Standard Disclaimer. I do not own FFX or the characters in it. They are owned by Square-Enix. I do own this story, and my original characters, who begin to appear in the next chapter. The title of the chapter is from a song by Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford, originally performed by Bonnie Tyler. In the context of this story, Auron is the hero, but, in the context of the game, the fayth needed two heroes; Jecht is the "street-wise Hercules" in the song, and Auron is, not the white knight, of course, but the red knight, both ready "to fight the rising odds."

Auron sat up all night in his room at the inn in Guadosalam drinking, and remembering…

…Spira…Zanarkand…Ten years ago…

It all began in Besaid, when I promised Braska I would take Yuna away from Bevelle, away from the conflict, and bring her to the island...after he had defeated Sin…after he had died. Then, in Zanarkand, I promised Jecht I would go to his Zanarkand, and watch over his son. I gave him my word that I would find a way, just before he followed Braska and Yunalesca, and met his own fate.

When I gave my word to Braska, I expected that I would be the one to escort Yuna from Bevelle to Besaid. When I gave my word to Jecht, I did not know how I would find a way to keep it, only that I would find a way, or die trying. Then I watched them sacrifice themselves in a vain attempt to defeat Sin, and I learned that everything we had ever been taught…everything I had ever believed in… was a cheat and a lie. I just couldn't accept it. In a blazing fury…no… in a blinding, blundering, idiotic combination of grief, despair, and hubris… I returned to Yunalesca, and tried to avenge them, but she struck me down with a single blow. Somehow, I dragged myself down Mt. Gagazet, but my strength failed me just outside Bevelle.

Kimahri found me by the side of the road. We were both warriors, we both knew that my wounds were beyond healing. He asked if there was anything that he could do for me, very formally, in the Ronso way. He called it, "the last wish of a man facing death." I told him my request was not for myself, but for my dead lord. Then, I asked that he go into Bevelle and search for Yuna, describing her as the daughter of High Summoner Braska, and that he escort her to the island of Besaid, on my behalf. He gave me his word, and left me to die.

But I died alone by the side of that road; my lord was dead… and there was no summoner to send me to the Farplane.

So I waited, and watched the pyreflies gather inside the spent shell of my body, and wondered exactly how many of Yevon's teachings about the dead would prove true, and how many would prove false. I knew the sendings for truth, I had witnessed Braska perform many, I believed in him, and I believed in the evidence of my own eyes. But as for the rest, I would learn the truth for myself.

The 'teachings' stated that the dead refused to accept their fate. I had been promised to the warrior monks as a boy, begun training as soon as I was considered old enough, sooner; actually, I had begun by sneaking in to my older brother's lessons. I had known my wounds were mortal for almost as soon as they were dealt. Even if I had not, I had had plenty of time to become aware of that fact, as I dragged myself down the mountain. Death had been a release from agonizing pain. But not a release from my promises. My promises, my obligations bound me to the world.

I did not resent or envy the living. I felt no anger toward the living. I felt an obligation toward the dead. Kimahri gave me his word that he would take Yuna to Besaid. But I had given my word to Braska. Kimahri's obligation to me did not relieve me of my obligation to my lord. And no one could relieve me of my obligation to Jecht.

I 'saw' that the dead were not lost, as the priests had always told us. I needed no guidance. There were three paths, clearly laid out before me. One led to the Farplane. I could see myself, standing next to Braska. His face was serene, his form unbroken; whatever I chose, I would cherish this memory, so different from my last sight of him, his body riven by the sword of his Aeon on its way to Sin.

The second path led to a Behemoth King wearing the remains of a tattered red coat. So, there had been a kernel of truth in the teachings, after all. I could become a fiend, if I chose, or if I remained indecisive for too long.

Down the third road I saw myself…changed. The right side of my face was a ruin; a hideous scar sealed my eye. But my sword was over my shoulder, and I carried it easily. It was clear that down this path, I was able to bear the weapon. My appearance didn't matter. Jecht appeared ahead of me along this path, shouting, "Auron, get moving! You gotta choose this way. I can get you to Zanarkand now. You found the way."

And in that moment, I made my choice, and my…self…slammed back into my body. I put my hands up to my face, and felt the scar I had seen in the vision. All my other wounds appeared to have closed in the same manner. I was whole, except for my eye, and I was unsent. In this form, I knew I could act in and on the world. It seemed I could go to Zanarkand; I could fulfill my promises. I stood, and walked toward the Sea.

Jecht met me there, and I rode his Sin back to Zanarkand. We…talked…on the journey. Mostly Jecht talked, I listened.

It was the strangest place I had ever seen, until I reached Zanarkand. Jecht was…there…just as he had been before he became Braska's fayth. Wild black hair, snapping black eyes, black goatee, tattoo across his chest, and loud and arrogant as ever. Still the same Jecht. "Where am I?" I asked him.

"Inside Sin, where'd you think you were?"

"Then what's this supposed to be?"

"Zanarkand. It's Zanarkand, but like in my worst nightmare."

"Your Zanarkand is like this? I thought you said it was beautiful."

"Auron, calm down. The real Zanarkand is beautiful. This is just a bad dream. Speaking of bad dreams, man, what the hell happened to you?"

"Yunalesca," I tried to keep my voice flat, not to let my emotions, my disgust with myself, show.

"Man, what were you thinking, goin' against Yunalesca like that? That's the stupidest thing I ever heard of. Even worse than when I attacked that damned shoopuf. I mean, you weren't even drunk, and hell, I had a fighting chance against that shoopuf." He was lecturing me, and he was enjoying it. He hadn't had many opportunities during our journey. I had always been the one lecturing him. "Auron, you weren't supposed to have to die to go back and watch over my boy, you know." I remember he paused for a second, and shook his head, but then he went on.

"Anyway, look, Auron, we don't have much time, and there's a bunch of stuff I have to tell you before we get to Zanarkand. We both know now that Sin's not the real problem. There's someone else in here controlling everything. He's the one we have to take out. When Braska…called me…and I beat Sin…even before Miyoshi was dead, this Yu Yevon character had already grabbed my mind…"

I remembered Jecht's voice trailing off, and I remembered hearing a roaring sound in my ears, and it wasn't until I was on the ground working my jaw after Jecht punched me that I realized that the roaring I had heard had been coming from my own throat. Yevon was not god; Yu Yevon, the father of Yunalesca, controlled Sin. I stood to face my friend's concern, my hands balled into fists at my side.

"Hey, Auron, you okay? We ain't got time for this right now."

"I understand…I'm sorry. Who was Miyoshi?"

"The last Sin."

"She must have been Lady Yocun's fayth."

"I guess. She's the one who told me about Yu Yevon. She told me to resist him as long as I could, to try to keep a piece of myself separate as long as possible. When I asked her how long, she said somethin' weird. She said, ' the Blitzer lasted ten years', but that don't make no sense. I mean, I just got here."

"Lord Ohalland, one of the High Summoners before Lady Yocun, was also a Blitzball player. He must have chosen one of his teammates as his fayth. Maybe she meant that his fayth resisted ten years, before he lost himself to Yu Yevon," I said, gritting my teeth as I said the name.

"Then she said somethin' even weirder, just before she…died. She said, 'Now, you are more than a dream...but your Zanarkand...is a dream...a dream of the fayth. It is summoned, as we are summoned.' What was she talkin' about?"

"I don't know, Jecht."

"It doesn't matter, Auron. We still gotta find a way to break the cycle."

"I know."

"And that means, we gotta find a way to beat this Yu Yevon guy, not just beat Sin."

"I know that, Jecht, I know."

"Auron, you're the only one who knows. You gotta come back to Spira. And…you gotta bring my boy. I think it's important that he comes back with you, or that you come back with him. I don't know which. But I still want him to have his chance, you know, in Zanarkand? To be a star Blitzball player. I still want him to see that view from the top, like we talked about. I want to give him those ten years, Auron. Take care of him for me. In ten years, I'll come back for you, and take you both to Spira. I can hang on that long. If that other guy did, I know I can." For just a second, he sounded just like the old Jecht, cocky as hell.

Then he changed. "Auron, this Yu Yevon is already trying to get at me. I can feel him… in my head. Right now, I can keep him out, but I know it'll just get tougher and tougher. I saw Miyoshi's face, at the end. She remembered…everything she'd done when she was Sin. She was glad to go. Auron, you have to promise me something. If you can't find a way to break the cycle, promise me that in ten years, you'll make sure that someone takes me out. Hell, my boy probably hates me enough to do the job himself. I know I ain't been much of a father."

"Jecht, I give you my word," I told him, adding silently, even if I have to offer myself in your place.

It had seemed that Jecht was satisfied with my answer, because he nodded abruptly and announced, "We're here. Auron, you're gonna have to think of somethin' to tell my wife and kid. I don't know how Linnya's gonna take the news. It won't be easy for her, I know." He shook his head sadly. " Watch over my boy, I'll be back for you in ten years."

He offered me his hand to shake, and when I took it, I found myself on the Zanarkand shore, south of the ruins, except… it wasn't a ruin anymore, it was like nothing I had ever seen, except the nightmare version inside Sin. This was Zanarkand as it had been, alive and awake in the night, the lights of the city closer and brighter than a thousand stars.

…Guadosalam

The room was growing cold, the fire was nearly out. He got up and threw some more kindling into the hearth, stood waiting for the small branches to start burning. He just wanted to add more fuel to the fire and try to get some sleep. No. Now that he had begun, he should continue...

End Chapter Two

Author's note: I would like to thank one of my own personal heroes; rjthclown, who has been working with me on editing and beta-reading the re-write of this story. Just…thank you.