-1Fang wasn't sure if she was asleep or unconscious once she had been able to open her eyes. The area wasn't the same as where they were before. She felt herself lying on warm sand, and the sun was beating down on her. For once she was in her favorite climate, but how did she get there suddenly? She sat herself up, a bit of sand falling from her hair, looking all around her. She was in the middle of nowhere, a usual sandy desert, and no one else was around to be found. Her body seemed to be relaxed by the change of setting, but it was her mind that was a little askew. The desert reminded her of the beach back home in an unusual way, mainly because she had earned herself some sunlight for the first time she came to Spira, but it mainly reminded her of home. She never really told anyone about her experiences, but she had been once homeless. People would think she was crazy if they were to be told such a thing.

I know that...Remora has a mission, but I've seen her in more than enough danger than I can take.

"Indeed."

The response had startled her, and when she looked around no one was seen, but then a black shadow-like opening had formed not too far in front of her, and a familiar face had stepped out of it.

"You're the one that nearly attacked Remora at the library." Fang said, with no happiness or surprise in her voice. Jeckt only nodded his head upward, but his expression was blank.

"Jeckt; incase you forgot." He eyed her warily, and even looked at his surroundings, and then looked back at Fang. "Where's Remora?"

"Nobody's around here. I just woke up a moment ago and wound up here. I don't know where I am, or where anyone else here, or even how I got here in the first place."

"So much for being her close guardian."

"It wasn't my fault! I was beside her every second that I arrived here. Something just-...I don't even know."

"You sound like you want to return home." The tone in Jeckt's voice was rough but soft at the same time, and it made Fang a little uneasy.

"...To be honest, I do."

"So why don't you?"

Fang sighed. "Because Remora has something important to do here. I can't just force her to stop."

"You sound just like Vera now." He said, smirking grimly. "It would fill a dictionary to describe the things I've been going through with her."

Fang then blinked. "You know her mom too? How many times have you actually been on Earth?!"

"More than enough." He replied, sounding aggravated. "And I'll tell you something else." He crossed his arms in front of him and stared daggers at her. "I told Vera more than enough info to describe evidence that Remora is roaming around here and is putting herself in danger. But it's usual that she has to take her time to figure things out, and now she's getting hurt."

"Getting hurt?" Vera questioned. It has been a while since Remora left home to go to Spira, and Fang did admit that her mother was taking a while to make action, if she could. "How long have you known her?"

Jeckt closed his eyes for a moment as a gust had blown some sand out in front of him, temporarily making him a silhouette. When the sandy fog cleared, he was looking up and his arms were unraveled. "Longer than any of you people can count to the largest number in the universe."

"She didn't live that long." Fang said, figuring he was exaggerating.

"Didn't she?" He replied, his face hard to read, but Fang didn't know if what he said before was true or not. He could easily tell by her expression that she got a little lost in confusion, and chuckled a bit before disappearing into the thin air, leaving her alone once again. The thought came to her just now was that she wasn't sure if anyone else would be able to see him if anyone was around. Her position on the ground had finally changed once more wind had blown past her, but a different surface was touched with her hand when it moved. She looked to see that it was something buried slightly underneath the sand. It wasn't hard to put out, since it was just a pamphlet. But an Al Bhed pamphlet, in other words a Primer.

E -- I

She figured Remora would require this.

Remora found herself lying on a cold stone floor when she woke up. She felt completely normal, but the air was cold, and she was in what looked like a dark maze, lined with red lights. She sat up to fix her hair, but then she realized that there were a number of growls, howls, or shrieks in different parts of where she was, so she guessed that there could possibly be fiends around. But there was one problem, she was alone.

"Tidus...Lulu?" She called out. There was no reply. "Kimahri, Wakka, Rikku? Fang? Anyone!?" She had screamed. There was no answer. "Where are you!? Hello!?" Her desperate voice echoed through the halls, but there was only silence around her. She then stood up from the floor; her legs a little wan to her surprise, and looked around. Just an ebony maze with red lines around it, nothing else. She would have to go and find her way around, fighting through a bunch of fiends, all alone. She did wonder where most of the halls lead to, since she was surrounded by 6 of them to be exact, and one hall led to what looked like a transportation pad, a square that had a glowing symbol on it. She decided to take the hall that was behind her, but a familiar voice that called out to her halted her.

"Remora?"

She turned around to see a green cloak rim on the floor stick out more from the shadows of the further hallway, and once it got closer the figure was revealed.

"Isaaru?"

The cat-like summoner stepped out in front of her with a face with worry.

"Everyone's heard about what happened in Macalania…that can't possibly be true." He said.

"It's hard to explain…I'm not even sure if you'd believe me if I told you."

"Well, either way, most of Spira is calling you a traitor now. They all think that you lied about your purpose of coming here."

"No…I didn't mean to harm anyone. It wasn't even my intent to do…what happened."

"I'm not sure about how to say this…but it's Bevelle's orders to 'get rid of you'."

Remora thought he was exaggerating for a moment, but she could tell from the rough yet worried voice that he was serious.

"I'm in Bevelle? How did I get-…Isaaru, please don't-"

Isaaru's head has risen and the sharp green eyes looked down at her with rationale.

"Forgive me, Remora."

Fang had roamed all around the unfamiliar desert, going down with the out of nowhere fiends that roamed it. She was still alone however, and all that there was around her was sand and ruins. She wondered if she could take shelter under one of the corrupted towers until the others would come to find her, but she figured it'd take too long; and how did she know if they were around the desert as well? It was a few moments of roaming around that she saw a blurred and wavy shadow (possibly a figure) way ahead of her. She stood still for a moment to examine it more, and the silhouette was actually approaching, and the vision of it became less blurry. She had found a ray of hope that it was one of the other guardians, but at the same moment, something fleshly and heavy had pounced on her and made her fall back. She cried out as she had felt four little paws press against four different corners of her back, and a deep growling sound was close to her ear, and it was obvious she was caught off guard for that moment. She looked up and the lupus-like creature had slightly salivated over her as it glared at her. Fang reached for her pocket as painstakingly as she could to pull out a switchblade she had brought with her from home. Just as the fiend looked ready to snap, Fang lunged the knife into its torso. It shrieked and stumbled back as Fang quickly got to her feet, but she also heard other footsteps approach her; a group of footsteps in that case.

"Need some help?" Tidus asked cleverly as he held out his sword in front of him in an offense position. Lulu, Wakka, Kimahri and Rikku and Auron joined in to. They all came at great timing.

"We wouldn't let you have all of the fun!" Rikku started. Fang snorted a little.

"Easy for you to say."

Isaaru fell to his knees as Remora stood slightly afar from him, her rod tight in her hands as she started pitifully at him. After a long silence, her grip loosened a little from her hands as she approached Isaaru. She had never had a battle of aeons before, and the one they just had was a little difficult. He had aeons that Remora hasn't seen yet, and she wondered if she'd be able to cross paths with their fayth. She knelt down as she was about to use her hand to see if any of his features were harmed, but he held out his hand to block hers as he continued to look down. She knew how disappointed in her he was.

"I'm sorry you feel that way." She said regretfully.

"How could you?"

"You wouldn't understand. No one will." Remora replied softly. She known that she had hurt a lot of people over the new rumors spreading about Spira and Isaaru had to be one of them. She sighed a little before leaning over and kissed him on the cheek. He rose his head with a questionable expression, but she had then got up from her knees and walked back the direction that she was going to take before she was stopped. She remembered hearing that Bevelle was the main place for Yevon's teachings, and it was also part of a large city and temple. Temple…she wondered if she really had to try and leave early, since she could possibly be an aeon here that she was unaware of the first time she arrived at Bevelle. But the place was so juggernaut, it would probably take a while to find her way. She wondered how her mother was doing also. It's been a week from what she remembered since she left home, and she especially wondered if she was still looking for her. She hoped that she wouldn't try too hard, otherwise she would hurt herself. It's happened before, and it could happen again, and this was no exception. Now that she was alone, she thought about a whole lot of other things; such as Jeckt. It's been a while since they last seen each other and that was unusual even for him. He would always get onto her case about her choices, especially Auron. They both seemed alike in the way, but whenever either is mentioned to one or the other they're totally different people. And she remembered from the while back at Operation Mi'ihen when Auron told her that Jeckt is Sin...she still couldn't believe it. Could she had been talking to Sin the whole time whenever they contacted each other? She would find it hard to believe. As she kept on walking forward, she felt more like something was pulling her towards it, or something was pushing her forward instead.

"What is this feeling?" She asked herself.

It's just me.

Remora paused at the voice that suddenly spoke out to her, she turned around to find what looked like a little boy, and he was cloaked in navy and red material. He smiled under the hood that enshadowed his face. Remora stepped up to him and knelt down, trying to examine him, but she had no idea where he came from.

"Where did you come from?"

"No worries. For I am your friend."

But suddenly, Remora recognized the little boy's voice. "Wait...I think...you were in my dream. I never saw you, but I heard your voice before."

"I showed you that dream, to tell you of the disaster that became of Zanarkand one thousand years ago, and because I knew you would come here."

"You knew? I don't even know who you are, so wouldn't it be weird for you to know me?"

"Not at all, for I have talk to many. I've known many from inside and out, as some do to us."

"What do you mean?"

The boy didn't respond, but he began to walk forward despite that Remora was in his path. She was about to move aside (but was a little slow to action), but it shocked her to see that the boy walked right through her, as if he were a ghost or if she were nothing to him. As soon as he was a few feet away from her, she turned around, looking started. He then walked back to her and smiled. He reached out to hold her hand, and oddly enough he felt completely real and no longer shown a spook act.

"It's alright. Come with me; we can talk alone and learn as much as you need to once we reach the Chamber of The Fayth."

The battle with the wolf pack didn't last very long. Fang was glad everyone was reunited; almost everyone.

"Say, where's Remora?" Fang asked. Rikku blinked at her question.

"She's not with you?" She asked questionably. Fang shook her head, but then realized something else.

"Wait...Yuna's not around either? What's going on?"

"We just woke up separately but later found each other. Yuna and Remora seem to be the only ones gone." Lulu said. The group stayed silent as they thought to themselves, but Rikku looked certain about something.

"Actually, guys..." She started off. All eyes went on her. "...I think I know where Yuna and Remora is. I think they're at our home base."

"So you kidnapped them again." Wakka replied stubbornly.

"No! They're safe! I can promise you that; I swear on my life they are."

"They'd better be."

"Well, lead the way, Rikku." Tidus said. Rikku walked on ahead, everyone following her from behind. Wakka had lined up with Fang, eyeing her from the corner of his eyes.

"I still don't know why you joined them..."

"No one else could offer me help that was around."

"If it weren't for them, would you have gone alone?" There was a slight pause after that question, but Fang didn't want him to explode in her face again.

"Yes. I would have."

The walk/run from following Rikku was a little longer than expected, and she almost lost her way a couple of times from what Fang had guessed from her continuous hesitation at pit stops. The sun was brutal now as it had beat down on Fang's exposed back. She loved how tan she was but didn't want to be burned to a crisp. They had passed a few signs that had pointed out directions to 'home' in an Al Bhed script, so whenever one was passed, Rikku or Fang had to translate for the group. Fang had also come across a few other Al Bhed Primers scattered across the large desert, she would have to give them all to Remora sooner or later, if she were where Rikku predicted where she and Yuna were. I was about an hour since Rikku had finally came to a stop on another sign. At this desert, it seemed like the sun never set. Then she walked slowly over the top of a fairly steep hill, but stopped and gasped at what she saw ahead of her.

"What is it?" Fang asked curiously. Everyone upped their pace so that they could all reach Rikku's spot, and they immediately saw what caused her shock. It was her home base; overrun and bombarded by gunshots, fires, and fiends. All around the fort, outside and possibly inside as well, ravenous and merciless fiends attacked whatever was in their direction, and what roamed around the outside of the fort that had instantly slaughtered an Al Bhed worker was a Guado warrior.

"Home! It's under attack!" Rikku yelled as she immediately slid down into the dune where the fort was standing. Everyone else joined her from behind to see the catastrophe from close up. There was damage and slaughter in every direction. There was a repeated Al Bhed announcement that no one understood but could easily tell it meant something urgent. Everyone ran inside where it was a little cooler yet the fights were more risky. Rikku turned quickly to face the others.

"I still know where to go. All of you follow me!" She yelled out since there was nothing but noise all around them. Fang leveled her spot with Rikku's so they'd be together. The inside of Home was a maze of construction, heat and danger. Nobody seemed young anymore in this kind of situation, and what Fang realized was that the majority of the fiends were commanded by Guado; almost as though Maester Seymour were back and ordered them to attack the base. They probably knew they were arriving. Seymour was endangering everything and everyone. What really worried Fang was if Yuna and Remora really were safe, in the condition that this place was in, fiends could be in every room inside, but after a moment of running downstairs, fighting through fiends, and excavating, Rikku had stopped in front of a larger than usual door that seemed exceptionally closed tight enough. She had twirled the wheel that had held the door shut clockwise before a large click was heard. Rikku, with the help from Fang, slowly opened the door that led to a large dark room. Fang looked behind everyone to make sure none of the Guado or fiends were following them. As soon as everyone stepped in, Rikku closed the door back shut, and was greeted by a surprise of a weakened fiend inside the room, but another fiend was fighting against it. The other fiend fell at one last attack from the other bird-like creature and Fang looked down to see who had their arm raised. A woman whose attire looked sacredly designed for special purposes; in other words, a summoner. Everyone looked around. Only two summoners and their aeon were spotted inside the room; neither of them were Remora or Yuna.

Tidus turned to face Rikku, who had a face of worry. "Well? Where are they?" Rikku looked around herself, her expression staying the same, but no one else was spotted inside the red dungeon.

"They're not...here?"

Tidus looked back at the other two summoners. "Isaaru and Dona are here...but you couldn't find ours?" Rikku said nothing back and looked a little hurt. "Why did you even bring us here then!?" Tidus asked, his voice rising. His hands had grasped her shoulders as Fang approached the two, eyeing them both suspiciously.

"Rikku, did you know they weren't here?" She asked softly. Rikku shook her head.

"They might have escaped. This is usually where we keep the summoners."

"Where you keep them?" Tidus repeated. "I still don't understand this. Why are the Al Bhed kidnapping the summoners all around Spira?!"

"You don't understand..." Rikku said quietly. She sounded as though she were about to cry.

"What then? What don't I understand?! You all are standing right here while your plans are exposed! What's there not to get?"

"You don't understand!" Rikku shouted back at him. She had fell to her knees and looked very aggravated. "We're trying to protect the summoners! Because once they summon the Final Aeon, they'll die!" The room was suddenly very quiet, and everyone was staring at Rikku, even Isaaru and Dona. Rikku continued to talk as she looked down at her slightly scabbed legs. "That's why we were keeping them here! It's just wrong to sacrifice their lives, even to protect us! We won't allow it- even if we're not around to try. But once they finish their pilgrimage to Zanarkand, and use the Final Aeon to beat Sin, it'll be too late...the Final Aeon will kill them as well, and we can't allow them to go on!"

Tidus looked about as shocked and frightened as Fang did. He was staring down at her, and tears had began to grow out of the corner of his eyes.

"So...all this time...she would have died!?" Rikku didn't reply, and Tidus didn't care. He had ran over to the aeon and started to beat on it. "I can't believe this! After all of this time! I didn't know anything about it. Nothing! I can't let her die...I can't let her..." He had constantly shrieked. His fists laid motionless on the bird, but it had caressed him with its large wings to try and comfort him, cooing understandingly. Footsteps had walked across the room.

"But it's our decision." Dona's voice said. "We want to protect Spira, even if it means our lives."

"It's our mission. Otherwise we would have never became summoners. It is up to us to protect the people from Sin." Isaaru said. They both had went over to dead bodies and had started to perform a sending. Tidus was still in shock but seemed still, but Fang seemed paralyzed with shock over the news that she just heard. She wasn't even sure if Remora herself knew about the consequence of her journey.

Remora will...die!?