((A/N: Alrighties... Sorry I didn't get this chapter up sooner. Semester exams are coming up next week and I've been studying a bit. And I've been sick for the past few days, including today, so I really hope this chapter isn't horrible. If by chance it is, blame it on the fact that I'm sick. Well, Read, Review, Enjoy! And there's another note at the bottom if by chance you make it that far.))

Chapter Eleven

Split

Taking a deep breath of air, Ren sat up and put her hand over her heart. Feeling the beating, she looked to Baralai who now stood at her side. Aitigus stepped towards the praetor, saying, "I thought you dead, sir! We all did!"

Shaking his head, Baralai replied, "As you can see, I'm not dead." Eyes narrowing for a moment, he said, "And I would say no harm done, but that doesn't seem to be the exact case." He looked down to Ren who was breathing hard as if each would be her last. He knelt down at her side. "Ren," he said. When she didn't look to him, he placed his hands on either side of her face. "Ren," he said again. Her hazel eyes lifted to his face and he said, softly, "Calm down, relax." Her breath slowed and she closed her eyes.

Getting to his feet, Baralai went to his advisor and said, "Right now, I don't care about the support of common Spira. If, every time Ren and I leave Bevelle, something happens, then I am sure support will be lost anyway."

"Then what do you propose?" Aitigus asked, seeming genuinely concerned.

Turning to the crowd, Baralai said, "Spira, as you know, I am engaged to this woman behind me. Yet, as we ventured through the land to seek blessing from her family, we found our lives in danger, not of fiends, but of people we know. For the safety of my fiancee, as well as myself, I am forced to cancel our wedding, and thus, protect our lives."

Eyes full of shock, Ren stared at the praetor. She hadn't been expecting that. Slowly getting to her feet, she stumbled a bit and went to the light-haired man. About to speak, a 'we-need-to-talk' look on her face, she was caught off guard when the praetor hugged her tightly. "We'll talk about it later," he told her.

Standing there, still shocked by his words, and now by his embrace, she tried to remain calm about the future of her village, hoping Aitigus wouldn't remember her lie. His arms still around her waist, Ren's mind wandered to Eiolis. Thinking about him now, tears stung at her eyes and she buried her face against the praetor. All of Spira watched as the 'couple' exchanged their last embrace. Baralai kissed her forehead and released her.

Ren kept her eyes lowered, for she knew they would be puffy and red. The people of Spira slowly left Bevelle. When the crowd was gone, Baralai sent his advisor on an errand and then looked to the ex-summoner. He opened his mouth to speak, but Ren said quickly, "I thought they'd killed you."

Rubbing his bandaged cheek, the praetor replied, "I think they would've."

"What happened?" she asked, finally raising her eyes to his face.

"A man named Kalvaras appeared," the praetor told her. "He sent the others on their way and pulled me up from the ledge."

"Good timing on his part," Ren muttered and then said a little louder, "and the bandages? Where'd you get the injuries from?"

"Kalvaras hit me a few times," the praetor replied and shook his head. "Said he had his reasons." After a few moments, he then told her, "I thought you were dead."

"I'm more resilient than you think," Ren told him.

"As am I," he replied.

After a moment of silence, Ren asked, "What now?"

"You're free to go," he told her. "Your entire village turned on you, tried to kill you. I just don't think you should have to go through that."

Ren nodded slightly. They stood there, once more in silence, neither knowing what to say. "Goodbye," the ex-summoner said eventually.

"Goodbye," the praetor replied.

Hesitantly, Ren turned and began walking down the bridge. She glanced back once, and Baralai was heading in the opposite direction. At first walking, the brunette then increased her pace, jogging first, then running. Suddenly, she began skipping and running intermittently and, near the end of the road, she cartwheeled out of Bevelle. Nearing the guards, she wrapped her arms around one of their necks and they looked at her awkwardly. "Home free!" she shouted and ran down the path toward the Thunder Plains.

Walking through the Thunder Plains, Ren stared up at the cloudy sky, hands behind her head. "I was almost on the Farplane with you," she said softly.

Entering the travel agency a few moments later, she heard a familiar noise and glanced into a corner where a chocobo sat on a pile of blankets. "Oberron?" she muttered, looking at the large bird. It made a high pitched response and went to try and stand.

An Al Bhed man sitting next to the chocobo quickly got up and forced the bird to remain on the blankets. Looking to Ren, he said, "Is this chocobo yours?"

Nodding quickly, the ex-summoner rushed over to the chocobo and knelt down. "What happened?" she asked the man. To the chocobo, she then said, "How did you get here?"

The woman behind the counter leaned forward and said, "The Praetor Baralai rode in here not too long ago. Said he was in a hurry and then he stole Daska's craft and rode off toward Macalania Forest."

"He rode my chocobo," Ren said. Looking down at the bird's feet, she found them bandaged. "How bad?" she asked the Al Bhed man, Daska.

"He was run bloody," he replied. "Feet are damaged pretty bad."

"Oberron's a worker, not a runner," Ren grumbled and rubbed the bird's face. "Is he safe to walk?" she asked.

"For short periods of time," Daska replied. "Once he begins to limp, it would be a sure sign for rest."

Nodding quickly, Ren said, "We have to get the Mi'ihen village," she said. Scratching the bird along its neck, she said, "Kal's back... I just hope he's still there."

Standing, Ren bowed to Daska and said, "Thank you for taking care of him."

"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Naoska," he replied.

Her past identity had been thrown out to the world, and it made her extremely uncomfortable to think that, now, everyone would call her Lady Naoska. "As far as your vehicle is concerned," Ren said to him, "You'll have to take it up with the praetor."

Daska shook his head. "I'm sure I can always get another."

Ren frowned for a moment. "Then let me reimburse you," she told him.

"I wouldn't dream of hitting you up for money," Daska told her.

"Fine," Ren said, "Then let me owe you a favor." She watched him for a moment and he seemed a bit confused. "If you don't get the thing back from the praetor, then let me at least owe you a favor, else I'll feel bad."

Daska nodded, "A favor then, if I don't get it back."

Smiling slightly, Ren said, "Then it's settled." Standing up straight, she stepped back and said, "Oberron, let's go home."

The chocobo made a light-hearted noise and got to its feet. It seemed to wince a bit but followed at Ren's slow pace as she waved good bye to the people of the travel agency, thanked them, and then left.

"I can't believe he ran a work-chocobo," Ren sighed and slapped her forehead. "You think Niima would've told him the difference!" She looked at the chocobo and he shook his head. "Then again, Niima never spent much time on the farm... I doubt she even knew the difference." Throwing her hands in the air, Ren said, "And if Niima had been around more, then the praetor would've too! Then he'd know we'd met before! But then again... maybe we blocked each other out because our only connection was through Niima." The chocobo made a slight noise and nudged her shoulder. She smiled, reached back and rubbed it neck.

They reached Guadosalam and rested for a moment outside the inn. As they sat there, a woman approached and asked, "Lady Naoska, is it true that you and the praetor split up?"

Ren blinked a few times and then nodded. "It's true," she said.

"Aw... I was looking forward to the wedding," the woman said, disappointed. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not a supporter of New Yevon, but I thought you two made such an adorable couple."

Shrugging, the ex-summoner replied, "Well, sometimes things just don't work out." She shook her head. The woman seemed annoyed with the answer she was given and walked away. Grinning, the brunette ex-summoner got to her feet and looked to the chocobo. "Let's go Obe."

((A/N: A typo in Ch. 10 was brought to my attention. I accidentally called Ren an 'ex-hunter' instead of an 'ex-summoner'... I wasn't paying attention when I was writing and the 'ex' part made me instinctively write 'hunter' because that's what my main character in my novel is... Sooo, I apologize for that. My bad... And thanks Skylander for telling me and mocking me for it... but guess what?! PAIN CANS! XP hehehe ))