©Lexiter Jackson 2003
Tears of the FaythChapter Six:
Macalania Dreamin'
Well howdy! Glad to see you're still with me! Yay!!
Ahem. Just a quick apology for hyperness in advance – I haven't slept for a while and I am living on coffee to get me through college. College being the reason why I'm a little late in updating this time. Hmph.
Anyway, thanks to all the wonderful lovely people who have spent the time and effort to leave me such wonderful reviews! Have cookies! Lots of cookies! As many cookies as you can eat!!
To answer one particular recurring theme in the reviews – the thing between Tidus and Wakka. The reason why I haven't really given much attention to them (and yes, I know they make a cute couple, Kenji!) is because in this fic (as if you haven't noticed) I am concentrating on Auron and Jassu. However, don't despair, because I have a cunning plan. Or rather, my muse has a cunning plan. Whatever. Y'see, this is turning into a major project for me. Because of all the reviews I've got so far, I'm gonna finish this fic, then I'm gonna write a prequel, a sequel, sidestories, the lot. So tell me your views!!! Review!!!!!!!!
Ahem. Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer: own nothing, have no money, don't sue. I do own Danny (Cute!), Jassu Rammas, and the various plot twists I've put in coz I'm nasty *smirks*
Warnings: Nothing really, except the usual: YAOI (male/male) actually, it's definatly a fluff warning in this one. Lots of fluff. Oodles and oodles of fluff. I was in a mushy mood when I wrote that bit of fluff. But a few referances in this one, nowt NC-17 though. There is, however, a bit of violence, but as I don't really like writing about violence I've sorta skimmed over the worst. Stories are about letting your imagination work.
Plot warning (I promise that I will finish the Author's Notes at some point and let you get on with the story...): There is a HUGE evil nasty twist in this chapter – I've taken the plot for Macalania Woods and put it through the grinder. BE WARNED!! Please keep on reading, even though I've managed to screw up the canon and you KNOW it can only get worse because this is me *takes a deep breath* because it gets interestin'!!
Anyhow, read and review, and flames? Why would you flame me? I've warned you enough that this is a yaoi/shounen-ai fic, so why still read it? I will laugh hysterically at your flames and then stick them into my radiator. Then maybe I can stop freezing my ass off. (Yeah right)
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As soon as he entered the Woods, with the beautiful blue crystal trees exactly how he remembered them, Jassu shivered. It felt like he was dreaming; removed from the world. He stopped with the others as Auron had a word with Tidus.
Jassu...
Damn, he'd forgotten about the voices. It seemed like there was a whisper in the back of his head, but try as he might, Jassu couldn't make out any words.
'Jassu, are you alright?' Lulu frowned at the guardian, who focussed on her face.
'Yeah...I'm fine...'
He turned, leading the party with Yuna and Kimahri, and Lulu frowned at his retreating back. A hand settled on her shoulder.
'Leave him be. This place holds a lot of memories for him. His last memories, in fact.' Auron sighed, moving on past her. Lulu blinked, then caught up with the monk.
'You...saw him die, didn't you?'
Auron sighed again, a long, bitter sigh. 'Yes. He died to save me. We were being attacked by a fiend, and he pushed me out of the way of its attack, taking it himself instead. It was a critical blow – Braska did all he could to save him, but it wasn't any use.'
Lulu nodded. 'You admire him for that, don't you.'
Auron blinked. It was a statement, not a question. Admire? Not the word he'd use, no. 'In a way, yes.'
Lulu smiled slightly. 'I may seem to be a cold hearted woman, sometimes, just like you may seem to be a very rude man, Auron. But I can however see when emotions aren't being recognised for what they are.' With that, Lulu moved up to walk with Rikku.
'Hn.' Auron carried on walking, deep in thought, as the party walked along the twisting blue and silver pathways. Admire? No, not the right word. What did she mean, not recognising emotions? If she meant how I feel about Jassu...then she's probably right. That I don't know about. Lust? No. Lust entails I just want his body. There's more to that. Admiration is wrong too...what if it's...love?
His thoughts continued for a while along this line.
Jassu was still up front, not talking at all. He felt like he was extremely drunk; he couldn't concentrate on anything, and walking in a straight line was almost impossible. The whispering in the back of his head had become a little bit louder, not enough to make out words but enough to block out anything else like white noise.
He stopped in a clearing, swaying on his feet and knowing he wouldn't be able to carry on. A throbbing pain, going across his scars, had started in his chest, and Jassu knew he was going to fall.
'I'm...going to...collapse...'
Auron darted forward and caught Jassu just as he crumpled, lowering him to the ground gently. 'Set up the tents. We'll call it a day.'
As Auron checked to make sure Jassu was okay, the tents were set up and a fire was started to cook food. Auron placed Jassu and a worrying Danny into a one-man tent, then came out and sat beside the fire.
'What's wrong with him, Auron?' Rikku asked, looking up at the guardian. 'He just went – bang.' She gestulated.
'Wore himself out, I expect. He does have a tendancy to try too hard.' Auron shrugged, accepting some food from Wakka.
'Do you know,' Yuna said from between mouthfuls. 'I expected to have to fight my way tooth and claw through these woods, from the stories of fiends I've heard.'
Lulu nodded. 'There are no fiends. The people who live here, the Maester's musicians, say that the woods here are cursed, that there's a presence that drives even fiends away. There have been few sightings of fiends since ten years ago.'
Yuna turned to Auron. 'Were there fiends when you came through here, Sir Auron?'
Auron frowned. 'Yes. There were a lot, if I remember right. Chimeras and the like.'
'Strange, ya?' Wakka stood and stretched. 'Anyway, it's getting late. I'm going to bed.'
Tidus quickly got up as well. 'Yeah, I'm kinda tired too. Night everybody.' Tidus lazily waved to everyone, then followed Wakka into the same tent.
Auron chuckled. 'Teenagers.'
'Hey!' Rikku pouted. 'You're not that old yourself, gramps!'
Auron stood and smiled down at Rikku. 'Kids.' Without another word he turned and went into his own tent. One by one, the group all drifted off to their various tents. With no fiends, there was no need to set watch, and besides, Auron was a light enough sleeper.
Jassu...
Jassu woke up slowly, his eye focussing on the canvas roof above him.
Jassu...
There it was – the voice. It was at one and the same time soft and steely, carrying with it the need to be obeyed.
Jassu...come...
Being careful not to disturb Danny, Jassu rose and picked up the Katana and his jacket, putting it on and strapping the sword onto his back. Follow the voice, yes, but damned if he was going unarmed. He noticed, as he silently slipped out of the camp, that his head was clear. The whisper was louder and still in his head, but he could ignore it. His chest was still painful, but that he could ignore too.
Jassu...hurry up...this way...
Jassu felt a tug, and he followed the way the tug was pulling him. As he passed by a particulary big branch, the tug changed direction.
Through here, Jassu...smash the branches...
Drawing his sword, Jassu did as he was told, opening the way into a coldly familiar clearing. Walking through the narrow way, he rounded the bend and looked around.
Come closer...
He obeyed, his eye raised to the huge tree set at the end of the clearing in a blue pool that seemed to contain something. His eye was distracted by movement as whatever had called him stepped forward.
A clang echoed through the woods as the Katana slipped from his grasp. 'No...'
Danny startled awake, squeaking as he noticed the lack of warmth. He sat up, blinking, and looked around the tent where the big red man had put his friend.
'Jas? Jas?'
Nothing answered his call, and Danny began to worry. He scurried around the tent, as if Jassu was hidden under something. A splintering sound, much like glass shattering reached his ears, and Danny froze. Looking round the tent again, he began to really worry.
'Where Jas? Where Kat?'
Danny raced out of the tent and into the one that had the big red man's smell in, squeaking and chittering all the way. He jumped on his chest, squeaking.
Auron grunted and opened an eye, focussing on the furry green Jassite's head. 'What?'
'Jas gone! Jas gone! Ron! Jas gone, and Kat!'
Auron sat up slowly, dislodging the Jassite and rubbing his eye. 'Jassu's gone with the Katana?'
Danny nodded furiously as a clang echoed faintly to the campsite.
Auron was up and dressed before Danny could squeak in surprise. Grabbing his sword, Auron roused everybody else from sleep.
'Hey, why so early, ya?' Wakka yawned, stretching. Tidus followed him, trying to blink the sleep out of his eyes.
'Yeah. We don't have to get to Macalania Temple this early, do we?' Rikku complained, strapping on her claw. Auron drew his sword, and the group fell silent at the sound. Leaning on his sword, Auron looked at the group.
'Jassu's gone missing.'
'What if he's taken a leak?' Wakka grumbled, earning a glare from Auron.
'With his Katana. With no fiends around.'
A scream interrupted whatever Wakka was going to say, and Auron froze. Danny squeaked, jumping and pointing in the direction Jassu's smell went.
'Follow Danny!' Auron ordered, running after the Jassite. Danny led them to where branches had been smashed to open up a new pathway. Auron slowed.
'Oh no...'
Before any of the others could ask what Auron was upset about, he took off at full speed through the path, skidding to a stop in front of a sword lying on the ground.
His Katana.
'Auron!'
Auron looked up as the rest of the group caught up with him. His eye widened.
What was standing in front of him were two Jassus. One was slumped on the ground, concious, his jacket flung somewhere over the other side of the glade, and his tee shirt ripped by claws.
The other was terribly wrong. He had the face of Jassu, but the eye patch was missing, revealing the sunken hole where the eye should be. His other eye was a lurid blue, mad, holding all the coldness of diamonds. A gaping hole yawned in his chest, and trails of dried blood marred his face. His left arm was twisted and deformed, too big for the body that held it, and the hand ended in razor-sharp claws.
The other held a huge sword, a parody of Harlequin. It was the colour of dried blood.
'Oh, hello, Auron! He came, just like a good boy he came, didn't he?' The thing, Auron refused to call it Jassu, giggled, sending shivers down his spine. 'And you followed him. How nice to see you again, Auron. After ten years.'
'Who are you?' Auron ground out.
The thing giggled again. 'Don't you recognise a corpse when you see one, Auron? I'm the late Jassu Rammas.' The thing's face twisted as it spat at Jassu. 'I'm supposed to be dead, dead, not alive, I'm meant to rest, but you didn't let us, did you?' Jassu flinched as it lurched nearer. 'You didn't let us rest, no.'
'I was dead.' Jassu whispered, refusing to look at the other. 'I was Sent.'
'Oh no we wasn't, oh no we wasn't, you were at peace with your death, weren't you? You knew we was going to die, didn't you?' The thing turned, concentrating on Auron. 'And it's all your fault!'
Auron stepped back as the thing came nearer, pointing at him. 'Why?'
'We took that hit for you, we did. If we hadn't, you'd be dead! Dead! But no, he,' the thing pointed back to Jassu 'had to fall in love, didn't he? Can't stand to see his beloved die, could he? So he saved you, killing me, but he was at peace with death, so he lives on. Sent!' The thing giggled. 'Sent! That's funny. Tell me, Summoner,' It faced Yuna, who held her staff protectively. 'What happens when your soul is at peace with death?'
Yuna blinked. 'It becomes a Fayth.'
'Yes! Yes yes yes exactly.' The dead Jassu giggled, shuffling towards the pool lying at the base of a huge pool. 'So explain this: he,' the dead Jassu pointed at the other, who was staring at Auron, 'still walks around, still sane, still in one piece, still alive, yes, alive, while I survive? Why didn't we both become Fayth? Why?'
Yuna frowned, glancing at Auron who was gripping his sword with a white-knuckled grip. 'He was Sent before he could become the Fayth.'
'Yes! Top marks for our little Summoner, yes, yes, Daddy would have been proud.' The dead Jassu hissed. 'And so I'm the guardian of a soul, while a soul is the guardian of you. But if, if, if Jassu dies, then I die, then we'll go to the Farplane together, won't we, Jassu?' So saying, the dead Jassu raised his blade. 'I wanted you to see this, Auron. Wanted you to see your friend, he's wanted to be more then that, oh yes, the disgusting little worm, wanted you to watch him die by his own hand.' The blade began to whistle down towards Jassu, who cringed, closing his eye. Only the cackling of the dead Jassu echoed around the glade.
Until a resounding clang stopped it abruptly. Auron had leapt forward, and was now gritting his teeth and heaving the other sword away from Jassu. With a final push, Auron made the dead Jassu stumble back enough to let Yuna get to Jassu. She cast a Cura on him and helped him up.
'Jassu!'
Jassu turned to catch the sword Tidus threw to him. 'Thanks.' He turned to face the dead Jassu, striding forward. Auron was holding the other at bay.
'Ooh look, the two lovebirds.' The dead Jassu cooed, grinning maniacly. 'Shame you have to die!'
The dead Jassu threw himself forward at Auron. Jassu pushed him out of the way and caught the Harlequin on his sword.
'Not today.' Jassu grunted, pushing the other back. He brought the sword around, only for it to be parried surprisingly fast by the other.
'Give it up, Jassu.' The other grinned as it replied with a swing of it's own. Jassu twisted away from it, then brought the Katana down in a wide arc, catching the deformed left shoulder and shearing the arm off. The dead Jassu screamed, and it swung wildly at Jassu.
'You know, for something that's meant to be me and have all of my skills, you're a crap swordsman.' Jassu commented as he stepped back slightly. The other leered, bringing its sword screaming down towards Jassu's head. Jassu raised his sword, going down on one knee and rolling beneath the other. The Katana shattered with the force of the swing, but Jassu didn't pay it any attention, dropping the useless hilt and drawing his knives instead. The dead Jassu didn't have time to turn around before Jassu had buried the two knives into its spine. Placing a boot onto its lower back, he pulled the knives up and across. Then he drove one into its neck, cutting the scream short, and one in its skull. The body fell to the ground, twitching, as Jassu knelt down and retrieved his knives, cleaning them and placing them into their scabbards. He sighed, then faced the others.
'That was fun...' He sighed. He walked a couple of steps away from the body behind him that was slowly
disintergrating into pyre-flies, wavered, then promptly collapsed.
As a blue mass slowly rose from the pool behind him, nobody saw the pyre-flies swirling around the pool at the bottom of the huge tree, diving in and disappearing.
Auron shivered.
'A Spherimorph!' He ground out. 'Lulu, it changes elements. Yuna, if you use an Aeon, be careful! The rest of you, hit it with all you've got! If it goes into a spike, for Yevon's sake don't let it hit you!'
Between the lot of them the Spherimorph was finished off relatively quickly. Auron went over to check on Jassu while Yuna walked to the pool that the Spherimorph had emerged from.
'There's something in there...' She muttered, kneeling down beside the pool as pyre-flies whirled around her. A figure lay face down within it, the substance of the pool freezing it into a statue forever. A black gauntlet decorated with silver and red flames adorned the one arm that could be seen. The figure's back was bare, bar one black angel's wing. A strange presence was wound round the place, and Yuna blinked.
'This is a Fayth...' She raised an eyebrow. 'Well, I'll pray.'
The others stopped and stared as a mist spiralled up from the Fayth, forming a solid shape of a figure with black angel's wings.
'Who hath disturbed me from my silent prison?'
Yuna looked up at the angel, for she could not describe him any other way. There were no descernable features, the figure shifting as if he was made out of fog. 'Summoner Yuna, sir. I am asking for your assistance to defeat Sin.'
The angel looked down at her. 'What thou seekest to do is no mean task, Summoner. Thou art prepared to take the consequences of such a task?'
Yuna nodded. 'Without question.'
'Then I shall be your Aeon. But know this, Summoner. I was imprisoned here for ten years. I was created out of hate and suffering, I am both your saviour and your curse. You will call me Saint Anger.' The figure raised his arms and head, seemingly embracing the air around him as he started to unravel into mist. 'Let all those who oppose the Liberator know me and cower!' The woods echoed with the Aeon's last words, and he became mist again. It swirled around Yuna and slowly seeped into her, causing her to gasp.
'Uhn...'
Auron looked back from Yuna to Jassu, who was just coming to. He looked down at his face, one thought whirling through his mind.
He loves me. He loves me. The dead one said he loves me...but what if it was only lying?
Jassu blinked as he looked up into Auron's single eye. He smiled nervously, and was surprised when he got a smile back.
'Why didn't you tell me earlier.' Auron stated. What if it was lying?
'About the whole loving you routine?' Auron nodded slowly. Jassu swallowed; his throat was suddenly very dry. 'Well, I...kinda...um...thought you wouldn't take it well.' Jassu sighed. 'If you want me to leave...'
'No.' Auron cut him off. He was finally certain what this annoying emotion was now. 'If you did that, I...don't know what I'd do.' He smiled at Jassu.
Jassu grinned back. 'I love you, Auron.'
'You too, Jassu.' Auron leant down, placing a kiss on Jassu's lips.
'Hey, Auron, Jassu!' Tidus called, suddenly noticing a few things that had been left behind by both the Spherimorph and the dead Jassu. 'Come here a sec.'
Auron backed off slightly, smiled, stood and helped Jassu to his feet. 'You do remember you broke my favourite sword.' He stated.
'Sorry.' Jassu shrugged as he walked with Auron to where Tidus was. 'Couldn't be helped. What is it, kiddo?'
Tidus pointed down. On the ground lay a Sphere, a playing card crystalised by the Sphere-pool and a huge sword. Jassu blanched slightly when he saw what the sword was. Huge and black, with blood red and silver flames travelling up the blade from a midnight blue hilt. He picked it up, and it felt...right.
Original Sin. Use it well, guardian...
'Original Sin...' he repeated, the name sounding familiar but dangerous. He placed the sword in his scabbard. Suddenly a squeak erupted from a tree above them and Danny jumped down onto Jassu's shoulder.
'Jas! Jas!' Danny squeaked joyfully. 'Jas back! Dan get Ron, Ron help Jas! Can Dan have bis-kit, peas?'
Jassu grinned, handing Danny a rather crumbly biscuit from the jacket he retrieved.
'Jassu, there's a playing card here.' Auron noted, picking it up and handing it to Jassu. He turned it over, revealing the Ace of Spades.
'Jecht's.' He said, grinning. He placed he card in his back pocket, then motioned to the Sphere on the ground. 'That's for you, Tidus.'
'Hey guys, I've got a new Aeon.' Yuna smiled, walking over to the group.
'Yeah? What's he called?' Wakka asked, yawning again.
'"Saint Anger".' Yuna said. Jassu shivered slightly. The name was as familiar as the sword, and felt as if it had a tie with him. He shook it off as Auron placed an arm around him in the pretense that he was supporting him.
'We'd better go and rest before moving out again.' Auron couldn't help but smile again. He ducked down slightly into his collar, hiding it from everyone else as he led Jassu away. Lulu and Rikku watched them walk off.
'When do you think they'll tell us?' Rikku grinned at Lulu.
'Soon enough.' Wakka grinned as he walked past the two.
The rest of the group slowly filtered out. Tidus waited until they had all gone before kneeling before the Fayth under the tree. A figure wavered above it, and he squinted as he tried to make out features.
'Old man...' He whispered as the features finally came into focus. Jecht was standing on thin air, his arms crossed as he survayed the boy beneath him. Tidus scowled at him, but blinked when he noticed that Jecht's shoulders were slumped, as if he carried a huge weight on them. A gravity that wasn't there the last time he'd seen his father had settled around his face, and there were lines that Tidus never thought he'd see marring his smooth face.
'Tidus...' Jecht blinked; his voice sounded as if he hadn't talked in years. 'My boy...'
Tidus just sat there as the man in front of him, obviously not really there. He could see the tree through him.
'I dunno how long I got, so I'll say this once.' Jecht smiled at Tidus. 'You've grown, boy. I'm proud.'
'What do you want, old man?' Tidus said, shaking his head. Jecht sighed.
'I should have been a better father t' ya, son. A'right, I need you to find me. Go to Zanarkand, Tidus.'
Tidus frowned. 'But...why?'
'Ya saw Mi'ihen?' Tidus nodded. 'Yeah, well, that don't touch on what Sin can do.' Jecht uncrossed his insubstantial arms, looking down at his large, rough hands. 'I dunno if I'm even left anymore... Take good care o' Wakka for me.' Jecht smirked at Tidus' dumbfounded look. 'An' tell Jassu that he'd better bring Auron home in one piece. And Tidus...where there's water, I'll find you...'
Tidus nodded, getting up. 'Yeah, I'll find you, dad.'
Jecht nodded and began to fade. 'I love ya, Tidus...don't cry...'
Tidus smirked as he watched his father disappear, but after he'd gone, he nodded. 'You too, old man.' He walked back to camp and into Wakka's waiting arms.
Auron and Jassu were sitting in Jassu's tent, Danny curled up on his bedroll, fast asleep. Auron was watching Jassu, who was smiling, looking down at his boots.
'So for how long, Jassu?'
Jassu coloured slightly, flicking his gaze up to meet Auron's for a moment. 'Since the earliest years.'
Auron raised and eyebrow. 'And you just sat there without saying anything? Why?'
Jassu sighed. 'Because I didn't know how you'd take it.' Jassu scratched the back of his neck in self-consiousness. 'I thought that if I'd admitted it, that you'd either hate me, or turn me over to the Via Purifico. Alright, I didn't want to die, but...' Jassu smiled slightly. 'I'd never had a friend, and I didn't want to risk losing that. Even if it meant me never getting what I wanted.'
Auron drew in a breath and let it out in what was a partly relieved, partly surprised sigh. 'I'm guessing this isn't how you planned on telling me.'
'Understatement.' Jassu laughed. 'I was picturing some romantic candlelit dinner for two.'
'And then what?' Auron smirked at Jassu, who shrugged.
'You'd say you want it too, then we shagged like Shoopufs in mating season.'
Auron grinned. 'That's a succient way of putting it, I suppose.' He hesitated before reaching up and unclasping his collar, then his robe. He reached forward and pulled Jassu towards him, his eye closing as his and Jassu's lips met.
The kiss was exactly how Auron had dreamed it, only ten – hundred – thousand times better. Fire travelled through his veins, originating from that one spot. Hands wound around his back as he hesitantly ran his hands through black hair, recieving a low moan from the other.
Eventually they had to break for air, however, and Jassu leant his forehead against Auron's, grinning and out of breath slightly. 'What was that for?' He whispered.
'I couldn't give you the meal, but the second I can provide.' Auron smirked, removing the sunglasses. 'Besides, I love you too.'
Jassu suddenly grinned, and pulled Auron in for another round. Auron felt himself pushed back until Jassu was on top of him. A heat had begun to build up in his centre.
Suddenly the guardian on top of him stiffened, breaking the kiss and rolling off Auron, his hands clamped around his head as he whimpered.
Auron sat up, shuffling towards the curled up Jassu. 'What's wrong?'
'My head...my head...get them out...'
Auron prised the guardian's hands from his face, and he drew in a sharp breath. Tears were falling from both the good eye and the one covered by the patch, and the tears were blood-red. The good eye was glazed, and was glowing for some reason.
'Help...me...' Jassu whimpered, trying to curl into a tighter ball. Hands were on him – they felt calming, good, healing. Nothing seemed to exist beyond the world of pain, except maybe the voice.
You are mine, I am yours – use me as you will...
I am the Fayth...
The Fayth that cries for those that hate...
That suffer...
For that is how I was created...
The voice was a chorus, somehow discordant but fitting together in an intricate harmony. It felt like something was forcing their way into his mind, smashing all the barriers and all the walls that his time at the monestry had taught him to build. He bit his tongue to try and stop himself from screaming, only letting out a strangled whine. Suddenly the pain was gone, as well as the voice, and Jassu allowed himself to pass out in relief.
~d-r-e-a-m-i-n-g~
Valefor. Ifrit. Ixion.
Voices chanted the prayer of the Fayth in discordant harmony.
Shiva. Bahamut. Anima.
A giant Fayth, made from hundreds of souls, all crying their grief to the uncaring sky.
Yojimbo. Magus Sisters.
Even the three Fayths that had been lost for so long were present as he looked around at the chamber. Each was enthroned upon their own seats, gazing down upon him with veiled curiousity.
'Welcome, brother.'
A deep echoing voice came from behind him, and he whirled to face the speaker.
'Welcome, and hail to thee, Bahamut.' He heard himself say, although he did not formulate the words himself.
'Your coming is most strange.' The huge dragon noted. 'For one so angry, you are the very soul of kindness.'
He laughed, although the sound was not his, same as the body, nor the feelings were his. 'If it please thee to think such, Bahamut. Only that which I was is kindness. But when I was seperated, I was corrupted, and became the unholy Fayth. Bitter at mine own betrayal, I have sworn to protect my Liberator.'
'Then hail and well met, St. Anger, for a saint of anger you are.'
~g-n-i-m-a-e-r-d~
Jassu must have only been out for a couple of minutes. Auron was still leaning over him, using a damp cloth to wipe the tears away. Jassu blinked, looking up at the other.
'Are you alright?' Auron asked quietly, a note of concern creeping into his voice. Jassu groaned, sitting up slowly.
'Yeah...I guess.' He closed his eye again.
'What happened?'
'I don't know.' Jassu ran a hand through his unbound hair. 'One second I was all for ripping your clothes off, the next I was in agony.' He looked back at Auron, who was still holding the cloth. Jassu frowned. 'Who's blood?'
Auron frowned. 'Yours, actually. You were crying blood.'
Jassu raised an eyebrow. 'That's weird.' He sighed. 'I had a really strange dream, if you can call it that.'
Auron motioned for him to go on, discarding the cloth and moving closer to Jassu.
'It was like...the meeting place of the Fayth.' Jassu started. 'They were all welcoming the new Aeon – St. Anger, wasn't it?' Auron nodded. 'And it was like I was the Aeon. Or rather, I was in his body, or something.'
Auron frowned. 'I've heard of people being given visions of the Fayth, but that is strange.' He shook his head. 'We'll leave this for now, but if you get any more dreams or something else, let me know.'
'Yes, Auron.' Jassu grinned, then yawned, leaning up against the guardian. 'I'm tired.'
Auron chuckled, moving Danny and lying down with Jassu on top of him. He ran a hand through Jassu's hair, and fell asleep listening to the purrs coming from the other guardian.
The next day found the group all walking through the rest off the woods, and Jassu breathed a sigh of relief as they finally made it out of the woods. He stopped a moment, looking back into the shadows, and he bowed, performing Yevon's Prayer.
Walking back to the group, he shrugged in answer to Auron's questioning gaze. 'It seemed right.' Was all he said.
'Hey, there's the Macalania travel agency!' Rikku yelled, pointing to a building not too far away. Wakka groaned.
'We're staying with the Al Bhed again, ya?'
Tidus just rolled his eyes. 'Hey, they have warm beds. Who cares if they're Al Bhed or not?'
Wakka grinned. 'S'pose so. Let's go!'
Jassu walked beside Auron as the two blitzballers raced each other to the inn. Sighing, he couldn't help but smile as he thought of the night's events.
'Jassu! Auron!'
A fiend's roar brought him out of his reverie, and Jassu ran with Auron up to where Tidus and Wakka were trying to block several Snow wolves attacks. Jassu grunted as he saw an Ice Flan and a Mafdet behind them, drawing his sword. The ring of steel seemed to go on for longer then it should have as he brought it round.
The others drew back out of the two guardians' way as Auron came up to join Jassu. 'Looks like an interesting fight.' Auron noted, drawing his sword.
'Yep.' Jassu agreed, bringing Original Sin up to eye-level. A wolf leapt at him, and Jassu almost negligently swiped it out of the air. Danny squeaked and jumped off Jassu's shoulder, clambering up Rikku's and shivering.
A Blizzara suddenly engulfed him and Auron. Jassu narrowed his eye as he felt his Overdrive nearing its limit. A slight headache started somewhere behind his eyes.
'Some can't wait to die!' Auron dove into the group of fiends, driving his sword into the Snow Flan. It shrieked and collapsed into itself, and a Snow wolf leapt onto Auron.
The headache got worse, feeling like a spike as Jassu lost control of his Overdrive. Raw fury erupted as Auron was attacked, and the world darkened around him. A searing pain made him drop the sword and fall to his knees, holding his head. Energy gathered around him, drawn into him.
'Jassu!' Auron yelled, trying to get to the guardian, but something made him stay put. Jassu stumbled to his feet, his head still low. 'Jassu! Can you hear me?'
Low laughter came from the man as he raised a hand. Auron was chilled as he saw the hand ended in claws. ''Tis I. Don't worry.' With that, Jassu raised his head, glancing over to Auron. Then he leered at the fiends. A wolf roared, propelling itself forward. Jassu crouched, his hands spread wide, and caught the wolf as it reached him. Digging the claws into the fiend, Jassu suddenly jerked his hands apart, ripping it in two and covering the snow in blood and worse. He dropped the bits that were left and went into a crouch again, spreading his hands. He roared at those fiends left, and the sound chilled Auron.
The Mafdet roared back in answer, running towards Jassu. He dodged it, then proceeded to rip it, and the other fiends, to shreds. Only when he was standing in the middle of a spiral of pyre-flies did he turn to face Auron.
Aside from being spattered slightly with blood, his face hadn't changed much. Except for the eye. It was a bright, burning red, living pools of blood that promised blood and violence. He glared at Auron, then growled, taking a step forward.
As he did so, Jassu began to shake. He blinked, then blinked again, the sapphire slowly swallowing up the red. He fell to his knees, wailing and holding his head in his hands again. The claws shrank into normal fingers, much to Auron's relief, and Jassu gave one last shudder before moaning.
'No...not Auron...'
At last free of whatever was holding him in position, Auron ran over to Jassu, falling to his knees beside the shivering guardian. He noted that Jassu's clothes were covered with blood, as were his hands. He dropped his sword and prised Jassu's hands off his head.
Tears of blood were running down Jassu's face again, leaving trails that echoed those on his hands.
'What's wrong with him?' The voice of Rikku broke through. Auron looked up to find the rest of the group had gathered around them.
'Nothing. Go on to the Agency; we'll catch up.'
The others nodded and trooped to the agency, and Auron waited until they were gone before turning to the younger man.
'Are you alright?' Auron whispered, wiping the worst of the blood off Jassu's face.
Jassu drew a shuddering breath and let it out in a gasp. 'No.'
'What happened?'
Jassu shook his head. 'I...I don't know...I lost control. It was...just there. I could feel it, urging me...' Jassu drew in another breath. 'Urging me to kill and destroy...and it felt good...' Jassu stared off into space, his sapphire eye not focusing on anything. 'It felt good to let all the anger out...'
Auron nodded, helping Jassu to stand. Jassu looked down at his hands, covered in blood, and started to shake.
'Oh...Yevon...I-I just ripped them apart...I killed them...'
Auron held him steady. 'They were fiends, Jassu.'
Jassu kept on staring at his hands. 'But I wanted to carry on...and I enjoyed it...Oh Yevon I enjoyed it...I'm a monster...'
'Jassu, you are not a monster.' Auron took hold of Jassu's shoulder and placed a finger under his chin, making him look into Auron's eye. 'I wouldn't love you if you were a monster.'
'B-but I...' Jassu looked down at his hands. 'I...'
Auron growled, leaned down and kissed Jassu. Jassu's eye widened, then closed as he lost himself.
Auron could taste blood on Jassu's lips. He felt the other guardian relax, and drew away slowly. 'Better?'
Jassu nodded mutely, looking down at the ground. He refused to look at the red spatters, and at his own clothes as he retrieved his and Auron's swords. They walked into the Agency, and Auron led Jassu straight to a room.
Jassu sat, staring into space as Auron took off his clothes and washed them, then put him into a shower and gently rinsing the blood off. Images of the fight, if you could call it that, kept on replaying themselves in his head. He felt numb, as if the memory of what happened was so bad that he'd been wrapped in cotton wool to protect him.
'C'mon.' Auron grunted, lifting him out of the shower, drying him off and wrapping him in warm blankets. Jassu focused on Auron as he sat beside him, and he leant against the guardian. Auron wrapped an arm around him, and Jassu began to sob.
Auron sighed, holding Jassu as blood tears travelled down his face again. Sobs wracked the younger guardian's body as Auron held him tighter, growing fainter as Jassu slowly let the exhaustion take him into slumber. Auron still held him for what seemed like hours after Jassu fell asleep, just thinking.
Something happened in Macalania Woods. Auron frowned. This all started when Yuna found that new Fayth. Auron shivered unintentionally at the thought of the Aeon. Born of suffering, indeed. It radiated malice and hatred, but at the same time a great and overwhelming sadness and loss.
'Auron...'
Auron looked down at Jassu, his sapphire eye half-closed from tiredness. Auron smiled slightly.
'Yeah?'
Jassu reached up and touched Auron's face. 'You always look so...serious when you think.' He sighed, dropping the hand and pulling the blankets closer to him. 'I'm so...tired...'
'So sleep.' Auron half ordered.
Jassu sighed again. 'But...I don't want to. I-I'm afraid.'
Auron rested his head on Jassu's head, trying to comfort the other. Jassu sounded like a child again, clinging to his mother after a nightmare. 'I'll be here. Go to sleep.'
'Thank you...' Almost before the words were out, Jassu was asleep. Auron pulled back the covers of the bed and laid Jassu down under them, then stripped down to his boxers and climbed in after him.