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. The chapter title is from the song by Carly Simon, "Do the Walls Come Down", the lyrics are, "Do the walls come down when you think of me, do your eyes grow dim, do the walls come down when you think of me, do you let me in?"

They expect us to die in this place, Auron decided. Seymour, Mika…and Kinoc. But I am not certain that Kelk Ronso participated in this. I did not see him among the Maesters when Tidus and I were separated. Kelk was willing to let Mika remain Grand Maester, in spite of the teachings, even after his death, but that was a relatively minor matter. Keeping a known, wise leader in his place versus…who, I wonder? When did Mika actually die, and who would have been the candidates for Grand Maester at that time? He shook his head, dismissing the thought. But that is of no matter, now. Kelk would never condone murder in cold blood, especially not parricide. The Ronso people respect their elders too much for that to have gone down well with him. And Seymour's arrogant tone and flippant dismissal of the matter would certainly have rubbed the old Ronso's fur the wrong way.

Kinoc…what happened to you? Is the man I once knew buried under all that flesh? When did the Maester consume both the warrior and the monk? Is that how you got to be so…fat? When I was disgraced, you took the place that was meant for me. Are you what I would have become, if I had stayed and married the priest's daughter? He made a disgusted sound. I think I prefer being unsent.

He leaned his head against the wall, and stood up straight with a jerk, cursing and rubbing the chocobo-egg sized lump with his hand. How could I have forgotten about that? Kinoc dragged the boy and I out of the cell at gunpoint, and went to stand with Mika and Seymour as we were marched off in separate directions. Someone hit me in the back of the head with a weapon butt, and I woke up here. The Via Purifico, the place where condemned traitors are sent to die. Also, the place that first-year trainee warrior-monks were threatened with being sent to, on an almost daily basis, by the older trainees. I had nightmares about this place my entire first year in Bevelle. I wish I had known then what it was really like; it is not half as bad as my nightmares made it out to be. The corner of his mouth turned up slightly. But that was…nearly twenty years ago. Fayth, I was just a boy.

Auron paced off the 'square' of the intersection where he had found himself when he regained consciousness. "I must remain here", he muttered to himself for what seemed like the thousandth time. The Via Purifico is too much of a maze for all of us to be wandering around, and this location is too ideally suited for me to give it up, just because I am too impatient to wait for the others to find me. Just then, he was attacked by one of the resident fiends, a ghost. He raised his weapon, managed to get in one good slice at his foe, but then the creature inflicted a doom spell, and the effect settled upon him like a thick, numbing, cloak of despair. Fighting alone, he was reminded of how terribly slow his attacks were, how long it took him to ready himself to strike the fiend again, how uncertain he was as to whether or not he could destroy the thing before his time ran out, and how desperately he missed Mercy every single, damn day. He dispatched the ghost with the third cut from his blade, and the blanket of depression disappeared with its pyreflies. Except for that last, lingering thought. He slid down against the nearest wall. I still do miss her, desperately. Every…damn…day.

…Zanarkand…five years ago

They were standing outside the club where Mercy had just finished performing, the fingers of her left hand entwined in his right. Auron scanned the passers by on the street, and waited for the tug on his hand that would mean she had decided which route home they would take that night. It was a game they played, after each performance, they took turns choosing the route home, exploring the city, finding new restaurants, other interesting places to come back to on another day. But he was more fascinated by their destination, by all that was embodied in that simple word…home. It truly is my home now, he mused. I have been bringing my things to her apartment almost from the beginning. But three sennights ago, she must have either bowed to the inevitable, or finally admitted that I seriously intend to stay with her, because she gave me a set of keys and arranged with the building security for me to have my own…entry code. It was her idea to ask Tidus to help us move the rest of my belongings the following Sennight's End. He smiled ruefully. The boy acted as though we were torturing him, expecting him to work on his day off from school, complaining because we were cutting into 'his time'. He shut his mouth quickly enough when Mercy sweetly reminded him that we could have left him at his aunt and uncle's for the afternoon.

At random, she picked a street heading in approximately the right direction, and squeezed his hand. "Hey there, you paying attention to me?"
"Always, my lady," he replied, smiling down at her warmly. They began strolling down the street she had indicated.
Their game of alternately choosing the way home each night had caused them to learn something about each other's personalities, that they might not have found out in any other way. He preferred to plan ahead, so he always mapped out their route before they even arrived wherever Mercy happened to be playing that night. This had the unintentional side effect of making the 'wayfinder' machina the only machines that Auron had learned to use easily. But Mercy waited until she was standing outside and ready to go home, and chose the way depending on how she felt at that moment, so, if she wanted to get home quickly, she opted for a route she knew well, and if she felt adventurous, although Auron would have called it reckless, she would pick a street at random, trusting her knowledge of the city to lead them home…eventually.
This night seemed to be one of the 'adventure' nights. Just as he was thinking she was going to have to admit that they were lost, they turned onto a familiar street. "Whew!" she admitted. "I had no idea we were anywhere near here." They had arrived where they had begun. The coffeehouse where they had met was just down the block, and music was pouring out of it, just as it had been two months previously. They continued walking toward the music, but when they stood outside the place, Auron stopped, turning his head to look around.
"It is the same," he said, clasping her hand more tightly for a moment. "But I am not. That night, I was so angry with Jecht, for extracting that promise from me. I blamed him for my presence here. I blamed myself. I was drinking, which probably did not help my…disposition. But I..." his voice trailed off.
I wanted the time to pass faster, so that I could return to Spira sooner. Fayth, I truly am…a fool, he thought. I received exactly what I wished for. Now, when I would give anything to hold onto each moment, time just seems to slip through my fingers.
"But you…what, Auron?" she broke into his thoughts.
He looked down into her eyes, trying to let only his love for her show on his face, and not the darkness his thoughts had just invoked. His lips curved up in a slight smile. "But I distinctly remember cursing myself for a fool for even being here, that particular night." And I was, but not in the way I thought at the time, he now realized.
He was astonished when she started to laugh quietly at his words. She continued laughing at the growing consternation on his face, bowing her head and resting her forehead against his chest as she tried to regain her composure.
He touched his finger under her chin, and tilted her face up to meet his. "Would you like to tell me what you found so amusing in what I just said?" He sounded slightly vexed at her, that she seemed to be so entertained at his expense.
Mercy swallowed the last of her laughter. "Love, didn't you know? We are all fools. It's part of the human condition." Damn you, Auron, you can be so exasperating. She sighed. I hope your Braska had one hell of a sense of humor, because he sure must have needed it between you and Jecht. "You can be so damn arrogant sometimes. Or maybe it's just pride, I don't know." Whatever those warrior monks taught you, it certainly wasn't humility. "You may be unsent, but you're still only human. Maybe if you'd figured that out a little sooner, we would have met earlier."

Auron's thoughts spun out of control, and he was quieter than usual the rest of the way home, trying to make some sense of the fragments skittering through his mind. The voice I heard that night, it addressed me as 'Guardian'. But what had it said? Something like, "We have been waiting a long time for you to say those words." I know it said 'we have been waiting', not 'I have been waiting'. There was no one close enough to me that night to whisper in my ear. I was drinking; I know I was not drunk. Whose voice? Who in Zanarkand knows that I was a Guardian? More important, who in Zanarkand even cares?
Mercy kept glancing up at his face as they continued their journey home, trying to discern the direction of his thoughts. He looks as though someone just walked over his grave, which is impossible, since it seems they don't believe in that sort of thing in Spira. I hope he is not worrying that I am sorry he came here, or thinking that I would be better off if I didn't know what the future holds. Foolish man. I would never be sorry that he came here. And I would have traded anything I have or might ever hope to have for just one day or one night together. Doesn't he know that by now?
But he was remembering Mercy's words, and matching them to those of the voice. Mercy had called him proud, and arrogant. The voice had said he was stubborn. Mercy had joked that if he had figured things out sooner, if he had 'admitted he was human' more readily, they might have met earlier. The voice had said that it and its associates, whoever they might be, had been waiting a long time for him to say what he had that night, for him to admit that he was a fool. Fayth, what if Mercy was right? What if my arrogance, my pride, has stood in the way all along? Did I…waste…five years? Then I am an even greater fool than I first thought.
Finally, the last piece of the puzzle fell into place. This Zanarkand is a summoning. The fayth are here. The fayth…
A slow smile spread across his face, as he realized what he needed to do. She felt the return of his attention to the 'here and now' and returned his smile with one equally warm and loving.

Later that night, he lay awake, with Mercy sleeping close against his side. Now that he knew that his words, and his feelings, had power, he wanted to be certain that he projected, not just the words, but also the sincerity behind them. This time, he could not speak aloud, so he carefully formed the thought in his mind, as clearly as he could, "I beg you, please, let her reach the Farplane." This time, there was an answer, of sorts. Auron fell into a deep and instant sleep, and found himself in a cavern, bare rock, except for the translucent crystal at his feet, radiating light, encasing two immense, brightly garbed figures. The forms floated up out of the stone to face him, and he found himself facing a masked swordsman and his dog. Yojimbo, he thought, no wonder his voice seemed familiar.
"Guardian, you have passed the trial. The test of humility. What boon would you beg of Yojimbo", asked the fayth.
I only have one thing left to pray for, Auron knew with absolute certainty. "I beg you, let Mercy reach the Farplane"
"Guardian, your Lady will reach the Farplane, if everyone plays their parts", and with that cryptic answer, the dream ended, and the fayth was gone.

….Spira…Via Purifico

What a fool I was. If only I had admitted it the day I arrived in Zanarkand, we could have had the entire ten years. But…maybe not. I do not think I would have known what to do, if we had met that first year. And it would not make any difference now, except perhaps to make me feel even worse. Instead of only five years of memories, I might have six years now, or eight. He struck his head against the wall, ignoring the pain. But this will not send her to the Farplane; it is already too late. What…went…wrong?

Suddenly, he heard voices from around the bend. Yuna's voice, chattering to…Kimahri. The Ronso's bass rumble was barely audible. Auron dropped his head on his folded arms for a moment, letting the relief wash over him. Yuna is safe, especially if Kimahri is with her. But what of Tidus and the others? As soon as Yuna gets here, we will have to search. But now I must stand up and put on my 'legendary guardian' mask, and prepare to greet my summoner.

End Chapter Fifteen