Disclaimer: I don't claim to own either Final Fantasy or Harry Potter, they belong to their respective creators.

Harry Potter/ Final Fantasy X Crossover.

Dark Summoner: Memories of Eternity

By: Mage-Alia

Mission 09: Shuyin

Summary: After Sin's defeat both Summoner Harry and his Guardian vanished from the face of the earth but an odd twist of fate starts bringing all those involved back together two years later, starting with a recording of a man in a cage and a young Summoner just starting out on a great journey. Old enemies will awaken and everyone will discover just how deep some connections run with the past.

A/N: Merry Christmas.

Every soul on the deck was frozen.

No one had a word to say as the sinister mirage flexed its new body and cast it's gaze over them one by one. Finally his eyes landed on Yuna, but before he could speak Shinra cut him off.

"Let go of my brother! NOW!" He'd leapt out of his seat and moved foward, only to be cut off by Buddy, the navigator being the first to shake himself out of shock. The blonde stranger scoffed, looking away from Yuna.

"Your brother? Why should I? I could stay in this form forever. It's... liberating." He said darkly, drawing out Caladbolg from the harness on his back. The sword usually shone, the gems glinting with some level of sentience, was dark, like the budding consciousness of the blade was shrinking away from the horror taking place inside it's wielder's body. The blade swished through the air, vibrating unhappily as it was pointed at the boy.

"He's screaming you know. Maybe he'll stop if I end you." That jolted everyone else out of their stupor. Brother grabbed the two and dragged them back while anyone with a weapon put themselves between the non-combatants and the threat.

"We won't let you touch Shinra!" Rikku shrilled, her voice high with something like fear as she brandished her knives. "And get out of our friend!" The man laughed before Paine broke ranks and attacked, her sword swinging wide, only to be caught on Caladbolg.

"I know you! You won't get away with it this time!" She all but roared as she pushed the attack. The others hesitated before the choice was taken from them, he sent Paine flying and rushed the others, laughing madly all the while.

"Knock him out!" Shinra shouted. "I remember this! Knock him out and he should go back to normal!"

"Right!" Yuna shouted, looking at the others to confirm the order before her outfit shimmered and changed, exchanging the distance her Gunner dress sphere allowed her for speed as the Thief sphere took its place. They circled around the apparition trying to land a hit but their target was more than ready. He parried most of the attacks and landed a few of his own, but it wasn't until Yuna switched sphere's again that he stopped. Hoping to effect him with some effect, long enough to land a hit, she took on the Songstress Dress sphere and the man stopped cold.

"...Lenne?" He managed a gasp and in that second reality seemed to freeze around them. He knew that shape, he knew...

Yuna stepped back from the apparition and the spell seemed to break, rage slashed across his expression.

"You dare bring her into this! You dare taunt me!" He raised his weapon but didn't get a chance to swing as something else appeared. A swell of power radiated through the bridge and something else responded to the situation. Something old and powerful that rattled Yuna's teeth in her skull.

"BEGONE!"

The ghost staggered, almost falling to his knees as it slammed down on him like a weight. He grabbed his head, not unlike Tidus had when the attack had started and the force hit him again. He hit the deck and a cloud of pyreflies rose from him, the shape of their friend flickering into view and something gold manifested before them and in the split second following they thought they could see someone standing there, and suddenly with one final push, the ghost was gone.

Tidus slumped to the deck, the Sand Knight sphere blackened in his grid. Instead, he wore the tattered remains of his old Abes uniform.

"Tidus!" Gatta was the one to reach him first, turning him over only to find to blonde staring into space, one eye blue and the other green.

"Fryd fyc dryd?!" (what was that?!) Brother demanded to know, recoiling from Tidus like he expected him to jump up and bite him.

"A ghost."

"A ghost."

Shinra and Paine spoke together, and looked at each other in surprise when they realized they'd spoken at the same time.

"How did you-"

"How did you-"

Shinra bounced on his heels and cut the older girl off with a wave before darting over toward his brother.

"This has happened before!" He blurted out before anyone could say anything. "While I was developing the original Sphere Grid, we found a sphere that held a ghost, a sphere ghost. Most spheres have memories that cling to them and the contents, but some are stronger than others." he unclipped Tidus' grid and held it away from his body, the metalwork smoking.

"We make Dress Spheres out of those strong ones, cause they remember how their abilities work. But this one sphere..." He trailed off and crossed the room to his workstation, having seemed satisfied with the older blonde's condition even if the others were still fretting over him. "Kynekki found it on Bikanel. In an old ruin. It had memory readings off the charts and it was the perfect subject for a sphere. We programmed it for a Warrior, but when Kynekki went to test it...Shuyin happened."

"But who was Shuyin?" Buddy asked, checking the downed blonde for vital signs. Tidus' heartbeat was faint but there. The man himself was out cold. The Navigator accepted a rolled up blanket from Gatta who had gone to get an emergency kit from near the pilot's station and tucked it under his head. His eyes stared at the ceiling. Still odd coloured. Still blank.

"...He called me Lenne...?" Yuna spoke up for the first time. Her own odd coloured eyes coming up from the floor. "Who's Lenne?" The Celsius crew stared at each other over their genius' head, the questions presented by the day's events still hounding their minds until Rikku rounded on Paine.

"So how'd you know who this Shuyin was? Huh?"

The steel haired gullwing hesitated... only for a moment, before she heaved a sigh.

"Back before Sin was defeated, during Operation Mihen, Maester Kinoc was holding trials for an elite unit of the Crusaders. It was to be called the Crimson Squad. Part of the final trial to qualify for the Squad was a venture into a place known at the Den of Woe. I was the sphere recorder for one of the teams." her expression took on a grim cast as she turned away from the group.

"Only four of us made it out alive. Something in the cave drove the Crusaders mad and they slaughtered each other. Before we left though, that... thing possessed one of my group. Before we knew it, they'd all turned on each other. I..." She cut herself off, clearly not ready to go on with the retelling, but she'd revealed enough. If today's incident had been anything like what she'd experienced, then they could at least understand why. An awkward silence fell as they stared at the room and each other before Buddy bent down and grabbed Tidus by the shoulders.

"Someone help me get him below deck." He grunted and O'aka and Gatta both ran to help. As they left the room Shinra followed, briefly abandoning his workstation to make sure his brother was alright.

"We still need to get rid of that sphere." Yuna spoke up later while they lounged around the common area of the ship. The offending sphere was locked up in Shinra's workstation where no one could get to it as they hovered high over the clouds. Honestly, with the reaction Tidus had had to the thing, no one felt safe just leaving it around. Paine grunted in agreement. She hadn't been a ray of sunshine either, since having to reveal some of her own traumatic past.

"Where do we take it though?" Rikku pondered. "It's not like we can hide it somewhere, with all the sphere hunters around it'll only be found again."

"It's too dangerous, but how do we make sure it's safe? Both the people from New Yevon and the Youth League were after it... They might be able to keep it safe, but how do we know Sh... that person won't attack someone again?" Yuna peered at the rest of the crew looking for idea's. Brother had passed out after the excitement, and Buddy was still watching over Tidus with Shinra. That left the remnants of the ground teams to come up with the plans.

"Maybe it's just Tidus who's effected, eh?" O'aka piped up from where he was seated near Barkeep, drink in one hand. "You gotta admit, that there sphere was in tha' temple for years. If it hadn't possessed anyone yet, ain't there a chance 'e was a special case?" They looked at each other and finally Gatta spoke up.

"Shinra said they'd come across him before, that He'd attacked Tidus in the past. It might have made him more... vulnerable? Although face it, none of us know what he's made of. He came from Zanarkand... one that didn't exist. Maybe there's a connection there?" There was an element of the entire situation that they were missing, they knew that much.

Finally, Paine sighed, draining the last of her own drink.

"Ugh. If we have to give the sphere to someone... I vote we give it to the Youth League." The others looked at her, surprised. Paine just shrugged and got to her feet. Not explaining as she marched out of the room. Yuna frowned. Clearly the other woman knew something. She still hadn't shared all of her story, and while it could be critical to the mystery of Shuyin, they weren't about to push her for details unless they had to.

"She has a point..." Yuna mussed. "We went to all that trouble to get the sphere from a temple of Yevon... If we take it back to them it might just disappear back into hiding."

"With a side effect like that, do ye really think that's a terrible idea?" O'aka drawled. He had a point. Ghost's and machines. They were both dangerous, and having the sphere hidden would only benefit them in keeping it far far away from Tidus. But history. The history of Spira and the desire to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors had them scrambling for the spheres in the first place.

The guardian's voted.

In the end, the Youth League was where they decided to go.

"... no new activity to report."

The voices were distant.

Far off he could hear people murmur as they passed, the beep of something mechanical nearby and the shuffle of feet against stone.

"Why do we even watch it? As far as we know, once these things are made, they never move."

He was right about the not moving. He couldn't. Not with the sensation of something smooth and solid against his skin. His limbs where suspended, pressed upon. There was no moving.

"Ahhh, you know very well why. It never wakes. Not even when they're calling. You'd think after a thousand years, something this powerful would at least activate. Instead it's a stupid kind of dormant. Seriously".

"It's working, yes. But who could possibly maintain that kind of supporting output for so long?"

There was a sharp Tap Tap Tap against a solid surface and the sound vibrated the material around him.

"... I wonder if we could use it..."

The darkness swallowed him once more.

Every active crew member went down with them.

Barkeep stayed with Tidus, but in light of what was in the sphere, they'd decided it was best if the people who eventually watched it didn't have the chance to draw conclusions.

Still, they hadn't expected quite the reception they received when they moved into the camp proper. Their landing outside the headquarters had been expected, celebrated even. Members of the Youth League stood tall either side of the marked pathway to the main tent, some were cheering in the ranks behind them and it was dumbfounding how cheerful most of them looked.

"They're a bit enthusiastic aren't they?" Gatta asked, clearly wary of the reception. Rikku whistled under her breath.

"Gee, they're pulling out all the stops."

"I wonder why?" Yuna muttered making Paine roll her eyes, but before she could remind Yuna of her status yet again Buddy spoke up from behind the sphere hunters.

"Yeah, who throws a welcome party for the people who ripped them off?"

The others fell silent and Shinra clutched the box containing the sphere closer. It had been sealed in a steel lockbox that morning for the trip outside. He wasn't taking any chances that it might reach out to Kynekki and infect him again.

Still, their solemn mood was broken by Brother as he took one look at the crowd of people and burst out into song. "Gullwings, GO! La-la-la-la-la! Gullwings, fight! La-la-la-laaaa!" O'aka, who had been standing on his other side flinched in surprise as the man-child that helmed their vessel started flailing in an enthusiastic approximation of dancing. He'd decided now was as good a time as any to let the serious talk fall by the wayside and toot his own horn.

The others strolled past him, pretending that they didn't know who he was.

Slowly though, the crew spread out as the lines fell out of formation. Buddy was pulled into a conversation with a few Al Bhed that were stationed there. Gatta was being swarmed with children, Rikku trying to save him. O'aka held out for a while before he noticed an old familiar face over by a tent that smelt of stew and excused himself to speak with Maechen.

Eventually, it was just Yuna, Paine and Shinra standing before the main tent when the flaps were drawn aside and out stepped Meyven Nooj. The man's expression was almost placid as they stared at each other, his eyes flicking from Yuna, to Paine and then to the box in Shinra's hands before going back to Yuna, eyebrow raised. The gunner's face flushed.

"We'd like to give you the sphere you were looking for." She gathered her nerve, straightening up under his gaze.

'How generous of you." He glanced behind them where people were coming to attention now that he was there. "And how sudden." The bespectacled man continued, head tilting. "Maybe you should start by introducing yourself Hi-"

"She wasn't the High Summoner."

Eyes turned down to the young woman approaching. Rikku loomed over Shinra, her hands going to his shoulders.

"We're the Gullwings." Her green eyes stared down the man fearlessly. Challenging him to say differently, but the man was nothing if not sharp knowing when to back off was all part and parcel for any leader. Finally he nodded.

"I see. Sphere Hunters." He took half a step to the side, angling so that he was visible to the slowly gathering crowd of his people. "In that case, I gratefully accept the sphere you have brought. On behalf of the Youth League, I thank you." The Gullwings merely acknowledged the acceptance as the man turned to face his people fully.

"Everyone! Three cheers for the Gullwings!"

Brother lapped up the applause and once again became distracted by the noise and the life of the encampment. Nooj allowed the distraction and gestured the quartet toward the entryway behind him, holding a canvas panel open for them to step inside. It was a clear invitation and wanting to be out of the spotlight, Shinra immediately took it. They followed the cane wielding leader through rooms partitioned with heavy cloth and into a meeting room with a large table in the center. Shinra set down the box and opened it, revealing the treasure inside for only a glancing moment before snapping it shut once more.

"So, did you watch it?" Nooj asked. Gesturing to the sphere box. Rikku fluttered for all of a moment before Yuna decided to step in. Oddly calm now that she was behind closed doors.

"We did." She admitted making the Meyven look at her, eyes unreadable behind his glasses. He gave the tiniest breath of a sigh.

"Forget."

Paine knew. Yuna saw her face. Paine knew something about this. Of course she did. She'd come across the spirit in the Sphere before... Nooj knew as well. He wouldn't tell them to forget if he didn't know what was on there. Yuna met Paine's eyes but she shook her head. She wasn't going to call him out, not now in any case.

"I'm afraid I cannot. We, cannot." Yuna amended. Four sets of eyes stared down Nooj with a solemn air that made the man frown harder.

"Some advice." He stepped closer. "The... the Thing... The colossus you saw," He sounded severe, like he was trying to dissuade children. His words brought back the memory of the Machina. "It is known as Vegnagun."

So that's what it was about? The machine? The Gullwings stared at each other. This man had no idea what the real threat was did he?

"It possesses overwhelming destructive power," The brunette man went on, his face twisting. "It must not be touched. Yet those Yevon Fools think they can control it! The Youth League will do whatever it takes to make sure they do not get a chance to try." He seemed to back off, lowering the intensity in his bearing. "Trust me. You do not want to get involved."

But as he spoke they'd seen it. The ghost in the man's expression. The face overlaid with his own.

They'd met this beast before.

And Meyven Nooj had not come away unscared by the experience.

"You know, you're all I can count on to save Lenne."

"Tell me." She spoke up. Eyes narrowed on him like his answer to the next question might reveal everything. "Who was the man I saw in the sphere."

Nooj didn't look at her. He was too busy looking at the case on the table with a dark expression.

"I cannot say."

"I see."

And see she did.

He was lying to her.

She might have called him on it had they more time, but before anyone could so much as breathe a word, the cloth wall behind them was flung aside. Buddy came charging in just as a device in Shinra's suit began beeping frantically.

"Hey! We got a distress signal from the Celsius. Gullwings, we're leaving!" Rikku leapt on the opening.

"Sphere hunters first! Politicians later! Let's go!" She grabbed Shinra and high tailed it out of there. Paine marched to the door next. Sending one last look at Nooj before storming out in a huff. Yuna lingered a moment longer, giving the man an unreadable look before she too backed out the door, only turning to run after the man was out of sight. They'd deal with his mystery later. They needed to make sure Tidus was alright.

(Sphere Recording Start)

...eyes, one blue and one green appear taking up the entirety of the screen before the sphere recorder is set on the surface, the loft of the Cabin that the Female team members of the Gullwings use visible in the background.

A long silent pause.

"Last night I had a strange dream." Yuna looks down at her outfit. It's the Songstress dress sphere, she'd been wearing it since the incident yesterday and hadn't changed out.

"...I never really thought about where dress sphere's came from before now. I mean, when that... thing, took over Tidus, it came from the sphere. And it made me wonder if there wasn't others that might have been leaking through..." Yuna looks down, worrying at her lip with her teeth.

"So brother decided we should have a party. To help forget, wait no, not forget... recover? from the shock of seeing Him. Tidus is still asleep, he hasn't woken up yet. So, we had a party. It was decided we should dance, I did enjoy myself I'll admit. It was nice to dance for living people for a change. But I was so tired afterward that I went straight to sleep..." She trailed off and took a deep breath. "I was in the sphere. The one with Shuyin. Except I wasn't him. I was running and he was ahead of me, he kept saying we had to run, to get somewhere safe, where we'd find help... Soldiers were chasing us, alarms were blaring... I saw it, the great machina from the sphere. It was massive and dark and somehow... I don't know... Alive? It saw me. I know it did."

"But... something about it... was so familiar... but before I could see what, the soldiers caught up. Shuyin was in front of me, I felt like I needed to say something to him, anything, but before I could they opened fire. The guards killed him. Killed us... But that name came up again... Lenne?"

"Who is Lenne?"

(Sphere recording terminated)

A/N: I've got the story pretty much planned out and ready to go in my head... it seems like the hardest part is actually getting it out of there... *tries to recreate the desire to write*

Don't forget to review.

Cya