Update: I came up with titles for the chapters as I have no life. Enjoy!

Chapter 9

The young man led Cid, Braska, Jecht and Auron into the desert, where dozens of Sinspawn had taken over the area.

"Whoa!" Jecht gasped.

"Fa'na hu sydlr vun dras!" the Al Bhed man cried.

"Famm, fa sekrd pa," Braska said. "Zicd cyo dra funt yht fa'mm tacdnuo dras."

"Oui cina?" Cid asked in slight disbelief. "Famm, E yeh'd kuhhy pa dra uha du cdub oui!"

"Let's go!" Braska urged his guardians, and so the three of them spent the next two hours hunting dozens of Sinspawn that were threatening to become the dominant species on Bikanel Island. Cid and the young man mostly observed their battling, being quite ill-equipped for combat of this scale, but were happy to help them slay a monster or two here and there.

By the time the creatures were struck down to the very last one, the Al Bhed leader's face had grown humbler than ever.

"...Dryhg oui," he thanked Braska and his guardians.

"...Oui'na famlusa," Braska replied.

"E'mm ynnyhka y puyd du kad oui du dra syehmyht. Yht…" he turned to Jecht and Auron, "Hey! You guys go with him," he gestured at the young man, "he'll get you a boat. I'll just borrow your summoner for a bit."

Jecht and Auron nodded and went with the young man, while Cid and Braska set off back towards Home.

"...E fyhd du ehdnutila oui du so vysemo."

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As Jecht and Auron reached the docks, the young man immediately went off to find a boat, leaving them to wander around the waterfront and discuss the day's events.

"So, the old grouch was able to forgive him after all," Jecht said with combined joy and amusement.

"Looks like it," Auron admitted.

"I think he always knew his sister married a decent enough fella," Jecht mused. "Was just too stubborn to admit it."

"You're probably right," Auron laughed.

Jecht then took a look around, a thoughtful look on his face.

"How come the Al Bhed live isolated on a barren island like this? Oh, right… 'cause Yevon hates their guts, right?"

Auron nodded.

"Some do live in the mainland among us, most notably the Al Bhed Psyches and their families. But before Shayna, I don't recall seeing any of their kind in Bevelle."

"…They really have it rough."

"…Yes. Luckily they're all about as stubborn as their leader."

"Heh. Runs in the blood, huh?"

Auron was about to respond when he was suddenly distracted by an enormous shadow that they were walking into, and raised his eyes to see a large, ornate ship floating by the docks.

"…Hold on. Is that…?"

"Is that what?" Jecht echoed, turning to look where Auron looked.

"One of the official ships of the Yevon clergy. The high priest's ship!"

"What?" Jecht exclaimed.

"We have to find Braska, quick!"

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Meanwhile, Cid had led Braska back into his house, where for the first time the summoner was truly welcome. Braska was just lifting Rikku high into the air, smiling as the little girl laughed a bell-like laugh, when he felt it was time for him to go.

"Dryhg oui vun ymmufehk sa du saad dras... yd maycd uhla," Braska said gratefully.

Cid nodded with something of a smile on his face.

"Famm, E cruimt pa kuehk," Braska noted. "Vynafamm, yht dryhg oui vun ajanodrehk."

Braska was already at the door, when Cid addressed him once more.

"Rao - oui damm Yuna du caag sa uid ev cra ajan haatc ramb."

Braska turned around, his surprised look soon melting into a smile as he gazed at the happy little family.

"…E femm damm ran."

With that, he saw himself out, hearing Cid mutter to himself, "Pycdynt pnuga so huca..."

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The summoner made his way outside, into the desert and started heading towards the docks.

Scarcely had he even set off, however, when he discerned two familiar-looking figures approaching. The sun obscuring his vision, he unconsciously deemed them to be Auron and Jecht, before the figures properly began to take shape – the shapes of the high priest Aldric and his daughter Adanna, followed by a pair of soldiers.

"Well, well, well," Aldric sneered, "if it isn't the fugitive summoner. Where are your guardians?"

Braska lifted his staff to defend himself, but was surprised by a third soldier from behind, who grabbed the staff and threw it to the ground. A fourth one also appeared, and they proceeded to seize him.

"I knew you'd come here sooner or later to associate with your beloved Al Bhed," the priest gloated at the ill-fated summoner.

"What will you accomplish by imprisoning me?" Braska asked calmly.

"…Justice," Aldric responded icily. For a moment he looked as if he was about to turn back and signal the soldiers to follow him with the prisoner, but then seemed to change his mind.

"Say," he began, giving Braska a malicious grin, "seeing as you went out of your way to bring me on this vermin-inhabited island… it would be terribly rude of me not to send them my regards, would it not?"

Barely able to hide his shock, Braska gave the priest a stern look.

"…No. You have what you came for. They've done nothing to hurt you."

Visibly enjoying the summoner's distress, the priest gestured towards one of the soldiers, "Send for reinforcements and have them take apart that dump they call Home."

"Yes, sir."

"F…father?" an incredulous Adanna spluttered at her father's cruel scheme.

Ignoring his daughter, Aldric turned on his heels and set off towards the docks, the soldiers following in his wake with the highly distraught Braska.

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Jecht and Auron ran frantically through the desert in hopes of finding Braska before the high priest would. They were hardly a stone's throw away from Home when Jecht spotted something on the ground.

"Look!" he exclaimed, pointing ahead.

Sighing in disappointment, Auron picked up Braska's staff.

"…We're too late."

Barely had Jecht yelled "Come on, we can still catch that boat!", when they heard the menacing sound of guns firing from the Al Bhed Home's direction.

"What's that?" Jecht wondered aloud and made his way to the top of the dune to look.

"Jecht…" Auron muttered, not wanting any distractions now that they had to save Braska.

"H-hey!" Jecht exclaimed as he saw the horrifying sight from top of the dune. "The hell's going on down there?"

Auron hurried to his side, only to see a scene of turmoil - the Al Bhed Home under attack by Yevon soldiers. More than a hundred of them had taken over the front door area, and it was anyone's guess how many there were in total. The Al Bhed defended their Home bravely, but were clearly outnumbered, and didn't look like they could hold up against the Yevonites for much longer.

"Come on!" Jecht exclaimed. "We gotta go save them!"

"But… Braska…" Auron hesitated.

"Braska is a big boy, he can take care of himself! These people need saving right here, right now!"

"But…" Auron was about to protest, before his eyes wandered back to the chaotic sight.

"Come on, it's the right thing to do!" Jecht declared and sprinted off, Auron soon following in his wake.

"Get lost, you scum!" Jecht yelled as he charged towards the startled soldiers. The Al Bhed soon saw that he and Auron were on their side, and regained their fighting spirit. By and by, they were able to take down the soldiers at the front door, but one look at the inside was enough to tell them that the Al Bhed were not out of the woods yet.

"Jecht…" Auron began silently as they fought off the soldiers, "Do you think that this attack was meant for us just as much as for the Al Bhed? To distract us from going after Braska?"

"Maybe," Jecht admitted, "but when someone plays foul, there's no way of fighting it. We gotta save these people!"

"…You're right," Auron sighed.

On one of the upper corridors, the two guardians ran into Cid, fighting off three warrior monks to protect his two small children.

"Cid!" Auron called as he and Jecht ran to the Al Bhed leader's aid. "Take your children somewhere safe!"

"We'll chuck these jackasses right outta here, I promise!" Jecht shouted.

"I'm countin' on ya!" Cid shouted back and ran off with Rikku and Brother in his arms.

"There's just too many…" Auron panted as he saw more and more soldiers charging towards them. "And by now, Braska will have…"

"No room for that, now!" Jecht cut him off. "We'll save these people and we'll save Braska! How's that sound?"

Auron nodded.

"Sounds good."

Having taken his son and daughter out of the harm's way, Cid returned to help Auron and Jecht fight off the last of the Yevon soldiers. Afterwards, the three ran through the building to check everything was back in order, and to their relief found that no lives had been lost during the incident.

"So…" Cid then began. "I guess I owe you guys thanks again."

He then cast a questioning look at the two of them.

"…Aren't you missing someone?"

Jecht and Auron were silent.

"Hey. Where's Braska?" Cid demanded.

"…He, he… uh…" Auron spluttered.

"Is he in trouble?"

The silence that followed again spoke for itself, and Cid felt his blood boiling with rage once more.

"Then what are you standing there for? Go and rescue him!"

Auron and Jecht gladly obeyed. As they ran towards the exit, they could hear Cid yelling some unintelligible words in Al Bhed, "Summoners... dyga ouin aoac uvv dras vun y cal yht muug fryd rybbahc…!"

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Auron and Jecht hurried back to the docks, only to see the high priest's ship taking off with Braska on board. His wrists were bound together and arms being held by a pair of soldiers at his sides.

"Lord Braska!" Auron cried.

Hearing Auron's calling, Braska turned his head to see where it had come from. His expression was as serene as always, but Auron could only groan in desperation.

Braska then mouthed the word "Home?" to ask if they had managed to subdue the attack. Just before he was taken away by the soldiers, he could see Jecht giving a thumbs-up to answer affirmatively.

"Alright," Jecht roared furiously, "that kid better have arranged us a boat by now!"

After some searching, Jecht and Auron found the young man on a nearby dock scrutinizing a simple, wooden boat. The high priest's ship had already sailed far away into the horizon.

"Heey! That boat about ready?" Jecht asked impatiently.

"What's going on?" the Al Bhed man asked.

"Some Yevon clowns kidnapped our summoner, that's what!"

"We need to take off, immediately," Auron said as calmly as he could.

"I understand," the young man nodded and gestured towards the boat. "Please."

The two of them hopped on board.

"Tell Cid thank you for us," Auron requested.

"I will," the young man promised. "Farewell, and good luck!"

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The high priest's ship had already disappeared from sight when the guardians set sail, and Auron was in low spirits.

"…I've failed… I've failed as a guardian," he sighed in despair.

"Come on, you can't go giving up now!" Jecht exclaimed.

"But what can we do? They're bound to reach Bevelle before us. They will throw him in prison, and that will be it."

"What d'ya mean, 'that'll be it'?" Jecht yelled. "What happened to getting him safely to Zanarkand, no matter who's against us?"

"But I… we…" Auron spluttered.

"No buts! If we can't catch up with them, so what? Once we reach Bevelle, we'll take that prison apart stone by stone if we have to!"

Auron looked up at him, worried but somewhat encouraged.

"…You're right. You're right, Jecht."

Some time later, Jecht ventured to change the subject.

"Hey – that girl we saw in Luca, the priest's daughter – 's she the one you were supposed to marry?"

Auron nodded.

"Adanna always obeyed her father in everything… but I never imagined she'd buy a lie as obvious as this. I always harboured something of a respect for her… to tell the truth, if it hadn't been for Lord Braska, I probably would've gone through with the marriage."

"Seriously?"

Auron nodded again, then continued after a while, "There's one thing I don't understand. I overheard the priest and Adanna talking about Braska's visit to the Fayth before we even left Bevelle. They both condemned his supposed crime, but didn't seem intent on arresting him. Why the sudden change of heart?"

Jecht scratched his head.

"…Hmm."

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Meanwhile on the high priest's ship, Aldric approached Braska with a gloating smirk.

"In vain you are gazing across the sea, Lord Braska. The distance separating you and your guardians is but growing."

Aldric turned his head hoping to see even a hint of despair on Braska's face, but there was no hope of that now that he knew the Al Bhed were saved.

"Who made you do this?" the summoner then suddenly asked.

"I'm sorry?" the priest exclaimed in surprise.

"…I know you have always despised me," Braska responded, then continued after a pause, "But I also know that you, too, wish for the well-being of your daughter more than anything else… so much that you would even rely on a fallen summoner to grant her a peaceful future. So I'm asking you… who persuaded you to arrest me?"

Seeing his superior was at a sudden loss for words, one of the soldiers struck Braska on impulse.

"You ask too many questions, heathen!"

Braska instinctively brought his bound hands to his face, as it had been a rather forceful hit. He then slowly raised his head to face the still speechless priest.

"…It's fine," the summoner stated serenely. "I require no answer. For there is someone here who is not playing their part as they should."

Hearing this, Aldric quickly marched off, leaving the soldiers to hit Braska some more, as if his crime had been that of upsetting their commander.

Intrigued by the scene she had witnessed, Adanna studied the arrested summoner from afar.

"…He's innocent, isn't he?" she said quietly as her father passed her.

"I beg your pardon?" Aldric laughed in disbelief.

"Father, there is no conclusive evidence of his transgression," Adanna reminded. "The look on his face is not one of guilt, it's that of frustration and sorrow."

The high priest chuckled dryly.

"And that is conclusive evidence?"

"Why did you insist on arresting him?" Adanna pressed on.

"…I simply detest the man," Aldric responded plainly. "It's heathens like him that disturb the order of Yevon."

"So let him journey, and you will be rid of him!"

"…He will be made a hero."

"And rightfully so!" Adanna cried and marched up to her father, grabbing his robe with her both fists.

"Since when is Lord Braska's ruin more important to you than the Calm?"

Grunting, the pries freed himself of her grip and strode off.

Gazing after her father, Adanna suddenly spotted someone familiar, walking along the edge of the ship as if in search of something. Braska lifted his gaze to observe the beautiful dark-haired maestress as well.

"Lady Indira!" Adanna called.

Indira raised her eyes.

"Lady Indira, you're supposed to help summoners," Adanna appealed to the maestress. "Please, release Lord Braska! You're above my father in the Yevon clergy!"

"I wish I could help, but it's not that simple," Indira stated sadly. "If the high priest deems that Summoner Braska must stand trial, there's nothing I can do."

"But can't you at least defend him at the trial?" Adanna implored. "Nothing good will come out of his imprisonment, but if he is released, we might soon be freed of Sin once more!"

"I promise I will do everything I can for his sake."

Hardly had the maestress given this oath, when an all-too familiar monster swept past the ship some distance away.

"Sin!" many voices screamed at the same time.

"It's going to Bevelle!"

"…But… why?" Indira whispered in utter astonishment.

"Why do you think?" Aldric yelled. "To attack the city!"

"Can't we stop it?" Adanna cried.

"No…" her father replied quietly. "We have no harpoons or anything. I'm sorry."

This raised a stir among the soldiers, who were soon divided as to their stance to Braska.

"Let the summoner go!" one of the soldiers demanded. "I don't care how he violated the teachings, I'm sick of having to fear for my family's lives every time I see that horrid creature!"

"No!" another objected. "He's a lying, deceitful Al Bhed lover! It's high time he was punished for his crimes!"

"No, he's right!" a third one cut in, "Let Lord Braska go, so he can finish his journey and bring the Calm!"

"Silence!" Aldric yelled at the top of his voice. "…I will not let him go. There are other, perfectly capable summoners out there – and none of them can stop Sin from attacking Bevelle any more than this man can. All we can do is pray to Yevon and hope for the best."

With that, Aldric walked away from the scene once more. Braska silently let his gaze wander from the priest to Adanna, then to Indira.

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Meanwhile on Jecht and Auron's boat, Jecht mused over the beginning of their journey.

"I wonder why Braska wanted to make me a guardian."

Auron laughed.

"I wondered about that for a long time too."

After a pause, he turned to look at Jecht and added, "Not anymore."

"Heh," Jecht smiled. "But I mean, let's face it: you were like his best buddy from way back when, I was a crazy, violent drunkard from Zanarkand. Exactly what about me screamed 'guardian material' to him?"

"You said it yourself… you were from Zanarkand."

"That's all? He just wanted to give me a ride home?"

"Well… he did say something about 'a look of honesty' when he first saw you get arrested," Auron recollected.

"'A look of honesty'?" Jecht echoed.

"That's what he said."

Jecht snorted.

"What a kook."

Auron laughed.

"…Yeah."

After a short while of silence, Auron continued, "And, you know… Lord Braska has always had a fondness for those shunned by the community, hated by people, cast out from society… like myself, Shayna… or you. Those who other people would avoid… he will approach."

Jecht was silent for a while, a little smile forming on his lips.

"So… we're all the same, huh."

"…Yeah. We're all the same."

It was funny how Spira was making me feel things I hadn't felt in years… embarrassment, bravery… gratefulness. So much I had missed out on. So much I had learned on this journey. I know that first and foremost, it was Braska's journey. But it was mine too.

It was my story.

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In the morning, as Jecht peered across the surging sea, he could faintly discern the shape of a rather large ship floating in the horizon.

"Hey! We're catching up with them!" Jecht exclaimed.

"But Bevelle lies right ahead," Auron pointed out as the silhouette of the city came into sight. "By the time we reach the docks, they will be long gone."

"Dammit!" Jecht cursed.

"I guess we are going to have to dismantle that prison…" Auron sighed.

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On the high priest's ship, Adanna gazed ahead at the nearing Bevelle.

"The city is still standing! Could it be that Sin didn't attack it after all?"

"…So it would seem," Aldric mumbled.

The soldiers hoorayed at this possibility, but Braska's expression stayed tense.

"We'll be reaching the docks soon," Aldric said to the soldiers. "Prepare to move the prisoner."

"Say, isn't that… his guardians?"

Aldric turned to look where the soldier was looking, squinting his eyes to discern the boat chasing them.

"Hmph. Stubborn fools."

Braska turned to look as well, his face lightening up a little.

The priest's ship shortly arrived at the dock, and the passengers disembarked.

"I don't have time to play hide-and-seek with his little lackeys," the priest declared, proceeding to command the soldiers in charge of Braska, "Throw him in the dungeon, I'll have them arrested the instant they set foot on land."

"Yes, sir."

As the soldiers took Braska away, the priest remained waiting by the ship with Adanna, Indira and the rest of the soldiers until Jecht and Auron's boat reached the docks, and they disembarked. The priest then nodded at the soldiers to signal them to arrest the two.

At that very moment, a familiar sharp wailing sounded from the sea, and a great shadow cast over Bevelle. Everyone turned to look in horror.

"Sin!" Adanna screamed.

The soldiers immediately abandoned their orders and ran off in panic. Screams and gasps were soon heard everywhere as Sin drew nearer. The priest and his daughter stared at the monster petrified.

Jecht and Auron were frightened, but quickly pulled themselves together.

"This changes nothing," Jecht declared. "We gotta find Braska!"

Auron nodded.

"Right!"

The two of them hurriedly set off towards the Bevelle Temple. Sin had now created a hurricane that moved toward the city with alarming speed.

Adanna shook her father by the shoulders.

"Father!"

The priest stood still, too shocked to move.

"Father, we have to take cover!" Adanna implored.

As the old man still gave no response, Adanna eventually ran off by herself, groaning at the pain of abandoning her own father. The hurricane shortly reached the city, ripping apart buildings and tearing people from the ground with its raging wind. Houses were crumbling down everywhere, and the city was in a state of chaos.

The priest was among those caught up in the hurricane.