A Generation of Aeons
Chapter Twelve

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

Last Time:

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…"

From behind the outline of the temple and the torches flickering flames, a giant white tiger with streaks of silver leaped at them, stopping only barely in front of Lenne.

And it seemed as if the great aeon was laughing. "Ha, ha, ha, ha! Your guardians are ready and on their guard, and there are two summoners! Ha, ha, ha! This is proving to be very entertaining. It has been a good while since I have found a source of entertainment."

Unafraid, Lenne looked up at it grimly. "I'm glad you find me so amusing."

Looking down on her with a pair of gleaming silver eyes, Lenne could make out what she thought was a smile. "You, summoner, you are not afraid of me?"

"Why?" she asked. "Should I be? You kind of remind me of a kitty I used to have."

Again the aeon laughed. "Ha, ha, ha! I like you summoner! Few have ever been so bold in the awesome Byakko's presence!" The tiger's face seemed to become serious for a moment. "But know this, although I have taken a liking to you, summoner, does not mean that you shall pass my test," and with the simple statement, the aeon's sense of seriousness passed. "But there are two summoners and therefore two tests! This shall be a night of two times the fun!"

Kiron, Zaon, and Seru had all stepped aside and out of Lenne's way while Takoire stood a decent distance behind his female summoner. He still held his sword by its grip and had not resheathed it.

Byakko scoffed, his giant figure looming over them, with a sly, cat-like grin. The aeon suddenly brought his right paw down on the earth near Takoire, who had not moved.

"Ha! An interesting guardian as well! I believe I like him as well!" he said and continued to glare down at them. "So, summoner, will you take my test?"

In a daring move, Lenne shrugged. "I didn't come all this way just to look at you, no offense intended."

Again the cat laughed. "Ha, ha, ha, ha! Very well then!"

With the roar of a tiger, it reared back on its back legs and fell back onto the ground; the earth beneath him beginning to shake violently.

Lenne tried to maintain her balance while Takoire ran to help her. He held her by the shoulders as she leaned against him. Tilting back her head to look up at him, she gave a small smile. "Thanks."

He nodded grimly at her, and tried to respond until Byakko spoke for a second time. "Ha, ha, ha! Now then, summoner, how will you stop this shaking? How can a mere human stop an earthquake?"

Takoire glanced behind him and saw Kiron barely maintaining his balance with Seru clutched onto his right arm. Zaon still stood in his alerted stance, also trying to maintain his balance. Takoire turned back to his summoner still wearing a look of conviction on her face. He still held her by her shoulders.

All five of them watched Byakko laughing at Lenne's plight, but instead of showing any sign of intimidation, Lenne began to laugh with the tiger.

Hearing this, Byakko immediately stopped and looked down on Lenne's convicted face. Takoire could only look at his summoner with confusion, but smirking, Lenne spoke to the tiger. "It's a tricky, but simple question."

Byakko looked at her suspiciously. "Then answer me, summoner. How will you stop this shaking?"

"I can't," Lenne answered. "I have a tendency to look at questions in their simplest form, and that type of question is designed to be over thought."

Takoire gaped at her. He himself had been thinking about the aeon's question, a thousand or more solutions ran through his mind, all but this. He glanced at Kiron and the others behind him who seemed to have the same expression as he.

Lenne continued. "Humans can't predict or control nature, and that's exactly what nature is, an uncontrollable force."

Again Byakko began to cackle. "Ha, ha, ha! Wisdom and wit are what you posses, summoner! I knew I would like you!" He became more serious for a moment. "You have passed, Lenne. I bestow you with my power!"

Upon the silver-striped tiger's forehead, an indistinct emblem began to glow, and at the same time, a young summoner and her guardian felt its effects. On Takoire's right shoulder, his summoner's mark began to burn, while on Lenne's right wrist, there was the same effect, with Lenne's chokin necklace beginning to glow as well.

Having not moved from the end of the earthquake, Takoire still stood behind Lenne and grimaced through the pain as he held Lenne's wrist in his own hand. Watching her bite through the pain, he held her hand until the burning sensation began to subside.

He watched as Lenne's brand began to fade from her wrist and felt his pain lessening. Looking up, he saw Byakko with weary eyes. "You surprise me, summoner. You are much more than you appear to be." Then the tiger changed into its cheery mood. "But the night is still young," Byakko shifted his view at Kiron who had stepped up with Zaon and Seru, "and there is still another summoner to test."

Kiron flashed a smile at Lenne. "It's my turn now, go and rest. I'm sure you're more than exhausted."

With a fatigued nod, Lenne smiled back. "Thanks, and good luck."

Helping her, Takoire supported most of Lenne's weight and almost carried her to the base of a nearby tree. The guardian watched as Lenne's eyelids began to droop. Brushing the hair from her face, Takoire smiled softly at her.

Lenne mumbled something indistinctly, but Takoire hushed her quiet. "Sh, Lenne, you're tired. Get some sleep."

The summoner opened her eyes to look up at her guardian with a gentle face. "Thanks, Takoire."

"For what?"

"Earlier, with Byakko and the earthquake. You caught me."

He shrugged modestly. "I tried not to, but I couldn't help it. You know, those old blitzball reflexes."

Lenne laughed. "There you go again." She paused and blinked for a moment. "About earlier…"

Takoire shook his head. "Look, that was all my fault. I shouldn't have been bossing you around like that. You know what to do, and I just didn't think-"

"Shut up," Lenne said bluntly. "It was partly my fault too, Takoire." She blinked. "You're my guardian. You were just doing your job, and besides," the summoner laughed softly and looked up at him with her blue and green eyes, "you're my best friend, Takoire. You were just looking out for me."

Unable to look at her, Takoire looked away and watched Kiron, Zaon, and Seru stand before Byakko. "Look, Lenne," he breathed out, "there's something I need to tell you..." But his summoner had already fallen asleep. "Best friend…" he repeated.

There was a bird chirping. Lenne stirred from her slumber, and her eyes slowly opened. There was sunlight coming through her window. Her window?

She quickly sat up and realized she had been sleeping in another bed. But where were Takoire and the others? Finding a mirror, a bowl of water, and a towel, Lenne fixed herself up, making herself look more presentable. After cleaning her face, she ran her fingers through her hair and found her sword leaning in the corner.

Lenne sheathed it onto her back and walked out of the room, finding someone standing outside of her door quietly. "Ah, lady summoner! I see you are up and about!"

"Uh," Lenne smiled uneasily at the nun, "Lenne's just fine."

"Lady Lenne! An honor. I am called Jaya."

Lenne looked around. "Uh, do you know where my guardian is? And the other summoner and his guardians?"

The nun called Jaya began to walk through the courtyard that was openly lighted. "Please, Lady Lenne, follow me." Unsure of what else to do, Lenne did as the nun had instructed. "Each was given their own room, whether or not they are awake as of now I don't know."

"Oh," Lenne said, her voice dripping with the tiniest hint of disappointment, "but how did I get here?"

Looking around, Lenne saw Byakko's temple for the first time in its entirety. The building itself seemed to be nothing but a square with a hollow interior, and within the interior was a courtyard that held a small forest, the temple's own nature sanctuary.

Turning a corner, the nun spoke. "It's a wonder really. All of you were exhausted by the time we realized there was a summoner outside. Imagine our surprise when we find two! And not only that, they both passed!"

"But you still haven't answered my question. Did you bring us here?"

The nun nodded. "Everyone had passed out, except your guardian, Lady Lenne. He carried you to your room."

With a low bow, the nun stepped aside from a doorway, and Lenne walked in curiously, seeing Kiron, Zaon, Seru, and Takoire standing in what seemed like a banquet hall with plates of food laid out on the table.

Kiron was dressed differently than the previous night. His somewhat baggy pants were the same, but above it was different. Before it looked like a threaded, sleeveless vest made up of reds and whites, but now it seemed that someone had woven silver into it, and his cloak had adapted a similar pattern.

Takoire was eating a piece of fruit close to the door before he noticed her. "Hey!" his words slightly muffled because of the food, "Lenne!"

She walked over to him and saw his usual cheery face. "Hey," Lenne greeted.

Tossing an apple to her, Takoire smiled. "Here, have some breakfast. Courtesy of the Temple of Byakko."

Hearing the beginnings of a conversation, Kiron walked over to them. "Lenne! I see you're awake!" The other summoner spread out his arms and looked at his clothes. "What do you think? I got them fitted this morning."

Lenne looked at him for a moment and laughed. "Yeah, it suits you, sire."

He rolled his eyes. "What about you? When are you getting fitted?"

"Fitted?"

"You know…" Kiron motioned with his hands, "summoner's rank? Shows you've passed the tests of both Suzaku and Byakko…."

"Oh," Lenne said, fiddling with her silver necklace, "I don't need to, I have this."

Finally pulling it out of her shirt, Lenne held it out towards Kiron and Takoire, the first of the two running his fingers over it. "This is amazing, Lenne. I heard about this stuff from my history lessons. They're supposed to be nonexistent these days."

Lenne's eyes opened wide. "Really?" She looked down on her silver necklace; a new chokin had formed on it since last night, a roaring tiger. "I got this in Besaid when I was supposed to be fitted."

Standing on the side, Takoire looked at the necklace. "I've never seen chokin of this craftsmanship before. It's beautiful… I wonder how it would look when it catches the sun." He smiled. "As your guardian, I have a responsibility to make sure you keep that necklace out of your shirt. Anyway," Takoire laughed, "it brings out your eyes."

Walking into the room was a young, dignified looking man who seemed to be around the same age as Zaon. His dark brown hair was held up in a ponytail and his blue eyes seemed lively and honest. "Welcome to Byakko's Temple, I am Ryak, head summoner of this place. Of course, as new summoners of Byakko, we extend our hospitalities to you, and uh…" the summoner called Ryak began to drift. "Takoire? Seru?"

Author's Notes:

Final Revision