The Monster within Besaid Temple

Silver walked out of the temple and threw his blitzball in the air, beginning to dominate it with his head. "Up... up... up..." He concentrated to not let the ball fall, even when walking down the stone steps. "How I need to play a match. After we find them I'm asking your father to play against me," he told Serenity, holding the ball still on top of his head.

…

Tallulah walked out of her tent with her bag on her back and staff on hand. Tallulah saw Silver playing with his ball and Yuna's daughter after him, what a surprise. He was just a ladiesman, always had been. Many girls around Spira would kill just to pet his ears and tail. "Are we leaving now?" she asked once she got close enough to them.

…

"I.. really have nothing against you.... I'm just.... well, it's too hard to explain... And about coming with you.... I will tag along till Kilika, and maybe a bit further."
Calix sighed, looking up at the Guado girl from feet to head, and upside down.

She looks a lot worse like this... He thought subconsciously. But there is... a slightly better view...

…

Kai walked back to his family's hut to gather what he would need to take with him on their journey. "I can't wait to leave, because the sooner we leave the sooner we find Mom and the others." He entered the hut and walked to his room, taking a bag and killing with clothes and things. Then he walked into his parent's room and walked over to the wall, pulling Tidus' sword, the Brotherhood, off, and heads back out of the hut with sword in hand.

…

"We should get everyone else together before leaving." Lucine said, still a bit drowsy.

"Zephyr go to dock. Silver and Serenity in Temple. Others at inn." Lhinx said.

"Well actually..." Lucine pointed toward where a black blitzball was flying around. The Al Bhed ran over to them and Lhinx looked around.

(Everything seems okay.) The Ronso thought as she soon followed Lucine over.

"It is near noon, we should go." Lhinx said.

…

"Well, alrighty then," Zephyr said enthusiastically. "We can just wait for others, then. They should be coming pretty soon." Zephyr smirked and rested her hands on her slim, rather boyish hips. "I think everyone here has things they're hiding, you know," she mused in a quiet tone. "I sure as hell do. We're all here for the same, reason, though. . . and what other than fate could have brought us together like this?"

…

"Roger!" Silver caught his ball and smiled as he saw Kai walking about of his hut. Then he turned to Serenity. "You're not taking anything else?"

…

"Faith…" Calix stated lowly. That was the only word he said. He had the strange urge to go for a swim, but resisted. He was far too tired to go swimming. He just wanted to rest, not sleep, but rest.

Zephyr took a moment to study him, then shook her head. "Come on, we're boarding the ship now," she said, noticing her comrades gathering near the docks. "You look tired. . . I have something that could help with that, if you want it," she added as she walked towards the ship. She bought a ticket for passage to Kilika with one of her strange, rusted coins, then strode onto the ferry, looking out over the vast sea.

…

Kai noticed Silver and Serenity, and walked over to them, carrying his stuff. "So when do we leave?" He asked Silver.

…

Serenity looked at Kai, who had walked out of their hut and was ready to go, like much of the rest of the group.

"You not taking anything else?" Silver asked her, and Serenity realized she wasn't even carrying anything. She laughed and started walking backwards towards their hut. "I'll be right back! Meet you guys at the docks!"

Kai nodded at Serenity. "Got it, sis," he said, and made his way to the dock.

…

"You guys go ahead, I'll catch you up as soon as Serenity is ready," Silver said as he looked at Tallulah and then at the others. "Zephyr must be waiting for us there, so better if you hurry, we're right after you."

…

"I go to dock." Lhinx said.

(The sooner I'm outta here, the better.) The Ronso thought as she ran towards the exit, down the path and toward the beach.

(Now...) Lhinx looked around the beach, catching sight of Zephyr and the human who had tried to help her in the fight.

The Ronso walked over to the pier, when a hand landed on her arm.

"Hey Ronso." The gravelly voice said almost threateningly.

Lhinx turned to her side to see about three or four men who looked way to happy with themselves.

"Yeah, that's the one." A front man said. "Ronso, we're gonna beat the ever living crap outta you."

"Really?" Lhinx asked, looking down at them with an annoyed expression.

"Yeah really. You made us look like idiots on that ferry." One of the men from the back said.

"You not need help." Lhinx said.

"What did you say?!"

The man leaped at her, only to miss when the Ronso stepped aside. Lhinx then grabbed the man by the back of his shirt and shook him really hard for a while.

"Put me down!" The man begged. "Put me down!"

Another man began charging at Lhinx, only to have his comrade thrown right at him into the gut. The other two had circled around and one had managed to jump onto Lhinx's back, putting the Ronso into a strangle hold while the other punched her in the gut.

Lhinx's paws clenched the strangler's arm and sunk their claws in, making the man yell out in pain and release his grip. The man who had been punching the Ronso now had a look of deep terror in his eyes as he looked up at the towering Ronso who's teeth and claws were out and ready.

"Lhinx should tear you limb from limb." Lhinx said in a deep low growl like tone.

…

Calix slowly sat up, taking his time to place his flute in its proper holster in his staff, and used his staff to pull himself up. After he was standing, Calix made his way onto the ship replying to the girl, who most likely was out of earshot by now. "Nah I'll just rest, potions don't much do it for me." Actually he was more talking to himself in a low voice, because he knew the Guado couldn't hear him.

…

Serenity hastily entered their hut, picking up a stray bag in the corner and packing it up with anything she thought they'd need. She took one last look at the sphere Kai had given her, and put it in the bag as delicately as she could. Grabbing her mother's Twin Bees off the table, she sadly looked around the room as if she'd never see it again, taking in every detail. With that, Serenity left the hut, surprised Silver was still there waiting for her.

"Silver…what are you still doing here?" She asked curiously, walking in the opposite way of the docks towards the temple once again. She wasn't able to do what she had wanted to do before, with the priests guarding everything. But she wasn't going to back down now.

As Serenity quietly made her way towards the stairs leading to the chamber of Fayth, the priests saw her and stepped in the way, blocking the path. "Halt! Something suspicious has been found inside. No one is supposed to enter. Especially you, Lady Serenity."

"Look…I don't know if…I'll ever see this place again. So I just want to see it one last time. Please," Serenity pleaded with the Yevon priest. The priests looked at each other before stepping away from the stairs leading into the chamber of the Fayth, eyeing Silver. "Please be careful Lady Serenity," they said as they bowed, doing the Yevon sign. Serenity bowed and did the sign as well, before ascending up the flight of stairs.

"I'm sorry for dragging you back here again, Silver," Serenity said as they walked. "I know how they were staring at you. But…I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to this place. I hope you understand." As they came across the door leading inside the chamber, she found it was closed. Keeping in her sigh of frustration, Serenity put down her bag and began opening the door with all she had.

…

Zephyr turned to the sound of commotion, which was a natural attraction to her. As she did so, she saw Lhinx in the middle of a veritable mob of angry men.

"Lhinx, you alright over there?" she called, knowing that she was. It was better, though, to ask, to make sure she was keeping the peace.

…

Silver simply smiled and moved closer to the locked door, suddenly kicking it and kneeling then to make it go up. "Here you go, now we can go in," he said, still smiling. Maybe he was in a mistake by using his strength that way. But was the only way he had to solve this kind of situations. Never been able to get along with Yevon stuff he didn't care about making mistakes with them.

…

Lhinx looked over to Zephyr and nodded.

"Do not bother Lhinx again." Lhinx said to the cowering man before her. She stepped over the two she had taken care of previously and toward the end of the pier.

(Stupid little humans...) Lhinx thought as she paid the ticket man and boarded the ship going to Kilika.

…

Serenity smiled brightly and picked up her bag. "Thanks! Figures a kick would do the trick," she added, laughing. Serenity looked around the room as she passed through the door, watching where she stepped so she wouldn't squish any of the little critters that were scurrying all across the floor. Her eyes traveled over the moss-covered walls then she kneeled down in front of the hole that lay in the middle of the room.

"I've never seen this place look like such a dump before…" Serenity said absently. "Mom would be so sad…everything started here for her. I just thought…coming here would give us some sort of sign…or some much needed luck." Serenity sighed. She felt Valefor, her summon monster, pulsing within her, feeding off the energy of where it was used to be. "We'll find you guys, mom. I promise."

…

Calix moved to the stern of the boat and sat with his back to the railing, found his flute and began to do what he did best, played music. Now rather than a up beat, or sad song Calix began to play a soft low energy song that calmed and soothed the ferrymen, and others abroad the vessel. The song was named "Wave over Wave" and was a very catchy tune, but not to forcing.

…

Silver walked after Serenity and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Yes, we are going to find you mother and everyone else," he said, trying to cheer up the girl. "Don't you worry, both your mom and dad are really strong. I heard from Lady Yuna herself long ago that it was thanks to your father Sin had been finally defeated, and it was your mother who took Vegnagun down. I bet they are doing fine, we'll just find them and come back here and have a big party." He laughed.

Serenity laughed and nodded, closing her eyes and wiping them. "I'm sorry for being and sounding all depressed and sad. You're right! We'll find them all and throw the biggest party Spira's seen yet! And we can all sing and dance and have a thousand apples." She looked up at him, smiling. "Let's get going before the others leave without us." Standing up, Serenity brushed herself off. "I wonder what was so dangerous about coming in here…" Serenity wondered aloud, not noticing the fresh scratches on the wall as she walked through the door. "Hey, what was it exactly my mom said to you when you met her that makes you like her so?"

Silver laughed at the thought of eating a thousand apples. He did it once... and due to the sugar overrun he couldn't sleep in days. "Well... besides my parents she was the first person that actually talked nice to me," he said. "We lived at Zanarkand, in a tent, when she went there one day with her husband. I went over to her and asked her to sign my blitzball. I remember she took it and almost fell, she didn't expect it to be that heavy. She... laughed and signed it, then your dad did too. She scratched my ears and said they were cute. I think she had never seen anyone like me before..."

He became quiet suddenly, a weird smell getting to his nose. "Something's not right here... it smells like ash..."

Serenity laughed, putting her hands atop her head again. "Oh, that's really sweet, Silver. I'm going to have to see your blitzball up close one of the days. Just hope I don't fall over, too." She stopped and turned around to look at him when he became silent. "Ash?" Serenity tried sniffing the air. "Why on earth would they burn something in here…? It wouldn't be the lanterns, that ash must've disappeared ages ago it hasn't been lit in so long…" She walked closer to him. "Where's it coming from?"

"Here," he said. "No, it's not lanterns. It smells like flesh as well, like... WATCH OUT!" Silver pushed Serenity aside and punched a huge, sphere-shaped rock that flew towards them and broke it into pieces. A second later he draw his gunblade and ran out of the Chamber and into the 'Waiting room-like' hall where Guardians used to wait for the Summoners to go out. There it was, hanging from the roof. Their attacker.