Author's Note: All conversations written in italics are in Al Bhed, although proper names may not be translated (i.e. look it up)

"Auron! I got your message, thank Yevon you didn't leave!" Machel shouted from down the street when he saw his brother. "Come on back to the house! Berta's making the meat pie you like so much for dinner and she'll be really relieved to know you are still here in Bevelle." He reached to thump his younger brother's shoulder enthusiastically, but stopped when he saw his expression.

"What's wrong?"

Auron shook his head, exhausted and numbed by the events of the last few days. He'd spent most of a day searching for the body of his dear friend, his best friend's wife, after he'd watched her ship being destroyed. He'd been unable to sleep the entire trip back to port because the horrific images of Sin's attack kept playing through his mind, and he'd only had a few hours of exhausted sleep the night before, on the floor beside Braska. Then they'd completed the Trials…and handled the confrontation with the temple guards afterwards.

Braska hadn't wanted to go back to his house after they left the temple, insisting he had business at the port office, but Auron had been equally insistent on staying by his side and he'd finally persuaded Braska to go home and rest. Auron had stayed with Braska until just a short while ago. Tunis finally managed to slip him a sleeping potion, and they moved him to one of the guest rooms once he fell asleep, thinking it would be easier on Braska when he woke up.

"Come on back to my house, you look like you need to sit down." Machel turned to head towards his house, but Auron stopped him.

"I'm really not hungry, and I don't think I'm up to seeing Berta right now…come over to my apartment." Auron put his hand on his brother's arm and turned him towards the tiny apartment he'd taken after he left the temple. Machel looked at his brother for a long moment and nodded; whatever the problem was, it was bad…really bad, and best discussed in private – without the interruptions of wife and children.

"Now, tell me what's happened," Machel said, taking a seat at Auron's tiny kitchen table while his brother rummaged through a cupboard to find glasses and pour them a drink. Auron turned finally and handed his brother a glass full of brandy, not the wine he was expecting. "No, I really don't…"

"You're going to need it," Auron warned with a sigh, sitting heavily in a chair across from his brother. Machel hesitated for a moment and then picked up the glass to sip at the potent liqueur. "Leyona's dead."

Machel stopped with the glass halfway to his mouth then set it back on the table with a thump, sloshing some onto his hand.

"What? How? What happened!" Machel exclaimed as he came part way out of his seat and leaned across the table to grab Auron's arm.

"Sin," Auron answered simply. "Sin destroyed her ship, a day out of port."

"Oh Yevon…that was Leyona's ship? How is Braska?" Machel grabbed his glass and emptied it in one gulp; gasping as the brandy half choked him. "Is he alright? He must be devastated…."

"No. I don't think he is going to be 'alright' ever again." Auron drank half his brandy and then put his face in his hands for a moment, rubbing his eyes, so tired he could hardly think. "We went to the temple this morning and he received Bahamut's aeon. He's returning to his pilgrimage – and I'm going with him."

"What! No, you can't let him do this! Talk him out of it! You're the only one who can, the only one he might listen to!" Machel said frantically, and thumped his hand on the table, making Auron grab his glass before it was knocked over. "You've got to change his mind!"

Auron looked up, his expression grim. "You think I didn't try? I tried! I argued with him about it for hours, the entire time we were going through the Trials, but he's not going to change his mind!" Auron lifted his glass and emptied the remainder of the brandy, then poured them both another glassful. "He's determined to stop Sin, and the only thing I can do to help is go with him."

"What about Yuna?" Machel asked softly after a long moment of thought. He wiped tears from his eyes and took a long swallow of the brandy. "What's to happen to her?"

"I don't know," Auron admitted with a shake of his head. "I…don't know."

"Tunis, Roggis, would you both sit down please?" Braska requested, turning as they entered from where he'd been staring out his office window at the lavender and pink tinged sliver of eastern sky he could see beyond the neighboring house. It was barely dawn, but he'd been up for hours already, thinking and making plans. He motioned his butler and housekeeper to take seats in the chairs set in front of his desk and then went back to his own chair and sat quietly for a moment, looking at the old man and his wife. "I have something to tell you, and I don't know exactly how to say it," he paused again, knowing it was going to upset them. "I have decided to resume my pilgrimage."

"Braska," Tunis gasped and put her hand up to cover her mouth. "Oh, no…."

"Braska, I know you're upset, but…," Roggis paused, clearing his throat as tears came to his eyes. He knew the risks Summoners faced on pilgrimage, and it was unlikely Braska would ever return, but still, it was his decision. "What about Yuna?"

"I had thought of asking Machel and Berta to take her, but I haven't spoken with them yet." Braska sighed, dreading Yuna's reaction when he had to tell her he was leaving. He wasn't sure about asking Machel to take care of her though. He had known Auron's older brother nearly as long as he'd known Auron so it wasn't a matter of trust; the only reason he was hesitating was that Machel and Berta had three children already and were expecting another, and their home was already crowded. Braska knew they were just as proud and stubborn as Auron, too proud to accept financial help to move into a larger house, and they would be insulted if he even offered - he'd probably have trouble even getting them to accept money for Yuna's upkeep. "I'm going to be selling the shipping business, letting the Captains and Port Managers buy out the contracts mostly, and selling the warehouses. I'll put it all in motion this afternoon. I'll put most of the money in trust for Yuna, so she'll never need anything."

"But…," Roggis hesitated, a sick feeling stealing over him. "What about the house…are you going to sell it as well?" He had a sudden vision of the entire staff being put out onto the street, and his face paled; who would hire him and Tunis since they were so old?

"Do you have a gil piece?" Braska suddenly asked Roggis, and the old man looked startled, but reached into his pocket and pulled out a change purse, fumbling through it to find the coin. Braska took it and set it on the desk before picking up a pen to write a short note on one of the papers in front of him, and then dripped seal wax onto the bottom of the document, pressed his ring into it and picked it up, blowing on it to cool the wax.

"I have already sold the house, if the buyers agree to my terms of course," Braska began slowly, then quickly continued when he looked at the old man and his wife and suddenly realized what must be going through their minds. "I'm selling it to you and Tunis, on the condition you allow the rest of the staff to remain as long as they wish." Roggis's jaw dropped and he flushed suddenly, not believing what he'd heard. Tunis looked like she was ready to faint, her face pale and eyes wide.

"But, you can't mean that! How would we be able to afford to buy this house?" Tunis finally gasped out. "We could never pay…"

Braska turned the paper around and slid it to Roggis, then sat back in his chair, putting his signet ring back on while Roggis and Tunis read what he'd written.

"I don't know what to say…one gil? Are you sure?" Roggis swallowed then cleared his throat before continuing. "But why…why are you doing this?" Tunis just sat there, a tear running down her face, at a loss for words for once.

Braska cleared his throat before explaining. "Roggis, you have served my family since your were Norris's age, through the good times, and the bad. You were here when my grandfather died, and my father told me how much you helped him during the awful years afterwards. You stayed through all the trouble after my mother and sister died, and then let me cry on your shoulder when my father said 'men don't cry'; I must have ruined dozens of your shirts, and you never said a word, you just held me. You stayed when my father made all our lives hell, and did the best you could to take care of him, even when he didn't want anyone's help and tried to drive us all away. You stayed when the rest of the staff left and took care of everything when I couldn't… you just stayed...and then, you both accepted Leyona without reservation, helped her learn how to live away from her people, and she came to love both of you in return. You and Tunis aren't just employees, you're friends, no – you're more than friends – you became the family Leyona and I didn't have anymore." He stopped and looked down as he wiped a tear that was threatening to fall, a little embarrassed by what he'd said, but determined to make them understand why he was doing this.

Roggis and Tunis just looked at him, tears in their eyes. Braska sat for a moment more, thinking about all the people he'd grown close to, and would probably never see again, and then finally finished. "I don't want to worry about any of you when I leave."

"Braska…we can't…," Tunis began, but Braska held up a hand to stop her.

"You can and will," Braska insisted. "I'm going to set a few things of my mother's aside for Yuna, but otherwise you will have full ownership of the contents of the house. You can change anything you like, or sell it if it gets to be too much to care for, but I'm going to set up an account at the bank so you won't have to worry about maintaining the house. I'll make sure to include enough for you to pay everyone's wages for the next five years." He held another paper out to Roggis and then explained when the old man looked at him questioningly. "This is the account number for a retirement fund Leyona and I set up for you several years ago. We were going to tell you about it when you had Norris trained, so he could take over."

"But…," Roggis tried to interrupt, but Braska held his hand up once more, not allowing him to continue.

"I am going to leave soon, and I want to know I've left my affairs in order before I go," Braska insisted, his voice firm. "So sign the deed where I marked, and I will get the transfer processed when I go down to the port."

Tunis turned to whisper into her husband's ear, and after a moment he began to smile. "We'll sign the deed…on one condition…allow us to keep Yuna here with us, instead of sending her to Machel's. They can come to visit any time they want, but it will be less upsetting for her to stay in familiar surroundings. You think of us as family, well it's the same for us…we think of you as family too, and Yuna is like our granddaughter. We would like her to stay here."

Braska thought about it for a moment then nodded, a small smile coming to his face. "I'd like that. You're right, she would be happier staying here, but I didn't want to pressure you. The house is yours, without any strings attached…but," he paused, at a loss for words. "Thank you."

"What about Auron, what does he think about this?" Tunis asked finally, still in shock from the sudden changes in her life.

"Auron thinks he is coming with me as my Guardian, but I'm not going to allow him to throw his life away, just because I'm determined to do this."

"What about Yuna!" Auron pleaded, trying for the twentieth time to talk Braska out of his plans. He sat staring into his cup, oblivious to the loud conversations going on around them. Apparently news that Sin had returned had reached the people of Bevelle, and most of them had something to say about it.

Auron had insisted that they stop at a small café for something to eat on their way to Braska's port office, since Tunis had told him Braska hadn't eaten breakfast, or dinner the night before. He'd had to nearly drag Braska over to a table and had ended up ordering his food for him, but in the end Braska had managed to eat most of it, and was looking a little bit less pale.

"What will Yuna do?" Auron repeated with a sigh.

"I'm leaving her with Roggis and Tunis. I will set up a trust fund and a monthly maintenance allowance for her needs so there is no hardship placed on their budget." Braska set his caff down on the café table as he spoke, trying to be patient with his best friend. He knew his decision was hard for Auron to accept, but his mind was made up.

"What of the fayth? What are you going to do about them?"

"I spoke with Bahamut's fayth." Braska paused when Auron looked up in surprise then leaned closer so as not to be overheard by any of the other patrons. "He is a boy, about twelve years old. He had no idea what has been happening in Spira for the last thousand years. He gave me his necklace and said that I must take it with me on my pilgrimage and he would wake the other Fayth. He said that he will send a champion to help me, but I'm not sure when he will arrive," Braska explained, drinking the last of his caff and gathering his document case to leave.

"What shall we do until then?" Auron stood as well, tossing a couple gil on the table as a tip. He watched as a group of merchants passed on the street, engaged in a loud argument concerning overdue shipments and the dangers of travel now that Sin had returned.

"We wait till the one he spoke of arrives. Then I will journey to wake the fayth," Braska replied in a matter of fact tone. "Once they are awake I will destroy Sin."

Auron immediately said, "I'm coming with you. You will need a Guardian."

"I thank you Auron, for everything…but in this case I must refuse," Braska responded, touching Auron's arm in appreciation of his offer. "I have lost my mother, sister, and now my wife to Sin. All the people I loved the most are gone, except for you and Yuna, and I will not be the cause of your death. Stay here and care for Yuna."

"You can not go without a Guardian, and there is nothing you can do to prevent me from coming with you," Auron insisted again. "I won't let you face this task alone."

"I'm hardly helpless! I can protect myself, besides, I will have a Guardian - the champion the fayth spoke of. And it will give me comfort, knowing I have you looking after Yuna," Braska patted Auron's arm again reassuringly but he was not so easily convinced.

"You haven't worked out or sparred seriously for at least four years, and you spend all day in an office – how do you expect to protect yourself?" Auron reached out and poked Braska in the side, his finger sinking in deeper than Braska was willing to admit before it hit muscle.

Braska frowned at Auron and started walking towards the docks, making Auron step faster to keep up. "I'm going to concentrate on my mage skills…I talked to one of our old Crusader friends, you remember Quenten? He came by my office to say hello a couple weeks ago; he's retired now and lives with his daughter in a house on one of the streets off of Fourth Ring. I sent him a message this morning and he has agreed to help me brush up on my magic. You know he was one of the best white mages in the ranks, and he picked up quite a few black magic spells as well – so I won't be totally helpless, even if I am a little bit out of shape."

Auron reached out and took Braska's arm, stopping him for a moment to look at him, his jaw set and eyes hard. "We shall see if the champion measures up and then decide," Auron insisted, still determined to accompany Braska, whether he wanted his company or not.

Braska gave Auron a long look and then nodded slightly, his heart heavy when he saw his friend's expression. He recognized it from a lifetime of experience, and knew he very seldom changed Auron's mind when he took that attitude.

"Have you gotten a signal from the De'dyhel yet?" Cid asked again, leaning over the technicians shoulder. He reached out and turned one of the tuning dials on the radio, sweeping the frequency the steady beeping of the transponder should have been on. "I don't understand…they are on their way back now, the transponder signal should be getting stronger – there's no reason for it not working! Have there been any transmissions at all since the Captain signaled they were leaving Bevelle?"

"No sir, nothing," the technician answered reluctantly. Cid had been haunting the radio room for the last three days; ever since they had gotten the coded signal that the De'dyhel had reached Bevelle safely. The Captain had sent another set of coded beeps the next day to indicate that the ship was leaving port with Leyona on board. Then a day out of port… the transponder signal disappeared and then nothing further was heard - no signals or answers to anything Cid sent. "All our equipment is functioning correctly, all the test signals we've sent to the other ships worked…even the Tamdy, the one Rin has in Luca - they just aren't answering."

"Order Rin to go to Bevelle, tell them to contact Braska and find out what the Hell has happened to the De'dyhel!" Cid instructed with a growl. The man nodded and began to key the transmitter, sending the coded instructions to the Al Bhed ship in Luca. He waited for a moment, one hand on his headphones as he listened for the acknowledgment and then nodded to Cid. "They confirm your instructions, and say they will contact us as soon as they reach Bevelle."

"Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice, your Worship." Maester Kendale turned to bow slightly as the Grand Maester entered the council chamber and walked over to look at the window at the plaza below, and then moved to take his seat at the table with the rest of the Maesters. "We need to know what you want done about the people – they're pressing into the temple, and there's going to be a riot if we don't do something to calm them."

"Are the guards maintaining security still?" Maester Mica queried.

Maester Jenic nodded. "So far there haven't been any real problems with that, but the people are getting hysterical – they want to know what we are going to do about Sin." He looked expectantly at his superior, waiting for orders.

Mica sat for several moments in thought, but then a small smile flickered across his lips as he thought of a possible solution. "Did you know that Lord Braska is returning to his pilgrimage?"

Kendale nodded, having heard that from one of his sources in the city. "He is liquidating his business, and has already sold his estate."

Maester Chuham sat up straighter, a look of concern on his face. He still had fond memories of the young man who had been his close aide for several years, even though he'd had to cut ties with him when he'd made his unfortunate choice concerning the Al Bhed agreement.

"Indeed…," Mica murmured with satisfaction. "…and is this common knowledge yet?"

"No, I don't think so. The one who told me is connected with the port office and he isn't the type to gossip. I doubt very many people know yet," Kendale admitted, wondering where these questions were leading.

"How would they react if they knew one of their most distinguished Lords intended to forsake everything in order to fight Sin?" Mica's smile broadened as he thought of the use he could get out of the previous day's unexpected events.

Maester Kendale smiled slyly as he began to understand what the Grand Maester was planning.

"Maybe we should let them know…?" Mica murmured suggestively and then he smiled smugly, sitting back in his chair as the other Maesters began to consider the possibilities.

"This not honorable way to treat Summoner," Maester Kelk muttered under his breath, turning away from the gleeful expressions on the other Maesters faces as they planned ways to use Braska's grief to their advantage. "Braska is warrior, honor's memory of wife by fighting Sin."

"Cid! It's the Tamdy – they have reached Bevelle!" Ralto leaned out the door of the radio room and shouted, bringing Cid and Aja at a run. He continued to listen to his headset, writing the message as fast as the operator on the Tamdy sent, repeating it aloud as he did. "Rin says the port is in an uproar, and ships are tied up three deep at the docks, everyone is afraid to leave. He was able to find Braska almost immediately – apparently he got word of our ship's arrival and met them at the dock." The young man stopped writing suddenly and began typing a repeat code, asking for confirmation of the last part of the message Rin had sent. He listened for the reply, and then put his pen down, sitting silent for a moment with his head bowed, before turning to look at Cid with tears on his face. "Cid…I'm sorry…the De'dyhel was destroyed soon after it left port… Sin has returned."

Cid closed his eyes for a moment then turned, blinking away tears, and walked out of the room, pushing Aja's hand away when he reached out in sympathy.

"Aja, Rin says Braska has asked him to transmit a letter to Cid. He is sending it exactly as written." Ralto took a shaky breath and tapped out the acknowledgment and go ahead for Rin to start the message.

- - - - - - - - - - - - Begin Transmission- - - - - - - - - - - -

"Cid,

You are not going to take what I have to tell you well; it will be as hard for you to hear as it is for me to speak of it, but I know you would want the truth of what has happened. Leyona was on the De'dyhel when it was attacked by Sin, a day out of Bevelle. There were no survivors.

I know what you will ask – is there some mistake, could it have been another ship - but I'm afraid there is no doubt of what happened. Auron witnessed the attack from the deck of the S.S Relsa, which left port minutes after the De'dyhel on route to Luca. He was watching the De'dyhel through a telescope when Sin struck; your cousins tried to escape, and then fought when they could not, but were overcome by Sin and its spawn. The crew of the Relsa searched the waters for most of the day, despite the threat of Sin returning, but found nothing, only scattered debris. Auron is devastated, he thought of Leyona as his sister and I have never seen him take a death so hard. But no death is ever easy on those left behind. Please give my sympathies to the other families who lost loved ones. Nothing I can say will lessen their pain, but please let them know that I grieve with them.

I want you to know that Leyona was really happy at the thought of seeing you and Ohani again, so excited to finally be going back to Bikanel and seeing what you've done with Home…I have never seen her happier. It makes telling you this so much harder, as if having your heart torn out isn't enough. But know that she has always loved you and never blamed you for anything that happened between us; she would not want you to blame yourself for what has happened now. You did it for love, and so did she.

I just wish I had been with her at the end. I was unable to leave Bevelle when your invitation arrived…I wish now I had just left the negotiations, just told the Hypello to deal with someone else…done something, and gone with her. At least I would be with her now, not left with the overwhelming of grief I feel. The hole her death has left in my soul echo's with pain and will never be filled.

Cid, I know you won't understand, but I am going to stop this, end the suffering and pain Spira has felt for so many years. I can not live without Leyona, so I intend to make my death mean something. I have decided to return to the pilgrimage I first began so many years ago; I am returning to my duty as a Summoner. I am going to stop this cycle of death somehow, for Leyona, for my mother and sister, but most of all – for Yuna, and for your children as well, so they can grow up without ever feeling the grief we feel now, so they can live their lives free of Sin.

With deepest sorrow,

Braska"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - End Transmission - - - - - - - - - - - - - -