Otherworld Year One: Chapter 4



Auron paced at the water's edge... his mind in turmoil.

His total loss of emotional control had left him feeling ashamed and confused. If he was unable to overcome his current mental state, or adapt to his new reality... he would surely fail in his purpose. He felt weak and ineffectual by his need for the peace and rest that had been offered him here with Sahna and Remie. To continue to allow himself to simply exist, without attaining his aim, would be cowardly... and a dishonor to his friends, and everything they had stood for.

He must do something. Take action of some kind... or he would truly be lost. Focusing his thoughts, he began to logically break the problem down. First, he must allow himself to heal sufficiently, both mentally and physically... he was no good to anyone until then.

Secondly, he must locate Tidus and his mother. This thought brought his head up to look back at the city skyline beyond the roof of Sahna's home. He had seen the ruins of the great city in Spira, and Jecht had often described it to him... but neither of those things had prepared him for the reality of the massive facade of artifice that stretched out before him. The monolithic profusion of dark metal and glass was intimidating in its size and stark coldness. It was completely alien in comparison to the simple world of Spira he had left behind.

And that brought him to the third task... adaptation. Even in Spira he had been different, here he was nothing less than a complete anomaly. It would be necessary to try and temper his strict behavior and mannerisms. His roles as Warrior Monk and Summoner's Guardian were things of the past. Cleaving to what he was comfortable with was futile. His duty now, was to play nursemaid to Jecht's son... and how in Yevon's name was he going to accomplish that? Before Remie, he had never spent any time in the company of children... and he was clueless as to how to conduct himself.

His appearance did not help matters either. The freakish looking thing he had become would surely alienate anyone he came in contact with. The exception being Sahna and her son. Their generosity of spirit was currently the only thing standing between him and raving madness. And perhaps that was the answer. He would do well to follow their example in the face of adversity. They had endured the loss of their world as they knew it too... and had come out on the other side with their integrity and humanity intact.

He felt a little stronger already, having embraced the truth of things... and he offered a small smile of triumph to the vastness of the city before him.

************

Sahna sat on the front porch, with Auron's robe across her lap... frowning in concentration as she attempted to mend the intricate garment. The pants had been easy... merely needing a good washing and the knees sown up. The robe was another matter, but she thought she could make a decent job of it. The leather shirt was a complete loss though... torn and stained beyond her ability to repair, not unlike the spirit of the man down there at the shoreline. She brought her head up then to look at him... his muscular frame slowly pacing back and forth at the water's edge, his hair, now clean and unbraided, flowing out behind him in a black cascade.

Even in his current state, he was a magnificent thing to behold. Like a knight from a storybook, or a warrior from another world. Yes, that was it... that must be what he really was, she realized. He didn't belong here at all. He was like a shining reflection of an unseen reality beyond this one. And she suddenly knew looking at him, that whatever his purpose was in this world, whatever was to come... it would be her privilege to have known him.

************

Remie sat curled up, his book across his knees, his chin resting against the top of the couch as he looked out through the window... watching his mother watch Auron. He knew it had made her happy to take care of the hurt man... cause she was the best mom in the whole world. Maybe he should have been mad at sharing her with Auron, but he wasn't. The big man scared him sometimes... he wasn't anything like his dad had been, but he was really cool too. He wondered if maybe he could be as strong as Auron someday... then he could take better care of his mom. Maybe Auron would show him how to use a sword too, just like that big one in the closet that mom had made him promise not to touch. He sure wished he could grow up faster. And with that thought, Remie breathed a large sigh and returned to his book... the story where everything came out alright in the end.

************

On one bright morning, a few days later, as they all sat around the table eating breakfast, Auron looked up at Sahna. "I wish to help you around the house, if I may. I need the exercise and I cannot in good conscience, continue to stay here without contributing in some way." Sahna and Remie exchanged a look, as this was a veritable speech coming from Auron.

"Very well, I accept." Sahna replied in a business-like tone. "Hmm, let me see now. You could go with Remie to the market today, he could use the help. There's the fence and porch out front, they need repairing. Then there's the wood pile out back... that's a complete mess. Oh, and there's a broken window in Remie's room..."

As she rambled on, Auron looked over at Remie and with a quick nod of his head in her direction, smiled and rolled his eye. Remie burst out laughing... nearly choking on his milk in the process. Sahna stopped speaking abruptly and stared at both of them. "What? What's so funny? What did I say?" That got Remie going all over again, and this time Auron joined him... chuckling low in his throat, as he watched the perplexed look on Sahna's face.

************

Auron was grateful to be pulling on his own pants. Sahna had done a fine job of repairing them... he would look a little less ridiculous in clothes that actually fit him. The robe too was serviceable, he thought, as he carefully pulled the right sleeve over his arm, wincing as the fabric settled against his unhealed flesh, then reaching up to fasten the buckles. He started to leave the other sleeve hanging loose at his side, his customary way of wearing it, and stopped... his eye taking on a sad, far-away look as he realized that doing so was no longer necessary. He sighed and pulled the other sleeve on, then frowned, pulling his arm back out. This just wasn't comfortable damnit. Perhaps a compromise was in order. He reached for his wide waistbelt, and fastened it on over the robe, then pulled the shoulder of the robe up and tucked his arm inside, sling-fashion. That felt a little better. He could tolerate this.

Then his thoughts turned to the sake jug and sword stashed away in the closet behind him. The jug was empty, and the sword was nothing more than a sad reminder of all that had gone before... he needed them not. And yet, he would feel less naked without his pants on than he would feel going out without them. Best not to dwell on it, he thought, sighing heavily, as he reached for his boots. Sliding his hand down inside the left boot, he felt for the small dirk he had always kept hidden there, for hand-to-hand combat, and was relieved to feel its familiar form fastened against the side. It was better than naught, he supposed... pulling his boots on and walking to the front door to accompany Remie on his trip to the market.

Remie and Sahna, waiting on the front porch... turned to look at him as he entered the front doorway and stopped. Sahna thought that he seemed to have grown bigger somehow, now that he was back in his own clothes. The only thing missing was his leather shirt, his sculpted torso bare beneath his robe. She was going to have to do something about finding a replacement shirt for him... not that he didn't look glorious the way that he was now, she thought. And he was wearing his robe in a strange fashion... his left arm tucked into the front, his hand hanging loose at his waist. But perhaps that was his custom, and it was not her place to question it. She lightly squeezed Remie's shoulder... telling him in the silent language of mother to son, not to comment on Auron's appearance either.

"Better?" Sahna asked, eyeing her handywork. "You have no idea." Auron replied with a crooked smile. "Thank you, Sahna."

"You're welcome, Auron." Sahna replied with a smile of her own. "Well then, here's the gil and the list... and do try and stay out of trouble, you two." She said, giving them a large motherly grin as she waved them off the porch and into the city of dreams beyond.