A Generation of Aeons
Chapter Forty-Four

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

Last Time:

People in Guadosalam scurried around, trying to find an open airship headed to Besaid.

The current major event in Spira tonight would be High Summoner Lenne's festival.

There were no pilgrims to the city today; they had all gone to Besaid instead to join in the festivities taking place there. The Farplane remained empty.

So no one noticed the lone, young man who managed to climb up onto the cliff, where the living stood, from the field of flowers.

He stood up and looked around. His stormy gray eyes missed nothing.

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The young man had a strong physical build and a stern looking face. He was dressed in a faded blue shirt with an equally faded symbol in the upper right. His shirt was ripped in several places along with the black pants he wore. He had dark black hair that looked as if it had been neglected and was slightly longer than it should have been. On his face was also a slight shadow that seemed to add a few years to his face. His stormy gray eyes took everything in, and just below his right eye was a large scar that had healed long ago. He wore a lone, silver ring on his right hand.

He had a small, black bag slung over his shoulder and proceeded to walk into the city of Guadosalam.

This one was different than all the others he had encountered before. He couldn't explain it, but it was just different. It was… surer of itself, like it had a purpose…

The city was filled with people on their way elsewhere, and the young man somehow found his way to the airship port and the teller.

"I need to get to Besaid," the young man addressed the teller.

The old man laughed mockingly. "Yeah, kid, you and everyone else."

"What?"

The teller rolled his eyes. "Look, kid, everybody wants to get to Besaid for High Summoner Lenne's festival."

"High Summoner Lenne?" the young man asked in disbelief.

"What? Have you been living under a rock for the past three years? She's the daughter of High Summoner Yuna and Sir Tidus and became one of the three leaders of the Council of Factions. Today's the three year anniversary of Lady Lenne's return."

The young man continued to listen. "Return from where?"

The teller looked at him with incredulity. "What? You serious kid?" The young man just nodded his head. "Well… they say she went back in time a thousand years, but I think that's just a bunch of phooey."

"Please," the young man insisted, "I need to get to Besaid."

The teller scoffed. "I told you, kid. If I sell one more ticket and put one more body onto that airship, it's going to fall out of the sky. Only guardians and summoners can get to Besaid at this point."

The young man paused. "I am a guardian."

"Uh huh…" the teller commented sarcastically. "If you're a guardian, where's your summoner brand?"

He turned and lifted his sleeve, revealing the image of the ocean, a setting sun, and rising moon. "Here."

The old teller seemed to look him over. "Then where's your summoner, kid?"

"I had a family emergency," the young man lied. "My summoner went on to Besaid without me, and I said I would meet him there."

The teller reluctantly handed him a small, blue chip. "Word of the wise, kid, people aren't going to take you seriously unless you're in a uniform."

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"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be arriving in Besaid shortly. Thank you for your cooperation."

The young man stirred awake. Glancing out a window, he saw the airship fall out from the clouds and head towards the city.

The sun was starting to set, and the last of the sun's rays were hitting Besaid. The airship port was built on a cliff near the city, and the amount of people was startling.

Four airships had already docked into port, and the young man could see an influx of people headed to the city, which was already filled with people.

He moved his way to stand as the airship landed with his small, black bag slung over his shoulder. Taking the teller in Guadosalam's advice, the young man had changed into his black guardian uniform.

It was only the second time in his life he had worn it, but it still fit him rather well. It was a fairly simple garment of black clothes with a symbol of an ocean, setting sun, and rising moon in the upper right.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have landed in Besaid's port. We hope you have a memorable time in Besaid."

Others stood, and the small crowd inside the airship gathered towards the exit.

He felt a hand tap him on the shoulder, and he turned.

A kindly old lady was smiling at him. "You're a guardian, aren't you, young man?" He put on a small smile and nodded. "You're just the kind of people we need."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"I remember the first guardians and summoners from the time of Sin. They were Spira's examples, you understand?" He nodded. "You know what happened after there weren't any summoner or guardians? Spira became lost and confused because we didn't have any examples like that. But then High Summoner Yuna came back and helped us, and now her daughter has, too." He just continued to smile. "Now, where's your summoner, young man?"

"In Besaid," he answered. "I had to take care of a personal matter so she went ahead."

"Sir," a woman approached him, dressed in an attendant uniform and tapped him on the shoulder, gesturing to the airship's exit, "guardians and summoners can get off first."

"Well," the old woman said, watching the attendant leave, "you take care of yourself now."

"Thank you, ma'am," he answered with a nod.

He stepped off and took a look around. The crowd of people immediately took notice of him and parted for him.

Making his way to the main square wasn't difficult.

"Gentlemen! Come try your hand and perform the Jecht shot! A blitzball move that has only been performed by two men, and both were guardians to high summoners! If any man can perform this feat, Lady Lenne has promised him with a dance! So, try your luck, gentlemen!"

By the time the young man had reached the main city, the sun had disappeared, and a million lights illuminated the main square. Elevated onto a platform just in front of a temple wall, was what the young man assumed was a city guardian. Also standing on the platform were five others. On the far left was an Al Bhed dressed in similar clothes to the city guardian but more elaborately with purple entwined into the blue. He had dirty blonde hair that was cut shortly while next to him was another Al Bhed girl who looked very similar to the first with her hair in multiple braids. Next to them was another city guardian with red hair that looked alarmingly like a man he had seen once before, and another figure stood next to him. He was dressed like the first and had blonde hair with pale red eyes. The final figure caused the young man to suck in his breath.

Cheribum… there she was, standing no less than twenty feet away. Her hair was longer than he remembered, and her face seemed more worn. Everything he had thought and planned on the ride to Besaid and longer was gone from his mind. He had been thinking about this moment every minute of every day for the past five years, and now that it was here, he had no idea what to do.

He saw her laugh as the other girl whispered something in Lenne's ear, and his heart nearly stopped. The girl must have been Gaia, her cousin. The other Al Bhed must have been Gaia's twin brother, Garren. The other two were also no doubt Vidina and Darka.

Standing off to the side were High Summoner Yuna and Sir Tidus, as well as Lenne's aunts and uncles, Lulu, Rikku, Wakka, and Gippal.

At that exact moment… Lenne looked happy. A little worn and tired, but nevertheless, she looked happy. What right did he have to turn that on his head? What would happen if she had someone in her life? He had no right to just drop back in. She was happy, and that was what was important.

He stared at the long line of young men waiting for their turn to try the blitzball shot. A sphere of Tidus performing the shot in his prime was being projected onto the wall behind the platform. He watched another fail.

"It's not a fair test!" the stranger yelled. "You'd have to be a pro-blitzball player to even come close!"

The guardian waved his hand. "It's perfectly fair. Everyone has a fair chance at this."

"I want another chance!" the man continued to insist.

"I'm sorry, sir, but only one try per man."

The stranger stuck a finger in the guardian's face. "How about I say, screw your rules! I'm going to try this as many times as it takes!"

The young man could see the strain beginning to take on Lenne.

Darka stared down at the disgruntled man. "I don't think you get it. You've had your chance, you couldn't cut it, and now you're done. So stop accusing Sir Loust of having an unfair challenge."

The crowd began to rile as the young man watched; some yelling for another chance, while others clamored for their first. More and more people began to yell until Darka or Loust could no longer be heard.

The blitzball the stranger had used only moments ago rolled harmlessly to his feet, and without thinking, he picked it up.

He threw it hard above Sir Garren's head, a second time just above Sir Loust, and as the ball came at him a third time, he jumped in the air, spinning, and kicked the ball with such a force that it disappeared into the night sky.

The crowd became silent.

"Uh…" Loust muttered. "I believe… I believe we have a winner… Would you like to come up, sir?"

They looked at him strangely, the initial shock still there. They parted for him. He hesitantly stepped towards the platform.

Lenne gasped audibly.

She was barely able to take the few steps off the platform.

He heard whispers among the crowd.

"He's a guardian. I wonder who his summoner is…"

"He bears High Summoner Lenne's summoner brand."

"But how can that be? Everyone knows that High Summoner Lenne has no guardian."

"I heard she used to, but something happened to him. No one's ever seen him."

"But they do seem to know each other."

Lenne approached him so that she was close enough to touch his face.

He heard Gaia gasp. "That's…"

"Who is that?" Garren asked.

But his Al Bhed sister remained silent and gaping.

He watched Lenne swallow hard and wear a face of complete disbelief. She could barely speak.

For that matter, neither could he.

"Takoire?" she asked, barely above a whisper.

The guardian grimaced. "Hi."

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Author's Notes:

Final Revision