Sorry for the wait guys! Lots to do but things are finally settling down so maybe I can get this back on schedule. Anyway, enjoy and as always, reviews are much appreciated because I want to know what you think.

~AZF

"If you just sat still then we could leave faster, Tidus," Yuna said softly. Tidus kept fidgeting as she tended to a wound on his side.

"Sorry! It's just, uncomfortable," he said sighing.

"Well I'm almost done!" Tidus stopped and held his breath while Yuna worked before she was done and her next patient took the seat. "Ok Wakka, your turn."

"Bout time, ya? I thought you were never gonna be done."

"Sorry, someone had ants in their pants." Yuna began tending to Wakka's arm, healing the bruises and a few cuts and scrapes before she sent him on his merry way and her final patient sat in front of her. "How's your hand?"

"Sore," Auron said and flexed his hand and winced slightly.

"I'm sorry, it'll get better. Maybe we can get your sword as well." Auron grumbled something and Yuna looked up at him, "There is hope for regaining it. It isn't lost you know."

"It is alright...I can always get a better one," Auron sighed and Yuna went back to work before she re-wrapped his hand in a bandage and held it gently.

"I know you're upset, but I have a feeling that we will be able to retrieve your sword. In the mean time, you can get a temporary replacement. Please do not take it so hard, it will be alright." Auron looked at her somewhat stunned before he nodded.

"Yes Lady Yuna. Perhaps it will be as you say." Yuna nodded.

"I am glad to hear it, now come on, smile a little." Auron sighed exasperated and Yuna giggled before she went off to join the others and Auron stood up and pulled his glove over his bandaged hand and went to inquire about a new katana.

Auron rejoined the group outside looking irritated and giving off a moody air as he sheathed his new blade on his back, "Let's go," he muttered and the others were quick to scurry to the chocobo coral to claim their free chocobos. Everyone was thrilled except Auron and Kimarhi.

"Something wrong you two," Tidus asked looking at them. They glanced at one another before at the blonde.

"Kimarhi not very good on chocobo, Kimarhi too big."

"And I cannot find a comfortable riding position."

"So are you two planning to walk then?" Auron sighed and Kimarhi growled.

"Walking would not be feasable...it would take much too long," Auron said looking at a chocobo and frowned, "So I guess I will have to make do."

"Kimarhi will walk." The chocobo Kimarhi had been eyeing seemed as relieved as him and chirped happily before scampering off. Auron climbed on a chocobo and attempted to get comfortable and found the effort futile and settled for the least comfortable position he could find. He was just too tall and muscular to fit properly on a chocobo.

"You ready old man," Tidus asked grinning. Auron glared at him.

"Yes," he growled. Tidus just grinned and began running off, "Tidus!" Yuna giggled.

"That looks like fun," she laughed and sped off after Tidus. The other four guardians glanced at each other before Wakka's face broke out into a grin.

"Hey! Wait for me, ya?" He ran off after them leaving Auron, Lulu, and Kimarhi to shake their heads before going after them.

"I expected Wakka to be more mature," Auron growled.

"Wakka has very few moments of maturity. He's like a child in a grown man's body," Lulu said sighing and shaking her head.

"I just hope him and Tidus do not get us killed," Auron sighed.

"Kimarhi keep close watch," Kimarhi said running beside them. Auron and Lulu nodded and rode in silence for the remainder before they found Yuna, Tidus, and Wakka waiting in a clearing and looking from one road to another.

"What is it," Lulu asked.

"The road splits," Tidus explained, "We're not sure if we want to explore that road or press forward." Auron looked from one road to the other, noticing the blockade that was set up in front of a giant rock archway that would take them to Djose. The blockade delayed their departure for Djose, perhaps if they did explore this road then the blockade would be gone by the time they finished.

"We'll go down this road first and see what lies there, when we come back, perhaps the blockade will be cleared and we can pass," Auron said. Everyone nodded and they began down the road. Tidus and Yuna were up at the front, giggling like school children. Wakka and Lulu were talking in hushed voices behind them, leaving Auron and Kimarhi in the rear and being silent. This road had them surrounded by cliff, a narrow passageway that opened up into a large grassy clearing with a wall that was perfect for chocobo's to hop on to reach the top. Lucil and a few other chocobo knights were resting there. Tidus went up to them with a great, big happy

"Hiya!"

"What are you doing on this road," Lucil asked.

"Oh, you know," Tidus said waving his hand.

"I see. The Highroad ends over there. However, we have sealed off the area beyond for the duration of our operation here. You may ask the gate captain up ahead if you need to pass through," Lucil explained. Tidus nodded and looked back at his companions.

"Will they let us pass?"

"I don't know," Lucil admitted.

"Well its worth a try, right?"

"Definitely."

"Well thanks," Tidus grinned and urged his chocobo back to his companions.

"Had a nice chat," Wakka asked grinning.

"Well I wouldn't call it that. She told me the blockade was for the operation and we should speak to the gate captain and see if they'll let us pass."

"We will do so," Auron said.

"Let's see where this road ends up first," Tidus said. They fell back into their formation and continued onward. In time, they stopped down when they came across a dead-end. Tidus looked around and then up.

"Heeey, that's Rin's agency isn't it? So this is what's down the cliff right," he asked and turned to everyone who nodded. Auron got off his chocobo and looked around. The others seeing what he was up to followed his example. His katana had to have fallen around here somewhere. They looked through bushes, behind rocks, along the cliff, in trees but it was nowhere in sight.

"How hard is it to find a giant sword," Tidus grumbled before his foot snagged on something and he fell flat on his face. "Hee-HEY," he yelled scrambling up and pushed aside the grass he had been walking in and grinned, "Auron!" Auron came over and Tidus showed him what he found. Laying in the grass was his beloved katana, filthy and in need of cleaning and sharpening.

"Good job," Auron said as he picked up his blade and strapped it to his back, removing the other sword.

"That's it? I don't get a thanks or a pat on the head or nothing," Tidus asked.

"Yep," Auron said and turned and walked back to his chocobo.

"Stingy old man," Tidus said frowning as he returned to his chocobo. Suddenly he felt a hand on his head and turned to look at Auron.

"Thanks," he said ruffling Tidus' hair gently. Tidus batted his hand away.

"I was being sarcastic," he said.

"Of course you were." Tidus frowned.

"Well, I'm leaving back to the blockade," he stated.

"No, we will get to the blockade tomorrow. It's getting dark and we should head back to that clearing so we have a wide open space to sleep in."

"Fine." Tidus led the way back to the clearing and stopped halfway up the road.

"What is it," Yuna asked.

"There's something up there," Tidus said pointing to a few rocks jutting out of the cliff wall. There was something glowing and shining up there.

"And how are you going to get up there," Auron asked glancing up before fixing his gaze on Tidus.

"With my chocobo!" Tidus backed up and his chocobo got a running start before it jumped and landed on a boulder, jumped again and landed on an empty rock platform, jumped once more and landed on the rock with the item. Tidus got off and picked it up and looked at it. A broken half spere object, its jagged edges gave the opinion it wasn't always broken. It glowed a soft red with a small symbol pulsing inside. Tidus cocked his head and looked at it in wonder before he mounted his chocobo and jumped down.

"What did you find," Lulu asked.

"This," he said holding up the sphere, "What should I do with it?"

"Keep it," Auron said staring at the sphere. For some reason, he felt a small pull towards the sphere, as if it were calling him. But that was ridiculous, how could a sphere be calling him? It's an inanimate object. He pushed the feeling aside and Tidus handed him the sphere for his inspection. It hummed in his hand and he looked it over before tossing it in his pack. Everyone satisfied, they began their journey to the clearing once more.

When they finally broke into the clearing, Lucil and her knights had already made camp. They made theirs off to the side, tents pitched, fire started, food rationed, water rationed. Lucil came over while they were eating their meal.

"You needn't stand watch tonight, the chocobo knights will be happy to stand watch while you and your guardians get some rest Lady Yuna," she said.

"Thank you so much," Yuna said bowing and smiled. Lucil smiled back before heading to her camp. Yuna and her six guardians entered their tents and made themselves comfortable for the night. Each with their own thoughts.

Tidus stared at the wall of his tent, his blue eyes staring into the darkness as he thought of his Zanarkand. He wanted to go home, he missed it, but he did like Spira very much. Most of all he liked the friends he made. He liked Yuna very much and wanted to get to know her more, he was drawn to her and he enjoyed making her laugh and smile. Seeing her happy, made him extremely happy and he did all he could to keep that smile on her face. He liked Wakka too, he was always fun to talk and pal around with. They developed a close bond, something like brothers. Wakka was also a great blitzer, he was glad he met him that day at the beach. Lulu, she didn't seem to like him very much but he had no hard feelings towards her. She was only looking out for Yuna and Tidus could respect that. Kimarhi, if Lulu didn't like him then Kimarhi surely hated him. The Ronso pushed him away, kept a firm stance, his golden eyes always locked on Tidus and ready to tear him limb from limb, especially when he was around Yuna. And he was still angry with Auron! Tidus sighed, Spira was completely different than Zanarkand. He looked up at the ceiling, is this how you felt dad? Tidus froze and then growled, "Ah! What do I care anyway!?" He rolled over and pulled his blankets over his head and closed his eyes.

Yuna stared into the darkness, looking at nothing in particular. Her mind was focused on her father, oh how she missed him. Most nights she tried to get sir Auron to tell her at least something, but he would always get a strange expression on his face and looked away, always not tonight. She wondered what had happened in Zanarkand, what had become of Sir Jecht, she knew her father had died summoning the final aeon, but did Sir Jecht perish on the way back? Sir Auron always dodged around those sorts of questions too. She sighed, there was no use pressing him, he wouldn't talk. Her mind then turned to her companions. She knew Kimarhi, Lulu, and Wakka weren't very happy with her decision to become a summoner. They had come anyway to protect her, to aid her. She knew they would be there to the end. She smiled at the thought of Kimarhi when she first met the big Ronso. She had been curiously and just a little frightened until she saw how gentle he was. She had loved him immediately. She remembered when she met Wakka and Lulu. Wakka never changed, he was still funny and a little wacky but Yuna loved him like a brother. He had always been protective of her, but isn't that how brothers are supposed to be? Lulu, she looked grumpy back them too but she had been happy because she had Chappu. Oh, dear sweet Chappu. Lulu had been heart-broken when Chappu died. He was always such a sweet kid and a wonderful man. Chappu reminded her of her newest guardian. The thought of Tidus made her stomach do flips and she smiled a little. She thought he was very handsome, no doubt every bit the famous blitzball player he claimed to be. Tidus made her feel strange, she wanted him close, as close as possible. She never wanted him to go, to leave her. She'd keep him close as long as she could. She smiled as she fell asleep.

Wakka stared at the ceiling, his mind thought of only three things. Blitzball, simply enough. Chappu, oh how he missed his brother. He felt utter sadness when he thought of his brother. They had both lost their parents very young and Chappu was the only brother he would ever have. Yet most of the time they fought like silly children. Chappu had always been spiteful and knew how to leave a sting to Wakka's heart. Wakka had always bullied Chappu. When Lulu fell in love with Chappu, he had been down right jealous of his brother. When Chappu died, Wakka was left with regret and guilt. He felt like he had been a terrible brother to Chappu and maybe somehow this was his penance for not taking better care of his baby brother. He looked after Lulu after Chappu died, he cared for her as she wept with a broken heart. He held her and tried to comfort her anyway he could think of. He had always loved Lulu, but right now he felt he didn't deserve her, maybe one day he would. His mind flashed forward to the present, does he deserve Lu yet? Could he make her fall for her like Chappu had? He sighed and his mind turned back to blitzball. Wakka is very simple.

Lulu stared at the back of her eyelids and just thought. She thought of Chappu as she did every night and sent him her love on the Farplane. Once those thoughts died she thought of her companions. Yuna, her dear sweet Yuna. She had so wished she could have stopped her from this pilgrimage, but Yuna follows her heart. She only hoped she was strong enough on this pilgrimage, that she didn't fail Yuna. Wakka, she hoped Wakka had matured a little. They were going to need him and she found she needed him. She recalled all those weeks he spent catering to her while she sobbed, her broken heart clanging in her chest as it tried to function normally, the gears placed all wrong. Little by little, Wakka had set some in the right place again. She marveled at how she had come to realize that and she realized she cared for Wakka, maybe more than a brother. Kimarhi, that big Ronso had come into her life the day she brought little Yuna. At first she was a little frightened by the large cat, but she quickly learned that Kimarhi meant no harm to anyone. Kimarhi was very gentle always and would annihilate anything that threatened Yuna. This new guardian, Tidus, she didn't know what to make of him. His outrageous claims of being from Zanarkand, yet somewhere she was intrigued and perhaps believed him just a little. The boy certainly was ignorant of how Spira worked and often she wondered if it wasn't at all toxin but just a very stupid and brain-dead child. She shook her head at those thoughts, Tidus was confused about Spira and was genuinely lost. He made Yuna happy at that and Lulu couldn't hate him for it, she would keep an eye on him though. Her thoughts turned to Auron, the mysterious Legendary Guardian of Spira. He had said he was working on two promises to both High Summoner Braska and Sir Jecht to keep their children safe. He knew what lay in Zanarkand, he was the first to ever make it back. Why then, does he let Yuna go at all. Sheppard her father and now her. Lulu shook her head, no, there was some other reason. Auron didn't look like the type of man to be heartless, and she had been the only one to notice the pained look in his eye when Yuna mentioned her father, how he turned away and she could almost hear his heart sobbing, and was there a hint of guilt? She sighed and closed her eyes before thoughts shocked her, despite not knowing the man, she found herself thinking about him in more ways than one. She wasn't the only one, many women tended to drool over him and let their imaginations wander. He was, after all, a striking figure of a man. Lulu shoved those thoughts away, slammed the door, and locked them up. Her heart belonged to Chappu.

Kimarhi sat in his tent and thought of his home. His mind wandered over the snowy peaks of Gagazet, places he would play in as a kit, his Ronso brethren. He sighed, he was apprehensive about going back but they were miles away and he had plenty of time to ready himself to face his brethren again.

Auron laid down in his tent, his one eye staring into the darkness. Many things passed through his mind, his analysis of his companions still stood. Tidus, for all intents and purposes, was very much like his father. Foolish but enjoyable, ignorant yet intelligent, always a smile, the serious look in his eye, the concentration on certain tasks, the humor, the sarcasm, and always always picking on him. He sighed, sometimes he just wished he could clock the boy with the pommel of his sword. Yuna, so much like her father. Good humor, those sparkling happy and mischievous eyes. The anger or irritation that would flash. Her smile. Yet Yuna was Yuna, she had her own qualities as well as her mother. A sharp stab went through him as he recalled Alana, he had known her for a few years and she was very motherly towards him. At first he didn't know what to think and shied away from the motherly affection before he warmed up to it. It was Alana that taught him about the Al Bhed, the culture and the language. He wasn't fluent but he knew enough. Yuna reminded him very much of both of her parents. He pushed onward. Wakka, now there was someone who annoyed him. Firstly his hate for the Al Bhed, second his was his undying love for all things Yevon. That disgusted Auron, especially when tied in with the Al Bhed. There was no reason to hate them so but he could understand somewhat, most people weren't fond of the Al Bhed. Either you hated them or you loved them, there was really no middle. The third thing that annoyed him was his use of 'ya' after practically everything he said. He knew it was a trademark of the people of Besaid, but combined with Wakka's voice (another annoyance) made Auron want to strangle the poor blitzer. Perhaps he would get used to it, or perhaps he would just have to throw Wakka into the Djose ocean when the breakers crashed against the cliff. He moved onto the next before he decided to smother Wakka in his sleep. Lulu, she was the only person that didn't seem to have an opinion of him or cower in his presence. He was intrigued by that as well as her attitude. She was moody and more than a little grumpy, but from what he understood she had her reasons. She seemed the most reliable, save for Kimarhi. Possibly the most intelligent as well. Her magic was strong, he had been impressed when she incinerated one of the fiends. That was a woman he had to be careful around, unless he found himself on the wrong end of her casting. Kimarhi, he had a high opinion of Kimarhi. The two of them had formed the closest bond yet. He was appreciative of Kimarhi's help ten years back and was delighted that he took such great care of Yuna. His only concern was keeping Kimarhi, and Lulu, from shredding Tidus into bits. He knew neither had a high opinion of the boy and neither trusted nor distrusted him, they only stayed their hand because of Yuna and perhaps because of himself.

He yawned and stretched and moved onto his side, he felt trouble in his middle, a warning of some sort. Something was coming in the days ahead but he didn't know what. He felt unsettled and shut that thought in the 'think about later' filing cabinet. His mind turned to his beautiful wife and son like it did every night and he smiled. How was he blessed with such an incredible woman? He didn't know but he was incredibly happy to have her as his mate, have a beautiful son. He only regretted having to leave them and he hoped with all his heart he would make it back to them and they could continue their happy marriage and life and perhaps have another child as well. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep, only to be woken hours later with a reoccurring nightmare.