A Generation of Aeons
Chapter Sixteen

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

Last Time:

Walking towards him and looking him squarely in the eye, Lenne answered, "Sometimes I wonder… how'd I get stuck with a guardian like you?"

Looking into her blue and green eyes, Takoire swallowed a cold, hard lump caught in his throat as his heart seemed to skip a beat. "I guess I was just lucky enough to meet you."

"So, what did Maester Yevon have to say?"

Two summoners and three guardians sat outside in an outdoor café, still within in Luca. The weather was fair, not hot or cold, and the breeze could be described as perfect. A few seagulls flew overhead, reflecting the proximity of the ocean, and added their cries into the noise above the city. A waiter came by and asked what they wanted; all ordered a few light drinks.

Seru groaned and shook her head. "Maester Yevon degraded and cussed me out, again."

Kiron looked at her sympathetically. "Try not to take it too seriously, Seru."

She shrugged. "I know, I know. Well, at least he doesn't treat me like a maid anymore.

You, yes, girl, tell them I want dinner an hour earlier."

The prince of Zanarkand sucked in a breath of air sharply. "I'm sorry about it. I really am."

Lenne patted her friend on the back. "You and your mom use to work for Kiron and his family, right? After you moved from Bevelle."

Takoire's eyes widened briefly for a moment before speaking. "If you don't mind, how'd you become Kiron's guardian?"

Looking at him hesitantly, Seru eventually answered, "My mother and I worked very hard in the palace as maids, and within two years, we were assigned to work for the actual Zanarkand royal family. One of Maester Yevon's guardians took notice of me. He said I had potential. So by the time Kiron was ready to embark on his pilgrimage, I was an accomplished black and white mage." Seru nodded in Kiron's direction. "Kiron petitioned his father for weeks, and Sir Jole, the guardian who had taught me, spoke to the maester as well."

"Zaon was automatically assigned to me by my father. Zaon's a hero in Zanarkand you know."

Seru laughed. "And while we were arguing with the maester, Sir Zaon got to know the high summoner, Lady Yunalesca."

Kiron looked down and brushed his hair. "It's not my fault she was born first and went on a pilgrimage when I was only fourteen."

"Yes it is, Kiron," Takoire said, his voice sounding jokingly. "It's all your fault, as usual."

"Shut up," the prince retorted.

"Touchy, I was just joking you know."

Seru waved it away. "Don't worry about it. Kiron's always touchy whenever his sister beats him at something, but anyway… when did Sir Zaon propose to your sister again?"

Zaon began to cough uncomfortably at the change in topic of the conversation.

But it seemed that it lifted Kiron's spirits. "Propose to Yunalesca? That was the day we were supposed to leave for Besaid, which, of course, was further delayed because of the announcement to Zanarkand..."

"And that's typical of our Sir Zaon?" Lenne asked skeptically.

"Of course," Kiron responded, shrugging. "Don't misunderstand me, Zaon's a nice guy and all, and I'm sure that he going to be a great brother-in-law, but man… he passed Yunalesca's standards…."

"Ah, sibling rivalry," Lenne sighed, "something I have never experienced nor will I ever."

Kiron waved at her. "Save it. Being born second is a pain, Lenne."

"Oh yes, Lenne," Seru agreed mockingly. "Kiron, why aren't you more responsible like Yunalesca? Kiron, you should respect your sister, she will lead Zanarkand one day. Kiron, I hope you're as powerful a summoner as Yunalesca is. Oh yes," Seru agreed again, rubbing salt in the wound, "being born second is the greatest."

"Shut up, Seru, you're an only child."

The female guardian smiled devilishly. "Don't I know it?"

Scoffing at her, Kiron changed the subject. "So, Lenne, what did you and Takoire do at the sphere theater?"

"We recorded my memories of my Spira into a sphere. I can show you my time now."

Kiron and Seru looked on at Lenne intrigued. "Really? What did you do with it?" Seru asked.

"I've got it," Takoire answered. "I told Lenne I'd take care of it."

"I think they wanna see it," Lenne suggested.

Her guardian shrugged. "Sure, the airship we're taking doesn't actually leave for Djose until tomorrow at noon so we have the time. Wanna head back to the sphere theater? It's just across the street."

A few heads nodded in approval, and Lenne smiled. "All right. Let's get going?"

Kiron started to stand up as well as Takoire and Seru. Lenne began to join them until her eyes widened, and she leaned forward on the table, clutching her head. "Takoire!"

Immediately Lenne began to fall forward as Takoire felt a strong burning sensation on his shoulder, the location of his summoner's brand. Seeing his summoner though, he seemed to forget the pain. He ran quickly to her side and glanced at her wrist, her summoner's brand burning brightly.

Kiron, Zaon, and Seru also ran to her. "Lenne! Lenne! Are you all right! What's going on!"

Panting, Lenne clutched her guardian's arm tightly, screaming in pain again. "My head! It hurts!"

The prince of Zanarkand barely took notice of the bystanders. "Lenne…"

Falling from the table to the floor, Lenne looked up at her panic-stricken guardian. "Takoire…"

Blinking slowly, Lenne opened her eyes and felt a cool towel on her forehead; she took her hand and threw it off to the side. "What the hell?" Groaning to sit up, Lenne shifted the blankets around. "Not again…"

"You caused quite a stir, lady summoner."

Glancing at her bedside, Lenne saw Seru sitting in a chair next to her with a somewhat amused smile on her face. "Seru, what am I doing here?"

"You passed out, remember?"

"Oh," Lenne raised her hand to her forehead, "that."

"You're okay now, right?"

Lenne shook her head. "I'm fine." She looked around the room. "But…"

Seru laughed, figuring out what, or rather who, it was Lenne was looking for. "If you're looking for the men, I had to drag them out of here to get some sleep."

"How long have I been out of it?"

"Since yesterday afternoon. It's morning already."

"What?" Lenne quickly sat up and lifted her legs over on the side of the bed. "We have to get going, our airship leaves at noon, right?"

Seru looked at Lenne confused. "But, Lenne, you just woke up! Yesterday you fell over screaming in pain, and now you're just ready to leave for Djose?"

"Sounds about right," Lenne responded, lacing her boots. "Go wake up the guys for me, would you?"

"What? But Lenne-"

"Fine," she shakily stood up and walked past Seru, opening the door, "I'll go do it." Not having to go very far, Lenne saw Takoire and Kiron both fast asleep on both sides of the doorway, and Zaon standing and leaning against the wall, his eyes closed. The female summoner shook her guardian gently. "Takoire. Kiron?"

Jumping at the sound of her voice, Takoire's eyes shot open. "Seru! Is Lenne all right!"

Lenne patted him on the shoulder gently. "Thanks, but I'm fine. We need to get going, remember?" Moving over to her counterpart summoner, Lenne nudged him awake. "Kiron, wake up."

"Get Lenne some help!" Kiron suddenly yelled out. Seemingly out of breath, Kiron brushed the hair from his eyes, his usual habit. "Lenne?"

"Hey there. I appreciate the thought, but we have an airship we need to catch that's headed for Djose."

The prince looked up at her in relief. "Lenne, you're all right."

"So we've established. Whatever it was, it's gone now."

"But, Lenne," Takoire insisted, "you were yelling in agony."

"Oh, you saw that, huh?" she asked teasingly. "Anyway, according to Seru, you two were supposed to be getting some rest."

"We were," Kiron insisted.

Lenne raised an eyebrow at him. "Sitting on the floor unconscious doesn't count."

Staring at each other, Takoire and Kiron groaned.

"Wow, I can't believe how fast the guys were out."

Lenne and Seru leaned on a rail by a window of the airship Hawkeye headed for Djose, looking out on nothing but a sea of vast clouds.

"I told you, those two refused to leave your side, even with bloodshot eyes they wouldn't budge, and Zaon was trying not to show it, but he was idiotically keeping himself up like the rest of them."

Lenne laughed when she heard this. "And when did you send the children to bed?"

Seru laughed as well. "When I came in after taking a nap. The sun was starting to come up."

"They stayed up that long?" Lenne asked in disbelief.

"Oh yeah," the guardian continued to laugh, "I had to literally drag them out of the room, not that it was very hard, they were too exhausted to resist."

"But how did I get there in the first place?"

"Get where?"

"My room in the inn. Oh wait, never mind, let me guess… he carried me again."

Seru shook her head in disbelief. "You know… when you fell over, I saw your summoner's brand burning on your wrist. And when Takoire leaned over to try and help you, the summoner's brand on his shoulder was burning as well. He tried not to show it, but I think he was feeling a part of your pain…"

"….I never noticed anything like that."

"I'm sure," Seru said. "You were kind of busy yourself."

"My summoner's brand…" Lenne drifted into deep thought. "It burned on me as well as Takoire. What could that mean?"

Kiron's guardian shrugged. "I was hoping you could tell me." Looking down on the clouds below them, Seru sighed. "You know, there's a very old legend in Bevelle. If a bond between a summoner and their guardians is strong enough, they can almost feel what the other or others is going through."

"And what?" Lenne asked, slightly laughing, "you think Takoire and I have that kind of bond?"

Seru shrugged. "I don't know, you tell me."

"Well… I consider Takoire my best friend. I tell him everything, but it's only been a little over a month since I met him. Even that was a blur, but I don't think we have the kind of bond you're talking about."

For the second time, Seru shrugged. "I can't pretend to know him all that well, and thinking about it, I don't believe many can. As far as I know, Takoire's definitely an introvert. He really doesn't tell anyone about himself or how he's feeling. Back when he was captain of the Abes, I would dare anyone to find anything on his family or his background. I would win every time; the most anyone will ever be able to find about his past are rumors."

"Why?"

Seru frowned. "Can't say. The point I'm trying to make is that you're the one who knows him. You're the one he's opened up to."

Lenne looked down thoughtfully for a moment. "I never knew all that about him. But, if he's as famous as I think he is, how did he get by? I mean, when someone is as well-known as Takoire, the public usually wants to know everything about them."

"He told just enough to get by."

"But you both knew Ryak, at Byakko's temple, didn't you?"

"Yes," Seru nodded, "I've known Ryak since I was a child. Childhood friends, I guess you could call us."

"How do you know him?"

The female guardian laughed. "I think we're related, and if we are, it's really distant. In some form or another, I think we're cousins."

"Oh," Lenne said, sounding more excited, "I didn't know that. Did he live in Bevelle?"

Seru shook her head sadly. "No."

Lenne grimaced. "You don't happen to know how Takoire and Ryak know each other, do you?" The summoner laughed. "Or are they related too?"

Seru joined her in laughing slightly. "Can't say. Takoire's business, stays business."

Author's Notes:

Final Revision