Chapter Three

Things of the past


Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, Maroda and Jecht were taking a 'short cut' through a section of the isle of Besaid still covered by brush and ruin. Maroda led the way, turning quite frequently to question Jecht concerning his pilgrimage with Lord Braska and his experiences as a final aeon and as Sin.

"Why are you so curious? You know what it was like to be guardian. The days were long, the nights were anything but restful, and the road seemed never ending ... at least until you realized what the end meant and then it came all too soon." said Jecht.

Maroda pulled a notebook from his pocket and scribbled down the words that Jecht had just spoken.

"I'm writing a book about all the guardians of the high summoners. It is strange that no one ever recorded their experiences, so I am attempting to do so for posterity." explained Maroda. "You were something of a mystery to me before you walked into my house today. I could hardly fill two pages about you."

"A historian, huh?" said Jecht, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"There is little need for guardians these days and I am too old to learn to blitz." chuckled Maroda.

"Not too many fiends to fight?" questioned Jecht.

"No, Sir Jecht, not very many."

"Then I guess you asked me along just to talk."

"Yes."

"Then I suppose I can answer all these questions, but it might take a while." answered Jecht, jokingly putting on the attitude of a smug and confident blitzball pro.

"There's a bar down at the docks. We could sit there and converse for a while, no?" asked Maroda.

"What do mean 'no'? Hell yes, I say!" laughed Jecht, slapping the historian heartily on the back.

"Perfect." coughed Maroda.


The market was crowded that morning as Aurie led her namesake and Pacce through it toward the temple at the center of the small township. They stopped at the temple stairs. Auron looked up at the unchanging structure. It had been kept in good repair and was obviously still the heart of the highly religious town. A few people were leaving. A few people were entering. Auron glanced at Pacce.

"You, stay here." he said to the smiling raven hair man. Turning toward Aurie, he said, "Come with me."

"Huh?" she questioned.

Auron leveled his cool, one-eyed gaze at her and shrugged his shoulders toward the temple entrance.

"Um ... okay." said Aurie, clasping her hands behind her back as she followed him up the stairs.

"Why did your mother name you after me?" he questioned when they were out of earshot of Pacce.

"Mother, Lady Yuna, and Lady Lulu made a pact when it was discovered that Yuna was pregnant. They wanted to name their children after the guardians who were lost on the pilgrimage. Lady Yuna chose to name her daughter for Tidus, Lulu and Maroda came up with a combination of both names, and Rikku chose your name to give to one of her children. But father had other plans, ya? He wanted to name his firstborn son after his brother Chappu. Mother reluctantly agreed, believing that she would have another son to bear your name. But I came along instead."

"I see."

"But only out of one eye." she remarked.

"You remind me of your mother. Rikku was ... less than hesitant to speak her mind."

"She loved you, ya know?" commented Aurie off-hand.

"Is that so?" asked Auron as they entered the temple, lowering their voices accordingly.

He was surprised in a bittersweet kind of way. He had had a certain fondness for the Al-Bhed girl. Her passionate desire to save Yuna had reminded Auron of himself at her age, or not much older. But Rikku had been so energetic, so full of life. And he had been a guardian dead for ten years and a monk for many years before. He had never permitted himself more than that small feeling of camaraderie and bond of guardianship that he felt for all of his companions from Jecht to Kimahri to even Wakka and Lulu. But as he stepped into the Temple of Besaid at Aurie's side, he privately acknowledged that if fate had been a kinder mistress, there could have been so much more. Tidus was incredibly lucky, he decided, to have a daughter that was his own, not only in name, but by right of birth.

As they walked forward and knelt at the base of Lord Braska's statue, moving as a single, silent entity, he glanced at her and wondered briefly what Aurie would have looked like if she had been his daughter.

"Auron?" she questioned softly, staring up at Braska, unable or unwilling to look at her companion. "Did you love her too?"

He did not reply. He could not reply. He could only stare up at the image of High Summoner Braska as a single tear coursed down his cheek.


Back at the cottage that Maroda and Lulu built during the first full year of the Calm, the trio of blitzball players and fans had finished their discussion of the game to the satisfaction of all, covering every topic from regulations to popular players. Then Tidus decided to take advantage of Aurie's absence to pose a few questions.

"How did Wakka and Rikku, you know, get together?" he questioned, mostly to Tida, who was a year or more older than Tiron.

The young blitz star smiled and clutched her blitzball to her chest. Obviously this was a question to which she knew the answer.

"Aurie's grandfather, my great uncle, Cid told her all about it when she lived in Home. It's kind of romantic, you know?" said Tida. Tidus nodded that he understood before she continued. "When the last battle with Sin was over, everyone sojourned in Bevelle until new Maesters were appointed and Yevon was reasonably united again. The days in Bevelle were very quiet and not always busy, especially for Wakka, who, though a faithful guardian, was neither a cleric nor a politician. At times Rikku waited upon Lady Yuna, but she too was left out many discussions and decisions."

"And this is romantic ... how?" asked Tidus.

"Well, they were both grieving. They were all grieving, but Rikku and Wakka could not ignore their grief. Of course, they were happy the Sin was gone and Spira was free. But the cost, it seemed to them, had been a high one. The price, Auron and you, was seldom far from their minds. And Wakka finally had the chance to grieve for his brother. It was a difficult time for them. Cid said that they often stood on the Highbridge in the middle of the night, talking quietly or remembering, sometimes in silence. They fell in love amid their tears under the stars in Bevelle, and instead of returning to her Home, Rikku returned with Wakka to his." she explained.

"Wow, Tida has a serious, thoughtful side, just like Yuna." thought Tidus as he listened to her speak. Aloud he only said, "Yeah, that is romantic, I guess, but in a really sad way."

"You know, Tidus, we've told you all this stuff about blitzball, Besaid, and our folks, but you haven't told us anything about you or the Farplane or anything else. I think it's your turn." said Tiron impatiently from the window.

"Okay. Ask me a question then." said Tidus easily.

"Yeah, I've got one. You, Jecht, and Sir Auron are here. But where is Lord Braska? Where is my grandfather?" asked Tida with a sudden frown.

Tidus suddenly looked puzzled, as though the thought had finally occurred to him as well. Where was Yuna's father? If the three of them had been allowed back to Spira, then where was Braska? Tidus had seen him, not to mention his wife, often enough on the Farplane, though the recollections were becoming increasingly hazy. He had regularly visited Jecht and Auron, watched a few games of blitzball, but Tidus could not recall where he was himself just before his awakening in Spira much less the location of Lord Braska.

"You know, I have no idea, Tida." he replied.

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A/N: I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far (Shido21, Spooky Fyre, and Sayiera).