A Generation of Aeons
Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X or X-2

Last Time:

Standing on the summoner's bluff, Kiron watched the pair thoughtfully as he could see Takoire's outline helping Lenne up. "It seems there is a new reason for us to be rivals, Lord Takoire…"

After a full night of rest and upon hearing of the Abes' victory over the Aurochs, the group made up of two summoners and three guardians boarded an airship headed for Kilika: the second of the five temple cities.

By mid-day, the airship had reached its destination, and the group of five stood in the middle of the square before the temple. The newly made summoner, Lenne, looked around in wonderment. "So, when exactly is the time that we go to, uh…" She blushed in embarrassment. "What's the name of the aeon again?"

Kiron, Zaon, and Seru looked at her all the more confused, but Takoire just looked at her with a small, amused smile. "Byakko."

"And when do we go take the test?" Lenne questioned further.

"Night," he answered simply. "There's a giant oil well, when you light it, Byakko can be summoned forth."

Kiron eyed the guardian confidently. "It amazes me that a former blitzball player would know so much about summoners and guardians."

Takoire grimaced. "Well, let's just say I'm a well-rounded kinda guy."

"Lenne, it's been almost a week since we met in Besaid, and you were christened a summoner, but you still don't understand. I mean no disrespect, but I've never heard of someone so… uninformed. Let alone a summoner."

Almost lunging at the prince, Takoire stepped in his summoner's way. "Lenne, you do know that this stuck up prince is insulting you, right?"

Lenne refused to hear it. "No, but considering from what I know and from what you've told me, it's pretty obvious that I'm different."

Takoire looked at Kiron straight in the eye, not bothering to hide his anger. "Don't tell him anything."

"You can't tell her what to do and what not to do!" Kiron responded, the anger also rising in his voice. "Lenne isn't just someone you can boss around."

"You don't even know her!" Closing within an inch from the summoner's face, Takoire glared down at him.

"And you're an expert now!"

"No, but I certainly know more than you do about her!"

"So that gives you the right to tell Lenne whatever the hell you see fit?"

Zaon, Seru, and Lenne stood off on the side watching the argument. The oldest guardian watched his summoner with a confused look while Seru watched with what seemed a typical look of inconvenience. Lenne, on the other hand, her anger was rising by the minute.

Finally reaching a critical point, Lenne yelled at both of them, stepping between them. "Shut up! You're both acting like children!" Hearing her words, Kiron and Takoire ceased immediately. "Just so you know, I am right here!" She looked at them with an aggravated gaze. "I can't believe you two!" She stared them down and began to walk away. "I'm going to take a walk."

"But you can't go alone!" Takoire suddenly bursted out, regretting what he had done a second later.

"I think it's about time you stop telling me what to do, Takoire." Lenne retorted, eyeing him angrily. Kiron simply smirked nearby. "And not a word out of you, Kiron. You're as much to blame as Takoire. I'm going!"

She turned and walked away, not quite sure where she was headed. Takoire and Kiron wisely bit their tongues, looking at each with a mixture of anger and confusion.

"Zaon, Takoire, why don't you stay with Kiron? I'll go with Lenne until she cools down," Seru said calmly. The female guardian chased after the summoner, leaving behind three men. She ran, yelling out. "Hey! Would you mind stopping for a moment?"

Hearing her, Lenne turned to see Kiron's guardian running towards her. "Seru?"

Catching up, the two continued. "Sorry, normally I would leave you alone, but unfortunately for you, summoners can't be left alone. But, if you want, I could always walk ten feet behind you. I've seen some summoners do that before, but I mean seriously. If you're going to be stuck with someone as long as you're a summoner, you can't strike up conversation? Kiron does make Zaon and I do that once in awhile, but only while his father's around," Seru finished with a smile.

Lenne shook her head and smiled, venting out some of her built up anger." No, you're better company than those two boneheads."

"No kidding," Seru agreed. "Before you and Sir Takoire came along, all I had for company was Kiron and Zaon. And those two, ooh," Seru shook her fist angrily, "sometimes it's impossible to talk to Kiron. He's got too big of an ego." They laughed. "And Zaon really isn't much of a talker, sometimes I wonder how he's actually engaged."

Lenne laughed. "Come to think of it, I don't think he's said one word to me yet. How 'bout you?"

"Nope, the most he talks to me is when we're talking about Kiron's safety protocols." Seru scoffed. "It's kind of interesting. Kiron really had to plead with his father to allow me to be one of his guardians."

"What are you talking about?" Lenne asked. "No offense or anything, but you two can't seem to stand each other sometimes."

Seru laughed and patted Lenne on the shoulder. "I don't think Kiron and I could hide it even if we tried, but my mother and I worked in the palace. I was about thirteen, just old enough to work, and sometimes I ran into Kiron."

"Really?" Lenne asked slyly.

Seru pushed her slightly. "Don't give me that look. It's not like that." She exhaled. "Sometimes when Kiron was running away from his father, I would run into him, and we started talking. Before I knew it, we were friends."

"So how'd you become his guardian?"

"When it was decided for Kiron to become a summoner, like his father, he wanted me as one of his guardians. If not for my abilities as a mage, Maester Yevon would never have allowed it. But Zaon," Seru chuckled, "Kiron never chose Zaon to be one of his guardians."

"Huh?"

"Zaon's a hero, so Maester Yevon reassigned him to protect his son, that's how he met Yunalesca."

Lenne looked at her unsurely. "And Lady Yunalesca's the one he's engaged to, right?"

With a look of curiosity that Seru couldn't hide, she answered. "Uh, yeah, Lady Yunalesca. But," Seru paused as the pair reached the edge of the city and the beginning of the forest, "you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

The summoner only shrugged. "No, I think it's time someone else knows besides Takoire. But before I say anything, can I be honest with you?"

Seru nodded. "Of course, why wouldn't you? It's not as if I'm taking notes for Kiron."

"Well, I've noticed that you speak with a mixed accent."

"Yeah," Seru agreed, "I have tried to mask it, but I never did get it quite right." She breathed out deeply. "You see, I used to live in Bevelle, I grew up there. My father died a little after I turned thirteen, and my mother and I moved to Zanarkand a few months later."

"So," Lenne continued, "why don't you just speak with either a Bevelle or Zanarkand accent?"

"It's complicated. Cities in Spira usually take sides, either with Zanarkand or Bevelle. Besaid is one of the few neutral cities. Life's a bit easier if you have either accent in some cities…but enough about me. I'm sorry to be rather prudent, it's a bad habit of mine, but why does Sir Takoire always need to tell you what's going on?"

"Fine, I'll tell you, but chances are you won't believe me," Lenne said sheepishly.

"Try me," was Seru's only response.

"Okay then, but it's a very long story. Would you mind taking a walk through the forest?"

Seru smiled good-naturedly. "I don't know if I can protect you from all the fiends in there."

In return, Lenne put on a face of rancor. "Who said I needed protection? I can fight for myself thank you very much. The only reason I keep Takoire around is because a summoner needs a guardian, right?"

By the time Seru and Lenne had caught back up with the others, darkness had fallen on the island of Kilika.

At the end of the forest's winding path was the Temple of Byakko. Kiron was less than thrilled to see the second of his guardians returning back so late; his impatience getting the better of him.

Standing nearby was Takoire, keeping his distance from Lenne. She only spoke to him briefly over her shoulder. "I decided to tell them; Seru already knows." He grimaced. "I just though you had a right to know."

Lenne watched as Kiron chided Seru, who didn't seem to be actually listening. She could only make out a few of the prince's words. "What took you so long to bring Lenne back? I was beginning to get worried that you wouldn't get back before sunrise."

Not wanting to see her new friend scolded anymore, Lenne spoke up. "Kiron, if it's all right with you, I'd like to speak with you privately after this is all done."

Immediately forgetting about telling off his guardian further, Kiron turned to Lenne. "Of course. We can talk now… if you like?"

If Lenne heard or saw it, she chose not to reveal it and shook her head. "I think we should take care of the temple now. After all, you won't need to know if my journey ends here and yours goes on, right? You are the son of a maester after all."

By the glow of the torch's light, Lenne saw Kiron smirking at her. "Please, Lenne, don't say such things. My pilgrimage would be terribly boring without your company." A lock of hair fell over his right eye as he ran his hand through his hair, giving him a rather rakish look. Lenne couldn't help but blush.

"Oh, it wouldn't be so bad. You and Takoire wouldn't fight over little things, and you'd always have Zaon and Seru."

Kiron waved away the notion. He walked over to Zaon and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Zaon is soon to be a married man, and to my sister no less. Traveling with a brother-in-law will most definitely be a challenge. And Seru," he looked at her, "Seru is a good friend, don't misunderstand me, that's why I made her a guardian, but she gets on my nerves sometimes."

"But, Kiron," Lenne insisted, "your journey would have gone on just the same if you'd never have met me at Suzaku's Sanctuary."

"Ah, yes, but I must say that it would not have been as enjoyable without your presence," Kiron answered.

Standing watch was a trio of guardians, not all belonging to the same summoner. Dressed in a thin, light blue dress that reflected as a light shade of purple by the flickering of the flame, Seru coughed subtly, as if snapping the two summoners back to reality.

It seemed that Takoire further enforced this by speaking. "Lord Kiron, Lenne, we do not yet know how long Byakko's test will take, and it is already well into the night. Perhaps you can speak of these things in the morning?"

With what seemed a half chuckle, Kiron turned to Takoire, the fire continuing to play tricks with the light, giving the young prince of Zanarkand a certain fiery glare. "Was that a Bevelle accent I heard just now, Guardian Takoire?"

Unable to look at Lenne, the former blitzball captain turned away. "It's late. We're all kind of tired."

"I suppose so," Kiron's responded. He turned back to the other summoner. "So, how are we going to decide who goes first?"

Lenne shrugged. "You can choose, I can't say I'm all that picky."

Kiron bowed and motioned with his hands in the direction of the temple, a dim outline. "As a matter of courtesy, I insist, ladies first then, Lenne."

She frowned and stepped up towards the outline of the temple. On both sides were torches with a circular metal bowl between them. "What do I do?"

Takoire nodded to one of the torches. "Throw one in."

Nodding, Lenne took hold of the torch on her right and with its own weight, it didn't require her to throw it. It fell over, and a giant flame was set afire.

Within moments, the ground began to shake, everyone trying to keep their balance as the shaking became more and more violent. Kiron was barely holding his own. Zaon helped Seru behind him while Lenne tried her best to keep her balance. It was a wonder that the earth wasn't splitting in two.

Finally Lenne lost her balance, the most vicious of the quakes seeming to surround themselves around her. Takoire caught her and helped her get back on her feet as the quaking began to subside. Lenne shook her head. "What have I gotten myself into this time?"

Suddenly, all around them, the trees and bushes began to rustle as Zaon and Takoire pulled out their weapons.

Lenne yelled out. "What's going on!"

Holding her staff between her palms, the tip of the rod at eye level, Seru shook her head. "No idea, but whatever it is, it's radiating power."

Takoire grimaced. "I think we're about to find out…"

Author's Notes:

Final Revision