Author: Chimera Dragon

Title: Siren's Song

Warnings: Auron X Seymour

Chapter One:

Seymour awoke to the sun beating down on his sore and tired body. Unsure of his surrounds he looked up blearily. The smooth expanse of a beach stretched out before him. He blinked again as he saw a blitz ball land right in front of him. He slowly pulled himself to his feet and carefully picked up the ball as though it was made of glass.

A child wearing the colors of the Besaid Aurochs looked up at him with wide eyes. "Maester Seymour?" the child asked as Seymour offered the ball.

"I am no more a Maester of Yevon," Seymour replied sadly.

The child slowly took the ball before running off towards town. "Sir Wakka!!!" the child called. "Sir Wakka there's a man on the beach that looks like Maester Seymour!!"

"What you talkin' 'bout? Maester Seymour's been dead for two years, ya!" Wakka replied walking into view. He took one look at Seymour and his expression soured and hardened. "Get back into town and tell Lady Yuna to come here and the rest of the team, ya."

"Okay," the child replied and ran back into town as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Greetings," Seymour said, not moving from the spot he had first stood up in. He performed Yevon's prayer and stood waiting for a moment.

"What do you want now? I thought Yuna sent you once and for all, ya?" Wakka replied. He shifted his feet, ready to fight if necessary and waiting for backup.

"I did not come here," Seymour replied. "After Yuna sent me, I … I remember going to the Farplane and seeing my mother and brother but… beyond that I have no memory of how I got here. I just woke up here."

There was a splash out at sea and they both turned to look in the direction of the noise. They saw the end of something with red and black scales.

"What in Spira was that?" Wakka breathed.

"I do not know," Seymour replied quietly.

"Wakka, what's going on?" Yuna asked as she came around the corner onto the beach. "Seymour?!"

"It would seem so," Seymour replied not moving from his spot and performing Yevon's prayer again to Yuna, bowing lower than he had for Wakka.

"How did you get here?" Yuna demanded.

"I honestly don't know," Seymour replied. "I didn't try to come back. I … was very nearly content with where I was. There was only one thing I didn't have, and I could exist in the Farplane until it came to me, so that shouldn't have been what sent me back."

"How do we know you're not lying?" Yuna demanded.

"I don't know," Seymour replied. He thought on it for a few moments. "Try sending me. If I am somehow unsent you'll be doing me a favor since I will refuse to become a fiend. Though I don't feel that I'm unsent."

"Alright," Yuna replied. She walked closer to Seymour and Wakka backed away. She held her Summoner's staff in her hand and began dancing, attempting to send Seymour back to the Farplane. Seymour closed his eyes in acceptance, but he didn't even feel a twinge.

"You really are reborn," Yuna breathed as she looked at Seymour who had opened his eyes again. Suddenly, they heard a melodic cry from the direction of the ocean and turned to look. Though, by the time they found the source there was only a ripple of water marking the passing of something through the water.

"What was that?" Wakka asked.

"That creature we saw a flash of from earlier?" Seymour suggested.

"Think it might be, ya," Wakka replied.

"What was it?" Yuna asked. Seymour and Wakka both shook their heads.

"All I saw was a flash of red and black scales," Seymour said. "I wish I had gotten a better look at it. But unfortunately I did not."

"Lady Yuna," the child from earlier said as he tugged on her sleeve. "It's probably the merman that lives in these waters."

"What?" Yuna asked.

"After Sin was defeated lots of people said that they've seen what looks like a merman on the shores of this island," the child replied.

"Really? Thank you," Yuna replied.

"No problem, Lady Yuna. Oh and if you're trying to see him, he usually appears around sunset right here. It's said that he has black and red scales, and he's the spirit of a lost warrior."

"What makes you think it's a man, ya?" Wakka asked.

"Because girls don't have a flat chest like you and Maester Seymour!" the child replied simply before running off.

"Perhaps we should wait to see if this mysterious merman arrives at sunset? That's only a few hours away," Seymour noted looking at the sky. "I would be more than willing to say here and wait for you if you'd like."

"How would we know if you're lying, ya?" Wakka replied. "I think you should be locked up, ya!"

"Do you have a photo sphere?" Seymour asked ignoring Wakka's out burst for the moment.

"I have one back at my house. I'll go get it and bring it back here. Stay put!" Yuna smiled and ran off, seeming to have forgotten that Seymour had been their enemy for the time being.

"Do you hear that?" Seymour asked suddenly as the sun began to lower in the sky.

"Hear what?" Wakka asked noticing how Seymour's head was turned towards the sea, almost seeming entranced. He continued to watch Seymour like a hawk.

"That song," Seymour replied, sounding distracted. "It sounds so sad and haunted. Like someone that's lost their soul mate or lover."

"I don't hear nothin', ya," Wakka replied. Though he stood still and listened as hard as he could, after a few minutes of silence he heard what Seymour had been talking about. There was a soft song on the wind, drifting in from the sea.

"You hear it now, don't you?" Seymour whispered so as to not disturb the music.

"Ya, it sounds so sad. Ya, think it's da merman?" Wakka asked.

"Most likely," Seymour replied just as Yuna came running back.

"I'm back," Yuna called. They all heard a splash and the song was gone. The rest of the Aurochs were right behind her.

"He left," Wakka said sounding mildly disappointed. "We gonna stay? Or we gonna lock him up now?"

"I'm sure he'll come back," Seymour said. "There's something about this island that's drawn that merman here. I doubt he'll leave whatever it is just because he was startled. We can simply wait. May I have the sphere?" He held his hand out; noticing the men surrounding Yuna.

"Sure," Yuna replied and handed the sphere over to the blue-haired man cautiously.

"And Lady Yuna, I'm sorry for behavior before," Seymour said as he took the sphere from her. "I know that an apology is not nearly enough, but perhaps it can start the healing process. If you would like, I will willingly go to prison. But please allow me a chance to do this for you."

"Your apology is accepted," Yuna said. "For now we can work on being friends again. Unfortunately, you will have to face the Guado and spend sometime in jail."

"Thank you," Seymour replied with another bow. He turned back to the ocean. "You may keep me company if you wish, or not. I don't mind. Once we are done here I shall go with you."

"We'll stay," Yuna said. "Or at least I will." She walked up near to him and sat down just above the high tide line. "What do we have to do?"

"Hey, Captain Wakka, what do you want us to do?" one of the Aurochs asked.

"Listen to what Seymour has to say, once he's got some pictures, we take him away to face the Guado," Wakka replied with a shrug.

"Sit still and be very quiet, loud noises seem to startle him," Seymour replied with a smirk. He moved down the beach so that the water was lapping at his ankles and stood perfectly still. Wakka came over and sat with Yuna, staying close to the former Summoner and the rest of the Aurochs stood back on the beach.

Just as the sun touched the horizon, the song started again. The tide was slowly rising up and was now at mid calf for Seymour. The tone of the song had changed to one of longing but not nearly as sad. After a few minutes they saw a dark head break the surface and Seymour slowly brought the sphere to his eye, taking a quick picture.

The figure in the water watched them intently, but when they made no move towards him he rose up further from the water so that the entire face was revealed. Awestruck, Seymour took yet another picture as the merman moved in closer, staring at the blue haired man.

Again the song changed in pitch, it now seemed as though it was calling them. "The song of a siren," Seymour whispered just loud enough for the others to hear.

"The what?" Yuna asked, curious as to what Seymour was talking about.

"It's the song of a siren," Seymour repeated. "It's the call of a merfolk. In ancient myths sirens were merpeople who had fallen in love with a person that lived on land. With their love unrequited they turned into sirens and usually ended up luring sailors to their deaths. Of course if you actually do research on merfolk that's not true. According to research, a siren is a merfolk that has lost their soul mate and sings for them. Hoping that one day they will be reunited."

"That real sad, ya," Wakka said looking out at the merman that continued to sing and stare at them. "He must be singin' for someone on the island, ya?"

"A siren can follow the scent and aura of their soul mate across Spira," Seymour replied. "The fact that he's been here for more than a week would suggest that he is waiting for his soul mate."

"Who do you think it could be?" Yuna asked as she pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them. "And why haven't they come to him yet? He sounds so sad."

"I don't know, he may have followed the aura and his soul mate isn't here anymore or they haven't been born yet. Merfolk have very long lives. They usually live almost four times longer than a human," Seymour replied.

"Four hundred years!?" Yuna asked shocked, though she did remember to keep her voice quiet.

"Yes," Seymour replied simply. "And his song will eventually call his soul mate to him. Most likely when they're sleeping. It will seem like they're sleep walking."

"You know, it sounds louder, ya," Wakka said looking thoughtful.

"Perhaps, his call will draw them to him very soon," Seymour said quietly. The merman swam a little closer to shore and moved so that from his head down to his shoulders was revealed. Seymour carefully and slowly pulled up the camera sphere and took yet another picture.

An hour later of watching the sunset and the merman, Yuna carefully stood up. "I have to be heading home. I have patients to attend to in the morning."

"Patients?" Seymour asked quietly, not taking his eyes of the merman.

"Well, since I'm no longer a Summoner and I know a lot of white magic I decided to become a healer. I've been working on rehabilitating some patients by getting rid of some of their deeper scars," Yuna replied quietly.

"Really?" Seymour asked looking intrigued. "That's very kind of you. I'm glad that you've found your place in the world. I shall have to find mine soon."

"You'll have time for that, ya," Wakka soothed.

"Well, goodnight, you two," Yuna said as she brushed herself off and made her way back into town. Several of the Aurochs went with her as an escort.

Wakka and Seymour stayed on the beach in silence for another ten minutes until the merman's song stopped all together. The merman seemed to sigh and dove back into the water. Wakka and Seymour blinked as though coming out of a trance. They looked at each other for a moment, unsure as to just what had happened.

"Well, that was odd," Seymour said with a quiet chuckle. "Where should I stay tonight? I can stay here if you would like under guard, of course."

"You can stay at the temple, ya," Wakka offered. "And we'll have to lock you up. "

"I understand, though I have no intention of trying to escape," Seymour replied as he held out the sphere for Wakka to take back. Wakka took the sphere and carefully tucked it away while the remaining members of the Aurochs shackled Seymour.

"Alright," Wakka replied sounding a bit grim. "This way, ya."

Seymour nodded and silently followed. They arrived the temple within a few minutes. "You can sleep here, we'll come and get you to take you on the ferry in the morning. Wakka sighed heavily at the Aurochs left Seymour in the room with Wakka.

"What troubles you?" Seymour asked as he sat down on the bed.

"It Tidus," Wakka replied sounding utterly depressed.

"Were you two," Seymour paused for a moment, "involved?"

"No! He was like a brother to me and you're back, so why isn't he,ya?" Wakka asked sounding defensive.

"Maybe because I died first? I did not mean to offend you. Perhaps he'll be reborn as well," Seymour replied sounding mildly hopeful. "I honestly don't know what I have done to deserve getting a second chance at life."

"Well, get some rest anyways, ya," Wakka said and turned to leave. "I always thought there was more to you, ya?"

"Thank you," Seymour said quietly as he laid down to sleep. The siren's song had started again and it gently lulled him to sleep.

TBC . . .