Mi'ihen Highroad- Rin's Travel Agency- It is early morning, the sun is just rising after a long night.

Auron rolled over sleepily, burrowing further under the blankets. The vague sense that something was wrong nagged at the back of his mind. He mentally went over the night's events, hoping for some clue. After returning the chocobos, Yuna and Company had spent a few comfortable hours together over a nice hot dinner, courtesy of Rin.

Auron reviewed the various conversations that had taken place, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. He found no veiled threats, implications or insults. Lulu had talked with Wakka and Yuna about past adventures while Kimahri listened mutely, occasionally baring his fangs in a spine quivering grin. They had poked fun at each other in a good-natured fashion, and everyone had a chance to laugh at themselves. Some had more to laugh at than others. Rikku had spent most of the time admiring a machina doing guard duty in the corner. This was nothing noteworthy; Rikku was always examining machina and had taken it upon herself to explain their mechanics to Tidus, who took it all in stride.

Auron heaved a mental sigh. He found no hint of mischief, to the best of his recollection. Tidus had behaved himself, which that in itself was disturbing. Something was definitely wrong. He had acted so…normal. Tidus was rarely so well behaved…Calm down, Auron admonished himself as he rolled to a more comfortable position and began sinking back into the fuzzy warmth of sleep The little Spoor is just messing with you. Have to keep your guard up…

Auron was awakened by the sound of his door being forcefully thrown open with no concern for his privacy. "FIENDS!" Tidus shrieked at the top of his lungs as he fell into the room and crawled at a surprising speed to Auron's bedside. Auron was momentarily taken aback by the sight. For just a moment, the boy had looked like some prehistoric bug one would find in a cave. It was more than a little creepy this early in the morning.

"Fiends, Auron!" Tidus gasped, wild-eyed as he clung to the side of the mattress with a desperation that Auron had seen it only once before: When Tidus had fought Kimahri…for the last cookie in his pack.

Auron sat up slowly, suspicion in his dark eye as the boy babbled on about fiends attacking. A scream rose above the babble as Rikku flew down the hall, pausing just in the doorway to scream "Fiends!" before racing away. Auron's eye narrowed as Tidus screamed at him and pulled at his clothing. Auron's suspicions were quelled when he heard Rikku run down the hall, pounding on doors and rousing the rest of the party, her voice rising in near panic.

Auron shoved Tidus aside and ran from the room, sword in hand, pushing Wakka and Kimahri out of his way. He raced out the front door and suddenly found himself hanging upside down with his pants being ripped off by a machinathe same one Rikku had been admiring the night beforewhich promptly ran down the road in a cloud of dust, Auron's pants trailing from one of its arms.

Auron snarled and tried to cover himself with the loose ends of his coat while Tidus smirked and nodded to a second machina which was standing to one side, silently recording the moment on a sphere. Tidus had spared no expense; the sphere was a rare one of top quality, and quite expensive. The boy smiled through Auron's curses and gave a giggling Rikku a congratulatory pat on the back before pointing at Aruon and giving the older guardian a look that was unmistakably clear: 'Up yours!'

The machina continued to record as Wakka and the others stumbled out of the Agency ready for battle with a horrible, ferocious fiend, and encountered instead, something almost as terrifying: a very unhappy, half-naked Auron.

Wakka roared with laughter right alongside Kimahri, which in itself was frightening since the Ronso warrior never laughed. At least not out loud. Yuna gasped and hid her face while the Black Mage averted her gaze, but Auron was sure he saw a smile on her lips. Using his sword, he cut the rope holding his ankle, and dropped to the ground, folding his coat tightly around himself and marching back inside.

"Yevon, what was that?" Yuna asked as the door slammed. She looked to Tidus, as if she knew who was behind it all. Smiling proudly, Tidus did a little victory dance with Rikku, while Wakka laughed and sang his praises. "I just pranked the Stiff!" he crowed, giving Wakka a high-five, not noticing Yuna's slight frown.

"That was mean, you know," Yuna said, turning on her heel and going back inside, Kimahri at her heels. He paused in the doorway and gave Tidus a thumbs-up.

"You really should give that one a name, brudda," Wakka laughed as he slapped the boy on the back " Because that's one for the history books, ya?"

Tidus thought for a moment, then his face lit up with inspiration. "Hey! How about 'The Sublimely Magnificent!'

"No!" They all shouted in unison.

Later, Rikku, Lulu and Yuna walked brusquely ahead of the party, noses in the air. Somehow, Tidus had managed to offend them. Maybe it was the way he giggled every time someone said 'knockers'. Then again, it could have been the belch. Or the backwards belch. Well, however he had managed to do it, he had done it. Now the 'X's were not on speaking terms with the 'Y's. And the 'Y's were not on speaking terms with him. He plodded along in the space between X and Y, hoping that one of the two groups would forgive him before they reached Luca. He was hungry, and someone needed buy his lunch for him.

Wakka gave Auron a poke in the ribs with his elbow and nodded to Tidus. "I think he's lost it." He commented to the older guardian. Tidus was currently talking to himself (mostly complaining about the Old Guy. What he was saying about him was not very complimentary.) and would occasionally giggle. The 'Y's watched in amusement as Tidus (who technically now fell outside the alphabet) attempted to get back in the good graces of the 'X's. He wheedled, begged and pleaded. He even went so far as to crawl along behind Yuna whimpering like a puppy, then grab hold of her leg. He looked up at her with the biggest, dewiest eyes he could manage and stuck out his bottom lip, allowing it to tremble just a bit. It worked, to the 'Y's' astonishment.

Auron grunted "Thus the boy leaves the 'Y's to become an 'X'".

Wakka snorted and cupping his hands around his mouth shouted "TIDUSSSS! You 'X'!"