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 title of this chapter is from a song performed by Jackson Browne.
At breakfast, they decided to continue on to the Thunder Plains. There were two marks on the map to investigate, a sigil challenge at the Travel Agency, and a weapon quest south of it, although no one could recall anything from their previous visit to the area that resembled either a quest or a challenge. Still, they could collect more fiends for the arena while they puzzled out both problems.
As the group made their way through the northern section of the Thunder Plains, Mercy and Auron were at point, leading the party and watching for fiends on the path ahead. It wasn't a position that Auron had customarily taken; he had been more comfortable guarding their back trail rather than leading, before Mercy had joined them. Tidus just figured it had been Auron's way of compensating for his blind spot without drawing attention to it, as rearguard, it was no problem, as point, it would have been a distinct handicap. Now, Mercy covered Auron's right, so the problem disappeared. Yuna brought Tidus' attention to the fact that Auron was talking to Mercy as they walked. The two older guardians both still kept a sharp lookout, but they also carried on a conversation; it looked like Mercy had was asking questions about the lightning towers, and Auron was trying to explain something about how they worked. "Now I understand what you meant, back in the Calm Lands," Yuna began.
"What are you talking about?" Tidus asked, puzzled by her remark.
"When you told me that you missed Sir Auron," she hesitated a moment, "almost as much as you missed Mercy. Now I understand." She gestured toward the couple ahead of them. Mercy raised her arm in the direction of one of the towers, then jumped as one of the lightning bolts struck nearby. Auron's shoulders shook with laughter, as Mercy stalked away from him. Then a lightning bolt struck him, and he found himself suddenly sitting beside the path. Mercy walked back to him, and stretched her arm down to help him up, as she laughed heartily at his loss of dignity. He sat on the ground, a look of totally bewilderment on his face for a moment, then he threw back his head and laughed. Yuna watched, then she smiled as she told Tidus, "I am so glad that I have been able to get to know Mercy, a little."
"Oh?" he replied, as his eyebrows shot up. Something about her tone caught his attention.
"We talked…a few days ago," Yuna hesitated. "I asked for her advice about a few things. She was…good to talk with."
"Can I…ask what it was about?" he tried, equally hesitant. His stomach had dropped down to his shoes. He could think of too many possibilities. The idea of Mercy telling Yuna all of his life's most embarrassing moments was just one of the many that passed through his mind.
"Girl talk," Yuna replied, smiling at his dismay. "Don't worry. We didn't talk about you…too much," she teased. He groaned in pretended agony. Yuna tugged at his hand, and they continued down the road.
Lulu was walking just close enough behind that she could hear what the young couple were saying to one another. When she heard that Yuna had gone to Mercy for advice, a spasm of pain crossed her face. The mage was shocked at Yuna's actions. And she felt…betrayed. Why didn't Yuna come to me, she cried soundlessly. I cannot believe that she felt that she could not come to me with her troubles. The mage's inner voice suddenly snapped in anger. But since that woman arrived, my advice is no longer good enough. Even Rikku turned first to her for approval, yesterday during the butterfly hunt. Lulu paused to consider. But did something that woman said encourage Yuna to go down this road with Tidus, now? I believe that Tidus is good for Yuna, but he could still break her heart. I still think it might be better for them to have waited. Contempt filled the mage's thoughts. That woman does not know Spira. That woman does not know the challenges that Yuna will face, even if she brings the Eternal Calm. Just because that woman spreads her legs for that so-called 'legendary guardian', Lulu blocked her mind from her own offer to that same man to perform the same service, and his insulting refusal, does not mean she knows anything of how to be a guardian, or is worthy of the least respect. And just look at him, she thought indignantly, as her gaze focused on Auron, he is sitting on his backside in the middle of the path and laughing like a naughty boy, all because he stopped paying attention to his duty and deservedly got struck by the lightning! Yuna should be chastising him, not laughing with them both. It is all that woman's fault, the mage seethed with rage.
Mercy kept feeling this 'itch' between her shoulder blades as the company continued along the southbound road. It felt like she was being watched. But every time she turned around to search for fiends…she found herself meeting the cool, red-tinted gaze of the black mage, instead. The first time it happened, the swordswoman brushed it off as coincidence. The second time, she was merely annoyed. By the third, her patience had reached its limit. This is beyond enough, Mercy decided. Girl, I'm tired of putting up with your temper tantrums. You and I are going to have a little 'chat', first chance I get…whether you like it or not. The older woman bared her teeth in a slightly feral grin.
Auron had been having that same sensation, that unnerving 'sixth sense' that told him that he was being observed with hostile intent. He was also aware that Lulu was the one watching them. He knew that a confrontation between the two women was inevitable at some point, since the mage seemed unwilling or unable to leave well enough alone. He also thought that he personally would rather be somewhere on the south side of Besaid Island while the altercation was taking place at the top of Mt. Gagazet. Or the other way around, he did not care which, as long as he was as far from the epicenter of the earthquake as possible. Unfortunately, he was quite certain that his wish was not likely to be granted.
The party reached the shelter of the Travel Agency in the late afternoon. They were all tired, cold, soaking wet and footsore, as well as scorched in a few places from lightning strikes. They had a nice collection of fiends, but they hadn't seen anything that resembled either a challenge or a quest. But the Agency was warm, dry and kept out the lightning, and they were all grateful to step inside its shelter. Everyone was more than willing to put off worrying about finding the quest and the challenge until tomorrow, after a hot dinner, a good night's sleep, and a hot breakfast. Lunch had been pretty abysmal, huddled under one of the towers.
After they had all scattered to their rooms, Mercy stood at the window of the second-floor suite that she and Auron had been given, and stared out into the courtyard. She saw that Lulu was out in the middle of the yard, beyond the shelter of the inn, and wondered what the mage was doing, standing out in the storm. Then she whistled, a sharp, indrawn breath. I'm impressed, Mercy admitted reluctantly. She's not even getting wet. The rain just…falls to the side. And the lightning…it kind of…forks above her head, and…strikes someplace else. That must take a lot of power, to create that kind of…bubble…around herself. Mercy shook her head in wonder. Okay, I'm very impressed.
Auron sat down on the bed, his open pack beside him, and laid the flat of his sword on his knee. He raised the hilt up to his eye, and squinted down the length of the blade. Then he set the katana down and began to search through his pack. His wife smiled lovingly at his bent head, then returned her attention to the scene outside the window. Powerful, and childish, Mercy thought, her attention returning to the black mage, a horrifically bad combination. Mercy chewed on her lower lip for a moment. Lulu's little games have got to stop. This is my best chance to try to stop them in private. If she makes me do it in public, I'm likely to say something too many people will regret…me most of all.
"Auron," she said, turning to him.
"Mmm?" he answered back, his head now bent over the task of cleaning his sword.
"I'm going outside. I'm going to talk to Lulu." His heart sank, and his brain formed the words, Oh shit, but he kept his mouth shut. His wife continued speaking. "It's past time to clear the air between us…before her hostility becomes any more open, or any more active."
He stared back at her in open astonishment. He had expected this, but not so soon. "Are you sure that is wise?" he asked quietly.
"I'm sure it is not wise," she answered with a laugh. "But I think it's necessary. I've had it up to here," she held her hand, palm flat, out a couple of inches over the top of her head, " with her little games. Things can't go on as they are. You know that." She paused. "But just in case this turns out to have been a really stupid idea, promise me that you'll send her to the Farplane right after me? If she kills me out there, I have a feeling that I won't be anywhere near done talking yet." She was partly joking. She still wasn't completely certain about this Farplane of his.
Deadly serious, Auron stared into her eyes and said, "Do not worry, my lady. Anyone who takes you away from me now will swiftly find themselves on the Farplane."
Mercy stared at him for a moment, shocked at the cold promise in his voice. Then she walked over to the bed, and rested her hand on his shoulder. "Auron, you can't possibly think I was serious. It won't come to that."
He tilted his face up to meet her eyes. "Even so, you have my word," he stated with finality. Then he picked up a whetstone and began to sharpen his sword.
She stared down at him, her mouth dry. She could think of nothing to say in reply. She knew that he meant every word he had just said. She cupped his jaw in her hand, and tilted his face back up to hers. She dropped a warm, gentle kiss on his lips, and then she turned and left the room. She heard the whine of his blade being sharpened resume before she started down the stairs.
Lulu observed Mercy as she stepped through the door of the Travel Agency and took up a casual stance, facing her from just under the protecting eaves of the building. The two women assessed each other as they stared across the few intervening feet of rain-soaked earth. Neither spoke as the lightning flashed and the thunder crackled, and the mage found herself increasingly unsettled by the older woman's silent regard. She had expected that the swordswoman would be impressed by her display of mage craft, that her effortless show of power would give her, Lulu, the upper hand in this confrontation. Instead, Mercy's face showed nothing, except possibly amusement at her expense. Lulu felt the need to do something to shift things back to her favor. So, she reached up, and drew the lightning down from the sky, into her hand. Quickly, easily, she formed it into a ball, and began to pass it from hand to hand, back and forth, like a bright, flashing, explosive toy. This was such a basic exercise for a beginning mage, that it automatically calmed her, but at the same time, Lulu thought it would shake her non-magical audience out of her calm self-assurance, especially since it would serve to remind the other woman that a spell could easily reach her easily from several feet away.
Mercy wanted to laugh. So, you want to play a game? I think we can both play, she thought to herself, as she let one of her throwing knives drop to her palm. She saw Lulu's eyes widen, as she tossed the knife into the air, and let it fall into her other hand with a gentle slap of the hilt into her palm. Then she threw it back. You forgot that I don't need to close with you to hurt you, didn't you? This game isn't so much fun when it's even, is it witch? The two women stared hard at each other through the rain. We both know what the game is, don't we? Whatever happens, whoever is the first one to lose their control, loses face. If it's me, I probably lose a little blood, too. And I hope to hell you can get singed on that thing you're juggling. Let's do it.
"What's your problem, Lulu?" Mercy asked, her voice devoid of all emotion.
"I don't understand what you mean," Lulu replied in feigned confusion.
"Oh, please," Mercy sighed, "spare me the innocent act. You've been spoiling for this fight since the minute we met. Either tell me what it's all about, or stuff it. Permanently." Her voice went cold with the implied threat, and Lulu fought the desire to shiver in reaction to her words.
"How dare you threaten me?" the mage yelled.
"I am daring you," Mercy said through clenched teeth, "to get whatever is eating you out into the open, so we can fight like adults, instead of this 'little girl game' you keep playing behind my back."
"What are you talking about?" Lulu hissed.
"Little fool," Mercy spat back. "What did you think you were doing this afternoon? Trying to figure out a way to 'accidentally' have one of your spells go through me on its way to the target?" The pinched look around Lulu's mouth showed that that remark had been a little too close to its target. Mercy noticed, and continued, "Don't try it. If I survived, one of my knives would hit you. Just as much of an 'accident', of course. If I died, Auron would cut you down where you stood. He wouldn't bother to pretend it was an accident." The mage started to purse her lips into a tight smile of disbelief, but the swordswoman caught the expression halfway and killed it with a single sentence. "He gave me his word." Lulu's face turned ghost white.
She continued to press the mage, even as she continued to juggle the knife from hand to hand as she spoke. The slap of the leather hilt into her palm seemed to beat time with her words. "Well, at least that got your attention." She paused. "Let's start over. I asked at the beginning, what is your problem, girl?" Mercy challenged. Then she continued, almost laughing, "Look, I know you like to know everything. Do you have questions you want to ask me? Answers you want to demand from me? Is that it?"
Lulu was surprised now, in addition to feeling threatened and completely off balance. She had hoped to draw Mercy out here with the intention of forcing a confrontation, but this was not going in anything like the direction she had expected. She was unsure of what to do. But the opportunity was much too good to waste. Of course she had questions, many, many question.
"May I ask you any questions I wish?" the mage began, attempting to hide the uncertainty she felt.
"Some topics are off limits, but not many." Mercy laughed. "None that should affect the outcome of this journey. We are both adults, more or less. I have the right to my privacy, as do you. For example, if you want to ask how good a lover Auron is, forget about it. You had your chance to find out the answer to that question for yourself. We both know that you lost that round. You don't get to satisfy your curiosity now." Mercy's smile was sly and knowing, that of a woman sure of her power.
"Are you that certain?" Lulu asked, arching a brow, trying to cast doubt on the her opponent's absolute certainty.
"Oh yes. I am that certain. We would not both be standing here if I wasn't." Mercy's grin was absolutely lethal. Let her think what she likes about that one.
"What about Tidus?" Lulu tried again.
"You could ask Yuna, but I can't imagine you would want to embarrass her that much." Mercy was puzzled by the question.
"I just thought you might know. I saw you on the airship. You two looked pretty…cozy," the mage's voice oozed politeness, but insinuated something nasty. Lulu couldn't really believe that there was anything to this, but she decided to try the question on for size, just to see what sort of reaction she would get.
Mercy just shook her head. This girl was so far off target; she couldn't find it with a map. "Let me get this straight, you were skulking at the end of the corridor, after everyone went to see if Isaaru was still in Bevelle, while Tidus and I were talking, and then Auron came in?" Mercy asked, just to be sure they were both talking about the same incident.
Lulu nodded, ready to argue about the word 'skulking', but Mercy plunged on. "Then you saw everything, right?" Lulu nodded again. Mercy caught the knife she was toying with, and replaced it in its sheath. If the witch was desperate enough to try this tack, whether she believed it or not, Mercy knew she had won this round. The swordswoman continued to shake her head at the mage, and then she leaned back against the building, laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face.
Lulu's anger exploded. How dare she laugh at me like that? She's the one who caused all the trouble! Lulu's temper got the better of her, and she let the lightning ball fly out of her hands towards her tormentor. In an instant, the knife dropped back into Mercy's palm. Regretfully, she sidestepped slightly, so the blade's trajectory wouldn't continue straight through the mage if it didn't fall to the ground after it hit the magical construct, and let it fly toward the 'ball'. When the weapon reached its target, a crackling sound filled the air, as the electrical charge dissipated in contact with the metal, then the knife dropped to the ground, blackened around the edges.
"Don't even think about trying that trick again." Mercy hissed. "I have more knives. We will discuss this like civilized beings until we come to some mutual understanding," Mercy bared her teeth, "or there will be hell to pay. Now, girl, I say again, what is your problem?"
Lulu caught both the insult, and the threat. Her mouth worked for a full minute, then she practically spat out her real question. "Did Yuna come to you for advice?"
So that's what's really eating her. She's not the only font of wisdom anymore. "Yes, she did," Mercy replied.
The silence stretched out dangerously between the two women. What, is the woman stupid? Lulu seethed. Is she going to make me beg for the obvious? "So what did she ask you? And what did you tell her?" Lulu finally capitulated, and begged.
"You'll have to ask Yuna. She came to me in confidence, and I respect her right to her privacy as well," Mercy replied.
"But I need to know. I only want what is best for her." Lulu tried to sound older and wiser than Yuna, but didn't come close to succeeding.
"Lulu, you may want what's best for her, but that doesn't mean you have the right to decide what's best for her, not anymore. That's up to Yuna, now," Mercy said, shaking her head at Lulu's unwillingness to see Yuna as a grown woman in all respects.
"But I know what's best for her," Lulu answered resignedly.
Mercy just shook her head in disagreement. You were perfectly willing to let her decide to die, but you don't think she's mature enough to make a decision about whether she and Tidus should continue to be lovers. You just don't get it. If Yuna is old enough to decide to make that kind of sacrifice, then it's her damn life to live as she chooses, all the way. She doesn't need your permission…or your approval.
"You distract Sir Auron from his duties as Yuna's guardian," Lulu accused, full of spite again.
"I certainly hope so," Mercy replied outrageously. "The day I stop distracting him is the day I'm going to worry about."
"That is a serious accusation to level against a guardian!" Lulu practically shouted her indignation.
"I probably don't distract Auron half as much as you distract Wakka. At least Auron is certain we'll be sharing a bed every night, instead of trying to guess how I feel about him," Mercy retorted.
"What are you talking about?" Lulu was completely shocked. No one ever talked to her like this, and she didn't like it.
"I'm telling you that Wakka is in love with you, and that when Yu Yevon is defeated, if not sooner, you either need to fish or cut line with the poor man."
"What do you mean?" Lulu gasped, stunned.
"You should know what I'm talking about. Don't they fish in Besaid? Wakka loves you. A blind woman could see it with a cane. Nothing says you have to love him in return, but if you don't want him, there will be plenty of other women who will. But he'll follow after you forever if he thinks he has a ghost of a chance. If you decide he's not for you, I do think you owe it to him to set him free. He's a good man," Mercy finished.
"Wakka is not the man Chappu was," Lulu stated with finality, standing defiantly, her arms crossed under her breasts.
Mercy had pieced together the story, from the bits and pieces that people had told her. Poor Wakka, competing with a dead man. What is it with this place? Auron is right; the dead should not interfere with the living. But doesn't anyone ever let the dead rest in peace? Time to move on, girl. Time for this whole damn place to move on.
"So what?" Mercy retorted, hands on her hips. "Chappu was not the man Wakka is, either. Chappu ran away, he abandoned his responsibilities at home to try to be some kind of hero. Wakka stayed home, and minded his responsibilities. He's the real hero,"
Lulu found her temper again. "How dare you say such things? How dare you presume to give me advice?" The mage's voice rose in anger.
Mercy was very cold in response. "I dare because you tried to seduce my husband instead of sorting out your feelings for Wakka. I think I still have quite a ways to go to catch up with that bit of presumption, girl."
"Why do you keep calling me 'girl'?" Lulu asked, practically screaming in rage.
"Because you are acting like one at the moment. Get over yourself, would you, for just one second?" Mercy shouted.
Lulu, shocked, shut up and stared at the other woman. No one, no one had ever had the temerity to speak to her this way, no one in Besaid was willing to deal with her sharp tongue or her sharp temper, not even before she had begun to study her magic. But this woman just didn't seem to care about any of that, and even called her 'girl', over and over. Her fearsome reputation meant nothing to this woman, and Lulu now felt very uncertain. Mercy's rude comments about Chappu had wounded her deeply, but the things the woman had said about Wakka…those shook her world to its foundations. Lulu didn't want her advice, but she had had no one else to turn to for such a long time, that she found the temptation to probe for more of the woman's counsel to be irresistible.
"Why should I give any thought to anything you have said?" Lulu yelled back. "You can't possibly know much more than I do. Your advice is probably worthless," Lulu finished dismissively.
With a nasty smile, Mercy said, "You don't have to take my advice about Wakka, of course. It may be moot, anyway. We have to defeat Yu Yevon. Nothing says we will all walk away from that battle, after all, does it, Lulu?" The mage blanched, even under her makeup, as her eyes met Mercy's. The odds were that they would not all walk away. A lesson that she herself should have learned a long time ago. Mercy continued, her face and voice both slightly softer, "Lulu, I'm twice your age. And I've held on to Auron for five years, when you couldn't keep his attention for ten minutes." Mercy paused and prayed silently, I hope that's about right, then went on, "I think it's fair to say I know a few things you don't know yet. Whether that means my advice is any good is a different question, but I've had time to have experience that you haven't. Some of it could be useful to you, if you let it." Mercy sighed. "Or not. That part is up to you."
Lulu's mouth opened in stunned surprise as she swiftly made the calculations. Before the younger woman could ask, Mercy decided to simply provide the answer to the obvious question. "I am forty-five, Lulu, if that's what you are wondering."
Half to herself, the mage muttered, "I always thought you must be younger than Sir Auron."
"Obviously, you thought wrong," Mercy drawled sarcastically. "Why does it matter?" the older woman asked, more sharply.
"Sin killed my parents when I was five," Lulu began, then stopped, waiting for a response.
"Your Sin took my parents when I was seventeen," Mercy answered. "I was older than you were when they died…but that was almost thirty years ago, now. Longer ago than you have been alive, Lulu."
The mage nodded her understanding of the point. She continued her own story, slowly drawing out her words. "I learned not to…rely on others too much, after that. To keep my own counsel. In time, others came to rely on me. It has been…part of the pattern of my life…until now."
"And you resented the hell out of me for taking your place," Mercy finished for her.
"Yes, I did," Lulu agreed, her face coloring with shame. "And you did it so easily, and I could not understand why, or how, until now. That made it even worse."
Mercy looked over at the younger woman, who was still standing untouched in the middle of the storm, and was now tapping her finger on her lower lip, lost in thought. I think Lulu has just discovered that advice is one of those things that is much more fun to give than it is to receive, she thought. But I'm too tired to deal with this anymore now. I've gotten enough out of this…I hope. "Lulu, are we done here? Can we please call a truce, at least? Have we made that much progress?" Mercy asked in a mixture of hope and resignation.
"A…truce?" Lulu asked hesitantly in return.
"Yes, a truce. As in call off the war. Quit the sniping attacks. You know, that sort of thing. Or, tell me what's left to fight about it, so we can get that done." The older woman ran a hand through her hair, exhausted and exasperated at the same time.
Lulu considered for several moments, as Mercy waited impatiently. She is right, of course. The divisiveness cannot continue. And…it has been so long since I have had another woman with whom I could discuss matters…as an equal. She may know more about some things than I do…and I know more about some things than she does. And her advice is certainly…interesting. Lulu finally met the other woman's eyes. "I agree. We have a truce," the mage stated, nodding her head sharply as she moved toward the edge of the building, doing Mercy the courtesy of not making her come out into the storm to shake hands.
Mercy felt the tension in her neck and shoulders ease as she clasped the mage's hand in hers. This isn't perfect, but it's a good start, she decided. But before she went back inside, she couldn't resist one last bit of advice. "Lulu, please think about what I said about Wakka," Mercy urged.
"I will," Lulu promised, "on one condition. Will you answer a personal question?"
Not again, Mercy groaned inside. "Perhaps," she sighed aloud.
"Do you ever regret your choice of Sir Auron?" Lulu asked her, true curiosity on her face.
Mercy considered for a moment, then replied, "If you mean, do I regret that I chose Auron instead of a different man, or none at all, then the answer is no, I don't." Then Mercy grinned at her, and continued, "But if you mean, do I ever want to knock some sense into his head, then the answer is yes, of course I do, and frequently. And you will, too, no matter how much you love the man you do choose, whether it's Wakka or someone else."
For a moment, the two women smiled at each other in complete accord, then Mercy turned and entered the warm, dry Travel Agency.
In the morning, Rikku asked the Al Bhed girl at the desk about the chest outside the Agency, and discovered that it held prizes for those who were especially good a dodging the lightning bolts on the Thunder Plains. It seemed there was supposed to be a really fantastic reward if you dodged two hundred lightning bolts in a row, but no one had ever won that particular prize. The desk clerk thought that it was just a gimmick to get people to stay at the Agency and keep trying to win it. Meanwhile, Tidus read a book on the counter about some Qactaurs that were supposed to be trapped inside stones that you had to pray to along the road. They'd seen the stones as they had traveled down the path, so they were certain that the story was more than just a legend. Now they had both challenge and quest in hand, so they split up and took care of both objectives at the same time. By the end of the day, they had both Kimahri's Spirit Lance and the Venus Sigil.
They chose to spend the night at the Agency again, and then travel back to the crystal in Macalania the next morning. Once they had obtained the Spirit Lance, it was a simple matter to determine that the Saturn Crest and Sigil were the pieces that matched it, so there was no reason to delay returning to Macalania to merge the weapon. Except one, Auron thought, as he studied the Ronso now striding purposefully ahead of him on the Thunder Plains. How in the hell am I supposed to catch a full-grown Ronso if he falls?
Auron still didn't have an answer by the time they all reached Macalania. Not unless, 'Pray, Now,' counted as an answer. He glanced over at Wakka, who looked white as a sheet under his tan. As Kimahri approached the crystal, Wakka went down on one knee, his lips moving soundlessly in prayer. Praise the fayth that Kimahri is a 'little Ronso', Auron thought. I don't think I could manage Biran or Yenke, not even with Wakka's help.
Kimahri seemed imperturbable. His feline face was calm as he walked confidently toward the crystal, his right paw wrapped around the spear, the crest and sigil cradled easily in the claws of his left. When he reached his destination, he held the insignia up against the metal blade of the weapon, and planted the spear butt firmly on the path. Then he braced his feet, and felt the world ripped away.
Auron watched as the crest and sigil dissolved into the spear, and held his breath as the Ronso gripped the weapon now with both paws, then held on grimly and swayed while he was taken up in his vision of the great weapon's past. Every time Kimahri's legs shifted, Wakka made a noise like he was the one who was going to pass out, or throw up. Auron was just about ready to pitch the boy over the side of the trail himself when the Ronso's knees locked and straightened, and he realized that Kimahri was back with them. Heaving a sigh of relief, he unlocked his own braced legs with a painful crack and waited for his Ronso friend to tell them what he had seen.
Kimahri slowly blinked his great yellow eyes and said, "We go down now. Then Kimahri tell story of weapon." Everyone wanted to hear what Kimahri had seen, so they trooped down the path rapidly. Tidus wondered how Kimahri was going to do this. He remembered how much he had seen, how detailed it was, it had been like living through it. Kimahri, well, Kimahri just didn't talk that much. How could a Ronso tell a story like that?
As they settled down in a circle on the ground, Kimahri began to tell his tale. "Kimahri saw south part of Thunder Plains. But not like now. Lightning not strike towers. Lightning strike ground always. Vision show Kimahri one man, in center of many. Man was…like Sir Auron. Other men follow him."
Wakka interrupted to ask, "Did you say the man looked like Sir Auron?"
"No," Kimahri replied, ruffled. "Kimahri not say, 'look like Sir Auron', Kimahri say, 'like Sir Auron'. Man was warrior, guardian…leader like Sir Auron, but did not look like him. Man was not so big, had lighter fur, and light eyes."
"Kimahri, how do you know that this man was a guardian?" Yuna asked more gently.
"Man came to him, called him Sir Ragor. Said he was messenger from Lord Gandof," the Ronso guardian answered his summoner in his bass rumble. Yuna gasped.
"What did the messenger say?" Lulu asked sharply.
Kimahri bared his teeth in annoyance but still answered the mage. "Messenger said Lord Gandof want to know if Sir Ragor finished work in south towers. Sir Ragor said work was almost done. Said he would send signal from top of tower when work finished. Sir Ragor told messenger to ask Lord Gandof to," Kimahri paused and blinked a couple of times, clearly wanting to make sure he said the other guardian's words correctly, "give him time to 'run like hell' to bottom of tower before starting spell."
The Ronso looked around the circle, waiting for someone else to prod him with another question. When no one met his challenge, he continued, "Sir Ragor talked with other men. Went to tops of three towers. Came down. Talked more. Sent the men away, south. Ragor climb to top of last tower, set spear in post in corner. This spear," Kimahri said, tapping the butt of the Spirit Lance on the ground. "When spear set in post, lightning flash around top of tower. Ragor climb fast down stairs in middle of tower, run south to men. Men shout. Ragor turn, see lightning strike from sky, start in north, strike one tower, then next, then next, then all towers, like now. Men cheer."
"Then what happened, Kimahri?" Yuna prompted.
"Ragor said he must go to Lord Gandof. Man asked Ragor about spear. Ragor said spear should be changed for metal rod like others, but man should have spear. Keep to remember Ragor. Man asked where Ragor and Lord Gandof go next. Ragor said…pilgrimage." Kimahri bowed his head, in silent respect for Lord Gandof's guardian.
End Chapter Thirty-Four.