**Chapter juu-ichi ban! That's number eleven in Japanese, for all you non-Japanese speaking people. ^_^ 'Course, not like I know a whole lot of Japanese... Ahem. Welcome to my longest story thus far at fanfiction.net. I'm glad some people like it, at least. ^_^ Lesse...normal disclaimer: Squaresoft owns FFX and all related characters and ideas, and Arashi, Niet, Yueh, et al, are all mine. ::evil grin:: Well, to a certain extent. ^_^;;; So! Enjoy, as this is a fairly long chapter, and stuff happens. OooOOoooh...^_~ Hajimemashou (Let's start)!**

The country was in an uproar.

What was this terror that was just off their coastline? Why hadn't anyone seen it before yesterday? Who--or what--had brought it here? How could they protect themselves and their loved ones?

The military began to take action. They loaded up on ammunitions and arms, readying themselves for the creature's imminent attack on the coast. They laid in wait as the area surrounding the proposed point of impact was evacuated of all civilians.

Some thought it was a hoax. Even others thought it was an alien that had come to give knowledge. Yet another group thought it was an experiment gone awry or even a foreign attack on America.

When Sin finally hit the coast, everyone had the same thought:

We're going to die.

Guns, cannons, tanks, missiles--nothing stopped its onslaught. It was like an instant replay of Operation Mi'hen, only this time, the Crusaders wore fatigues and combat boots and carried machine guns rather than wearing island clothing and brandishing swords.

There were few survivors once Sin had left its mark on the southern coastline. Those who did live had a horrifying tale to tell to their children--and anyone else who would listen.

The only ones who knew better were the gamers. The only hope they had?

Any brave souls who would sacrifice themselves for the good of the land...the good of New Spira.

*-*-*-*-*

Mariana felt a tug in her chest as she walked. She fell over, holding a hand to her chest as she breathed amidst spasms. Genki, dropping the packs of supplies from his back, kneeled down in the dirt next to his summoner.

"Lady? Lady Mariana? Are you all right, my Lady?" Genki asked, his brown eyes glittering in the sun. Mariana couldn't pull her head up to look, but even during the pain, she began to smile, her red lips pulled tight into the widest smile possible. Genki put a hand on her bare shoulder. "Lady Mariana?"

As suddenly as the pain had come upon her, it left, leaving not even an ache in Mariana's chest. She leaned back and sat on her legs, still staring at the ground. One hand remained on her chest as she started to laugh.

"Lady Mariana?"

Her laughter filled the empty scenery around them. Genki began to shake, his eyes wide. "Lady Mariana?"

She finally stopped laughing, and her eyes met up with Genki's concerned ones. She took her hand from her chest and rested it on Genki's face.

"So it has begun."

*-*-*-*-*

An entire state away, Niet and Yueh both felt the same pain in their chests. Niet stayed sitting, but Yueh tumbled to the floor, her black hair falling from its bun and into her eyes. She reached up to the first step and pulled herself up.

"Unh..." she grunted. Yueh shook her head violently, her hair flying around her face. She sat up once again, and took a glance at Niet, who was shaking as if she was very cold. A few seconds later, both of their faces went into a separate kind of shock--the pain had left in that same second.

"Gh...Ugh." Niet gave one last shiver before taking a deep breath in and out. "That was...different."

Yueh had her head between her hands. "No kidding," she mumbled. "What the heck was that?" She looked up at Niet from behind her bangs. "Any ideas?"

"Nada." Niet's eyes looked at the closed door to the Chamber behind her. "Think she felt anything?"

"I don't know. I've certainly never been in the Chamber of the Fayth before." Yueh pulled her armwarmers higher up onto her shoulders. "Still, it was so...so creepy. Like being stabbed all over while dunked in an ice cold water tank." She took her jewel from her pocket and began rubbing it with her fingers. "Creepy."

Niet simply nodded, then stood up and began pacing. The hem of her bellbottoms grazed the wooden floor as she walked. She managed to walk around the perimeter of the room three times and was halfway through the fourth when the vines began to unfurl once more. Niet ran back to meet Arashi when she came out.

Stumbling a bit, Arashi walked out, carrying something in her hands. Her belt was still slung over her shoulders, and her glasses now rested on the collar of her tie-up shirt. Setting down the large box she held in her hands, she sat down on the step, watching as the door of vines closed behind her.

"You okay, Arashi?" Niet put a hand on her friend's shoulder. Arashi brushed it off and leaned backwards, resting most of her weight on her arms and hands.

"I'm fine. Just...tired." She gave a small smile. "The Fayth gave us all blessings and gifts."

Yueh took a glance at the box, and Arashi nodded at once. "Yeah. My gift was the Aeon." She breathed in steadily and deeply as she went on. "Go ahead and open it. Then its on to the real first temple."

As Niet went to open the box, Yueh sat next to Arashi. "You mean, this isn't...?"

Arashi shook her head. "Its not Valefore's Fayth." The smallest trace of a smile lit up Arashi's face. "But...I have a feeling that this Aeon will help us much more."

Yueh didn't have time to ask how so, because Niet was holding up two things like a little girl on Christmas morning visited by Santa. "Look! A flute and a book!"

Yueh looked for a moment. "A flute and a book?"

"Yes. The book is yours, Niet, and the flute is Yueh's." Niet handed the flute to Yueh and began flipping through the book. Arashi simply closed her eyes and laid down on the step.

Yueh tried a few notes on the wooden flute as Niet began grinning like a jack o'lantern on Halloween night.

"Its a glossary! And notes about the Eternal Calm and all the fiends ever encountered and--wow!" She flipped the book over for the others to see. "Even weapons and stuff! And how to customize them and--"

Yueh let out a sour note on the flute, and all three girls jumped. Yueh stared at the flute and Arashi opened one eye lazily. Yueh blushed and stuffed the flute into her backpack.

"I'll practice," she promised.

Arashi simply smiled. "You'd better." She stood and dusted off the back of her skirt. Putting her belt back in its proper place, she gestured for the other two girls to go out first.

As they left the temple, Arashi lingered around the entrance for a moment. She leaned against the main archway and closed her gray-blue eyes.

"Arashi! You said we gotta get going!" That was Yueh.

"Hey! I can make a super rapier! A Needlepoint!" That, Arashi thought with a small chuckle, was undoubtedly Niet.

Arashi stood up straight and gave a small bow facing the temple.

"Thank you..." She gave a small grin as she turned to leave. "...and I will remember to smile."

With that, she chased after Niet and Yueh, trying to calm the former's excitement and telling the latter she would most certainly help with lessons--as long as Yueh didn't keep them up with her practicing at night.