Chapter 7

Aaron ran through the thick overgrown forest of Kilka Forest back the way he'd came before. His muscles were aching from the now added weight of his armour and sword. His forehead was slick with sweat and his breaths came in short ragged gasps. His hands were shaking from his earlier violence towards the ghosts of the warrior monks. He had never been comfortable with Yevon and he knew it but he didn't know it would only take the mere sight of them to snap his temper. He looked down at Rikku's broken knife tucked into her scarf he was now wearing as a sash and shuddered. He didn't mind fighting or killing, conflict was all over Spira and he had fought in dozens of them for money. What chilled him was how good it felt but how very unfulfilling. It unnerved him how much he wanted to see those figures bleed, how much he wanted their bodies to slump at his feet. He looked ahead and a cold sweat took him. He shook his head and shakily ran forward his breaths were shuddered and the more his thoughts turned to what he had wanted in the village. He fell forward to all fours and threw up. His violent desires genuinely sickened him. He coughed heavily into his glove and rested his head on the cool, damp earth.

Taking a few breaths he sat up he collapsed against a tree stump when a gloved hand patted his shoulder. "I know what you did. I'm impressed that you've come so far, why you even proved the validity of my decision." Aaron jumped to his feet and reached to grab his sword only to have his fathers hands grab his wrists in an unbreakable steel grasp. "I'm not here to fight you yet. I only want to talk, to see who you've become over the years..." Auron reached up and stroked Aaron's hair. "So you'll listen and I'll talk. Rikku isn't dead, your efforts aren't in vain but you must hurry!" He spoke quickly as he found himself ever more eager to leave this bubble of tension, fear, regret and hatred that the pair were submerged in. Aaron looked him in the eye and snarled, pushing his chest forward then leaning back to have some breathing space. "Talk but be quick, you weren't interested in me all my life, I'm disgusted by your attention now." Auron let out a frustrated sigh and brought his hand down hard onto Aarons face and the boy fell to his back. "I knew you'd hate me for what I did. I can't say I blame you given how incomplete your recollection of that night is." He knelt by him, pressing his kneecap down onto his neck "She is in a bad place and her spirit won't hold out. I can go anywhere and can keep my eye on her for you but she wants to be saved." As Aaron coughed and struggled beneath him he sped up his words, to assure him the discomfort was coming to an end, his best way to pacify the little boy who'd become a tortured child who'd become a strong man. "In time when we may be civil to one another we may align our interests for a greater goal. It seems that something from my world has planted something inside you, and it will blossom into a power so great and terrible it may bring Spira to it's knees but for now my son seeing as we are still at odds..." He stood upright ad much needed air flooded Aaron's searing throat. "It's time for me to go..." He turned on his heel and headed towards the sun. Massaging his throat Aaron leapt to his feet and threw the knife, only for a bright light to fill his vision.

When it cleared he was knelt on the temple steps and his knife was buried into a tree trunk nearby. Grumbling he walked over and pulled it out as the sound of three, familiar voices rode on the wind into his ears. His heart heavy and his brain fried in puzzle he shook his head and began descending the stairs. At the bottom Tidus, Paine and Yuna were gathered, Tidus wolf whistled jokingly whilst there was a distinct hint of admiration in Paine and Yuna's eyes for his appearance. Yuna nudged him playfully in his side as he took his place between her and Paine, and she then smiled in a very motherly way "You look very handsome like that." She peered to his armored gauntlets and raised his arm to examine his clan symbol. "What's the T stand for?" As he opened his mouth to speak, much to his bewildered delight it was Paine who answered for him. "Takashi. They used to be a clan here but for some reason or another they vanished. It looks like Aaron is a clan heir." Yuna looked bewildered but Aaron had suspicion in his eyes "How do you know that? We kept ourselves to ourselves." She smirked and raised he sword, she angled it to catch the light and inside the skulls eye sockets were the same symbols. "The sword was handed down to me by my teacher, he told me the story of his teacher who had heard it from a Takashi clan member he had saved from drowning in the Moonflow years and years ago." He smirked "It seems we got around a lot at one point. I didn't know that." Yuna smiled "Well they do say Kilika boys are tough and have the best hair." She smiled and wrapped her arm round Tidus' waist then kissed his cheek "I prefer my boys blonde." One of her rare chuckles escaped Paine as she put an arm jokingly on Aaron's shoulder "I prefer my men with black hair." Even despite the hardships of his day and the chilling meeting with his father Aaron laughed. "I'm the more preferable option to the hard to please. High praise indeed." His smile faded. "Please tell me you found the sphere..." Tidus nodded and showed him the blue orb. "It was hard and Paine got poisoned but we got it. What's the plan now? Ambush him?"

The hair on the back of Aaron's neck stood up and he knew the party was being observed. It was now or never and he had t play it carefully. Rikku was in no danger, his father had said she was alive, what was the issue was would the news of them searching be enough to lift her spirits. His inner gambler said yes. "No, he said to leave the sphere. He's holding all the cards just now, if we freak him out and he drops 'em, the game is over. We'll follow his instructions. Bury the sphere in front of the first step and we'll go." The others nodded slowly as Tidus followed the instructions relayed to him. "I hope you're right about this." Aaron nodded to him "Don't worry. He's testing us to see if we'll try anything stupid. He's in control of the situation and he's trying to confirm it. We'll let him." They all nodded and left silently, tension flooding them as from the corner of his vision Aaron saw a hooded figure sweep over and unearth the sphere. He knew the others had seen it too and would act only if he did. That's why his neck and face ached as he fought the better part of him that wanted him to turn and throw the knife on his waist. As the trees thinned and the town came into sight they all let out a collective sigh. "Let's go for a drink while we wait on the Celsius." Aaron didn't say a word as he headed down one of the wooden paths to the same bar they had been patrons at that fateful afternoon. The group even occupied the same table and he buried his face in the crook of his arm whilst his other hand curled into a fist on his thigh. A cool hand took his and without thinking he held it tightly, needing the comfort of an empathetic person. When he looked down he saw both hands were clad in black leather. He didn't want to say anything but his whole being was grateful. He buried his head in the crook of his arm, only millimetres out of his peripheral vision, Paine blushed as red as her eyes but refused to release his hand.

End of Chapter 7.

A/N: I know this was long overdue but I'm back from my break from this. I've worked out how to re-write this to make this the kind of story I want it to be.