Launch
By kimetara
8th In-game POV
I explore the hallways as Brother pilots the airship. It's good to know as much as you can about where you are.
As I'm looking through a storage room, I notice Auron approaching me. Or more accurately, I can feel him approaching me. Recently, I've developed a sense of where he is.
"Hello," I tell him, inclining my head slightly. He nods in reply.
"I...want to thank you," he manages out. I allow the hint of a smile to appear on my face.
"You're welcome."
He shifts, seeming uncomfortable. I can imagine why; he must not have reason to feel gratitude for others often. "I'm curious, and I realize I've asked a similar question before," I start, to break the silence. "Do you and Rikku have a...relationship?"
He looks startled, then offended. "What do you take me for? I must be nearly twenty years older than her."
Inwardly I breathe a sigh of relief, but outwardly I just smirk. "Oh, I don't know. There have been stranger occurrences, and you two are friendly." I return to observing the airship's interior.
"Hmph." He leans against the wall and watches me. "She's nice enough. Has more sense than most people here."
"Yes. Rikku is very bright. If all the Al Bhed are like her, then they will be a great help." I shake my head, amusement curving around my mouth. "Still, I wish Brother would stop picking up on Wakka's accent."
"Maybe we should stop Wakka from talking," he suggests offhandedly. I smile and shake my head.
"You'll have a hard time doing that. I've been trying for over ten years." I don't feel the slightest bit of guilt; Wakka and I are always poking fun at each other. Still, perhaps I should change the subject. "You were once a warrior monk, weren't you Auron?"
"Yes."
I turn to look at him. "What happened?"
He hesitates before answering. "I was offered the hand of the high priest's daughter."
"Ah. And you turned it down?"
He nods. "My position was used as leverage, but I didn't change my mind. Then the man decided that if I wouldn't marry a priest's daughter, I must have some sort of devilry working in me." Auron smiles cynically. "I was excommunicated."
"Why did you refuse?" Had he not, he would have almost certainly become a maester. And excommunication...it's nearly a death sentence, here in Spira. Yevon controls everything. Why did he give up such a chance?
He shrugs. "She didn't appeal to me."
I nearly gape. He gave that up and risked his life because she didn't 'appeal' to him? "Were you insane?"
"I was idealistic."
Idealistic. I fall silent. I had been idealistic once too.
"If you had the chance now, would you take it?" I ask softly.
He gives me an unreadable look, and I wish I could know what he's thinking. "No," he answers abruptly.
"Really." I wonder why, but I won't pry any further. It's silent for a few minutes, when surprisingly he starts a conversation.
"What happened on the first pilgrimage?" he asks. "With Lady Ginnem."
My eyes drop to the floor, and I sigh heavily. "I...was twelve, at the time. It was right before the Calm Lord Braska brought." My braids fall gently over my shoulder as I shake my head. "Lady Ginnem felt there was a fayth in the cave, so we entered. However, we...got separated, and when I finally found her..." I stop.
"Were you assigned?" Often, the temples assigned guardians to summoners, to ensure a balance of force and magic.
"Yes." My eyes squeeze shut. "I was too young. Too inexperienced. I shouldn't have wandered off!" I snarl, then hug myself tightly. "But I wanted to explore, so I snuck away. I found a blessed point, but when I returned...she had disappeared."
"I waited there for ages for her to return. Days, weeks, until our food supply went out, healing and sleeping by the blessed point. I wandered the whole cave over, until I memorized all the corridors and could walk from one end to the other in pitch darkness. But I never found her. I had failed as her guardian."
It's silent, and I glance up to see what Auron is doing. To my surprise, he's staring at the floor, looking infuriated. "Auron?"
"Idiotic temple priests," he grinds out. "Assigning a twelve year old..." he shakes his head.
"No," I sigh. "I was always trying to prove myself, to show I was capable. Despite my age, I was the top of my class. It was no wonder I was chosen."
He still looks furious, but doesn't argue. He knows it will most likely be a futile effort. "What temple were you from?"
"Macalania." He looks startled. No wonder; it's not often the temple of Guadosalam takes human orphans. "My parents used to work at Rin's shop. It was the nearest place I could go for safety from Sin, and at the time Lord Jyscal was promoting relations with humans."
"I see."
"And you?" I ask. "Bevelle, am I correct?"
"As usual."
I settle down on top of a crate and fold my hands in my lap. "Tell me about your pilgrimage."
"What for?" Auron lifts an eyebrow.
"Do you always need to be so suspicious?"
He shrugs. "It has its uses. What do you want to know?"
I shrug lightly. "Did you all use swords?" I ask.
He seems surprised, but replies. "Jecht and I did. There were fewer fiends, and so less need for force. Braska was the magic user..."
"...and at Luca-"
"Hey, there you guys are!" Auron and I look up simultaneously at the voice. Rikku's standing in the doorway, hand on her hip, grinning at us. "We've been looking for you for the past two hours!"
"Two-?" I gasp and struggle up from the seat I had taken on the floor, Auron standing behind me. We had been talking for two hours? I can't believe I lost track of the time. "Thank you for coming to get us."
"No problem." She winks. "Although, maybe I should've just let you guys stay, huh?"
I lift an eyebrow. "Forbidden territory, Rikku."
"Aw, alright alright," she pouts, before grinning again. "We~ell, I'm gonna go now, so see ya on the bridge!" She leaves happily, the door still open.
I turn to Auron. "Shall we be going?"
He nods. "We better hurry before they hurt themselves," he says with fake grimness. I smirk and walk out the door.
~~~~~
"Ahhh, there's no place like Besaid!" Wakka grins cheerfully as we enter the small village.
"...it is good to be back," I muse, looking around fondly. Although not my birthplace, Besaid has always been my home.
"Yes, it is," Yuna confirms happily.
"Hey, were you guys born here or something?" Tidus asks casually.
"Island born and grown!" Wakka replies. I glare at him for a moment, then turn a calm eye to Tidus.
"Besaid is Wakka's birthplace, not Yuna's or mine," I correct.
"I get it. So-"
"Lady Yuna!" An old woman, Widow Serhai, rushes to greet us. "It's good to see you back. How is the pilgrimage?"
"It's coming along very well," Yuna smiles reassuringly at the elderly lady. Serhai frowns.
"Very well, huh? Strangely, some temple monks came by telling us we were to arrest you! Of course, we would never do such a thing." Indeed, she seemed offended at the very idea.
"I see..." Yuna murmurs. I felt this to be a good time to step in.
"Excuse me, Lady Serhai, but Yuna would like to revisit the Temple of the Fayth," I interject.
"Ah, of course Lulu." Serhai nods respectfully to me, and moves away.
"So, uh...who was that?" Tidus asks, glancing back at her as we passed by.
"Lady Serhai is a very devout believer of Yevon," I answer. "She lost her husband twenty years ago to one of Sin's attacks. Don't mind her if she gives you a hard time; she hasn't quite forgiven you for storming the temple that day."
"Ah." Tidus nods. "Wow, that seems like a long time ago, huh?"
"Hey!" Rikku interrupts. "Why'd you call her 'lady'? Is she of noble birth too?"
I blink, surprised. I suppose such titles aren't common in the Al Bhed culture. "Lady is simply a term of respect. It's used most often for older folk, and occasionally those of noble blood such as Yuna. Technically, Summoner Yuna would be more respectful, but many feel uncomfortable in using that title."
"I wonder why," Tidus mutters behind me. I don't comment. I know he hasn't adjusted to the idea of summoners being sacrificed, and frankly, I rather hope he never will. Change is often necessary for growth.
Fairly soon, we are at the steps of the Besaid temple.
"Well," Yuna takes a breath, "let's go."
"Um, I'll be right with you guys, okay?" Tidus asks hastily.
"Okay," Yuna replies. The blond blitzer runs off to the side.
"Let's go," Auron commands, stopping us from watching Tidus leave any further, although I'm certain he's watching something. A sphere, perhaps?
In twos and threes, we enter the temple. Tidus catches up with us before we finish the Cloister of Trials, and we all go inside the Chamber of Fayth together.
AN: Rather boring chapter, sorry about that. Next one ought to be more fun, and I'll post it tomorrow. =) Reviews are very nice, hehe.