Disclaimer : I don't own anything.
Note : I realize now that Kimberly has brown hair, but I already had it put down as blonde, so I'm going to keep it on that for continuity in the fic.
I was asked about Kinoc. Like Mika, Kinoc is an original character from the game. I could've used a Ranger or a villain, but for reasons I won't go into, for the sake of the game, I chose to leave them alone. You'll find in future chapters, that I did the same for the Ronso, and another Maester.
If you have questions, feel free to ask, and I will answer what I can, without giving away too much of the story.
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(Djose)
When we entered the pathway to Djose temple, I noticed a bridge that went over a flowing creek. As we approached it, Taylor came riding up on her chocobo, a huge smile on her face, while Alyssa followed her lead, and poor Cole was left to run after them. It seemed he didn't have a chocobo.
"Lady Tori. It is good to see you and your companions well." the blonde leader of the group nodded, keeping her smile.
Tori nodded. "And yourselves as well, captain. We were worried. Praise be to Yevon." she did a prayor and smiled.
"We escaped with our lives, but our troops were decimated." Taylor informed them.
Alyssa nodded. "Of all our chocobos, only these two survived."
"We make pretty poor chocobo knights, with only two chocobos!" Cole whined.
Sighing, Taylor shook her head. "We turned our backs on the teachings. This...is our just reward." she said sadly.
With that, they bid farewell, riding their chocobos off and leaving poor Cole to chase after them. I felt bad for the guy, but at the same time, was fighting not to laugh at him. He did look pretty funny, chasing after them and whining for them to slow down.
Going past the bridges, we noticed a large building with rocks held together almost seamlessly over the outside of it. I could feel the power it radiated, and blinked a few times, before turning to look at Tori.
"Is that the Djose Temple?" I asked quietly, watching as an Al Bhed walked into a nearby store.
Suddenly, there was a loud rumble, and I looked back to see the rocks breaking apart and moving away from the building to float around it, beams of electricaly energies holding them in place from falling.
"Awesome!" I whispered, feeling awed at what I was seeing.
Hunter smirked as he watched the floating boulders swim around the temple. "The Lightning Mushroom Rock. It only opens when a Summoner is addressing the Fayth."
"That means another Summoner's alredy in there." Shane added with a nod.
Tori turned to look at me, a questioning and slightly concerned look in her eyes. "Another Summoner?"
"You think it's Kimberly?" I asked, remembering that witch who tried to screw up Tori's pilgrimage before.
"We have to hurry." she insisted, heading her way into the temple.
I followed right behind her, knowing the others were behind us. "Right! In we go!"
As we made it in through the door, the sound of a door opening made us stop and look up. A blonde man with short hair and glasses came walking out of the cloister, two young men with short brown hair following behind him. He seemed to see us and approached with smiles.
"I beg your pardon, but may I ask your name?" the blonde man asked softly.
Nodding, Tori bowed slightly. "I am Summoner Tori, from the isle of Besaid."
"As I thought!" he stated with his smile growing. "The daughter of Lord Braska. You have the look of your father."
Frowning in confusion, Tori tilted her head. "You knew my father?"
"No, I have never met the man. Ah, my apologies. I am Billy. I am a Summoner, like you."
The younger looking brunette man stepped forward with a grin. "I'm Rocky."
The other man nodded. "And I'm Jason. I'm guarding Billy here."
"They're like brothers to me." Summoner Billy put in with a smile and a shake of his head.
I got a close sense of friendship from them, and by what Billy just said, and the way Rocky was almost bouncing around, something told me he was supposed to be the baby brother with emphasis on baby.
"Since I was a child, I've always looked up to Lord Braska. I wished I would someday become a High Summoner like he was. You must have some of your father's talent in you! I believe you might someday defeat Sin." Billy said with a warm smile.
I wasn't sure what he meant. I understood his words, but I felt a pang of jealousy flare up at the compliments he was giving her. Part of me knew I didn't have to be worried, and I could see that his intentions are pure, but it still bothered me.
"I...I'm not really...I've only just become a Summoner." she stuttered, her face to the ground and her cheeks slightly pink.
He gave a slight chuckle. "Of course, I have no intention of losing either. So, perhaps we should race to see who can defeat Sin first, no?"
Smiling, she looked up and nodded. "Very well, then. I accept your challenge."
Challenge? Race? Losing? None of this seemed right. Why should they race to defeat Sin? Realizing I still didn't know anything about what would happen, I decided not to question it. If this made Tori happy, and I could see her smile, then I was content to sit back and let it happen.
"Billy!" Jason called from the entrance, and Billy cast him a startled look before nodding to us.
"Tori, I beg your leave. Good luck to the both of us!"
"Yes." she nodded again and did a prayor for him as he left.
Our group went up the stairs, with me behind them, when I heard Billy's voice and stopped, turning to find him rushing in my direction with Jason behind him.
"Hey, you." he called as they approached.
Raising an eyebrow, I wondered what he could want with me and nodded. "Me?"
"You are Tori's Guardian, no? Jason has heard a curious rumor I believed you should know." he said, his face bleak.
Jason nodded. "I heard it directly from the Crusaders. Seems that Summoners have been going out on pilgrimages and just...disappearing."
"It could be that the fiends got them, but not so many at once." Billy put in, shaking his head and looking worried.
"Sorry I don't know more, but...watch your back. Ain't no future for a Guardian with no Summoner to protect."
Rocky came over, looking confused. "What?" When no one answered, he tapped Billy's shoulder. "What?? Whatcha all talkin' 'bout?"
Jason turned to him and gave him a teasing smile. "We're talking about doing your job as a Guardian!"
"Hey! I'm doing good, right big brother?" he asked, turning to Billy who smiled and nodded in return.
"Please, be careful." he said, turning back to me.
"Will do!" I nodded in response, vowing not to let Tori out of my sight until this rumor went away.
"Rocky!" Billy called as he went to the entrance.
He turned and looked at them, frowning. "Oh...what?"
"We're leaving!"
Rocky's eyes widened and he ran after them. "I'll be right there!" He turned to call over his shoulder to me. "See ya!"
Running into the cloister, I met my friends just inside, giving me a confused look that I gestured for them to ignore for now. I'd explain it to them after we got the next Aeon.
"All right. Guardians, at attention!" Shane called.
Tori nodded to all of us, her eyes lingering on me the longest. "We're ready." she said.
Nodding, Shane turned to the cloister. "All right. Let's doing it!"
We went through the cloister, which I was finding was eerily like that of Besaid and Kilika. The layouts were different, but the themes were the same. Collect a certain sphere to open up the doorway. It was like a puzzle, but with the others there, we had it solved in no time, and Tori was climbing the steps to the Chamber of the Fayth to pray. Once she was gone, we had an unwelcome visitor.
"Well, well. You again. Still travelling with quite the crowd I see." Kimberly said in a bored tone, playing with her hair.
Tommy looked around, his eyes widening when he spotted Cam and he walked over.
Looking at him, Kimberly raised an eyebrow. "Tommy, what is it? You know this riffraff?"
"You are...Cam, no?"
That was the first time I'd heard Tommy speak. I thought he was all muscle no brain, but something told me he was smarter than I was giving him credit for. But then, why was he travelling with a witch like that, and practically being her servant?
"What of it?" Cam asked, eyeing the man in front of him warily.
Tommy's brown eyes got even wider. "Can...I shake your hand, Cam, no Sir Cam. You're the reason I became a Guardian!"
Chuckling and nodding, Cam held out his hand and Tommy shook it heartily before pulling back and smiling.
"Thank you Sir, this means so much to me!" Tommy cheered as he looked at the man in awe.
Shane laughed and turned to Kimberly who seemed embarrassed, either for the way she had acted, or for the way Tommy was acting. "Calling the person Guardian of Lord Braska, riffraff?"
Hunter joined in, a cold smirk playing at his lips. "And you call yourself a Summoner?"
"Tommy, enough! Get back here!" she hissed.
I couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor guy. Turning to him as he passed, I muttered quietly to him. "Hand in there buddy." He just nodded, looking sad.
Suddenly, the door opens at the top of the stairs and Tori comes staggering out. She makes it half way down the stairs before sitting down heavily and panting to catch her breath.
"You owe much to your father. All these Guardians, and Sir Cam too? And I hear Maester Lothor's quite taken with you. The world must look different when you're the daughter or Lord Braska." Kimberly stated with a sneer.
I felt sick to my stomach when she said Lothor was 'taken' with Tori. I wanted to smack that witch, then go hunt down Lothor and kill him slowly for ever setting eyes on my Tori! Well, no matter what, I wouldn't let him have her!
"This...has nothing to do with my father! I am travelling on my own, as a full-fledged Summoner!" Tori spat back at her, glaring openly.
Huffing, Kimberly made sure it was obvious she was looking at how Tori was leaning on the steps, resting. "Oh, is that so? Then try standing on your own two legs for once! Your Guardians won't be able to protect you when the time comes!"
I wasn't sure whether to be pissed off at the way she was treating Tori, or scared about the implications of what she was saying. We wouldn't be able to protect her? But didn't Hunter say it was our job to protect her until she defeated Sin?
We left the temple as Kimberly went to pray. Tori had gotten the next Aeon, Ixion, and we decided to spend the night once we saw all the wounded being brought in from the Mi'ihen Operation. I guess, we all knew she'd run herself ragged, trying to heal them and ease their pain.
I just wish, there was a way I could heal her pain. As much as she tried to hide it, I knew she was suffering.
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Another short chapter. Sorry about the varying lengths. LOL.
I hope you like this.
R+R please, and thanks to those who have reviewed. :)
Tenshi