The audience inside the stadium had pretty much cleared out the area.  They ran across the seats and hurried towards the nearest exit.

The four Maesters, along with Rico, looked beyond the top of the stadium to see the Bringer of Destruction looming over them.

"It cannot be!" Janga cried.

"Sin has finally come to Bazaar…" Chekhov stated in disbelief.

Dogurasu continued to smirk as he thought, "Hmph…Trying to make things a little more interesting it seems…"

Rico looked down below to still see Jesse and the masked fencer.  And in that moment, Sin penetrated through the stadium walls.  The large stone debris flew across the air.

"Get down!" Rico shouted as he and the Maesters ducked for cover.

Jesse and the fencer looked up to see the debris heading towards them.  Jesse leaped out of the way of an oncoming brick but then looked over towards the masked fencer.  He could see an onslaught of debris heading straight for him.

"Watch out!!!" he yelled.

"Huh?" the masked fencer wondered as he then gasped to see himself in danger.

Jesse swiftly lunged across and pushed the masked fencer out of the way.  The fencer rolled out of the way and onto his knees.  He turned to see the debris falling upon Jesse.

"Oh no…!" he yelled.

Rico lifted up from the balcony floor to see the debris that had fallen over his brother's friend.  "Jesse!!!" he shouted.

"Oh my!" Janga gasped, "Sir Jesse!!!"

"He…He saved me…" the fencer thought to himself, "Even after everything…?"  He couldn't believe that Jesse would have done such a thing for someone he didn't even know.

Moments later, Jesse's arm broke through the rubble and up towards the sky.  He lifted from the pile of rock and steadily stood onto his feet.  He had a scratch going across his face and his jacket and pants were a bit ripped.

"He's all right!!" L'ariel shouted in relief.

"Thank Yevon," Chekhov added.

Jesse dusted himself off and then began to see a large dark shadow looming over him.  He looked up to see Sin overlooking him.

"Oh my…" he began to say.

"Come, we must go!" Dogurasu told his colleagues as he exited the balcony.

"What?!" Janga asked, "But, what about…?!"

"We do not have the time!" he replied.  He hurried over into a lobby-type area and walked over to a bookcase.  He pulled down a red book like a lever, causing the bookcase to slide off to the side, revealing a tunnel.

"He's right!  As a Guardian, I must keep you safe!" Rico agreed.  He showed the three Maesters to the lobby.

The masked fencer, from down below, looked up to see the Maesters leaving.  "No!" he shouted, "He's getting away!"  He looked up to Sin for just a moment and then scurried off towards the balcony's direction.

"Hey, wait!!!" Jesse called out to him.

L'ariel and Rico were the last to enter the secret tunnel before Dogurasu.  Dogurasu stopped and gave one last gaze across the balcony and over to Sin.  "Have fun," he grinned as he entered inside.  The bookcase closed soon after.

Jesse stood righteously before Sin.  He stared him down straight in the eyes. 

Sin did not attack him.  It simply stood there for a moment.  It almost seemed like it was examining the young Guardian. 

"You're not attacking…" Jesse said aloud, "But…why do I sense fear in you?"

The creature stepped back only slightly and roared loudly.  It seemed to loathe the young man in a way that was even uncertain to Jesse.  Soon enough, Sin opened its mouth as a large sphere of dark violet light shot outwards and landed a few feet from Jesse.  The light began to transform itself into the silhouette of some kind of creature.  Soon enough the silhouette became a solid being, a monster.  It wasn't just a monster, however.  It was a Sinspawn.

The Sinspawn was a couple of feet taller than Jesse was.  The bottom half of its body was covered in dark scales and it had two bulging, strong legs.  It had cloven hooves in place of feet.  The top half was covered in a gray colored fur that went all the way to the upper end of this part of the body.  Nevertheless, there wasn't just one neck, but three.  This was a three-headed Sinspawn.  The head on the left hand side was the head of an eagle.  The head in the middle was of a reptile and the right most head was of a roaring dark lion.  It had what seemed to be five black tentacle-like tails at its back.

"Oh god…!" Jesse gasped.  He pulled out his sword and stepped back only slightly.  The Sinspawn was unlike anything he had ever seen.  He looked into the blood red eyes of each of the heads and could almost feel the thirst this creature was feeling.  The saliva dripped down from their razor-sharp teeth and beak.  Its arms were bursting with muscle and its veins throbbed with dark power and strength.

The masked fencer climbed up the side of the stadium and leaped onto the balcony.  He looked around to see no one in sight.  He entered inside the lobby type area to see it also deserted.  He turned to look beyond the nearby window to see the crowds of people flocking to safety.  He could hear their screams of fear.

"Where could they have…?" he began to ask himself.  He examined the room once more and then noticed the bookcase standing by itself.  It seemed a little out of place.  He walked up to it and pulled out his fencing blade.  He lifted it and struck down through the bookcase, causing it to split apart into two pieces and revealing the tunnel.

He was just about to enter when he looked back across the balcony's view to see Jesse standing before the Sinspawn and Sin.

"A Chimera…" he stated, naming the Sinspawn.  He was torn between two choices: either go after his target or helped the young man who helped him.  He had to make a decision quickly.  He turned his away, ashamedly, "I pray to Yevon that assistance is on its way…"  He ran straight into the dark secret tunnel.

The crowds from the stadium gathered together in a mass of people and headed in the opposite direction.  Women carried their children in their arms while the husbands grabbed their wives by the hand and ran off to safety.  There were many Yevon guards out in the streets, guiding the civilians to safest place.

Anthony, Julie, and the now recovered Andre were the only three heading straight in the direction of the stadium.  They pushed and steadily made their way through the opposing crowd as they neared the front of the stadium.

Anthony looked up and over to right to see Sin simply standing there.  His Mark of Yevon began to glow once more as the pain in his returned.

"Anthony!!" his friends cried.

Julie held him as Anthony held his head, grimacing, "What is it?!"

"No way!" Andre shouted aloud.  He pointed up towards Sin to see the Bringer of Destruction turning around and beginning to make its way out of the city proper.

"It's leaving?!" Julie gasped.

The dark portal opened once more as Sin reentered and dissipated from their sight. 

In that very moment, Anthony's pain also ceased.  "It is…gone…" he sighed.

"Lord Anthony!!" Chekhov yelled from afar.

The three of them looked over towards the side of the stadium to see the four Maesters along with Rico running towards them.

"Maester Chekhov!" Julie waved.

The group of escapees rushed to them.

"Thank Yevon you are all safe," Janga sighed in relief.

"Is everything all right?" L'ariel wondered.

"Well…" Andre began to say.

"Everything is fine!" Anthony interrupted.

Andre looked at him confusedly, sensing he was trying to protect the very people who tried to kidnap him.

"Are you…?" Rico began to ask.

"Do not worry about that!  It does not take priority over what has happened!" Anthony yelled.  His adrenaline was bursting.  He couldn't help but feel anxious and nervous, perhaps even scared, over what was going on.  He knew he was being a bit rude and apologized, "I'm sorry…I didn't…"

"No, you're right." Rico agreed.

"It seems Sin has left us," Dogurasu stated in a nonchalant attitude.

"Yes, but…" Julie began, as she looked around for a particular person, "Wait!  Someone's missing!"

"Hey…!  Where's Jesse?!" Andre asked worriedly.

"Last we saw Sir Jesse, he was…" Janga said disappointingly.

Tears formed in Anthony's eyes as he feared the worst, "Where is he?!  Where is Jesse?!"

"When we were escaping, Jesse was standing right in front of Sin," Rico explained.

"What?!!" Andre yelled angrily.  He stomped over to his older brother and grabbed him by his collar in fury.  "And you just left him there?!!" he shouted with so much rage.

"My priority was keeping the Maesters safe," Rico replied stolidly.

"What the hell is the matter with you?!" Andre yelled, "We've known Jesse for…!"

"Andre, stop it!" Julie tried to stop him, "We don't have time for this!"

"Yes, if Sir Jesse is not here then he must be…" Chekhov began to speak.

Anthony did not waste one more single second.  He held his staff tightly and ran off towards the entrance gates of the stadium.

"Lord Anthony!" Dogurasu shouted.

"Come on Andre!  Let's go!" Julie told him, "Jesse might be in trouble!"

Andre took in a few deep breaths as he stared into his older brother's eyes with so much distaste, "…All right."  He pushed his brother away and headed off in the same direction as Anthony, with Julie at his side.

Jesse hit the dirt floor with a thud as he cried out in pain, "Agh!"  He squinted his eyes as he grimaced a bit, looking up to the Chimera that stood before him.

The three heads of the Chimera roared loudly, "Roooggghhh!!!!!!!"  The Chimera lifted both of its powerful fists into the air and struck them down with enormous force.

Jesse rolled out of the way, as the fists created a vast crater in the earth.  Jesse took the seconds between the attack and the monster's preparation to strike back.  He leaped into the air, pulling his sword back at his side. "Gusting Wave!!!" he yelled.  He spun around once, swinging his blade, and releasing a wave of intense wind and pressure at the Chimera.

The Chimera crossed its bulky arms in front of its faces and began to slowly repel the attack.  It then launched its arms forward sending the attack back to Jesse. 

The wind-based attack hit Jesse with great force and blew him across the arena floor.  He once again fell to the floor with high velocity.

The reptile head of the Chimera roared on its own as it began to breath steam of ice through its nostrils.

Jesse's eyes widened as he anticipated what was going to happen next!

The reptile head opened its snout and released a wave of cold ice at Jesse.

Jesse covered his face with his arms, in hopes of protecting himself somehow.  He then stopped when he noticed someone's shadow looking over him.  He looked up to see Anthony standing in harm's way.

Anthony raised his staff into the air, holding it in a horizontal position.  He called out the spell, "Shell!"  Above him and out of thin air, multiple lines of rainbow colored light came down and surrounded his body in the shape of a round sphere.

The ice attack hit the magic barrier, but caused no damage whatsoever.

"Anthony!" Jesse shouted happily.

"Oh god, Jesse!" Anthony cried as he kneeled down next to his Guardian.  He saw the wounds and injuries he had all over his body.  "I am so sorry we could not make it sooner…" he apologized, as he began to perform his Cure spell, "…There were complications."

The white magic cured Jesse of his minor ailments as he and Anthony lifted to their feet.

"It's all right.  I'm just glad you made it when you did," Jesse smiled.

Anthony smiled in return.

"Yahh!!!" a voice's battle cry could be heard in the distance.

The two of them looked over to the Chimera to see Andre slashing away with his lance and Julie not too far away.

"You're all here!" Jesse shouted, relieved.  He was happy to see his friends come to his rescue.

Andre twirled his lance high into the air and then struck at the Chimera.  However, the Chimera grabbed his land with his large fist.  Andre tried his best, using all of his strength, to try and slice through, but the Chimera's skin was like armor and was not going to be penetrated by regular means of force.  The Chimera grabbed the weapon tightly and threw Andre a few feet away.

Julie stepped up to the plate soon after.  She closed her eyes and raised her right arm into the sky.  She shouted out the spell, "Thundara!!!"  Bolts of lightning came down from a short tormented sky and gathered together in front of the Chimera.  It formed into an immense ball of electricity.

          The Chimera didn't seem too afraid.  The eagle head began to caw as its eyes glowed of a crimson sunset.  Just above the creature, more lightning bolts emerged and struck into Julie's spell.  It cancelled it out, causing an explosion that the Chimera was able to withstand, but Julie could not.  She was flung back as she hit the stadium walls.

"Julie!!" Anthony cried.

"We've got to help them!" Jesse added.

Anthony nodded in agreement.

"You stay here and give me support, ok?" Jesse suggested.

"A-All right," Anthony agreed hesitantly.

Jesse held up his sword and returned to battle.  "Hagghh!!!" he shouted loudly.  He leaped straight into the air and somersaulted forward.  As he finished the rotation, he slashed down with his blade.  The Chimera blocked it with its skin.  Jesse swung to the right, then the left for another attempt.  It was to no avail for the Chimera continued to block.  It then clenched its fist and punched at Jesse.  Jesse placed his sword vertically in front of him to block the punch.  But the Chimera's fist was so strong that it was able to push Jesse back with its force.  The Chimera followed it up by turning around and back-punching Jesse across the face. 

Jesse was knocked to ground.

The Chimera stood straight over him and then grabbed him by his neck, lifting him into the air.  Jesse dropped his sword as he struggled to break free.  He stared into the eyes of the Chimera and saw each of the mouths opening.  It seemed hungry for flesh.

"Jesse!!!" Anthony cried.  He ran towards the Chimera's back and bashed his staff into it. 

"Anthony…n-no…" Jesse tried his best to say.

"Rrrgghh…" the Chimera growled.

"Anthony!  Get out of there!!" Julie shouted to him, leaning against the stadium wall for support.

The Chimera turned around to face Anthony.  Anthony stepped back in fear, and held his staff close to him.

"Anthony!!!" Andre warned him from the spot in which he had been thrown to.

The Chimera looked at Anthony with such different eyes.  It saw something that other beings could not see.  Around the silhouette of the young Summoner, it could see a white aura.  The lion head licked its lips in delight.  This was what it really wanted to feast upon.

"Anthony, no!!!" Andre cried.  His cries echoed throughout the sky as his lance began to emit flames of the heart.  "Wait…this is…" Andre began to say.

The Chimera took one step towards Anthony, then another.  It could not take its eyes off of Anthony's pure body.

"Stay away from him!!!" Andre shouted to the creature.

"Andre?" Julie gasped.

Andre twirled his lance above him, as blazing flames encircled around him.  The flames grew large and then began to collect themselves in the spinning lance.  The lance was like an electrical fan on reverse, sucking in all of the fire.  "Flaming Javelin!!!" Andre yelled at the top of his lungs.  While still spinning the lance, he held it in front of him, launching the thick orange flames at the Chimera.

The new attack caught the Chimera off guard as it struck its back.  The Sinspawn wailed and roared in pain as the flames penetrated its skin a bit, steaming of heat.

"It isn't invincible!" Julie shouted happily.

Each of the Chimera's eyes began to glow even more radiantly.  It was filled with so much rage and fury that it threw Jesse over to the stadium walls near Julie.

"Jesse!" she yelled as she ran over to him.

He coughed repeatedly as he was trying to regain his breath. 

The Chimera launched one of its tails at Andre and wrapped itself around him like a whip.

"Agh!" he yelled.

The Chimera grabbed the tail and flung him over to where Julie and Jesse lied on the ground. 

"Andre!" Jesse yelled, "You all right?"

"Ugh…" he grimaced, rubbing his head, "Yeah…"

"Oh no!  Anthony!!!" Julie screamed.

The Chimera had already returned to its original prey and began to approach.  The lion head opened its jaw and released a wave of water magic to the Summoner.

"Ahh!!!!" Anthony screamed as he covered his face.

"Anthony!!!" his friends shouted from the sidelines.

With the swiftest of movement, a figure leaped downwards from the sky, grabbed Anthony, and leaped off into the distance.  The Chimera's attack hit the ground, missing its target.

When Anthony landed with the rescuer, he opened his eyes, surprised to see himself unharmed.  Without getting a glance of the man who rescued him, the rescuer stepped in front of him. 

"That's…!" Andre began.

"The masked fencer!" Jesse added.

The masked fencer stood confidently and proudly before the Sinspawn.  He grabbed his cloak and threw it into the air, revealing his true form.

"By Yevon…he's…!!!" Julie shouted with anticipation.

"I…I can't believe it…" Anthony said in disbelief.

The fencer wore an outfit of crimson armor.  His eyes and hair were covered in a red helmet, that had eye holes for him to see.  He had pointed shoulder blades that were lined in gold.  He wore a black long sleeve sweater beneath a red chest plate with the Yevon symbol engraved in the center.  He had matching elbow pads and a black belt with golden rings in the center.  He wore black pants and his knees were covered in red and gold knee pads.  To top it off, he wore black boots.

He reached into his sword case to pull out his fencing saber.  For the moment, there were two angled red pieces that were connected to the handle.  His hand fit in between them.  However, once he lifted his sword to his face, the pieces opened outwards like the wings of a dragon.

"Wow…" Jesse sighed, "Who is he?"

"That is…" Anthony began to say, "The Legendary Guardian Fencer…Sir Alex!!!"

"Guardian?" Jesse wondered, and then thought, "A Guardian tried to assassinate the Maester…?"

"Lord Anthony, stay behind me," Sir Alex said stalwartly.  He ran towards the Chimera and began one of his techniques.  He raised his saber to the air, as it began to glow with blue energy. He ran toward the Chimera and made a quick slash. The Sinspawn became trapped in a cage of ice. To finish it off Sir Alex made a lunge, in a fencing type manner, with his weapon and cracked the ice, "Freezing Cut!"

The attack was strong and pushed the Chimera back.  The Chimera retaliated, however, by launching all of its tails at the fencer all at once.

Sir Alex simply stood there, not willing to budge.  He lifted his sword and slashed away at each tail, slicing it off of the Sinspawn with such great precision and accuracy.

"I've never seen him in person before!" Andre shouted, impressed, "He's amazing!"

"Yeah…" Jesse said, not too sure.  He wasn't sure what to think of the guy.  Not only was this fencer his opponent in the finals, he was the assassin who had the hit on Dogurasu, and a legendary Guardian, it seemed.

"You three!!" Sir Alex shouted over to Jesse and the others.

"Y-Yes?" Julie asked.

"Quit mouthing off and get ready fight!" he ordered rudely.

"Right!" Julie and Andre agreed.

Jesse didn't like this guy's attitude, but knew the Sinspawn had to be stopped.

The three of them ran over to his side.

"Ok, listen up!  The Chimera is weak against fire!" Sir Alex debriefed them, "We've got two Guardians with fire-based attacks, right?"

Julie and Andre nodded.

"All right," Sir Alex said as he turned over to Anthony.  His disposition changed to a bit more polite one, "Milord…have you acquired any fire-type Aeon?"

Anthony thought about it for a moment, "…Yes, Phoenix."

"Perfect.  You will be the final blow.  Be prepared to summon…all right?" he told him.

"Yes!" Anthony agreed.

"Now, you…" Sir Alex began to say to Jesse, changing back to his usual rude leader-like attitude, "…Can you use that new attack you used against me today?"

"You mean…Oh, right.  Of course," Jesse replied.

"You'll go first," Sir Alex told him, "The rest of us will follow once he's finished.  Got it?"

"Roooorrghhhh!!!!" the Chimera roared in the distance.

"Everyone, ready?!" Sir Alex asked them.

Anthony and his Guardians all nodded in agreement.

"Go!!!" he ordered.

First, Jesse held his sword in front of him horizontally.  He ran his other hand across the blade, creating a yellow light around it.  Just as he does for his Gusting Wave attack, Jesse held his sword back at his side.  "Tornado Spin!!!" he yelled, while beginning to spin around.  As each second passed, the speed picked up.  The increasing velocity was so fast, that a tornado was beginning to be created.  Soon enough, Jesse swung his sword, launching the cyclone at the Chimera.

The Chimera was caught inside the tornado and was lifted into the air, spinning around helplessly.

"Next!!" Sir Alex ordered.

Both Julie and Andre stood side by side, performing their new flame attacks.

"Flaming Javelin!!!" Andre shouted, launching his flame thrower-type technique.

"Fira!!!" Julie incanted the spell, as pillars of flames rose from beneath the Chimera.

Both of the attacks combined together with the existing tornado to create a cyclone of fire.

"All right…my turn!" Sir Alex stated.  Sir Alex brought his fencing saber up above his head as he began to call out, "Blade…!!!"  At the very tip of his weapon, an immense arrow made of red light started to form.  As soon as the arrow was complete, he shouted, "…Arrow!!!"  He swung down with his blade, heaving the arrow at the Chimera.

Once the arrow made its mark, an explosion occurred.  The Chimera fell to the ground, completely helpless and wounded.  It was now in a weakened state and it was the perfect opportunity to finish it off.

"Milord, now!!!" Sir Alex called out to him.

Anthony stuck his staff into the ground, and then placed both palms facing each other and in front of him.  Magically, a sparkling and glowing orange feather emerged out of flaming light.  Anthony let it go as the feather floated down into the ground before him.  In that moment, the feather vanished, causing an enormous pillar of orange colored light to spring forth.  Out of this light, the mighty and graceful Phoenix Aeon emerged.

She looked over to her Summoner, "I am here to serve you."

"Please, Phoenix…Use your Overdrive: Phoenix Flame!!!" Anthony pleaded.

Phoenix let out its bird call, as another pillar of light sprung forth around her.  With her wings closed, she began to lift up into the air.  The light that surrounded her now gather into the insides of her orange wings.  She then spread out her glorious wings as far outward as he possibly could, releasing the light.  The rays of light shined outward like the rays of the shining sun.

The rays burned straight through the weakened Sinspawn, dematerializing it into hundreds of pyreflies that flew off into the sky.

"We did it!!!" Julie leaped up and down happily.  She hugged Andre tightly as he smiled as well.  Not only because of their victory, but relieved that the city was safe once again.

Anthony sighed with the same relief, "Thank Yevon…"

"You came back…Why?" Jesse asked Sir Alex.

"You saved me…and now I saved you.  My debt to you is repaid," he stated, emotionless.

"Sir Alex…" Julie said as she stood before him.  She bowed to him, "Thank you."

"Yes, thank you.  I've heard so much about you, and to have you here in person…well, I just really appreciate it," Andre smiled.

"Whatever…" Sir Alex brushed it off.  He lifted his hands to his helmet and took it off.

Jesse, Julie, and Andre's jaws dropped when they saw the legendary Guardian's face.

Sir Alex was but only a teenager.  He had dark hair, that was now messed up due to the helmet.

"You're…You're a kid?!!" Jesse gasped.

"No way!!!" Andre added.

"I am not a kid!!!" Alex yelled, "I am sixteen years old!!!"

"But…you look like you're still in grade school…" Julie told him.

"Yeah, I see where you get that one.  He is pretty short…" Andre examined him.

The vein in Alex's forehead throbbed in irritation as he crossed his arms over his chest, "I'm not…a kid."

"Sir Alex…" Anthony said.

Alex turned around to see him.  He walked over to him and knelt down to the ground respectfully.  "Lord Anthony…I am glad to see you are all right," he said.

"Please, you have no need to bow," Anthony reassured him.

Alex stood on to his feet.

"Sir Alex…I thank you," Anthony told him graciously as he held his hand, "From the bottom of my heart, I truly thank you for your help."

"You…are welcome," Alex replied, a bit surprised.  He had never seen anyone be so kind to him.  That is, since that one young woman…

Jesse looked on at the scene.  He knew who Alex really was.  He also knew that there was a lot of explaining to be done on his part.  The only question was, whether or not Jesse would turn him in.  He wasn't sure what he should do about that.  The look on his face reflected all of that.

The late afternoon was finally arriving as the sun began to set beyond the horizon.  The panic that had been caused earlier that day now ceased as each of the citizens calmed themselves down.  The streets weren't filled as they usually were.  The people of Bazaar wanted to be home, with their families and friends, at least for tonight.

Construction crews using ancient construction machines began to slowly repair the stadium wall that had been knocked out earlier.  There were also a lot more guards out keeping watch, in case another event like this would happen again.

There were an even larger squadron of guards in front of the hotel in which the Maesters had been staying and also Anthony and his Guardians.  They all gathered inside the lobby.  This lobby was covered in antique design and décor.  The walls were furnished in gold and the chandelier was a like a fountain of crystal.  Everything seemed to shimmer and shine. 

The four Maesters sat in four separate seats as Anthony, his Guardians, Sir Alex, and Rico stood before them.  There seemed to be some kind of discussion occurring.

"…So you were kidnapped?" Dogurasu asked, speaking to the Summoner.

Anthony looked away sadly, not wanting to turn in those who had tried to kidnap him, "…Yes."

"Oh my word!" L'ariel gasped, "They did not hurt you, did they?"

Anthony shook his head and reassured them, "No!  They were not going to hurt me!  I promise you that!"

"Why are you defending them?!" Andre asked him.

"Andre has a point…" Julie spoke up, "Those men tried to take you away.  Who knows what they would've done…"

"I know what you all are thinking!" Anthony stated, "You all believe that this group were the ones committing the Summoner Murders!  But, believe me when I tell you…it isn't true!" 

"All of the clues do point to that," Chekhov added.

"Lord Anthony, if what you say is true…then what was their real intention?" Janga wondered.

Anthony didn't really have an answer for that, "I…I don't know…"

Jesse stepped forward, "Please, Maesters…Trust Anthony."

Alex watched from the side, surprised in seeing him defend Anthony like that.

"He would not lie about something like this.  He sees the good in others," Jesse explained.

"That's the problem," Andre replied, "He is too trusting of others."

"For once…" Alex spoke up.

"Yes, Sir Alex?" Chekhov inquired.

"For once…I agree with the novice Guardian," he said, "Lord Anthony would not lie about such a situation.  Besides…we do not have enough evidence to condemn these individuals."

"Sir Alex is correct," Janga smiled, "We cannot take any course of action without knowing the truth to their story."

"Then…we shall postpone this issue?" Dogurasu wondered, "If this group of kidnappers strike again…"

"We will take action at that point in time and take these individuals into custody.  There, we will ask them the questions in which we need answers," L'ariel added.

"…Very well," Dogurasu sighed, not agreeing too much with their decision.

"Now that we have settled that issue…there is one more we wish to speak of," Janga stated as the four Maesters turned to Alex.

"It turns out that the Masked Fencer from the tournament is in actuality the Legendary Fencer Sir Alex who has been missing for quite some time now," Chekhov explained the situation.

"We have many questions for you," Dogurasu smirked.

Alex stepped forward and performed the Yevon prayer, "I will answer them to the best of my knowledge."

"Very well…My first question is, why did you guise yourself behind this persona of the Masked Fencer?" L'ariel began.

"I did it as not to intimidate my opponents," he answered, "I did not want them holding back because of my title."

"Where have you been all of this time?" Chekhov asked.

"Yes, after the incident with Lady Yu…" Janga began to say.

Alex cut her off, "I do not…I cannot speak of that at the moment.  It is still too personal of an issue."

Janga looked at him with compassionate eyes, "Yes, I do understand.  You have been through much Sir Alex."

"I have a question…" Dogurasu stated.

Alex turned to him, looking at him with such an unpleased look.

"Word has spread of your arrival here around the city, and the tabloids have been speculating an interesting story," Dogurasu told him.

"Yes?" Alex asked.

Jesse looked on worriedly, realizing what Dogurasu what about to suggest.

"Just yesterday I was attacked by an anonymous assassin.  The culprit was never found.  Nevertheless, tabloid reporters have suggested that the assassin and the Masked Fencer…are one in the same," Dogurasu explained to him.

Alex was silent and didn't know what to say.

"He knows!" Jesse thought.

"Now tell me Sir Alex…is there any relation between the two?" he finally asked.  He had the most gratuitous grin on his face.

Alex was just about to speak when Jesse stepped forward.

"There's no way!" he shouted.

"Jesse?" Rico asked, surprised.

"I…uh…I fought the assassin yesterday and fought Sir Alex today…" Jesse told them, doing his best to defend the fencer.

Alex was completely stunned.

"There is no comparison of their fighting ability!" Jesse stated, "Sir Alex's skill is in no way anything like that of the assassin!"

"I believe Sir Jesse, but…what does Sir Alex have to say?" L'ariel asked.

Alex decided to go along with it, "I had no idea an assassin had even attacked Maester Dogurasu.  Had I have known…I would've defended him myself."

"Hmph," Dogurasu replied, "I would hope so."

"Very well then.  I am glad to see that discrepancy solved," Janga said kindly.

"Sir Alex, I am pleased to see you safe," Chekhov said as he stood to his feet.  The other Maesters followed.

"I know it has not been easy for you," L'ariel added.

"I appreciate your concern," Alex replied.

"It has been a long day…for all of us," Dogurasu stated, "We shall retire and see you all in the morning."

"Yes, of course," Anthony said. 

As the Maesters walked out of the room along with their guards, everyone else performed the Yevon prayer in respect.

"We should get some rest too.  We've got to get back on our pilgrimage tomorrow," Julie told them.

"Yeah, you're right," Jesse agreed.  He was just about to exit the lobby when Alex grabbed him by the arm.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked him, "Why did you defend me?  You could've turned me in by now…but you didn't…"

"Why did you try to kill the Maester?" Jesse responded.

"What?!" Andre gasped as walked over to them, "You're telling me…it's true?!"

"Sir Alex…?" Anthony asked.

Alex looked away ashamedly, "It is true.  I was the assassin."

"But, why?!" Julie asked.

"I…I wish I could explain to you…" he said sadly, "You wouldn't believe me."

"You have gone through a lot…I can tell…" Jesse told him.

Alex turned his back to them, "Please understand…I had my reasons."

"Sir Alex…" Anthony began.

"Milord…I can tell you one thing," he said, "I give you my word as a Guardian…there is a good reason why.  That man…he…"

Anthony walked up to him and put his hand on his shoulder, "…It's all right.  I believe you."

"You do?" Alex asked.

"You gave me your word as a Guardian," Anthony smiled.

"Thank you," he replied graciously, "I truly thank you."

"What now?  This is…a huge secret," Julie stated.

"I apologize for placing such a burden upon you," Alex told her, "If there is anything I can do for you Lord Anthony…"

Anthony thought about it, and came up with an idea, "I think there is."

"Anthony?" Jesse asked.

"Sir Alex…" Anthony began to say, "…Join us."

Alex turned to face him, "You…want me to join you?"

"Sir Alex, I know your first pilgrimage ended so abruptly…" Anthony said in a sad tone, "However, your skills are greatly needed here.  Perhaps we can finish the pilgrimage that you had started long ago."

"I accept your offer," Alex nodded, "I will redeem myself to you and help you complete your pilgrimage for you, for myself…and for 'them'."

"Then…?" Andre began.

"Welcome Sir Alex," Anthony smiled.

Alex looked around him to see the group of heroes.  "It's just like how it was before…" he thought to himself, "Friends fighting together…I won't let what happened to 'her'…happen to him."

Andre and Julie walked over to their new comrade.

Andre shook his hand, "Welcome to the team.  I'm Andre."

Julie was next, "I'm Julie.  Nice to have you with us."

Little did they know, Maester Dogurasu watched them from just behind the doorway to the lobby.  He looked on as his eyes glowed like the sun. 

"It seems we have another pest to deal with," he growled, vanishing soon after.