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Chapter 12

Outside the entrance to Mushroom Rock Road

Having ridden the Chocobos to and from the Old and New Mi'hen high road, Cloud and Auron both felt comfortable that they were strong enough to go on. Turning the Chocobos into the woman who ran the corral at the end of the High Road and the beginnings of the Mushroom Rock, they found themselves halted as they witnessed something odd.

There were guards of Yevon and Crusader alike at the entrance to Mushroom Rock Road. And not only that as they see Luzzu and Gatta step forward with a covered cage, they could hear the fact that what was within was most definitely not human.

Watching as they are allowed in, Yuna and the others approach and are surprised as they see Dona and Bartello apparently arguing with the guards. Wondering where they had come from as they did not see either her or him on the road. They were shocked as the woman from Kilika stalked towards them angrily.

"Forget going this way. They are not letting anyone through. Lousy good for nothing..." Muttering a few choice words, the volatile woman is startled at the extra guards that Yuna has with her.

Having only seen with her the original four of which Tidus was not quite a part of until the Luca incident, to see her with two more men beside her made the woman angry and not mention a little smug.

"Is it not the High summoner's daughter, your father traveled only with two during his pilgrimage and you so many including the legendary Sir Auron. My my my, all I need is Barthello who is quite strong."

The woman smiling, Yuna of course can't help but be incensed. "I may not be as strong as my father was. But I would have those who want to be my guardians around me. They give me the strength to continue on..."

Smiling as the girl went on in defense of her choices, Cloud couldn't help but approve as she stood fast in her choice of having many beside her. Auron smiling as well, they both were startled as the man Dona called Barthello approached them both.

"Sir Auron...may I shake your hand." The muscular man gushed out, causing Yuna and the others to hide a snicker or two. "I became a guardian thanks to you, and to see both you and this man fight one another in Luca. It was amazing; it was the best I had ever seen."

Both men sheepish, Auron offers his hand as does Cloud, when the muscular man asks the same as him. Not having felt this kind of admiration for many years, the blonde was still somewhat looking at his hand as Dona dragged the man off to scold him.

Kimahri standing beside him, the Ronso just remains quiet.

"It's been a long time, since I felt that kind of admiration, even if it was for a fight. It bothers me." The older blonde said quietly. "It made me remember how I realized how foolish I was once." He stated as memories of his idolization cost one friend his life and the events to follow the life of another one as well. In the process their loss nearly destroyed his own if not for Tifa and the others.

Silence coming from the Ronso, Cloud is startled as the large feline like man offered a hand of reassurance and a nod of head to continue. Somehow reassured, the blonde man shakes his head.

"Not ready yet..."

"Kimahri understand. When Cloud ready, Kimahri willing to listen." The Ronso stated simply.

Before he could say anything, Auron looked toward them and gestured that they needed to get moving. The younger guardians around Yuna, the young woman smiles as she steps forward to approach the man guarding the entrance to the road.

"Please, may we go forward?"

Her kindness was the one thing that made the guard feel guilty as he did not want to deny her. But he had to follow orders.

"I'm sorry. I can't."

"Please?"

"Really Lady Summoner, I want to. But I am under orders. I can't. Sorry."

"I will speak for the Lady Yuna and her party."

Grasping onto his weapon out of habit, Cloud realizes he is not alone as some of the others look as if they want to do the same. As he recognized the voice of the new Maester of Yevon, Seymour, something about the man makes the older blonde's skin crawl with disgust.

"Maester Seymour! The others are waiting for you at the headquarters!" The guard gushed with admiration for the Guado leader. The blue haired man striding forward and through the group surrounding Yuna, Cloud had to almost physically restrain Tidus from doing something.

Not to blame the younger blonde for his thoughts as he felt them as well. Something about Seymour rubbed her wrong. It felt too much like the past he had with him to be coincidental.

Even now out of the corner of his eye, he could see Auron and Kimahri both restraining their urge to pull their weapons on the man who even now was making Yuna fluster a bit as he used his authority to let them through.

"That man...." The younger blonde muttered. "I don't like him! He is focusing on Yuna way to much."

Wakka hearing that as they began to follow the Maester onto the road, much to the disgust of an angry Dona, turns and tries to gesture for Tidus to be quiet.

"Don't say that! We can't offend the Maester! He might ex-communicate us or something! And besides Yuna is a summoner, sooner or later she will have to deal with him ya!"

Before Tidus could retort, Cloud steps forward quietly as he follows as well. "Offend or not, something is off about him. His interest in us is to coincidental..."

"I agree." Auron said simply as he and the others followed. Surprised by the fact that the legendary guardian said it himself, Wakka was just stunned. If Auron said it, could it be he is missing something.

"Do not be surprised." The older man said calmly as he followed. "It is not wrong to have an opinion on a person."

"But... but he's a Maester of Yevon!"

Sighing Cloud began to speak of someone from his past...

If simply being a part of something makes him automatically a good person. Then you have a lot to learn Wakka.

Allow me to tell you of someone I knew long ago. He was a hero. He was someone whom many treated with respect and bowed to often, because what he could do could rival the best of the best of the best. Even I blindly thought he was the greatest as you do Seymour.

But you see he along with two other men worked for an organization that was very much like Yevon.


To a degree, you may even call them the Maesters of that once proud organization.

Like Yevon, they had their hands involved in a lot of things, and even those they didn't? People knew off the bat who they were and could not help but respect them for you see they knew that they were the protectors of their way of life.

But you see there were things that this organization hid from the men.

And as all things that are held quiet, one of them found out what it was.

He started to do things to these people he once protected. And on top of that, he also started to do things to his two friends as well. I do not know much about that, save that from my friend who was once an apprentice of theirs.

The shock of their betrayal was far too much as what was found out. Began to draw him in as well...

One of the three died.

Another was sealed away for lack of a better term.

But it is the last and it is of this one I speak. Considered to be the strongest of them all by many who knew and trusted him, he was most loyal to them and to those he worked for. But as he to found out the secrets that the company held, he began to hate them for his beliefs were not what they were.

And that hate spread.... He hated himself for what he was...

He hated those who gave him his job for making that way.

And then he began to hate everyone

You see that secret corrupted him as it made him even more powerful, and power unchecked can be dangerous. The other two gone...he was unstoppable. He...he killed my best friend. Who was once their apprentice....

Even now as I think about him I am surprised that I still alive, and still to this day I find myself watching my back. Knowing that he is gone and is but a memory is a comfort. But even them memories have a way of stepping forth...

And then they can become a dream...or a nightmare.

Surprised by his words, Wakka still looks stubborn at Cloud and the others whose eyes were watching the Maester's actions with Yuna carefully for anything.

"What's that got to do with Maester Seymour?"

Cloud looked at him and replied simply. "That man I spoke of...if anything Seymour is exactly like him. He has an agenda and I firmly believe he will do anything he can to get it. And he most definitely intends on making us a part of whatever it is."