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Chapter 4: Aeon Gets Some Sun

I don't know how long I had slept that previous night but I felt rejuvenated when I woke up. My pillow was slightly moist from my tears and my face was a little dry from them.

I got dressed and left my room. I was expecting Leblanc to have an assignment for me to do, but she had nothing planned for that day. She had already sent some of her men to the Zanarkand Ruins to check on these sphere waves they picked up.

I was free to do whatever I wanted for the day. I wanted to just relax on a beach somewhere. She suggested Besaid Island which wouldn't take me long to get there if I took the prototype airship model the Syndicate was working on. It was nothing like the Gullwings airship, the Celsius, but it could still travel to places very quickly.

I arrived in Besaid around the afternoon. It was a peaceful little place. I arrived at this path that led to a village but I decided to go to the beach instead. I knew the way considering I had played through Final Fantasy X a bunch of times before. Though knowing this place was just a game made me wonder if I'd ever get back to my world.

It made me a little sad. I seemed to be stuck here in Spira but I don't think I'll ever go back home. I really missed my family and friends already, and I'm sure they've noticed I'm gone.

I sat on the warm white sand with my rifle next to me and just stared at the horizon. It was a nice sight. But then something interrupted me.

"Hey its that kid again!" I heard a perky female voice shout out. The voice belonged to Rikku.

"Oh hell. I didn't want this to happen." I muttered.

"So think you're gonna beat us to the sphere again? Well I've got news for you cause that ain't happening." She said getting right in my face.

"Crid ib Rikku!" I spat at her in her own language.

"Its one thing to insult me but to insult me in my own language! Grrrr!" She sounded really upset at me now.

"There's more to him than meets the eye." Paine said to herself.

"Sorry to disappoint you three but I'm taking a day off. Find your sphere, I won't stop you." I told them.

"Well don't think you won't get off so easy this time." Yuna shouted to me. She really changed. I never expected her to get hostile ever.

"I'm really not in the mood for this. I really need to think right now." I told them sitting down.

"About what?" Yuna asked changing her tone to a friendly one.

"Well it's a long story."

"Tell us." She pleaded.

"I'd rather not. I've got nothing personal against the Gullwings, but like it or not we're rivals girls. Maybe in the future under different terms we can discuss this further." I told them.

"Leave him be Yuna. Standing around all day asking isn't going to get us anywhere. And last time I checked we were still hunting a sphere." Paine mentioned before turning and leaving the beach.

"Go to your friend. Have fun." I said to them before returning to gaze out at the ocean again.

Then this object struck me in the back of the head.

"Sorry about that!" I heard somebody yell to me.

"Don't worry about it." I said feeling the spot where the spherical object hit me. It was a blitzball. Those things hurt more than I would have ever guessed. Looks like the Aurochs aren't too good at aiming their passes.

I wanted to practice with them but they were really only passing the ball around. It wasn't anything I haven't done when I was a little kid so I just sat there some more and admired the beauty of this place.

Then I got up and decided to head into the village. I always thought the path leading there was very pretty.

Getting my gear together I made the hike over to Besaid Village, killing a few fiends on the road. It was bigger than I thought but still had that cozy feel to it.

I walked into the temple. The Hymn of the Fayth was still sounding through the corridor. I found that odd due to the fact that there was no more Fayth left and Yevon wasn't exactly trusted anymore. Perhaps I'd find my answer in the future.

It was getting close to nightfall when Paine entered the temple. I turned to face her but quickly turned back to gazing at the statues adorning the large chamber.

The two of us didn't say anything for a whole minute it seemed. Then I finally spoke up.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I felt nostalgic and decided to come here. I didn't expect you to be in a place like this? Did you have some affiliation with Yevon in the past?"

"No. Yevon wasn't a very nice system of beliefs. The only thing I really liked about it was the prayer. It was a catchy hand gesture." I said chuckling at the idea.

"If I had seen you before finding out you were in the Syndicate I would never have believed it." She told me.

"I never thought I'd join them either. It was just the best choice I had at the time really. It was that or probably starve to death in Luca."

"I should probably return to the tent for now. Before Rikku comes in here and starts making a scene." She said leaving.

Before she left the temple though I had to tell her something. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I feel bad for having to have beaten you three up like that. I mean I have no problem killing fiends but fighting my own species is something I have a hard time with. Humans just seem to kill each other."

"Apology accepted, but don't think that means I won't go easy on you next time our blades clash together." She said smiling. Even with her back to me I could tell she was smiling just by the sound of her voice.

She left the temple and I was decided what to do now. I'm not sure about Paine but it felt like the two of us connected in here.

I left the temple and soon had the Syndicate take me back to Guadosalam. It was a nice trip, I slept the entire way.

I arrived back in my room and decorated it a bit. It only had the things in my backpack around the place but it felt more like...home.

"But this isn't my home." I told myself. I was right too, this wasn't my home. Most people if offered the chance to be here would take it. Right now I hated being here. I was trapped in some stupid video game with no obvious way out and its frustrating!

Then there was a knock at my door. I expected Leblanc, Ormi, or Logos but it wasn't any of them. It was that short girl from before. You remember Cora right? She was one of the Syndicate girls that went with me that day of training. She was still in her uniform and I had yet to see her face.

"Hello there Aeon. Feels weird calling you that." She giggled.

"What brings you over here Cora?" I asked her.

"Have you ever been to those Hot Springs on Mt. Gagazet?" she asked.

"No I haven't. Why ask?"

"I was heading there myself for an assignment and was wondering if you would like to come with me." She asked.

"Like a date?"

"No, this is business. Maybe in the future I'll let you take me somewhere fancy." He said grinning.

"Ok why not."

So Cora and I were off towards Mt. Gagazet. I knew if I found the Gullwings again they would fight me this time. Even if I was friendly to them we're still rivals. You can't exactly choose your enemies in this world can you?