Author's Note: Final Fantasy X and X-2 are owned and created by Square Enix. I take no credit in creating the characters or world in either games. I have, however, created characters of my own in this story and do take credit for them.

Ironsight lay on the top of Besaid's temple, his sniper rifle set with the stand out. He fired bullet after bullet in quick succession, felling one fiend after the next, sounding off an ever increasing number in his head. After every twelve shots, the sniper would drop an empty clip from the sniper rifle and would have a full one loaded and ready to go as the now empty magazine could hit the stone he was laying on. His right eye gazing though a scope, the crosshair setting on one fiend for no more than a few seconds before a shot was fired and the sniper moved to his next target. The few fiends that had made it past Ironsight's attacks encountered Sarge. The large man wielded his twin shotguns with great ease, blasting apart any fiend that he saw. Occasionally, one would attempt to pounce on Sarge and bring him down. They were met with a powerful blow from one of Sarge's fists, sending the fiend back to the ground and into a cluster of pyreflies. Behind Sarge, Besaid's temple was being filled with the civilians seeking refuge. Beclem barked orders to his soldiers who were dealing with the rare fiends that miraculously made it past Ironsight and Sarge. In the vicinity were Rikku, Yuna, and Tidus, the latter two of which were armed. Yuna now had on her half-skirt and utility belt, carrying ammo and a second pistol identical to the one she was holding in her hands. Tidus held his blue-bladed sword in his right hand, ready to cut down any fiend. Alongside them was Wakka and Ace. Wakka made sure those who needed to get into the temple got in, and Ace stood silently, observing the situation as it unfolded, one pistol gripped in his hands.

Tidus watched in awe as Sarge and Ironsight destroyed a majority of the village's attackers. "Holy crap..." muttered Tidus. The blitzball star looked over at Ace, who was watching as the few fiends that approached the temple were dealt with by Beclem and a group of fighters. Ace caught Tidus's gaze out of the corner of his eye and looked over. "Those guys are... something else." commented Tidus. Ace shrugged. Tidus continued, asking, "So, what are you? Their handler?" Ace chuckled looking back towards the entrance of the village. "Eh... You could say that. I'm more.... the guy who makes the plans." Ace replied, smiling. Rikku looked over at Ace. "So, what does that make this little group of ours?" she asked. "The last line of defense." replied Ace, looking over at Rikku. "I wouldn't worry about it, though. As long as those two are still going, we should be able to fight off the rest of those beasts." Ace continued. Yuna nodded. "We've got all of the villagers in the temple, so we don't have to worry about anyone getting hurt." said Yuna. Ace looked over at Yuna then back towards the entrance to village. "We shouldn't have to worry about anything right now." said Ace. "But, part of my job is to keep on my toes. I suggest that you all do the same, because you never know what may happen in a fight." Ace added.

Wakka, while holding his blitzball under his arm, looked at Ace. "You sound like you've been in a lot of fights, brudda." commented Wakka. Ace smiled. "More than most. I've had experience as a soldier and as a pilot. My expertise though is strategy." said Ace. "I've lead plenty of troops into a fight, so I know my way around the war room, so to say." he added. Yuna looked over, impressed. "You've lead troops before? Wow. You must be very skilled for someone your age." she said. Ace chuckled slightly. "I must say, though. It is an honor to defend this place with a legendary summoner and three of her guardians." said Ace. Yuna smiled. "Nice to think that there are still people out there that think highly of me." she commented. Ace chuckled. "Seems to me that you've left that life behind you, though. I can understand that." said Ace, watching Sarge and Ironsight wreck havoc on the advancing fiends. "There's only so long that people can live a life of adventure." After saying that, Ace looked over at Sarge. "Then again, there are certain exceptions." he added.

Beclem looked back at Ace, Yuna, and her companions. He scoffed. "Lady Yuna, why aren't you defending your home with the rest of us?" he asked as he slew a fiend. Before Yuna had a chance to respond, Ace interrupted. "Would you shut the hell up?" Ace snapped, looking at Beclem Beclem shot a glare at Ace. "Who the hell are you to talk to me like that?" he retorted to Ace. Ace shook his head. "Someone who knows well enough not to talk to a savior the way you did." Ace replied. "I think if anyone here has the right to do so, Lady Yuna has the right to be lazy. Especially after saving worthless assholes like yourself." continued Ace. Beclem growled. "We'll settle this later." he said. Ace smiled, saying, "I look forward to it." Beclem walked back up to the local militia defending the temple as Ace shook his head. "I'm guessing he has a decent amount of clot in this village." he asked, turning towards Yuna and Wakka. Wakka scoffed. "More than he should have, brudda." Wakka responded. Ace shook his head, looking disappointed as he did so. Yuna looked over at Ace. "Um... You didn't need to do that. I don't even know your name." she said. Ace shook his head, smiling. "Maybe not, but people such as yourself and your guardians deserve a certain amount of respect." Ace responded. He turned his head towards the entrance of the village, seeing Sarge still battling a wave of fiends. "We'll introduce ourselves a little later, just as soon as we get done with these invaders." said Ace. "Sarge," he said into his radio. "Anyway we can end this soon? I'm betting-"

Before Ace was able to finish his sentence, he caught motion out of the corner of his eye. With lightning-quick reflexes, he spun and shot his handgun, penetrating a canine-like fiend in the head with a single bullet. He looked around the nearby brush and could hear rustling in the bushes. Tidus, Wakka, Rikku, and Yuna tensed up, ready for battle. "Damn!" cursed Ace as fiends began to creep out from the foliage surrounding the temple. Ace drew his second pistol, saying into his radio, "Sarge! The temple's surrounded! We've got a lot of contacts here!" Ace began firing on the fiends around the temple, as did Yuna. Wakka bounced his blitzball off of multiple fiends, repelling as many as he could. Tidus jumped down from the steps of the temple and charged a nearby fiend, showing his opponent that his swordsmanship had not decayed. Rikku leapt down with Tidus and attacked the advancing fiends with strikes from her daggers and occasional well placed kicks.

Sarge looked back and saw a swarm of fiends around the temple. He slung one of his shotguns over his shoulder and reached under his jacket with his free hand, drawing out two grenades. Putting the pins of both in his mouth, he yanked the grenades away from his mouth, leaving the metal pins clenched in his teeth. He then turned and launched the grenades at the entrance to the village, causing two large explosions and killing multiple fiends. "Alright, Ace. I'm coming." he said calmly as he ran back towards the temple, spitting the pins of the grenades on to the ground. The explosions caused a small lull in the waves. Ironsight observed the destruction and could see more fiends coming from the hill overlooking the village. Ironsight gritted his teeth. "Calling for Sarge in a time of need?" he muttered. "Well... I'm here too!" As those words left his mouth, everything around Ironsight began to slow down while he sped up. He could see fiends charging towards the village through the smoke left from the explosions. After the next wave of fiends began to appear, Ironsight began to fire, his rate of fire dramatically increased compared to earlier in the battle. Fiend after fiend fell from a single bullet as Ironsight rained down hell from on top of the temple.

The sword Brotherhood carved through Tidus's enemies as he fought next to Wakka. "Just like old times, right Wakka?" he said in between swings of his sword. Wakka couldn't help but smile. "That's right, brudda!" he said as he caught his blitzball, which had just bounced back from a bird-like fiend. Gunshots from four handguns came from the temple steps as Ace and Yuna defended from a distance. Rikku slashed through a lizard-like fiend, breathing heavily as she resumed a fighting stance. "Haven't had a workout like this in a while." she said. The melee halted as Ace shot down a flying fiend. The five looked around the temple steps and saw more and more appear from under the brush nearby. As they began to engage in combat again, something charged from out of the bushes. Leaping out of the trees, Sarge landed on a canine-like fiend, crushing it underneath his feet. Pulling out his shotguns, a chain of distinct "booms" rang out as Sarge took out multiple fiends in mere seconds. Ace, Tidus, Wakka, Rikku, and Yuna ran over to the other side of the temple and engaged the fiends there. Not far from them, Beclem and the village's militia combated the fiend that had made it past Ironsight.

Beclem saw a shadow spread on the ground. He looked up and saw a gigantic, grotesque bird. It let out a shriek as it swooped down upon Beclem and the militia. The militia ran past Beclem as the warrior ushered them back to the temple. Standing amongst pyreflies, Sarge saw the bird and grinned. "I've got the garuda." he said into his radio as he began to walk towards the fiend, putting his shotguns back on his back as he reached for his sawn-off. The garuda landed down on the ground and shrieked towards the temple. Sarge shook his head. "Hey! I'm over here!" he yelled, aiming his gun at the fiend. No more than ten feet away, Sarge pulled the trigger of his gun, firing both barrels. The sound from this gun was more like that of a cannon being fired than a shotgun. Two shotgun slugs grazed the garuda's head as it cried out. Sarge broke open the shotgun, ejecting the shells of both barrels and replacing them before flicking his wrist and snapping the shotgun closed. The garuda turned its gaze on Sarge and let out another shriek. Sarge grinned. "Oh? Hungry?" he mocked. Sarge ran at the garuda. The garuda tried pecking at Sarge, who dodged the attacks. Sarge ran under it's body, punching it in the gut with his left hand. The impact of Sarge's fist robbed the garuda of any air that it had in its lungs as it let out a very odd gasping noise. Sarge kept low, ducking under its tail. He spun around and jumped on the garuda's back.

The fiends around the temple were no more. Ace looked on as Sarge assaulted the garuda, as did those near him. The garuda began to shake violently, trying to get this assailant off its back. Sarge reached the head of the garuda. His left hand gripping the feathers near the neck, Sarge pulled his right hand up, gripping his sawn-off shotgun. Another thunderous boom rang out as Sarge fired his gun, sending two shotgun slugs ripping through the neck of the garuda. The fiend reared back, shrieking again. Seizing the opportunity, Sarge holstered his sawn-off shotgun and drew a canister from under his jacket. He hoisted himself up to the fiend's head and jammed the canister into it's mouth, pulling his hand out of the way just before the garuda snapped its mouth shut. Sarge clamped his hands on the fiend's beak. The fiend struggled against Sarge's grasp before swallowing the canister. Sarge punched the fiend in the head before dropping down to the ground and stepping away. The garuda, turned its head towards Sarge, who was now holding a detonator. The fiend was allowed one final shriek before Sarge pressed his thumb down on the detonator. The garuda exploded in a cloud of pyreflies, which drifted off into the skies.

Sarge looked back at the entrance of the village, glaring at the few fiends remaining. At this time, Ironsight's perception of the world had sped back up. He was a little winded but no worse for wear. Sarge grinned at the fiends, who spun around and dashed back into the wilderness. The heavily armed man chuckled to himself. "I think they're all gone, Ace." Sarge said into his radio. Ace nodded. "I can see that. Good job, guys." replied Ace, holstering his pistols. Tidus looked over at Ace. "Wow. You guys do good work." he said in amazement. Wakka nodded, still looking over at Sarge. "Ya. I haven't seen anyone handle a fiend like that guy did." Wakka commented. Ace smiled. Ironsight began to move from his perch, gathering all of the empty clips scattered around him and putting them back into his messenger bag. Sarge walked up to the group at the temple and drew a cigar from his jacket, as well as his wick lighter, which was a moss green with the chevrons of a master sergeant on it. "You guys are easily impressed." Sarge said to the group at the temple. Ace laughed at this, then looked over at the residents of Besaid. "I guess that means we should introduce ourselves." he said.

Sarge clenched the cigar in his teeth and flicked the flint of his wick lighter, setting the wick aflame. Then, from inside the temple, screaming could be heard. All eyes, but Ironsight's turned to the temple. Ace, with a concerned tone in his voice asked, "Sarge?" Sarge snapped his lighter shut and put both it and the cigar back in his jacket. The villagers who had sought out refuge in the temple were now pouring out from the door, fleeing for their lives. Those on the temple steps stood ready for whatever was going to follow the villagers, their weapons drawn. Ironsight saw people running back out into the village. "What the hell's going on down there?" asked Ironsight, speaking into his radio. As the last of the villagers fled, the temple began to shake as though something was pounding at the walls trying to get out. As Ironsight was climbing down, the shaking loosened his grip on the stone. With one hand still grasping the stone, his gun on his back. Ace looked up. "You all right?" he yelled up, seeing Ironsight dangling from the wall. Ironsight nodded, trying to get his footing back. As he did, the stone shook again, knocking the sniper from the wall and sending him to the ground, Ironsight landed on his stomach, being careful not to land on his gun. Groaning for a moment, Ironsight stood up and looked back at the temple, which was now violently shaking, parts of the walls falling off. Ace, looked up towards the temple, then began to cautiously back away from the temple. "I think we should get away from here... It looks like this place is about to come down." he said, drawing both of his pistols. Slowly, the others began to do the same. In the distance, Beclem could be heard shouting at the militia to protect the villagers.

With one more powerful push, the temple began to crumble, and something flew from the stone and into the sky. It was a magnificent creature with leathery wings and feathers on its back and neck. It had avian features, including a beak and feet with razor sharp talons. Adorning the creature's wings and body were multiple golden rings. From the creature's emergence, the temple crumbled, showering the temple steps with chunks of stone. Those on the steps attempted to dodge the falling debris. Sarge was clear of the debris, and Ace was able to dive out of the way. However, the others were not so fortunate, as they were showered with the stone chunks. Yuna and Tidus lay next to each other, pulling themselves from the wreckage. Wakka stood up after being struck with the falling stone and began to move towards the villagers. Rikku groaned, laying on the ground. "Not again." she muttered. Ironsight lay amongst the stone before pulling himself up again. The creature wailed out as it hovered over the temple. Sarge and Ace looked up at the creature. "What the hell is that?" asked Ace, raising his pistols up and aiming at the creature. Sarge shook his head and followed suit. "Nothing friendly." he responded. The two opened fire on the creature, hitting it with bullets and shotgun slugs.

The creature let out a shriek of pain. Yuna heard the cry and looked up. Gazing upon the creature, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly. Tidus looked up as well and had a similar reaction to Yuna's. He spoke, saying, "Yuna., is that-" "Valefor" Yuna said, cutting off Tidus. Valefor cried out in pain as Ace and Sarge shot the Aeon repeatedly. It beat its wings and began to fly, circling around Ace and Sarge, who were backing away from the temple into the center of the village, which was devoid of any villagers. Valefor screeched as it was struck with bullet after bullet fired by Sarge and Ace. It flew farther away from the two before spinning around and going into a dive. Ace and Sarge reloaded their firearms, dropping four clips on the ground and speedily replacing them with loaded ones. Sarge and Ace continued firing as Valefor drew closer, raising its talons and preparing to snatch them up. In the split second before it could, Sarge launched himself to the side and slammed into Ace, flinging Ace to the side as Sarge was grabbed by Valefor. Ace looked up as Valefor flew back up into the sky, trying to see what happened to Sarge. After gaining his bearings, Sarge aimed his shotguns at Valefor. Valefor, however, saw this and shook Sarge violently. Sarge kept his guns in his grasp however, and tried to aim as Valefor shook him. Seeing that this wasn't working, Valefor lifted Sarge up slightly and pecked at him.

Immediately, Sarge dropped his shotguns and grabbed the aeon's beak. Sarge pushed the beak to the side and began to wail on the beast with his bare hands, managing to land a punch to the aeon's eye. "You want something to eat too?" said Sarge. Valefor reared back, preparing to peck at Sarge again. Seeing this opportunity, Sarge reached up as far as he could and punched the aeon in the throat with a quick jab. Valefor hovered in the air, gagging. Sarge quickly reached back and drew his sawn-off shotgun in his right hand. Valefor's gaze returned to Sarge and it pecked at Sarge again. Sarge swung at Valefor and connected with a left hook to the aeon's head, diverting the aeon's attack. The aeon dropped a bit, dazed from Sarge's punch. Sarge aimed his sawn-off shotgun at Valefor's head and fired, a thunderous boom preceding two slugs striking Valefor The aeon shrieked in pain again. Tidus and Yuna stood up. "Yuna. What is Valefor doing here? I thought the aeons were gone!" he said. Yuna shook her head. "I don't know..." she replied. Rikku looked up. "Whoa!" she exclaimed upon seeing Valefor. Ironsight looked up and drew his rifle. Taking aim, he saw Sarge in the creature's grasp and lowered his gun, gritting his teeth. "Dammit..." he grunted. Ace looked over at Ironsight, who took aim again and rested his finger on the trigger, waiting for the right moment.

Valefor began to fly up higher as Sarge lashed out on whatever he could reach with his bare hands. Sarge struck the aeon with fist after fist, but Valefor would not loosen its grasp. Ace shook his head as he looked up at the sight, grimacing as he did. "That's... really high up." he said. Ace turned his head to Ironsight who still had his gun aimed at the aeon. "Think you could make the shot?" Ace asked. Ironsight remained silent, studying his target. Yuna, Rikku, and Tidus watched along. Rikku swallowed a lump in her throat. "That's not gonna end well for either of them." she said. Ace looked over at Rikku and then back up at Valefor. "I wouldn't be so sure. A fall from that high might hurt him, but it won't kill him." he responded. Yuna and Tidus remained silent as they took in the spectacle. Sarge buried his fist in the creature's body another time, striking it just below its breast. Valefor gasped for air dropping in altitude slightly, waving its head to the side. A single gunshot rang out as Ironsight pulled the trigger, shooting Valefor in the head. Valefor screeched and let go of Sarge, who began to plummet down to a wooded area relatively close to the village. Sarge landed in the trees with a crash, some of the local birds scattering as he did. Valefor ignored its dropped prey and turned its gaze on Yuna. It let out a screech and then reared its head back, a glowing orb of energy in its beak.

"Move!" yelled Yuna. The group scattered quickly as Valefor shot a beam of energy which traveled up the center of the village. After Valefor stopped shooting the beam, the line which the beam drew let out a large explosion, showering the housing to the side with dirt and rocks. Ironsight, Yuna, and Ace rushed back out into the center and opened fire on Valefor. Valefor beat its wings and began to fly again, circling around and diving again. The aeon brought forth its talons ready to snatch up two of its three attackers. As Valefor drew closer, someone rushed out from the sides. As the two crossed paths, a flash of steel and a shriek from Valefor indicated that the aeon had been attacked. Valefor flew up as far as it could, nearly ramming into the ruins of the temple. Yuna looked back at the person who had attacked Valefor. It was a woman, slightly taller than Yuna herself. She had red eyes and short silver hair. Her outfit was one of black leather and metal. It exposed her midriff and the upper part of her torso and included a pair of heeled boots, a red belt adorned with small metal trinkets, and elbow-length gloves. Around her neck, the woman wore a black choker and a barbed wire necklace that had a pendant of sort hanging from it. Gripped in her hands was a black sword with a shining silver edge. Carved at the base of the blade was a skull surrounded by swords. Yuna couldn't help but smile as she immediately recognized her friend. "Paine!" she yelled. Rikku's eyes widened, as did her smile. Paine shot a faint smile at Yuna and Rikku, then looked up at Valefor, her smile fading. "Looks like we've got to put this thing down again." she said. Ace nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We're not sure how to do it, though." commented Ace as Valefor began to circle around again.

Yuna looked up. "Here she comes!" she yelled as Valefor went into another dive. "Try to ground her!" said Ace as he and Ironsight let loose another barrage of fire from his pistols, firing at Valefor's wings. Seeing this, Yuna followed suit and aimed for the wings. Rikku, Tidus, and Paine readied themselves, waiting to strike at the aeon should it come within their reach. Valefor drew closer, and its speed had not reduced. The group on the ground dove out of the way as Valefor swept down upon them, grasping for someone it could reach. Its efforts were in vain, as Yuna and company had all avoided their winged assailant. Valefor turned around in mid-air flapping its wings and hovering slightly above the ground. Yuna studied Valefor as she and her comrades stood up. The aeon was covered with wounds, though it didn't seem too affected by it. Ace aimed his pistols at Valefor immediately. "Wait." said Yuna. Ace looked at her then looked back at the aeon. Tidus looked over at his lover. "Yuna?" he asked. Yuna walked a bit closer to Valefor, studying the aeon. Valefor let out a screech as Yuna drew closer, stopping her in her tracks. "She's.... she's in pain." Yuna said. Ace scoffed, saying, "Anything that gets punched by Sarge usually is." Valefor and Yuna made eye contact for one brief moment, and the aeon then beat its wings again and flew over the temple, towards the nearby edge of the island.

Tidus looked over at Yuna. "Yuna, what should we do?" he asked. Yuna looked up at Valefor. "I know what must be done." she said. Yuna reached into a pouch on her belt, drawing out a white sphere. Tidus looked in confusion, but Rikku recognized it, saying "That's..." The Al Bhed girl trailed off as a white light enveloped Yuna. Yuna floated above the ground, covered in white light. A giant purple, red, and yellow flower bloomed behind her as she reappeared, her clothing replaced with white garments. Three blue orbs floated over he head as she looked up at Valefor. "Floral Fallal." she said. The three orbs glowed and fired off a barrage of glowing balls of energy, each a different color. The barrage swarmed Valefor, who began to shriek in pain again as it was struck with magic attacks of all elements. Fire, lightning, water, and ice all struck the aeon. After the last of the balls struck Valefor, the aeon began to fall out into the ocean, dispersing into a cloud of pyreflies as it fell, disappearing completely before it hit the water.

A flash of light returned Yuna to her previous attire. The flower and orbs had vanished, and Yuna was on the ground, on her knees, breathing heavily. Tidus dropped his sword and rushed to Yuna's side, dropping to his knees and putting his arms around her. "Yuna? Are you all right? What was that?" he asked. Yuna simply smiled. Paine and Rikku looked at each other. "Good to see you, Dr. P!" she chirped, grinning. Paine shook her head, a slight smile spreading across her lips. "Good to see some things never change." she said. Ace holstered his pistols and spoke into his radio. "Sarge, you still there?" Ace asked. Sarge replied, "I think I've got a splinter... or ten. Where's that flying thing?" "Yuna managed to take it down." replied Ace, looking over at Yuna and Tidus. "All right. On my way to the village." said Sarge. Ironsight stretched a bit. "That was a nice little skirmish." he commented, walking towards the temple. "Shame that had to happen, though." he said, looking over the ruins of the temple. As he looked over the debris, he saw a small glimmer coming from something nestled in the stone. Not saying anything, Ironsight slung his gun onto his back and stepped onto the debris, moving a bit farther before he began to toss small chunks of stone to the side. Ace caught movement in the corner of his eye and looked over to see Ironsight digging through rubble. He climbed up the debris to where Ironsight was, saying, "Find something?" Hearing this, Rikku and Paine looked over to the sight and watched as the two men dug through the temple ruins.

The villagers began to filter out from their cover from the standing houses still in the village. They were looking around, most of them dazed from the ordeal. Wakka walked out towards Yuna, seeing her on the ground with Tidus beside her. "Whoa. You two okay?" he asked. Yuna nodded. "I... just haven't fought like that in a while." she responded, slightly winded. Tidus, though not breathing as heavily as Yuna, was slightly fatigued as well. " Yeah. We haven't had a lot of battles like that since Yuna was on her pilgrimage." Tidus said, still clinging to Yuna. She began to rise to her feet, and Tidus followed suit. Wakka nodded. "True. Looks like we're going a little soft around here, ya?" he said, smiling. The three couldn't help but chuckle to themselves. From the emerging villagers walked out Lulu, still clutching Vidina. Wakka saw her and rushed over. "Lu, you all right?" he asked. Paine and Rikku watched as Yuna and Tidus recovered, smiling. Rikku looked over at Paine. "So, Paine, what brought you to Besaid? Going to see Yunie?" she asked. Paine nodded. "Yeah." she responded. Paine looked away from Rikku, to which the Al Bhed girl giggled and playfully tapped Paine on her upper left arm. From the village entrance sauntered Sarge, no worse for wear with no visible wounds on his body. He held an unlit cigar in his teeth as he drew out his wick lighter. Sarge flipped open the top and struck the flint, igniting the wick with a spark. Sarge held the flame up to the end of his cigar and took a few puffs, lighting the cigar. Sarge let out a few puffs of smoke before he flicked his wrist, snapping the lighter shut. He looked past the others in the center of the village and to the ruins of the temple. He laughed aloud, saying, "I thought I was the only one who did the heavy lifting."

Ace and Ironsight couldn't hear Sarge's remark. Ironsight suddenly thrust his hand into the rubble and yanked out a teal colored sphere. The sphere let out a dull glow as Ironsight held it. "Found another one." said Ironsight, looking over at Ace. Ace nodded then looked back at Sarge. Ironsight and Ace walked towards the group in the center of the village. As they drew closer, Beclem walked out from the housing, somewhat flustered. "All right. Now that's been taken care of." he grumbled. Beclem walked up to Ace, leaving only inches of distance between the two. "Who the hell are you to talk to me like that?" he demanded. Ace shook his head. "We were in the neighborhood and thought the people of the village could use some help." responded Ace. Ace stared at Beclem, asking, "Who are you to talk to Lady Yuna like you did?" A stern expression spread on Beclem's face. "I'm the one who has turned the blitzball team and any others I could find into decent warriors." responded Beclem. Sarge looked around. "We can give him that, Ace." said Sarge. He then added, "Despite the fact that this man is disrespectful bastard." Beclem turned, glaring at Sarge. Wakka looked over at Beclem. "Hey, brudda, you should back off a bit, ya? These strangers helped defend our village." he said Beclem scoffed. "We're strong enough that we don't need the assistance of a mindless grunt, a sub-par tactician, and a mediocre sharpshooter." he said, pointing at Sarge, Ace, and Ironsight respectively. Sarge shook his head, as did Ace, but Ironsight wore a look of shock upon hearing this. Beclem turned to look back at Ace, but was startled as he heard a single gunshot ring out into the air. Beclem's headgear flew off to the side as he stumbled. The villagers jumped at the sound and sight. Beclem frantically looked around and was met by Ironsight, who swung his leg back and swung it forward, kicking Beclem in the groin with all his might. Beclem screamed in pain as he immediately dropped to his knees. Ironsight tossed up his sniper rifle, spinning it in mid-air and catching the barrel in both hands. Then, swinging his rifle like a golf club, smashed Beclem in the face with butt of his rifle. Beclem fell backwards, unconscious as he hit the ground. Ironsight spun his gun around and held it properly. Ironsight looked at Ace and Sarge, then walked away, not saying a word to anyone. All eyes were on the unconscious Beclem. Finally, Ace broke the silence. He looked at Sarge and said, "That's something I'd expect from you, Sarge." "That's something I wanted to do, Ace." replied Sarge. The residents of Besaid remained silent upon viewing the spectacle. Rikku and Paine remained silent as well.

Yuna looked up at the temple and sighed. Tidus looked up as well. "That thing got completely destroyed." said Tidus. Yuna walked up to the temple steps and looked over the rubble. Though it was a symbol of a religion that wasn't practiced anymore, it was where Yuna had began her pilgrimage to become a summoner. This was where she obtained her first aeon, and where she met her love. Tidus walked up next to her and looked at the rubble, then laced his hand with hers. Ace broke the silence again. "So... uh... is there any place we can sit down for a bit?" he said.

The village of Besaid had become lively once more. On the steps of the now ruined temple sat Tidus, Yuna, Rikku, Paine, Sarge, Ironsight, and Ace. Sarge was still chewing on cigar, Ironsight was looking out towards the waters, and Ace was sitting down, holding the orb that Ironsight had recovered from the rubble. Sitting around them were Yuna, Rikku, Tidus, and Paine, all of who had recovered from the fatigue induced by the battle. Sarge, Ace, and Ironsight however, showed no signs of fatigue at all. Ace looked at Yuna, Tidus, Rikku and Paine and smiled. "So, allow me to make some introductions." he said. "My name's Ace, this is Sarge, and Ironsight." he said, pointing to Sarge and Ironsight. "We're called the Deadboys." added Ace. This remark registered as a blank stare from Yuna, Rikku, and Tidus, though Paine perked up. Rikku tilted her head to side. "You guys are good fighters. How come we've never heard of you?" she asked. "We take pains not to be heard of." replied Ace. "Why is that?" asked Yuna, looking at Ace. Ace shrugged. "We're trying to keep a low profile while we do our own stuff. I'm sure you can relate, Lady Yuna." replied Ace, smiling. "Please, just call me Yuna." she said to Ace, smiling. Yuna continued, saying, "You already know myself and Rikku. This is Paine," she said, pointing at Paine. Sarge and Ace nodded while Ironsight looked over and looked at Paine. Paine simply nodded as Yuna continued. "And, this is my love." she said, holding Tidus's hand. Sarge looked over. "What's your name?" he asked. "Tidus." replied Tidus. Sarge nodded. "Good. The way she said it was a little ambiguous." Sarge added, puffing his cigar. "So, Tidus was one of your guardians and Paine was a member of the Gullwings, correct?" asked Ace. Yuna nodded, replying, "Yes, that's right." Yuna took a breath and then asked, "So, what brings the three of you to Besaid?"

Sarge reached into his jacket and pulled out the red sphere, which was glowing in his hand. The blue orb that Ace held was glowing, albeit not as bright as the sphere Sarge was holding. "Yuna," began Ace. "I was hoping you might be able to tell us what these were." Yuna looked over and studied the spheres. "They look similar to the spheres that temples used during the pilgrimages to test the summoners." she said. Yuna recognized the colors. The teal sphere was from Besaid and the red sphere was from Kilika. "They look different, though." noted Yuna as she leaned in for a closer look. As Yuna studied the sphere Ace was holding, Tidus looked over at Sarge. "Where did you get these?" he asked. "The one I have we found in Kilika. The other we just found here on Besaid." replied Sarge. Yuna looked at Ace and asked, "Can I hold it?" Ace nodded and handed the sphere to Yuna. As soon as it left Ace's hand, the sphere began to glow brightly. The group around the spheres, looked at the one Yuna was holding. Yuna studied the sphere. "Now... that's interesting." said Ace. Rikku looked at the sphere. "Why does it glow when Yunie holds it?" she asked. Ace shrugged and Yuna didn't respond, her gaze still fixed on the orb. Yuna wracked her brain, trying to think of anything that might explain the spheres, but to no avail.

"The famous summoner drawing a blank?" joked Tidus. Yuna couldn't help but smile. "I've never seen something like this." she replied. Rikku and Paine nodded in agreement. Sarge looked at Yuna. "Is there anywhere we can go to find out a little more about these spheres?" asked Sarge. Yuna thought for a moment. "If we took a look at some of the different temples, we might be able to find something." she said. "We might have the best luck at Bevelle. That was where the church of Yevon was based, so to speak." added Yuna. Yuna turned her head to Rikku. "Rikku, do you think Brother could give us a ride to Bevelle?" she asked. Rikku nodded, replying, "I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem." The Al Bhed girl stood up and walked away from the group, then began to speak into her radio. Tidus tilted his head. " Do you think they'll let us in? The temples are off limits according to Nooj and Baralai." said Tidus. "The former leaders of the Youth League and New Yevon, right?" asked Ace. Yuna nodded. "I'm sure we can talk our way in." said Yuna. "Isn't celebrity status grand?" Sarge remarked.

Rikku walked back over, somewhat distressed. "Doesn't look like we'll be able to get a ride. Buddy told me that father needed the ship for something and we can't use it right now." she said. Yuna looked at Rikku. "Did he say when they could give us a ride?" Yuna asked. Rikku shook her head. "Not for a while." Rikku responded. Ace spoke up. "Well, we have a vehicle parked in Kilika and we have an airship in Luca." he said. Tidus, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine turned their heads to Ace. "You have your own airship?" asked Paine. Ace nodded, smiling. Tidus asked, "Why haven't you guys been flying around?" Sarge responded, "Low profile." Ace nodded, adding, "People would notice our airship flying around." Tidus looked at Yuna. "Feel like stretching your legs, Yuna?" asked Tidus. Yuna nodded. "I think I could stand to get out of Besaid for a bit and see the world again." she responded. Paine smiled. Rikku jumped up and down in joy, throwing her fist up in the air excitedly. "Yay! The Gullwings are back together again!" she yelled happily. Sarge looked up, a thoughtful look on his face. "Looks like the Deadboys, and the Gullwings plus one." he said. Ironsight grinned. Ace smiled, saying, "So, the ferry leaves soon. Grab whatever you need for this little trip."

Ace stood up, Ironsight and Sarge followed suit, and the Deadboys began to walk towards the entrance of the village. Rikku and Paine got up and followed the Deadboys, catching up with them before they left the village. "We'll see you over at the boat, you two." said Paine. Tidus and Yuna stood up and walked towards the housing, searching for Wakka and Lulu. By the time they had, Wakka was assisting the villagers, making sure all of them were still there, and making sure that those that were wounded were getting their wounds treated. Lulu was sitting down, clutching her baby again, rocking him to sleep. She looked up and smiled at Tidus and Yuna. "Ah. Good to see you two are all right." she said. Tidus nodded. "Yeah. We made it through the fight." he said. "I'm glad to see Vidina's all right too." added Yuna. Lulu nodded. "Would you mind thanking that pistol wielding man for me? He made sure I got to Wakka." said Lulu. "Ace helped you out?" asked Yuna. "We'll make sure to tell him." said Tidus, smiling. Yuna looked at Lulu. "Lulu, Tidus and I are going to leave for a little bit. We want to take a trip to Bevelle." explained Yuna. Lulu smiled again, then nodded. "All right. Be careful out there." she said. Yuna smiled. "I'm going to head to my house and then we're heading to the ferry." she said. "I'll make sure to let Wakka know that you'll be gone for a while." added Lulu. Yuna and Tidus smiled at Lulu and then walked off farther into the village.

Near the docks outside of the village, the Deadboys, Rikku, and Paine had sat down, waiting for Tidus and Yuna. Ironsight furrowed his brow, frustrated. "Good god..." he grumbled. "How long is it gonna be 'till those two get here? We've got shit to do." Rikku, Paine, and Ace all looked at Ironsight. "Patience is a virtue, Ironsight. The temple will be there." said Ace. Rikku looked at Paine, who returned her gaze. "So, Paine, what brought you to Besaid?" she asked. "I know you wanted to see Yunie too, but you showed up at a pretty opportune time." Ace looked in on the two as Ironsight stood up and walked over to the beach. Sarge laid back on the sand, puffing a cigar. Paine looked away from both Ace and Rikku. "I had... a dream, I guess." she said, looking at the sand. "A dream? What about?" asked Rikku. Paine paused. "I saw... a woman... with blue skin and hair. She was imprisoned in a gigantic block of ice. I stood in front of it, trying not to shiver from the cold. I heard a woman's voice in my head, saying, 'Go to Besaid.'" said Paine, recalling the dream in her mind's eye vividly. Ace put his thumb and index finger on either side of his jaw. "That sounds familiar..." Ace said. Rikku looked away for a moment. "That sounds like an aeon." she muttered. Paine looked back over at Rikku, as did Ace. "If we can interpret the dream correctly, I'd say one of the aeons is reaching out to you." said Ace. Paine looked over at Ace, asking, "Why would they do that?" Ace shook his head. "Don't know." he responded. "Maybe Yuna could add a little insight to the conversation."

Character Profile -

Tidus -

"The story continues." -Yuna

Class - Warrior / Time Mage

Weapon - Longsword - "Brotherhood"

Overdrive - Swordplay

Spiral Cut

Blitzball Ace

The son of a legendary blitzball player, Tidus aided Yuna in her quest to destroy Sin three years ago. During this journey, he discovered that he was a manifestation of the fayth, and upon Sin's defeat, Tidus faded from existence. Two years later, however, he was revived by the fayth as a gift to Yuna, and has since been spending his time on Besaid. His skills as a blitzball player and a swordsman have not decayed, and he will grab a ball to join in a game or pick up his sword to fight the fiends at a moment's notice.