DISCLAIMER 10: I do NOT in any way own FFX, the characters therein or anything copywriten by Square-Enix. I am also not trying to make a profit from this piece of fanfiction. It is for my amusement and the amusement of my readers.

AURON

I felt a twinge of regret, leaving in the middle of Tidus' party, but something

told me it was time to go. My regret almost made me turn around and stay, but I

continued out the door.

When I stepped outside, I saw the boy from my dream across the street.

Warily, I crossed over to him.

"Do you feel him, Sir Auron?"

"Jecht?"

The boy nodded. "He's waiting for you. You should hurry."

"I will. I've waited too long for this." I turned to go.

"Are you sure you're ready?"

"I've been ready for ten years."

Somehow, I knew that Sin was waiting out in the water just off the docks. I

think that Jecht was trying to keep things as low key as he could until he knew

I was ready.

I appreciated that. I would have to answer Tidus' questions all too soon

as it was.

I shed my coat at the end of one of the docks, hiding it among a stack

of crates. Then, making sure my sword was easily at hand, I dove into the water.

It was cold, bracing me with its chill. I swam out, straight as I could,

toward where I could feel Sin calling out to me. I couldn't see it, but I knew

it was there, holding my friend within.

In my Spira, Sin had liked to hide underwater where its quicksilver hide

made it nearly impossible to see. It--or Jecht--was using that tactic now, and I

had no idea where my destination truly lay. But I would know when I arrived.

And then, I did. On the tail of that thought, between one stroke and the

next, I broke through Sin's protective skin. I fell a few feet to the "ground"

and rolled to a stop.

I picked myself up from the ground and looked around me.

I saw the streets of Bevelle--desolate, deserted and decaying like they

never were in life. Not even a leaf blew across the roadways. The brightly

colored banners were in tatters on the walls or heaps on the road. I felt a

twinge at seeing my hometown so broken, but I shrugged it off. It was, after

all, only an illusion created by Sin.

My mind inserted the name Yu Yevon into that thought as well, but I

didn't know where it had come from. Something Jecht had told me in my dream, so

many years ago perhaps.

I shook off the nagging feeling that I was forgetting something

important, and trudged off down the deserted street. I wondered how I would ever

find Jecht.

I walked for what felt like hours in Sin's (Yu Yevon's) mockery of Bevelle

before I finally found Jecht. I spent much of that time wondering why my mind

insisted on calling Sin by the name of Yu Yevon.

But finally, I stood before my old friend in a ruined meditation garden

inside the temple.

"You were almost late, Auron."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't find you."

"Its all right." He cast a wary eye around the courtyard. "He's

deliberately trying to stop us. Even he thinks my plan will work."

I nodded, my dream coming back to me, along with Jecht's instructions

then. "Tidus is as ready as he'll ever be."

"Then you've got to get back quick, Auron. The old guy's ready to move.

I won't be able to hold him off past tomorrow night."

"That will be enough time. We'll be ready for you."

My friend gave me a skeptical look. "Are you sure?" I nodded. "All right

then. Braska's little girl's nearly a Summoner. If you hook up with her, things

should go a lot more smoothly. I think she'll remember you."

He snapped his fingers then. "Oh, and before I forget, give this to

Tidus."

He held out the sword that Braska had given him at the start of our own

pilgrimage. Gravely, I took the weapon from him.

"I'll make sure he gets it."

"Good. Now you should get out of here before the old guy finds you."

I gave him an amused look. "If I have to leave the same way I came in,

he'll find me for certain before I get out."

"Nah." Jecht waved a hand dismissively. "Just head back out the door you

came in. He's not the only one who can move things around in here." He gave me a

cocky grin.

"All right." I returned his grin. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah."

As I turned and walked away, all traces of amusement left me, leaving me

cold and businesslike. Tidus wouldn't understand and wouldn't like it, but

focusing on the task ahead would be the only way he'd survive tomorrow night.

Sin was coming to Zanarkand.

And that would be just the beginning.


A/N: All right gang, thanks for sticking with me so far. We've now caught up to

everything i already had written, so its going to be a bit longer between

postings now. i have to play through the game again now, so that i can get

character introduction, settings and dialogue right. But not to worry, i'm not

abandoning you or the story! i shall return! ;-)