Hey guys!

Wow, did you guys miss me? Probably not... Psh, just joking, well, I hope so...
Anyways, you guys are probably wondering why the heck I took so long... To answer this truthfully, I am only good at thinking at night (it's like, 12:45am now) and somehow, I just suddenly got my muse at around 11:55am, so I continued writing this chapter until I finished.

Warning? Well, I didn't really check my chapter for any mistakes (as usual... I should really do that...) and well, I just got my muse back (with exams coming up, GAH!) so this chapter might be really really bad, especially the fight scene. For those of you who are Final Fantasy X fans, Auron is in this chapter! Yay!

Oh, I'd love to thank all of you out there who reviewed (and if I didn't reply, I'm so sorry!), story alerted, favourited or author alerted. I love you guys so much, so thank you. I really need the support to get myself going, especially since I'm having a hard time at school and stuff.

Anyways, I really hope you enjoy.

I do not own Lord of the Ring or Final Fantasy X. They go to their respective owners. I do, however, own the original characters (Valina, Felix, Ian and Kiku) and the twisted plot.

I might have used some of the lines from the movie/book of Lord of the Rings. Any that seem recognisable by the reader, please understand that I do not own the certain quotes and they, again, go to their respective owner(s).

Chapter Eight - Lost Purpose and Feeble Attempts

Chapter Theme(s):
Yuna's Theme - Final Fantasy X OST
Hymn of the Fayth - Final Fantasy X OST
This Is Your Story - Final Fantasy X OST
These are in no particular order and may not fit in with the chapter,
as it was just what I listened to as I wrote.

As swiftly as she could, Valina pushed herself up and helped the scurrying hobbits to gather their things. She took notice in the moon light that Frodo was very pale, probably from fear.

"Run up the staircase!" She ordered them and glanced behind her.

When they began climbing up the stone steps, Merry at the front, Frodo jammed in the middle of them and Valina at the back, she could have sworn she heard footsteps from behind. But she ignored it, her expression stern and calm. Her heart? It was beating loudly within her chest and she knew she was panicking inside, but she had to keep a calm exterior for the hobbits who were shaking with fear.

They came to an abrupt stop when they realised they were at the top with an omnious mist surrounding them. They all huddled together. Sam was right beside Valina as she prepared herself for an attack. She summoned her staff with ease, pyreflies fading as she firmly held onto the staff. Her mind trying to determine a plan.

She heard the loud thuds of metal boots against bricks and she knew saw the enemies fade through the night mist. Her heart accelerated when she realised that they had swords which gleamed dangerously in the moonlight. She was used to fighting fiends - monsters that killed people because their anger from dying as humans had clouded their minds. She had never fought anything similiar to a human nor with the evil purpose of wanting to kill her.

Valina was powerless when it came to physical force, she probably had as much as each of the hobbits did. Her punches and swings would be inaccurate and overall, useless. However, she had an advantage when it came to magic.

"Fire!" She concentrated on the distinct feeling of heat, the symbol of fire and the deadly color. It was the way of how people of Spira summoned their elements.

Bending to her will, a flaming ball of fire came to life in her right hand. The figures of black did not stop at the sight, but seemed to falter just once. That was all it took for Valina to understand that they feared fire to a fault. She powered her fire and immediately hurled it at one of the black riders. It let out a piercing cry as it dodged it, but the others quickly assembled into their fighting positions right after.

The hobbits unsheathed their swords as she acted on impulse and summoned a lively ball of lightning and once again, hurled it at her enemies. The fight continued as she used her staff to parry their blows with much difficulty and her other hand to summon her different elements to rain down upon the black riders. Colors of blue, red, white and yellow scattered everywhere, some hitting the enemy with triumphant results of cries of pain, but other times it seemed useless as they sent a powerful stab coming her way.

Valina had no idea how she did it, but she managed to dodge every blow from their swords, though unfortunely not that metal gloved hands nor bodies, and felt herself being pushed further and further away from her companions. She knew that there were five black riders, yet she only had the attention of two.

The other three were advancing towards the hobbits. "Sam!" She screamed as she parried a slash and watched as Sam was flung aside. The next were Pippin and Merry and lastly...

Frodo! The words were caught in her throat as she desperately tried to summon another ball of fire to launch at the advancing three black riders, but she was abruptly distracted by the body of a black rider slamming into her. She was desperate to protect Frodo, scrambling up to try defend him. But she could not see him and the two riders attacking her fiercely. The ring! She thought. It was the only explanation of why he had disappeared. The thought of him wearing it only fueled her fear. She swung her staff at her offenders, causing them to be pushed back and sprinted forward with lightning within her hand.

Her lightning struck two of the black riders with a flash of white, yet she was too late.

The cry of pain from Frodo was heard perfectly clear.

The sight of him being impaled by the silver sword was the bitter picture of failure to her. "No!" She screamed flinging her staff at the black rider just as she saw a blur of orange and black.

It was Strider!

Yet the sight of him did not let let her breathe without fear, as she watched as he used the torch and flung it side to side to push back the black riders from their injured companion. Valina turned her attention to the pale Frodo whom lay there as she dropped to her knees. He was writhing in pain as Sam came scrambling towards them both. "Oh, Yveon," She cried as she tried checking his wound, yet his movement didn't allow her. "Frodo? Frodo, look at me!" She placed her hands against his cheeks and saw the struggle within his eyes. Was it some type of poison effecting him?

"He was stabbed by a morgul blade." Strider's voice caused her to turn and look at the sword that impaled him crumbled to dust, leaving only the dark hilt. He quickly picked up the hobbit and briskly walked away, saying something about needing Elvish medicine.

She pushed the hobbits up quickly and ran to Strider. "I can heal him with my magic, but I do not know if it would do more good than bad." She hurriedly said.

He glanced at her and nodded. "Then you must try when we camp elsewhere."

They had set a temporary camp in the darkness of the wilds and Strider had placed him down on the forest floor to allow Valina to try her magic. She tried casting Curaga, the most powerful healing spell a magic user could conjure, yet she felt as if something was blocking her. She also noticed how all her spells, even during the past fight, was so feeble in comparison with how they usually were in Spira. What is wrong with me? She thought in fright.

"What is ailing him?" She asked. "Is it some type of poison?"

Strider frowned. "In a way." He answered before talking to Sam in low and hurried voices.

The Summoner turned back to Frodo and frantically tried casting Esuna, a spell that would usually heal all types of ailments in Spira. Yet, the poison must have been so foreign that it only did so little good but did not fully take away the toxin nor it's symptoms. The wound had closed and stopped bleeding, a good sign that her powers still had some effect. However, she knew that she could not fully heal him until the poison was out of his system.

Suddenly, a wave of nausea doused her mind and she felt faint. "W-What-" The stench of Sin became strongly apparent and she had realised that her body could not take it anymore. She began to sway and her sight was shaky.

"Valina?" She heard Pippin's voice. "What's wrong?" His voice rising in panic.

"I... It's... too much..." She mumbled incoherently.

"Valina, what are you- No, Valina, stay awake!"

She felt herself falling to the side with a dull thud and let her eyes close.

Sin... Will it ever be gone...?

Valina...

The call for her name stirred her awake before she gently opened her eyes. She instantly recognised the place she was in. She heard the Hymn of Fayth and saw the purple-white flowers. Small orbs with trailing tails of green, white, purple and blue were gently floating around, each time they passed by she could hear the familiar echoes of soft cries. Water cascaded down from floating islands with similiar flowers growing on it's soil. Everything was misty and endless...

She was in the Farplane. The place where the dead rested.

"W-Why am I... here?" She whispered.

"Valina." The voice caused her to gasp and abruptly turn.

She instantly recognised the man with the red coat and stiff collar all around his neck, covering his chin and mouth. He had a large sword slung over his shoulder, his other hand using his coat as a sling at his hip and a container situated on the other hip. The very man she had respected and had been the Guardian of her father.

"Sir Auron." She breathed.

He looked much older than she had remembered, probably from the ten years they had last seen each other. She noticed a large scar on the right side of his face, resulting in the right eye being shut while his left eye looked at her calmly with amber pools.

She had so many questions jumbled up in her mind that she only formed incoherent stutters and a very red face. "W-What... I, W-Why am I...? Why didn't you come back to Yuna and I? I-" She stopped and shook her head in shame. She was getting too ahead of herself.

"Valina." She looked up at him.

When did he come closer? She thought in shock.

"Lulu and Wakka are taking care of Yuna." His voice was rough, very much like his appearance. "I am looking after Jecht's son."

"Oh." Was all she could say, embarassing as it was. She remembered Jecht. He was her father's Guardian too. He had claimed her had come from a sacred land in Spira called Zanarkand. He always walked around shirtless, showing off his tattoos and held his long mane of dark hair by a bright red headband. She remembered him being tan because of hours spent in the sun from playing Blitz Ball, a water sport. He also talked about his son a lot. Tidus, wasn't it?

"But, what am I doing here?" She asked hesitantly.

Auron gazed at her, as if inspecting whether or not she was good enough for something. "Your story no longer belongs in Spira alone." He told her. "You must continue your story in this new world."

"But why?" She cried out. "Why did Spira abandon me? Did Yu Yveon believe I was not good enough to defeat Sin? I was in Zanarkand! I was going to complete my pilgrimage!" Tears of frustration formed in her blue and green eyes as she continued. "I was going to repent for my sins. Why did Yu Yveon stop me?"

"Valina!" Auron shouted. His shout made her halt and she looked up at him like a lost child.

She felt so alone in Middle Earth. There was no one whom properly knew her ways and she had no clue what her purpose was anymore. It felt as if her life on Spira was just a lost cause and Yu Yveon had just cruelly thrusted her upon a new world, making her adjust to it's new ways and to let others use her as some type of shield from their problems.

She really liked Frodo, honestly, she really did. But why was she using her powers there, in Middle Earth when she was meant to use them in Spira for her duty as a Summoner? Her people were dying without her!

"You need to understand. You have been sent there to continue your duty as a Summoner, but in a different way." He spoke earnestly. "Do you remember why Sin is reborn?"

She immediately answered. "Because we must repent for our sins."

"So the Yveon teachings say." Auron's tone sounded irritated, even sarcastic. "But that is not the reason." He continued, despite seeing how shocked she was at his distaste with the religion. "There is something connecting Spira to the other world. You've realised it, haven't you?"

She nodded and answered that it was Sin. The stench was all around the black riders. "You will understand your purpose soon enough. But for now, I need you to remember this." Auron said. "You must remember that the magical powers you possess are Spirian magic. It is vastly different from the other world's magic, that is why your spells do not seem as strong. Even your Aeons will seem weaker because you are connected to Spira."

"How do I get stronger? I cannot stay weak like this-"

He interupted her. "You will. You need to be patient and practice. Your body will gradually infuse Spira's energy with the other world's as you use your powers. Your pilgrimage is not over, despite not being in Spira."

Valina had more questions. Infact, she had too many and all have remained unanswered. Even the ones she did ask out loud, they were discarded with vague replies. It was frustrating and felt slightly betrayed. Yet she pushed it all back and just nodded. "I... understand..." She replied softly.

He inclined his head to show that he had listened. A signature action he always did ever since she had first met him when she was five. Even now, he was still her role model. He was one of the people she just couldn't disappoint. She was too afraid to do so. "Valina."

"Yes?"

He turned his back to her. "If you complete your pilgrimage, Yuna's future will be set. Just like how you wished." Just as he finished, he began walking away and let the mist envelope him.

She could only place her hands on her heart, unsure of how she should feel. Were you meant to guide me, Auron? If so, why do I still feel so lost...?

Transcript 576,

I do not understand. My team has researched for many years the cause of Sin's rebirth. For centuries, Summoners have defeated Sin and yet, it reappears several years later. The Calm never remains and is swept away by an attack by the entity. Perhaps, it is true. Sin will always come back as long as our sins exists. But doesn't this prove to be nothing but a cycle of death? Is Spira really trapped in this cycle? Yu Yveon have made it's way into everyone's hearts. Everyone believes that Sin is our punishment and that it will remain so, until we kill all Al-Bhed and their machina. But, won't that create more sins for Spirians? The only way we can determine this is to understand Sin. Yet, there is nothing. I am lost, as is everyone else on Spira.

Syris Gervada.

I am so annoyed with my profile. The linebreaks don't work and some of the writing is not in the middle. GAAAH. As if I'm not frustrated enough with other things... Sigh...

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this and have a nice day!

-Lolimochi.