A Generation of Aeons
Chapter Thirty-Three

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

Last Time:

Without a thought, Takoire pulled her down with him, and he smiled up at her. "The point is, Lenne, I knew full well what I was getting into, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant I could be your guardian."

And without another thought, Takoire kissed Lenne.

It wasn't a friendly kiss on the cheek or a short kiss on the forehead. Takoire was kissing Lenne.

He kissed her gently, barely skimming her lips. Takoire held her at the base of her neck while Lenne's hands remained on his face. The guardian could taste the salt on her lips from her tears but was afraid to deepen the kiss anymore.

Takoire pulled back slightly in shock and saw Lenne equally as dazed. The high summoner looked away from Takoire as if she was on the verge of fresh tears. "Takoire, you know I have to take the Cheribum's test. I have to before I go back to my home."

But he shook his head. "No, I don't want you to." He sounded so unlike the cocky blitzball captain Takoire put out as a front. Now he sounded like a small child, whining about something he couldn't have, knowing deep down he would never get it. "I care about you, Lenne. More than you realize. You're all I care about. You're everything to me. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"You can't protect me from everything, Takoire."

"Why not?" was his childish response.

"It's just something I have to do," Lenne answered simply. She lowered her head and brought it to his face. "I want to kiss you again."

The guardian smiled softly at her and reached up to kiss her. He ran his fingers through her hair, but at the same time kissed her so gently that Lenne whimpered against him. Unable to say what she felt, Lenne deepened the kiss. And Takoire happily replied.

Lenne woke up, slightly sore, her clothes rumpled from sleeping in them. She vaguely remembered falling asleep in Takoire's arms and looked for him lurking somewhere in the room.

Instead she found by her bedside a note with a small blue flower sitting on a small table adjacent to her.

Missing you already.

I have to go do a few things, but I'll come and see you as soon as I can.

Takoire

The high summoner moved to her bathroom and washed her face, fixing her hair in the mirror. She smoothed her clothes, trying to make it less noticeable that she had slept in them. Lenne looked at her reflection in the mirror. She still felt somewhat hollow, her friends' deaths still fresh in her mind, and there was an immense sadness sitting somewhere inside of her, but there was also a small part that was jumping up and down from what she had shared with Takoire the night before.

She heard a knock at the door and ran to open it, silently hoping it was Takoire.

In his place, Lenne found Sareth accompanied by two guards.

The lord marshal apprentice pointed a finger at her. "Take her."

One of the guards approached her, and the last thing she remembered was him raising the butt of his rifle towards her.

Leaning against his favorite cherry blossom tree, Takoire stared at the three prophecies of yore.

He held his head in his hands as he flustered over the thoughts that had been running through his head since yesterday. The guardian looked up and stared at the Prophecy of the Summoner of Yore. His mouth felt dry.

"Born from two who brought the end of a self destructive force… Upon their arrival in the city that never sleeps… Learning of ways long gone… The ocean, an unending presence… The sun, to watch over it… And the moon, to keep it steady…" Takoire shook his head. "Lenne's parents and Sin… Lenne appeared in Zanarkand… Learning about our aeons… Her summoner's brand…" Takoire exhaled deeply. "But if Lenne's the Summoner of Yore, that would make me…" He frowned and skimmed over the second prophecy. "Overcoming obstacles once thought gone… The guardian of the ages must face his past…" He pushed his head into the trunk of the tree.

"The summoner of yore and the guardian of the ages were destined to unite…" Takoire clenched his jaw. "Cheribum, I'm so confused…"

"This doesn't justify what you did, Sareth! I can't believe you went to such lengths!" a deep and masculine voice yelled.

"Father, she can't be completely trusted yet. She said herself she was a citizen of Zanarkand!" a younger voice argued.

"But if what are you say is true, Sareth-" another voice reasoned.

Lenne felt someone dabbing a cool, wet cloth to her head and couldn't help but flinch at the stinging sensation as her eyes fluttered open. "What?" She strained to move. "What the-?" The high summoner tried to move her hands to feel where the pain was coming from but found them cuffed. Lenne's sense became fully awakened as she looked around. She sat in a large but empty room with walls of maroon, and one of the four aeons painted on each wall. Lenne sat in a chair facing a council of sorts. Maester Arheist stood in the middle while on his left was Lady Doma; on his right was an empty chair. Next to that sat Lord Marshal Takoire I with a grim expression on his face. Sareth sat next to his father with a look of satisfaction on his face and his arms crossed.

The high summoner looked up and found herself staring into a kindly face. The woman had flowing dark purple hair that reached past her waist and gray, stormy eyes; she was Takoire's mother. "Lady Kaira?" she heard herself say.

The woman immediately became relieved. "Thank the Cheribum you're all right. I had hoped the guard hadn't hit you too hard."

"Hit me?" Lenne asked. She saw the damp cloth in Lady Kaira's hands, stained red. It was blood… her blood.

"Sareth," Lady Kaira turned bitterly to her son, "there was no need for such a use of force. I'm sure High Summoner Lenne would have been reasonable enough to come see the council if we asked."

The lord marshal apprentice shrugged. "Well, mother, the point is High Summoner Lenne is here and will not be leaving until the matter at hand has been sorted out."

"And what matter would that be?" Lenne asked.

Sareth stood up and walked in front of Lenne, eyeing her. "I think you lied to me, high summoner. I think you lied to me about yourself. For instance, I do not believe you are from Zanarkand as you say you are."

"I told you-" Lenne began through clenched teeth.

"And I don't believe you're an orphan either," Sareth interrupted. "What if I was under the impression that you're from Besaid?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do," the lord marshal apprentice insisted. "I believe your mother is a high summoner and your father was her guardian. How this is I don't know… your mother summoned things that are not aeons."

Lenne's mouth became dry, and her stomach turned. How did Sareth know? Who had told him? The only ones she had told were Takoire, Kiron, Seru, and Zaon. Kiron and Seru… Kiron and Seru were dead. Zaon didn't know everything, but he would never tell. Takoire… Takoire would never tell, Lenne knew that. So how?

"But," he continued, approaching Lenne with a smile, Sareth reached for Lenne's chokin necklace and ran his thumb over the pattern, "your summoner's brand is what interests me, Lenne. Rather peculiar. The ocean, a rising sun, and a setting moon, interesting. Isn't that a stanza in the prophecy of the summoner of yore? The ocean, an unending presence; the sun, to watch over it; and the moon, to keep it steady. You see?" he asked, turning back to the council as Lenne bitterly yanked her head so her necklace was out of reach. "I have proof that Lenne is the Summoner of Yore."

"All we have is your word," Maester Arheist spoke. "Your word alone will not have us believe the fulfillment of a prophecy we have held sacred for generations."

He smiled and reached for something in his pocket, pulling out a sphere. Sareth placed it in front of his uncle, and it suddenly projected the image of the place Lenne knew as Zanarkand.

Lenne felt a sudden surge of hate. "How did you get that?"

Sareth sighed. "It wasn't hard. The night of the feast I had your room searched, and with both of you passing out so much, Takoire didn't notice." He turned back to the council. "See here! A time when Zanarkand has finally been destroyed!"

The council watched and listened to the conversation Lenne and Takoire had in Luca while recording the sphere. The High Summoner Lenne, on the other hand, was glaring angrily at Sareth.

"How dare you!"

Sareth ignored her.

"But why should we want to see the destruction of Zanarkand?" Lord Marshal Takoire I asked. "Just because our relations with them aren't the best doesn't mean we want to conquer all of Spira."

Sareth's eyes became agitated. He turned to look at the council, the reflection of a fire burning in his eyes. "Look," the sphere changed and showed Lenne's memory of Bevelle, "a thousand years into the future and Bevelle still stands as the heart of Spira! Taking me to the next order of business," he said, turning back to Lenne. "I have found the Summoner of Yore, and we must attend to certain obligations."

"Such as?" Lenne spat.

"The sworn protector of the Summoner of Yore is the Guardian of the Ages, and so we must attend to your guardian."

"Takoire?" She felt horrified.

He nodded. "Takoire rebuked his heritage, and so his heritage rebuked him. He is not the Guardian of the Ages, and therefore, cannot stay your guardian."

Takoire's head ran in circles as he rubbed his right shoulder with his hand, the place where Lenne's summoner's brand had been burned into his skin.

Could it be? Could Lenne actually be the Summoner of Yore?

The thought had quickly crossed his mind when she had first told him of her story, and not a moment longer. He hadn't given it any thought until Yunalesca and her guardians had mentioned the Summoner's Bluff in Besaid. A summoner's brand had been engraved into the wall; not knowing whether or not it was Lenne's drove Takoire insane. The truth was Takoire hadn't given it any serious thought until they had entered Bevelle. Takoire was beginning to believe the prophecies he had forsaken so long ago.

Suddenly, something was triggered within Takoire's mind. Fear. Terrible fear.

Something was wrong.

Before he was fully aware of what was happening, Takoire was running as fast as he could.

He had to find Lenne.

Lenne swelled with rage for her guardian's brother. Replace Takoire with Sareth! The thought made her sick.

She tried to pull her hands free, but the metal only further cut into her skin. She was ready to lunge at the lord marshal apprentice but only found herself in more pain than if she didn't move at all. Lenne didn't know what to do.

Not a moment too soon, Arkon burst into the council chamber, a glint of confusion in his eyes.

"What is this!" the prince asked. "A council meeting is being held, and I was not notified! I demand to know the reason!"

The lord marshal apprentice simply shrugged. "Until you are a high summoner, cousin, you hold no vote on this council."

"Father!" Arkon protested. "What is going on here?"

The lord marshal apprentice continued, "I have convinced the council that High Summoner Lenne is the Summoner of Yore, and I am replacing Takoire as her sole guardian. Now, with the Summoner of Yore," Sareth said unworriedly, "we can finally get rid of Zanarkand."

"Get rid of Zanarkand!" Arkon turned to his family, all sitting with grim expressions. "Father! Uncle Takoire! You can't be serious! Have Sareth replace Takoire as Lenne's guardian! And since when has Zanarkand been an enemy of Bevelle? When did we want to rid Spira of their presence?"

"Arkon's right," Lord Marshal Takoire I finally said. "High Summoner Lenne may be the Summoner of Yore, and you may have to replace your brother as her guardian, but taking it to the degree that we use her to defeat Zanarkand? That is taking it too far, Sareth."

Sareth immediately became livid. "I don't understand any of you! Why were the prophecies of lore given to us if not to use them for our advantage? What purpose do they serve? And what of the third prophecy? The one that speaks of the Destructor of the Ages? What is to come if this destructor is from Zanarkand? We must act now against Zanarkand to prevent anything from happening to Bevelle in the future! Just look at the prince of Zanarkand!" he continued to argue. "He fits the Divination of the Destructor of Ages, and I was the only one who did what was necessary!"

Arkon's eyes widened as the realization began to sink in. "You're the one who's been sending the assassins…"

"You bastard!" Lenne yelled out.

"Now you go too far, Sareth!" his father said, rising up from his seat.

"No, father," Sareth answered, "I don't go far enough." The young man whistled, and in came half a dozen guards, all having their rifles at the ready and aimed at the council. "For years your generals have insisted to you what had to be done, but you would never listen! They share the same vision that I do! We can only secure Bevelle's future by taking care of Zanarkand and any other threat! And if that means uniting all of Spira as one under Bevelle, then so be it!" Sareth paused and looked to Lenne, a glint of determination in his eyes. "And once the Summoner of Yore is with us and I become the Guardian of the Ages, Bevelle's future will be unalterable."

"Those sons of bitches got to you, didn't they, Sareth?" the lord marshal questioned.

"She doesn't love you," a voice said.

Takoire stood in the doorway, infuriated and out of breath. The guards immediately changed their target.

"You know as well as I do, Sareth. You know the last stanzas of the Prophecy of the Summoner of Yore and The Guardian of the Ages' Prophecy. The Summoner of Yore, she who gained what she no longer wanted. The Guardian of the Ages, he who lost the only thing he ever wanted. The Summoner of Yore and the Guardian of the Ages were destined to unite, creating an everlasting love that stands over time itself. For only together, will Spira truly be reborn," Takoire finished. "Sareth, what are you doing?"

"What has to be done," his brother answered. "I will become Lenne's guardian, and I will become Guardian of the Ages, and I will destroy Zanarkand."

"Sareth," Takoire said, not bothering to hide his confusion, "the Guardian of the Ages isn't something you become, it's who you are. Sareth, look at this; you have soldiers aiming their guns at our family. Why are you doing this!"

Sareth growled. "I'm taking back what should have been mine and leading Bevelle towards the future."

"What should have been yours?"

"Ever since I was born I've always been second to you. You were heir to the legacy of the ages, and I was just the second son. You left for training as the lord marshal, I was left alone in Bevelle."

"But I left, Sareth," the former blitzball captain insisted, "I left Bevelle and you inherited everything I had."

"Only after the council bickered amongst themselves for a year. And the minute, the minute," Sareth said, his voice growing louder, "the prodigal son returns, the council questions their judgment. Is High Summoner Lenne the Summoner of Yore? If so, had you become the Guardian of the Ages? Perhaps they should reinstate you as the lord marshal apprentice and leave me with nothing? No, I won't have it, and you will finally be out of my way." Sareth nodded to one of the guards, who cocked his rifle as the lord marshal apprentice shook his head almost sadly. "I'm sorry it came to this, but good-bye, brother."

"Takoire!" Lenne yelled out.

A crack split the air. A gunshot had been fired.

Instead of seeing her guardian lying on the floor bleeding, Lenne saw him crumpled, crumpled over the body of his bleeding father.

Sareth stepped back stunned. "I… I didn't mean… I didn't mean to hit him…"

Takoire's breath had been stolen, what had just happened still not fully registering. "Fa-Father?"

The older man smiled up at his older son. "Ta-Takoire, I'm-I'm proud of you, son. I never- I never thought I would have the chance to-to tell you until-until you came back."

Takoire felt hot tears fall from his eyes. "I'm sorry I ran away from home. I'm sorry I put you and mother through so much…" He paused. "Father, Father, look at me. Fight it. You have to fight it."

The lord marshal coughed and his lips became covered with his own blood. He brought his rough, callused hand to his son's face and Takoire II saw the first and last real smile to ever graze his father's face. "I love you, Takoire," he coughed again, "the-the prophecies have c-come to pass. You-You are the G-Guardian of the Ages, Takoire…"

He shuddered, and Lord Marshal Takoire I's hand fell from Takoire II's face; his eyes still open.

Takoire found himself shaking uncontrollably as he took his hand and closed his father's eyes.

Arkon howled in anger. "You son of a bitch!" He raced towards Sareth but not before the Maester called out, "Arkon! Don't!"

Before Lenne could realize anything, she had been knocked to the ground and a body covered hers.

And then it sounded as if there had been a small explosion that had erupted in the room, the sound echoing the walls. Shot after shot was fired, and yells and screams pierced the air. Lenne opened her eyes and found herself looking into Takoire's.

He quickly stood up and took a knife from his boot. He tipped the point into the keyhole and picked Lenne free. She brought her hands apart and wiped as much blood from her arms as she could.

It wouldn't have mattered if she hadn't.

Standing up, Lenne saw a sight that would never leave her.

Lord Marshal Takoire I's body lay still on the ground, and Maester Arheist lay next to his brother. Lenne found Arkon bleeding from several wounds by her feet, and she crawled next to him

Takoire's once calm eyes were gone; they were on fire. "You murderous bastard!"

Lenne applied as much pressure as she could on a wound to the prince's neck. Cheribum knew she wanted to cast a spell to better his chances, but her head still throbbed, and she was in no condition to cast spells. She could only look into the dying prince's eyes and comfort him.

"Arkon, you're all right. You're going to be fine. Everything's all right."

"I stayed in- I stayed in Bevelle to make sure you and- you and Takoire would be- would be all right."

"Sh," she said, "save your strength."

Arkon shook his head. "I'm not- I'm not going to make it."

"Don't talk like that," Lenne said, feeling the tears return.

"I was never-never one to dance around the truth," Arkon managed to get out, "stop-stop Sareth, Lenne. He doesn't realize what he's-he's doing…"

Arkon suddenly stopped moving, and Lenne screamed, hoping this was just some horrible nightmare she was going to wake up from at any moment.

But it wasn't.

Takoire was fighting all the guards in the room; Lenne could see the blood dripping from his shoulder and his reluctance to move his left arm. He had been shot. But somehow, somehow he had managed to take out four guards and was fighting the last two. Lenne stood up, unable to watch her guardian fight this battle alone, but instead, she found herself looking at Lady Kaira.

"Milady," Lady Kaira said, "you and my son need to get out of here. You need to take the Cheribum's test. Lady Doma and I will hold off Sareth as long as we can and give you enough time."

Lenne shook her head. "But Sareth's your son."

Lady Kaira cut her off. "That monster is not my son. Now go!"

Lenne felt herself nod. "Takoire." He quickly looked at her, and the look she gave him told her guardian everything he needed to know.

He fixed a last shot at a guard and raced to Lenne's side. He turned to Lady Kaira. "Mother-"

"There's no time," she said, "go!" She paused. "The family's proud of you, Takoire."

The guardian could only nod his head; he took Lenne by the hand and raced from the chamber.

Making it into the main hall, they heard two shots accompanied by two screams.

They kept running.

Author's Notes:

Final Revision