Ok all, I know that anyone addicted enough to the game to want to read this
has seen this scene, but I felt it has a big impact on the group. So, if
you will forgive this storyteller her need to replay this for you, please
continue. And thank you!
Battles we've Fought Chapter 9:
The troop as a whole walked the short distance back up to the main trail. Yuna was subdued, walking in the center of her cluster of guardians, a white dove among eagles. Kimahri had taken the point, Auron the rear and Tidus, Rikku, Wakka and Lulu took four corners in a moving box about their summoner. The blue furred warrior led them over the last arching bridge and into the beginnings of the path up Mt. Gagazet. Auron watched carefully as the pack of friends moved on over the bridge, all except Yuna, who had stopped at the center of the wooden construct. The swordsman moved past his summoner, taking a second to glance down at her. She nodded to him as he walked and turned to look at the way they had come. Tidus had paused at the end of the bridge and settled a nervous hand on his sword once more. After the older guardian had moved on, the blonde jock moved to stand near to Yuna. Understanding and compassion turned his features soft as he realized what was happening. His lovely summoner was saying good-bye, to the Calm Lands, and possibly to another place she would never be again. A sigh escaped youthful lips and he rubbed his face with his free hand, wiping the dark thought away. He waited for her to finish and escorted her back to her protective screen of guardians. The rest seemed content to wait; Auron settled against a convenient snow covered rock and tasted his sake. His attention was focused more on his near removal to the Farplane than to the short pause to the pilgrimage. It was troubling him that he could not depend upon his mission to keep him around. Perhaps it is only with that one Aeon, he hoped. A short walk later the group emerged into the thin sunlight of the foot of the mountain. They passed the remains of pillars, their usefulness long since lost to even the Ronso that inhabited the sacred peak. As they marched, Kimahri's ears perked up and a look of unease passed across his leonine face. From above a growling blue furred form crashed into the snowy path before them. Behind the golden manned warrior was another Ronso, one they recognized from the trials, Kelk Ronso. The Elder Ronso began to speak, growl at them, lecture to them of their status as traitors, to the holy church, and to Spira. Yuna responded with all her courage, her protectors surrounding her with their presence and verbal support. The words passed were painful, angry. Blasphemy to many of the Ronso that had gathered to hear their elder speak. The yellow manned warrior, Biran, moved as if to attack the young summoner. He was confronted with the shorter Kimahri. They stood chest-to- chest, silent challenges passing between their eyes. Lulu stood up and with Auron, presented an alternative. They spoke of Kelk Ronso's desertion of his post as Maester, his devotion to protecting Mt. Gagazet still in place despite his defection. The red-robed warrior, though few on words, expressed the former Ronso Maester's connection to the young summoner before them.
Biran turned to his elder, "Let Biran tear them asunder!" he growled, flexing his mighty claws.
The party tensed, hands moved to weapons, though it would be fruitless with so many powerful leonine warriors about them. Kelk spoke of his confusion to Yuna, hand raised as if the answer was a physical thing to be held and studied.
"You are branded traitors, outlaws to the church, scorned by Yevon. All is lost to you." His eyes narrowed over his gray whiskers. In a voice that spoke of challenge and authority he asked, "Why do you still walk the path of the pilgrimage?"
The young summoner turned her bi-colored eyes upon the tall, blue leader. Her face softened into her trademark smile, folding her hands before her and slightly bowing she stated, "For Spira." She dropped her hands to her sides, her voice taking on the sound of pure conviction. "The people long for the Calm. I can give it to them. It's all I can give." She turned to the other Ronso about her, using her skills as a trained speaker; Yuna talked to them all, "To defeat Sin, to end pain." She turned back to Kelk, his head bowing in shocked respect. "This I can do." She finished.
Kelk Ronso shook his mighty manned head, the challenge had not died in his gaze, and he gathered Yuna's eyes with his own deep green stare. "Even sacrificing yourself?" He asked, again a challenge of words, the weapon this warrior had welded for far to long.
Yuna stood before the elder Ronso, she did not move, her stance and that of her ring of guardians answering for her. She would not be moved from this course, it had gone on too long, too hard and too far. The graying feline leader turned his back on the resolute group, some among the party gathering their weapons to their hands. In a strong voice, filled with respect, Kelk Ronso called out to his tribe. He let them pass. With words of compliment and respect he moved to stand under the great gate of stone. With arms as strong and as weathered as the support pillars surrounding him he made a benediction to the mountain itself.
"The Sacred heights of Gagazet welcome you." He intoned.
The party behind Yuna silently replaced weapons and visibly relaxed, the challenge met by their leader and won. Yuna stared at the large Ronso, respect mirrored in her green and blue eyes, she bowed deeply to the leader of the cat-men, thanking him, and his tribe.
A short and quick look to her party and they were off, walking the trail under the gate to Mt. Gagazet. Auron watched the proceedings with interest and formulated his plans, though he had not intended to force the breaking of the church that held his world in chaos and death, this pilgrimage seemed to be doing just that. With a grunt he followed the others along the path, wondering and pondering upon what Jecht, Braska and he had put in motion with these young people as the catalyst. A shout broke his musing and caused him to stop dead in the trail.
"HALT!" It was the voice of the aggressive warrior Biran.
Tidus turned on his game face and yelled, "Haven't you bothered us enough?" His hand strayed to his sword as Kimahri stepped in front of the party.
"Summoner pass. Guardians pass. KIMAHRI NOT PASS!" Growled the yellow manned warrior. The blue warrior expressively moved his open hands before him, and though he spoke to the party, his eyes never moved from the Ronso in question. 'Kimahri shame Ronso brothers. Kimahri forget his birth."
The brown bearded warrior that was forever in Biran's shadow added, "Forget his people, forget his mountain, Little RONSO! WEAKLING RONSO!"
Biran continued, "Mountain hate the weak, hate the small. If you will climb- "
"Then I must prove my strength!" Interrupted Kimahri, his clawed hands bunching into fists and a gleam in his eyes.
More insults and accusations were hurled at the young Ronso, until Kimahri seemed to have had enough. Marching past the party and up to stand against the two Ronso warriors, Kimahri took a battle stance. Behind him, Tidus moved to stand with the warrior. Quickly he was shoved back, the claws barely scraping the yellow jacket he wore.
"What? It this some sort of Ronso thing?" Demanded the youthful jock, angry at being denied the right to stand with his silent friend.
The blue furred warrior answered, "Kimahri problem." He then took up his lance and faced down the two larger warriors. There was going to be a fight, and fair odds were not with Yuna's party, nor with the young Kimahri.
The rest of the party watched with a mixture of awe and respect as the three large fighters threw down before them. Two against one, Kimahri had to use his intelligence to win. Auron was surprised at the tactics of the young Ronso, with his stilted accent and silent ways; even the warrior-monk had forgotten the strength of Kimahri's intellect. The battle was long, and no quarter was given or expected. In the end, it was the runt, the winged and hornless Ronso that still stood.
Biran, holding his head and walking with a limp, moved to stand before the summoner's party. With his voice roughened from the conflict, he intoned to the peak of the mountain they stood ready to climb.
"Sacred Mountain Gagazet I honor the name of the strong warrior who defeats Biran." He moved his arms away from his side, his eyes not leaving the mountain that rose before them. "Remember always, Gagazet! THAT NAME IS KIMAHRI!"
Auron watched the proceedings with interest; it was due to the Ronso with that name that he was still here. It was strange, yet satisfying to see someone else receive the respect they deserved. :: If nothing else:: he thought :: Kimahri has gained back his lost honor and respect. :: He moved to stand by his summoner as the large, yellow manned warrior continued. Offering the warriors of the Ronso under the leadership of Biran as penance for the breaking of Kimahri's horn and also a statue in Yuna's honor, the two departed to protect the parties back trail. Yuna was touched by the gifts, and with a smile she lead her party up the side of the great mountain Gagazet. A short way down the trail, they were interrupted for a final time. It seemed that Biran Ronso was not quite finished with his gifts. With a shout he halted the party.
Tidus spoke for the party in his frustration, "What do you want THIS time?"
The Ronso answered with the first lines of the Hymn that they all knew so well. The Hymn of the Fayth was sung with hearty, roughened voices until the entirety of the Ronso that had gathered originally to see a traitorous summoner and her outlaw gang get what they deserved joined in. The party marched up and over the last of the tamed trail to the sound of voices raised in song. Auron could feel the spirit of Jecht sighing in pleasant tones, his pain forgotten and over whelmed by the strength of the Ronso chorus. No one noticed the small smile the warrior-monk had hidden behind his gray collar, nor did they catch him humming along as he walked. The ancient tune calming even his tired soul for the moment.
The group, after listening to the hymn, gathered back into the formation they had used before passing the gate. Kimahri taking the lead, he was the most experienced in this set of mountain passes, Auron on the rear guard and the rest moving with Yuna. The red robed warrior did not mind one bit that he was alone for the most part. As he walked he remembered the previous journeys, the climb up and down the mountain. The group paused at a pile of rocks, old weapons planted about it. The warrior- monk counted three, a staff, a lance and a sword. Older than anyone in the small party, they had rested as sentinels against the perpetual snow. Auron walked over the memorial; he barely listened to Lulu as she informed the young Tidus of what the seemingly haphazard piles of stone were. Kimahri, waiting up the trail and keeping an eye out for fiends, keep an eye on the group as well. Tidus was solemn, a rare condition for the lad, and took a moment to make the sign of the prayer in front of the cairn. As the boy knelt and bowed, the red robes of the warrior-monk blew in the strong wind. Tapping the clay jug of sake at his hip, Auron walked away from the group, his head bowed against the driven snow. Yuna looked on with concern, he felt something was bothering the older guardian. The legendary guardian moved to lean against a single stone on the trail. Slowly, he settled to a seated position with his back to the cold rock. With in his mind, he relived in painful detail the last trip he had made across this very path. The snow had long since covered any marks of his passing, like the last ten years had done. He remembered how the cold did not affect him, other than to freeze the hilt of his katana to his right hand. The sluggishly dripping blood making the bare hand as red as his robes. He had fallen here, tripping on the stone he now rested against. It was a cold comfort to rest, face first in the deep drifts of the wild snow. He remembered the struggle to just remain awake, let alone get back up. Auron curled up around his buried left arm, the memories overtaking him for a little while. Wakka and Rikku, standing side by side, took a second to look into each other's faces. They moved as one to stand near Yuna. It was Wakka, red hair bobbing in the wind that spoke first.
"What's up with him, eh?" he pointed a thumb at the crouched form of the warrior-monk.
"Yeah, it's not good to be like that right?" added the bubbly Al- Bhed.
"Leave him be for little while." Stated Lulu, walking up from the monument where Tidus was whipping off the snow from his knees. "I think he just needs some time alone."
"What makes you say that?" Asked the summoner, curiosity threaded through her voice. She shivered and held her arms close to her chest, hugging herself to stay warm.
"I remember how I felt, when I had to see that shrine on the road to the docks at Besaid. I remembered when Chappu hadn't stopped. It made me want to scream in frustration, I couldn't stop the memories." She turned and looked at Auron, noting his hair was getting frosted to a uniform color of white in the falling snow. It was hard to tell what he was doing, if anything, but she could tell his eye was closed. "Remember, Sir Auron has been here before, if tales be told, more than once." Kimahri silently nodded from his lookout position, listening to the conversation. Lulu gestured to the Ronso and then to Sir Auron. "So maybe he's just remembering all that happened here before. I know that I would be. This is the last great hurtle before Zanarkand. Perhaps something happened near here, during his pilgrimage with your father, Yuna."
"This is bad timing, we mist to keep moving." Stated the young summoner. "Its far to cold to just stop." She shivered again and then marched resolutely to the side of her oldest guardian. She knelt down and settled on her haunches, bringing her to about eye level with the warrior- monk. It was then she saw he was not in any great danger, nor was he injured. She did see something that would haunt her until she could ask the older man about it.
Sir Auron was crying.
Battles we've Fought Chapter 9:
The troop as a whole walked the short distance back up to the main trail. Yuna was subdued, walking in the center of her cluster of guardians, a white dove among eagles. Kimahri had taken the point, Auron the rear and Tidus, Rikku, Wakka and Lulu took four corners in a moving box about their summoner. The blue furred warrior led them over the last arching bridge and into the beginnings of the path up Mt. Gagazet. Auron watched carefully as the pack of friends moved on over the bridge, all except Yuna, who had stopped at the center of the wooden construct. The swordsman moved past his summoner, taking a second to glance down at her. She nodded to him as he walked and turned to look at the way they had come. Tidus had paused at the end of the bridge and settled a nervous hand on his sword once more. After the older guardian had moved on, the blonde jock moved to stand near to Yuna. Understanding and compassion turned his features soft as he realized what was happening. His lovely summoner was saying good-bye, to the Calm Lands, and possibly to another place she would never be again. A sigh escaped youthful lips and he rubbed his face with his free hand, wiping the dark thought away. He waited for her to finish and escorted her back to her protective screen of guardians. The rest seemed content to wait; Auron settled against a convenient snow covered rock and tasted his sake. His attention was focused more on his near removal to the Farplane than to the short pause to the pilgrimage. It was troubling him that he could not depend upon his mission to keep him around. Perhaps it is only with that one Aeon, he hoped. A short walk later the group emerged into the thin sunlight of the foot of the mountain. They passed the remains of pillars, their usefulness long since lost to even the Ronso that inhabited the sacred peak. As they marched, Kimahri's ears perked up and a look of unease passed across his leonine face. From above a growling blue furred form crashed into the snowy path before them. Behind the golden manned warrior was another Ronso, one they recognized from the trials, Kelk Ronso. The Elder Ronso began to speak, growl at them, lecture to them of their status as traitors, to the holy church, and to Spira. Yuna responded with all her courage, her protectors surrounding her with their presence and verbal support. The words passed were painful, angry. Blasphemy to many of the Ronso that had gathered to hear their elder speak. The yellow manned warrior, Biran, moved as if to attack the young summoner. He was confronted with the shorter Kimahri. They stood chest-to- chest, silent challenges passing between their eyes. Lulu stood up and with Auron, presented an alternative. They spoke of Kelk Ronso's desertion of his post as Maester, his devotion to protecting Mt. Gagazet still in place despite his defection. The red-robed warrior, though few on words, expressed the former Ronso Maester's connection to the young summoner before them.
Biran turned to his elder, "Let Biran tear them asunder!" he growled, flexing his mighty claws.
The party tensed, hands moved to weapons, though it would be fruitless with so many powerful leonine warriors about them. Kelk spoke of his confusion to Yuna, hand raised as if the answer was a physical thing to be held and studied.
"You are branded traitors, outlaws to the church, scorned by Yevon. All is lost to you." His eyes narrowed over his gray whiskers. In a voice that spoke of challenge and authority he asked, "Why do you still walk the path of the pilgrimage?"
The young summoner turned her bi-colored eyes upon the tall, blue leader. Her face softened into her trademark smile, folding her hands before her and slightly bowing she stated, "For Spira." She dropped her hands to her sides, her voice taking on the sound of pure conviction. "The people long for the Calm. I can give it to them. It's all I can give." She turned to the other Ronso about her, using her skills as a trained speaker; Yuna talked to them all, "To defeat Sin, to end pain." She turned back to Kelk, his head bowing in shocked respect. "This I can do." She finished.
Kelk Ronso shook his mighty manned head, the challenge had not died in his gaze, and he gathered Yuna's eyes with his own deep green stare. "Even sacrificing yourself?" He asked, again a challenge of words, the weapon this warrior had welded for far to long.
Yuna stood before the elder Ronso, she did not move, her stance and that of her ring of guardians answering for her. She would not be moved from this course, it had gone on too long, too hard and too far. The graying feline leader turned his back on the resolute group, some among the party gathering their weapons to their hands. In a strong voice, filled with respect, Kelk Ronso called out to his tribe. He let them pass. With words of compliment and respect he moved to stand under the great gate of stone. With arms as strong and as weathered as the support pillars surrounding him he made a benediction to the mountain itself.
"The Sacred heights of Gagazet welcome you." He intoned.
The party behind Yuna silently replaced weapons and visibly relaxed, the challenge met by their leader and won. Yuna stared at the large Ronso, respect mirrored in her green and blue eyes, she bowed deeply to the leader of the cat-men, thanking him, and his tribe.
A short and quick look to her party and they were off, walking the trail under the gate to Mt. Gagazet. Auron watched the proceedings with interest and formulated his plans, though he had not intended to force the breaking of the church that held his world in chaos and death, this pilgrimage seemed to be doing just that. With a grunt he followed the others along the path, wondering and pondering upon what Jecht, Braska and he had put in motion with these young people as the catalyst. A shout broke his musing and caused him to stop dead in the trail.
"HALT!" It was the voice of the aggressive warrior Biran.
Tidus turned on his game face and yelled, "Haven't you bothered us enough?" His hand strayed to his sword as Kimahri stepped in front of the party.
"Summoner pass. Guardians pass. KIMAHRI NOT PASS!" Growled the yellow manned warrior. The blue warrior expressively moved his open hands before him, and though he spoke to the party, his eyes never moved from the Ronso in question. 'Kimahri shame Ronso brothers. Kimahri forget his birth."
The brown bearded warrior that was forever in Biran's shadow added, "Forget his people, forget his mountain, Little RONSO! WEAKLING RONSO!"
Biran continued, "Mountain hate the weak, hate the small. If you will climb- "
"Then I must prove my strength!" Interrupted Kimahri, his clawed hands bunching into fists and a gleam in his eyes.
More insults and accusations were hurled at the young Ronso, until Kimahri seemed to have had enough. Marching past the party and up to stand against the two Ronso warriors, Kimahri took a battle stance. Behind him, Tidus moved to stand with the warrior. Quickly he was shoved back, the claws barely scraping the yellow jacket he wore.
"What? It this some sort of Ronso thing?" Demanded the youthful jock, angry at being denied the right to stand with his silent friend.
The blue furred warrior answered, "Kimahri problem." He then took up his lance and faced down the two larger warriors. There was going to be a fight, and fair odds were not with Yuna's party, nor with the young Kimahri.
The rest of the party watched with a mixture of awe and respect as the three large fighters threw down before them. Two against one, Kimahri had to use his intelligence to win. Auron was surprised at the tactics of the young Ronso, with his stilted accent and silent ways; even the warrior-monk had forgotten the strength of Kimahri's intellect. The battle was long, and no quarter was given or expected. In the end, it was the runt, the winged and hornless Ronso that still stood.
Biran, holding his head and walking with a limp, moved to stand before the summoner's party. With his voice roughened from the conflict, he intoned to the peak of the mountain they stood ready to climb.
"Sacred Mountain Gagazet I honor the name of the strong warrior who defeats Biran." He moved his arms away from his side, his eyes not leaving the mountain that rose before them. "Remember always, Gagazet! THAT NAME IS KIMAHRI!"
Auron watched the proceedings with interest; it was due to the Ronso with that name that he was still here. It was strange, yet satisfying to see someone else receive the respect they deserved. :: If nothing else:: he thought :: Kimahri has gained back his lost honor and respect. :: He moved to stand by his summoner as the large, yellow manned warrior continued. Offering the warriors of the Ronso under the leadership of Biran as penance for the breaking of Kimahri's horn and also a statue in Yuna's honor, the two departed to protect the parties back trail. Yuna was touched by the gifts, and with a smile she lead her party up the side of the great mountain Gagazet. A short way down the trail, they were interrupted for a final time. It seemed that Biran Ronso was not quite finished with his gifts. With a shout he halted the party.
Tidus spoke for the party in his frustration, "What do you want THIS time?"
The Ronso answered with the first lines of the Hymn that they all knew so well. The Hymn of the Fayth was sung with hearty, roughened voices until the entirety of the Ronso that had gathered originally to see a traitorous summoner and her outlaw gang get what they deserved joined in. The party marched up and over the last of the tamed trail to the sound of voices raised in song. Auron could feel the spirit of Jecht sighing in pleasant tones, his pain forgotten and over whelmed by the strength of the Ronso chorus. No one noticed the small smile the warrior-monk had hidden behind his gray collar, nor did they catch him humming along as he walked. The ancient tune calming even his tired soul for the moment.
The group, after listening to the hymn, gathered back into the formation they had used before passing the gate. Kimahri taking the lead, he was the most experienced in this set of mountain passes, Auron on the rear guard and the rest moving with Yuna. The red robed warrior did not mind one bit that he was alone for the most part. As he walked he remembered the previous journeys, the climb up and down the mountain. The group paused at a pile of rocks, old weapons planted about it. The warrior- monk counted three, a staff, a lance and a sword. Older than anyone in the small party, they had rested as sentinels against the perpetual snow. Auron walked over the memorial; he barely listened to Lulu as she informed the young Tidus of what the seemingly haphazard piles of stone were. Kimahri, waiting up the trail and keeping an eye out for fiends, keep an eye on the group as well. Tidus was solemn, a rare condition for the lad, and took a moment to make the sign of the prayer in front of the cairn. As the boy knelt and bowed, the red robes of the warrior-monk blew in the strong wind. Tapping the clay jug of sake at his hip, Auron walked away from the group, his head bowed against the driven snow. Yuna looked on with concern, he felt something was bothering the older guardian. The legendary guardian moved to lean against a single stone on the trail. Slowly, he settled to a seated position with his back to the cold rock. With in his mind, he relived in painful detail the last trip he had made across this very path. The snow had long since covered any marks of his passing, like the last ten years had done. He remembered how the cold did not affect him, other than to freeze the hilt of his katana to his right hand. The sluggishly dripping blood making the bare hand as red as his robes. He had fallen here, tripping on the stone he now rested against. It was a cold comfort to rest, face first in the deep drifts of the wild snow. He remembered the struggle to just remain awake, let alone get back up. Auron curled up around his buried left arm, the memories overtaking him for a little while. Wakka and Rikku, standing side by side, took a second to look into each other's faces. They moved as one to stand near Yuna. It was Wakka, red hair bobbing in the wind that spoke first.
"What's up with him, eh?" he pointed a thumb at the crouched form of the warrior-monk.
"Yeah, it's not good to be like that right?" added the bubbly Al- Bhed.
"Leave him be for little while." Stated Lulu, walking up from the monument where Tidus was whipping off the snow from his knees. "I think he just needs some time alone."
"What makes you say that?" Asked the summoner, curiosity threaded through her voice. She shivered and held her arms close to her chest, hugging herself to stay warm.
"I remember how I felt, when I had to see that shrine on the road to the docks at Besaid. I remembered when Chappu hadn't stopped. It made me want to scream in frustration, I couldn't stop the memories." She turned and looked at Auron, noting his hair was getting frosted to a uniform color of white in the falling snow. It was hard to tell what he was doing, if anything, but she could tell his eye was closed. "Remember, Sir Auron has been here before, if tales be told, more than once." Kimahri silently nodded from his lookout position, listening to the conversation. Lulu gestured to the Ronso and then to Sir Auron. "So maybe he's just remembering all that happened here before. I know that I would be. This is the last great hurtle before Zanarkand. Perhaps something happened near here, during his pilgrimage with your father, Yuna."
"This is bad timing, we mist to keep moving." Stated the young summoner. "Its far to cold to just stop." She shivered again and then marched resolutely to the side of her oldest guardian. She knelt down and settled on her haunches, bringing her to about eye level with the warrior- monk. It was then she saw he was not in any great danger, nor was he injured. She did see something that would haunt her until she could ask the older man about it.
Sir Auron was crying.