the once grand city

ooc; you know, i had written a post out as to why i feel like just leaving this blog. but looking back on it, i really don’t feel like posting. in any case i’m putting this blog on a permanent hiatus until i can find the muse/motivation/whatever to be on this blog again. it’s no-one’s fault and i’m really sorry to people that i’ve had threads with.

if you want to find me, i’ll be here or you can add me on discord at duskatnight#7610, just let me know who you are first.

ooc; you know, i had written a post out as to why i feel like just leaving this blog. but looking back on it, i really don’t feel like posting. in any case i’m putting this blog on a permanent hiatus until i can find the muse/motivation/whatever to be on this blog again. it’s no-one’s fault and i’m really sorry to people that i’ve had threads with.

if you want to find me, i’ll be here or you can add me on discord at duskatnight#7610, just let me know who you are first.

ooc; you know, i had written a post out as to why i feel like just leaving this blog. but looking back on it, i really don’t feel like posting. in any case i’m putting this blog on a permanent hiatus until i can find the muse/motivation/whatever to be on this blog again. it’s no-one’s fault and i’m really sorry to people that i’ve had threads with.

if you want to find me, i’ll be here or you can add me on discord at duskatnight#7610, just let me know who you are first.

ooc; you know, i had written a post out as to why i feel like just leaving this blog. but looking back on it, i really don’t feel like posting. in any case i’m putting this blog on a permanent hiatus until i can find the muse/motivation/whatever to be on this blog again. it’s no-one’s fault and i’m really sorry to people that i’ve had threads with.

if you want to find me, i’ll be here or you can add me on discord at duskatnight#7610, just let me know who you are first.

ooc; you know, i had written a post out as to why i feel like just leaving this blog. but looking back on it, i really don’t feel like posting. in any case i’m putting this blog on a permanent hiatus until i can find the muse/motivation/whatever to be on this blog again. it’s no-one’s fault and i’m really sorry to people that i’ve had threads with.

if you want to find me, i’ll be here or you can add me on discord at duskatnight#7610, just let me know who you are first.

If she were emotionally present, she could’ve sworn the woman would’ve given her chills. Her metaphorical hackles would’ve been raised. But perhaps that was just the setting she was in. Who wouldn’t have been disorientated after getting swallowed by darkness and then waking up to a woman asking if you still had a heart? 

And then she refused to Z her name. Which…wasn’t that uncommon really, but it would’ve made Z even more unnerved about the blonde in the black coat. Who wears a black coat anyway? She was one to talk, who wears a full kimono anymore? “Not anymore…?” It wasn’t a question directed towards the woman, more of a way to try and make sense of what the woman was trying to say. Except, Z couldn’t find a reason for it. Even if she wanted to ask, her thoughts were cut off as the woman continued to speak.

What to do with her? What did that mean? Z was able to question that but in a split second, she felt her hair jostle as something whizzed passed it. Whoever this woman was, she had some stunning accuracy on her. She would’ve reacted more than a brief movement to her left so she could look after her shoulder. Whatever the dark shape was was disappearing. It looked oddly familiar as well. She didn’t have time to pay attention to it because it had disappeared by the time she’d turned around to try and get a better look of it. 

“Why wouldn’t I still have my heart?” She was still unsure personifications had hearts, but that wasn’t important right now. “Didn’t I just tell you I did?” Z turned her head back to the blonde. “What are those things?” She figured she asked. Even though she had a feeling the woman wouldn’t answer her question, Z asked anyway. “They were there when I blacked out.” She had a feeling it was dangerous at least.

“Are they after my heart?” She asked again, almost as if she were mocking the whole ‘heart’ conversation they were having.

“Yes, that’s what I said.” Do people just not listen anymore? Having to repeat herself so often was getting quite dull. If somebody would just shut up and listen for a change, think of how much time could be saved! Alas, the self-important will continue to blow their own horn over the cacophony of others doing the same. This is also why she shouldn’t be sent out to scout or negotiate, but when do your ‘superiors’ ever listen? Just give her something to tear into- Something she’s more than happy to undertake and send someone else. Not like they were short handed after all and surely any of those useless idiots would be fine with talking. Some of them also do not know how to shut up, but she digressed.

Seems the woman was slowly getting out of her daze and so her focus returned to her. For how long that would last, who could say?

“Must I explain everything? I’m sure if you took a second to actually think about it you could come up with some sort of answer. Unless your brainpower was sacrificed for curves.” Maybe she can see if they can make little pamphlets to give out instead. ‘So your world was swallowed by darkness.’. Questions to be directed to someone who cares. Frowning, she crossed her arms and waited for the other to stop babbling only to give a slow clap when all was said.

“Congratulations, you managed to figure something out for yourself! I’m so proud.” Proud is far from what her tone suggests of course, but she never much cared for making good first impressions. Or good impressions in general for that matter. Conceding defeat, she gave a heavy sigh and decided it best to get everything over with now, just this once. “Those things are called Heartless. Creative, I know, but it fits considering how literal it is. They seek the hearts of those that still have them, like little parasites. They are also what took over your home. Manifestations of darkness. You’re lucky you survived as most fall rather easily. But, since you still have your heart, your survival implies it is strong which, I’m sure you can guess, will attract bigger and bigger Heartless until it’s theirs.“

Was that a dig at her? If her emotions hadn’t left her long ago, she might’ve chuckled. Maybe she could’ve come back with a clever quip, but right now she didn’t much care. Whatever the Heartless were, they were dangerous and she needed to be careful. She wasn’t going to have the blonde’s protection forever and judging from her attitude, Z was walking on thin ice as it was. 

“You should be proud. Not everyone is able to have curves and brainpower.” Much less in this situation. She didn’t even care if the other’s tone was sarcastic, her own tone could reflect on much if one wanted to believe that. She glanced at her surroundings as the other explained the creatures in more depth. A strong heart, huh? She sure as hell didn’t demonstrate that most of the time. Especially not in the past hundred or so years at least. Did she still have a strong enough heart, even after all this time? Or was something else at play? 

“Thank you for explaining.” Even though it didn’t sound like it. “Is there any way I can keep them at bay? I can’t imagine it would be nice for one’s heart to be taken away.” She wanted to try and defend herself at least. Whether or not her brand of magic would work here is yet to be seen. Not that it seemed like her heart was around anyway, but if this woman’s logic was right, then she still had one. It would still be lodged in her chest, underneath her ribs. 

The words struck Yuna as poignant. Standing there, amidst the graves of those who had gone before: to death. She still remembers with chilling clarity and unshakable resolution the words of the Ronso Tribe, how they will raise her even if all of Spira rejects her actions. 

‘Heretic’, they will brand Braska’s daughter and her guardians, or if the Calm is a success - they will perhaps, much like the corruption of Spira as a whole, overlook it. 

The people cannot be blamed for the system that has been built, and she feels more pity and betrayal than she does the anger that quietly nestles in her stomach at Maester Mika’s lies; for their desperation even in death and their fear of anything different. 

Will she be buried at all, she wonders? Or will there be nothing left? It’s a morbid thought as she moves silently and with privacy Sir Auron has barked for her to be given towards the solitary graves. The woman kneeling beside another with the dull carmine eyes; the, perhaps it must be how she feels in this moment but…the lonely expression. She utters the same prayers, moves the same hands, even if her faith has ultimately betrayed her, and so thus the world. 

It was indeed a different journey, a different end, then her Father’s pilgrimage after all. She..wonders if he ever found out the truth himself. If he had, no, her father had seen her resolve, for that reason he had pushed her to pursue her own life, not feel obligated - something she did not feel whatsoever, but something happier. More joyous. More…long-lasting than the fleeting glow that was her life. Looking at those grave solidified those facts.

❝ Forgive me, but…maybe I wasn’t supposed to ah, hear that. And yet…I understand. I too, as can many, feel that way. Maybe…not in the same scope, and it isn’t my place to intrude on your feelings….but I’ve been thinking.❞ She stops praying and glances up with resolute, but burdened eyes.

❝ Is there such a thing as fading away if you are remembered? In that there is no fading. Someone will keep you intact even if you go out of a city, or an island, a forest…a world. I like to think, when that time comes for me, that, no, the people who know me best wherever I should go, will keep me from fading as long as they live. ❞ It isn’t right to laugh at a grave of her predecessors; so the summoner instead quietly cants her head. 

But her reasoning for visiting the graves were simple. They were once summoners and the deserved to be remembered in some way. Even if Z didn’t know them personally, they had tried to do what many could not. That alone deserved her respect. She couldn’t do all of them, but she did the few that were close enough to the city. Her skirts were tucked under her knees to shield her from the cold, her back was bent and her hands were circled in prayer. The words ‘Praise be to Yevon’ felt hollow in her mouth, even as she muttered it. 

Despite her mumbling it to the other that had knelt next to her, the words felt like a betrayal to what she knew was right. Her real prayer however, was to what Yevon might want to hear though. She prayed that they had found peace in the Farplane and that their souls had not lingered here. She prayed that they knew that someone still appreciated their journey and sacrifice, even if Yevon might forget them or disown them. She prayed that they knew that she, if anyone, knew the strength it took to become a summoner and their journey was not in vain.

When the other spoke, Z was jolted back to the present. She almost forgot that she was kneeling in snow in a place that wasn’t her home. She righted herself, her hands uncurling in front of her and resting on her thighs and her shoulders straighten up. She turned herself slightly, as if to pay more attention to what the young woman was saying. Such a young woman. It almost tugged at her heartstrings. 

Canting her head, she thinks before she speaks. “It depends. Those who died on this mountain, their names have been lost but you and I can remember them. Their graves are here to remind others what the journey can be like. Not everyone makes it all of the way, but we can remember those who tried.” Some give up half way through, some perish on a mountain. Would those who died and did not get graves be remembered? No. The Summoner’s who died in Zanarkand wouldn’t get remembered. Neither would the ones that gave up half way through. Perhaps it was a case of who could be made into a martyr. 

“Whether or not you succeed, those who are with you will remember you. Those who have met you on your journey will remember you.” But those memories would vanish when those people died. The young woman would be a fleeting memory for most. Another Summoner who could or could not defeat Sin. If she succeeded, her statue would be put in all the temples and she would be remembered. If she didn’t...well, lots of other people had failed before and who remembered them? She turned her head back to the gravestone in front of her.

Her head canted, almost curiously at the old man. Of course, she recognizes him. The one that got away. The one who died here. Her hand reaches out as he stumbles, ready to offer help if he continues to fall. He doesn’t and her hand is quickly moved back and clasped with the other. “I don’t believe we’ve met.” Not officially at least. But she wasn’t about to say that she watched him die here all those years ago. No, it would probably bring back memories he’d rather forget. Not after he seemed to have calmed down. “I’m Z. And you are?” 

Her hand retracts and goes back to her side. “A pleasure.” She didn’t make it sound like it was though. The downsides of surviving for a thousands years, one’s mental health took a toll after a while. His eye seemed to be trained on her. She had never really shown herself to him, but there was something in his eye that maybe told her otherwise. Not that it mattered at this point. Telling him that she knew what had happened all those years ago wouldn’t change anything now. Would he even believe her? “I did nothing.” He merely stumbled, it was a good thing he didn’t fall. He could’ve injured the other eye. 

As Amalthea wandered into this new and foreign land, she could feel and sense that the city she cautiously walked into was ancient. As a creature who was as old as the sky and stars she knew right away that this place was not recent or inhabited. It was beautiful, silent and yet lights floated around these ruins. The unicorn was unsure of what they were but she found them intriguing. 

She followed the unusual creature, wondering if it had come here for a purpose. Her footsteps were quiet, the only sound she made was the movement of her robes. When it spoke however, Z stopped in her tracks. Taking a step from behind the building she’d found herself behind, she tilted her head at the being. “You can talk?” She called out, not thinking about it until after the words had left her lips. 

A familiar face had entered the ruins. One that, while a very nice surprise, Z hadn’t expected to see again. At least, not for a while. She had figured that once the young woman had found her peace, she would’ve stayed away from the ruins for a little while. But, she wasn’t going to the force the woman out. Not if she wanted to be here. It seemed Yuna was here to reminisce. But part of her was still curious.

So, Z followed, albeit quietly. She heard the thoughts that Yuna chose to air to nobody in particular. When she said those words, the pyreflies seemed to chose that moment to react to Z’s memories. The dome that they both stood in changed from that of ruins to that of the dome it once used to be. Even if it was sparsely decorated, one could still tell that it was a regal place. Tapestries lined some walls, intricate designs lined others depending on where you were. Yunalesca’s domain was almost a perfect copy of what it used to be, but brighter, almost as if it were brand new. There was a balcony area that overlooked the space, which was predominantly used by the High Priest himself. The Dome had once been the most prominent temple in Zanarkand and the seat of the government, so it was only right that it was it used to look as spectacular as it did. 

The outside portion of Yunalesca’s domain would’ve had a glass dome to cover it, much like the rest of the dome would have. The stairs would’ve lead to a lower and higher level, depending on where one needed to go. 

But just as quickly as the image came, it went not long after. She hadn’t realised she’d followed Yuna this far until she saw the young woman crouching by the edge of the platform. Maybe she was being a little bit too intrusive. “Forgive my intrusion. I hadn’t realised anyone else was here.” ‘Liar’, she thought. She was only trying to save face.,

Yuna let herself bask in her sadness, eyes still closed as she thought back to moments long gone. In her heart is where she kept these memories safe - his voice, his laugh, his eyes, his love. For a brief moment, she can hear an echo of his voice telling her about his Zanarkand…

It gets brighter and brighter till everything…glows. It’s really pretty. I know you’d like it

She begins imagining it in her own mind: the ruins of Zanarkand melting back into its former glory, broken buildings rising high into the sky, bridges and roads coming together to form crossroads here and there. There’s even a second where Yuna believes she hears the roaring crowds of the Zanarkand Dome, with indistinct voices yelling of blitzball and tournaments and champions. The corners of her lips pull into a smile as she opens her eyes, expecting nothing but the reality of its ruins. It’s a surprise when she captures a glimpse of Yunalesca’s chamber in its former glory. Though it is fleeting, Yuna understands that the pyreflies did this as a reaction to a memory - one that was not her’s as she had never seen this chamber other than in its broken state. She becomes aware now that she is not alone, slowly rising to her feet, before turning over her shoulder. She doesn’t recognize the stranger, but her curiosity was piqued - who else would come to this once holy place?

Now that she could get a good look at the woman’s face, Z could see time had aged her. Not in a bad way, but Yuna’s had clearly gotten older. In the space of 2 years alone, her face seemed to have filled out more and her hair had grown. Had she gotten taller or was that the boots she was wearing? Z couldn’t tell. It wasn’t a dramatic difference, but it was enough to let her know that the summoner had aged. Sometimes, that was all she could use as a way to know that time had passed. The ruins rarely changed, so how else would she know. Few people had defeated Sin, so she couldn’t have used that.

“It was.” She had a lot of memories that the pyreflies could react to, but rarely were the strong enough to cause them to recreate the city. If she wanted to do it consciously, she had to concentrate. The temple here was one of the memories that she had once held in awe. Back when the building was still standing, no matter how many times she entered it, she had always been taken aback by how beautiful it looked. One’s voice would echo in certain chambers, in others, the air was palpable with the weight of what went on in it’s walls. Sometimes, it amazed her that such a place had been built that could ever hold such a feeling.

“This place...” She let her eyes trail the detailing on the walls, remembering what was once there. “I loved it’s beauty. I loved that everything echoed.” It was a simple beauty. Nothing fancy or cheap. It had grace. “I loved the heavy feeling that you knew history was made here. I loved the detailing on the tapestries. On the walls. Even on the floor, they made sure no detail was spared.” They’d imported the best materials to make them too, but over time things had needed to be replaced. Wear and tear happened. Accidents happened.