(A/N: Hello everyone, this is the story of Auron and Rikku's oldest child, a girl named Cressan ("Shimmer" for those of you who don't have an Al Bhed translator), and her friends Vidina and Cetan (Tidus and Yuna's son). This story is a sequel to my other Fan-fic "Rikku's Ordinary World" about 6 years after that story takes place. These children may not seem like much now but they will one day follow in their parent's footsteps and save more than Spira, but until their time comes I shall be building up to that with tales of their childhood. At this point in time Cressan is almost 6, Vidina is 8, and Cetan is 7.)

(Disclaimer: I only own the plot and the children (except Vidina), I'm sad (cries self to sleep).)

Chapter 1 Discovery

Cressan eagerly ran down the ramp of the Celsius to the entrance to Besaid Village, then turned around with her hands behind her back as she watched her father, Auron, calmly descend, followed by her toddling little brother, Desudro, and her mother, Rikku. Once her family caught up, Cressan ran ahead once again and into the home of one of her best friends, Vidina.

"About time you got here, we've been waiting forever." Vidina said as he got up from the table where he and her other best friend, Cetan, had been coloring to pass the time.

"Yeah," Cetan chimed in, getting up from the table as well, "we were just about ready to start without you."

"You two wouldn't dare," Cressan replied, her mock glare far from concealing her joy at seeing her friends again, "besides, I complete the team." She added with a smile.

The three were just about to make a dash for the doorway when Vidina's mother, Lulu, calmly called out to them, "Put away your coloring things first Vidina." The three of them returned to the table and put the crayons and paper away in Vidina's room, before quickly rushing out the door, almost knocking Auron over in the process. Quick "sorrys" were called out from the children as they disappeared behind the hut.

Rikku and Desudro entered the hut soon after Auron did. "Lulu, Yunie, we're hear." Rikku called out as she got some of Vidina's old toys out of a box in the living area for Desudro to play with.

Yuna exited the kitchen area and immediately sat down at the table beside Rikku, "Lulu will be out in a minute; she's putting dinner in the oven as we speak." Soon Lulu joins them and the three ladies chat about the past week while Auron is content to watch his son play.

The three children stopped running not far from the edge of the woods behind the line of huts. "So," Cressan asks, "how far have you gotten with your spells Vidina? Learn anything new?"

"Well," Vidina looks a little hesitant, "I tried a fire spell and managed to get a little flame, but nothing else."

"That's great Vidina, show us, show us." Cressan said, now excited.

"Ok," Vidina brought his hand up to his chest, then flung it outward, shouting "Fire" as a little fire burst into life on the ground, just enough to scorch the grass nearby, then winked out as quick as it had lit.

Cressan was ecstatic, "Wow, that's amazing Vidina, now you know two spells, Fire and Thunder."

"Yeah," Cetan said, also impressed, "just two more spells and you'll be a true black mage."

Cressan turned to Cetan, "Did you learn anything new this week, Cetan?" Cressan was almost literally bouncing on her heels with excitement. "Any new moves?"

"Well, I have been watching my dad a little more, so I did pick up this move," Cetan went over to a nearby tree and retrieved two sword-length branches from their hiding spot behind the trunk then tossed one to Cressan, who caught it with ease. Cetan got into a fighting stance, "Check this out," he called as he leapt forward and deftly sliced the air in front of him with his stick then jumped back to where he was, but lost his balance and fell on his butt. "The falling down part wasn't part of it," Cetan said as he got up and brushed off the seat of his pants, amid snickers from Vidina.

"Well you can't expect to get it right away," Cressan said laughing a little herself, "I just started practicing the move I learned yesterday, so I'm still working on it."

"Show it to us then," Vidina asked, his snickers finally ending, "you're bound to be good at it by now."

"Yeah, show us what you've learned." Cetan agreed looking just as eager as Cressan had before.

"Ok then," Cressan unshouldered her stick, brought it up in front of her and performed a basic sword drill she had watched her father do many times to warm up before doing more complicated ones. She followed the simple motions of the drill until she came to the end and reshouldered the stick, then turned to her friends with a sheepish smile, "So how'd I do?"

Both boys started clapping and Vidina said, "Looked great to me."

"Thanks," Cressan replied with her brightest smile yet, "I practiced all day yesterday, and that was actually the second time I got all of it right. The first time was yesterday just before bedtime."

"So," Cetan said, approaching the subject they were out there away from their parents for, "are we gonna fight some fiends or what?"

Back in the house, Tidus and Wakka had only just arrived after having seen the Celsius fly up from their practice spot on the beach, and were just starting to join in the conversation with their wives when a bell went off in the kitchen, signaling that dinner was done. Lulu got up and went to take the meal out of the oven when she just happened to glance out the window and see the children fighting imaginary fiends.

"Everyone get over here quick, I think you should see this." Lulu called out the others.

"What is it Lu?" Wakka called back, getting up from his seat, "Is something wrong with dinner, ya?"

"No, it's the children," Lulu replied, "I think you should see what they are doing."

At the mention of the children, all the adults got up and moved to the kitchen window and were amazed at what they saw.

"Take that you fiend!" Cetan yelled as he slashed at the invisible enemy. Cressan followed his slash with a swing of her own, then moved as Vidina shouted "Thunder" and a tiny bolt of electricity sparked at the same spot.

"One more aught to do it!" Cressan called out as she swung her stick at the same area, "Ha ha, and down it goes."

"Wait, there's one more," Vidina announced as he flung a Fire spell at another area close to Cetan, "Cetan, get down! It's about to attack!"

Cetan rolled away from the area then jumped back to his feet and slashed the area. "It's no use, its armor is to strong, it's all up to you Cressan!"

"No worries, I got it!" Cressan shouted in reply, then ran up to the area, jumped then slammed her stick against the spot, burying it about an inch into the soil, as if she had just impaled her opponent. She then pulled her stick out of the ground, shouldered it and turned to the others, "That takes care of that group, let's go look for some more."

"Sounds good to me," Cetan said as he rolled his stick wielding shoulder, "What about you Vidina?"

"That's what we fiend hunters do, isn't it?" Vidina asked with a smile.

"Yup." The other two replied, then all three moved out of sight of the window.

All the adults were stunned, the children were fighting imaginary fiends and weren't that bad at it. "I can't believe it." Tidus exclaimed, "they actually play at fighting fiends."

"And I can't believe how much Cetan resembles you, Tidus," Yuna responded, her eyes glued to the spot where the children had disappeared from view.

"And Vidina is already casting spells, even I couldn't cast that much at his age." Lulu stated with disbelief, her hands absentmindedly tending to the dinner that had been all but forgotten.

"What amazes me," Rikku said turning her eyes to her husband, "is that Cressan is mimicking your moves so easily."

"She must be watching me train, Auron replied as dryly as ever, "then practicing on her own."

"And she's pretty good at it, ya," Wakka said, adding in his two gil, "heck, they all are."

"Well anyway," Lulu turned to the rest of them, dinner is ready so, Yuna, if you would call the children in, we can all get started eating."

It was well into the evening when the group of friends decided to call it a night and head for home; the children had all fallen asleep in Vidina's room, and the adults had just heard the Celsius fly in. Yuna and Tidus woke up their son and walked across the way to their home; Rikku and Auron each picked up one of their children and headed toward the waiting airship, while Lulu put Vidina to bed properly.

While on the airship, after they had put Cressan and Desudro to bed in the cabin, Rikku approached Auron, "I really think you should start training Cressan, she has a real aptitude for your technique, Auron."

"I agree, but it's her drive I'm concerned about." Auron showed only a hint of concern in his voice, but that hint spoke volumes to Rikku, "The heavy blade isn't something to be picked up lightly, and we've only seen her play at it."

"I'm sure that they have played at it more than once, they go out ever week during these trips, and from the looks of it, they play very seriously." Rikku looked deep into his bronze eye, then kissed him, "But it is your decision, all I ask is that you consider it."

"I shall." Was all he replied.

The next morning Auron awoke to the sun on his face, he inwardly groaned and got up remembering why he had left the curtains open, he was going to attempt to train Cressan today and early morning was the best time to start any training. He had to admit that this was a little earlier than he normally got up, but he wanted to see how well his daughter responded to pre-breakfast exercise. He silently got showered and dressed, then walked down the hall to his daughter's room and opened the door. Then his jaw almost dropped as he saw his daughter doing pushups in the middle of her room, still in her pajamas.

Cressan noticed the open door and her father's boots after a few moments and looked up from her pushups with an embarrassed look on her face, "Um…good morning Dad," she said hastily getting up, "You're up early today."

"As are you," Auron states, having regathered his composure, "may I ask why you are up this early?"

"Oh, I uh," Cressan was red with embarrassment by now, "kinda always get up this early, to train you see."

Auron was once again stunned; he trained every morning then came in for breakfast, and by that time Cressan was always showered and dressed at the breakfast table. She had always been good about getting up in the morning, but he had always assumed that it was because she was hungry, not because she was training early in the morning.

"Well," Cressan was shifting under his gaze, "can I get back to training, I'm not done yet?"

"By all means," Auron replied "don't allow my presence to be a distraction."

"You mean you wanna watch me?" Cressan looked even more nervous.

"Yes," Auron said, a smile hinting at the edges of his mouth, "because after you are done I'm going to train you in the art of the sword."

Cressan instantly went from nervous to hugging her father, almost knocking him over as she collided with him, "Thanks Dad, don't worry I'll train really, really hard." Then she resumed her position on the floor and counted out six more pushups, for a grand total of ten, starched down to her toes for a count of ten, did ten sit-ups, and ten side-to-side stretches before looking up at her father, who was impressed enough for it to actually show on his face. "I just finished, Dad, unless there is something you think I forgot?"

"No, that is fine," he then turned for the door, "now get dressed and come outside, I will be waiting."

Cressan emerged from her house to the clearing that led directly to the Moonflow. She admired the view as she did every morning, but then spied her father's red coat out of the corner of her eye and ran to him.

"Ok Dad, I'm ready to start my training." All her eagerness to begin was as plain as the smile on her face.

"First, I want to ask you a few questions," He started walking towards the Moonflow, "walk with me."

After reaching the edge of the Moonflow, Auron turned to his daughter, "You understand that a sword is a dangerous weapon and not a toy." His voice warning that he was expecting an honest answer out of her.

"Yes." She replied with a serious tone that was a stark contrast to her usual attitude.

"Do you understand that the warrior's path is a hard one filled with many hardships and burdens that will break a person who makes light of them?"

"Yes."

"And that once you begin this path, there is no going back?"

Cressan looked her father square in the eye; her pair of bronze spiral eyes meeting his single bronze one, "Yes."

"Then I want you to watch me today, watch all my movements while we are outside of the house, and decide if that is the path you want to take. No," He held up his hand to silence her before she could utter a word, "think about it, and think about it hard, because if you choose this path, I will train you as if you weren't my daughter. I will train you long and I will train you hard, and if I hear you complain then I will make it even tougher, so take this time today to really think about it and make your decision tomorrow."

"Ok Dad, I'll think about it." Cressan said averting her eyes and breaking the staring contest it had become, but in her heart she had already decided, and her father's words only served to strengthen her resolve.

Meanwhile, back on Besaid, Vidina was having his first magic lesson, courtesy of his mother. "Now, the elements are fickle in nature, never wishing to go where we want them to go." She began as Vidina sat in a chair listening intently to her every word, "Any person can learn to wield black magic, but the true black mage must be the rock that guides the elements not the other way around. Those that trifle with black magic without learning to guide them properly will eventually end up hurting themselves or others when the higher level spells choose not to follow the course set out for them. If you wish to learn to be the rock that guides the elements then take this and follow me." She held out a worn old moogle in her hands, and once Vidina had taken it, she escorted him to the same clearing behind the huts that the children had been playing in the day before.

"Now," Lulu said kneeling down to look at Vidina from his eye level, "I want you to focus on that spot," she pointed to an X on the ground a few feet away, "and use a Fire spell to hit it."

"Ok, Mom," Vidina looked at the X and flung his arm out towards it and yelled "Fire". The resulting small flame was off the X, but not by much, however Lulu was not pleased.

"No, I want you to hit the exact center of the X, and I want you to use the moogle to focus it."

"Ok, I'll try," and rather than focusing his magic through his free hand like he had before he focused it through the moogle he held in his arm. This time when he flung his arm out and yelled "Fire" he succeeded in making a bigger flame and this time it was closer to the X but still not on it.

"Keep trying until you get it, Son," Lulu said a lot more gently this time, "And don't worry about your MP, I have a few ethers here to replenish it if it runs out."

Cetan watched his father and his uncle Wakka get ready to leave for the beach for blitzball practice. He plucked up his courage and ran to his father, "Dad, can I go with you to the beach today?"

"Well, I guess so, squirt," Tidus said as he ruffled his son's caramel colored hair, "Did you ask Mom first?"

Cetan kicked the dirt beneath his shoe and said quietly, "No, I didn't."

Tidus looked up and yelled into his house, "Hey Yuna, Cetan's coming with us to the beach, alright?"

Yuna poked her head out the door, "It's alright with me, just have him home in time for lunch."

"We will," Tidus replied, "see ya later, Hun."

As the three started walking to the beach, Cetan silently praised himself, now he could watch his father fight all the way to the beach and back without his father noticing. "Plus I get to watch Dad and Uncle Wakka play blitzball," he thought to himself, "Today is a good day."

A week passed by fast, and once again Rikku called up brother to take them to Besaid for their weekly dinner at Wakka and Lulu's. By the time they got there, Cressan was ready to bounce down the ramp at it opened to reveal Besaid Village. Once again Cressan bounded over to the gates of the village, waited for her parents and little brother to catch up, then ran into Vidina's house.

"Guess what, guess what, guess what." Cressan said as Vidina and Cetan hurriedly put away the crayons and paper. They had heard the airship and were frantically trying to clean up so they could leave.

"We know it's your birthday next week." Vidina stated when he and Cetan finally finished cleaning up.

"No, not that, I'll tell you out back, come on." She then grabbed both boys by the hand and ran with them around the house, once again almost knocking Auron over in the process.

When the kids came to the edge of the woods Cetan grabbed his hand back and asked, "What's going on? What are you so excited about?"

"My dad started to train me, that's what." Cressan was talking a mile a minute, "Sure it's more of the same thing that I do every morning but at least I'm getting trained, and he makes me do a lot more than I normally do, plus I get to watch him do his training without having to hide it."

"Wait," Vidina said putting a hand over Cressan's mouth, "your dad started training you?" when Cressan was quiet, Vidina removed his hand, and she nodded, "When did he start training you?"

"Six days ago, right after last week's dinner." She replied, "Why?"

"Because that's the day Mom started training me in magic, she even gave me a moogle to practice with."

"What about you Cetan," Cressan asked looking at her friend, "Did your dad start training you?"

"No, but I did manage to go with him to blitzball practice everyday this week," Cetan then looked at Vidina harshly, "because I had no one to play with."

"Sorry," Vidina said, feeling bad about leaving his friend, "I was busy training with my mom."

"But wait," Cressan said thinking hard, "Why would my dad, and your mom suddenly decide to train us?"

"That's what I was thinking," Vidina responded, "it can't be a coincidence."

"What's a coincidence?" Cressan asked.

"It means luck, Cressan," Cetan answered then turned his attention back to Vidina, "maybe they saw us during last week's training session?"

"But if they did, then why didn't your dad start training you?" Vidina asked the group in general.

"That's what I wanna know." Cetan said sounding defeated.

Then a little light went on in Cressan's head; she grabbed both boy's wrists again and said, "Let's go ask him."

The parents were sitting at the table talking about the week and the subject turned to the children's training rather quickly. "Vidina is making leaps and bounds with his black magic training, especially because he knows two of the spells already." Lulu said with pride in her voice.

"I have started training Cressan as well," Auron spoke surprising everyone a little; he rarely spoke except when spoken to, "she too is showing great promise."

"But all you've done is make her exercise," Rikku pointed out, "which, according to you she does anyway."

"I merely wish to see if her drive to continue is as strong as I believe it to be." Auron then turned his attention to the toddling Desudro, who was currently playing with some blocks on the floor not far from the couch.

"I still think that they are all too young," Tidus sighed, "this is a time of peace, they should be out enjoying themselves, and not worrying about fiends."

Yuna was just about to respond when the children came running into the house, and then stopped suddenly nearly crashing into each other like dominos. The parents all started snickering, even Auron cracked a smile, until the children all spoke at once, "One at a time," Rikku said, patting each child on the shoulder causing them to quiet down, "now, you three, what is going on?"

All three children looked at Tidus and said together, "why won't you train Cetan/me?"

"Excuse me," Tidus said as if he couldn't believe his ears, "Cetan, say that again."

"Why won't you train me, Dad? If Cressan's old enough to train then so am I."

Vidina piped up then, "We know you watched us last week, and decided to train us, so why can't Cetan learn?"

"He's part of our team too." Cressan finished.

Tidus was stunned, his son had never expressed a desire for learning his sword technique before; he had instantly assumed that Cetan wouldn't want the life of fighting, but here he was, asking to be trained at the mere age of seven. "Are you sure this is what you want Cetan, to learn my sword?"

"More than anything, Dad," Tidus stared into the blue eyes that were so much like his own, "more than anything."

Tidus thought for a long moment, he thought back to how he had been forces to learn the sword back in Zanarkand, how he had developed his sword style all on his own. "Could I really teach it to somebody else?" He asked himself, "Is teaching something I can do?" but then he looked back into his son's blue eyes, so full of determination, and decided that yes he could teach his son, and yes, teaching him is something he could do. "Ok Son, it will be difficult but I'll teach you my sword."

Cetan ran up and hugged his dad, then ran back to his friends, "Now we really are on our way to becoming real fiend hunters." Cressan said with glee as the three friends high-fived each other.

The three were just about to race out the door again when the bell signaling that the cooking was done went off, "Don't run off now, kids" Rikku shouted towards the door, "dinner just got done, so why don't you go wash your hands and sit down while it's being served?"

"Ok." The children responded before running to the bathroom to wash their hands for dinner.

Once again the adults found themselves talking well into the evening, mostly about the children's training, and by the time they had finished the children were once again asleep in Vidina's room, so each child was gently roused to be able to walk, or be carried to where they needed to go, be it bed for Vidina, across the way for Cetan, or aboard the Celsius for Cressan and Desudro.

The rest of the week passed uneventfully with Cressan continuing her muscle toning exercises with her father, Vidina's magic lessons with his mother, and Cetan's learning the basics of the quick blade with his father. Each parent looked upon their child with amazement, even Auron couldn't help but wonder, at how they could be so dedicated at such a young age.

But a few days later everyone's thoughts turned to another matter, Cressan's sixth birthday party. The Celsius gathered up both families and sped off toward the Moonflow, Cetan and Vidina just happy to be on the airship with presents for their dearest friend.

Rikku had gotten up really early to decorate the house with streamers and balloons for the upcoming party, she even made little machina poppers filled with confetti to give to the guests. Auron had told Cressan to sleep in that day and not even do her usual morning exercises, that today was a day of rest, one she should enjoy because it only comes once a year and she wouldn't get another one for quite a long while.

When the airship finally arrived, Cressan, dressed in a very cute green party dress, hugged every person that came out, which included her Uncle Brother, Buddy, Shinra (now 18), her Grandfather Cid, Cetan and his family, and Vidina and his. Rikku politely took all the gifts and placed them in a pile next to the cake.

After a birthday banquet; filled with Cressan's favorite foods, most of them a combination of Al Bhed and Spiran, specialties of her mother's cooking; and a round of "Happy Birthday" from everyone there, plus the confetti machine going off, Cressan got to cut the cake. The children all enjoyed the super sweet cake while most of the adults just took a few bites, far too sweet for them.

Then finally came Cressan's favorite part, the presents. Auron handed them to her one at a time, as she tore open the wrapping paper. From Cetan she received a pair of bracers that he had picked out for her, Cressan promised to wear them everyday from now on. Vidina gave her a glass version of a Moonflow Lily, for which she promptly hugged him and said she would place it on her dresser where she would see it every morning when she woke up. Shinra gave her, and her family, a picture frame with and ever-changing picture inside, he said that all they had to do was place a sphere with the image they wanted in the slot on the back and it would capture the image and show it in a random order with any other pictures, Cressan said that she didn't understand the explanation but thanks anyway, Rikku understood so Shinra felt better. Buddy presented her with a desert rose, which is a rare and beautiful gemstone, Cressan took it gingerly and said that she would always treasure it. From Brother she received a small model of the Celsius, for which she thanked him and said that she would play with it when ever she could. She received a special hair tie from her Grandfather Cid, it was special because it had belonged to her Grandmother before she died, Cressan immediately took the tie she had holding her braid out and switched it with her new special one. She got a drawing from little Desudro, which earned him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Her mom gave her a cute yet practical exercise outfit, for day when all she does is train, Cressan promised that she would wear it as often as possible.

Her last gift was from her dad and when she saw the long box tied with a simple ribbon, she gasped, her mind already guessing as to what it might be. Unlike the others, Cressan gently opened the deceptively heavy box, and revealed a brand new miniature version of her father's Katana. She firmly grasped the sword's hilt and lifted it up out of its box; it was very heavy in her hands but not so heavy that she couldn't hold it up. Auron gently placed his hand on her shoulder and said, "I had that sword made specially for you, my daughter, and when you are ready you will receive the tools you'll need to sharpen it."

Cressan willed her arms to put the sword gently back in its box, then flung her arms around her father and cried tears of joy into his red coat, saying "Thank you, Dad, thank you." Then she wiped the tears from her face and said, "Thank you everyone for all the wonderful gifts."

"Alright now," Rikku said more to the children than to anyone else, why don't you all go change into your swim suits and go play in the Moonflow." And the children promptly ran to the bathroom ant one-by-one they changed and once all three where changed they ran out the door towards the Moonflow.

While the children were playing in the water, the adults spoke with one another until the comsphere lit up with a transmission from Baralai, "Paine finally had the baby, it's a boy." He was practically glowing with pride over the comsphere, "Please come to Bevelle to meet him." Baralai didn't give a chance to answer as the comsphere dimmed signaling the end of the transmission.

Yuna sighed a happy sigh and stated, "I'll call the children, they would want to come too." Then she turned toward the door and walked to the edge of the Moonflow and called out, "Ok children, it's time to get out now."

"Aw, but we just got in," Cetan whined.

"I know, but Auntie Paine just had her baby and we're going to see them."

"Oh, wow, a baby," Cressan exclaimed wading out of the Moonflow, "and on my birthday too, that is so cool!"

"Yeah it is." Agreed Vidina as he and Cetan waded out as well.

All three were handed towels as they were hustled aboard the airship. During the hour-long flight to Bevelle, each child got showered and changed into fresh clothes. The Celsius hovered right near the main road through Bevelle, so the children and their families where only a few minutes walk from Paine and Baralai's mansion.

"I heard the Celsius and have been waiting for you," Baralai said as soon as he opened the door, "Paine's upstairs with Dyne, our son, and I'm sure she'll be happy to see you." He quickly closed the double doors and led them all upstairs.

"What," Lulu asked rather bluntly, "didn't you tell her we were coming?"

"Oh, no I didn't," Baralai stated rather dumbly, however he recovered quickly, "but I'm sure she'll be ecstatic, or at least as ecstatic as she gets anyway." Baralai quickly opened a door to a massive room with a giant four-poster bed where Paine was sitting happily with her infant son. "We're here, there he is, my first son Dyne."

Paine looked up from Dyne when the door opened, and said with a sigh, "Why am I not surprised, I knew I should have thrown that comsphere out the window the instant my contractions started." She then nodded them in, "Well, since you're all here, you might as well meet him, everyone this is Dyne."

The children made their way to the front of the group surrounding Paine and Dyne; "Aw, ra'c cu lida," Cressan squealed when she saw Dyne, "I can't believe we share a birthday."

Paine looked over at Cressan, "Oh that's right today is your birthday too, well happy birthday Cressan."

"Thank you Auntie Paine, and congratulations." Cressan then took one last look at Dyne and sees a picture in her head, a picture of a powerful white mage. Cressan taps both Cetan and Vidina on the shoulder, and motions for them to follow her, which they do.

When they reach the doorway Vidina asks, "What's up with you, why did you wanna come here?"

"Because," Cressan whispers, "I don't want the adults to hear us."

"Well what's wrong?" Cetan whispers back.

"Do you know what our team is missing?" Cressan asks, then answers herself, "A white mage, well Dyne's gonna be that white mage, I can tell."

"What makes you think that?" Vidina whispers, sparing a glance over his shoulder at the adults.

"I had a vision, kinda like a dream except I was looking at Dyne when it happened," Cressan whispered explaining herself, "I saw a powerful guy, and I mean really powerful, and he was a white mage. It just makes sense that Dyne will be the one to complete our group, he's gonna be the white mage."

"I guess so," Cetan whispered more to himself than to the others, "that would explain the vision and it would be awful nice to have a white mage in our group."

"So it's settled then , we have ourselves a white mage." Cressan whispered, and broke off the huddle just as her father was starting to approach them.

"What's going on here?" Auron asked in a low voice so as not to disturb the others.

Cressan thought quickly and replied, "Talking about super-duper-top-secret-hush-hush stuff, sorry can't tell you Dad."

The boys looked at each other then nodded in agreement, and Auron deciding that it was just children's talk, walked away with a, "Hmph" and an ever so slight smile at his daughter's antics.

When the visit with Paine was over, the children and their families returned to the waiting Celsius and prepared for the trip home. Cressan and her family were dropped off first at their home in the Moonflow, and after thanking everybody for coming to her party, she and her family returned to their house.

Rikku began the huge task of cleaning up their main room; she was now starting to regret to confetti machina she had made; while Auron put Desudro down for a late afternoon nap, and Cressan was eagerly putting away all of her presents in her room.

Cressan spent the rest of the day relaxing in her room either using or admiring her presents, or in the case of Shinra's present trying to figure it out, which she eventually did.

The next day Cressan gets up at her usual time, does her usual exercises, gets dressed in her new outfit and bracers, then grabs her new sword, and carries it outside to meet with her father.

"There are a few things you need to know before we begin the next step in your training," Auron said sitting down and, placing his sword across his lap, motioned for Cressan to join him. Once she does, he continues, "The sword you have received is a smaller version of my first sword, designed for your smaller frame, but it is a heavy sword none the less and carries with it the same responsibilities and burdens as any other sword in this class. Do you know what that means?"

Cressan looked at the sword in her lap and responded with an answer that just suddenly came to her mind, "The responsibility to protect one's comrades and the burden of being the one who can and will cause the most damage to them if one loses control."

Auron was a little shocked to hear his daughter give such an insightful answer, "Correct, this is a burden that should weigh heavily on the mind, as much as the sword weighs heavily on the body."

Auron was both pleased and proud to hear Cressan say, "It is a burden I shall bear with pride."

(A/N: phew that was a long chapter for me, a whole 20 pages, I know it may seem a little boring now but hopefully I have planted the seeds of a really good story in those 20 pages. I'm really putting myself out on a limb here with this story so please grace me with even a small review, thank you.)