Standerd disclaimer: If I owned it, do you really think you would be reading it here? 'Coarse not! Now onto chapter three.
We made it to the end of the Mihen Highroad in record time. A few fiends here and there, but nothing that stopped us from continuing. What stopped us was when we got to the gates of mushroom rock road. The crusaders were planning some sort of operation. More specificly, Operation Mihen.
Humph. No matter what they planned it was not going to stop Jecht. Let them do what they wanted. They would soon find out how foolish it would be. Tidus walked over to talk to one of the guards and came back with some useful weapons. At least the boy was good for something. Since we would not be able to keep traveling, Yuna had decided that it would be a good idea to go back to the travel agency until they were finished. Everyone agreed.
We began our trek back when Measter Seymour came strolling down the road. He noticed the distressed look on Lady Yuna's face.
"Lady Yuna, what troubles you so?" He asked in his sickening smooth voice. I hated that voice, it always sent chills up my spine when I heard it. He was too smooth.
Yuna turned so she was facing the gates. "We were going to go to mushroom rock road, but they are not letting anyone pass." She explained.
"I see. I will be right back." He walked away and I could hear the guards protest loudly. He turned to us again and spoke. "I have arranged it for you to pass. I will meet you inside."
I raised an eye, but said nothing. When we walked through we met up with him once again. Wakka was the one who spoke first.
He stumbled over his words until he was able to get out the question that was bothering him. "Measter Seymour sir. Why are the crusaders using the forbidden machina? Isn't that against the teachings, ya?"
I listened closly to the Measter's words. I knew he had to have been hiding something. "The crusaders want a world without sin just like the rest of Spira. If it takes al bhed machina to do it, then the temple is willing to stand behind them. We are working together to destroy what has been destroying our lives for a thousand years." He walked away from us again after that explanation. He got three steps when he faced Yuna. "Lady Yuna, I will wait for you at the command center. Join us when you are ready."
"I can't believe it, ya. Al bhed and crusaders working together? That's not right, ya!" Wakka again, the voice of reason. Notice the sarcasm.
"Maybe it is right. Maybe this might be what brings all of Spira together." Yuna in her soft voice.
"We must hurry," I urged. "We do not want to be caught here when they begin." Everyone nodded and followed my lead. We made it to the commannd center. Tidus stayed to talk to a crusader that he knew while the rest of us entered. I glanced around quickly and saw an old frind of mine in the clothing of a measter.
"Kinoc, a measter?" I questioned.
"I heard that. Is that you, Auron?" He came over and gave me a hug. He always was so emotional. "Did you get to see Zanarkand like you wanted to?" He asked me.
"That is something I would rather not talk about. We have other things to be concerned with right now."
"Yes, you are right." He stepped away from me and back over next to the grand measter.
Yuna walked over and stood next to the three measters. "So what... do you plan to do?" She asked after making the prayer.
Kinoc explained the plan to us. "We have brought sinspawn in from around Spira. We are going to make them call out to sin. When it gets here the crusaders are going to hold it off until the al bhed are ready. When they give the signal, then we back off and they are going to blast it with machina."
"You know this plan will not work." I scolded them.
"Don't say that, sir Auron. Maybe, maybe it might. If it does, then Spira will be at peace."
"My apoligies, Lady Yuna." I was not sorry for what I said, but Yuna seemed so hopeful that it would, I felt bad for her. After this, everyone would see machina was not the answer.
The operation began. I could feel Jecht's presence approching. He would be here soon. I watched waiting to see when he arrived. A gasp from the group diverted my attention. One of the sinspawn had escaped. Great, what timing.
Lulu, Kimahri, and I ran in to take care of it. While she casted spells, we took care of the arms. When they were gone, I switched with Wakka. The head had spit poison at me. I was steadily becoming weaker as I fought. Yuna casted esana on me and soon I was feeling well enough to go back in. Kimahri was getting tired so Tidus soon took his place since the arms had grown back.
Wakka continued pounding on the head until it died. I ran back in to take his place, but Lulu's magic had run dry. She was unable to consentrate anymore so her firas were not doing much damage. Yuna came in for her. I could tell the fiend was weakening.
"Sir Auron, let me call Ifrit." She called to me.
I nodded and grabbed Tidus' arm to drag him away. I did not like Ifrit and wanted us as far as possible so she could summon. A moment later the sinspawn fell. Yuna dismissed the aeon, but now we had sin to deal with. The al bhed were ready now. Whatever weapon they had was fired. We watched in awe as the weapon and sin faced off.
They both had gathered an energy beam in an attempt to finish the other off. Just as I predicted though, sin was the stronger force. The energy began to cave in before it was thrown back at all who stood in the way. The tower the al bhed constructed fell taking many people with it. Yuna's face was one of horror as she watched it fall.
I glanced to my left to see that Measter Seymour was holding back the sinspawn. Appearently we had failed to dispose of it. "Lady Yuna!" I called to her. She was the only other one close enough to help after the explosion. She turned our way and came running.
This time we made sure the sinspawn dissapeared into a cloud of pyerflies. With that done I went in search of the boy. He would have questions that I knew only I would be able to answer. I found him laying on the beach.
"Many have died, but you are still here I see."
"I felt him. I felt my old man." He said sadly. "It was really him. How did it happen?" He stared at the sand between his legs as he spoke.
"You will find out in time. Jecht came here for you. He wanted you to see something."
"For me?" He lifted his head to look at me. "Why me? Why did he have to kill all them people to see me?" He jumped to his feet then. I took a step back to give him room. "It's not right! It shouldn't have to be like this!"
"That's why he came. He wants you to stop him." I told him calmly before walking away so we could continue our travels.
It was a short walk from the Djose shore to the temple. Several crusaders that we talked to along the way gave gifts to us in thanks for what we had done during the operation. When the party reached the crossroad Tidus stopped us.
How much longer is it until we get to Zanarkand?" He whined.
I sighed ans was about to answer when Wakka spoke first. "Yuna has to pray at every temple on our way. It is how she trains to be a summoner. After this we go through the moonflow, through Guadosalam, acroos the thunder plains..."
"Okay, okay. I get it." Tidus interrupted.
"But first, we have to go to the temple of Djose." Yuna said in a sing-song voice.
Everyone started walking for the temple, but I stayed back. I had to tell something to Tidus. "Hey, new kid." I said to somewhat ease what I had to say.
"Yeah, what do you want?" He asked as he put his hands nehind his head in a classic Tidus pose.
"Don't tell anyone what you know about Jecht." I warned him.
"Why? It's not like they would believe me." He argued.
I sighed. "Yuna would. She would distance herself from you then. We do not want that to happen." I knew that if she were to sepperate herself, then she would have no problem letting herself be killed by the final aeon. I had promised Braska I would not let that happen. She would live to grow old no matter what. I had let my mind wander and only caught the end of what the boy in front of me had said.
"You got it boss." I nodded and followed after the rest of the group.
When we arrived at the temple we noticed the stone that sourounded the temple was floating on the eletric waves. (a/n: for lack of better term) I heard Tidus' exclamation as Wakka explained what it meant.
"Maybe it's Dona." The boy whined.
"Humph. Let's just go." I said as I made my way in. Inside we were met with a summoner and his two guardians. Issaru if I remember correctly. They warned us of sommoners disappearing on their pilgramiges. I had heard the rumors, but pushed them aside. It was nothing that I needed to worry about. We wished them luck as Lulu and Wakka took over in solving the trials.
As Lady Yuna went in to pray to the fayth, we waited. As we did so another summoner came in. By the groans made by Tidus I assumed that this must be Lady Dona.
"You again. We just seem to keep running into eachother, don't we?" Now I understood why they did not get along with her. There was something about her that fayed on my nerves.
I stood against the wall and watched what would happen next between them. However, it was short lived as her guardian came and stood in front of me.
"What is it Bartello? You know this rif-raf?" She mocked.
He ignored her question as he stared at me before asking, "You are Sir Auron, are you not?"
"What of it?" I heard the group chuckle at the Lady and someone teasing her before he spoke again.
"Can I shake your hand? You are the reason why I wanted to be a guardian. You were my insperation."
I chuckled slightly and decided to humor him. So I reached out and let him shake my hand. He smiled before running back and standing next to his summoner.
"I may never wash this hand again." He sighed.
"Please, touch me with that hand, and I'll remove it."
We stayed the night there to rest from our travels and also to allow Lady Yuna to send those who had died during the night. I stayed far from her, but still did not manage to get much sleep. The pull to the farplain was great, and it took all I had to resist.
In the morning Tidus woke her up and she came running out and apoligizing profusly for making us late.
"We understand. Relax." Lulu, the voice of reason. "Here your hair." She stepped closer and began to brush her hair with her fingers.
"A summoner with bed head. What kind of world is this?" Wakka joked.
"You guys. Why are you all picking on me today?"
"As soon as Lady Yuna fixes her hair we leave." I joked myself to help lighten the mood that decended on us from the day before.
She turned and came running up to me. "You too, Sir Auron?" She huffed before we headed for the moonflow. We had a shoopuf to catch.
A/N: Next chapter we get to see Rikku. Yay! Okay, I know I'm gonna get someone to tell me that Auron is OOC. But if you play the game, he does laugh and joke around. Honest. But I will try and keep it as close as possible to his character. By the way, there will be NO aurikku. I may be a fan of the coupling, but this is according to the game, not to what I want to see. Okay, sorry about that little rambling. Just had to warn you all. Now go and leave me a review and tell me what you think.