You Didn't Break Your Promise Chapter 9

It couldn't be... No I was seeing things. That could'nt be, but what about Auron. Should I tell him? No he would do something drastic like he always tried to do. Not telling him felt like lying, and not only to him, but to everyone. If I told everyone, they would all agree on that, well probably not Auron, and I wouldn't have for it. I would stick with Yuna until she called the Final Aeon, and Auron for the rest of our lives. I wouldn't tell anyone. What if... What if they all left me and shunned me because of it? I couldn't deal with thatI had to ast like there was nothing wrong.

I got up and stretched. I wonder how long I was asleep, maybe a couple days, a week at most. I needed to get energized, but where was everyone? I had to find them, but my mind kept wandering back to what I had seen when I had awoken. Not now, I had to find someone, anyone. I kept on moving hoping to see a glimpse of civilization, but there was nothing. All I saw was sand dunes, for miles and miles. My boots kept sinking into the sand so I finally decided to tie them around my neck and let the sand burn my feet. I didn't have any water or food. I have me, my clothes, and very few healing items. I wondered if I could eat at a time like this even if I did have food, could I even put water down? I'm not sure, but I would sure try. I just kept walking and it seemed like forever, but I had nothing else to do.

Were they even out here? Sin must have taken us here, but what if I was the only one dropped off here and they were all somewhere else? I had to keep faith that I would find one of them. Auron... I could feel he was okay, if I could feel anyhting at all. I eventually layed down, hoping that maybe if I stayed still someone would find me, but I couldn't sleep. I just layed there.

"Will I ever get out of here?" I asked myself, truly not knowing the answer. "Well, if I don't, Yuna I'm sorry I failed you. Lulu I hope you find love again. Rikku please prove Wakka wrong, he secretly likes you. Wakka I love you like a brother, but there are times I got to be hard on you, stop hating the Al Bhed. Kihmari prove those Ronso jerks wrong and you're probably the wisest person I know. Tidus don't you dare break Yuna's heart! Auron, I love you and I will never stop. Even if you stop loving me. The thought should've brought tears to my eyes, but it didn't, I smiled instead. I knew that Auron would love me to death and it was silly to debate it.

I got up again and started walking, feeling like that was the better plan. The sun was starting to fall when I saw some lights off in the distance. I ran after them frantically.

"Hey!" I called at the top of my lungs. The figures looked like humans, but I still approached them with caution. I heard some speaking, but if I was correct that was the Al Bhed language. I was finally several feet away from these two Al Bhed men.

"I know you probably can't understand me, but I need help. I'm stuck out here." They looked at me with confusion on their faces, but the gestured for me to follow them. "Rikku." Maybe her name would help. They nodded and kept on walking, with me following them. I was sure they knew who Rikku was, and maybe they were even taking me to her and the others!

I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I felt like I could trust these guys, after all I wasn't one of those people that hated the Al Bhed. They had done nothing wrong in my eyes. It was getting rather dark out and I had a feeling we still had a long way to go. I had to believe everyone was alright in order to keep myself from not breaking down.

Learning Al Bhed could be useful, especially in a situation like this, not that I intended to get stranded in the middle of the dessert often. I wonder if Rikku would teach it to me. Or maybe Tidus, he can speak it pretty good too.

We were approaching a large building, which I assumed was their home. They led me into it and I followed them through long cooridors. We passed some other Al Bhed people who looked at me cautiously.

"Home." One of the men said as he opened a door. I nodded and went throught it to find some familiar faces.

"Dona! Issaru!" I smiled and they shook their heads. The two men left and shut the door behind them. "Where are we?" I looked around and it was just and empty room. Dona, Issaru, his two brothers, and me.

"The Summoner's Sanctum." Issaru replied.

"Did you guys get lost in the desert too?" I asked, why else would they be here? They shook their heads again.

"We were kidnapped and brought here, to be kept 'safe'." Issaru explained.

"Taken from our pilgrimage." Dona added. The Al Bhed took them from their pilgrimages? I understand why they did it, but the summoners chose their path. They knew what they were getting themselves into from the beginning, and that should be respected. Yuna knew what it meant from the beginning. We tried to stop her, but she wanted this path, she wanted to follow in her father's footsteps. After she decided, no one could disuade her. So we all had to support her in anyway we could. We became her guardians, knowing at the end she would die. Lulu, Wakka, Kihmari, and I all knew that we had to stand by her until the end. Until she called the final Aeon. Until she died.

"Oh! Barthello was looking for you. Poor guy."

"He'll live. Until I find him! He was supposed to be guarding me."Dona tapped her foot in annoyance. "And look where I am now! Some guardian."

"He was really worried about you, he was in a panic."

"As he should be! I can't believe him." I sighed and gave up defeneding him. "So, how did you end up here?"

"We were at Macalania Temple, fighting a fiend. The fiend broke the ice and we ended up under the lake." I paused wondering if that really had happened and figured it had. "Then Sin was there, and I washed up here. I assume he brought us here, but I can't remember a lot because I hit my head when I fell under the lake. And I believe I hit my head again when I ended up here" I touched the back of head, it didn't hurt anymore, but I could feel a crack in my skull. I flinched at the feel of it. "I'm sure the others are all safe."

I heard screaming from outside. Some Al Bhed rushed into the room, and from what I saw there were fiends and fire.

"What's going on?" I asked them, praying that one of them could understand me.

"We've been attacked by Yevon and the Guado." One of the men explained in a thick accent. I looked around and saw that fiends had started sneaking in.

"Look out!" Issaru warned me. I turned around to find a wolf like fiend ready to attack. But I didn't have my boots on! It jumped up in my face, but an Al Bhed shot it before it made contact with me. I put my boots on and got ready for combat. There were so many of them, and Al Bhed were dying left and right. I kept stomping fiends, but they were surrounding me as more Al Bhed died.

"Could I get some Aeons?" I yelled. I was being attacked from every direction, and wasn't keeping up with it well.

"Yuna!" I heard Kihmari call out. I looked to see everyone standing there. Everyone, but Yuna. I was pulled out from underneath my feet by a fiend. I wrestled with it, but it was on top of me. It was going for my neck when a large sword knocked the fiend off of me. I jumped up and in to Auron's arms.

"Is Yuna not with you?" I asked in distress. He shook his head. "No..." He put his arms around me.

"I'm glad you're okay." I looked down. I wasn't sure if I was okay or not, but Yuna was our top priority right now.

"I'm glad you're okay too." I felt my throat go dry, but no tears came out. "I love you."

"The pilgrimages have to stop!" I heard Rikku shout. I turned around to see her yelling at Tidus. She was going to tell him. Tell him what none of us could. "If they don't, and they get to Zanarkand... They might defeat Sin. Yunie could... But then she... Yunie will die, you know?" I flinched at the sound of those words put together and buried my face in Auron's chest. "You know, don't you? Summoners journey to get the final Aeon. Yuna told you, didn't she? With the Final Aeon she can beat Sin. But then... but then... If she calls it, then the Final Aeon's going to kill her! Even if she defeats Sin, it will kill Yunie too, you know?" I looked back at them to see that Rikku was crying on her knees.

"Was I the only one who didn't know?" Tidus whispered, I could barely hear it. He bent down and started shaking Rikku. "Tell me why! Why were you hiding it?" I moved closer to them, with Auron right behind me. "Why didn't I know?"

"I couldn't bring myself to say it." I shook my head, disappointed with myself.

"We weren't hiding it... " Wakka tried to justify, but trailed of

"It was just... too hard to say." Lulu finished. Tidus fell to his knees and started banging on the floor.

"Lulu, how could you? How could you? Isn't she like a sister to you? I thought you were family! Why don't you do something, Wakka? You!" He looked at me. "You know how it feels to lose people on pilgrimages! Auron left for ten years, you didn't know if he was dead or alive for ten years! Why would you let Yuna do this?" Auron tighted his grip on me, knowing that these words stung.

"Don't you think we tried to stop her? She follows... her heart." Lulu let a single tear drop from her eye.

"Yuna, she knew what she was doin when she chose to become a summoner. To face Sin, ya? Yuna knew!" Wakka said. I looked at Tidus and he looked at me.

"She did, there was no changing her mind. All we could do was support her, protect her." I smiled, trying to make things better, when really there was nothing I could do.

"Summoners shouldn't have to sacrifice themselves just so the rest of Spira can be happy, right?" I agreed with her, but it was their choice, and they would do it happily. The fiend from Macalania lake appeared and I got ready for battle. This time I wouldn't be stuck in the snow.

"But that is our choice." Issaru spoke up from behind us.

"We all live in fear of Sin, you know that." Dona added.

"A world without Sin, that is the dream of all Yevon's children. And we will use that power, even if it means our lives!" They summoned their Aeons, which took care of all the fiends. I looked around and took a deep breath. Those fiends really wore me out. Tidus ran past me, running towards one of the Aeons. I put my hand out to stop it, but Auron grabbed it.

"And I've been telling Yuna, let's go to Zanarkand together. Let's beat Sin! I told her all the things we could... we could... And all along, the whole time, I didn't know anything! But Yuna, she'd just smile." The Aeon tried to comfort him, knowing all to well what he was angry about. "I can't let her die! I'll find her!" With the thought of Yuna missing on our minds again, we all ran out of the room. Rikku ushered us into a dark room. I took Auron's hand, not sure what was going on.

"Where's Yuna?" Tidus yelled at the Al Bhed in charge, who I believe was Cid, Yuna's uncle. Tidus spun him around in anger. "I said, where is she? Answer me! Answer me, damn you!" He took him by the collar of his shirt and rose him off the ground.

"What'll you do when you find her, eh?" He finally answered.

"I didn't know anyhthing about what a summoner is supposed to do. And I told her all those things without even knowing. I've got to tell her! I've got to tell her I'm sorry!"

"That's it? You're gonna tell her you're sorry? And then you just drag her to Zanarkand and make her fight Sin, huh? You're all the same... Let the summoner die so we can live in peace!" Cid flipped him over. I gasped and reached out my hand, but it once again did nothign that would help.

"No! I'm going to let Yuna die!"

"Hah, words! Show me action!"

'I'm telling you she won't die!" Tidus lashed out. I had never seen him so angry, not that I've known him for very long. Cid's voice got lower, more threatening.

"Boy, don't forget those words 'cause if you do, I'm going to make you regret it." Tidus nodded.

"I won't." They both walked towards the giant glowing orb in the center of the room. "So you know where she is?"

"Course not! That's why we're gonna look! Using this airship!" I gasped.

"Airship?" Wakka and I breathed simultanuleously. We all felt a rumble, and stumbled. Auron put his arms around me.

"Oh, by the way, I love you too." He whispered. Light started coming in through the top and we started lifting up into the air. Once we were fully suspended in air and high enough up, the pilot, Rikku's brother, started taking off. They were yelling in Al Bhed, but then they started singing the hymn.

"What's goin' on?" Wakka finally asked the question that was on all of our minds.

"We're...we're going to blow up our home." Rikku whispered softly.

"What?" I shouted. "Isn't there any other way?" She shook her head.

"How?" Lulu questioned.

"With on the forbidden machina!" Cid answered as if it was the most obvious question in Spira. He shouted something in Al Bhed and explosions shot out the side of the airship. I heard the explosions go off, but I could not see them and soon we were soaring through fire. I gasped, but we were out of it very quickly. Cid started blabbing in Al Bhed, and the pilot was crying. Auron started walking away from everyone and I followed.

"We'll find Yuna, we have to! We're guardians, and in order to guard Yuna we have to be with her." Auron ruffled my hair.

"You're thinking to hard." I smiled then pouted.

"You're not thinking hard enough! Where could she have gone?" I thought for a moment more. "The Guado! They were there! They probably took Yuna!"

"It's a possibility. Let's go tell Cid and the others." I nodded and took his hand. We walked on to the bridge and Cid was still standing at the glowing orb. "Do you have anything on Yuna yet?"

"I'm working on it! I want her back too! I'll have a good talkin' to her when I find her!" Cid answered.

"After rescuing Yuna, then what? You want to keep her safe, correct?" I touched his upper arm, he was getting angry. "Would you seek to stop her pilgrimage?"

"Of course! If she continues this fool pilgrimage, she will die! Sure as if you killed her yourself." My eyes got big at that comment. "No hare-brained law or teaching can send my little neice to her death. When I save her, I'll make her give up being a summoner quicker than a desert melts ice!"

"Even against her will?" His tone had boiled back down to normal.

"Better than a dog's death!" He shouted back at us. "And I'll take down anyone who don't agree!"

"You are the capitan."

"Good! Then it's settled." Cid went back to his glowing orb. Auron and I started heading back to where we were when the pilot shouted something in Al Bhed, but said Yuna. I turned around and walked toward him, with Auron. He showed us Yuna, in a wedding gown... with Seymour.

"Seymour?! Damn it all!" I Yelled and stormed away from the screen. "An unsent, he's an unsent!"

"Where was that?" Tidus asked frantically.

"The palace of St. Bevelle. Heart of Yevon." Lulu answered. I sighed. I knew that place inside out. My home, well my old home.

"Gramps, let's move!" Tidus demanded.

"Easy, kiddo. Bevelle's defenses are top-notch." You could say that again.

'What's a matter, Gramps? You scared?" Tidus taunted. "Yuna's there, so we go and get her! And that's all."

"You got guts." He shouted something in Al Bhed and then switched back. "It will take a while to get to Bevelle. Meanwhile..."

"We prepare for battle!" Tidus finished.

"Evrae." I said. The guardian wyrm. He is the protector of Bevelle, for the air at least. "Think we can take it?" I asked Auron who also used to live in Bevelle.

"It will be difficult, but we will succeed."

"I hope you're right. I never thought I would try to kill something that once protected me." I sighed as we all headed for the deck.