A/N: Standard FF:X disclaimer
This is just something that I could see happening somewhere on the Calm Lands. It is technically an AU, and it is undoubtedly Auron-worship, but, well, live with it.
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The Ultima spell caught them all off-guard.
It smashed into their group from the left, from the direction of a small cluster of boulders, blasting all save two into sudden unconsciousness.
Tidus grimaced. His left arm was burning agony, and he had no feeling whatsoever from his legs. Trying to get up, he realized that his right arm wasn't very cooperative, probably because it was broken. Must be shattered, he thought lazily, turning his head to try and assess the situation.
From the look of it, Kimahri had thrown himself into the blast's path, trying to stop Yuna from getting hurt. Judging by the way that Yuna lay spread-eagled, unconscious but also unbloodied, he'd succeeded, too.
Letting his eyes slide past the hulking Ronso, he caught sight of one of Lulu's moogle dolls, all but annihilated. Craning his head to the left, he saw that Wakka lay face down, his head on Lulu's shoulder and his arm around her waist in an obscene parody of affection. Blood had already started pooling around the pair, but whose, he couldn't tell.
Rikku? Closing his eyes and concentrating for a moment, he mentally recalled everyone's positions before the blast. Remembering how they had been quietly discussing ways of saving Yuna from the Final Aeon, he managed to turn his head enough so that he could see to his right. There Rikku lay, half curled up in a foetal position, left arm bending in one too many places and left leg covered in burn marks.
A faint shout brought his attention back to the left, just as a shadow crossed his vision. Frowning, he tried to break through the fog clouding his brain. Blinking rapidly, his vision started to clear and his hearing to return, just in time to see Auron start charging past him toward a small group of Guado in the distance.
Guado? Why were Guado attacking them? Must be Maester Seymour's goons then, he concluded as his head cleared abruptly. He watched as the Guado fired spell after spell at the rapidly approaching Auron, only for them to either miss entirely or impact with no discernable effect. Still accelerating, Auron brought his weapon over his shoulder in a two handed grip, obviously intent on barrelling straight into his attackers.
Panicking now, the Guado started using more and more powerful spells, desperately trying to stop this seemingly invincible Guardian. Auron waded through it all, Thundagas flickering around him, Firagas burning the ground around his feet. Not even a Flare, unleashed point blank into his chest, fazed him, as he brought his sword down.
Tidus' consciousness left him just as the screaming began.
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A cold, wet feeling on his brow brought Tidus back.
"How are you feeling?" Yuna's voice questioned from somewhere in the blackness.
Slowly opening his eyes, he sat up and looked around.
Yuna was sitting on his left, looking concerned, holding a wet cloth. Beyond her lay Kimahri, devoid of the burns that he's previously had. He somehow managed to remain staturine, even in repose.
Wakka, Lulu and Rikku were sitting around a small fire, swathed in bandages, talking quietly. Tidus realised with a start that it was night, and that he must have been out for several hours.
They were still in the open, but in a slight depression that was ringed by trees, so they had some protection from prying eyes.
Shifting his gaze back to Yuna, he noticed that she was watching him with concern, probably worried about his uncharacteristic silence. He smiled reassuringly, watching the anxiety melt into relief, before glancing at Kimahri then back at Yuna, intending to ask about the Ronso's condition. She read his expression however, and shushed him before he got a chance to speak.
"Kimahri's fine. He just hasn't woken up yet." She explained, turning and starting to clean the dirt out of Kimahri's fur. Tidus simply lay there, watching her as she continued to speak. "You were pretty bad, but a few Curagas and Esunas healed most of the damage. Rikku, Lulu and Wakka are going to be okay, but potions work slower than spells, so they look worse than they are. Sir Auron…" She hesitated, and sadness crept into her voice. "We haven't been able to find him. I Sent some Guado that were nearby, and it looked like he'd done it, but…" Her face twisted in distaste at the though, and Tidus sympathised: he could image what a blade like Auron's would do to living people, rather than fiends.
"Don't worry." Tidus began, trying to reassure his Summoner, despite the sinking feeling in his own stomach "Auron can take care of himself. Heck, I saw him charge those Guado, get hit by a Flare point blank and simply keep on go-"
"Are you sure that you saw correctly?" Auron's deep, rumbling voice interrupted him.
"Auron!" Both Yuna and Tidus exclaimed, whirling to face him, their relief that the Legendary Guardian was still with them evident. The three by the fire broke off their conversation and hurried towards them, possibly intent on confirming the older man's arrival.
"What do you mean, am I sure? Of course I'm sure! I saw it with my own two eyes!" Tidus was getting argumentative. It seemed his response to near-death experiences was to bounce back, as loud as ever.
"Lulu," Auron began, turning to the black mage, meaning to press home his point "what would the result of a Flare spell, fired point blank, into a man's chest be?"
"Death." said Lulu, addressing Tidus "Even Sir Auron would not have survived. It was probably a simple fire spell, nothing more."
"But…but…" trying frantically to come up with a counter-argument, but failing, Tidus resorted to redirecting attention "So where have you been, Sir Legendary Guardian? You could have stuck around, y'know, to make sure we were okay." his voice took on a slightly bragging tone, as if he had detected the fatal flaw in his enemy's master plan.
Fixing Tidus with a stern glare that made it clear he was tiring of the boy's prattle, Auron spoke as if disciplining a petulant child: "After treating the more serious wounds and dragging all of you five hundred yards to this place of relative safety, I attempted to discover the identity of whomever ordered this attack."
Seeing their questioning gazes, he continued in a softer tone: "I found an empty boat a few miles from here. It was probably their vessel, but it was no help. It could have been an independent action, or ordered by Seymour. Either way, we'll have to be more careful. I will stand guard and look after Kimahri. You should all get some rest."
Totally defeated, Tidus decided to cut his losses and do as the older Guardian suggested. Muttering about know-it-alls, he threw himself down by the fire and was snoring in moments. Suddenly feeling the aches and pains from newly healed wounds, the others also decided to heed his advice.
When they'd all drifted off, Auron sighed with relief. He'd been worried that the boy might inadvertently plant the seed of suspicion in their minds, since Tidus might not be able to recognise the signs, but what if they'd realised that he could survive things that living people could not?
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A/N: This wasn't originally intended to branch out into a long conversation at the end, it just seemed to end up that way. The original idea was Auron charging into a barrage of spells and pyrotechnics while everyone else lay wounded, but it mutated into a 'Auron's secret close-call' fic instead.
Meh.