That morning on the dock of Besaid.

"You'll come back, won't you?" a tearful Yuna asked him with a shaky voice. They faced each other on the dock holding one another's hands; two cases made from intricately woven bamboo sat at each of Baralai's sides. Releasing her from his grip, he thumbed away a tear that slid down Yuna's cheek and kissed her softly in its place.

"Of course I'll come back" he assured her, giving his best smile under the circumstances. "I'm going to miss you, Yuna. Thank you for all you've done. Now, I should get on that boat before it leaves without me." Bending down, Baralai picked up the suitcases and headed toward the vessel that would be his ride home to Kilika. Yuna walked with him until they reached the main gate, and she stood behind it and waited. Silhouetted by the morning sun as he appeared before her on the starboard deck, Baralai waved down at Yuna. "Wish me luck!" he called out to her.

"You'll be fine!" She declared, waving frantically back. "I hope you'll be happy together! Take care!" The wind whipped her skirt and hair about her as the boat started to sail slowly away from the planks she stood on. Yuna didn't leave the spot until the ship was no longer in her sights and all that remained of it was the large wake that was left behind.


He sat nervously inside one of the restaurant booths in the cabin of the ship, playing with the salt shaker; screwing off the cap, then re attaching it again. His fries were hardly touched because he was far too uneasy to eat anything. No matter how positive he felt about this- there were always the possibilities of rejection hovering like a Mega Bomb just waiting to explode. Baralai's stomach was in knots, and Kilika couldn't approach on the horizon soon enough.

As the evening replaced the day, the boat finally reached Kilika and docked. Baralai felt like a stranger in his own village; everything looked the same, but he didn't connect with the once familiar vibes he was getting from his surroundings. Dropping the baggage before him, Baralai took in the scent of the low tide, seaweed and cooking from the villagers' huts and stared off in the direction of his own home.

Something was amiss though.

Leaving his bags behind, he paced quickly over to his house in disbelief of what he was seeing before him. When he reached the front yard- or what was left of it, he rubbed his eyes vigorously in hopes it was all a mirage.

"What… happened…to my… house?" Was all he could mutter. The structure that was once where he lived- a place he considered his temple was now a leveled out outline of the former residence with a 'Lot for Sale' sign sticking out of the ground screwed into a steel pole. Behind him, Baralai spotted a villager out of the corner of his eye walking his pooch toward the forest and he spun around, tapping the man on his shoulder.

"Sir! I ask you, what happened to this house?" He waited for the answer as if the man were a fortune teller about to reveal the meaning of life. Instead, the man put a hand to his head and scratched it lightly, looking toward the vacant lot.

"Hmm…" the native thought, trying to piece together the information. "It was demolished… I think about six or so months ago. It was considered 'polluted' or something." Those words were a shock for Baralai. He couldn't understand what he'd meant by that.

"Polluted? From what?" Baralai asked again, glancing once at the man, then back at the empty space. "How does a home get polluted? Do you know where the man is that was living here? He was a bit taller than me, but with dark, chestnut colored hair and he wore temple robes."

"Oh! You mean Praetor Isaaru?" The heavyset man noted, tugging on the chain that constricted his dog. "I'm afraid he was the reason the house was demolished."

The more Baralai was hearing, the more confused he had become. He found it odd that Isaaru would even consider tearing down this house. He had loved it just as much as Baralai did at one point. The only detail he'd heard so far that didn't surprise him was when the man addressed his lover as 'Praetor Isaaru'. Baralai knew that after he'd vanished that Isaaru would take over for him at the temple. He did a phenomenal job of it also; even better than Baralai himself. It still didn't make any sense though why this happened.

"I'm sorry sir" Baralai apologized, bowing to the man proper. "I just don't understand why Is- I mean, 'Praetor' Isaaru would agree to such a thing. Is there anything in addition you can tell me?"

Replacing the once smiling face to a more solemn one, the man heaved a heavy sigh and began to tell Baralai of Isaaru's whereabouts.

"I'm afraid he is at the temple infirmary. He has been there for about six or so months. I'm not sure why; no one will say- they just said he was really sick and that the house had to be destroyed. Now if you'll excuse me." Tipping his straw hat, the man offered a smile and walked away with his dog, which had grown impatient of his owner's lollygagging.

Thanking the man profusely for the information, Baralai turned and ran toward the small ferry that was docked next to the ship he'd just come to town on. He didn't know exactly what he was going to do, but he felt it inside that he needed to get to the Temple and that infirmary post haste. A tugging pain in his heart knew something horrible had taken place, and there was little or no time to spare.


Bevelle Temple: A place he hadn't seen since he was possessed by Shuyin in the deepest recesses of it. The whole scene made him feel uncomfortable, but he sucked up any awkward, frightening feelings and made his way to the entrance as fast as his boots would take him. Being that it was so late, only one of the glass partitions was open and only to those that worked there. Noticing one of the guards as someone he once knew, Baralai crossed his fingers and tried his best to convince the guy to let him through. The guard did a double take as he recognized his former employer approaching him and he smiled, bowing politely.

"Praetor Baralai! A pleasure to see you sir. It has been too long."

"Yes, it has, Lentes." Baralai responded, bowing in return. "Can you tell me, is Isaaru inside? Is he well?" At first Lentes was reluctant to say anything, but seeing as Baralai looked so distraught he decided to tell him.

"Yes sir, he is. He's in the Temple infirmary on the fifth level below. I'm afraid I cannot let you in to see him though. It's not safe."

"Please, Lentes" Baralai pleaded, cupping his hands together. "I must see him. It's of the utmost importance. I don't even know what's wrong with him. Won't you let me in?" The desperation grew in his tone and the guard sensed it, stepping aside.

"Tell no one I allowed this. Please be careful sir." Lentes warned, letting Baralai pass.

Once again expressing his thanks, Baralai headed as swiftly as he could to the lift that would take him below. The lift shook, making balance a difficult task, but the railing was readily available as a support. On the way down, Baralai couldn't wrap his mind around what could have possibly happened to the one he loved; why he was in isolation, why it was so dangerous. All the while the pain in his chest increased as did the worry; he wasn't sure what he was getting himself into.

At last, for what seemed like an eternity Baralai made it to the fifth corridor and stepped off the lift hastily. He figured by the nurse sitting in a chair outside an infirmary room, that that was Isaaru's and as he got closer to her she began to panic and tried to block him off.

"Sir! You cannot go past here; it is very dangerous to your health! Please! Go back upstairs right now." Her gloved hands pressed up against the silk of Baralai's shirt but she was unable to keep him at bay.

"I want to see him! You must let me see him, or tell me what has happened! Nilla- it is I, Praetor Baralai and Isaaru is my friend. You must let me pass!"

Baralai and Isaaru had always referred to each other as 'friends' around their fellow temple men/women. It wasn't that they were ashamed of each other or anything, just that when they first started to see each other more exclusively they didn't want to give any impressions of favoritism or incapability to maintain a fair and balanced religion without personal feelings and involvement getting in the way. They were both certain before Baralai departed that everyone was aware of their affair, but they never admitted it. No one asked.

Nilla hardly recognized the former praetor without his traditional robes on and she stopped holding him off in the hallway when she realized who he was. "Sorry praetor." She said, bowing repeatedly. "I did not know that was you, sir. I will tell you what had happened to Isaaru. Have a seat here, please." She led him to a chair in front of the door and she began to explain the situation. Baralai listened intently; his eyes fixated on the blue eyed blonde before him.

It turned out, even though Isaaru was named the new, temporary Praetor in Baralai's absence, he still liked to venture to the monkey infested Zanarkand ruins once in a while to collect his thoughts and clear his mind. Being around those monkeys was always a risky business; they were feral and ridden with fleas. It wasn't uncommon for Isaaru to find a few hopping about him occasionally after a visit from there. One evening in particular, Isaaru found he had been bitten by one of the fleas just below his left underarm, and he thought very little of it; he simply treated the bite with caution and went along with his routines for days afterward.

Then, shortly after, Isaaru fell gravely ill. At first, he had a terrible headache which immobilized him for a couple of days; after recovering from that he couldn't quite keep his strength up and he began to feel constantly run down, but he wasn't doing anything strenuous in the least, which was puzzling to the temple medics. On top of it all, his muscles began to ache in ways he'd never experienced, and by the time he'd made it back to the temple doctor for another examination he had collapsed to the ground. After undressing Isaaru to examine him, they noticed a welt where the flea had initially bitten, which was about ten centimeters round, and warm against the nurses fingers. It seemed the flea carried a disease of some sort, and Isaaru was the unlucky recipient of it.

When Nilla was done telling her story, Baralai stared toward the tiled floor; his eyes stinging from the newly formed tears in his eyes. Without a word, he stood up from the chair and approached the glass partition that allowed visual access to Isaaru's room.

Among the bright fluorescent lighting, in a bed positioned in the center of the large, empty room, equally blinding white blankets covered his love; an IV dripped, attached to Isaaru's right wrist, and a machine for monitoring his heartbeat was conjoined with Isaaru through many blue and red wires taped to his chest. His face was pale, his eyes; once as vibrant as the falling leaves of autumn were lifeless; glazed over but seeming to stare into the room transfixed on something only he could see. A mane of chestnut hair damp with sweat cascaded haphazardly over his mint colored infirmary gown.

With his hands and head pressed firmly against the glass, Baralai took in the scene with horror. Slamming the paned surface with an angry fist, he turned to Nilla sadly. "What's gonna happen to him? Can they do anything?"

Nilla shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. No one has been in there. They are all too afraid to catch whatever it is he has to try to save him." She hung her head sadly, taking a worn tissue from her pocket and wiping her eyes. "His condition never changes… he just lies there. I wish for his sake he would leave us, just to save him the pain, but it almost seems as if something, some kind of force is keeping him here."

In that moment Baralai was able to ascertain just why Isaaru was 'holding on'. It hit him that it was the bond they spoke of, and he remembered how Isaaru once told him he would wait for him to return one day. Baralai walked past the nurse and headed for the entrance to the quarantined room. Nilla grabbed at the sleeve of Baralai's shirt but the silk slipped through her fingers. "Sir! You're not allowed in there! You could catch his sickness! Please!"

"You mean to tell me that absolutely NO ONE has been in there to help him!" an angered Baralai put his hand on the doorknob and turned to face Nilla; his eyes were burning with fury. "Why didn't anyone summon me? Why wasn't Yuna called? We would have helped him! We would have done more than what NOTHING has done for him! I demand to know why!"

Nilla tried to speak, but she fumbled in her words out of nervousness. After a few incoherent babblings from her, she was able to answer properly. "Isaaru didn't want any help from you or Lady Yuna."

He looked at Nilla with disbelief. "But… why?" He had begun to wish that this was all just a horrific nightmare and he wanted so badly to wake up from the madness. The nurse tried as hard as she could to make Baralai understand, but she could tell that whatever she was saying wasn't registering the way it should have.

"It was strict orders." She reasoned, throwing her arms up in the air. "He didn't want either of you to be inconvenienced further after all that had happened with Vegnagun and the second saving of Spira."

What Nilla said hit a nerve, but it wasn't the fact that Isaaru didn't want either his or Yuna's help.

Isaaru knew where I was then. He thought to himself. Baralai began to wonder why Isaaru never came to get him, but before letting the thoughts run away with him he quick focused on the present. Isaaru was in the other room and he wanted to see him right away.

Nilla backed away from the entrance, covering her mouth with her tissue hoping not to have caught any stray bacteria as Baralai opened the door. The air inside the room was heavy and it reeked of sickness and decay, making Baralai retch almost instantly, causing him to double over and hold his nose. The steel framed door slammed shut behind him, echoing throughout the four walls.

Gaining his composure finally, he made his way toward his sick friend lying in the bed before him. Baralai wheeled a dusty chair that was by the monitor over to the side of the bed and sat down; his left hand trembled as he picked up Isaaru's cold, clammy one, and he encased it with his right, caressing the top of it gently before raising it up to his lips and kissing it. His tears splashed on the frail fingers and dripped onto the sheets which were dingy and dirty from no one changing them for many months.

"I'm here." Was all Baralai could say, but even that was a barely audible whisper for he was so overcome with emotion. To fathom this withering, lifeless body as being the one of the strapping and handsome man he loved was excruciatingly hard for him. All Baralai did for a good few minutes was sob quietly, continuing to stroke Isaaru's hand and kiss it continually.

That is, until he felt a slight quiver from it.

At first, Baralai dismissed it as his imagination, but with every passing moment the movement began to increase; eventually the bony fingers slowly wrapped themselves around Baralai's hand and squeezed very lightly. Looking into Isaaru's eyes, he can see them trying to shift from the center of the room to make their way to match his. Isaaru's mouth attempted to open, but it took everything he had to do that, and Baralai put a finger to his lips to stop him.

"Don't. You have no strength from being sick." He watched as Isaaru slowly scanned his surroundings and grimaced in pain; the monitor lines that made up his heart beat jumped a fraction before finally settling on a more stable pulse. Inhaling deeply, the air Isaaru exhaled was just enough for him to spit out a small, fractured sentence.

"Wait…ed…f… you"

"I know." Baralai replied. "I'm sorry you had to wait so long. I wish…"

Isaaru shushed him and shook his head; his lips curled up halfway as he attempted a smile. "No… here…now." He coughed, and a trickle of blood made its way out of the corner of his mouth. Baralai pulled a handkerchief out of his shirt pocket and wiped the thick crimson from Isaaru's chin.

"Please, don't talk anymore. We have to conserve your energy so you can get better." He begged, a bit of hope in his tone. Isaaru finally smiled; a tear escaped out of a crack in his eye and hit the pillow underneath.

"Too… late… for me. One thing… though." His breathing became slower, and he struggled for air. The one thing he didn't do was lose his focus on Baralai; he stared at him intensely making his best efforts to stay alert.

"What is it?" Baralai choked, caressing Isaaru's cheek, tucking stray strands of his hair behind his ear for him. "Anything."

Isaaru coughed again, his eyes filled with fear as he tried to catch his breath. He was able to get out his request but barely.

"Want… hold… you. P-please."

Standing up immediately, Baralai got up from the chair and sat on the bed, very gingerly lifting Isaaru upwards to a sitting position. He then wrapped his arms aroundthethin figure, feeling the bedsores through the hospital gown that appeared from him never being moved. Isaaru could only rest his head on Baralai's shoulders, unable to support it on his own. With all he had left, Isaaru lifted his arms up as well, embracing Baralai as tightly as he could. He drew in more air and exhaled his final words successively.

"Thank… you…"

In that instant, Baralai felt Isaaru go limp, and his hands released,falling tothe bed. The monitor let out a continuous beep; a straight line replaced the jagged little peaks that were there just minutes before.

"You're free." He whispered, stroking the back of Isaaru's head with one hand, and holding him close with the other.