Alex and I caught the earliest ferry, leaving before the sun had emerged from beneath the horizon. Just a sliver of the fiery orb was visible, but its effect greatly disturbed the sky that had been hanging over Spira for the past eleven hours or so. It shed its cooler tones of dark blue and purple in favor of pink and orange with just a hint of a sky blue glow.

We stood at the front of the boat, leaning against the railing and watching the colors unfold before our eyes.

"The sunrise," she said softly. "It's beautiful."

I looked over at her. "It is."

A slight breeze fluttered over her hair as salty spray coated our cheeks with mist. I continued to look at her until she noticed.

"Is something wrong?" she inquired, tilting her head just a little to her left.

"No, not at all," I assured her. "Sorry, I was just… thinking, and—"

"Say no more," she said, smiling genuinely. "I do that too. Think about something and you end up staring right at someone. I understand."

I was glad I hadn't been able to finish my sentence. I was also quite glad that even when my face felt warm, I usually did not blush; I'd been staring again, this time on purpose.

"So," she said after a moment, commanding my full attention once again. "You know a good deal about my past. Care to share any of yours, Mr. Mysterious?"

I smiled and looked down at the railing. "I think those memories are better left untouched."

"So I spill my guts to you and you remain silent?"

"You didn't exactly 'spill your guts,'" I pointed out. "More like summarized. I don't even know your favorite color."

Her eyes shone with determination. "Purple."

"Good to know."

"I don't even get a favorite color?"

"I'm your guardian. I'm supposed to protect you, not become your best friend."

She shrugged. "Doesn't mean you have to be a stranger. Come on Auron, talk to me!" She placed her hand over mine on the railing. "Please?"

I was taken aback, so much so that at first I could not speak.

"I… uh… well…"

"Are you okay?" she chuckled. "You're blushing."

Curses… I covered my cheeks with both hands. "Am I?"

She nodded. "You don't usually talk about your past, I assume?"

I shook my head. "No, but… no one's ever really asked."

"Interesting." She folded her hands and leaned over the railing.

"I haven't met many people," I admitted. "I only really know the citizens of Besaid, and I've met a few of the summoners who have stopped by to pray for the aeon. I've been in the temple's care since I can remember. Apparently, my mother died bringing me into this world, and my father…" I trailed off.

Alex looked over at me and tilted her head quizzically. "Your father?"

"I… I heard some rumors about him, but I never met the guy," I finished.

"Well, maybe we'll find him on the pilgrimage."

I shook my head again. "Only if we visit the Farplane."

"Oh…" she choked out. "Auron, I'm—"

"There's no need to be, I assure you," I said, waving dismissively. "I've become who I am. What's past is past. It shouldn't affect the future."

"There might be instances when it does, even when you'll want it to," she sighed. The way she was gazing at the horizon made me certain that she was speaking from experience.

"I doubt that."

She shrugged. "You never know. Hey, I'm going to go to the room, catch a few more Z's before we get to Kilika. You might want to think about doing the same: you have bags under your eyes."

"Do I now?"

She smiled. "Good ni—er, morning, Sir Auron."

"Good morning!" I called after her. For just a moment, I continued to watch the sunrise, until…

"Alex?" I turned around, seeing her on the first step of the descending staircase leading down to the hold, where all the bedrooms were.

"Yes, Auron?"

I laughed. "Red."

She beamed. "The cloak kind of gave it away."

"You wanted to know," I shrugged.

"Thanks," she nodded. "I won't be too long. Promise."

"Take as long as you need," I said. "We still have an hour or two before we reach Kilika. And besides—I'll go wherever you go."

"Wherever I go, huh?" She looked right into my eyes. "Even so, Sir Auron, this is my pilgrimage, my story, and I'm not a fan of writing in a bunch of boring filler."

"Well then, lady summoner, you might want to get to bed."

"Roger that! See you after my nap, Auron."

"Sleep well."

I watched her dark brown hair until it bounced out of sight, then turned back to the sunrise.

"Your story…" I mused. "I guess life is kind of like a story. Chapters, characters, beginnings, endings… she's more poetic than I thought." I gazed out over the array of colors. "Well, maybe I figured as much. She seems kind of that way." I couldn't put my finger on why, but it seemed like I was thinking about her a lot. It was probably because I was her guardian, but it felt…

"Auron!" Alex voice shrieked from below the deck. I turned and dashed down the stairs where I saw the door to our room open. I ran inside, finding two very strong-looking crew members closing in on her. She had only her summoning rod and was looking a little nervous.

From ten feet away, I could tell that they reeked of alcohol.

"Auron, you take one," she called. "I've got the other."

"Are you s—"

"Trust me!"

I did, but kept one eye on her, just in case.

"Hey!" I called, getting both of them to look at me. I unsheathed my katana and held it at the ready, both of my hands firmly clasped around the hilt. "I'd really hate to run you through, so would you mind leaving? Now?"

"Sorry buster—you snooze, you lose!" the one closest to me said.

"Yeah, she's ours," the other one chimed in.

"Okay," I shrugged, "but don't say I didn't warn you!"

Alex kneed the one closest to her and shot me a confident grin. I nodded and brought my blade down on the other one's shoulder.

"Ahh, son of a shoopuf!" he exclaimed. "Man, if you want her so bad, you can have her!" He ran off, clutching his bleeding shoulder. I turned to Alex to announce my victory, but my pleasure quickly turned to fury. He had his slimy hands on her shoulders, gripping them so she couldn't move her arms.

"Hey baby," he murmured.

"What the hell do you—" I began, my voice sounding strangely animalistic.

"Auron," she said calmly. "Trust me."

I sighed, not at all attempting to hide my irritation. Why did this make me so angry?

She smiled up at him, then lifted her leg, pushing him back while she drew a dagger from one of her boots. She held it to his throat, putting one of his arms in an arm bar behind his back.

"What part of 'I'm not interested' did you fail to understand?" she questioned, her last three words quite staccato.

"N-nothing!" he stammered. "Just let me go!"

"Don't even think about coming back down here," she warned, letting him go. He ran from the room, mumbling incoherently. I shut the door behind him.

"Where did you—?" I was quite surprised.

She shrugged. "Picked it up from my aunt. She was part of the Crusaders before she had her kids."

"But the knife?"

She slipped it back into her boot. "You're not the only one with secrets, Mr. Mysterious."

"I guess not."

"Man, fighting fiends on this pilgrimage will not be fun. I hate fighting."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Always have. I know how to defend myself of course, but I never wanted to use those skills for fighting." She relaxed on the bed beneath the light blanket. "Surprisingly comfy."

"You know, maybe I'll go see if there are any other cabins av—"

"Don't be silly," she said. "This is a huge bed. You're welcome to sleep here with me if you're tired."

"That wouldn't be appropriate—"

"Nonsense. You're my guardian, and you just helped me chase off those two creeps. Now that's what I call inappropriate."

I chuckled. "I suppose so, but…"

"Come on, Auron," she said. "It'll be fine. I trust you."

I set my sword down beside the bed, attempting to stay as far away from her as possible.

"Don't be a stranger," she laughed. "Take as much space as you need—as long as you stay on your side. Relax!"

I faced toward her, watching her as she drifted off to sleep. Her rhythmic breathing almost lulled me to sleep myself, but I wanted to stay awake and guard her, protect her from anything.

Do all guardians feel this way about their summoners? I thought. I've never… I've never had this feeling before. Is this what it feels like to… nah. Must just be what it feels like to befriend someone who's not male and not a monk or priest. That's never happened before either.

I chuckled to myself and tried to get some sleep, one arm beneath my torso and the other forming a right angle so my hand was resting by my head. I could feel her warm breath on my skin as I began to doze off.