Disclaimer : Final Fantasy X is the property of Square Enix

Hymn of the Fayth

When the wind presses against muscular wings and a solid body and the world rushes by in a dizzying blur, mixing up to merge together, Valefor sings of freedom. Stretching powerful but delicate wings, she cuts through the skies, relishing the feeling of utter, boundless freedom. To soar high up until the clouds were almost within reach, it is blissful moment, matched by no other.

Valefor wishes that flying is the only thing left, but all good things are accompanied by a bad side, and with freedom comes duty. No matter how high she goes, no matter how far away the ground appears, she knows she will always go back, she will always return to the harsh earth shaken by fear. She is tied to an insecure world down on the soil, bound by invisible shackles that no amount of struggling would break. It was harder at first, when all she wanted was to fly away and leave everything behind her, but now she is used to it.

Freedom's song comes with an unexpected price.

Ifrit sings of anger; he sings of all the rage of those who have fallen before him and those that fall after. He bears witness to the bitterness of Spira, the tired anger of just wanting everything to end pleasantly and peace to come to stay. The howls of those who were not sent in time and now linger behind, threatening those around them, and the yells of those living in a constant battle to survive the sudden attacks of destruction.

The song of anger burns in the hottest of flames, and it is a warm touch.

He likes the place where it rains continuously, where thunder strikes the ground anytime it pleases. He likes the rain that pours onto the ground there, cold and sad; Ixion sings of sorrow. Like tears of the dark sky falling in an endless trail of grief, he sings of all the sadness that has crept into the heart of all the people. Feeling the hard ground under his given hooves and water trailing down his heavy horn and into his face, he likes to think that everyone is feeling the same despair.

If everyone feels the same way he does about life, it is better, from his point of view. Thinking that way lessens his own anger; it's easier to walk in his second form without hating the world and everyone in it. Everyone will feel the same sadness, so long as Sin remains.

When sorrow's song finally comes to an end, he will have ceased to exist.

Shiva sings of many things, not because she has more to voice, but merely because she refuses to be limited to only one song. Since there are so many to choose from and only eight of them to choose, there is little reason for her not to; Shiva sings of passion, of flowing grace, and of lost beauty.

Passion for what the people of Spira need as they cling on to life, biding away time until the inevitable comes. Grace for what she feels when she watches the summoners dance, confident, movements sure as the fallen rise up to join them. Beauty because life is filled with it. Voices, movements, words, thoughts, life, death, and tears; everything overflows with a beauty people have forgotten long ago.

Beauty, grace and passion; her song consists of all three.

Light can represent many different things; it depends on the people interpreting it. Whatever it is, their views on light don't matter to him. Views change with time, and time lost its significance the day he woke up to a dream. Ghosting between two worlds, Bahamut watches the small rays of light shining in Spira moving towards the end of their pilgrimage. Some look solemn, some don't; it's the same for both the summoners and the guardians. He can understand why, though, because it isn't difficult to see. Light is a heavy burden for all.

He doesn't sing of anything, because light reminds him so much of hope, and when he sings it is just as much as it is for himself as it is for the rest of Spira; Bahamut sings for hope.

Hope is the song of every child.

Anima sings of pain. At times, she breathes in all the hurt of Spira, of the people, and the fallen, and sometimes, her own. The weight of the chains are heavy, the shackles are cold, unfeeling metal. It makes her whole body numb, the layers of iron around her creating a silent prison with her at the core. Trapped in a cage beyond the reach of forgiveness, she closes her eyes, both the visible and not, and sings of all the regret and past mistakes.

Accidents happen; nothing can prevent them form taking place. But the unstoppable always brings regret, which in turn brings pain and pain, like misery, loves company. With every movement, the chains clink against each other, soft sounds in the diminished world of hers. She regrets so much, wishes to take back so many things from the world's grasp. If only she could return to the past and undo it. She wants to turn back time's wheels, if it was possible, but to see the sands unfreeze in their mid-flow would be just as gratifying.

It's a long one, the song she chose, and she wishes pain's song would find its stop soon.

As opposed to Valefor who is the one with the least amount of ties compared to the rest of them, Yojimbo sings of duty. It is a worn down song; duty and loyalty. The others do not really understand the extent of their duty. All they feel is the need that comes subconsciously. Unlike them, he understands. So does the one who chose to stay by his side. They both know what it means, and neither of them has any difficulty understanding loyalty either. It is not a matter of likes and dislikes and petty needs. It is about 'must', without choices, with no other options but to accept. Yojimbo responds to the whole thing automatically, never resisting because he can see the importance of duty, but although he respects it, it has been a long time since that day.

Song of duty, song of loyalty, duty and duty; he is tired of it.

The sisters are different. They share a bond the others do not, tied by blood that flows so strongly it stood in the way of separation. They remain by each other sides always, and only when the last of the three falls and there is no strength left to stand up again do they leave, and even then it's with each other. Links dense and strong, the Magus Sisters sing of bonds. In perfect harmony so that three voices blend into one, they sing of what bonds are capable of doing. There is no bitterness in them about their current condition; the fact that they still have each other is bliss enough. Like threads so thick, no scissors can cut them.

They love the song of bonds, just like how they love each other.

All of them sing different songs. All of them are different, but there is one thing that remains the same, even after all this time; all of them share one dream in the sleeping waking world they know, waiting and waiting.

The Hymn is a mixture of many songs, but it is their want for the dream to end that comes through most clearly.

Fin

Okay. I want to get one thing out in the open; the last time I played this game was two years ago, so you must forgive me if I overlooked something. Also, I can't remember if Valefor is a 'she' or a 'he'. The same goes for Ixion too. If I made a mistake, feel free to tell me about it, if you have the time. Thank you for your time.