Djose Temple

Yuna was determined that we all were smiling throughout the walk across the Djose Highroad. We were all worried about Grace but we knew she'd be waiting at he Temple. I mean she wasn't on the beach, she wasn't meant to be down there anyway so maybe she just got stuck on the cliffs and waited until it was over before going to the Temple. Even with the worry in the group, after we left the beaches the mood of the group had lifted temendously. It was still a shock to me, if i was honest, I'd never seen so many die like that before. Kilika was one thing, this was something else entirely.

There were a lot of wounded Crusaders along the road. Yuna stopped a lot to heal them with her Magic. The only other ealer in the group was Grace with her Alchemy but I gave some of them my potions. Lysander was helping as well but he was bandaging wounds and stopping the bleeding rather than using Potions. They were all thankful to us for helping them, even after they had been excommunicated from the Temples. I didn't think it mattered, they needed help. I didn't understand Yevon or anything but all I hoped was that they'd allow the Crusaders to stay at the Temple and give them help.

I was still getting over the shock of the Toxin clearing. I was worried that it would never clear up. I don't know what happened it just disappeared on its own accord. Everything I had forgotten had came back all at once and the amount of information dazed me. I'd forgotten almost fourteen years of my life because of that Toxin. I was glad but still shaken from all the events that happened recently.

What was even more strange, though, was that all Oblivion said was 'I know'. He knew I wasn't from Spira? How did he know? Did he know that Grace and Lysander were the same? I wonder if he knew Angel as well? This was all so confusing. I thought trying to find out who Siren, Pyre and Karma were, being a Guardian to Yuna and trying to find a way home would be enough but this whole journey's just full of surprises. Part of me was excited to find out everything behind this and eventually go home back to my family but there was that natural worry that something bad would happen. Still the excitment and drive was taking the lead and I couldn't wait to get the Djose Temple and ask the priests about Siren and Pyre when they were Summoners.

Angel had went quiet again but she had a look of shock and worry on her face. She wrung her hands, looking out to the water and her pace kept slowing down and speeding up. I think she wanted a bit of space but knew stopping would be a stupid idea.

"Hey," I said, getting her attention. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," She nodded. "I just didn't expect... what happened to happen."

"None of us did, but it's not our fault," I told her. She nodded and lowered her head. I decided to change the subject. "Hey do you know Oblivion?"

"I know of him," She answered stiffly. "I've heard that he's a callous, cold hearted man. He's done terrible things, killed many people and is wicked, I've heard." Cold hearted? I didn't get that, Oblivion looked like one of the nicest people you could meet. He had acted protective every time we had met him. Was it a ruse he made and were the things Angel heard true? I didn't know, I hoped they weren't otherwise I'd feel edgy about him knowing I'm not from Spira.

"Hey! How much further to Zanarkand?" I was oing to speak but Tidus' question created a new conversation involving the whole group.

"Still a ways," Wakka answered. "We've got to cross the Moonflow," Lysander gave a short, but loud, curse from the back. I guessed crossing the Moonflow meant we had to go over water. "Then we go through Guadosalam and cross the Thunder Plains."

"Then we pass through Macalania," Lulu continued. "Beyond that is the Calm Lands and Mt Gagazet. Beyond the mountain is Zanarkand." Tidus groaned and hunched over.

"So it's a long way, huh?" He said. Yuna just laughed happily and gave a smile.

"And before that we get to pray at the Temple in Djose," She smiled with a sing-song voice.

"We can't just skip all that, can we?" Tidus asked in a half-joking manner. A couple of us laughed as idus rubbed the back of his head.

"I have to pray at every Temple in order to obtain the Final Aeon," Yuna informed him. I remembered the Final Aeon. It was a huge Aeon of immense power that was the only thing that was capable of destroying Sin, even for a small amount of time. Wait if I wasn't from Spira then how could I have known that? I shouldn't have known that. I didn't know a lot about Spira apart from what Tidus and I were told but I don't ever remember us all talking about the Final Aeon.

"Come on," Lysander suddenly said. Then he noticed my expression. "What's wrong?"

"What do you know about the Final Aeon?" I asked him. He seemed taken aback by the question.

"It's what stops Sin. It's in Zanarkand and only Summoners who've completed their Pilgrimage can get it. Why?" He explained. That seemed to be right but if he was form Earth as well how could he have known that?

"I've never really heard about the Final Aeon but when Yuna mentioned it I just knew," I explained. "But that doesn't make sense. I'm not from Spira and I don't know a lot, so how could I have known that? How could you have known that?"

"Did you know anything about Spira before you came here?" The question, as stupid as it sounded, made sense to me. I thought about it. Lysander decided to expand. "Deja vu is places... things you've done? Things people have said?"

"I don't know... I mean here look familiar but I wouldn't say I've been here beore myself," I answered. Then I remembered Zanarkand. I remembered being scared, alone and knowing my family were on a different planet. I knew this was a different world as soon as I arrived. I remembered banging my head, blood coming out of it when I had fallen on the street back in Limerick. I touched my head, where I had hit it. Lysander waited for me to come to a conclusion. "When I went to Zanarkand, I realised that I was on a different planet," A different planet that seemed familiar. How it was familiar still eluded me. "But it feels like, maybe I was here before? But not me... but... I don't know."

"It's okay, let's go," Lysander sounded oddly fine with my answer. I didn't get it. "I've been getting deja vu here. I've never been here but I've noticed that, when I do certain things, I get the feeling that I've done them before."

"How long did it take you to learn Al Bhed?" I asked. "I mean you weren't with the Al Bhed that long were you?"

"Sinx months," He answered. "And I don't know. The Al Bhed never taught me. I just... always knew how to speak it," That's weird. We walked over the bridge towards the Temple, where the others were waiting on us. "Me and Angel will wait outside the Temple, right? We won't be allowed to go in since we're not Guardians, remember?"

"Yeah," I nodded. When we reached the group they were with someone. Someone on the ground, rocking back and forth, a look of pure terror and horror on their face. What had happened to Gatta?

"Are you okay?" Wakka asked.

"It's Luzzu, he," Gata babbled, trying to bring himself to say what happened. I started to feel worried, what had happened? "He was on the beach... he got... torn in half and..." The image hit me quickly. The idea of Luzzu's legs separated from his torso made me gag a little.

"That idiot!" Wakka said with anger. It was anger that he let himself get killed. I understood what Wakka meant.

"And Grace... Grace was..." Grace? What happened. "I saw her... she went after me when I ran to the front lines and she... she got run through my Macina. Her eyes were still open," My palms felt sweaty and my mouth gaped. "I can't do this! I'm going back to Besaid!" Grace was... dead?

"Hey where you going?" Wakka called on Lysander as the boy turned and stormed back to the bridge.

"I'll go after him," I said, running after Lysander. He stood on the bridge, his head in his hands and pacing angrily like he didn't know what to do with himself. "Lysander?" I didn't know what to do to calm him or make him feel better.

"She can't be dead!" He shouted. He was acting like he was talking to himself more than me, I was just within earshot. "She can't fucking be dead! That's not possible! There's no way she can be dead!"

"Lysander she knew what could happen," I tried to say. "She knew there was a possibility that she..." I couldn't bring myself to say it. I didn't want to believe Grace was dead either.

"You don't get it Christie!" He yelled. "You don't get it, she wasn't meant to die! She can't be dead! She isn't dead!" I didn't understand what he meant. She wasn't meant to die? She wasn't immune from it. I didn't understand what he was saying.

"Lysander stop shouting," I said.

"Shut up Christie!" I just wanted him to stop shouting. I wanted him to calm down. Still his anger was making me want to shout right back, hoping that if I shouted louder he would stop.

"I'm just trying to help!" I yelled. "I don't know what's going on! I've just got rid of this Toxin and found out my friend's gone! I don't know what's going on! I don't know what you mean by she wasn't meant to die! I just want you to stop shouting!" All of a sudden Lysander had been knocked onto his back and I felt oddly calm. He, on the other hand, was confused and pissed off.

"What the fuck was that?" He asked, getting up.

"I don't know... I..." The calm was replaced with confused and a bit of panic. What just happened?

"Christie," I looked at Angel, who I hoped hadn't seen what just happened. "They're going into the Temple, you should go with them. We'll wait for you all in the Inn." I nodded and headed towards the Temple. I still couldn't believe it, Grace was dead and... she was dead. I couldn't believe she was dead.