I want my journey to be one of laughter
…Just whistle… I'll come running, promise
"You…want to become a guardian?" Auron stated it suggestively rather than one of acceptance
"You sound surprised, Auron, you know I'd do anything for…" He trailed off looking down trying to think of a way to describe his feelings
"-I'd do anything….for my friends" He looked away from his master and towards the shrubs off to the side
"I'd be all for it…" He smiled a bit
"But that darkness in your heart will have to dissipate, as you said Yuna?" He looked towards the young summoner
"Guardians have to have smiles, so, smile!" She skidded up to him a bit childishly and he looked away from her flinching slightly
"Just…like before" Sora whispered incoherently for the girl and she looked at him expectantly
He finally looked to her and smiled whole-heartedly, as much as he disapproved of this, as much as he knew in his heart he wasn't happy, he had to pretend – pretend these people were the people he left behind. Yet…when he saw this girl before him –despite the fact that he's met her before…he felt she was different now, and he felt himself seeing his fallen love…more and more in this girl. He couldn't even figure out why, he promised himself he wouldn't, and yet…here he was, thinking about her instead of Yuffieand that made him rethink a lot of things.
If…I can't get back would…would it be so wrong to…to fall in- no this…is irrational thinking
When she began to blush and look away he realized he was doing this a bit too long and looked away
"Having fun, are we, Sora?" Sora groaned inwardly
"Just go away already, I don't even have time for you right now, Riku" Sora drew his weapon none the less
"And yet you have time to play Guardian I don't get it, honestly why bother you know you can't change what's already happened, your treating this girl just like her and you treated her how you treated Kairi, you're in a cycle and I'm going to break it, you're coming back with me, here and now!"
"You really have lost all means of moral standing ever since you became a master"
"And you've lost your way ever since she died!" Sora glared
"I'll give you one last chance, as my best friend, return if you show force I'll have to end your life myself"
Sora shrugged
"Go ahead and try, I'll be happy to oblige, Riku" Sora got into battle stance
"I knew it…" Riku sighed "He held out his hand an aura of light shrouded the raven haired teen when the light faded his darkness…faded
"Maybe now, you can see the light with your own eyes instead of ones of darkness!" Riku inched closer all Sora did was shake his head
"No matter what you decide to do, my answer remains I have to protect them, I have to make amends with what I've done wrong you of all people should understand that!" Sora drew Guardian soul and the Ultima and ran his hood – jacket flew off him as he ran his electric blue eyes began to shine with purpose to protect them.
He quickly leapt over his silver haired friend with an over-head strike barely hitting his over shirt he landed behind his friend swiftly coming in with attacks similar to omnislash but grounded in its assault however Riku wasn't going to fall as easily as he liked.
"You are as strong as I should've guessed even without that power…however I have powers too!" Riku's once bandaged arm erected a blade of its own as bright as the sun so bright he couldn't help but cringe, he rushed his fallen friend.
"As bright as you've become…I can't fall here, I can't…fall to you!" Sora ran towards his friend dogging both incoming strikes and began one of his own
"Ars-!"Sora shouted repeatedly slammed his blades into the silver haired master
"Ragna-"He lifted him into the air continuing his combo into what seemed like the end
"DRIVE" The energy erected at the tip of his blade spread around the brunette shocking and sending the Keyblade master soaring over the railing of the monument.
He landed elegantly and looked around to see the group looking at him as if he were a completely different person…in some way or another he was but he didn't let them get a word in he rushed them along with I'll tell you as soon as we get away they ran all the way to the Mi'hen highroad and as soon as Sora couldn't feel his friends presence he stopped, running a hand through his brown locks sighing ever so slightly.
"I wanted to keep who I was a secret" Sora finally said looking towards the pastures ahead rather than at the group
"So you deceived us?" Lulu asked evenly
"No, I wanted to force myself to stay angry – stoic – so I wouldn't come to care about you so I could do my duty…stop Genesis and either solitude myself or return to where I belong – if I can that's my only purpose" Sora finally turned towards them
"But…somewhere along the way I started to care, started….to see my old friends in all of you and…I don't know what to do with myself anymore"
"Brunette…" Yuna said absentmindedly
"It suits you better" She smiled walking up to him to gently play with his hair
"And those eyes are so bright….glowing actually" She stared intently
"Yuna! Get away from him he could be a fiend!" Lulu commanded
"I'm…no fiend, true my other form may look what a fiend might look like…but it's not that it's power I was cursed with by an old companion – it was supposed to be a gift but in the end it caused so many problems…believe me or not – want me around or not – I won't go anywhere" Sora let finality enter his voice
"I say, we let him come with us" It was Auron who made way through with a smirk on his face
"He's proven to me he's reliable and he hasn't tried killing any of you yet? And if he does I'll deal with him myself, he'll be my personal charge, but it all comes down to what lady Yuna wishes" Yuna gently placed a hand on the brunettes face much to his discomfort and she smiled elegantly
"I don't see why he can't come – I'd like him to continue with us, on one condition" She smiled brighter
"Smile, like you mean it, I want to see you truly – that's all I ask" Sora recoiled a bit but none the less looked down a bit slightly
"No other options?" She shook her head finally after a few seconds closed his eyes picturing Cloud…Tifa, Cid, Marlene, Denzel, even Vincent and Barrett, and finally…Yuffie, a tear slid down his face as he opened his eyes and smiled at Yuna, truly she gasped slightly and returned the smile.
"Alright, you can come along, Sora" He quickly kneeled with Guardian soul and Oathkeeper in his hands
"I swear, on these blades as a guardian and as an oath to you, I will protect you, no matter what despite my own personal vendetta your safety is well above that, you have my word and life are at your disposal, lady Yuna" She giggled slightly
"You don't have to go so far, I believe you, come we must press one to Djose"
Enemies came out of the wood work and Sora ran through every and anything he could hit being diverse had its advantages everyone else was – what it seemed to be to him miles behind
"C'mon slowpokes!" Sora teased
"H-How are you so fast?" Tidus huffed Sora paused for a moment in thought before pointing to his eyes
"I was infused with Mako – it made me super human and along with Jenova and chaos cells I'm supposed to be near unstoppable in terms of strength and speed, however…" Sora paused again as the group walked up
"I lose myself in anger because of my past…I lost the girl I loved, the sister I never had and the mentor I trusted as well as many others, I'll never forgive that man, I can't help but get angry with him and myself for letting it happen."
Auron came up and slapped his shoulder
"That's more of a reason – to keep going keep moving on so one day; you can fix what you've destroyed in some way or another"
"Auron…" Sora said softly the man smirked
"If you must know, I don't actually know of you kid, Tidus just happened to say your name, although…I feel like I should know you for some reason"
"Of course…"
They continued onward until they reached ruins two women riding yellow birds coming forth telling the group of a fiend who had a liking to eat the beasts the two were riding
"A large fiend…" Tidus whispered to himself
"Let's go get em!" Tidus shouted, Sora looked at him as if he grew a second head
"Don't…what – no Tidus! We should be avoiding such things as giant things can eat us, don't – god I – Wakka I can't do it, he's all yours now"
"It's the right thing to do!" Tidus reasoned
Auron began to laugh
"What's so funny?"
"Yeah, seriously, this isn't the right thing to do, let's just dismiss it and come back when we can actually take something like that down without any complications" Sora reasoned
"I say we do it…Jecht said that a lot too and if that's the case, we're in for trouble but…" He paused
"I get it, I get it, let's just go" Sora huffed they began walking again following the dirt road they came across a child and his mother who asked Yuna if she'd bring the calm soon she responded with a yes – she…seemed so motherly at this moment and Sora couldn't help but feel bad not just for her but this world as a whole, people forced to live like this in constant fear he sighed.
After talking with few crusaders and into a priestess they began to understand this plan they set in place,
"Using machines to fight sin…" Sora mused to himself
"It won't work, machines will do nothing against sin" Auron responded
"Seems like a pointless attempt then, don't you think…?"
"Of course, but desperate times call for desperate even irrational measures" Sora shifted his weight in annoyance
"But, this isn't even about defeating sin, the teachings of yevon must be upheld!" Sora didn't know how much more of this he could take
"But, they won't listen to me all because I'm a lowly Acolyte…"
"Don't say that" Yuna spurted out in such a way that the girl shot back
"I myself haven't been a summoner all that long, still I can't put myself down every time I fail, people are depending on me, on both of us!" Sora smiled at her
"So long as you believe in yourself and your friends, the people you cherish in your heart…you can do anything so long as you don't give up." Sora shot in
"Thank you, both of you, now I feel the courage to finish my training" Sora smirked before walking on ahead of the group up towards the hill
"We rest here" Auron called out Sora perked up and looked back at him in understanding
"But this is al bhed shop!" Wakka almost complained
"Is that a problem?" Auron almost dared him to go against him
"They don't believe in Yevon and in luca they…"
"They kidnapped Yuna" Said girl looked away in what seemed to be shock disappointment or possibly failure Sora couldn't tell,
"Where were her guardians?" They all looked defeated
"Sir Auron's just concerned about your health" Yuna added in softly
"Despite that…I'm a guardian now," Sora piped up
"So, I'll pick up the slack and make sure she doesn't get kidnapped…again" Sora added in with a smirk on his face Wakka looked totally defiant
"Well, I'm not tired, one bit" Wakka spat
"Well, I am" And that spelled the end of the conversation as Auron walked towards the shop
Around sunset the door opened and Tidus made his way out of the shop and towards the young summoner Sora, staying rooted next to the red clad swordsman
"You know, you can rest at any time, just because I make an effort to watch after her doesn't mean you have to" Auron suggested Sora shrugged it off
"If anyone should rest, it shouldn't be me, I'm fine, I'll go in when she does" Sora leaned against the shop
"You seem to have a natural form of care for her, how…-"Sora cut him off
"I care for her as I would anyone…Auron" Sora shifted his gaze towards the setting sun it reminded him more and more of home
"You say that, but it seems to me, you put her before yourself, if you try to replace the one you lost with her, you'll only hurt yourself, kid, just…be honest with yourself, because even with all of those super human abilities, your still only just that, human" Sora winced at the words.
"A whole…world separates us, I could never allow myself…to have such luxuries to allow myself to move on – to forget what happened even if…" He looked down thoughts flooding his eyes shot back up almost glaring at the sunset
"Even if I did defeat him I…" A hand reached his shoulder
"Let go, you can't carry this burden alone…Sora" He looked away from Auron's gaze
"I…can't let go, I can never forget, until he's gone will I be able to move forward…"
"And what of Yuna?" He shot back up to the swordsman
"She cares a great deal – about you, about Tidus, everyone, and if you were to leave her it'd devastate her" Auron added
"I suppose it would, but, I'm not supposed to even be here, I promised to stay by her side until this was over, once sin is gone, I will carry on" Auron had a grim look about him
"What if that wasn't enough for her, what if she wanted you to stay by her, longer?" Auron questioned and Sora was feeling a bit annoyed
"I don't think I could…I…." Auron looked at the sun
"What if, this was where you were destined to stay, and the land you lived in before couldn't return to you? Would you stay or would you willingly give up?" Sora froze
"I…" He set himself downcast
"Think about it, because one day may come when you may have to surpass me, kid" Sora looked up and the man was gone, Sora felt a forbidding in the words and only perked up when he hear the two in front of him begin to laugh and Auron making his way towards them. Sora warily rushed up towards the man.
"The ruins of a city destroyed over a thousand years ago" Auron said Sora looked at the man in shock
"You sure it's ruins?" Tidus asked, and that was all Sora needed to know
"You'll see it soon enough" Sora still had look of dread
"Yuna, come back inside" Auron made way towards the shop
"Those answers you want, will be answered, sooner than you think, kid" Those words were directed more towards Sora than anyone else and even as he made way past him Sora couldn't help but feel so distraught
"Will you come with us…to Zanarkand?" Sora looked to them
"Yeah, I'll go." Yuna's eyes lit up and smiled so brightly
"I'll go to Zanarkand to see it with my own eyes"
Sora stalked passed them sitting at the edge of the cliff as the two slowly made way back
"Coming, Sora?" Yuna called
"No, Not yet…" Sora called out dully
"Are you…okay?" He felt himself unnerved
"Don't worry about me, Yuna," Sora responded looking towards the sun
"Don't keep Auron waiting, I'll be along in a bit" Yuna sighed
"Don't worry, about the past, don't think about it" Yuna said softly Sora looked back to her, a smile on her face as she turned away ever so slowly he saw Yuffie again, fading away into the girl before him he reached out, on impulse only to stop himself.
"You…remind me so much of her in so many different ways and…I will never understand why" Sora whispered to himself
"Who…?" The voice startled him he assumed she left and he was rather wrong
"Yuffie…" The girl looked a bit confused
"The girl, I gave my heart to, and fight for, even though she's no longer of this world"
"My…condolences" Yuna bowed
"You didn't know, Yuna, here…" He stood up and turned to her summoning Leviathan's love the blade had a pink and black ribbon adorned on the blade and the tip had a white rose, the blade itself had a glow about it that radiated care and the guard was in the shape of a heart with obvious ninja tools evident.
Yuna looked on in fascination of the blade and the glow felt warm, the next blade was Believe gold with a materia at the tip and the bar resembled a buster sword the guard was in the shape of a ninja star
"These blades are proof of the love of my old friends…even now it isn't dead; after this ends…we may never meet-"He was cut off by her shaking her head
"You…promised to stay by my side until this is over, you can't leave, if even after that if something else comes…I'll need you around you…you are my guardian!" Yuna almost pouted
"I can't always stay-"
"You promised, and you shouldn't break those! I want you to stay, with us…" Yuna downcast
"I couldn't, after this is over, I…I'll need to find a way back" Sora looked away from her fragile gaze
"But, if you can't – you'll…you'll stay right?" She seemed ever so hopeful and he felt so terrible
"I'd end my life rather than keep going a life…" A smack was heard throughout the cliff and Sora looked at her in shock.
She ran to him tears spilling she looked up to him clasping her arms around him
"Don't, Don't ever say that again, promise, if you can't go back, you'll stay, by my side, promise me!" Yuna half shouted and Sora looked at her in complete awe his features softened however.
"I…" He stared into her eyes as they started to brim with tears and he looked to the sky and sighed
"If by some miracle I can't go back…I'll stay, I promise you, alright?" Despite his mood he smiled ever so slightly at the sky above
"Come closer" She commanded he looked down confused and moved himself closer to the girl
"Like this?" He asked
"Lower" He saw a smile beginning to shine and lower his head a bit
Before he could so much as ask what this was about he felt her soft lips on his forehead and her hand snaking through his hair and a blush radiated from him despite his resolve they stood like that for what felt like an eternity until she finally moved back placing her hands behind her and leaning ever so slightly forward in…the same way Yuffie did, she smiled
"Keep that promise, or I'll be upset!" She teased before racing off to the shop he touched the spot before turning to the sun once more.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll keep it…Yuna"
Words she whispered she assumed he wouldn't hear...made him smile sadly as he made he was back
If I remind me of her...does that mean...you'll love me too like her?
"I could never give you an answer to that, Yuna"
Morning came quickly and before they even so much as left the shop was attacked by the beast – the chocobo eater with said yellow bird in its hand noticing the group it dropped the bird and landed to face them
"….looks like you win this time, Tidus" Sora huffed getting into stance
"Push him towards the cliff!" Auron commanded
Sora leapt towards the beast only for it to blast ice at the brunette
Auron ran in while he was focused on the former slashing at the beast earning a howl of pain. Wakka threw a ball laced with silence magic stopping its use of ice it rammed its body against the group slamming them back.
Lulu began rapid casting fire spells and Sora formed an idea
"Tidus, run through full speed, I'll come through right after that, Auron, be ready with Bushido, Lulu when I give the signal shoot a fire spell!" Nodding Tidus ran through the beast under its feet Sora ran on the opposite side flames from his blades enraged the beast but due to the speed couldn't accurately hit either swordsman, Sora back flipped toward Auron with a nod the man spun gaining momentum shot a literal whirlwind. Sora Lulu and Auron himself – who threw a bomb the former fire spells set off a wall of fire killing the monstrosity before it could even reach the end of the cliff.
The rancher who owned the chocobo's allowed the group access to a free test run accepting they caught up to the crusaders and not far behind them…Seymour he couldn't figure why…but Sora was glaring at the man with intent to kill and only grew worse as he got closer
"So we meet again…lady Yuna"
"You look troubled. Is there anything I can do?"
"You can go fall off a cliff and die" Sora thought to himself
Sora's eyes never once left the man, his features began to distort and only from the voice of his old friend was he able to come out of his daze
"Who does he think he is?" Sora looked to the blonde
"I agree, however…something about him…" Tidus looked to the brunette
"Makes me want to kill him." Sora said nonchalantly
"He's a maester get used to him" Wakka reprimanded Sora shrugged it off
"If I have to see his face one more time I'll end up ripping it off – everything about that guy makes me want to just – Gah!" Sora huffed in annoyance before finally calming down and continuing with the group
The man, Seymour was using machine –machines to fight sin and Wakka voiced this concern
The man of Sora's immediate hatred came towards the group
"Ah, Sir Auron it's an honor" That coy smirk made Sora's blood boil
"I would be most interested in what you've been doing these last ten years"
"I've got nothing to say about it" Auron walked off
"I see…Auron must be a great asset as a guardian"
"Of course he is, master Auron is a great swordsman" Sora praised
"Master so you must be his student?" Sora scoffed
"Auron taught me in a manner of speaking I respect him, more so than I do you that's for sure" Sora looked at the man defiantly who just smirked
"I'd love to see what you've learned" Seymour smirked
"Oh you just might, my strength surpasses normal means something you'd cower at" Sora glared and made his way past the man without a second thought….however they had to go towards the command center where they would meet this man again
"C'mooooon Wakka!" Sora whined
"Even if you could I wouldn't let you
"But he's just…such a douche and he totally deserves you even you know that!" Sora defended
"You can't kill harm or even threaten the maester, Sora I'm sorry but no is a no!" Wakka said with finality
"You are so not fun Auron-"Sora looked towards the red clad swordsman for conformation
"You know better, kid" Sora pouted
"But!-"Auron laid a hand on his head
"All will be taken care of in due time, let it go for now" Auron smiled a bit and Sora despite his hatred stopped his childish antics
They made way down the treacherous pathway towards the two crusaders – Gatta and Luzzu who seemed to be arguing the former ran off
"They let you through huh?"
"Gatta deserves better" Tidus Said in a bit harder tone than Sora'd heard him use
"At least he won't get hurt, Why are you guys fighting aren't the almighty al bhed machina enough?" Wakka questioned
"They still need time, our job is to keep sin at bay until they're done" Luzzu responded
The two blitzball players seemed angry upset even
"Wakka…" Luzzu started
"I may never get another chance to say this,"
Lulu tried to intercept his words
"I…was the one who convinced your brother to enlist" a look passed over Wakka glaring he slugged the man hard trying to go in for another hit Tidus grabbed him and Sora moved in front of the man his eyes told him more than any sentence could; Talk this out or you'll be meeting my fists
"When we used to play blitzball together Chappu used to say…that when he won the cup that he'd purpose to Lulu" Sora felt like a bucket of cool water landed on him
"And then one day he runs off and becomes a crusader just like that" Sora finally understood why he was as angry as he was
"Chappu also told me, that being with your girl is good, but keeping sin far away from her is better"
"Lu, you knew?" Wakka asked
"Luzzu…told me before we left"
"She hit me too" Luzzu slightly joked
"Dude at this point your more of a target for angry people than a contender against sin" Sora said offhandedly
However whatever banter that could've been said was left to the wind as crusader came through letting every know to assemble at the beach and Luzzu made way towards it until; Yuna stopped him.
"Sir Luzzu, Please! Please don't go" Yuna seemed to see it to, that if he went the likely event he'd return was slim
"I have to, Yuna" Sora felt Déjà vu and even words he himself would have to say to the girl one day if it came to it
"Let it go, Yuna, He's made his choice as you did when you became a summoner" Yuna hesitantly let the man pass
Sora perked up as the man left
"If you want to save him….save all of them all you have to do is say the word, Yuna" She looked to him confused
"You…you could save them?" She asked hopeful
"You doubt my strength?" He joked
"Just say the word, I'll do my best" Sora smiled a bit
"Then please, Sora, save them!" Yuna pleaded
"Sora, don't" Auron demanded however it was too late, Sora leapt off the ledge and a bright light took over the brunette wings grew as bright and as pure as Yuna's plea
Sora smiled a bit "I'll return as soon as I can Yuna" She looked up to him as if he was indeed an angel of hope he flew off towards the beach
"Did, he really just become an angel?" Tidus looked completely floored
"Seems the both of you are linked to lady Yuna in more than just one way" Tidus looked towards Auron perplexed
"Don't worry about it, Tidus, let's go" Auron commanded
Yeah so, after this next one maybe two chapters I'll speed this up a bit it would take forever to cover all of this story anyway xD