29 Crystal Light

I woke some time later, feeling lousy. I was resting with my back against a large rock. Lord Seymour, who apparently had been watching me, spoke. "You do not look so well. But now, more than ever, you must be the people's strength, their confidence." I bowed my head, trying to hide my weakness from this man. He frightened me, though his words were true. He continued. "Anyone else would be expected to show their sorrow. But you are a summoner. You are Spira's hope. Until Sin is defeated, you must not relent. Do you understand?" I slowly nodded, though my neck was sore. "Are you afraid?" I only offered him a tiny smile in response. "Yuna, take me as your pillar of strength. As Yunalesca had her lord Zaon. Until we next meet, farewell." He ended the conversation abruptly. I felt really awkward. How could he have compared the two of us to Lady Yunalesca and her husband, Lord Zaon? I glanced at Tidus, standing across the sand speaking animatedly with Auron.

Auron said to me, "Sin is Jecht." Without letting on that I actually heard him talking to me, I remained elusive as to the entire truth. "Yeah," I said. "for a while there I could...feel him. But that doesn't mean I believe you!" Auron said something that kind of scared me. "He came here for you." I just didn't understand. "So he killed all those people just for a chance to see me?" I leaned forward, yelling while whispering at the same time. I was really, really mad. "That's what Sin does. He wanted to show that to you." Auron turned away from me, about to leave. "Why?" I asked. "So you would kill him. As long as Sin is Jecht, he will keep killing. He wants you to stop him."

My head was spinning. Why would he make me kill someone, why would he burn those children and that man? "You gotta be kidding me!" I said. There was no way that my old man would ever want someone to kill him, especially not me! "How do you know all this anyway?" I asked. Auron just laughed that dry and irritating laugh, and walked away.

"I'm not done talking to you!" I called after him. "Don't you run away!" "You're the one running." Auron retorted. That finished our unsatisfying conversation, leaving me with more questions that I had started with. Our group passed me up, journeying on the new road. "Hey, you two! Hurry up!" Yuna said as she smiled at me. Kimahri stopped while the others went on. "She's awfully cheerful." I mumbled to the silent beast.

To my astonishment, he responded, his voice deep and menacing. "In dark times, she must be. She must shine bright. Now are dark times. Yuna tries hard. If we worry, she tries harder. Do not frown." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me with a revelation. I already knew it partially, Yuna already told me that she tries to smile when she's sad. I just thought she was taking it to extremes this time. Nonetheless, I decided that I would try to help her. For Yuna, I would learn to smile.

For the rest of that day and into the evening, my mind kept playing over and over, the cries of the children, the flames, and me killing the Al Bhed. It was all like one big, bad, horrible dream, like a nightmare. I hoped it would all just go away. I thought maybe once we got to Zanarkand, it would.

"How much farther till Zanarkand?" I asked, hoping the answer was soon. "Months." Wakka replied briefly. Lulu elaborated. "First to the temple in Djose, then to Guadosalam, through the Thunder Plains to Macalania temple. From there we will travel through the Calm Lands and over Mount Gagazet. Then we will reach Zanarkand." Their answers made my hope die.

"Can't we just skip all that?" I asked, a hint of a whine in my voice. "I must get the Aeons from all five elements in order to receive the Final Aeon." Yuna said. "That's a summoner's training. She's gotta prepare mind and body, just to get ready for the Final Summoning." Wakka added. "Wow. Must be tough, Yuna..." I said thoughtfully. Then I realized something. "Five elements? I thought there were four." "Well, there are only four that people can use. But there is one Aeon, the Aeon from Bevelle, that uses the element of air." Yuna said. "Oh." That cleared it up for me.

When the others hurried on, Auron grabbed my shoulder and held me back. "What?" I asked, pushing his hand off me. After the others were out of earshot, he spoke. "Don't tell Yuna about Jecht. She might distance herself from you." I tilted my head to the side. "Even if I did say anything, no one would believe me...well except Yuna..." Anger flared up in me. "Come to think of it, did I really have to know about Jecht? What about me?" Auron smirked. "Better than you finding out at a critical moment, and becoming emotional." It was definitely a jab. I knew I was being emotional in this world, but I couldn't help it. This place is awful. So I pretended that I didn't know what he was talking about. "What? Me, emotional?" Auron smirked again as he left. "I heard you were quite the crybaby." I sighed. Leave it to Jecht to humiliate me at every given chance.

Weeks passed like mere moments. I had callouses on my feet from months of travel, and my boots were falling apart. When we finally reached the next temple, it was an awe-inspiring sight. Rocks floated around the temple in midair, held aloft by the electricity that enveloped the temple. The ground sparkled, reflecting the lightning that shot out in all directions high above. The sand that surrounded the masterpiece of a building was made from pure crystals. It was almost too beautiful to walk on.

The ground quaked beneath our feet as we passed through the sacred doors. Inside was also amazing. Ever wall, pillar, statue, and even the floor was covered in the multi-colored crystal. The torches that gave light to the cavernous room cast a blueish green light. It sent shivers down my spine. Wakka, Lulu, Kimahri, and I went to pray, while Tidus and Auron remained aloof. When I was about finished, A Summoner and his guardians came out of the Trials.

He approached me. "I beg your pardon, but may I ask your name?" "I am summoner Yuna, from the isle of Besaid." "As I thought!" He said. "The daughter of Lord Braska. You have the look of your father." I smiled. "You knew him?" "No." He said. "I have never met the man." "Oh. May I ask your name?" I switched subjects. "Ah, my apologies. I am Summoner Isaaru, from Bevelle. These are my brothers, also my guardians." One was very young, and I feared he would lose his life on the pilgrimage. He looked to be about thirteen. "I'm Pacce. Pleased to meet you." He said.

A young man who had been studying the walls then introduced himself. "I'm his other guardian. Maroda." Isaaru continued on the subject of my father. "Since he became High Summoner, I have looked up to him and dreamed of becoming a High Summoner, myself. But you must have some of your father's talent in you. Perhaps we should race to see who can defeat Sin first." His challenge sounded silly, like a childish game being played. It was a race to see who could die first. I wanted to be polite, so I said, "Very well, then. I accept your challenge." He nodded. "Well then, Lady Yuna, I beg your leave. Good luck to both of us."

"Come, we will go in, now." Yuna said, beckoning to us guardians. They filed through the door, but I loitered for a moment before following them. I waited just long enough to be called by Maroda, who leaned back through the door of the temple. "Hey, you." He said. "Me?" I asked, pointing to myself. "Yeah. I heard a curious rumor. I thought you should know. I heard from some Crusaders that summoners have been going out on pilgrimage and just... could be that just fiends got them, but not so many so quickly. Sorry that I don't know more, but watch your back."

I had a little trouble registering what he said. It seemed to me that a lot of them would perish in the trials, but obviously this guy knew more about what goes on in this world then I do. I guess they keep track of who never comes out of the trials, so they know they didn't just disappear. "Well we'll be careful." I heard the young boy say to us through the door, "Watcha talkin' about?" Maroda said to him, "We're talking about doing our jobs as guardians." "Well, I'm doin' good!" Pacce said confidently. "Maroda! Pacce! We're leaving." Isaaru called them. Maroda said, "Farewell. Take care of that pretty summoner of yours." With that he left. I smiled. He was right. Yuna was pretty. I turned and ran into the trials.

I was met by an amazing sight. There were streams of electricity running down the walls and gathering in little rivers, all flowing forward under a door. Everyone was waiting for me. "Where were you?" Wakka asked. "Maroda was just telling me something." I said, brushing off the question. "Alright then. Guardians, let's do it!" Wakka said, trying to give us a pep talk. We stepped carefully around the rivulets, reaching two spheres on the far sides of the walls. It wasn't hard to figure out that the spheres went in the two divots on each of the doors leading into the next room.

When the doors slid open, there was a forcefield of lightning stretching between them, but soon it died down, and we cautiously stepped through the doorway. What greeted us on the other side was a huge room divided by more electric floors, and we were also immediately attacked by a large cat with huge whiskers. It swung those whiskers forward and they electrocuted Kimahri. It didn't seem to have hurt him too much, so everything was okay.
Lulu dumped water on the cat, and while it was recovering from that, I slashed at it with my sword. Wrong move . It zapped me. I hadn't stopped to think that my metal sword would transfer the cat's energy to me. It didn't hurt too much, and the cat died, so it was worth it. We looked around, trying to figure out this puzzle. There were pillars of lightning that flashed on and off at intervals, so we had to be careful not to get caught on one of those.

We spent maybe half an hour dancing around the room until finally we completed the trial. We only had three small battles, and I gathered that the Djose trials were more for show that actually dangerous. When we got to the anteroom, we looked around in wonder. It was incredibly beautiful. The walls were made completely of crystal with a soft green light emanating from behind them. The floors set with tiny prisms, reflecting all the colors of the rainbow around the room.

"I am ready." Yuna said. She took a deep breath and went into the deepest chamber. It seemed like forever before she came out, and just as she left it, obviously exhausted, none other that Dona and Barthello barged in. They looked around at us, and Dona scoffed. "Well, Well. You again. Still traveling with quite the crowd I see." Barthello walked up to Auron and stared. "What is it, Barthello? You know this riffraff?" Barthello ignored her. "You are Sir Auron...no?" "What of it." Auron replied dryly. "Sir Auron, you are the reason I became a guardian! Can...I shake your hand?" Auron chuckled and extended his own hand. Barthello shook it enthusiastically. "Thank you so much, Sir. This means so much to me!" Wakka scowled at Dona. "Calling the personal guardian of Lord Braska riffraff?" Lulu broke in. "And you call yourself a summoner?" Lulu, too scoffed.

"Barthello, enough! Get over here. And you, Yuna. You owe much to your father. All these guardians, and Sir Auron, too? And I hear Maester Seymour's quite taken with you. The world must look different when you're the daughter of High Summoner Braska." Yuna was offended, and she didn't try to hide it. "This has nothing to do with my father! I am traveling on my own as a fully-fledged summoner!" "Oh, is that so? Well I've nothing left to say to you." With that, she brushed past Yuna and entered the chamber of the fayth. She leaned back out, though, before the door shut. "Oh, and thanks for solving the puzzle for us. It doesn't change back until the summoner leaves the trials, so you saved us the trouble. And also, your many guardians still won't be able to protect you when the time comes." She smirked and then went to pray. I could hardly believe the brat was a summoner. I didn't know what she meant by "when the time comes," though.

We traveled backwards and quickly reached the exit. "Well, that wasn't too hard, was it?" Yuna asked, smiling brightly at us. I smiled back at her. "Nope!" "Let's get some rest, Yuna." Lulu said calmly. There was an inn run by some nuns nearby, and we took advantage of the free room and board. The evening and night passed without incident. When I woke up the next morning I snuggled deeper into my covered and squeezed my eyes shut, hugging my pillow. I didn't want to get up.

But I did. I took a look at myself in the mirror. I had cleaned myself up the night before, so all I had to do was ruffle my hair a bit, and it went into the way it used to always look when I was in Zanarkand. I knew the girls loved it. I smiled nostalgically. That all seemed like a lifetime ago. I looked so much older. I had a few small scars on my face, and the rest of me hadn't escaped unharmed either. And my face had hardened into that of a young man who had seen much death and even killed two men.

I tore myself away from my reflection and left the inn after gulping down a quick breakfast with Wakka. When we left the inn, we found that Auron, Lulu, and Kimahri were already up and waiting. Apparently Yuna had slept late. Soon she rushed out of the inn. When she saw all of us waiting, she frantically apologized.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to sleep so long!" "Yo! Sleepyhead!" Wakka said. Lulu approached the girl. "Really, there's no rush. Here, your hair." Yuna realized that her hair was a disaster. She combed through it with her fingers. "A summoner with bed head!" What is the world comin' to?" Wakka joked. "You could have woken me up!" Yuna said. Lulu smiled. "We called to you, but with all that snoring..."

Yuna covered her mouth. "I snore?! Why is everyone picking on me?" We all laughed, even Lulu. "Once Lady Yuna fixes her hair, we leave!" Auron said. We all laughed at her again. I hadn't laughed in weeks. It was only later that I realized that I was the only one who was really laughing then. The rest were just trying to be strong for Yuna.

TidusxYuna Always