The wind whipped the red material almost lividly around his legs, he just stood there at the edge of the cliff watching, waiting. The breeze pushed at his back, as if it were trying to push him over. He stood their stoic, with his Masamune lazily gripped over his right shoulder. He gazed calmly at the gently rolling water; the rising sun's reflection danced as the waves rolled and broke at the rocks. He took a deep breath, and enjoyed the humid salty air that met his nostrils. The laughing of children and a groggy mother just woken up startled him from his tranquillity. He turned and let his good eye observe the two children running back and forth. It was only moments before the rest of the group awoke from a much-needed slumber. He sighed and headed back into the travel agency. He nodded to the innkeeper and leaned against the wall, his Masamune at his side, the tip of the blade now in the tile floor.
"Good morning!" The young Al Bhed girl lazily stretched as she entered the room. "Did you get any sleep at all, Auron?"
"I don't need sleep." Came a short reply, he stared intently at the younger teenager that observed him.
"Everyone needs sleep." She pressed, getting cautiously close, staring up at him.
"I don't." He muttered from behind that giant collar that hid half of his face.
"Ajanouha haatc cmaab" Rikku turned away and mumbled, "Everyone needs sleep." She repeated to herself, and sat down in the middle of the room, playing with the targe on her arm.
"…I know Lulu…I know." The summoner emerged from the doorway talking to the woman with the ebony hair. Auron closed his eye, relaxing against the wall.
"What's wrong, Yunie?" Rikku glanced up worriedly at her cousin.
"Nothing, Rikku…Everything is okay." She smiled warmly, and nodded to the woman beside her. "When Wakka and Tidus wake up."
"Where's Kimahri, Yuna?" Rikku asked suddenly standing. She glanced nervously at the two older women.
"I thought he was…" Yuna began and cut herself short. "Lulu? Where is he?" Yuna looked around frantically; all Lulu could do was shrug. "Sir Auron…did you see him when you woke up?"
"I didn't sleep. I saw him wandering north of the inn." Auron spoke without opening his eye. Wakka walked in, with a struggling Tidus stuck in a headlock.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Tidus groaned trying to break free, "Wakka, it really smells!" Tidus coughed and gagged, "I'm awake already, stop!"
"Just makin' sure, ya? Hey what is…uh-oh…Yuna?" Wakka recognized the fear on Yuna's face. "Something I should know about?"
"Kimahri wandered off. He just…left." Yuna looked to Lulu for answers.
"He's a big Ronso now…" Tidus began, being freed from Wakka's nauseating grasp.
"Ronso or not, he would never leave without telling me." Yuna fretted, "I know something is wrong!" She bounced in anticipation, she was nervous.
"Yunie, he can take care of himself if he gets in trouble!" Rikku reassured hugging Yuna.
"…No…I know something is wrong. Let's go find him." She began to head out the door, followed by Tidus and Lulu. Wakka stood hesitantly and dazed until Rikku pushed him out the door. Auron just grunted and pushed off the wall, following the pack.
"Kimahri?" Yuna called, running across the wooden bridges and through the winding paths. Yuna stopped under a tree, out of breath. "Where is he? He wouldn't just leave!" Yuna uttered with trembling lips.
"Sir Auron what do you think?" Lulu looked over at the older guardian, standing behind the rest of the group.
"He probably has a good explanation. We'll find him, don't worry." Auron let his left arm come out of its hiding place inside of his red coat, and placed it gently on Yuna's shoulder. He tried to be sympathetic, but no one could see his expressions behind that massive collar. A drop of a cool liquid splashed on the top of his ungloved hand, on Yuna's shoulder. "Don't cry, he'll…" He stared at his hand long and hard, and looked up into the branches of the tree. "Yuna!" He yanked her from out under the tree, just as the branch began to groan in protest. The branch snapped and came falling down with a body. A shrill scream came from Yuna's lips; instinctively she ran to Tidus and clutched onto him for dear life. He shielded her from such a horror, by letting her have her back to it.
"Oh no…" Lulu took a step back in trepidation, bringing her hand up to her mouth in disgust of the sight.
"Kimahri?" Rikku's lip trembled as she stood from a safe distance behind Wakka, staring.
"This isn't good, ya?" Wakka's nose caught the waft of rotting death. He began to gag and choke and tried to shield his nose from the repulsive smell.
"He can heal…" Yuna spoke suddenly, repeatedly casting curaga.
"Yuna!" Tidus cried out, grabbing a hold of Yuna and securing her against his chest. She struggled and yelled. It was a losing battle. She gave up, and lay limp in Tidus's arms, shuddering from her own tears. A low guttural growl came from the direction of the Ronso.
"Kimahri?" Yuna stared at Kimahri's corpse. It shuddered softly. "Kimahri?" Yuna pried herself free from Tidus's grasp, and ran over to the recovering Ronso. "Kimahri!" She knelt by him, the smell of death still strong. His wounds still rather large, a loud roar came from the Ronso. He turned quickly and snarled at Yuna. He pounced on her, growling venomously. "Kimahri! It's me, Yuna!" She pleaded, not hoping for the worse.
"Enough." Auron spoke, getting in a rather menacing defensive battle stance with his Masamune. The fallen Ronso only looked up and glared at the guardian. "Yuna…it's no use…he has become a fiend. All to early if you ask me." He charged the Ronso and knocked him over with the butt of his sword, "Run Yuna."
"What do you mean, too early?" Tidus stared at Auron with confusion; he just shook his head.
"Kimahri…I don't want to do this." Auron sighed, and slashed at the taller opponent's chest. A vicious guttural growl came from deep within Kimahri's throat. "Yuna be ready to send him." Auron dodged the anticipated attacks.
"I'll help you, ya?" Wakka stepped closer to the elder guardian, his blitzball by his side.
"NO!" Kimahri charged at Wakka, knocking him back into the rock, rendering him unconscious.
"Wakka!" Lulu ran over to the limp body, "Wakka come on."
"Don't help me." Auron gruffed, almost getting punched by Kimahri's large powerful fist. "Or he may hurt you all too." Auron slashed with precision, knocking his opponent back. Kimahri snarled, and attempted again to hit the smaller man. "Farewell." Auron slashed upwards and across Kimahri's cheek. The Ronso fell to the ground on one knee, weak from the intense battle. "Yuna send him!" She wiped the tears from her eyes and began the horrifyingly beautiful dance. Auron stumbled backwards, and turned his attention to Wakka, who laid unconscious in Lulu's lap.
"Yunie!" Rikku cried, watching the pyreflies dance around a slowly vanishing Ronso.
"Good-Bye Kimahri." Yuna let the tears flow freely from her eyes. An explosion of pyreflies came dancing around the group, as Kimahri was sent to the farplane.
"What…What happened...my head hurts, ya?" Wakka came around to see Lulu staring worriedly at him. "Lu, you okay, ya?"
"I'm fine Wakka." She helped the rising redhead to his feet. She motioned for Tidus to come over. "Watch him, I'll go tend with Yuna." She walked briskly over to the teenager sitting on the dirt. "Come on, get up Yuna. You'll get dirty." Lulu picked her up gingerly, "it's okay…" She hugged the weeping girl.
"How…Why?" Yuna sobbed into the taller woman's shoulder.
"Yunie!" Rikku ran over and joined in a big group hug.
"Ouch, ya? He's pretty powerful." Wakka rubbed the back of his head.
"…w…w…was" Yuna sobbed, holding onto the two for dear life.
"Yuna, don't dwell on this." Auron wiped the bloody sword on the grass, and returned his left arm to it's resting position inside his coat. He closely examined the tree Kimahri's body was in. He ran a gloved hand along the cracks of the tree, what ever did that to Kimahri was powerful. "Seymour probably did this." Auron stared at the deep claw marks in the bark of the tree. "I had a hard time trying to strike the Ronso down. But whoever attacked him…" He pointed to the tree and the bits of blue fur lodged between the shards of wood protruding outwards, a small piece of thread danced in the wind as he spoke. "They had to be pretty strong to pick up a struggling Ronso and throw him." He pointed to the tree that was bent in an odd way.
"Seymour did kill most of the Ronso race, ya?" Wakka stated rather bluntly, "didn't he say end Kimahri's pain, ya?"
"I will send him to the farplane, where he belongs!" Yuna sniffled, "he will pay."