Macalania Woods, literally meaning 'The Wilderness of the Fayth."

It had become colder since the last time he had been here. Perhaps it was because of the Fayth awakening... or maybe it was his imagination. The forest had never been this quiet when he'd been here before.. and yet it was now.

Ever since he'd began his quest, he hadn't know half the time why he was going places. Some, after he made it there made sense. Zanarkand, for instance. Leblanc's chateau had been his own idea, through some conversations he'd heard in his traveling. But this one.. he could find no reason for. This forest... there wasn't anything here, was there?

He kept walking, allowing whatever had been leading him to continue to do so. Shrugging his warrior's robe closer to him, he trudged on through the intense algid weather. His knees were aching after his long travels.. but he knew he was close. Close to what though...

He started reviewing what he knew.

Lenne had been a songstress in Zanarkand. Apparently, as well as being a songtress, she'd been a summoner. Had she been powerful? Is that why Yunalesca had been willing to go to such lengths to get her to war?

And what of the young man who Lenne had been with at the concert? The one that she missed, and even now, couldn't find. He'd figured out that it wasn't Jecht's son.. but perhaps... What had Lenne wanted him to see?

Who knew. The Fayth was a mysterious thing in its simple complexity, and he bet the only answers would come from the Fayth. Talking to the Fayth, however, was never an easy thing. Plus, add to the problem that they no longer slept...

He came to a stop, and looked around to see where he'd been led.

In front of him was a huge void, where once the Macalania Temple had stood. As he gazed across the huge void, he smiled somewhat. Apparently.. Lenne had a sense of humor. He looked down... and then he saw it.

Just barely, the tip of Macalania Temple stuck out of the water. He stared at it, and began to question if Lenne really.. did have a reason for bringing him here.

How would he get down there? The water was at least a hundred feet below him. There was no easy way to do this. But... a simple way...

Strapping his sword to his back, he prepared for what he was about to do. Then, taking a few steps back, he ran towards the ledge, and dove outwards, forming into an almost perfect dive. The jagged outcroppings of the cliff he'd just launched himself from came dangerously close to him, but he had managed to get enough distance. Staring down, he saw the water quickly approaching.

"The things I do for honor..."

Then his body felt the water. For a moment, it felt like every piece of his body was on fire. Then, the numbing cold began to sink its way in. Swimming against the pain, he looked around him, trying to decide where he should go from here.

The water, despite being freezing, was crystal clear, and impossibly, he could see around him. The temple cut a foreboding shape in the in the blues surrounding it. He began to swim over there, but then stopped.

What would be in the temple, besides water? And a point, how would he get in the temple, anyway?

He shook his head, and looked around, keeping afloat. Wherever it was, he'd have to make it quick. The water's temperature was beyond severe, and if he didn't get out of it... he didn't dwell on the thought. Where would he go from here? His logical thought process was disjointed because of the bitter cold..

Then, he saw it. Just barely. He could see ruins. He began to swim there as fast as he could, but because of the freezing temperature of the water, what seemed fast.. was slow. His movements, which seemed swift, were sluggish. As he crept closer to the ruins, his mind wandered aimlessly. He tried to clear his thoughts, but they wouldn't focus. In a moment of clarity, he realized he was dealing with mild hypothermia. If he was... he renewed his swim towards the ruins, and they loomed ever far away.

His thoughts were becoming disjointed, his eyesight blurry. Yet he pressed on. His breathing became shallow, and it became harder to get air. Even in the mess that was becoming his mind, he knew it. The hypothermia he was dealing with was no longer mild, but increasing... he didn't have much longer.

His target was close... if he could just keep going...

He became confused. What was he doing here? Who...

"No!"

His own voice echoed around him, but he didn't remember yelling...

Where was he..? Why was he so feverishly trying to get to.. wherever he was heading?

Was this a dream?

As his hand touched land, and he began to pull himself out, more of his body touched land. As he pulled himself the rest of the way out... he lost consciousness...
-
When he awoke, he was startled by a fire, but couldn't move to block his eyes from it. Every part of his body ached. He was glad he was laying down.. but where?

"You shouldn't move so quickly, you know."

That voice... wasn't it...

"L...Lenne?"

He focused his eyes on the woman. It had to be her.. didn't it? Her face was blurry...

Shaking his head trying to clear the cobwebs, then he wished he hadn't. However, it did help to clear his vision, and soon he could tell who he was looking at wasn't Lenne, but a female Guado.

"No, my name is Celestia. Are you hungry?"

"No. But..." his voiced trailed off. It still hurt to use it.

She walked over to him, holding a canteen.

"You should drink this. It'll help your voice," She said, opening the canteen, and handing it to him.

Bracing against the pain, he took it from her, and began to drink from it. Whatever he had expected had gone out the window when he realized all she had given him was hot water. It soothed his body, and soon he felt like he could speak again.

"Thank you," he whispered, testing his voice. It felt all right, but he wouldn't be yelling any time soon.

"It's not a problem. I must confess though, I was stupefied when I saw you pull yourself out of that water. Do you realize how frigid that water is on a warm day?"

He smiled somewhat. He had a good idea.

"You're lucky I was out getting water when I was, or you'd be dead right now," the Guado said, as she tossed a bit of brush in the fire, causing it to spark up.

"Thank you," He said. He decided to move to a sitting position, then did, and moved closer to the fire.

Auron began to look around the place where he was sitting. It was a small room, undecorated, but he could tell that it was old. This had to be in those ruins he was swimming towards. Behind him, he saw a notch in the wall, where a table had been built into the wall, and on it was a bowl which had some sort of fruit in it. It looked freshly picked.

"What were you doing in the water anyway? You certainly don't look like you were scavenging the temple, unless you got that sword from it."

He smiled ruefully. Of course looters would attempt to find their way into it... and be lucky if they came out with anything worth while. But...

"Nothing. Just out for a swim."

"Well, there's two places I can think of to get into that water. One, is where you washed up. The other is a dive from the stairs that used to lead down to the cavern where the temple resided. You would have had to pass me to get into the water if you came this way, so that means you took close to a one hundred foot dive. People who are going "out for a swim" aren't that gutsy."

"I am."

"You're right. You're lying. But I suppose it is none of my business..."

He paused. She had saved him, after all.

"I've been searching for something in Macalania. I thought that maybe if I were to swim around down here, I might find what I'm looking for," he replied finally.

"You're a fool, you know. But, not my place to judge. What were you looking for?" Celestia asked him.

"I'm not sure..."

Celestia had been leaning down towards the fire. Then suddenly without warning, she sat straight up.

"Are you a sphere hunter?"

He shook his head in the negative. He might have had a few spheres on hand.. but he was no sphere hunter. But...

"I'm not.. but I'm collecting certain spheres. Why?"

Opening a bag sitting next to her, she searched through it, before finally she smiled and pulled out a sphere.

"There's a larger building a bit away from here, and I found this sphere.. I was kind of hoping if you were a sphere hunter, maybe you'd buy it from me..."

Auron closed his eyes. This Guado.. was either sheltered, or young. Maybe both. But... part of him reached out to her.

"May I watch it?"

She looked over at him, suspiciously at first, then nodded.

Lenne...

His voice echoed around her, as the two walked along a pathway in a park on the outskirts of Zanarkand. The night cocooned around them, and the air, slightly salty and warm, wafted around them. The park was almost devoid of people besides them, and they walked slowly along. It wasn't often when she could do this, without the paparazzi following her, taking her picture... asking her questions on topics she would rather avoid.

Yes, she did enjoy these moments.

Lenne...

She stopped and turned towards him.

Yes?

There was sorrow in his eyes... she knew what was coming.

Sooner or later, they'll force you off into war...

Not if I can help it, Shuyin. I've made my stand. I've told Lady Yunalesca, and the rest of the Summoner's Council that I won't fight in a war that's unneeded.

How will you stop them from inducting you?

She sighed. One of the easier parts of this...

Zanarkand has no drafting laws. They cannot make me go to war without my consent.

It was true, too. Unfortunately, there were too many people willing to go off and fight in the war. Too many people fighting... not enough people coming home alive.

I guess that means if they want you, they'll have to kidnap you, huh.

Lenne giggled.

Yup.

Let's leave Zanarkand. Just the two of us.

Leave... Zanarkand...?

Where would we go?

There's plenty of places, Lenne! We could go south of Bevelle. I've heard there's a new town up and coming, built by people tired of the war. Kilika Port. And we could always go to Besaid. Zanarkand would never find you in any of those places. Not like they would even look to begin with.

..Could she really leave?

Lenne, I don't want you to go to war. Because.. if you do...

...She'd die.

I know.

...Could she do it?

...Nobody knows what's going on in this war. The Summoner's Council puts blinders on all of us, making it impossible to see why this war is so useless.

I know that Lenne! But what is one person going to do to change it?

I don't know. But I'll tell them. I really will.

He sat in silence after seeing that.

"Wait. Keep watching! There's more to it!"

The sphere shook as it was reactivated.

What's this..? A sphere?

A grinning man had it in front of his face. A long scar covered it from forehead to chin. He smirked at it, mocking a few poses, then tossed it at where it had come from. Whatever it had hit.. had caused it not to break on impact.

A moan was recorded.

Wh..where am I?

The smirking man looked down at her, and she felt tremendous fear just by his smirk alone.

Rise and shine missy. You get to fight for your country today.

The fear in her doubled tenfold.

What? No! I don't want to fight! Let me go!

She stood up, but not before putting the sphere in the pouch it had come from.

You think you have a choice in the matter? If you do, you're sadly mistaken. Fighting for your life, will change your opinion.

What? Where am I?

He motioned around. The room was circular, but not large. A table was notched into the wall, but there was nothing on it.

You're in a section of Crystal Griever Tactical Operations Base. We're approximately eight miles out of Bevelle.

Griever... A secret base...? What purpose did it serve...?

We've been sending out tactical ops forces into Bevelle, assassinating key leaders, planting spies for close to seven months. Because of how deep this place is in the frozen wastelands just south of Bevelle, they've never considered looking here. They don't think anyone would be stupid enough to come down here.

Then why was she here..? She wasn't tactical...

Why am I here?

Because, my dear, you can summon. And we're going to need all the summoners we can get if this plan should work.

He was still smirking. He knew she had no way of escaping, even if she thought he was wrong...

Have you ever heard of Yu Yevon?

What... a...

Of course! The master summoner! He died when he was fighting on the front lines over half a year ago.

What did Yu Yevon, a dead summoner, half to do with this.

As with every story, this one has it's twists. He was never on the front lines, and he was never dead. He's been here, helping us plan this attack since the day he "disappeared." Lady Yunalesca has been recruiting summoners for it ever since, by any means possible.

...What is this attack?

And why did it frighten her so?

We're calling it "Operation: Sin."


Auron was silent. As he went to shut off the sphere in mute shock, though, Celestia shook her head.

"There's more!"


She'd sat in shock after she'd been told what Sin was. An armored shell of death. Spira's own death reaver. It would require all the summoners that they could acquire... and from what she'd heard, they had alot in store. Most of the summoners had been taken off the front lines, and brought here. She looked over to the door. Apparently, they wanted to make sure she didn't leave because there was two guards posted outside.

There was some yelling outside. What was happening? She curled a bit closer to the bunk she sat on. Then without warning, the door exploded in from an impact.

You both drop your weapons, or I'll take your lives before you can pull 'em!

The two guards responded by dropping their weapons, and holding their hands up. Shuyin ran in.

Lenne. We're getting out of here.

She jumped up, and ran to him, giving him the tightest hug she'd ever given.

Thank you.

He smiled at her, and the two ran out of the room. As they made their way through the base, Shuyin was able to hold off any guards who might come at them.

How did you find me?

He smiled at her.

It's wasn't hard to follow them after they knocked you out. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything sooner though. But don't worry. We'll escape here, and.. I don't know what we'll do.

What of Bevelle...

They're going to attack Bevelle. If they succeed in their plan... Bevelle will be leveled.

His smile broadened.

No, they won't. Bevelle's got a weapon that'll counter it. And I'm gonna use it to stop this war.


The sphere shut off.

"That's all there is. Was it what you were looking for?"

He nodded his appreciation.The circle was almost complete, he sensed.

"How long has it been since you found me?" He finally asked her.

"About three days. You were close to death."

"Is it hard to get out of here?"

"No. It's a straight forward path from here. You'll end up just near Bevelle."

It was time to find Yuna.

"I thank you for your assistance, but I must be on my way."

Celestia looked up at him, sadness in her eyes.

"Will you be all right? You..."

"Yes," He replied, and then began to walk away.. but as he did, he stopped.

"I'd like to buy the sphere from you."

Her eyes lit up. He was right... this was all she had.He would help her.

"Okay!" She handed the sphere to him, and he felt his waist. As he did, he realized something odd.

"..I'm also going to need my clothes."

"I thought you might."

...Author's Notes...

There's been a lot of times when this story was difficult to write. Putting Auron into a story that he's not in, while simultaneously writing a story that we don't know, is difficult. I'm finding it quite difficult to write Lenne's story, because I don't want to ruin what is beautiful, while simultaneously while adding to it. It's not going to be easy at all, but I believe that I can do it.

The sphere that Auron saw was a bit of a different sphere, though I'm not going to enlighten you as to why, more as how. The sphere picked up partly on thoughts.

Next chapter, YRP finally meets their shadowy stalker. And the circle, is finally complete.

EMCSHoutOuts

Iron Reaver - You know what? I shouldn't even give you a shout-out, after clausing me like that. But... Uses the uber-authors clause to protect himself from damage and harm. That clause overrules your clause, thus making it null. But I do appreciate your review.

Nightfire04 - Yes. He does. And yes, you have.

Jasmine32 - Hiya. Good thing you're still reading. If you weren't, I'd be sad. On a side note, your stories are turning out awesome.Keep it up!

Madmaz - I updated as fast as I could! Did I update fast enough!

Now. I shall find my way into a cardboard box, and not return until the voices stop talking to me.

Edited Version: Hi. I changed some of the colds to other words, and I added a line at the end, as well as a few things here and there.