Darkness. Yuna couldn't see her surroundings from where she sat on the floor but she knew there would be nothing that had been there in her time. The wall hangings had probably fallen long ago and rotted, the mats shredded with use, and the pottery cracked and shattered. She could feel the cold stone floor under her dress, hear the occasional 'plink' of water onto the floor, but she didn't care. She just couldn't digest what she had just seen.

Pyreflies... Were they truly dead or just ghosts of the past? How could she be so far from home, and yet right there?

"Tidus," she whispered to the darkness. "I wish you were here."

~~~~*

Sephiroth still stood in the center of the tiled floor. What just happened? He glanced at the fire materia in his hand before whispering to it and putting it away, relying on his mako-infused eyes. The whole room now seemed to glow aquamarine before him, as though he were underwater. He could see, deep in a chamber by the stairs, Yuna lying on the floor and staring into the darkness.

"Yuna."

She looked up, now noticing the two glowing emeralds suspended above her head. She cringed inwardly.

"I will show you to the Chamber of the Fayth."

He knelt down next to her. "Are you well?"

"I will be fine."

Then Sephiroth did something he never expected to do. He reached out and stroked her hair, feeling its softness beneath his gloves, watching her eyes widen. Then, surprised at his actions, he stood up and backed away several paces.

"Than get up. There is a lot to do."

She stood up shakily, picking up her staff from where it lay forlorn at her side and followed him into the main chamber. "Where do we go from here?" he asked, again taking the materia from his jacket to light her way.

"Up those stairs," she pointed. "That will lead us to the Cloister of Trials, where we will have to pass a test to be allowed into the Chamber."

"What particular type of test?" he asked, checking the materia slots in Masamune.

"We must find our way through the maze."

"I doubt that will be difficult."

"Not if you do not know the way," she added with a half-hearted smile.

"Even so, stay behind me," he instructed. "It has been a long time since you were here last and, most likely, the passageways are infested with monsters."

He handed her the blazing materia then swept up the stairs before disappearing from sight, Yuna slowly bringing up the rear.

"Now," she instructed. "Touch the glyth on the wall. Yes, the glowing symbol, that is right. The door will open."

The large stone slab cranked upward slowly, revealing a staircase leading down into darkness.

"I see something glowing down there," he said as they cautiously advanced down the crumbling stone stairs.

"That is a Besaid sphere," she whispered. "We should put it into another slot farther on and the magic inside will open the door to the chamber beyond."

Sephiroth stopped by the slot, staring at the shimmering blue ball suspiciously. "This is materia," he said, finally lifting it and weighing it in his palms. "And it's powerful. Pure. I don't think it's ever been split."

"I do not know much of your materia, but we do not use this for menial use. It is sacred," she nodded.

"Hardly. Is there more of this?"

"There are different kinds in all the temples, if that is what you mean. Macalania temple has ice spheres and Djose temple has fire spheres."

"There are temples - like this one?"

"Yes, many more. But I do not know if they are still standing."

"Holy Planet," he sighed under his breath.

~~~~*

The door slowly slid open to the Chamber of the Fayth, dust and dirt shaking free from its ancient crust. A gentle orange light flooded out the doors, pulsating softly.

"This... this cannot be!" Yuna gasped, stepping quickly into the chamber and leaning over the glass on the floor.

"What can't be?" he asked, walking up behind her and leaning over her should to peer into the glass. Underneath, a human figure with leathery wings lying motionless, fused with some sort of metal beneath him. "What is that?"

"That is an Aeon. But how this came to be, I do not know. The Fayth... it is dreaming again."

"What do you mean?" he asked stepping back and turning her to look into his eyes. "What's is it?"

"When I banished Sin, three thousand years ago, the Fayth awoke. Their dream ended and the Aeons were gone." The Summoner looked down, trying not to cry. "As well as the rest of their dream. People... and pyreflies. I came here often... to this temple to pray.. because I lived here, but the Aeon never glowed again. And when I came to this world, your world, I- I never even thought how I could summon again. I only knew that I could and the thought never came to me. But now -- seeing this-- I wonder; how can this be?" She looked into his eyes.

Sephiroth looked at the form in the floor. That was the story he had read in books as well. If it was true, then she was right. How could this happen? "The only reasonable solution is that there must be another Fayth," he concluded solemnly.

"But who? And when?"

"I don't know who and I can't tell you how recently. Ever since the Lost Summoner, Lady Yunalesca - that's you - disappeared, people really stopped going to temples. Your story is so old it became legend. After the old cities and villages were lost to time, people would go out to look for the ancient temples. No one ever came up with much of anything, so it's impossible to say when a new Fayth could have come about. Although, I don't have an idea how you would do such a thing."

Yuna looked aside thoughtfully. "Well," she said, hastily changing the subject. "Now you must pray."

Sephiroth raised an delicate eyebrow. "I don't know any prayers."

Yuna laid down her staff and stepped back to demonstrate, her bare feet echoing oddly off the ancient walls. "You step back on this foot then move your arms and bring them together. Like this," she cracked open an eye and watched him repeat it with grace. "Then you kneel and commune with the Fayth."

"I can do that."

"Good. Now stand here at the foot of the Aeon and do it."

"What do I pray for?"

"For the Aeon to aid you in helping the people of Spira and to rid the Planet of Sin."

Sephiroth frowned but did as he was told. He'd never experienced anything like it. Kneeling by the Aeon, a thousand voices rushed into his head.

~It is he!~

~The forsaken one~

~The lost child~

~What does he do here?~

~WHY HAVE YOU COME?~

~Will he help us?~

"To gain your power."

~YOU MAY ONLY USE OUR POWER TO HELP SPIRA~

~Has the lost child discovered who he is?~

~Will he kill the disease?~

~The plague?~

~The downfall of the planet?~

~Will he kill that which he believes to be his mother?~

~WILL YOU USE OUR POWER TO KILL THE DISEASE?~

"What disease is this?"

~He is still lost!~

~The child, one of the last, is lost!~

~He is with the enemy!~

~THE DISEASE CALLED JENOVA THAT HAS ATTEMPTED TO DRINK THE LIFEBLOOD OF THIS PLANET AND WILL ATTEMPT TO DO SO AGAIN.~

"I will not kill Mother."

~He is lost!~

~We must needs take him back to us in the Lifestream~

~No, deliver a guide to show him the path to his true people!~

~The Cetra flowergirl~

~She is occupied, she travels in the company of the chosen ones~

~The time is not ready for her~

~The Cetra Summoner~

~She does not commune as the flowergirl~

~We shall attain her attention~

~ LET US SPEAK TO THE SUMMONER WITH YOU~

~Yes, another dear child!~

~We had believed her to be lost as well, but she is here now~

~She will aid us~

~It will not be easy~

Yuna saw Sephiroth's eyes crack open, then nod to her to kneel too. Voices intruded into her head as well, different from those of her companion's.

~Her companion, he is sick~

~He is lost~

~HIS QUEST IS CORRUPTED.~

~The Summoner will help us~

~HE SEEKS TO DESTROY US, THE VERY BEINGS HE ASKS STRENGTH OF.~

"What must I do?"

~Take him to his mother's grave~

~Take him to his father's coffin, where he lies only sleeping~

~But soon his father shall walk among the living, with the chosen ones, though he is lost to shadow~

~Take him to the great wound in the North~

~Do not let him receive the Black Materia in the great temple~

"Bevelle?"

~WE SHALL NOT DO ANY OF THINGS THINGS. CHILD, SEND HIM TO THE TEMPLE TO THE EAST.~

"Kilika?"

~YES YES YES. WE MUST FURTHER OBSERVE THE LOST CHILD. IT IS DARK INDEED TO BRING HIM TO THE LIFESTREAM WHEN HE CAN BE SHOWN A ROAD. PRAY AT THE EASTERN TEMPLE, WE SHALL INSTRUCT YOU THERE. FARE WELL, CHILD, AND BE CAREFUL. CALL UPON US IF THERE IS NEED FOR WE SHALL PROTECT OUR CHILDREN.~

~AMEN.~

~Amen~

~Amen~

"Amen."

Sephiroth opened an eye. "Do I have an Aeon?"

Yuna shook her head, standing up and brushing herself off. "No, you do not."

"Why?" he practically growled, eyes smoldering.

"Because you they do not like the intentions you will use them for," she said, trying to glare back but failing miserably so she settled to for her feet instead, suddenly becoming fascinated with a silver toe ring.

He glared, crossing his arms. "What intentions would those be, Summoner?"

"Please call me by my name," Yuna pleaded. "And I do not know your intentions. They only said they wanted me to take you to the temple to the East, in Kilika."

He sighed, raising a palm to his forehead. "I haven't the time to go on a treasure hunt all over Planet."

Yuna looked at the Aeon in the floor while rubbing her arm for warmth. "That is not what they said..."

"Right now, I am more interesting in finding who made this new Fayth. Their power must be great."

Yuna bit her lip, watching fearfully as Sephiroth lifted his hands and gazed above him. "If I can get such power, I will be the greatest being on the Planet, the one true heir. I will be a god."

So those are his intentions, she thought. He's just using me to gain power. I knew he looked and acted familiar... like Seymoure!

She looked up, shocked at this revelation, then dropped her staff and ran from the chamber.

Author's Note: I hope someone picked up on the blatant Tidus references *cough cough*. In any case, sorry it took me so long to update! No one has really been updating (or reviewing. heh!) lately, so I've been slightly unmotivated. Thanks to Angel of Evil's Bane, Tenko Kouno, and Teensy Whitman for helping to give the motivation I needed! Next Chapter: searching for the Fayth.