Prologue: Lady Tori's Promise
"You do understand what I have to do, don't you?" he asked as he laid his katana against the wall. It would be his last time with her and he wanted to talk. The raven haired man with the russet eyes looked into her violet gray ones and smiled. He knew the answer.
"I understand, Auron, but do you have to go so soon?" she asked, putting her arms around him, pulling him close to her. He nodded and kissed the top of her head, a heedful of black velvety locks.
In his deep voice he said, "I must do this. For Spira, for Braska, and for us. It must be done."
She nodded and kissed him. "Then let this night be the most magnificent night, so that you'll always remember it."
"Before that, Tori, promise me something."
"Anything."
"Promise me, you'll keep these for me." He pointed to a red box on the floor. "Those contain the story I never told you or anyone else."
"I promise, Auron. I promise on my honor as a guardian."
"Then it is done."
Lady Tori opened her eyes to the soft morning light peeking in through the white curtains of her room. She had been dreaming about her late husband, the legendary guardian Auron. The only man who made her feel as if she was a goddess without spoiling her. Her dreams now were mostly about the last time she saw him alive. When he did not return to her, she feared him dead and knew in his heart that he was.
Tori rubbed her eyes and tossed her legs out of the bed. It had been the same bed that she shared with Auron on many occasions before and after they were married. She looked around the room and frowned. It looked the same even after 10 years. Nothing ever changed. Well, sometimes everything changes.
She walked over to her trunk and pulled out something to wear for the day. It was a special day by her standards, for she had been asked to present the Temple with Auron's spheres. The priest told her that it was for a project developed by High Summoner Yuna. Yuna had explained to Tori in a letter that it was important to know the man behind the katana and so Tori obliged. Besides it was time.
The Bevelle Palace Temple smelt of jasmine and vanilla, a smell that Auron once told Tori, reminded him of her. Tori smiled to herself as she made her way to one of the side rooms. The priest bowed to her and she acknowledged them. When she entered the room she was greeted by Yuna and the High Priest, Lothor.
"Lady Tori, what an honor," said Yuna happily.
Tori smiled. It was like looking into a mirror except the reflected image had light brown hair and mismatched eyes. "Thank you, Lady Yuna. The honor is mine."
Lothor looked to Tori and bowed. "It has been along time, Lady Tori."
"A very long time, Father Lothor. I'm pleased that you look as well as you do."
"I owe that to Sir Auron, as you know."
"I know," Tori replied.
Just then Yuna's guardians walked in. When they spotted Tori they all bowed and said her name. Tori smiled at them. "Thank you. You must be Lady Yuna's guardians. It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise," said Lulu, who walked up to her. "I have heard so much about you from other guardians."
"I don't come close to my husband though."
"Husband?" asked Wakka.
Tori chuckled and nodded. "Yes, your legendary guardian was my husband."
"You mean Sir Auron?" Rikku asked.
At that moment Kimhari spoke. "Yes, Tori wife to Sir Auron."
"That's interesting," said Yuna. "I never knew a monk could marry."
"They can't," said Lothor. "Tori and Auron's marriage was illegal but I performed it anyhow."
Tori nodded. "All of this will be explained in good time. For now let's get to work. Do you have a room for us, Lothor?"
"Of course, my Lady." Lothor ushered them into an adjoining room with a round table and six chairs around it. They all took a seat and Tori sat the box in the middle of the table. "If you need anything, please call for me. I'll be glad to bring it," Lothor said as he exited the room.
"Thank you," said Tori and Yuna in unison.
"Now, let's see.ah.yes.here we go." Tori opened the box to reveal several spheres. She pulled one in particular out. She sat it down and pushed the button to view it.
The view was a soft blue color and bubbles drifted by aimlessly. When it came into focus Auron appeared in front of it. He looked tired, yet contented. The room he was in was one of the many inns that Yuna and the others had traveled to on her pilgrimage. Auron sat on his bed looking into the sphere.
"Well, I'm not very good at this am I? The point of this is to let some things off my chest. For a long time I kept something too close to my heart and now it's time to tell. Yuna, Tidus, Kimhari, Rikku, Lulu and Wakka, I want you all to know that no matter what happens that you are always with me. I have lived a long life and I have lived it alone for these past couple of years. You all have each other and never take each other for granted. I took her for granted. None of you know who 'she' is. She is the guardian, Tori, a legend in her own right. My friend, my love, my wife. If you are watching this, Tori, know that I will always love you.
I just want you all to know, that I want my story told and I want it told from two sides; my side and Tori's side. I will always consider Tori's life to be mine. She's very special to me and I wish I could see her again, but she believes I'm dead. Even though I am dead. Well, I better stop this now or I'll start crying."
The sphere went off and Tori put it back in the box with the others. She looked around at them. They were staring at each other and then to Tori. "It is time to tell our story." She handed them each a sphere. "These are all the spheres he gave me. They document his life and our life together. I hope these tell you something. A few are mine also." After she spoke she got up and left the room. She would wait for when they had need of her.
As she waited for them she thought of the sphere she had watched. She had viewed it a hundred times before and each time she cried. She fingered the necklace around her neck and whispered his name. It had been so long.
"You do understand what I have to do, don't you?" he asked as he laid his katana against the wall. It would be his last time with her and he wanted to talk. The raven haired man with the russet eyes looked into her violet gray ones and smiled. He knew the answer.
"I understand, Auron, but do you have to go so soon?" she asked, putting her arms around him, pulling him close to her. He nodded and kissed the top of her head, a heedful of black velvety locks.
In his deep voice he said, "I must do this. For Spira, for Braska, and for us. It must be done."
She nodded and kissed him. "Then let this night be the most magnificent night, so that you'll always remember it."
"Before that, Tori, promise me something."
"Anything."
"Promise me, you'll keep these for me." He pointed to a red box on the floor. "Those contain the story I never told you or anyone else."
"I promise, Auron. I promise on my honor as a guardian."
"Then it is done."
Lady Tori opened her eyes to the soft morning light peeking in through the white curtains of her room. She had been dreaming about her late husband, the legendary guardian Auron. The only man who made her feel as if she was a goddess without spoiling her. Her dreams now were mostly about the last time she saw him alive. When he did not return to her, she feared him dead and knew in his heart that he was.
Tori rubbed her eyes and tossed her legs out of the bed. It had been the same bed that she shared with Auron on many occasions before and after they were married. She looked around the room and frowned. It looked the same even after 10 years. Nothing ever changed. Well, sometimes everything changes.
She walked over to her trunk and pulled out something to wear for the day. It was a special day by her standards, for she had been asked to present the Temple with Auron's spheres. The priest told her that it was for a project developed by High Summoner Yuna. Yuna had explained to Tori in a letter that it was important to know the man behind the katana and so Tori obliged. Besides it was time.
The Bevelle Palace Temple smelt of jasmine and vanilla, a smell that Auron once told Tori, reminded him of her. Tori smiled to herself as she made her way to one of the side rooms. The priest bowed to her and she acknowledged them. When she entered the room she was greeted by Yuna and the High Priest, Lothor.
"Lady Tori, what an honor," said Yuna happily.
Tori smiled. It was like looking into a mirror except the reflected image had light brown hair and mismatched eyes. "Thank you, Lady Yuna. The honor is mine."
Lothor looked to Tori and bowed. "It has been along time, Lady Tori."
"A very long time, Father Lothor. I'm pleased that you look as well as you do."
"I owe that to Sir Auron, as you know."
"I know," Tori replied.
Just then Yuna's guardians walked in. When they spotted Tori they all bowed and said her name. Tori smiled at them. "Thank you. You must be Lady Yuna's guardians. It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise," said Lulu, who walked up to her. "I have heard so much about you from other guardians."
"I don't come close to my husband though."
"Husband?" asked Wakka.
Tori chuckled and nodded. "Yes, your legendary guardian was my husband."
"You mean Sir Auron?" Rikku asked.
At that moment Kimhari spoke. "Yes, Tori wife to Sir Auron."
"That's interesting," said Yuna. "I never knew a monk could marry."
"They can't," said Lothor. "Tori and Auron's marriage was illegal but I performed it anyhow."
Tori nodded. "All of this will be explained in good time. For now let's get to work. Do you have a room for us, Lothor?"
"Of course, my Lady." Lothor ushered them into an adjoining room with a round table and six chairs around it. They all took a seat and Tori sat the box in the middle of the table. "If you need anything, please call for me. I'll be glad to bring it," Lothor said as he exited the room.
"Thank you," said Tori and Yuna in unison.
"Now, let's see.ah.yes.here we go." Tori opened the box to reveal several spheres. She pulled one in particular out. She sat it down and pushed the button to view it.
The view was a soft blue color and bubbles drifted by aimlessly. When it came into focus Auron appeared in front of it. He looked tired, yet contented. The room he was in was one of the many inns that Yuna and the others had traveled to on her pilgrimage. Auron sat on his bed looking into the sphere.
"Well, I'm not very good at this am I? The point of this is to let some things off my chest. For a long time I kept something too close to my heart and now it's time to tell. Yuna, Tidus, Kimhari, Rikku, Lulu and Wakka, I want you all to know that no matter what happens that you are always with me. I have lived a long life and I have lived it alone for these past couple of years. You all have each other and never take each other for granted. I took her for granted. None of you know who 'she' is. She is the guardian, Tori, a legend in her own right. My friend, my love, my wife. If you are watching this, Tori, know that I will always love you.
I just want you all to know, that I want my story told and I want it told from two sides; my side and Tori's side. I will always consider Tori's life to be mine. She's very special to me and I wish I could see her again, but she believes I'm dead. Even though I am dead. Well, I better stop this now or I'll start crying."
The sphere went off and Tori put it back in the box with the others. She looked around at them. They were staring at each other and then to Tori. "It is time to tell our story." She handed them each a sphere. "These are all the spheres he gave me. They document his life and our life together. I hope these tell you something. A few are mine also." After she spoke she got up and left the room. She would wait for when they had need of her.
As she waited for them she thought of the sphere she had watched. She had viewed it a hundred times before and each time she cried. She fingered the necklace around her neck and whispered his name. It had been so long.
