**Hieee...gomen nasai, because this is a short chapter, and it really doesn't show much, but...ah...its a chapter!!! . Hehe. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and if you're wondering, the O'aka in the last chap wasn't FFX's O'aka, it was his son. Just a heads up. ^_^ On with the story!!!**

Mary had flown to the temple that used to belong to Besaid in record time, almost faster than an airplane, if that were somehow physically possible. The area surrounding the temple had changed, from apartment buildings to small, quaint huts, and from paved roadways to dirt lanes with grass all around. She walked into the town, her presence seeming to command respect.

The people in the town had changed as well, but only as a reaction to the temple appearing out of nowhere and the newfound information from the priest inside who had followed as well.

Mary noticed that the video gamers in the town had formed a small group of crusaders of their own. She chuckled. No doubt each town that had a temple in it would have these groups as well.

She continued onwards to the temple, where she was greeted by the priest. She gave a slight bow and a disarming smile, and the old man led her inside the temple to show her around.

The temple was the same as in Final Fantasy X, but now with the smells and lack of light, it was even more surreal than she had imagined. It almost seemed like someone had taken a cave and carved the statues and images into the wall rather than adding them later.

The priest directed her to the cloister of trials entrance, and she strode in, the door shutting behind her.

She was already ahead of them.


*-*-*-*-*



Yueh and the rest were still just outside her house, looking at the map and trying to decide where to go, now that they had started.

"The most obvious place to start is Besaid temple, right here." Yueh pointed a finger to a small dot on the map. She began tracing a path to their current position, which, for some odd reason, was pointed out as well as a small, blinking dot with an arrow. "We travel up this way by the coast, and we'll get there--"

"In a year," Niet quipped. She stroked a hand through her brownish hair. "This is going to take forever."

Yueh shrugged as Arashi continued to stare off in the distance. "Well, its not like Yuna and the rest really had a set time, right? They never say how long an average pilgrimage lasts." She rolled the map up once again and stuffed it into the spaced-out Arashi's backpack. "So we just go north from here. Although." She took out the map and unrolled it to point at the coastline of California. "The temple is along the coast, so should we go west first or north first?" Niet thought for a moment while Yueh nudged Arashi in the shoulder. "West or north?" No response whatsoever. "Arashi?"

"Huh?" She shook her head wildly, her hair whapping her in the face and tilting her glasses once again. She saw Yueh had the map out and grabbed it. "We should go to the temple ASAP. West then north, ne?" Pushing her glasses back up her nose, she peered closely at the map. "Yeah. West first, or we'll run into the mountains." She nodded to herself and began walking, the map still in her face. "West then north."

"Sad to say, I have to agree with our...less than attentive summoner on this one," Niet said, jogging to catch up to the mumbling Arashi. "C'mon..."

Yueh sighed as the two walked off. Arashi was already cracking under the stress, and she hadn't...she hadn't even done anything! SHE had released Sin, not her, not even Niet! SHE had...so why did they have to suffer?

She ran lightly and jumped up at her friends, hanging onto their shoulders and smiling widely despite her thoughts.

Arashi still stared and the map, and Yueh sighed inwardly.

...fate sucks.

Niet had finally pulled the map out from Arashi's face and was trying to wake her friend up when Yueh stopped the two. Niet looked at the mage quizzically. "What?"

Yueh forced Arashi to sit down, and pulled Niet aside.

"I know I don't know you that well, and you probably know Sara--Arashi better than I do." Niet nodded and Yueh continued. "And you haven't played much of the game." Again, Niet nodded. Yueh glanced back at Arashi, who was looking at the sky calmly. "Yuna wasn't like this, at least, not to this extent." Looking back at Niet, she sighed. "Arashi...she...I wish this hadn't happened." She shook her head and tugged on one of her loose strands of hair. "I don't know how you two got dragged into this, and I wish you hadn't...or even if you had, that I had just been the summoner--"

Niet put a hand on Yueh's shoulder. "It wouldn't make a difference." She managed a laugh. "Then you'd be the one spacing out." Yueh chuckled as well.

"I just think...we should be extra cheery, you know?" Yueh did an elaborate hand gesture as she went on. "Keep optimistic, don't mention the final battle or anything, do what she wants..."

Niet crossed her arms, laughing again. "Kind of like slaves."

Yueh grinned. "A guardian's job." They both giggled and went over to Arashi as they did so. Arashi stared at them for a moment, and laughed along with them. None of them knew why the other was laughing, but they did anyway. Just...to laugh.

Arashi had finally stopped spacing out. "I...uh..." She smiled, rolled up the map, and adjusted the goggles on her head. "Let's rock."


*-*-*-*-*



Mary had finished at the temple, acquiring the aeon Valefore. She had been nervous for a minute second, as the fayth had seemed to question her motives. But I got it anyway.

It was when she was leaving the temple that the group of crusaders, the geeks of the town, mainly, had gathered around to bid the summoner farewell and wish her luck.

One of them, however, had a different outlook.

"You know you'll die...right?" Mary turned to look at the boy, who was probably around 19. He was good-looking, she noted, with deep brown hair and eyes that matched.

Mary simply nodded. "Of course."

The rest of the group began to disperse, murmuring excitedly about the tasks before the summoner and themselves. The boy remained. "Why? Its futile! The spiral will only continue on, you must know it."

Mary laughed and stroked a finger along the boy's jawline. He shivered as she whispered into his ear.

"Exactly, dear boy." She walked off slowly and the boy followed. He ran in front of her and bowed deeply, his voice trembling.

"Please...may I be your guardian?" Mary turned an amused glance at the boy, and pulled him up straight. His tanned skin was flushed red and even warmer to the touch.

"Yes." She smiled, tracing a hand along the boy's broad shoulders. "Of course." The boy bowed shakily once more and went to gather some things before leaving.

Mary watched him run off into one of the huts. He'll make a good...diversion for me. She smiled quietly and awaited the boy's return.