- Chapter 27: Frozen -

"So what's this place we're goin' to called again?" Jecht called out as he ambled down the packed dirt road, hands behind his head.

"Djose," Braska answered, a few paces behind. "The temple of the Thunder God Ixion."

"This one's a god, huh?" Jecht asked, his brow furrowing. "I thought you guys called 'em aeons."

Auron didn't even bother to glance in Jecht's direction as he spoke, his voice dripping with thinly veiled irritation. "Of course it's an aeon, you fool. The term is simply an expression of respect."

Jecht's face twisted into a scowl of annoyance. "C'mon man, I get it already! No more sword lessons. Fine, I can live with that. But you gotta at least talk to me sometimes!"

Without answering, Auron distanced himself from the blitzballer with a quickening pace.

"How long is he gonna stay like that?" Jecht mumbled under his breath.

Rikku shook her head with a careless shrug. "We all know Auron can really hold a grudge. And you did mess up big time. Maybe you should give him some space?" Stifling a groan, Jecht sagged, and Rikku gave his shoulder a sympathetic pat. "Here's an idea! Why don't you try talking with Braska instead? At least he won't bite your head off."

Jecht shrugged her off. "Whatever," he grumbled. He did slow his steps until he was walking alongside Braska, though, who gave him a sympathetic smile.

"You'll be fine," Braska reassured him. "Auron will come around with time."

A muffled "hmph" was heard from Auron's direction, which Braska politely ignored.

"Yeah, yeah," Jecht mumbled uncomfortably. Then, stretching, he grunted thoughtfully. "So what's this Thunder God look like anyway? Is it as babe-a-licious as that Shiva chick?"

Rikku stifled a laugh at the look of dismay on Braska's face.

"I don't think we should refer to the Fayth of Macalania as a 'chick' ... and no, I don't yet know what Ixion will look like. A Summoner first has to establish a rapport with the Fayth before he can call forth an aeon's physical form." He sighed faintly. "One would think it becomes easier with time, but..."

"You won't fail," Auron interrupted. He stopped and looked over his shoulder from his position as vanguard, meeting Braska's eyes. "We will stand by you, however long it takes."

Braska smiled faintly. "Thank you. Djose's temple is a bit different from the others, though."

"You mean it don't have one of them crazy mazes in it?" Jecht asked hopefully. His face fell as Braska shook his head.

"I'm afraid not... the Cloister of Trials exists in each Temple, so that a Summoner can prove his or her worth."

"In other words, boooor-ring," Rikku chimed in with a pout. This one wasn't going to be as simple as the others; she'd never had the chance to see Djose's temple in action while the Fayth still lived inside of it. Still... after experiencing the joys of the Cloisters of Bevelle and Macalania twice, how hard could it really be? She smirked. "Don't worry - Rikku's here to save the day. This'll be a snap!" she boasted.

"Just like in Macalania?" Auron asked dryly. "Because you helped us so much then, too."

Sticking her tongue out, Rikku made a face. "I was busy. We had stuff for me to be busy with then," she added as an afterthought. "Say, what are we gonna do about money? There haven't been too many fiends around, and Luca's practically right around the corner!" She made a face as she thought about the seemingly endless stretch of barren road that led from Djose to the blitzing capital of Spira. Even with the steady influx of fiends and bandits that plagued the highway, coming up with enough money stay comfortably in Luca was going to be a daunting task. Popularity had its price, and Luca's exorbitant costs easily rivaled those of Bevelle - and that was excluding the fee of the blitzball tickets she knew Jecht would demand.

Auron, too, looked uncomfortable at the mention of finances; Jecht apparently had no clue of what awaited them, and Braska - well, he'd probably tell us to think of sleeping in the alleys of Luca as a camping trip.

As expected, Braska smiled at her without a trace of concern. "You shouldn't worry so much. Where there's a will, Yevon will provide a way."

Rikku grimaced. "I think I'm really starting to hate that saying. No wait, I always hated it," she groaned. Slumming it in Luca wasn't high on Rikku's list of things-to-do; besides being the home to blitzball, the city was also an important commercial fishing point. If they didn't want to come out of Luca stinking like fish guts, they were going to have to come up with some cash, and fast.

Rikku leaned over. "Hey... no, really. What are we gonna do? We can't afford to go to Luca like this," she whispered, noticing Auron's grimace.

"You and I, double duty for the next week," Auron answered her curtly. "We are not going to make our beds on the fishing nets of Luca's wharf."

Braska's smiled faltered only slightly as he opened his eyes. "Really, Auron. It wasn't that bad the last time."

Auron winced. "There were still a few crabs in those nets," he pointed out. "Live crabs."

"I simply saw it as an all-inclusive bed-and-breakfast," Braska said amicably.

Turning to Rikku without pause, Auron gave her a fierce look that could only have been borne of desperation. "Triple duty," he amended, and Rikku shot him a quick salute.

"'Ey! What's crabbin' got to do with Djose anyhow?" Jecht said irritably. "I thought this was some kinda lightnin' temple. Ain't it a bad idea to stick it right next to the sea?"

"You're partially right. Djose's temple is located near the coast, just as Besaid's is," Braska explained. "But the Temples of Yevon are over a thousand years old. They were built around the shrines of the Fayth, not for man's convenience." He smiled. "It works out to our benefit, in the end. If the temples did not exist where they are now, there would be no easy way for Summoners to prepare for the battle with Sin through a Pilgrimage. In order to prove ourselves worthy of receiving the Final Aeon, we must test ourselves at each of Yevon's temples."

"I get it," Jecht said, nodding to himself. "How many more of these places do we gotta stop by on this field trip before we get to Zanarkand, then?"

"Field trip...?" Auron quoted dangerously, but Braska waved him down.

"There are two more temples located along the outermost islands that we must travel to before we can begin the final journey towards Zanarkand."

Jecht fell silent, his face pulling into an unusually moody frown. "Final journey, final aeon... you guys seem all geared up for some kinda big final blitzoff with Sin, right?"

Braska smiled faintly. "I wouldn't compare it to a blitzball game, but yes - that is in essence our goal."

Jecht's frown deepened. "But... didn't ya say before that Sin kept comin' back after ten years, no matter how many times it got beat down?" He scratched his head. "Maybe I'm missin' somethin' here, but what's the point? Seems to me like there ain't nothin' final about it."

The group fell silent, and Rikku's eyes darted to Braska. He was taking his time while contemplating an answer; finally, he looked up with a smile. "The point is that we don't know what might happen this time. Yevon teaches that if we atone for our mistakes, we will one day defeat Sin. The Pilgrimages give the people hope. We refer to the confrontation with Sin as the final battle because it requires the summoning of the final and most powerful aeon. That is also why we make our way toward Zanarkand, the most difficult of all temples to reach."

"Summoners in Zanarkand? Huh... ain't ever seen any of those while I was there," Jecht said distantly. If Braska's goal had been to stave off the incessant questioning, it had worked; Jecht's seemingly endless curiosity died with the mention of his home, and how much it had obviously changed from the city he knew.

A brief look of regret twisted Braska's expression, which he quickly masked. "But you were asking why Djose differs from the other temples?" he prodded gently. "You'll see when we arrive at the temple. It's rather hard to miss, actually."

Discussing the summoning of the Final Aeon was a guaranteed conversation killer, Rikku decided; fortunately they were already closing in on the welcoming bridge that led to Djose's temple. An imposing cliffside rose to the left of the path, while an abrupt drop-off to the right of the bridge bordered a seemingly endless stretch of sea.

"Here we are," Rikku said softly to herself, admiring the path. The cobblestones and way posts were still in good repair, richly decorated with Yevon's colorful banners which flapped in the cool breeze. It was so unlike the Djose she was familiar with - crumbling, dirty and clogged with both prospective diggers and junked machina. Here, the wind carried only the cool, pungent scent of the sea inland, rather than the cloying stink of oil and rusting metal. "It's so pretty," she murmured to herself, shocked at how different her recollection was from what actually lay before them.

The jarring dichotomy of memory and reality was ultimately her own fault, Rikku realized; Djose hadn't changed into a scrap yard overnight, after all. Fear of lightning had kept her own interactions with the temple limited until well after the Machine Faction had commandeered its empty hull. Even afterwards, when Djose was starting to be considered the new de facto Al Bhed home camp and she had wrestled with her own demons on the Thunder Plains, Rikku had nearly always found a reason to absent herself from visiting. If she was honest with herself, that reason was Gippal. Even though the cocky leader of the Machine Faction was hardly ever present there, the fear of bumping into him was more than enough to keep Rikku far away.

With his position as head of the Machine Faction, Gippal's practically a shoe-in as Pop's successor. Keyakku might have been able to fill Cid's shoes, but he was gone, killed in Yevon's destruction of Home. She remembered all too well her father's grief at the loss of his eldest son; it wasn't just family that he had sacrificed then. Rikku knew deep down that Cid understood neither she nor Brother had what it took to pull, and more importantly, hold together the willful spirit of the Al Bhed. More importantly, she also knew that Cid saw Gippal's interest in her - which was more like an interest in anything on two legs with breasts - as his chance to keep the reigns of leadership within the family.

Wrinkling her nose at the memory, Rikku suppressed a shudder. Arranged marriages are for Yevonites, not me, she thought viciously.

"Is something wrong?" Jumping with surprise, Rikku was jolted out of her memory only to see Auron eyeing her speculatively. "You look as though you were contemplating something important."

"I wouldn't call it important," Rikku said airily. "I was just remembering something I'd actually rather forget." Oh, Pops would freak if he heard me saying that about his big wedding plans. I wonder if Gippal would freak, too? Naw, that guy would jump at the chance to get close without the risk of Cid breaking both of his legs.

"I don't believe you." Auron's deep voice cut through Rikku's vivid imagining of Cid attempting to hog-tie herself to Gippal with an Al Bhed promise rope. "You're thinking of someone important to you."

Rikku frowned. "Hey, how do you know? I could be thinking about what I had for lunch, y'know. Which, by the way, was nothing?" she added with a pout.

A hint of a smile ghosted across Auron's face. "No," he said with authority. "It's a person. You wouldn't bother to think that much otherwise."

"Hey!" she protested. "I think all the time! And not just about people!"

"Really?" Jecht interrupted with a grin. "Could've fooled me!"

Auron's smile fell off abruptly and he leveled a frosty glare at Jecht before turning back to her. "We can talk about it later. When we have a little more peace and quiet." Rikku watched him stalk off with mixed feelings of relief and disappointment.

"Can't a guy get a break?" Jecht muttered.

Rikku glared. "Look who's talking! You were making fun of me just now!"

Jecht shrugged, unconcerned. "So? It was for a good cause. Ya don't mind, right?"

Rikku opened her mouth to protest - and tripped as a loud shriek reached her ears. Looking down, she lifted her foot and found a trapped monkey eyeing her balefully from under her heel. Recovering its squashed tail, the tiny thing chattered at her before scampering onto a bridge post to stare her down. "Hey, little guy! Didn't see you there..." Rikku cooed at it nervously. They might have been cute, but Ghiki had taught her very clearly that a furious monkey was nothing but trouble. "Umm, sorry?"

The monkey glared at her, and then abruptly launched itself at her face. Ducking instinctively, Rikku winced as the monkey flew over her head with a loud screech.

"Close call... hey guys, watch the monkeys!" she yelled as Jecht let out a belly laugh. She scowled. "Hey, what's so funny?"

"You!" Jecht said, pointing. "You're actually scared of a damn mon-!"

A furry body plastered itself against Jecht's face, cutting him off. Muffled shouts could be heard as he staggered across the bridge, clawing at the writhing ball of fur that had attached itself to his head. "Get it off! Get it off!"

Rikku winced, and Auron looked on impassively. "Should we help him?"

Shrugging, Auron strode towards the temple, stepping around Jecht and continuing down the path. "Like attracts like," he said. "Just make sure he doesn't fall into the water."

"Well, he is moving in the right direction," Braska observed as Jecht slammed into one of the posts, sending a few more monkeys flying. At least three more of them had joined the first attacker, hanging off of his shoulders, arms and legs. "But we finished the last of our rations on the way here," he observed dubiously. "I'm not entirely certain how we could help Jecht."

Another partially-stifled scream was heard - "...bit me on the ass!" - and Braska and Rikku winced. Digging around in her pouch, Rikku's hand closed around a small grenade. "Well, I do have one last trick up my sleeve..." Cupping a hand over her mouth, she called out towards Jecht. "Stay still! Help is on the way!"

"Is that wise -" Braska started to say, but Rikku had already pulled the pin.

"Let 'er rip!" she yelled, tossing the grenade at Jecht. There was a loud boom, and then the monkeys scattered as Jecht collapsed onto the ground. "Hey, it really worked!"

"Uhh," Jecht groaned, sitting up with unfocused eyes. "Who turned out the lights?" He rubbed his face groggily. Then he swiped a hand over his eyes again, this time more urgently. "Wait... my eyes... the little bastards got my eyes! Aww, hell! I can't see nothin'!"

Rikku waited carefully to avoid Jecht's new, monkey-free flailing limb assault before darting in and slapping him on the side of the head. "Relax, loser. You're not blind, I just hit you with a smoke bomb. It'll wear off in a little bit."

"A smoke bomb? What the hell were you thinkin'? You coulda killed me!" Jecht yelled, scrambling to his feet. He swayed unsteadily as he rose to his full height, and Rikku smirked as she grabbed him by the arm and steadied him.

"You could say I owed you one," she chirped, slapping him firmly on the back to emphasize her point and nearly sending the disoriented man reeling back to the ground. "Besides, it got rid of the monkey problem, didn't it?"

Braska cleared his throat. "That wasn't really necessary. The wildlife of Djose is peaceable enough, as long as you don't provoke them." Even as he spoke, a small ring of adoring monkeys had gathered at the hems of Braska's robe, looking deceptively cute and innocent as they watched him with their large eyes. "Besides," he continued, seemingly unaware of the animals' attentions, "it would be cruel to take away Jecht's first sight of one of Yevon's more spectacular temples." With a whirl of his staff and a few softly spoken words, he whisked the blindness away from Jecht's eyes.

Rikku swore she heard the monkeys cooing in a unified aww as Braska's soothing magic hummed through the air and hid her envious glare. "Well not all of us can be perfect," she muttered under her breath.

Jecht stretched next to her, blinking and obviously enjoying the return of his vision. "Maybe he lines his robes with banana peels," he said. Then he turned full-circle, taking in their surroundings. "Gotta say, Braska. I don't see nothin' special 'bout this place yet."

Braska smiled quietly and made a small gesture. "Follow me." As he turned to walk down the bridge, the ring of monkeys surrounding him simultaneously froze, their ears pointing upwards. Then, in silent streaks of white, they scampered away in unison, disappearing between the rocks.

Rikku froze. "What was that?" she asked.

"They finally figured out he wasn't gonna donate any bananas to the cause?" Jecht quipped. He dropped his hands away from his head, though, one lingering on the hilt of his sword, and sniffed the air. "Hey, you guys smell somethin' weird?"

Braska, too, had stopped, a slight frown marring his features. He spared a cursory glance at the rocks, and then turned towards the drop-off, facing the open sea. "The monkeys went into hiding. Something frightened them."

"Eh?" Jecht was asking, but Rikku was already backing down the path, feeling a roiling sensation in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't a scent Jecht was noticing, but something far more insidious.

"I'm gonna go get Auron, okay?" she said nervously.

"No need," Auron replied as he approached them quickly. His sword was already out, and Rikku swallowed.

"Please say that's just my stomach making me queasy," she moaned, reaching for her daggers and hoping that her denial would break the horrified trance falling over them.

"Strange, that it would come this close to the temple," Auron was saying to Braska, who only shook his head.

"They say it's drawn to the Hymn. Though, to my knowledge it has never assaulted an actual Temple before. The presence of the Fayth must be enough to repel an open attack..."

"What? What're you guys talkin' about?" Jecht asked, his frown turning anxious.

Rikku shushed him impatiently. "Sin," she whispered, scanning the deceptively calm waters for any sign of motion whatsoever. A ripple caught her eye, and she pointed instinctively. "Over there!"

Even as she shouted the water broke, waves cresting over the massive hull of the monster as it surfaced. An inhuman roar shattered the silence, and the ground around them shook. Gigantic waves parted and smashed against the cliffside as Sin crested along the water, its cracked and pock-marked skin hardening into enormous fins which pulsed almost lazily in the air.

"Holy shi-" Jecht was mouthing, his eyes wide. He's never seen Sin like this before, Rikku realized; they'd only fought against Sinspawn to date, and Macalania's forests had been much too dense to display the full size of the creature. This Sin was truly impressive, and what was worse, it was miles off the coast - and the mere sight of it was still enough to make Rikku's knees go weak. It was bigger than she remembered, and she stifled a moan.

"How many years has it been again since the last Calm?" she squeaked.

"Too many," Auron said grimly.

"Nearly thirty," Braska added, eyeing the beast on the horizon. "It's grown a bit since I last saw it."

Rikku felt herself reeling; even from this distance, Sin's aura was beginning to affect them. She clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to inhale lightly. "The toxin! We've gotta get outta here!"

Auron nodded curtly. "Summon later," he commanded Braska, pushing him roughly down the path towards the temple. "We need to get to safety first."

"But I can still -" Braska protested, his eyes trained on Sin. Rikku stared and flinched at what she saw on the Summoner's face; fear, obsession and... hatred? Something disturbingly close to it warred openly across his expressions.

"Later! There'll be fiends and Sinspawn enough to deal with at the Temple," Auron was saying, now bodily dragging Braska away from the cliffside.

As if waking from a trance, Rikku shook her head and elbowed Jecht, who was still gaping.

"That's the thing that brought me from Zanarkand?" he wondered. He looked at Rikku in confusion. "Did it eat me?"

"Jecht, focus! We've got to cover them, the fiends will be here any minute! C'mon, do your job! Help me protect Braska!"

Coming out of his stupor, Jecht gave Rikku a tense nod. "Yeah... don't know how we're gonna protect anybody if that thing decides to come over here," he added.

"Rikku!" Auron called out, and she gave Jecht one last look before racing towards the others. She saw soon why they'd pulled up short; a Basilisk had squeezed out from between the rocks, attracted by the same noxious aura that was making her feel so woozy. Two Funguars had also sprouted nearby, brought into early bloom by the toxin. "Have you fought these before?" he asked her tersely.

Rikku didn't bother to answer; time was short, and with Sin on the coast she didn't want to risk staying in the open. Sprinting forward, she heard Auron's soft curse behind her as he followed. "Rushing in with no plan?" he grunted at her as he prepared his sword. Ignoring him, she focused on the Basilisk, trying to avoid its gaze. Pyreflies, pyreflies...

"Look out! The plants have teeth!" Jecht was shouting from somewhere behind them, and then flickering flames washed over Rikku's skin, tongues of fire that burned painfully wherever they touched open skin. Gasping at the sudden pain, Rikku's concentration broke. It was too late to stop; her hand was rushing in, and suddenly, it wasn't a creature of pyreflies anymore but just a really huge, ugly snake and she hated snakes -

"Oww!" Rikku yelled as her palm slapped against the hard, unyielding scales of the furious fiend. It let out an answering roar and swooped down towards her, its fanged mouth open and dripping acidic saliva. "Aaaah!" she screamed, cowering instinctively against the strike.

The hit never came; a swoosh of air passed over her head followed by a wet squelch, and the creature let out a shriek of pain as it skid back a few inches. It was enough space for Rikku to back roll out of the way of the Basilisk's flailing limbs, and to her surprise Jecht soon joined them, covering her retreat with a few quick hits of his blade.

Auron grunted and pulled his deeply-embedded sword out of the snake, and Rikku marveled at his raw power. She recognized the attack; a power break, he used to call them - a concentrated strike to a fiend's weakest point, to knock its strength away. "Thanks," she wheezed, and Auron whirled his sword around, flicking some blood off of the blade.

"We need a plan," he said tersely, trying to keep an eye on the fiend even as he avoided its deadly gaze.

"Plan? We can just hit it with our swords 'til it dies!" Jecht protested, forming his fingers into a familiar triangle before throwing a Haste spell over Auron. "Let's do it!" he cheered, raising his own sword and rushing in towards the Basilisk headlong.

"Jecht!" Rikku yelled, but it was already too late to stop his charge. Unaware of the dangers, the blitzer looked up mid-strike and froze in place, telltale signs of graying petrifaction working its way over his legs as he stilled.

Auron let out a few oaths under his breath. "Can you destroy the Funguars with your magic?" he asked Rikku, breathing heavily.

"I already have a plan," she assured him. "Take care of the snake, and don't worry about me this time." Because I won't fail twice. Gritting her teeth, she rushed in headlong again, ignoring Auron's shout of dismay.

I'm stronger than you. I know it. You're nothing but pyreflies. Give!

She struck hard, pushing her hand through, between the Basilisk's layers, reaching, searching desperately until her fingers closed around something small and hard. With a shout of triumph, Rikku pulled back the grenade, not even pausing in her retreat as she lobbed it at the cliffside. The ensuing explosion sent massive chunks of rock and dust flying into the air, temporarily blinding her as she scrambled in what she vainly hoped was the direction of her companions.

The smoke slowly cleared, and Rikku managed to make out the uniquely-shaped form of Braska's feathered circlet, waving like a banner in the dusty aftermath. She saw that he was leaning over Jecht, who was looking decidedly less grey than before. "Did I get 'em?" she asked breathlessly, spinning around to watch Auron face off with the Basilisk. Rays of reflected sunlight flashed into her eyes as she tracked the battle, caught along the blade of his sword in the constant motion of his deadly dance.

Braska coughed and straightened, his eyes scanning the cliffside. Then he smiled. "Effective," he noted, pointing at the two newly-formed Funguar sculptures gracing Djose's path. "Auron might need some..."

Another squeal of pain was heard, and Rikku watched as the Basilisk burst into a cloud of pyreflies at Auron's last, savage strike.

"... assistance," Braska finished.

"Wow," Rikku said, allowing herself a moment to be impressed. Auron turned almost immediately to face them, ignoring the pyreflies that were still swirling around him.

"No time to talk, let's go!" he shouted at them, pointing at the path.

"Right," Rikku said, helping Braska heft a woozy Jecht to his feet and hurrying after him.

"Guuuh..." Jecht groaned, finally regaining the use of his limbs as they half-dragged him down the road. "Maybe I should take them lessons with Auron more seriously..."

Rikku clenched her teeth. "You did good. Just be glad Auron's better, right now. I don't know if we could take another Basilisk..."

Auron pulled up short, motioning for them to stop. "Wait," he said suspiciously. Violent waves burst against the cliffside in a deafening roar, and in the short lull that followed, Rikku heard it - the sound of falling rock, a scrape of scale against stone, and she let out a tiny whimper.

"But we just fought that," she moaned, and stared at the not one, but two Basilisks that slithered out from between the stones to greet them.

Jecht shoved off of her, gripping his sword even as he staggered unsteadily towards Auron. "Who cares? We'll take 'em down, just like the other one," he growled.

Auron nodded curtly. "I'd rather take our chances with the snakes instead of Sin," he said pointedly. Even he was beginning to sweat, though; the oppressing sensation of the toxin was taking its toll on all of them, fighting aside.

Rikku gulped and swallowed, putting on her best game face. I really hate snakes, she thought miserably, wishing she could give in to the toxin's call to simply curl up and fall asleep. "Yeah, let's do it!" she forced herself to cheer instead, dancing in place. I'm not going down without a smile on my face. "You ready, Braska?" Hearing no answer, her heart skipped a beat - Was there another fiend? Did the toxin get him? - and she whirled around to look at him.

He was kneeling on the ground, his staff outstretched, eyes focused on the air before him in abstract concentration. "Braska?"

"Shh!" Auron pulled her back brusquely, causing her to trip and stumble against his broad chest. Steadying herself, Rikku blinked as the pyreflies gathered around the Summoner and exploded into a rainbow of crystalline color.

"He... he's gotten better at Summoning," Rikku breathed as she watched Shiva burst out of her icy prison with a careless gesture.

"Sin is here. He's motivated," Auron replied. Then he raised his voice, turning to address Jecht. "All we can do is stay out of his way."

Jecht, too, was staring as the towering aeon stalked haughtily past him, leaving trails of icy crystals in her wake. "Don't need to tell me twice," he said, scrambling away from the ice elemental. "Don't she look madder than before? That is one bitch I don't wanna cross right now..."

Even as he observed, Shiva was already kissing her fingertips in a deadly greeting, icy winds beginning to cyclone around her. Rikku's eyes widened. "Diamond Dust? He's making her do that now? But we're too close!"

Auron grunted in agreement, releasing Rikku to kneel in front of Braska. "Take cover!" he shouted to her and Jecht.

"No way," Jecht growled, joining Auron and doing his best to make a human shield for the Summoner.

"Don't be a fool, at least I'm wearing armor," Auron hissed at him, but Jecht's answering glare matched his own.

"If that's what it takes to show you I'm serious, then live with it."

Rikku crouched down on Braska's other side, shivering violently from the numbing cold surrounding them as Shiva gathered her energy overhead. Auron stopped glaring at Jecht to stare at her.

"You, too?"

"Heh heh..." Rikku laughed nervously. "The more the merrier, I always say!"

The look of surprise and frustration eased off of Auron's face even as the powerful attack Shiva was unleashing on the unfortunate Basilisks screamed through the air, transforming the balmy ocean cliffside into an arctic wasteland.

"Together, then," was the last thing Rikku heard him saying, and then the world was blanketed in white.

.x.x.x.

Rikku woke with a gasp, wheezing and shuddering. "C-c-c-cold!" she croaked, sitting up and wincing at the painful stiffness in her limbs. She relaxed minutely as she saw Braska sitting across from her, apparently safe, although his eyes were dark with concern.

"Rest," he soothed her, easing her back down onto the bed as her panic subsided.

"What happened? Where's Auron and Jecht?"

Braska's head dropped slightly. "Auron is fine. We were rescued by the Warrior-monks stationed at Djose. In fact, we're inside one of their field tents right now. Auron is negotiating with the other monks for our stay here."

"Monks," Rikku said, biting the inside of her cheek. Yevon's army of brutal enforcers. There was a reason Auron was so good at what he did, and now, apparently, he had company. A whole one, from the sound of it. "What're they doing all the way out here?"

"This wasn't the first sighting of Sin near the coast," Braska explained. "It was seen moving near Luca, out towards the smaller villages. I believe the Church deployed them to protect the other Temples."

"And Luca," Rikku added, only to be met with silence. "I mean it's not like they can ignore it, right?"

Braska sighed quietly. "Protecting the Temples must take precedence over protecting Blitzball tournaments," he murmured. Rikku understood what that really meant; Luca was in many ways a rival city to Bevelle. Bustling with commerce and nearly as large and densely populated as the capital, it was a major hub for trade and interaction for all Spirans, fuelled by their love for sports. Unlike Bevelle, however, there was no Fayth, no Temple, and no overwhelming presence of Yevon - just Blitzball, a game which crossed differing cultures and artificial borders as easily as the Church drew them. No, Rikku understood, if Sin actually attacked Luca the Church would be the last to step in and interfere. Just like Mushroom Rock all over again, she thought bitterly.

"One of Auron's friends is directing the Monk's activities now - Wen Kinoc, have you met him?" Braska smiled faintly. "I suspect that Auron is currently trying to... broaden the Church's perspective," he added.

"Fat chance," Rikku mumbled to herself. Catching Braska's look of surprise, she quickly modulated her tone. "Uh, I mean, Kinoc's not here right now, is he?"

Braska shook his head, and Rikku tried to hide the look of relief that crossed her face. "No... but Auron's name still carries some weight with the rest of the monks. I'm sure everything will work out for the best."

"Mm-hmm," Rikku added cheerfully. Turning her head, she squinted into the darkness and made out another form on the cot next to her. "Is that Jecht?" she asked, pushing herself up on her elbows. He looked out for the count, breathing deep, steady breaths and for once not snoring loudly.

Rikku waited as Braska stared at the man in question. The silence drew out, and unable to bear the growing tension, she bit. "Helloooo?"

Braska's expression was pinched and drawn. "... I healed him," he finally said. "He's still asleep. Auron said he had told him to flee, but Jecht wouldn't listen." His eyes were still fixed on the slumbering man.

"It's all right. It looks like he's just sleeping," Rikku said, stretching the kinks out of her back. "I'm sure you did your best." She stopped as she noticed Braska going still. "Huh? What'd I say?"

With a sigh, Braska stood up. "It's nothing," he answered with an air of weariness. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Rikku. I just need to step out for some fresh air."

Rikku watched him go, frowning as she massaged one particularly sore muscle in her shoulder. Wonder what his problem is?

Braska pulled back the curtain covering the entrance to the cramped tent, and stopped as he nearly ran into Auron.

"My lord?"

"She's awake," Braska murmured quietly, before brushing past Auron.

Rikku winced at the sudden onslaught of light from his exit and turned her head away - and froze. A small beam of light was shining across Jecht, and as she stared she saw a myriad of angry red welts crisscrossing his arm. The thin strip of light widened, exposing more of his chest, and the trail of scars continued, bisecting his tattoo and creating angry roadmaps across his dark skin. Even without seeing the rest of him clearly, Rikku finally understood why Braska had left so suddenly.

She could almost see it... Jecht, kneeling alongside the rest of them, surrounded by Shiva's summoned frost. The ice encasing them as the aeon lifted a hand, her expression as cold as their deadly blanket. Her fingers snapping, shattering their crystal tomb. Millions of sharpened, tiny knives cutting, piercing, stabbing across Jecht's open skin as the shards flew. Rikku covered her mouth and let out a small gasp of dismay.

"His face was scarred as well," Auron said quietly from his position at the door. He let the curtain drop slowly, the ray of light thinning to a tiny sliver once more. "He nearly died to protect Braska from his own aeon."

"What about us? Why are we - oh no!" Rikku felt a small flush of guilt as she hastily ran her hands over her arms and legs, checking for welts and scars. She felt a weight settle beside her as Auron sat on her cot.

"You are fine," he said. Even in the dim light, Rikku could tell he wasn't looking at her. "You just couldn't leave, as I'd asked you to," he sighed, a note of muted anger coloring his words.

Rikku frowned, drawing her knees up under her chin. "Why are you so mad about it? And why am I okay while Jecht looks like a tic-tac-toe game?"

Auron stared at Jecht, not meeting her eyes. "I knew what would happen. I couldn't let you take the brunt of that attack. You're nearly as lightly dressed as him," he added, jerking his chin towards Jecht.

Rikku watched him cautiously, the tension radiating off of Auron nearly palpable. "You protected me?" she asked. "I thought you were guarding Braska."

"I failed in that duty." Auron's fist tightened against his cloak. "Jecht did not."

Feeling strangely guilty, Rikku dropped her head. "I should have listened to you." She knew she should have been happy - she was getting her wish, after all: Auron had protected her. It should have been romantic - to be the center of one man's attention, placed above even his own strict code of duty as a Guardian. Instead, she felt brittle inside. I made him choose. Protect Braska, or protect me. And he chose me. She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Hnn. Guard your emotions, then guard your Summoner," he said bitterly.

Rikku looked up at Auron. "Do you regret it?" she asked softly. "Us, I mean?"

Auron finally turned to face her. "I never asked for this," he said honestly, his words blunt.

Rikku nodded, ignoring the stab of hurt in her chest, and dropped her chin back onto her knees. "Do you at least forgive Jecht now?" she asked, remembering how hard the other man had been trying to catch Auron's attention - and approval - before for the attack.

One eyebrow rose in surprise. "Braska was correct. He has always had potential. I'm the one who was blind." His words tapered off into the darkness.

"I hear a but," Rikku prodded.

"Forgiving myself is another matter."

His words weren't really that much of a surprise. Don't turn away just because it hurts, she wanted to say. Instead, she let out a small sigh of disappointment. "I'm not giving up on us, you know. There's gotta be a way for both of us to be happy."

Auron said nothing, but he didn't protest, and Rikku took that as an encouraging sign.

"But I really am sorry." She swallowed. "Next time I won't make you choose, okay?"

"There won't be a next time," Auron declared, standing. "I won't allow it to happen again. Meet us outside when Jecht wakes. The Temple awaits us."

AN: Many thanks again to Fwe for much needed beta proofing and butt kicking!