©Lexiter Jackson 2003

Tears of the Fayth

Well, here I am, once again with yet ANOTHER story…but hey, can you blame me? Ahem. Anyway, the usual crud: I own nothing apart from the original character. Not even the story line's mine (well, not all of it, anyway). Not all of the conversations/events are exactly as portrayed in the game, but to be frankly honest with you I don't give a damn. It's been a while since I played most of it and I just can't be assed to play again just to get the dialogue exactly right. Suffer.

Expect this on to be updated fairly regularly, as this is my major project at the moment. Um, is there really anything else to say?

Oh yeah.

Warnings: This is YAOI, as in male/male love. If there are any adult situations (I haven't made my mind up about that yet) I will up the rating accordingly and chuck an extra warning into the corresponding chappies. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

Um…this has a PG type rating for a good reason. My character has a pretty foul mouth. Especially in later chapters *winks*

Other then that, enjoy the story, try not to fall asleep during the bits that you already know from the game (some bits I've changed just to keep you on your toes…narf), don't send me flames or I'll sick Bahamut on you. *smirks*

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

She is here...my daughter...

She is beautiful, My Lord.

Ten years, and you still call me that, little one?

I could say the same.

Point taken. You still regret it, don't you?

I...yes, and I will until I can rest.

You miss him.

...

You remember your promise?

If I can still keep it, My Lord.

You can. Just...well, you probably know better then I do.

Too damn right. Maybe after this they'll see fit to let me rest.

Hrumph. Say hello for me.

Of course. I'll go now.

Do. I hate farewells.

A sapphire eye blinked open for the first time for...well, ages it seemed. The figure raised a hand to its face, feeling the eye patch that covered the empty socket of the other eye. The figure smiled as it looked around.

'I'm back...'

- - - - - - - - -

Yuna smiled as she looked around at the crowds pushing past her to get into the stadium. 'Wow! I never knew blitzball was so...'

Lulu nodded as she raised a hand to protect her eyes from the sun. She looked down at the huge sphere of water below them, smiling slightly. She cast an amused glance at Kimahri who grunted and smiled slightly at Yuna's delight. Lulu scanned the crowd while she waited for the Aurochs to come into the sphere – the Goers were already in.

'Excuse me, ma'am, is this seat taken?'

Lulu turned to the deep, gravely voice, shaking her head.

'No.'

The man sighed. 'Oh good. Someone was kind enough to steal the seat I paid for.' He pulled a huge sword off his back and leant it against the balcony wall, looking at Lulu with one bright sapphire eye, the other covered in a black eye patch. He was six feet tall and well muscled, although the fact was hidden by a black denim jacket. He wore black leather trousers and a grey tee shirt, and his head was crowned by a mop of black hair shot through with gold, tied back into a loose ponytail.

'You're one of Lady Yuna's guardians, no?' He inquired. Lulu nodded, extending a hand.

'Lulu.' She introduced as the stranger took her hand, bent low and kissed the back of it.

'Rammas.' The man replied, letting go of her hand. 'Jassu Rammas.'

'Pleased to meet you, Jassu.' Lulu blushed slightly. 'This is Yuna and Kimahri.'

Jassu bent low over Yuna's hand and kissed it, then bowed low to Kimahri. 'It is a great honour for me to meet a Summoner and her guardians, milady. And a Summoner so beautiful such as yourself...' Jassu straightened and grinned, running a hand across the stubble on his chin '...is a pleasure in itself, I assure you.'

Yuna giggled, blushing slightly. 'Please, call me Yuna.'

Just then the Aurochs swam into the sphere, eliciting a roar from the crowd. Tidus waved and beamed at Yuna, who waved back.

Jassu stood and watched the players taking their positions, and then he caught a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. He turned to look.

'Knew you'd turn up, you old dog.' Jassu growled to himself. He forced himself to turn away, to pretend he was just watching the game rather then the man he'd spotted.

Just after half time, Tidus swapped with Wakka and the game continued on, the Aurochs defeating the Goers by an astounding 4-1. Jassu watched as Tidus swam into the sphere to congratulate Wakka, and he grunted as a near-invisible pyre-fly drifted into the sphere. He picked up his sword and shouldered it, grunting at the weight and turned as the cheers started to turn into screams.

'TIDUS!' Jassu didn't stop as he heard the Ronso roar. Garudas suddenly appeared as if out of nowhere. One landed in Jassu's path, and he grunted at it.

'Whatever...' He ran forward, swinging his sword across and almost slicing the head in two. The Garuda screamed, dissolving into a swarm of pyre-flies. Jassu ran through them.

'Freya! No!'

Jassu turned towards the panicked scream, and saw a child cornered by a Dual Horn. Jassu ran, jumped and brought his sword down through the beast's neck, almost blinded by the pyre-flies.

'Thank you sir.' The woman snatched up her child and pressed something into his hand. 'Please, take this.'

Jassu nodded his thanks and shouldered his weapon again, putting the mega potion into a pouch on his belt. He looked around, and he saw a man in a red coat cut down a Garuda without breaking a sweat.

'Fucking...' Jassu cursed as another one came down behind the man, the other not even noticing. Jassu ran up behind it, not bothering to slow down. He just drove the point of his huge sword into its spine and kept going until all that was left was a cloud of pyre-flies.

'Auron! You never watch your back!'

Auron froze when he heard that voice. He turned and faced Jassu, and Jassu was saddened by how much he'd changed. There were no longer two chestnut eyes; just one, the colour of dried blood.

'Hello Auron.'

Auron said nothing, just stood there, watching him. Jassu began to get irritated.

'Got nothing to say to an old friend?'

Auron shook himself. 'Hello...Jassu. Long time no see.'

Jassu flashed him a grin. 'That's better.'

Auron glared at him. 'And goodbye, Jassu.'

With that, Auron began to walk away. Jassu frowned, and ran after him. 'Hey!'

'Auron!' Another voice rang out. Auron smiled slightly as an out of breath Tidus skidded to a stop in front of him, his sword out. Suddenly a huge Garuda, far larger then any of the others, appeared right above them, screaming. It dived for Tidus, but a blitzball hit it on the side of the head.

'Hey! Birdie!' Wakka yelled, catching the ball and joining the others. Jassu smiled slightly, and stood next to Wakka. He brought his huge sword, a blue blade with grey swirls carved into it, travelling up it and a purple hilt making it look strangely organic, up to eye level with the point towards the Garuda. He felt Auron's eye on him, and smirked slightly.

Wakka threw his blitzball at it again, this time blinding it. The flying fiend screamed as Jassu lowered his sword and glared at it with his good eye.

'Bloody hell, you need a bath!' He concentrated; it had been a while since he'd used these. He closed his eyes, placed two fingers on his forehead and then flicked them towards the huge fiend, his eye snapping open and a Watega swamped the creature, making it wail and fall into the sphere below. Jassu grunted, shouldering his weapon and glancing at Auron.

'That's how it's done.' He bowed his head, then looked up to the Maester's stand. His skin was tingling; someone was doing a powerful Summoning. Sure enough, Anima put in an appearance, wiping out what was left of the fiends.

A hand fell on Jassu's shoulder, making him jump. He turned to face Kimahri.

'Stranger help friends. Kimahri respects. Did not have to help.'

Jassu flashed him a smile. 'Ah, it was nothing. Now, where's your Summoner? I have something to ask...'

Kimahri nodded and led the man up to a platform that was above Luca, where Yuna, Lulu, Wakka, Tidus and Auron were already waiting. Jassu glanced at Auron, who refused to look at him.

'Summoner Yuna?' Jassu bowed to Yuna, placing his sword at her feet. 'I hereby request to join your party and to become one of your guardians. Do you accept?'

Yuna blinked. 'Well, yes, but...why?'

Jassu stood, retrieving his sword and replacing it into the scabbard on his back. 'A promise I made some years ago.'

Tidus groaned. 'Not you too!'

Jassu flashed him a grin. 'For your information, I quite liked your father. I can see him in you...around the eyes.' Jassu finished, looking down at the ground. Yuna looked at Jassu.

'You knew Sir Jecht?'

Jassu nodded. 'Yes. And your father, and Auron. I travelled as a guardian until...' Jassu sighed. 'Eh, this is no time to reminisce. We have a Pilgrimage to go on!'

Auron trudged behind the group, keeping an eye on the newest addition.

What's he doing here? Why is he even alive? I...I saw him die...saw him being sent...

Auron shook his head, striding to keep up with the group. Jassu looked over at him and grinned, and Auron glanced away. Seeing this, the other man wandered over to him, slowing down so that they were behind the rest.

'What's wrong, Auron?'

Auron looked into the eye of the other. 'You...are dead.'

Jassu shrugged, the huge sword on his back slipping slightly. He pulled it back into the position. 'Hey, so what?' He grinned. 'Braska says hi.'

Auron sighed. 'So I'm not forgotten.'

Jassu slapped an arm around Auron's shoulder. 'Nope. Everybody knows about the great 'Sir Auron'.' Jassu swept his other hand, encompassing the rest of the world. Then he sighed, and dropped his hand. 'But nobody remembers Jassu Rammas, the guardian who failed his Lord and friends.'

Auron glanced up at Jassu. 'I remember an obnoxious drunk, a thief and a brat. And Jecht wasn't too good either.'

Jassu snorted. 'That's the one. And Jecht always on about your damn jug.'

Auron nodded, allowing himself a small smile and pushing the thoughts from earlier to the back of his head.

'Sir Auron!'

Jassu grinned. 'You're up!'

Auron looked up and saw Tidus leapt on by a wolf. He drew his sword as Jassu did the same, running as Wakka pulled Tidus free of the wolf. Three more bounded into the path, followed by seven behind them.

'Holy shit!' Tidus yelled as he pulled out his sword.

'Youth of today.' Jassu remarked. 'Lulu! Protect!'

'Just who do you think you are?' Lulu glared at the guardian. Jassu glared right back, the one eye unsettling the Mage. 'Alright, fine.'

Jassu bared his teeth at the nearest wolf, bringing his sword up to eye level again.

Suddenly a growl erupted behind him, and Jassu spun, cutting the wolf in half mid-leap. Another one went for the young Summoner, receiving a blitzball in the jaw from Wakka. The rest of the wolves circled around the party warily.

One ran in, dodged the blitzball from Wakka and leapt, attaching itself to Jassu's arm. Jassu cursed, dropping his sword and punching the wolf in the snout. The wolf yelped and let go, stunned, and Tidus ran in and skewered the wolf while Jassu held his bleeding arm.

'Everybody! I'm going to summon!'

Jassu grabbed his sword and followed Auron as the rest ran for cover. A potion quickly cured the wound, and Jassu stood and looked at Yuna as glyphs appeared on the ground around her. A driving pain in his head drove Jassu to his knees, his sword falling from his grip once again as he held his head. The rest of the group was too busy watching Yuna for anyone to notice his as he gasped in agony.

A mournful cry made him look up as Valefor flew in and landed in front of Yuna. After a couple of strokes the Aeon pushed itself up and turned towards the wolves. Jassu shook his head and stood, the pain dulling to a throbbing ache.

The Aeon made short work of the remaining pack, the last two running off and yelping as Valefor roared in victory. Yuna thanked him and Valefor nodded, flying away. Jassu watched him leave, an ache in his chest as if he, too, wanted to follow.

'You alright?'

Jassu looked down from the sky, smiling at Tidus.

'Yeah, couldn't be better.' Jassu ruffled Tidus' hair, grinning as the boy tried to grab his hand. He leant down and picked up his sword, pushing it back into the scabbard on his back.

'Hey, that's a cool sword. What is it?'

Jassu smiled. 'Harlequin.' He replied, walking past the boy and joining the rest of the group. Three chocobos with riders rode up to the group.

'Lady Yuna and her guardians, I presume?' The first said, a woman. Yuna nodded, doing Yevon's Prayer to the three. 'We have been looking for you to warn you of a large fiend in these parts with a taste for chocobo. Please, if you rent any, be careful.'

Yuna nodded. 'We will. Thank you.'

The woman nodded and clicked to her bird, the three moving off. Tidus punched the air.

'We gotta help!' He cried. Auron looked over to him, smiling slightly.

'Why?'

'Well, it's the right thing to do!' Tidus answered. Auron chuckled, and Jassu followed suit. 'Hey, what's so funny?'

'Nothing.' Jassu replied. 'Just that your dad used to say that a lot too.'

Tidus frowned slightly as Auron glanced at the other guardian. 'And every time he said it, it meant trouble for Braska, you and I.'

Tidus crossed his arms. 'Well I still think we should help.' He said. Jassu shook his head. He looks so much like you, my friend.

The group carried on until the sun was just setting, and after Wakka kicked up slightly about the Agency they were staying in, Jassu retired to his room gratefully.

He pulled off the sword, laying it down on the floor as he stripped down to his boxers and fell into the soft mattress with a sigh. Reaching up to his ponytail, he pulled out the band holding it in and laid it on the bedside table. Sighing again, he closed his eye and prepared himself for sleep.