Entry in Braska's personal journal:
Kisaragi, day 23:
Leyona gave me a beautiful set of leather bound journals for my birthday a few weeks ago. She said she'd seen me reading the Baaj journal several times and thought I would enjoy starting one of my own. I guess I will write down some of my thoughts – maybe someday Yuna will enjoy reading them. I hardly know where to begin however…I will have to think about this, it is going to be difficult to decide what I would like future generations to read.
Kisaragi, day 25:
The last few years have been a mixture of trials and blessings, but I don't think I would have changed a thing. My love for Leyona is growing stronger every day, as is the fruit of our love; Yuna is growing like a weed, and has become one of the joys of my life. She is bright and beautiful with her pretty eyes – one colored blue like mine, and one green like her mothers. She is always smiling, and quick to laugh. She started attending temple school recently, and she seems to be enjoying it. She has made friends with everyone, and has never met a person she doesn't like.
Several of the staff married since we started living here at the family estate. Erika, the upstairs maid, finally caught her young man, after a lengthy pursuit, and left to start her family. Tami, the laundry maid, married Norris, the youngest son of Myric Butcher and they both live upstairs now; she's taken over Erika's duties, and Leyona hired a new laundry girl named Tohru. Roggis has decided to train Norris as his replacement, and has allowed him to take over the more strenuous duties, allowing Roggis to tend to …other matters; Roggis and Tunis announced their intention to marry early last year, to no-one's surprise, since they'd been caught kissing over late night tea several times, and the entire household participated in the blessed event. Roggis says he would like to retire in another year or so, due to his advanced age. I saw his birth date on the marriage license and he was born only ten years before my father was, so he isn't as ancient as I thought, only in his early seventies – and Tunis is nearly sixty, not that she'd admit to that.
My business is doing well here in Bevelle, despite occasional problems with the various Al Bhed haters, but they cause fewer problems than I expected, especially since Auron had a word about them with the City Guard. Things are going more or less smoothly for the rest of the operations, although the political situation in Luca is touchy right now. There are several radical groups causing trouble, and the Luca Guards can't seem to find the leaders or stop them.
Kisaragi, day 27:
Maester Mica has apparently fulfilled his promise to sort out the people he called 'the misguided' at the temple; the ones who were following us for so long have quit, or have gotten better at it, and the various factions have left us alone for the most part. Auron says something is going on lately with the Maesters however. They've been meeting at odd hours, and there are rumors of a big shakeup in the works, but he can't pin down anything solid. We'll just have to wait and see, and be prepared to counter their move if necessary.
Maester Mica took my advice and became more personally involved in Seymour's education after the park incident, insuring the boy learned to defend himself without using the Aeon. Being half Guado, magic came very easy for him and learning defensive spells to disable opponents enabled him to stop most of the harassment. I receive occasional news of Seymour, and it always disturbs me how each new skill he gains also seems to fuel the boy's desire to have more power over others, especially since he's left the temple school and returned to Guado Salam to serve as an acolyte at the Macalania Temple. My business contacts in Guado Salam tell me that his meetings with Jyskal are tense, so time will only tell about that relationship.
Kisaragi, day 28:
The Mi'Ihen project is progressing well; the crusaders are using the site as a training base; the Guado have started capturing fiends and delivering them there so the new crusaders can have realistic fighting practice before they go out in the field to patrol, cutting down on the injuries. The Crusader Command is currently in discussions about moving their headquarters from their Luca location to the new buildings on the cliffs. There are a number of people in Luca protesting that, since they feel it would take away the protection they currently have from fiends. It's only a matter of time before the radical groups get involved - I'm hoping this doesn't lead to more problems for my shipping interests.
The Al Bhed are still working at restoring the energy cannon they salvaged from the ocean floor, but it will take many more years to complete. The capacitors in the power system they found on the ship with the cannon cannot be repaired, and they will have to contrive another way to power it. The good news is they have figured out how to produce the special alloy the cannon is made of, so they will be able to fix the majority of the damage, as soon as the materials are gathered.
Yayohi, day 3:
I just received notice that one of our larger ships is overdue. The S.S. Ithonica was on the Kilika to Luca route, and has not been heard from since it left Luca, heading south with a cargo of rice for the Kilika Temple. There have not been any storms reported, so there is hope that it has only had mechanical problems and pulled into shore at one of the small islands in that area to make repairs. We can only wait and hope it will manage to make port, since it has a crew of twelve.
Yayohi, day 16:
Word has reached me that wreckage from the S.S. Ithonica has been recovered by a ship bound for Luca. No survivors were found. I have started an inquiry as to the cause of the accident, but it's unlikely we will discover anything. I can only hope it wasn't sabotage, because if it was we will probably have more problems, considering the current political climate in Luca.
Yayohi, day 20:
Auron's personal situation has taken a sudden change for the worse, and the Temple politics have become more than he is willing to tolerate. The Maesters have conspired to force him to marry Lady Selvia, a younger daughter of Maester Kendale. It's a way to control him I think, since they feel he's gained too much support from the temple guard and they still suspect his friendship with Leyona and me. They announced the engagement today, without his permission, and he is fuming about it. He spent most of the evening here, but Leyona and I weren't able to calm him much and I'm worried about what he might do while he's so angry. I met the young woman they're forcing on him at one of the Merchants Guild balls last year, and I can not think of anyone less suited for Auron. A marriage between them would be a disaster – I don't know what the Maesters are thinking. I don't know how he will handle this, but I know he has no desire for a loveless marriage.
Yayohi, day 24:
Auron was called into a Maester's Council meeting yesterday and given an ultimatum - marry Lady Selvia and forsake his friendship with us, or quit the guard. Auron resigned his position immediately, and seems to bitterly resent the Maesters now. The temple guard is in an uproar, since the Maesters appointed Kinoc to replace him.
I have offered Auron a position as security chief and liaison between the Al Bhed construction workers and the crusaders civil engineers, but he says he would like a few days to think about it. I've never seen him look so…lost.
Yayohi, day 26:
It was Yuna's sixth birthday today and the house was full of children. Or at least it seems like it was, since none of them sat down, or even slowed down, for more than a minute at a time. Yuna invited her entire class from school, as well as Machel and Berta's three older children, and Tunis baked a huge mound of cakes and sweets. It is a wonder any of them survived the overdose of sugar. A larger wonder is how we survived the din of shrieks and giggles. Thank goodness it was such a warm day for this early in the spring; Tami and Tohru organized games outside in the courtyard and kept the children entertained until their parents arrived to collect them. Yuna's favorite gift was a thick sketch pad and a huge box of colored pencils; she fell asleep with them and it took Leyona and me forever to find all the pencils in her bed. I anticipate a blizzard of pictures in the future.
Yayohi, day 28:
An interesting bit of news came to light tonight. Toyma is dating a young man in the temple guard and she came back tonight with some disturbing news. It seems Kinoc has not only taken Auron's place as Captain of the guards, he's been offered the hand of Lady Selvia in marriage. Toyma's young man says Kinoc is strutting around like a peacock and is insufferable. He has very few friends among the guards, but apparently he has gained the favor of the Maesters. We will have to watch him…he may be trouble.
Utzuki, day 3:
Something very surprising happened today. A courier ship arrived from Bikanel with a letter from Cid. After nearly eight years of silence, Cid has invited Leyona to visit. It is a real shock to all of us and I am torn about how to respond. The ripples from the event that the Al Bhed refer to half jokingly as 'the kidnapping of Cid's sister' have smoothed out as the years passed, and Cid's open hostility toward me abated after Yuna was born - but unlike Aja, he's never acknowledged any of the letters Leyona sends, although Ohani says he does read them when he thinks she isn't looking, sometimes more than once. According to the letter, Leyona's sister-in-law is expecting again, and it has been a difficult pregnancy. She's had two miscarriages, and a still born son, since the birth of her second child - a daughter they named Rikku, born the year after Yuna. Cid is concerned for his wife now, and he thinks that Leyona's presence would do wonders to calm Ohani during the last few months of her pregnancy. He's sent the Al Bhed's newest and fastest ship with the invitation – the De'dyhel, a sleek steel-clad mono-hull with a new type of propeller drive instead of sails or paddlewheels. The crew was bragging about how much faster it was than a catamaran.
The De'dyhel is waiting for us at the harbor right now, ready for the return trip, but I am not going to be able to leave on such short notice. Much as I would like to go, it is impossible since I am in the middle of critical contract negotiations with the Hypello trade group that supplies most of my rice from the Moonflow, and a recent fire at one of my largest warehouses in Luca has left major damage and injured my on-site manager, the only person I could have delegated the negotiations to. The Luca Guard think the fire was intentionally set, so Auron is leaving tomorrow to handle the investigation. We need to know if this is related to the loss of the S.S. Ithonica.
To complicate matters further – Yuna woke up yesterday covered in red spots and running a fever – apparently she caught whatever this is from one of the children at her birthday party. Tunis assures us that while it is just one of those illnesses most children experience and she is in no danger, it is impossible for Yuna to travel while she is contagious. Leyona has reluctantly decided to go to Bikanel without us. She will be gone at least until the end of summer – most likely mid Hatzuki.
Utzuki, day 4:
It's still dark outside, but we've been up for hours. I had an awful dream last night, one full of dark shadows and death, and I can't shake it off the feeling of dread it left me with. I can only hope it isn't a true premonition. Leyona's trunks are packed and it is nearly time to leave, dawn will be here shortly - she is waking Yuna up so she can say goodbye as I write this. This trip means too much to Leyona, so I don't have the heart to refuse her…I only wish I felt better about her leaving.
The entire staff had come out to bid Leyona farewell, despite the pre-dawn hour, and it was taking a long time for her goodbyes and final instructions. "Hurry up Leyona! We need to get to the port," Braska called as he secured the last trunk onto the luggage trolley he'd asked one of his clerks from the port office to bring. "The De'dyhel is leaving in less than an hour and they don't want to loose their place in the schedule!" He climbed back up the stairs to tug on his wife's hand. "Auron will be waiting to say goodbye and his ship is due to leave as well," he reminded her gently.
Leyona gave Yuna one last hug and kissed her goodbye, after receiving a sleepy promise to take care of her Daddy while Momma was gone, then dashed down the stairs as Braska was distracted by a little girl clinging to his leg. "Well? What are we waiting for?" she quipped, grinning up at Braska impishly. He shared a smile with Roggis as he kissed a very sleepy pajama clad Yuna and nudged her back towards her bed, and then joined Leyona on the street.
"Do you have everything? I think we might have one or two more trunks…somewhere," Braska teased, putting his arm around his grinning wife. She had packed everything she could think of that she might need on Bikanel Island, as if she were going to someplace in the middle of a wilderness, instead of the Al Bhed's new Home. It was hardly primitive, even if it was built in the desert.
"I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be…did you remember to put the extra padding around the potion bottles like I asked?" Leyona pulled away from him as they started down the street and reached towards the trolley cart, intending to check his packing. Braska caught her hand, lacing her fingers with his instead, to his clerk's amusement.
"Leave that for now, please? Yes, I packed them in the fabric you wanted for the new baby clothes, just as you asked. I also added an entire trunk full of the new spice mixes – the new variety from the Calm Lands," Braska said reassuringly. "You like them, so maybe the rest of the Al Bhed will be interested." Leyona grinned expectantly at that. Her people were going to be delighted at the taste of curry, especially the extremely hot kind enjoyed by the Chocobo trainers from the foothills around Mt. Gagazet. They grew an especially potent type of peppers there, and it was a main ingredient of their curry mix.
They moved quickly through the nearly empty streets of Bevelle, and reached the docks just as the sun was rising. Auron was waiting at the slip the Al Bhed ship was tied up at, and joined them as the ships crew took the trunks on board and carried them to Leyona's cabin.
The De'dyhel was a slim single hulled ship, about fifty feet long, with a pointed bow, and nothing breaking the smooth sweep of its sleek sides. It looked out of place at the dock reserved for small cargo ships, its flat grey color in stark contrast to all the brightly painted catamarans tied up around it, like a shark swimming in a school of tropical fish.
"Auron, I'm going to miss you," Leyona mumbled, her face against his shoulder as she hugged him goodbye. "Be careful in Luca?" He nodded, patting her back reassuringly. "And make sure Braska doesn't work too hard. He forgets to go to bed sometimes," Leyona continued teasingly, sneaking a look at Braska's expression of denial. "Don't deny it! I've caught you sleeping at your desk more than once, when you said you'd be just five minutes longer."
Braska sighed and nodded in agreement, knowing he probably would spend a lot of late nights at his desk while she was gone.
"I'll be careful, and I'll make sure Braska doesn't overdo," Auron promised, letting her go with a quick kiss on the cheek, and pushing her gently towards Braska. "Hurry up and say goodbye, the crew is ready to untie."
"I'm going to miss you," Braska said softly as he pulled his wife into his arms for a last passionate kiss. "In fact, I miss you already and you aren't even gone yet."
"I'll miss you more, but you'll have Yuna to keep you company," Leyona responded, looking at him as if she were memorizing his face. "I have to go now…but I'll send letters on every supply ship." She kissed him again, then whispered into his ear."I love you Braska, never forget that."
"You'd better write," Braska growled, as he kissed her again. "I love you too, with all my heart," he whisperedback and then let her go, turning to watch as she made her way gingerly up the gangplank. She was greeted enthusiastically by the crew, at least half of them cousins, and ushered towards the bridge to join the Captain so she could observe operations as they left the harbor. Leyona turned to wave vigorously as the crew lifted the mooring ropes from the dock cleats and cast off, then worked together to pull the ropes back onto the ship as it eased away from the dock. Braska lifted his arm and waved back, watching as she accepted a helping hand through the hatch and started talking excitedly with the Captain and bridge crew.
"Why do I have such a bad feeling about this?" Braska murmured to himself as he lowered his arm, then reluctantly turned and followed Auron a short way down the dock to the gang plank of his ship, one of Braska's small freighters, the S.S. Relsa. "Tell Runcio to take care of himself. Those are some bad burns he got, and he's not to get up until the healers say he can." Braska said as he somberly clasped arms with Auron and then waved a greeting to the ship's crew on deck preparing to cast off.
"I will. I'll send a message as soon as I can – we should reach Luca within two weeks." Auron answered. He pulled his jacket collar higher as a chill breeze ran down his back and readjusted his sword into a more comfortable position, awkward in his unfamiliar civilian clothing after so many years in guard uniform. "Expect word within a month," he continued as he turned towards the gangplank.
"Just be careful, we don't know what's going on down there," Braska warned.
Auron nodded in understanding and boarded without further comment. He wasn't looking forward to this trip; the fire at the warehouse may well have been the opening round of another battle with one of the anti-Al Bhed factions. He just hoped they could get through it without bloodshed.
It was early evening of the second day since Leyona left, and Yuna was sitting in Braska's lap behind his desk, coloring one of her latest pictures and talking nonstop about ships, and traveling, and going places. Yuna had accompanied her parents on a trip to a conference with the Crusaders late the previous summer, and it had made a big impression on her. Her favorite places had been the smaller mostly unnamed villages and trading posts they'd visited, because according to her, 'it was great when everyone knew everyone else', as well as the beaches at Luca, where she'd spent hours playing in the sand.
They sat there until well after Yuna's bed time, trading stories about the pictures Yuna had drawn, and talking about things she had seen in Luca, Kilika, and along the road to Djose. Braska finally carried Yuna to bed, deeply asleep with a smile on her face. Braska resolved to take her with him to Luca when the contract negotiations with the Hypello's were complete, and Auron cleared up the problems at the warehouse. He would be spending a lot more time with her meanwhile, since he had decided to work at the port in the mornings while she was in school, and to spend his afternoons with Yuna, saving his paperwork until after she went to bed.
Braska stood for a long moment after he tucked Yuna into bed, just looking at his daughter, and had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Yuna was still covered with a multitude of spots, and although Tunis assured him they would fade within a couple days, till then they were to be kept covered with a sticky paste to prevent Yuna from scratching them. Some of the itchiest ones seemed to be on her head, making her an odd sight since the salve made bits of her hair stick up in gooey tufts. She was quit a sight.
"Leyona has only been gone two days, and I miss her terribly; how am I going to survive the next few months?" Braska sighed to himself as he walked into his bedroom and sank down on the side of their bed, tired but in no hurry to attempt to sleep; he had not slept well since Leyona had left, so he decided he'd stay up late again tonight and work on the papers he'd brought from his office at the port. He sighed again as he picked Leyona's pillow up and held it to his nose, breathing in her scent for a moment before he rose to return downstairs. "Hurry back, Leyona, I miss you."
It was late on the third day when a heavy knock came at the front door of Braska's family home. Braska looked up from his papers when the door to his office opened and Norris stepped in; he was a bit annoyed at the interruption since he'd asked not to be disturbed while he was working on the trade agreement for the Hypello grain shipments.
"Sir Auron to see you sir," the young butler said, his face worried as he escorted Auron in and then quickly left, sensing something was terribly wrong.
Auron stepped into the office and closed the door, then stood silently with his arms wrapped around himself as if he were cold, his face grey and eyes downcast. He looked up finally as Braska rose from his desk and moved quickly towards him with a questioning expression on his face.
"What is it Auron!" Braska exclaimed as he reached his friend and found him shaking. Auron put his face in his hands without answering. "What is it?" Braska whispered, his heart sinking. "What's happened…why are you back so soon?"
Auron wrapped his arms around Braska and hugged him before he spoke, his voice broken and hoarse. "The De'dyhel…," he sobbed, suddenly, his voice failing. "…was attacked by Sin, shortly after it entered the Gulf of Salam," he finished in a whisper. "All are lost."
"Are you sure…," Braska asked desperately, lifting stunned eyes to meet Auron's tormented gaze. "There couldn't be a mistake?" Auron lowered his eyes and shook his head, "We searched for hours."
Braska held his breath as the realization hit him, then his knees gave way under him and he collapsed onto the floor in shocked silence. Auron dropped down to kneel beside him, then reached out and embraced Braska as he began to shake with deep sobs. Auron's own tears dripped slowly down his cheeks to dampen Braska's hair.
Braska had finally exhausted himself in his grief and fallen asleep on the floor, so Auron rose to find a blanket to cover him with. He stepped out into the hallway and found the entire staff waiting. Seeing their concerned expressions, he gestured towards the dining room, not being able to bear the thought of entering Leyona's sitting room, even though it was closer. They all followed Auron, and gathered around the table, as he fell onto a chair on one side.
"I would appreciate if someone could get me a blanket and pillow for Braska. I don't think he should be moved right now," Auron said quietly, his voice rough with grief. Missy nodded and left quickly, returning in moments with the requested items. Auron set them on the table in front of him and sighed as he looked up at the group, hesitating as he tried to think of how to tell them the tragic news.
"What's happened, Auron?" Roggis asked finally, when it seemed Auron wasn't going to speak. "I know its bad, but just tell us."
"Leyona's ship was destroyed by Sin," Auron said finally, raising his hand to wipe his eyes as everyone gasped in horror and most began sobbing. "I was on the deck of the S.S. Relsa with the Captain - it was just after sunup and we were a day out of port. We were watching the De'dyhel through the captain's telescope," he continued nearly inaudibly. "It left port only minutes before we did, but it was already entering the Gulf, while we were still in the bay. Captain Shimon was marveling at their speed, when all of a sudden a wall of water rose in front of them, and Sin appeared." Auron stopped, unable to continue, and closed his eyes as he relived the terrible moment again. "We looked for survivors until it was too dark to see, but we didn't find anything, so we turned back to Bevelle." He opened his eyes finally and turned to Roggis, putting his hand on the old man's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he whispered before standing and picking up the blanket and pillow. "You'll have to handle things for a while; I don't think Braska is going to be in any condition to take care of anything. The port office already knows, so just do what you think best."
Auron returned to Braska and gently covered him, then sat beside him on the floor, intending to watch over his friend for the rest of the night.
Auron awoke on the floor sometime before dawn, to the sound of Braska tearing the desk apart, searching through the various drawers with no regard for their contents. Auron sat up, pushing off the blanket that someone had kindly covered him with, just as Braska finally found the bottle of brandy he was looking for, pulled the cork, and raised it to his lips to drink. Auron jumped up and slapped the bottle out of Braska's hand, shattering it against the bookcase. Braska lurched away from his friend, and ended up leaning against the window frame with his head down, breathing heavily after his frantic search.
"I will not let you start down that path!" Auron said, grabbing Braska by the arm and pulling his head up with his other hand, forcing him to meet his eyes.
Braska looked aside, not willing to face him. "Why not? I have lost the love of my life," he said in an anguished voice as he jerked Auron's hand off his chin and turned to look out the window at the predawn darkness. "Leave me be."
"Have you forgotten the hell your father put you through? Have you forgotten how he died from that poison?" Auron shouted, then stopped and reached out for Braska's shoulder and continued more calmly with pain in his voice. "Have you forgotten about Yuna? Are you going to put your child through the same?"
"What can I do when the soul of this body has been ripped out?" Braska moaned, putting his face in his hands and sinking into his desk chair.
"You are stronger than that!" Auron insisted, shaking Braska gently. "You're not the only one who cared about Leyona, others are grieving too."
"You just don't understand!" Braska insisted, tears gathering in his eyes once more. "She was my hope, my light," he added more quietly as he wiped his eyes, fighting to keep from breaking down again. "I can not live without her."
"Live to avenge her then!" Auron replied, trying to think of something, anything, to redirect Braska's mind. "Have faith in yourself, you will live through this," he added, squeezing Braska's shoulder. Braska sat for a long moment, his face turning white with cold anger as he thought about what Auron had said.
"The Fayth… they allowed this to happen. They have been letting this cycle of death go on," Braska said flatly as he suddenly stood, shaking off Auron's hand as he grabbed his cloak, and then headed for the door. "No more!"
"Where are you going?" Auron asked, following him as he strode towards where Roggis and Norris stood uncertainly near the doorway to Leyona's sitting room. The old man's eyes were red and his face haggard from grief, but he moved quickly to open the front door as he looked questioningly at Auron. "Where are you going?" Auron repeated more insistently, "It's the middle of the night still!"
"To the Temple, to see the fayth," Braska stated coldly, a determined expression on his face. "It will hardly matter to Bahamut what time it is."
"I will come with you then," Auron said, grabbing his cloak and sword as well, as Norris held them out to him.
Braska stopped and turned to his friend, shaking his head. "It's not necessary, I know the way."
"I know that, but you will need me to get you past the guards to reach the fayth." Auron replied, setting his jaw, determined to accompany his friend. "But we should clean up a bit first, or they will never let us in." Braska looked down at his crumpled and tear stained clothing then looked at Auron's equally disheveled appearance and hesitated, then nodded reluctantly.
"Very well, we'll change." Braska looked at Roggis, and the butler whispered quick instructions to his apprentice. Norris turned and sped up the stairs, taking them two at a time in his haste.
"Sir, may I suggest a cup of tea while you wait?" Roggis asked quietly, taking Braska's elbow and gently guiding him down the hallway towards the kitchen.
Author's Note:
The month names are old Japanese, and translate as follows:
Mutsuki - January - Harmony, or Happy Spring
Kisaragi - February - Seasonal change of dress (take off jacket?)
Yayohi - March - Grass grows dense
Utzuki - April - Summer, plant rice
Satsuki - May - Month of planting rice sprouts
Minatzuki – June - Watering month
Futzuki - July - Month of letters/poetry
Hatzuki - August - Month of leaves
Nagatzuki - September - Autumn, long month
Kannatzuki - October - Month of no Gods
Shimotsuki - November - Month of falling frost
Shiwasu – December - "Poor looking" Winter, or Month of running priests (as they preside over all the year end ceremonies)