Chapter Two
Auron and Talitha grew up surrounded by all that was Yevon. It had been planed for them to be a monk and a nun even though Asami felt that her children should be given the choice. This statement fell upon deaf ears and the Ishimaru family went along with their old traditions.
From the age of four, Auron was trained minimally in the art of sword fighting. He took a liking to it, swinging his smaller version of Eishi's large katana as he walked to his lessons at the St. Ilion temple. Talitha would trot behind him, her long black pigtails swinging in the breeze. She wanted a ponytail like Auron's but Eishi told her that only the Ishimaru men had ponytails. Talitha would pout out her lower lip and storm off to her room. Before bed, though, Auron would put Talitha's hair into a ponytail and tell her she was just like him. And she was just like him.
Eishi sat in the garden reading to Asami who was curled up in a chair, asleep. He turned to her and sighed. "Asleep again," he murmured. Asami purred in her sleep as if to agree. "That story must be boring; every time I read it she falls asleep."
He put the book down and sat beside her. Talitha and Auron ran around the garden playing. Their laughter rang throughout the garden and Eishi was sure that all of St. Ilion could hear them. He admired his children; young, strong, and independent. He felt that Asami was right about letting them choose their paths. For some reason he knew that Talitha would not settle for being a nun and maybe Auron would become a monk, but he didn't set his heart on that. They glanced up at him and ran over to him. When they jumped on him, Eishi fell back into the chair he had been sitting in.
"Whoa! You two must be training to be warrior monks."
Talitha jumped into his lap and Auron sat at his feet. Two pairs of russet eyes were on him and he felt as if he were the center of the universe. Talitha shook her head. "I wanna be a Crusader! Aurry wants to be the monk!"
Eishi looked at Talitha to see if she was kidding, but there was no smirk or laugh playing on her four year old lips. She was truly serious.
Later that evening, Eishi and Asami laid in bed wrapped in each other's arms. Eishi kissed the top of her head and whispered, "Did you know that Tali wanted to be a Crusader?"
Asami glanced up at him, trying to see if he was laughing. "You're not serious are you?"
"That's what I said to myself also. I'm telling you the truth. She wants to join the Crusaders."
"But doesn't she understand that they're excommunicated?" Asami's dark brown eyes glittered in the darkness and Eishi could see a tear in the corner of her eye.
He nodded reassuringly. "I'm sure she's learned that from the nuns. Hopefully," he said softly, "she'll change her mind and we won't have to fear it."
By the time Auron and Talitha were 16-year-olds, Talitha's mind had not been changed. Auron had decided to go to the monastery in Bevelle and train as a warrior monk, but Talitha wanted to join the Crusaders. Talitha was set on becoming one of them and could a give chocobo's feather what her family thought about it.
Talitha was perched upon the sill of her window in her room overlooking the front entrance. The day promised to be a rainy one for gray clouds scudded across the sky. She pulled her knees to her chest and nestled her chin in the folds of her purple skirt. Someone knocked on her door and she said, "Come in."
Auron walked in cautiously, glancing at his sister. He sat across from her. Talitha glanced at him and shook her head. "They don't want me to become a Crusader, Auron."
"No, they'd rather have you be a nun, but that isn't what you want. You want to be free of all that."
"Yes, I do. I don't know how to say it though."
"Tali, you told them when we were four. Why is it so hard to say now?"
Talitha shrugged her shoulders in reply. "It's just that they took it as a joke when I was younger and now I'm 16. It's not funny anymore, Aurry."
Auron patted his sister's hand, and then pulled her into a hug. Talitha relaxed into the hug and began to cry. Auron patted her back, murmuring reassurances as he did.
The day had come when the two had to announce their plans to the family. Talitha dreaded telling them that she was going to join the Crusaders, but Auron told her that all would be fine. They waited in the study for their parents and grandparents, nervously. Talitha tapped the toe of her black boots against the wood floor in time with Auron's hums. They would occasionally glance at each other and then tell jokes to ease the tenseness of the situation.
As Auron was going into a joke about monks, everyone walked in. "So, today is the day," said Omi cheerfully.
Asami and Eishi sat beside their children while Omi and Emi sat across from them. Asami looked at Talitha with concern. "Are you ready?" she asked.
Both of the children nodded. Auron went first. "I have decided to take the path of my father and his brothers. I'm going to join the monastery."
"Accepted," said Omi, clapping softly.
Eishi and Auron bowed to each other. Auron turned to Asami and bowed to her. It was Talitha's turn. She gulped and took in a deep breath. In a shaky voice she said, "I have chosen to join the Crusaders."
The silence that followed took forever to be broken. Omi cleared his throat and looked at Eishi. "Did you know this already?"
Eishi replied, "I didn't think she'd actually do it, father. I assumed that it was a passing thing."
Asami came to Talitha's rescue. "I think she should be allowed to follow her heart. She's almost a woman now. It should be up to her."
Emi turned to Asami and said quickly and firmly, "You would have you child become a Crusader? They're excommunicated. The church. . ."
"Tali and Aurry have a right to choose their own paths. It will be what they have to live with, not us. My family pushed me to become a summoner. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy learning the art of the summoning, but it wasn't my first choice. I wanted to be a priestess, but because of tradition I was forced to become a summoner. Tali, I accept your decision," said Asami gently, the resolve in her voice strong.
"As do I," said Eishi.
Omi said, "Then I see that I have no choice but to say yes also."
Emi shook her head. "So be it."
On a sunny summer morning, Auron and Talitha boarded the S.S. Juniper. The ferry would take them from St. Ilion to St. Bevelle and from there their paths would split. The farewell was tearful but it had to be done. Eishi gave Auron his katana and Asami gave Auron a tokkuri. They both gave Talitha a katana and a deep red satin sash. Talitha tied the sash around her waist and kissed them goodbye. The twins waved from the ship, never thinking that that would be the last time they'd see them alive.
The ferry was full of colorful people from all over Spira. Talitha had planted herself upon the steps up to the observation deck while Auron paced the observation deck. Talitha eventually left the steps to go to her cabin for a nap. Auron wondered if their decisions were correct. He knew he could change it if he wanted to, but he was set on it. It would take something major to make him leave the Order.
Suddenly he became aware of someone watching him. He turned to see a young girl with short choppy black hair, violet-silver eyes and a very wide smile on her face. She had on a black halter with no back with a white bra underneath it and an ice blue obi around her waist. The black skirt she wore touched the toes of her boots and Auron couldn't help but think of Talitha.
"Hello there," said the girl.
"Hello." Auron walked over to her and did the Prayer of Yevon. "I'm Auron Ishimaru."
The young lady bowed in turn and said, "I'm Tori Yoshitomi. Nice to meet, Auron."
Tori sat down on the deck and Auron joined her. "So, Auron, are you on your way to Bevelle?"
"How did you know?"
"The ferry is full of young men going to Bevelle to become warrior monks. A few are going to become Crusaders." She smirked at that. "Imagine doing all that work and not being acknowledged by the Church."
Auron frowned. "Is something wrong with being a Crusader?"
"Of course not, silly. I admire them for their ability to fight like they do. I think the warrior monks could learn from them," Tori replied.
"What do you mean by that?"
"The training for the monks is rather soft. I told my father they should up it; get the full benefit of the training. It's important to have your warriors up to par. Physically fit and mentally fit."
"How do you know about the training?" Auron asked as he shifted his body.
Tori sighed. "My father is the Captain of the Guard."
"You mean Ebizo Yoshitomi is your father?" Auron's eyes widened. "My father was good friends with him."
"Yeah, I was wondering when you'd realize that. Eishi Ishimaru was my father's best friend. That's all I heard about growing up. Your father was a very brave man."
Talitha ran up onto the deck, interrupting Tori's story. "Auron.oh, I didn't know you had company."
Tori stood up and did the Prayer. "I'm Tori Yoshitomi. You're Auron's twin sister?"
Talitha nodded. "Yes, I'm Talitha. You don't mind if I pull Auron away for a moment do you?"
"Of course not. I can wait," Tori said, casting a glance in Auron's direction. Auron felt his face heat up; Tori was absolutely stunning. His eyes followed her as she went down to the main deck.
Talitha snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Hey, you! Snap out of it!"
Auron looked at Tori and smirked. "Hnh."
Talitha smiled. "So, who was that?"
"Captain Yoshitomi's daughter."
"She's very pretty. I think someone likes her."
"I just met her, Tali." Auron gave his sister a glare and she punched him playfully.
"Only kidding, Aurry. I wanted to ask you if you were going to go straight to Bevelle or stop off at one of the neighboring islands."
"I'm going straight to Bevelle."
"Oh, okay. I was just wondering. I wanted to stop off in Luca, but since..."
"You can, Tali. You don't need me with you anymore. You're older now."
Talitha sighed. "I know. It's just that usually we're inseparable."
"The time has come for us to separate, Tali."
"You're right." Talitha hugged Auron, and then left him alone. Tori came back shortly after Talitha had left and handed Auron a half of her sandwich.
"I brought this for you. Do you want some of this?" She handed Auron a bottle of water. He took both graciously.
"Thank you." He sat down upon the floor and Tori joined him. Her gaze traveled from Auron then up to the sails of the ferry. Auron ate his sandwich and watched Tori eat hers carefully, picking it apart. Tori looked up and locked eyes with him. He was handsome, she had to admit. Who could resist looking at him with his almond shaped russet eyes, soft yet sharp features, and his long black hair that was pulled into a ponytail? He was truly a sight to behold.
Auron noticed Tori staring at him. He met her eyes again this time causing her to blush furiously. Auron did not know himself to have that affect on girls or women, but Tori was blushing as red as a provoked fiend. She turned away quickly and bit her lip. It was an awkward moment and the only way the silence was broken was when Tori accidentally yawned. "Oops. Sorry about that," she said softly. "I must be tired."
"You look a little tired. How long have you been up?"
"Let's see. I didn't go to sleep last night and we left the Mi'ihen Inn early this morning to catch the St. Ilion ferry even though we could have caught the one in Luca. So, I've been up for almost 12 hours or more."
"You need your rest then. I'll wake you when we get to the next port."
"The next port is some backwater island called Papel, I'm from Bevelle." She yawned again and laid down on the deck. "But your right, I do need some sleep." After those words Auron heard snoring. He picked her up and carried her to his cabin. It never occurred to him that Talitha may question why he took Tori to his room, he only thought about getting her inside and to a bed so she wouldn't wake up with splinters in her cheeks.
Auron checked on her occasionally, looking to see if she was okay. While she slept, he memorized the Ishimaru Technique in his head. Auron found this technique to hone his Overdrive to be relatively tasking, but his father said that it was tradition. Tradition was a word used so often in the Ishimaru household. From the foundation to the tip of pagoda-style roof, that house was full of tradition and Auron wondered if it was for the good of the family. He never questioned the rules of his house, but now that he wasn't at home he questioned them. The traditions that were held so close to his family's heart were ancient and he knew that Talitha had broken the one tradition that was intact for centuries.
Tori awoke with a start and startled Auron.
Auron and Talitha grew up surrounded by all that was Yevon. It had been planed for them to be a monk and a nun even though Asami felt that her children should be given the choice. This statement fell upon deaf ears and the Ishimaru family went along with their old traditions.
From the age of four, Auron was trained minimally in the art of sword fighting. He took a liking to it, swinging his smaller version of Eishi's large katana as he walked to his lessons at the St. Ilion temple. Talitha would trot behind him, her long black pigtails swinging in the breeze. She wanted a ponytail like Auron's but Eishi told her that only the Ishimaru men had ponytails. Talitha would pout out her lower lip and storm off to her room. Before bed, though, Auron would put Talitha's hair into a ponytail and tell her she was just like him. And she was just like him.
Eishi sat in the garden reading to Asami who was curled up in a chair, asleep. He turned to her and sighed. "Asleep again," he murmured. Asami purred in her sleep as if to agree. "That story must be boring; every time I read it she falls asleep."
He put the book down and sat beside her. Talitha and Auron ran around the garden playing. Their laughter rang throughout the garden and Eishi was sure that all of St. Ilion could hear them. He admired his children; young, strong, and independent. He felt that Asami was right about letting them choose their paths. For some reason he knew that Talitha would not settle for being a nun and maybe Auron would become a monk, but he didn't set his heart on that. They glanced up at him and ran over to him. When they jumped on him, Eishi fell back into the chair he had been sitting in.
"Whoa! You two must be training to be warrior monks."
Talitha jumped into his lap and Auron sat at his feet. Two pairs of russet eyes were on him and he felt as if he were the center of the universe. Talitha shook her head. "I wanna be a Crusader! Aurry wants to be the monk!"
Eishi looked at Talitha to see if she was kidding, but there was no smirk or laugh playing on her four year old lips. She was truly serious.
Later that evening, Eishi and Asami laid in bed wrapped in each other's arms. Eishi kissed the top of her head and whispered, "Did you know that Tali wanted to be a Crusader?"
Asami glanced up at him, trying to see if he was laughing. "You're not serious are you?"
"That's what I said to myself also. I'm telling you the truth. She wants to join the Crusaders."
"But doesn't she understand that they're excommunicated?" Asami's dark brown eyes glittered in the darkness and Eishi could see a tear in the corner of her eye.
He nodded reassuringly. "I'm sure she's learned that from the nuns. Hopefully," he said softly, "she'll change her mind and we won't have to fear it."
By the time Auron and Talitha were 16-year-olds, Talitha's mind had not been changed. Auron had decided to go to the monastery in Bevelle and train as a warrior monk, but Talitha wanted to join the Crusaders. Talitha was set on becoming one of them and could a give chocobo's feather what her family thought about it.
Talitha was perched upon the sill of her window in her room overlooking the front entrance. The day promised to be a rainy one for gray clouds scudded across the sky. She pulled her knees to her chest and nestled her chin in the folds of her purple skirt. Someone knocked on her door and she said, "Come in."
Auron walked in cautiously, glancing at his sister. He sat across from her. Talitha glanced at him and shook her head. "They don't want me to become a Crusader, Auron."
"No, they'd rather have you be a nun, but that isn't what you want. You want to be free of all that."
"Yes, I do. I don't know how to say it though."
"Tali, you told them when we were four. Why is it so hard to say now?"
Talitha shrugged her shoulders in reply. "It's just that they took it as a joke when I was younger and now I'm 16. It's not funny anymore, Aurry."
Auron patted his sister's hand, and then pulled her into a hug. Talitha relaxed into the hug and began to cry. Auron patted her back, murmuring reassurances as he did.
The day had come when the two had to announce their plans to the family. Talitha dreaded telling them that she was going to join the Crusaders, but Auron told her that all would be fine. They waited in the study for their parents and grandparents, nervously. Talitha tapped the toe of her black boots against the wood floor in time with Auron's hums. They would occasionally glance at each other and then tell jokes to ease the tenseness of the situation.
As Auron was going into a joke about monks, everyone walked in. "So, today is the day," said Omi cheerfully.
Asami and Eishi sat beside their children while Omi and Emi sat across from them. Asami looked at Talitha with concern. "Are you ready?" she asked.
Both of the children nodded. Auron went first. "I have decided to take the path of my father and his brothers. I'm going to join the monastery."
"Accepted," said Omi, clapping softly.
Eishi and Auron bowed to each other. Auron turned to Asami and bowed to her. It was Talitha's turn. She gulped and took in a deep breath. In a shaky voice she said, "I have chosen to join the Crusaders."
The silence that followed took forever to be broken. Omi cleared his throat and looked at Eishi. "Did you know this already?"
Eishi replied, "I didn't think she'd actually do it, father. I assumed that it was a passing thing."
Asami came to Talitha's rescue. "I think she should be allowed to follow her heart. She's almost a woman now. It should be up to her."
Emi turned to Asami and said quickly and firmly, "You would have you child become a Crusader? They're excommunicated. The church. . ."
"Tali and Aurry have a right to choose their own paths. It will be what they have to live with, not us. My family pushed me to become a summoner. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy learning the art of the summoning, but it wasn't my first choice. I wanted to be a priestess, but because of tradition I was forced to become a summoner. Tali, I accept your decision," said Asami gently, the resolve in her voice strong.
"As do I," said Eishi.
Omi said, "Then I see that I have no choice but to say yes also."
Emi shook her head. "So be it."
On a sunny summer morning, Auron and Talitha boarded the S.S. Juniper. The ferry would take them from St. Ilion to St. Bevelle and from there their paths would split. The farewell was tearful but it had to be done. Eishi gave Auron his katana and Asami gave Auron a tokkuri. They both gave Talitha a katana and a deep red satin sash. Talitha tied the sash around her waist and kissed them goodbye. The twins waved from the ship, never thinking that that would be the last time they'd see them alive.
The ferry was full of colorful people from all over Spira. Talitha had planted herself upon the steps up to the observation deck while Auron paced the observation deck. Talitha eventually left the steps to go to her cabin for a nap. Auron wondered if their decisions were correct. He knew he could change it if he wanted to, but he was set on it. It would take something major to make him leave the Order.
Suddenly he became aware of someone watching him. He turned to see a young girl with short choppy black hair, violet-silver eyes and a very wide smile on her face. She had on a black halter with no back with a white bra underneath it and an ice blue obi around her waist. The black skirt she wore touched the toes of her boots and Auron couldn't help but think of Talitha.
"Hello there," said the girl.
"Hello." Auron walked over to her and did the Prayer of Yevon. "I'm Auron Ishimaru."
The young lady bowed in turn and said, "I'm Tori Yoshitomi. Nice to meet, Auron."
Tori sat down on the deck and Auron joined her. "So, Auron, are you on your way to Bevelle?"
"How did you know?"
"The ferry is full of young men going to Bevelle to become warrior monks. A few are going to become Crusaders." She smirked at that. "Imagine doing all that work and not being acknowledged by the Church."
Auron frowned. "Is something wrong with being a Crusader?"
"Of course not, silly. I admire them for their ability to fight like they do. I think the warrior monks could learn from them," Tori replied.
"What do you mean by that?"
"The training for the monks is rather soft. I told my father they should up it; get the full benefit of the training. It's important to have your warriors up to par. Physically fit and mentally fit."
"How do you know about the training?" Auron asked as he shifted his body.
Tori sighed. "My father is the Captain of the Guard."
"You mean Ebizo Yoshitomi is your father?" Auron's eyes widened. "My father was good friends with him."
"Yeah, I was wondering when you'd realize that. Eishi Ishimaru was my father's best friend. That's all I heard about growing up. Your father was a very brave man."
Talitha ran up onto the deck, interrupting Tori's story. "Auron.oh, I didn't know you had company."
Tori stood up and did the Prayer. "I'm Tori Yoshitomi. You're Auron's twin sister?"
Talitha nodded. "Yes, I'm Talitha. You don't mind if I pull Auron away for a moment do you?"
"Of course not. I can wait," Tori said, casting a glance in Auron's direction. Auron felt his face heat up; Tori was absolutely stunning. His eyes followed her as she went down to the main deck.
Talitha snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Hey, you! Snap out of it!"
Auron looked at Tori and smirked. "Hnh."
Talitha smiled. "So, who was that?"
"Captain Yoshitomi's daughter."
"She's very pretty. I think someone likes her."
"I just met her, Tali." Auron gave his sister a glare and she punched him playfully.
"Only kidding, Aurry. I wanted to ask you if you were going to go straight to Bevelle or stop off at one of the neighboring islands."
"I'm going straight to Bevelle."
"Oh, okay. I was just wondering. I wanted to stop off in Luca, but since..."
"You can, Tali. You don't need me with you anymore. You're older now."
Talitha sighed. "I know. It's just that usually we're inseparable."
"The time has come for us to separate, Tali."
"You're right." Talitha hugged Auron, and then left him alone. Tori came back shortly after Talitha had left and handed Auron a half of her sandwich.
"I brought this for you. Do you want some of this?" She handed Auron a bottle of water. He took both graciously.
"Thank you." He sat down upon the floor and Tori joined him. Her gaze traveled from Auron then up to the sails of the ferry. Auron ate his sandwich and watched Tori eat hers carefully, picking it apart. Tori looked up and locked eyes with him. He was handsome, she had to admit. Who could resist looking at him with his almond shaped russet eyes, soft yet sharp features, and his long black hair that was pulled into a ponytail? He was truly a sight to behold.
Auron noticed Tori staring at him. He met her eyes again this time causing her to blush furiously. Auron did not know himself to have that affect on girls or women, but Tori was blushing as red as a provoked fiend. She turned away quickly and bit her lip. It was an awkward moment and the only way the silence was broken was when Tori accidentally yawned. "Oops. Sorry about that," she said softly. "I must be tired."
"You look a little tired. How long have you been up?"
"Let's see. I didn't go to sleep last night and we left the Mi'ihen Inn early this morning to catch the St. Ilion ferry even though we could have caught the one in Luca. So, I've been up for almost 12 hours or more."
"You need your rest then. I'll wake you when we get to the next port."
"The next port is some backwater island called Papel, I'm from Bevelle." She yawned again and laid down on the deck. "But your right, I do need some sleep." After those words Auron heard snoring. He picked her up and carried her to his cabin. It never occurred to him that Talitha may question why he took Tori to his room, he only thought about getting her inside and to a bed so she wouldn't wake up with splinters in her cheeks.
Auron checked on her occasionally, looking to see if she was okay. While she slept, he memorized the Ishimaru Technique in his head. Auron found this technique to hone his Overdrive to be relatively tasking, but his father said that it was tradition. Tradition was a word used so often in the Ishimaru household. From the foundation to the tip of pagoda-style roof, that house was full of tradition and Auron wondered if it was for the good of the family. He never questioned the rules of his house, but now that he wasn't at home he questioned them. The traditions that were held so close to his family's heart were ancient and he knew that Talitha had broken the one tradition that was intact for centuries.
Tori awoke with a start and startled Auron.
