Most people believed it had been Sin but there was no known facts, after all all of its inhabitants had died. So why was she here now?

"I need to tell you something," the feminine voice came from behind her as she turned around slowly, gazing into the apartment that was linked to the balcony. Lavishly furnished and full of heavenly looking food and riches, it looked like the most expensive yet perfect place to live. She drew closer towards the voice, entering the warm room as she searched for its source.

"I know what I must do," the voice came to her right as she turned towards it, entering a beautifully decorated living room where a man and a woman stood facing one another. The man was tall and well-built, a helmet covering his head with matching polished armour and a cream cloak. The woman stood opposite him, barely any material covered her body, she just wore the bare essentials while her long lilac hair cascaded past her shoulders, running all the way down to her knees as ribbons flowed down with it. Her voice was calm and silky that it made her want to shiver in her dream form.

The man looked at her with wide eyes as he took a step closer to her but she took an involuntary step back, shaking her head sorrowfully. "I made a vow when I became a summoner, to uphold my duty to the people," she began, her voice forcefully strong. "I know what Sin is, and I know how to defeat it."

"Yunalesca..." The man opposite her spoke softly, crossing the room in two strides and taking the woman's hands in his own and looking down at her lovingly.

Yunalesca... That name seemed familiar. Her uncle Cid had once told her that her father had named her after a famous summoner who had lived a thousand years ago but she had never heard of any summoners by the name Yuna. Was it possible that this woman was her namesake?

"This means... our time together is running short..." The man held sorrow in his voice as he looked down at the famous summoner.

"Yes," she agreed quietly with a nod of her head as she looked up at him lovingly. "No summoner has ever achieved their final goal, to have the opportunity to complete it... it is an honour, one that I shall not reject."

"I would not ask you to," the man said as he brushed a lock of hair out of her face tenderly. "I know it is your wish to do both your father and your people proud."

Yunalesca nodded once in response, her eyes beginning to tear up as she gazed up at the man. "Sin is everything that causes sorrow and pain and I must abolish it, I must abolish her before it's too late," she whispered as she raised a hand up to cup his cheek, thumb running over the bone in a soft caress. "I love you Zaon, but I must ask one last favour of you..."