Chapter One: The Noble Journeyman

As Auron, Jecht and Braska continue down the great Mount Gagazet towards the lost city of Zanarkand they all begin reflecting on their lives, and how this arduous journey is nearly at an end. Pausing for a moment Jecht drops to his left knee and looks down at the snow and begins tracing the image of a Blitzball in the snow.

" When we're done with this, I'm going to start a Blitzball team in memory of you Braska... no in memory of us all. If you have to die to beat sin then I'll make sure to train our blitzers to fight as one and if they lose, to go down fighting." Auron glances over his shoulder and smirks, " I would love to see you teach someone how to blitz. I give you five minutes and then you'll get frustrated with them and Jecht Shot your sword at one of their heads." Braska can't help but laugh because that seems very much like something Jecht would do as he stops and looks down at the ground and smiles, " Fine... but I want my team to be from Zanarkand... I want them to be as talented and as mind blowing as you say your Abes were. But don't name them the Abes... makes me imagine an old man in a really awkwardly tall hat."

Jecht grins as he shakes his head, " Then what should I call the team?" Auron glances over at Braska and then back to Jecht as he thinks for a moment. " Well, Sin destroys everything... including the person who defeats him. So I think the Zanarkand Destroyers has a very nice ring to it." Jecht jumps up and snaps his fingers with a huge smile on his face, " I love that! Can't wait to get that team going! Let's hurry up and get the final Aeon and beat the hell out of Sin!"

With that the three friends continue down the ancient mountain and casually stroll into the undead city of Zanarkand. Looking around Jecht starts pointing out where things used to be, " See this used to be the giant Blitz dome, I can still hear the roar of the crowd screaming for me to do my Jecht Shot Mark Three." Auron quirks a brow and looks over at his friend, " Mark three? So you're trying to tell me there are two other incarnations of that thing?" Jecht just laughs and smiles, " No, but if the fans thought there was then they'd always show up for the chance to see those. It was a good way to entice a crowd my friend." Auron rolls his eyes and smirks, " Leave it to you to figure out a way to deceive thousands of people yet also become their hero." Jecht just shrugs and smiles as the pyreflies slowly begin taking him back, showing the ghostly images of the fans shout for Jecht and the giant Blitz sphere in the middle.

Braska's eyes widen as he smiles, " So this is what Zanarkand used to be like, so full of life... so large that it makes Luca and Bevelle look miniscule in comparison. I envy you Jecht, this was your life and it seems like it was astounding." Jecht smiles as he looks at his friend, " Hey man, don't worry... I'll make sure to bring our first Cup trophy to the Farplane for you to see." Braska nods, " I appreciate that my friend."

Just then a ghostly apparition appears before them, and before Jecht can attack it Auron holds out his right arm to restrain Jecht, " That is Lord Zaon Jecht... the original aeon, and I would guess that since he became an Aeon he was technically never sent. So his spirit stays here..." Jecht glances over at Auron quickly still readying himself to attack if he needs to but throws a question to him anyway, " Auron, you told me if people aren't sent they become fiends. Why is he not a fiend?" Braska decides to field that question himself, " Because Jecht, this you see before you is not solely his spirit. Since there are as many pyreflies here as in the Farplane, this could be a combination of a memory and of his spirit. So he very well shouldn't be hostile... but be on guard just in case."

Zaon looks at the summoner party and he grins, " You are here for your final aeon are you not?" Braska nods slowly and tilts his head questioningly, " That we are... are you here to stop us?" Zaon gradually shifts his gaze along the three of them, almost as if he were sizing them up and then looks back to Braska, " Only if you wish me to. I am here to direct you to the cloister of trials. So if you don't mind, you may follow me... or you can attack and possibly not make it to the cloister all together. The choice is yours summoner party."

Jecht glares at Zaon and looks like he's about ready to knock the smug look off the dead man's face until Braska bows to Zaon, " We wish to battle Sin, not you Lord Zaon... so if it pleases you, you may lead us to the cloister now." Auron lowers his arm from being in front of Jecht and slowly follows suit in falling in line behind the ghostlike figure of the former hero. While Jecht on the other hand just grits his teeth and kicks at the dirt a little frustrated that they are being led around by the hand like children, but eventually swallows his pride and catches up with his friends.

So after wandering along the decrepit halls of the ghost city and battling a few fiends on the way they eventually make it to the cloister. Zaon stops them before entering and looks up at the sky through a hole in the ceiling, " You are nearly finished with your journey... may luck guide your feet and logic be in your hearts. Until we meet in the next life..." With that Zaon disappears and the three stand at the entrance of the cloister with their palms sweating as Auron turns to activate a Save Sphere.

Braska looks down at his summoner's staff and smiles, " This is for Yuna... even if it isn't forever... I'd like her to grow up without fear of being attacked by Sin." Jecht looks over and rubs his shoulder a little as he starts to stretch his muscles, " Hey don't you worry about her Braska, Auron and I will take good care of little Yuna. I just hope my boy can make it through life without developing more of a complex then he already has. And my wife... I hope she's alright." Auron turns to the both of them and smiles halfheartedly, " Jecht, I'm sure they're fine... cause whatever world you are from there really is no Sin. So they are blessed to be able to live without fear... and Braska, just as Jecht said, we will protect Yuna as though she was our own when this is all over. She will be the happiest girl on Spira." Braska laughs a little but he finally looks up towards the cloister to face his challenge.

" Thank you... both of you. Now let's get going before Zaon decides to come back and attack us because we delayed too long." The group shares a fleeting laugh as they brace themselves for what lies ahead and unhurriedly walk into the cloister of trials to face whatever puzzles this one may be.

So as the group goes through the puzzles and light up the final piece in the last room they all breath a sigh of relief, " Well now... here we go. Time to acquire the Final Aeon and-" Before Braska can finish his statement a huge flying monster hovers up from the pit in the middle of the room as Auron smirks and unsheathes his katana, " The Aeon's protector... the true final test I suppose..."

As the monster encounters them, they realize as the battle begins that they are each on a different podium and it will be difficult to work together. Seeing this Jecht just grins and pulls out his sword and a blitzball, " You know what we're gonna do boys? We're gonna play a little ball with this guy, I hope he knows how to blitz." Auron raises a brow, yet before he can question the idea Jecht throws the ball up in the air and gives it a swift kick and the ball ricochets off the monster's head causing it to turn sharply at Jecht.

" Heh, looks like I got the ugly beast's attention." The creature swings its scythe like claws at Jecht and he manages to dodge it, but just barely as he notices the blitzball heading back towards them. " Ahh here we go now, just as I planned…" The ball comes crashing back into the creature's head but this time the angle was from an empty podium causing the thing to make a wild strike towards absolutely nothing out of anger. But after hitting the monster in the head the ball bounces wrong and comes flying towards Auron. Reacting quickly he hits it with the flat side of his sword and sends it screaming back towards the creature. Auron smirks and twirls his katana smugly, " I see what you did, get the creature so distracted by the ball that it will leave itself open for a full out attack. Pretty clever, I must say."

Jecht poses a little accepting the praise as he sees the creature really start to lose it's cool and begin thrashing about. Taking that as a good indicator to finish it, they all activate their overdrives, Jecht goes first, followed by Auron and then lastly Braska, " Time to acquire the final aeon… Bahamut! I summon you, finish this beast!" With that, Bahamut comes flying down from the heavens and fires off a very quick and very powerful Mega Flare that reduces the protector down to nothing more than ash.

As the Aeon from Bevelle gets dismissed the three men then walk onto the canter platform and begin to descend into the depths of Zanarkand. " To think, this used to be a stadium… now it's some nestin ground for ugly overpowered freak fiends." Jecht says with obvious disdain as he re-sheathes his weapon and their grim fate becomes exponentially more imminent.

After they reach the bottom they all walk out towards what seems to be the Chamber of the Fayth… yet they can feel no life emanating from it. Braska just stands there for a moment looking down at the empty Fayth, " What? Is this some sort of bad joke? Zanarkand is the holy land, the place of the final Aeon and precursor to the Final Summoning. Why on Spira is the Fayth empty?" As soon as the question passes his lips the door on the other side of the room opens wide to reveal Lady Yunalesca, " Come through here and I shall explain everything to you…"

Braska gazes wide eyed towards where she stood and looks over at Auron, " Was that Lady Yunalesca?" Auron, just as dumbfounded as Braska shrugs and responds hesitantly, " First Bevelle's Cloister of Trials is run primarily by machina, then we run into Lord Zaon, now there is no Fayth for the Final Summoning… and on top of all of this, Lady Yunalesca beckons for us to come to her." Jecht just shrugs and heads towards the door, " Hey I don't care if she's supposed to be dead, or if your religion is based in mire of hypocrisy… she has answers, and that's all that matters to me."

So Jecht continues walking through the doorway as Auron and Braska just exchange looks, " For the well being of Spira… we shall see this through Auron." Auron nods and stands next to Braska, " And we shall do it together… with or without our faith in Yevon, Sin will be defeated." So after talking themselves into it, they finally walk through the door and stop next to Jecht as the notice Yunalesca and Zaon standing side-by-side, cold eyes piercing through their souls.

" So you were gonna tell us what this is all about right? The you both being dead, the lack of a Fayth and everything." Yunalesca smiles at Jecht's brash way of putting things and nods, " But of course, Zanarkand is the land of the dead. You may refer to it as a holy land, when in actuality it is more of a giant contradiction to all things Yevon. The pilgrimage was designed not to judge those with the most religious faith… but to judge those with the most resolve in bringing a momentary end to Sin's reign of terror."

Auron grits his teeth and interrupts the ancient ghost, " So you are telling me, that everything we learned through Yevon's teachings… are lies? Machina, sendings, Sin being comprised of our past sins for using machina… Zanarkand's demise… all lies?" Zaon looks at Auron and nods, " Yes, a summoner is a beacon of hope for Spira, their guardians are to ensure that they make it here. Your faith is broken is it not? But how does your determination fair, Auron?" Auron's fists are clenching in rage as he learns his life has been a giant lie, everything he believed in is now crushed and there is nothing he can really do to change it.

Before this continues any further Braska gets to the point, " The Final Summoning can only be preformed with a Fayth and a Final Aeon… where is it kept?" Jecht glances back to Braska smiling as he knows he's trying to remain on the course and then looks back up to Yunalesca awaiting an answer.

" In front of you summoner. The Final Fayth and Aeon alike are one of your guardians. The people you trusted with your life are also the ones who shall save Spira a few years of sadness." Jecht looks at the ground and before anything else can happen, Auron speaks up, " So what then? Not only does the summoner die, but also does one of the guardians? What is the point of that?" Zaon shakes his head, " Foolish mortal… the guardian does not die… the Final Aeon becomes Sin. Hence why Sin is ever lasting, and Calms come and go. Sin never dies, and never shall… so is the desire of Yevon."

Auron unsheathes his katana and starts slamming it into objects in the room, " NO! I won't stand for this! I won't allow Braska to die in vein!" Braska looks down at his feet and then up at Yunalesca, " Is there truly no other way? Cause my own life I don't mind giving up… but sacrificing one of my friends just so that they become Sin years from now was not part of my agenda." Zaon glares at Braska, " There IS NO other way. If you choose not to do this, Sin's terror shall continue… and unfortunately since you know too much… you will be disposed of."

" I'll do it, I ain't got nothing to lose. My family is in a world that doesn't exist and can't be reached from here… and if someone needs to go, might as well be me." Auron looks at Jecht and screams, " NO! Jecht, this is suicide! You can't do this! Do you want to be responsible for millions of deaths?" Jecht smiles and glances back at Auron, " Stay alive, and maybe you can help lead another summoner to put me out of my misery Auron." Braska walks up to Auron and places his hand on his shoulder, " It's alright Auron… I know how you must feel. But it is my duty as a summoner to protect Spira." With that Braska then walks over to Jecht and smiles as he places his head on Jecht's shoulder, " Thank you very much Jecht. But what will happen with your Blitzball team?" Jecht grins and rubs the back of his neck, " Hey Sin is all powerful and what not right? I'll figure something out."

So with that Yunalesca goes through the ritual of turning Jecht into an Aeon as Braska kneels down to receive the Aeon's power and Auron is seething off in the corner with his head rested on the hilt of his katana as he mutters, " This is ludicrous, why must this happen, why is there no other way. Jecht… Braska… if it is the last thing I do… I will find a way to end this senseless killing. Goodbye Jecht… goodbye Braska… my… friends"

Subsequently, Braska and Auron head to the Calm Lands to call out Sin and bring the next Calm. Auron just stands there halfheartedly waiting for this travesty to finally end, as Sin approaches and Braska summons Jecht. As he looks upon the Aeon form of his friend, Auron begins contemplating running back into Zanarkand and taking out Zaon and Yunalesca once and for all. Knowing Auron fairly well, Jecht believes he may do something foolish once this whole matter is over. So as Jecht winds up for his overdrive he figures out a plan and as he executes his overdrive, he makes sure to pull Auron into the void that is created once Sin dies.

" Now Auron you big idiot, I'm gonna send you to my Zanarkand. You need to do some scouting for me for my Destroyers. And while you're there, keep and eye on my kid… he's such a crybaby." With that Auron wakes up in a boathouse and looking at a small child with blonde hair and a very attractive brunette woman. " Jecht's family…?"

To Be Continued…