To Zanarkand!

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Characters: Jecht (dreamer), Chika (dragged-in)
Location: Slumberland, but not the Little Nemo one
Rating: PG
Open/Closed/Finished: Closed.
Summary: Jecht has a dream. It isn't a good one.



Zanarkand.

The ruined city of Zanarkand. An ancient city that never slept, its technology meaningless compared to its Summoners -- and its Summoners meaningless against the war machine of Bevelle.

A thousand years ago it had fallen. On a hill just outside the city, Jecht stood, arms crossed, facing the reality of a city that had been real to him. A dream, dreaming of a dream.

Comments

[scatterflower]

"And this Final Aeon thing helps... how?" Chika asked, clenching her fist a bit. God, this woman was really starting to annoy her with her... constant non-answers.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

This time, Jecht answered. "It's the only thing strong enough to beat Sin. Even other Aeons can't do it."

[scatterflower]

Chika frowned. "And why isn't anyone working on making something else that could do the same thing without having to kill the two people who use it?"

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"Hmph," the samurai said. "Like?"

Jecht added, "Ain't nothin' big enough."

[scatterflower]

Chika frowned, thinking about that for a moment. It was hard to really think of anything when she had no idea what this Sin thing even looked like, so she couldn't even say anything else as a suggestion. At least, until Jecht added what he said. "How... how big is it?"

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"Bigger'n Garden by far," Jecht said. "Its spawn are the size of a person, and it just tosses 'em down like a shedding cat."

[scatterflower]

Chika blinked. That... sounded pretty disgusting. "Is this thing bigger than a large city?"

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

The samurai let out a 'hmph' with a vague tinge of humor. "Not quite that big."

[scatterflower]

She nodded. "And... has anyone tried to fire bombs at it or something?"

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"Machina are forbidden devices," the man in robes said.

The scantily-clad woman smirked coldly. "Even if you smashed it, Yu Yevon would simply rebuild it. Sin is eternal."

[scatterflower]

Chika frowned. "Forbidden? Why?"

She turned to glare at the woman. "Yeah, but your option isn't taking care of the problem. It's just doing the exact same thing!"

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"The teachings," the robed man said. "Overuse of machina is what cursed Spira with Sin's presence to begin with."

Jecht snorted, but said nothing.

"Sin is eternal," the woman said. "It cannot be defeated forever. Only a few years of peace bought! Is the price of one summoner's life not worth the dozens, the hundreds, that would die otherwise?"

[scatterflower]

"... That makes absolutely no sense what-so-ever," Chika said. "How exactly does using machine's make a giant city destroying monster?"

She turned back to the woman. "And nothing is immortal. There needs to be some way to kill it for good somehow. But no one's even looking!"

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"Even if it were destroyed some other way," she said coldly, "Yu Yevon the Immortal would simply recreate it."

[scatterflower]

"... Which isn't any different than what you're doing now," Chika said. "Only your not forcing someone to choose to kill someone else and then themselves."

She frowned. "And why does this Yu Yevon person do that anyway?"

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"Yer not gettin' it," Jecht said. "There ain't another way. Summoning's the only thing strong enough to beat it."

As for the question of why... did anyone have an answer to that? Possibly the immodest woman, but if so, she didn't volunteer it.

[scatterflower]

"And from the way you guys are talking, you sound like no one's even tried!"

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

The three men looked at each other awkwardly, not certain how to reason with such blind insistence. Finally, Jecht sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Look. I'm here. I ain't goin' home ever again, I know that. I got no reason not to do this, and every reason to do it. Even if it's nothin' more than lettin' Braska's kid grow up in a peaceful land, at least for a few years."

[scatterflower]

Chika frowned again, looking over at him. "Fine. But what happens once people stop being willing to do this, or if next time no one's able to make it here?"

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

The samurai folded his arms. "Why stop a crime today, if there will just be another criminal tomorrow? Why save a man's life now, if he's destined to die eventually anyway?"

[scatterflower]

Chika frowned, glaring over at the samurai. "That wasn't what I was meant. Obviously you guys aren't planning on trying to find another way, but what happens if no one else can get here the next time this thing starts killing everything? If this is the only thing that works, that's not going to be good for everyone else, is it?"

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"There are always summoners prepared to make the effort, and guardians to protect them," the man in robes said. "The pilgrimage is sacred and time-honored, and there will always be a determined soul to make it in time."

[scatterflower]

Chika frowned. "So, that's it. No one's even going to ever try to think of a way to get rid of this thing for good then?"

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"No one's sayin' it's perfect," Jecht said quietly. "But hell, I've seen this thing, and I can't think of a damn thing that'd stop it. Fine to say, yeah, let's kill it forever, but..."

He shook his head.

"It ain't that easy. Just sayin' it doesn't make it happen. And if you tried to kill it and failed, well... that's someone sacrificin' themselves for nothin'. If I'm gonna give up my life, at least I know it'll work."

[scatterflower]

Chika frowned. "I... I see."

Well, that was a good point, but even so, they couldn't go on doing it like this. But what could she do? She didn't even know why she was here; she hadn't even seen what the thing that they're trying to stop even was.

Her fists clenched, but she didn't say anything else. What else could she really say?