Thanks go to Selina for pointing out my translation error with Rin's Al Bhed. Glad I've got people to keep me on my toes.
Where dreams end...
5. On the Mi'ihen Highroad
You know the saying: no rest for the wicked? Well, I guess we're
wicked then, because we got ready to leave right away, with only a short
break for Wakka to wish his Aurochs good luck in the blitz season. The
life of a pilgrim, I guess…
"Do you think he's gonna stay here?" Wakka asked. The group stood on a ridge overlooking the town of Luca. From here, they could see the somewhat tall spires of the buildings, the colourful signs of shops, and even the Sphere pool, in the distance. It was almost as if they were saying a silent goodbye to the town as they stood there looking out over it.
There was an air of tension evident in Yuna and her guardians. It was understandable. Even now, it was perfectly obvious that Yuna was falling in love with Tidus. Well, to Buffy anyway. She wondered if the others had noticed yet.
"Sir Auron knows him, apparently," said Lulu. She cast Wakka a sidelong glance. "You were right. He did meet someone he knew."
"Do you think he'll find a way back to Zanarkand?" Yuna asked. There was a note of hope in her voice, hope for a friend, but also an undercurrent of sadness. Her guardians looked uncertain. Wakka shrugged and Lulu looked away.
"In any case, I'll miss having him around," Wakka said.
"He's still in town," Buffy piped up. "You could always go see him before we go."
"I think I'll do that," said Yuna, turning back to town. "Oh!"
Tidus arrived, followed shortly by the man in red. Tidus looked a little reluctant to be there, stopping just short of Yuna. Buffy wondered what was wrong. What had happened to cause this reluctance?
Her eyes moved to the man in red and a cold shiver ran down her back. The muscles in her body tensed involuntarily. There was something so unnatural about this man, like he wasn't even human. He'd seen action though, and whatever he was, he'd seen a lot of it. The man was dressed in black armour underneath a red cloak. There was a large bottle of what was probably liquor, hanging from his waist, and he carried a massive sword.
Auron's face was what intrigued Buffy. Framed by short dark hair going steadily grey, the man's face reminded Buffy of a disillusioned war hero. His eyes were cold, almost dead, half-hidden behind a pair of dark glasses. He hadn't shaved, and it gave him a coarse look.
"Whoa," Wakka gasped, his voice filled with awe.
"Sir Auron?" Yuna asked, similar reverence in her voice.
"Yuna," Auron said, his tone cool.
Again Buffy shivered. Only Tidus seemed to notice, the others too intent on Auron. There was something off about Auron's voice too, a subtle note of discord that Buffy picked up on subconsciously.
"Sir?" Yuna asked.
"I wish to become your guardian," Auron said. "Do you accept?"
"You serious?" Wakka asked, astonished.
"You refuse?" Auron asked.
"No, no!" Yuna said quickly. "We accept! Right, everyone?" She glanced around to see if there were any voices of dissent. Buffy shrugged. She'd watch her back, and Yuna's too, around Auron. Something about the man gave her the creeps in the biggest way.
"O-of course! No problem at all!" Wakka said, just as quickly as Yuna spoke.
"But… why?" Lulu asked, a note of curiosity in her otherwise impassive voice.
"I promised Braska," Auron said simply.
"Right, 'cause you were Yuna's dad's guardian too. Makes sense, I guess," Buffy said. Auron gave her an appraising look, before nodding a moment later.
Auron pushed Tidus forward, towards the group. "And… he comes too," Auron said.
"Hi… guys. Eh… howdy!" Tidus said nervously.
"This one I promised Jecht," Auron explained. He moved off to converse with Yuna and the other guardians. Buffy didn't feel like joining, so she stayed back. Tidus walked over to her, his reluctance still evident.
"So, Yuna made you a guardian too?" Tidus asked.
"Yeah," Buffy answered, with a shrug. "Don't really know what I bring to the group, but I guess we'll see, right?" They lapsed into silence. "So, who's Jecht?"
"My old man," Tidus answered, his voice hard, filled with hatred.
"Oh," Buffy said, not oblivious to the other guardian's tone of voice. "Touchy subject?" She asked. Tidus nodded, his eyes distant. "Sorry. Didn't mean to bring it up."
"It's not your fault," Tidus said after a moment. "It's just… you ever had something sprung on you that just… I don't know… catches you completely off guard? I feel like I've been dropped in the middle of something way too big for me. And now Auron tells me…"
"What? What did he tell you?" Buffy asked after a moment.
"Nothing. Never mind," Tidus said, shaking his head. "I saw you react when Auron started talking. Want to talk about it?"
"What's to talk about? The guy gives me the creeps. I don't know why. It's kinda like that Mika guy before. Something's just… wrong with them. You know?"
"Uh…" Tidus started.
"You don't know," Buffy concluded. Tidus grinned despite himself.
"Hey you two!" Yuna said, laughter in her voice. "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing," Tidus and Buffy said in unison.
Yuna gave them a look of mock suspicion. After a moment, the three of them broke down into laughter. "Too funny!" Yuna said, after she managed to stop. Buffy just grinned at the young Summoner. So did Tidus.
"Um… thank you," Yuna said, her serious tone coming back. "I want my journey to be full of laughter."
"Okay," Tidus said.
"We can do laughter," Buffy said, giving Yuna a warm smile.
"If we should get separated," Yuna told Tidus, a little hesitantly. "Just whistle. I'll come running. I promise." She put her hands in her mouth and whistled, smiling proudly at Tidus. "Well then, alright. Now we will go to the temple of Djose. And guardians? Don't forget to smile!"
The group started off. Buffy threw her arm around Yuna, as they walked on, pulling the young Summoner closer. "Way to go," she whispered in a conspiratorial tone of voice. "You made the first move. Good for you!"
"Oh… I… I mean… Oh!" Yuna said, flustered.
"Just a couple more hints like that, and you'll be ready to go on your first date," Buffy said, grinning ear to ear.
"What are you two talking about?" Tidus asked, pausing from up ahead.
"Nothing," Yuna and Buffy responded in unison. They glanced at each
other, and broke down into a fit of laughter…
I shared Yuna's hope; I wanted the journey to be full of laughter.
Losing myself in laughing with my new friends… It was almost like being
back home, with you guys.
The Mi'ihen Highroad was pleasant enough, like a very long stroll through the park as far as Buffy was concerned, during daylight hours of course. The landscape was endlessly green, dotted with strange-looking ruins here and there. They must have been the ruins of cities that Sin destroyed, Buffy reasoned. She learned from Wakka about the ancient machina cities that the monster wiped out.
They walked for a long while at a relaxed pace. You'd never have guessed that Yuna's mission was such an urgent one. Occasionally a chocobo – a giant yellow bird indigenous to Spira – would run past, carrying its rider quickly to his or her destination, but other than that, there didn't seem to be a whole lot going on.
Tidus stopped at one of the ruins. He looked up at it, a tall spire of intricately carved stone. Buffy had to wonder if it reminded him of home. He was supposed to be from a world not too different from one where this spire would have been a magnificent building.
An old man approached, dressed entirely in green. He had a white beard and his eyes were hidden behind thick spectacles. He reminded Buffy a lot of those priests from her world that dressed up with the pointy hats.
"Do you know what those ruins are from?" The old man asked Tidus.
"Some old city?" Tidus guessed.
"Correct. A city most ancient! A terrible testament to Sin's power. I tremble every time I see them. Compared to Sin, humans are mere mudpuppies!" The old man said.
"But I believe humans are the only ones capable of defeating Sin," Yuna said solemnly. Buffy nodded her agreement. In her experience, evil tended to underestimate humanity.
"A good reply. I am relieved to hear you say that, m'lady summoner. Where are my manners? I am Maechen, a scholar. At your service, m'lady." The old man bowed deep in respect.
"I am on a journey, studying the history of our world, Spira, seeking its stories and secrets… My travels have taken me to many places, and I am troubled by what I seen. Fragile smiles on people's faces crumbling at the mere mention of Sin. They are counting on you, m'lady. Give them a reason to rejoice once more."
"I will," Yuna promised.
"No pressure, Yuna," Buffy whispered sarcastically. Yuna just smiled at her, that same smile Buffy had such trouble understanding.
The nearby grass rustled, and suddenly a trio of fiends, Mi'ihen Raptors, leapt out to attack them. Buffy pushed Maechen back, and stepped up, ready and more than willing to do her share of the work.
"Perhaps you had better leave this up to more experienced guardians," Auron said, taking his place in the line.
Tidus jumped energetically into place, unsheathing his sword. "Oh yeah!" He yelled enthusiastically.
"I can take care of myself," Buffy grumbled. She dropped into an easy stance, hands up, ready for anything. Yuna, Wakka, Lulu, and Kimahri hung back, in case anyone needed help, but really, this fight was going to be over before it even started.
Buffy launched herself at one of the fiends. Before the monster even realised what was happening, the young girl landed a devastating punch, cracking its skull open and throwing it though the air. It burst into pyreflies before it even hit the ground.
"Who needs experience, when I've got strength and speed?" She asked, delivering a bone-crushing blow to another of the fiends. It yelped before collapsing, breaking down into pyreflies much as a vampire turned to dust.
Tidus screamed, lashing out with his sword. Buffy turned. The sword stopped just inches from Buffy's nose. She blinked. The third fiend turned into a swarm of pyreflies. "You missed one," Tidus said, smirking.
"Geez, trying to give me a heart attack or something?" Buffy asked, smacking him playfully on the shoulder. She turned to Auron. "I didn't see you doing anything out there. Maybe you were better back in your prime, huh, gramps?"
"Show some respect," Wakka admonished.
But Auron didn't care, a fact that annoyed Buffy just a little. He just chuckled. "Maybe."
"That was most impressive," Maechen commented.
"We try," Tidus said, grinning. Maechen bowed, turning away towards another one of the ruined spires. Tidus turned and rejoined the group. They moved on, Tidus and Yuna walking next to Buffy.
"Are we there yet?" Buffy grumbled after a while. "My feet are killing me."
She wasn't used to all that walking. And the scenery, while beautiful, was beginning to get a little boring. They walked on in silence for what seemed like hours, passing and endless number of grassy hills, occupied by broken ruins.
It was really little hard on her feet. The sixteen-year-old wished she'd brought along a pair of shoes that offered some support. She really did.
As she was contemplating her choice of footwear, three mounted chocobos careened past, barely missing her. "Hey! I'm walking here!" She yelled.
The lead rider pulled her chocobo to a halt, turning around. She had bright red hair and caramel-coloured skin. She was dressed in outrageous purple armour that more closely resembled lingerie. "Lady Summoner, I presume?" She asked.
"Yes," Yuna said. "I am Yuna."
"I am Lucil, captain of the Djose Chocobo Knights," said the mounted woman, offering Yuna a crisp salute.
One of her companions spoke up, a woman of similar description, the only difference being that her hair was darker and her armour a brilliant red. "And I'm Elma. We've been charged to guard the Highroad."
"Bang up job they're doing too, what with that fiend attack just now," Buffy whispered sarcastically to Tidus. He suppressed a chuckle.
Lucil spared her an annoyed glance, before turning back to the young Summoner. "There have been reports of a large fiend appearing in this area, with a taste for chocobos. Do take care, Summoner Yuna, if you are to rent any chocobos."
"Thank you," Yuna said, smiling gratefully. "We will be careful." She performed a prayer of thanks, and Buffy was again given the impression of someone beginning a martial arts routine.
"Good," Lucil said. "We should get back to our rounds. Farewell."
"Our prayers are with you," Elma told Yuna. With that, the Djose Chocobo Knights rode off. Buffy watched them go for a moment.
If they could rent those big birds, it was definitely something she wanted to do. It wasn't every day you got to ride a big yellow bird, and besides her feet were killing her. When she turned back, Tidus had a thoughtful look on his face.
"A large fiend…" He muttered. "Let's go get him!"
"Why?" Auron asked, his voice dead as ever.
"It's the right thing to do," Tidus answered.
"It's the right thing to do?" Auron asked. He started laughing for no apparent reason. Tidus looked around at his companions, to see if they had any idea what he was laughing about. None of them did.
"What'd I say now?" Tidus grumbled, annoyed.
"Jecht said that a lot, too. And every time he said it, it meant trouble for Braska and me," Auron said, his voice still carrying a note of humour.
"It's good to see you're not all dead, old timer," Buffy said, drawing reproving looks from Wakka and Lulu. "Where's the harm? It'd be like a nice little diversion from all this walking we're doing."
Famous last words…
***
The group stopped, after what seemed like hours of walking to an exhausted sixteen-year-old not used to walking to the corner store, at an inn, owned by an Al Bhed named Rin. Rin's Travel Agency, the owner called it.
Buffy found herself isolating herself from the others, her mind wandering as she wandered around what served as a lobby and general store for the small inn. She picked up an item here, examining it from every angle before putting it back and moving on to look at an item there.
The sun was setting outside. Buffy could see it through the round windows. Tidus and Yuna were sitting out there, enjoying the moment. Buffy didn't want to interrupt. It was, after all, their moment.
"You look troubled," a man commented. Buffy tore her eyes away from the stunning sunset, bringing her attention on the blond man who'd spoken. His skin was dark, probably having spent a lot of time under the sun. He was dressed in the strange clothing that Buffy had come to expect from the inhabitants of Spira.
"Am I that transparent?" Buffy asked, a slight smirk on her face.
"I am Rin. As the owner of this establishment, I see a lot of people pass through," Rin explained.
"Oh," Buffy said, nodding her understanding. "So, you're Al Bhed?"
"Yes, for what it's worth," Rin said. "Hela du saad oui."
Buffy blinked, confused. She glanced around to see if anyone else heard, or if it was just her ears playing tricks with her. "Okay," she said slowly. "I have no idea what you just said, but ditto."
"It means 'nice to meet you,'" Rin explained.
"Oh. Well, ditto then," Buffy said, smiling. She turned back to the sunset. The sun was nearly gone now. "Have you heard of the large fiend attacks? I saw a bunch of those yellow birds out back. Could be trouble."
"The Crusaders are on patrol," said Rin.
"Even so, I think I'm gonna go check on them, before I hit the sack. Just to be on the safe side, you know?"
Buffy turned, and walked from the travel agency. Once outside, Buffy breathed deeply. It was good to be out of there, away from all the questioning eyes.
They'd fought more fiends on the way. With each successive fiend she killed, it became more apparent to her travelling companions that Buffy wasn't just a little stronger, a little faster; she was something else entirely.
The girl wandered around to the back of the travel agency, finding the chocobo corral. There were maybe a dozen birds grazing peacefully. Buffy leaned on the fence, reaching for the nearest chocobo.
"Hey there," she said, scratching the bird behind where she imagined its ears might have been. She smiled, imagining what it had to be like to ride one of these birds. "How's it going today?"
The girl suddenly tensed, and she knew she was not alone. Buffy looked around cautiously, weary of every long shadow and every slight movement. The chocobos seemed to pick up on her weariness, and they became anxious.
"Come on out. I know you're there," Buffy announced loudly, trying to goad whoever was watching her out into the open. She turned, trying to get a better look at her surroundings.
Suddenly, something hit her, and hit her hard, across the jaw. Buffy went down. A strangely familiar voice growled, "you dare pretend…?"
Buffy swept her attacker's legs out from under him. She kick-flipped to her feet and lashed out at her fallen attacker. He only barely managed to avoid the kick, rolling away from it. Her assailant spun around to deliver another devastating blow, but Buffy managed to block it, turning his momentum into a throw.
"Who are you?" Buffy demanded, as her attacker pulled himself to his feet once more.
"You mean you don't recognise me?" The words were almost bitter and
resentful. As the man stepped into the pale moonlight, Buffy felt herself
gasp, felt her knees go weak.
It was Angel; I couldn't believe it. Maybe because I was really starting to believe that I was stuck in Spira. I really didn't expect to see anyone I knew. I didn't know how much this meeting would change things…