~Chapter 15~
Tidus was lost in his own thoughts as the party traveled down the D'Jose Highroad. They passed priests, Al Bhed, and a few Crusaders who had survived the operation. Tidus also noticed that, although she was smiling, the light in Yuna's eyes had gone out, and her smile seemed very fragile. Auron even seemed grimmer than he usually was, as he led the group down the Highroad. Tidus sprinted lightly up the road to catch up to him.
"Was it ever this bad. When you were with Yuna's father?" he asked.
"Nothing of this magnitude ever happened. But yes," Auron said, "We played witness to many tragedies."
The group continued in silence as they ventured down the road. They eventually came to a fork in the road, and Auron stopped, looking at the area around him. "How very familiar," he whispered to himself. He gazed around, a small smile playing at his lips, when he looked at the base of the wooden sign that had the words "D'Jose: left, Moonflow: right" written on it. He kneeled down and looked at a medium-sized rock that was sitting next to the wooden post. "It's still here," he marveled, looking at the stone. "Look."
Tidus kneeled next to his mentor, looking at the rock. He could just barely see a crudely carved version of his father's stylized "J" etched in the surface.
"What is it?" Yuna asked curiously as the two men got to their feet.
"A memento, if you will. Jecht carved his insignia on that rock. To prove we'd been here."
Auron chuckled. "I told him, 'It'll probably get stolen or wash away or roll away,' but he said, 'Nah, nothing will happen to it, Auron,' and he was right, after all."
Thinking of Jecht only made Tidus pine for home even more. "How long until Zanarkand?" he asked. Wakka stepped forward.
"Still a ways," Wakka answered, and Lulu said "First, we cross the Moonflow, and then we travel through the Guado city of Guadosalam."
Yuna was already partially up the trail to D'Jose. "But first," she called in a sing-song voice that sounded a little forced, "we get to visit the temple at D'Jose!"
"I don't suppose there's a way we could just skip all of that, is there?" Tidus asked glumly.
"I must pray at all of the temples in order to receive the final Aeon," Yuna said.
"I see," Tidus replied. The group started up the trail, until Auron, who hung back, called, "Hey, new guy-Tidus."
"Yeah?" Tidus asked.
"Don't tell Yuna that you know about Jecht."
"I know, Auron," Tidus said, rolling his eyes.
"There is a reason," he said reproachfully. "You know Yuna. She would-distance herself from us. And we don't want that."
"You told me."
"Yes, but Sin was nowhere around when I did. Better for you to find out then, instead of at a critical moment, where you would get emotional."
"Me, emotional?" Tidus asked skeptically.
Auron chuckled. "I heard you were quite the crybaby."
"Hey Auron," Tidus called as Auron started to walk up to D'Jose, "how'd you get to Chicago?"
Auron stopped dead. "Why?" he asked suspiciously.
"Well," Tidus said doggedly, "I figured. If you show me how, maybe I could."
"Go back home," Auron finished. "To what? Tidus, you have no idea how complicated this situation is. If you return to Chicago now, before we reach Zanarkand, you will return to a world with Sin, just the same as it is here. Remember, Sin appeared 1,000 years ago. On that particular Friday night, it seems. If you go back, you'll enter a world where Sin is just getting started destroying all that it can."
"Wait! I thought 'Zanarkand' meant Chicago in Al Bhed. Is there a city there?" he asked excitedly. Auron shook his head.
"All that is in Zanarkand are the ruins of a great city that Sin destroyed 1,000 years ago."
Tidus stopped dead. "What? I mean, Wakka told me, but."
"You'll see it for yourself, soon enough," Auron said, walking away.
Tidus followed Auron into the small town of D'Jose, looking around at all of the open space it seemed to offer. Suddenly, the ground shook.
"What the..?" Tidus asked in surprise.
Auron continued on as though he hadn't felt anything. He walked up to the temple's front gates just as the rest of the group was apprehensively approaching the structure. It appeared that a rock face had grown over the front of the temple, and that was where the rumbling was coming from. As the group watched, the rock face suddenly shattered, and rose up off of the Temple, floating around it like the planets of the solar system, connected by lines of blue electricity.
"Awesome," Tidus said, watching in awe.
"The Electric Mushroom Rock. It only does that when there's another Summoner inside," Lulu told him.
"Another Summoner?" Yuna asked, her joyfulness diminishing slightly.
"What if it's Dona?" Tidus asked, making a face.
"No matter," Auron said. He started to enter the temple, and the group followed, when Tidus suddenly heard crying. Looking around, he saw the crying person crouched on the ground, praying through his sniffles.
"Gatta!" Tidus called, and sure enough, it was Gatta. Wakka ran over to him and almost threw himself on the ground next to him. "Where's Luzzu?" he asked.
Gatta didn't reply.
"Gatta," Wakka said slowly, "where is Luzzu, Gatta?"
"I-I found him on the beach," Gatta cried, staring at Wakka with tear- soaked eyes. "He-he was ripped in half!"
"Oh, no," Wakka said. "That-idiot!" Gatta broke down again and cried louder than before. "I should have listened to him," Gatta sobbed, "I should have listened."
"I can't do this anymore," Gatta said, trembling violently. "I'm going back to Besaid. I. I just can't."
"It's OK, brudda. It's OK," Wakka said, patting Gatta's back. "It's OK."
It was quite some time later. Gatta, still in shock, eventually passed out from the memory of the operation. Kimarhi and Wakka carried him to the inn, and rejoined the Summoner party a short time later. Together, they all walked into the temple.
This Temple's interior was just as grand as the others Tidus had seen thus far. It was stone, like the others, but it was painted a dull green, and lit by small floating orbs of the same blue electricity, giving the place a surreal appearance. Its only exceptional feature was the ornate staircase that led to the Fayth. As the Summoner party watched, the door opened, and out ran a little kid, followed by an older boy, followed by a young man. "Ah," he said upon seeing Yuna. "You are a Summoner, no?"
"Yes. I am Yuna from the Island of Besaid," she responded.
"Ah, yes. The daughter of Lord Braska," he said admirably. "Lord Braska is the reason I became a Summoner, so that one day, I could become a High Summoner just like him. But how rude of me!" he cried, bowing to her. "I am Isaaru, a Summoner from the Island of Kilika. And these are my brothers-slash-Guardians."
The youngest boy jumped up saying, "I'm Possé." His older brother nodded to them and said, "And I'm Moroda."
"So, you are journeying to defeat Sin, no? I am as well," Isaaru said, smiling slyly. "Perhaps we should have a race, to see who can beat Sin first."
Yuna smiled and nodded. "Very well. I accept your challenge."
"Well then, Lady Yuna, I must beg your leave. We want to get across the Moonflow before nightfall."
"Of course," Yuna said, and she and Isaaru bowed to each other. "Until we next meet," Isaaru smiled, and he bowed the Summoner party into the Fayth. They all walked past, Tidus bringing up the rear, when Isaaru called, "Excuse me."
Tidus turned, and saw Isaaru had a troubled look on his face. "You are Yuna's Guardian, no?"
"Yes," Tidus responded slowly.
"My brother has some interesting news."
Moroda stepped forward. "I heard it from those Crusaders," he said, "but it seems that Summoners have been going out on pilgrimage and disappearing."
"It could be that the fiends got them, but not so many, so quickly," Isaaru said, shaking his head. He looked worried. "Please," he said, "bear this in mind and keep Lady Yuna safe."
"OK. I'll do that," Tidus said, holding his hand out to shake, which Isaaru shook. "Thanks for the info."
"It not a problem," Isaaru said. Suddenly, Possé was at Tidus' shoulder.
"Hey! Whatcha all talkin' about?" he asked.
"We're talking about your responsibilities as a Guardian," Moroda said.
"Hey, I'm doin' good. Right, big brother?"
Isaaru smiled. "Well," he said to Tidus, "Until we meet again."
The three turned to leave, and Tidus watched them until they did. He then turned around and headed into the Fayth. There, he met the others. Wakka was rallying them.
"OK! Keep a sharp lookout! And remember, we're here to pray!"
Auron looked at Tidus. "This should be good," he said. "The D'Jose Fayth is the hardest to get to."
The Guardians ran into the short, glowing hallway into a large, glowing chamber. A glowing insignia decorated the floor as the Guardians and Summoner piled in. "Is this the Fayth?" Wakka asked blankly.
"No," Auron said casually, amusement in his voice. "It's not down here."
"Where is it?" Tidus asked.
"Look around. You'll find it." With that, Auron turned and walked to a wall that he leaned up against for the remainder of the time. The other Guardians all started looking around, until Tidus happened to look up.
There was a hole in the ceiling.
It wasn't a 'hole'; it was there for a reason. "Guys," Tidus said, pointing upwards, "Look."
Auron chuckled. "Now, how do you get up there?"
"Well," Wakka said, scratching his head, "I could hoist Lu up there. And she could help people up to the next level."
"There's a simpler way," Auron said.
"How?" Yuna asked.
"Look around."
"Why won't you just tell us?" Lulu asked sharply.
"You wouldn't learn anything if I just told you," he said, smiling like a kid who had a secret. But when no one moved, he resignedly left his place and walked over to where Kimarhi was standing. Reaching out, he pulled down a lever that was now very obvious. A platform rose out of the floor to allow easy access to the top room.
Auron looked at them all. "I told you," he said in a disappointed voice, "It was right in front of you. But then, the easiest answers are always the hardest to find, correct?"
The group had no answer for him. He smiled.
"Follow me," he said, stepping on the platform. They followed, and the platform rose into the ceiling, bringing them to the next level. They were in a small stone chamber where a copper wire device hung from the ceiling.
"This I will help you with, as it's tricky," Auron said, looking at the device. "That thing has to be electrified, or the Fayth won't open."
"How do we do that?" Lulu asked. The group stared at her.
"Oh, right," she said. She muttered under her breath, and a ring of lightning appeared around her right hand. She held her hand up, and the lightning soared into the air and into the copper, electrifying it and causing a stone wall to rise, revealing a staircase that led to-
"The Fayth," Auron said, "is just upstairs."
The group walked upstairs and entered a very small, dully lit room. Yuna and Kimarhi crossed to the other side, where an ornate door opened for Yuna to allow her access. When it closed behind her, Kimarhi stood in front of it, guarding. Tidus resignedly took a post next to Auron, when a new voice said, "Well, well, well. What have we here?"
Dona and Barthellow entered the small room. "Well, I see she's still traveling with quite a crowd."
Barthellow had walked over to Auron, studying him with great intensity. "Barthellow!" Dona said sharply. "Do you know these riffraff?"
"You are. Are-in, no?" he asked Auron.
"What of it?" Auron asked curtly.
Whatever Auron had been expecting, it wasn't what Barthellow said next. "May I. Shake your hand?"
Auron stared.
"Are-in. No, Sir Are-in.You're the reason I became a Guardian, Sir."
Auron chuckled, and held out his right hand. Barthellow hurriedly wiped his hand off on his shorts, and readily shook the Guardian's hand.
"Barthellow-get back here!" Dona commanded. Barthellow immediately left Auron and return to her side. Wakka spoke up.
"Calling the Guardian of High Summoner Braska riffraff? That's pretty bad, yah."
"And I thought you were a Summoner," Lulu said coldly.
If lightning was in the air, it was nothing to what was flying back and forth between Lulu and Dona. Tidus stepped back and found his way to Wakka, who muttered, "Pretty good show, huh? But it's bad on the heart, yah."
"I shook the hand of Sir Are-in! I will never wash this hand again!" Barthellow was excitedly saying to Dona, who was visibly disgusted. "Please," she drawled, "touch me with that hand, and I'll remove it."
Tidus found his way over to Kimarhi. "So. you know how to play twenty questions?" he asked the Ronso in boredom.
Kimarhi looked down at him. "Pick spot. Shut up."
Tidus stared blankly at him until he realized Kimarhi had essentially told him off. He sighed, and found his way back to Auron.
"You're restless," Auron said to him.
"Kinda hard not to be," Tidus responded, looking at his mentor.
"I know. Jecht was very restless, too. He used to draw."
Tidus stared. "My dad. Drew?"
Auron nodded. "He got quite good at it. He drew portraits of Braska and I, and he managed to draw one of the Aeons from memory as well."
Suddenly, the door behind Kimarhi opened, and Yuna came stumbling out. She started to fall, but, quick as lightning, Kimarhi was there to catch her.
"It's about time," Dona said, stepping forward. "I was beginning to think I'd have to come back tomorrow."
Dona stalked past the weakened Yuna and into the Fayth. "You know, when the time comes, your Guardians won't be able to protect you," she said scathingly, looking at Lulu, before she disappeared into the Fayth.
Tidus awoke relatively early the next morning, but he found that he was still the last one up-or so he thought.
He emerged from the inn and saw the Guardians all walking around the temple, except for Auron, who had taken up his usual post outside the temple wall. "What're we doing?" Tidus asked Wakka.
"We're waiting for Yuna. She's still asleep, so as soon as she wakes, we'll leave."
Tidus sighed and started looking around the tiny village. When he got bored with that, he stepped into the temple, and walked into one of the side chambers, where he found Yuna asleep on the bed. An acolyte was standing near the door, and bowed when Tidus entered. Noticing that Tidus was watching Yuna, she said, "She is exhausted from last night. Healing the wounded. Sending the fallen."
"Oh, I see," Tidus said. "I guess I'll just let her sleep, then."
Just then, Yuna awoke. She groggily sat up, blinking in the light, not quite awake yet. "Oh, hey. We were just waiting for you," Tidus said to her.
"What?" she asked in surprise. She hurriedly got out of the bed, rushing around the room and gathering her things. "Just a minute, I'll be right there!" she said in a rushed voice. Tidus quietly made his exit as the Yuna continued to rush about.
He reemerged on the street, and not a minute later, Yuna came bursting out of the temple. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" she cried, bowing to them all.
"Hey, sleepyhead!" Wakka called to her. "You need to comb your hair."
Yuna looked at him in disbelief, but all the same, she frantically started to comb her hair with her fingers. "You should've gotten me up!" she said.
"We would've, but we didn't think you'd hear us through all that snoring," Lulu said, humor dancing through her voice.
"A Summoner with bed-hair. What's the world coming to?" Wakka asked jovially.
"What is it today?" Yuna asked, miffed. "Everyone's picking on me!"
Everyone, even Kimarhi and Auron, started to laugh at Yuna's flustered state. Auron chuckled a bit longer than the rest.
"You too, Sir Auron?" Yuna asked.
"Once Lady Yuna combs her hair, we can leave," Auron said in amusement. The others laughed again, and Yuna sat there in the center and took it all in, and began to laugh along with them.
After the long period of laughing, Auron had insisted that the journey start again. The Summoner party continued out onto the Highroad again, headed in the direction of the Moonflow Lulu had spoken about earlier. Their spirits had definitely lifted, and Tidus thought the journey would have no more surprises, and that the road ahead would be as smooth as glass.
How very wrong he was.
Tidus was lost in his own thoughts as the party traveled down the D'Jose Highroad. They passed priests, Al Bhed, and a few Crusaders who had survived the operation. Tidus also noticed that, although she was smiling, the light in Yuna's eyes had gone out, and her smile seemed very fragile. Auron even seemed grimmer than he usually was, as he led the group down the Highroad. Tidus sprinted lightly up the road to catch up to him.
"Was it ever this bad. When you were with Yuna's father?" he asked.
"Nothing of this magnitude ever happened. But yes," Auron said, "We played witness to many tragedies."
The group continued in silence as they ventured down the road. They eventually came to a fork in the road, and Auron stopped, looking at the area around him. "How very familiar," he whispered to himself. He gazed around, a small smile playing at his lips, when he looked at the base of the wooden sign that had the words "D'Jose: left, Moonflow: right" written on it. He kneeled down and looked at a medium-sized rock that was sitting next to the wooden post. "It's still here," he marveled, looking at the stone. "Look."
Tidus kneeled next to his mentor, looking at the rock. He could just barely see a crudely carved version of his father's stylized "J" etched in the surface.
"What is it?" Yuna asked curiously as the two men got to their feet.
"A memento, if you will. Jecht carved his insignia on that rock. To prove we'd been here."
Auron chuckled. "I told him, 'It'll probably get stolen or wash away or roll away,' but he said, 'Nah, nothing will happen to it, Auron,' and he was right, after all."
Thinking of Jecht only made Tidus pine for home even more. "How long until Zanarkand?" he asked. Wakka stepped forward.
"Still a ways," Wakka answered, and Lulu said "First, we cross the Moonflow, and then we travel through the Guado city of Guadosalam."
Yuna was already partially up the trail to D'Jose. "But first," she called in a sing-song voice that sounded a little forced, "we get to visit the temple at D'Jose!"
"I don't suppose there's a way we could just skip all of that, is there?" Tidus asked glumly.
"I must pray at all of the temples in order to receive the final Aeon," Yuna said.
"I see," Tidus replied. The group started up the trail, until Auron, who hung back, called, "Hey, new guy-Tidus."
"Yeah?" Tidus asked.
"Don't tell Yuna that you know about Jecht."
"I know, Auron," Tidus said, rolling his eyes.
"There is a reason," he said reproachfully. "You know Yuna. She would-distance herself from us. And we don't want that."
"You told me."
"Yes, but Sin was nowhere around when I did. Better for you to find out then, instead of at a critical moment, where you would get emotional."
"Me, emotional?" Tidus asked skeptically.
Auron chuckled. "I heard you were quite the crybaby."
"Hey Auron," Tidus called as Auron started to walk up to D'Jose, "how'd you get to Chicago?"
Auron stopped dead. "Why?" he asked suspiciously.
"Well," Tidus said doggedly, "I figured. If you show me how, maybe I could."
"Go back home," Auron finished. "To what? Tidus, you have no idea how complicated this situation is. If you return to Chicago now, before we reach Zanarkand, you will return to a world with Sin, just the same as it is here. Remember, Sin appeared 1,000 years ago. On that particular Friday night, it seems. If you go back, you'll enter a world where Sin is just getting started destroying all that it can."
"Wait! I thought 'Zanarkand' meant Chicago in Al Bhed. Is there a city there?" he asked excitedly. Auron shook his head.
"All that is in Zanarkand are the ruins of a great city that Sin destroyed 1,000 years ago."
Tidus stopped dead. "What? I mean, Wakka told me, but."
"You'll see it for yourself, soon enough," Auron said, walking away.
Tidus followed Auron into the small town of D'Jose, looking around at all of the open space it seemed to offer. Suddenly, the ground shook.
"What the..?" Tidus asked in surprise.
Auron continued on as though he hadn't felt anything. He walked up to the temple's front gates just as the rest of the group was apprehensively approaching the structure. It appeared that a rock face had grown over the front of the temple, and that was where the rumbling was coming from. As the group watched, the rock face suddenly shattered, and rose up off of the Temple, floating around it like the planets of the solar system, connected by lines of blue electricity.
"Awesome," Tidus said, watching in awe.
"The Electric Mushroom Rock. It only does that when there's another Summoner inside," Lulu told him.
"Another Summoner?" Yuna asked, her joyfulness diminishing slightly.
"What if it's Dona?" Tidus asked, making a face.
"No matter," Auron said. He started to enter the temple, and the group followed, when Tidus suddenly heard crying. Looking around, he saw the crying person crouched on the ground, praying through his sniffles.
"Gatta!" Tidus called, and sure enough, it was Gatta. Wakka ran over to him and almost threw himself on the ground next to him. "Where's Luzzu?" he asked.
Gatta didn't reply.
"Gatta," Wakka said slowly, "where is Luzzu, Gatta?"
"I-I found him on the beach," Gatta cried, staring at Wakka with tear- soaked eyes. "He-he was ripped in half!"
"Oh, no," Wakka said. "That-idiot!" Gatta broke down again and cried louder than before. "I should have listened to him," Gatta sobbed, "I should have listened."
"I can't do this anymore," Gatta said, trembling violently. "I'm going back to Besaid. I. I just can't."
"It's OK, brudda. It's OK," Wakka said, patting Gatta's back. "It's OK."
It was quite some time later. Gatta, still in shock, eventually passed out from the memory of the operation. Kimarhi and Wakka carried him to the inn, and rejoined the Summoner party a short time later. Together, they all walked into the temple.
This Temple's interior was just as grand as the others Tidus had seen thus far. It was stone, like the others, but it was painted a dull green, and lit by small floating orbs of the same blue electricity, giving the place a surreal appearance. Its only exceptional feature was the ornate staircase that led to the Fayth. As the Summoner party watched, the door opened, and out ran a little kid, followed by an older boy, followed by a young man. "Ah," he said upon seeing Yuna. "You are a Summoner, no?"
"Yes. I am Yuna from the Island of Besaid," she responded.
"Ah, yes. The daughter of Lord Braska," he said admirably. "Lord Braska is the reason I became a Summoner, so that one day, I could become a High Summoner just like him. But how rude of me!" he cried, bowing to her. "I am Isaaru, a Summoner from the Island of Kilika. And these are my brothers-slash-Guardians."
The youngest boy jumped up saying, "I'm Possé." His older brother nodded to them and said, "And I'm Moroda."
"So, you are journeying to defeat Sin, no? I am as well," Isaaru said, smiling slyly. "Perhaps we should have a race, to see who can beat Sin first."
Yuna smiled and nodded. "Very well. I accept your challenge."
"Well then, Lady Yuna, I must beg your leave. We want to get across the Moonflow before nightfall."
"Of course," Yuna said, and she and Isaaru bowed to each other. "Until we next meet," Isaaru smiled, and he bowed the Summoner party into the Fayth. They all walked past, Tidus bringing up the rear, when Isaaru called, "Excuse me."
Tidus turned, and saw Isaaru had a troubled look on his face. "You are Yuna's Guardian, no?"
"Yes," Tidus responded slowly.
"My brother has some interesting news."
Moroda stepped forward. "I heard it from those Crusaders," he said, "but it seems that Summoners have been going out on pilgrimage and disappearing."
"It could be that the fiends got them, but not so many, so quickly," Isaaru said, shaking his head. He looked worried. "Please," he said, "bear this in mind and keep Lady Yuna safe."
"OK. I'll do that," Tidus said, holding his hand out to shake, which Isaaru shook. "Thanks for the info."
"It not a problem," Isaaru said. Suddenly, Possé was at Tidus' shoulder.
"Hey! Whatcha all talkin' about?" he asked.
"We're talking about your responsibilities as a Guardian," Moroda said.
"Hey, I'm doin' good. Right, big brother?"
Isaaru smiled. "Well," he said to Tidus, "Until we meet again."
The three turned to leave, and Tidus watched them until they did. He then turned around and headed into the Fayth. There, he met the others. Wakka was rallying them.
"OK! Keep a sharp lookout! And remember, we're here to pray!"
Auron looked at Tidus. "This should be good," he said. "The D'Jose Fayth is the hardest to get to."
The Guardians ran into the short, glowing hallway into a large, glowing chamber. A glowing insignia decorated the floor as the Guardians and Summoner piled in. "Is this the Fayth?" Wakka asked blankly.
"No," Auron said casually, amusement in his voice. "It's not down here."
"Where is it?" Tidus asked.
"Look around. You'll find it." With that, Auron turned and walked to a wall that he leaned up against for the remainder of the time. The other Guardians all started looking around, until Tidus happened to look up.
There was a hole in the ceiling.
It wasn't a 'hole'; it was there for a reason. "Guys," Tidus said, pointing upwards, "Look."
Auron chuckled. "Now, how do you get up there?"
"Well," Wakka said, scratching his head, "I could hoist Lu up there. And she could help people up to the next level."
"There's a simpler way," Auron said.
"How?" Yuna asked.
"Look around."
"Why won't you just tell us?" Lulu asked sharply.
"You wouldn't learn anything if I just told you," he said, smiling like a kid who had a secret. But when no one moved, he resignedly left his place and walked over to where Kimarhi was standing. Reaching out, he pulled down a lever that was now very obvious. A platform rose out of the floor to allow easy access to the top room.
Auron looked at them all. "I told you," he said in a disappointed voice, "It was right in front of you. But then, the easiest answers are always the hardest to find, correct?"
The group had no answer for him. He smiled.
"Follow me," he said, stepping on the platform. They followed, and the platform rose into the ceiling, bringing them to the next level. They were in a small stone chamber where a copper wire device hung from the ceiling.
"This I will help you with, as it's tricky," Auron said, looking at the device. "That thing has to be electrified, or the Fayth won't open."
"How do we do that?" Lulu asked. The group stared at her.
"Oh, right," she said. She muttered under her breath, and a ring of lightning appeared around her right hand. She held her hand up, and the lightning soared into the air and into the copper, electrifying it and causing a stone wall to rise, revealing a staircase that led to-
"The Fayth," Auron said, "is just upstairs."
The group walked upstairs and entered a very small, dully lit room. Yuna and Kimarhi crossed to the other side, where an ornate door opened for Yuna to allow her access. When it closed behind her, Kimarhi stood in front of it, guarding. Tidus resignedly took a post next to Auron, when a new voice said, "Well, well, well. What have we here?"
Dona and Barthellow entered the small room. "Well, I see she's still traveling with quite a crowd."
Barthellow had walked over to Auron, studying him with great intensity. "Barthellow!" Dona said sharply. "Do you know these riffraff?"
"You are. Are-in, no?" he asked Auron.
"What of it?" Auron asked curtly.
Whatever Auron had been expecting, it wasn't what Barthellow said next. "May I. Shake your hand?"
Auron stared.
"Are-in. No, Sir Are-in.You're the reason I became a Guardian, Sir."
Auron chuckled, and held out his right hand. Barthellow hurriedly wiped his hand off on his shorts, and readily shook the Guardian's hand.
"Barthellow-get back here!" Dona commanded. Barthellow immediately left Auron and return to her side. Wakka spoke up.
"Calling the Guardian of High Summoner Braska riffraff? That's pretty bad, yah."
"And I thought you were a Summoner," Lulu said coldly.
If lightning was in the air, it was nothing to what was flying back and forth between Lulu and Dona. Tidus stepped back and found his way to Wakka, who muttered, "Pretty good show, huh? But it's bad on the heart, yah."
"I shook the hand of Sir Are-in! I will never wash this hand again!" Barthellow was excitedly saying to Dona, who was visibly disgusted. "Please," she drawled, "touch me with that hand, and I'll remove it."
Tidus found his way over to Kimarhi. "So. you know how to play twenty questions?" he asked the Ronso in boredom.
Kimarhi looked down at him. "Pick spot. Shut up."
Tidus stared blankly at him until he realized Kimarhi had essentially told him off. He sighed, and found his way back to Auron.
"You're restless," Auron said to him.
"Kinda hard not to be," Tidus responded, looking at his mentor.
"I know. Jecht was very restless, too. He used to draw."
Tidus stared. "My dad. Drew?"
Auron nodded. "He got quite good at it. He drew portraits of Braska and I, and he managed to draw one of the Aeons from memory as well."
Suddenly, the door behind Kimarhi opened, and Yuna came stumbling out. She started to fall, but, quick as lightning, Kimarhi was there to catch her.
"It's about time," Dona said, stepping forward. "I was beginning to think I'd have to come back tomorrow."
Dona stalked past the weakened Yuna and into the Fayth. "You know, when the time comes, your Guardians won't be able to protect you," she said scathingly, looking at Lulu, before she disappeared into the Fayth.
Tidus awoke relatively early the next morning, but he found that he was still the last one up-or so he thought.
He emerged from the inn and saw the Guardians all walking around the temple, except for Auron, who had taken up his usual post outside the temple wall. "What're we doing?" Tidus asked Wakka.
"We're waiting for Yuna. She's still asleep, so as soon as she wakes, we'll leave."
Tidus sighed and started looking around the tiny village. When he got bored with that, he stepped into the temple, and walked into one of the side chambers, where he found Yuna asleep on the bed. An acolyte was standing near the door, and bowed when Tidus entered. Noticing that Tidus was watching Yuna, she said, "She is exhausted from last night. Healing the wounded. Sending the fallen."
"Oh, I see," Tidus said. "I guess I'll just let her sleep, then."
Just then, Yuna awoke. She groggily sat up, blinking in the light, not quite awake yet. "Oh, hey. We were just waiting for you," Tidus said to her.
"What?" she asked in surprise. She hurriedly got out of the bed, rushing around the room and gathering her things. "Just a minute, I'll be right there!" she said in a rushed voice. Tidus quietly made his exit as the Yuna continued to rush about.
He reemerged on the street, and not a minute later, Yuna came bursting out of the temple. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" she cried, bowing to them all.
"Hey, sleepyhead!" Wakka called to her. "You need to comb your hair."
Yuna looked at him in disbelief, but all the same, she frantically started to comb her hair with her fingers. "You should've gotten me up!" she said.
"We would've, but we didn't think you'd hear us through all that snoring," Lulu said, humor dancing through her voice.
"A Summoner with bed-hair. What's the world coming to?" Wakka asked jovially.
"What is it today?" Yuna asked, miffed. "Everyone's picking on me!"
Everyone, even Kimarhi and Auron, started to laugh at Yuna's flustered state. Auron chuckled a bit longer than the rest.
"You too, Sir Auron?" Yuna asked.
"Once Lady Yuna combs her hair, we can leave," Auron said in amusement. The others laughed again, and Yuna sat there in the center and took it all in, and began to laugh along with them.
After the long period of laughing, Auron had insisted that the journey start again. The Summoner party continued out onto the Highroad again, headed in the direction of the Moonflow Lulu had spoken about earlier. Their spirits had definitely lifted, and Tidus thought the journey would have no more surprises, and that the road ahead would be as smooth as glass.
How very wrong he was.