Chapter 11

The Aurochs gathered in their locker room, hyped at their success. The tournament was going well. Wakka's face was drawn in a serious 'Wakka' look. "Its goin good ya, but don't get cocky out there ya, we still have to play the Goers.

"Now remember defense, and Keepa please try to stay awake this time, Kiley, Tidus, Jecht, I want you all to get the ball and just shoot like crazy." The cheers resounded in the small metallic room.

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Kiley swam into the sphere, Through the watery sides she could see the distorted faces of the cheering crowd. It was like a dream come true, playing Blitzball with her father, and her grandfather.

"The Aurochs have entered the sphere, folks. They have playing amazingly today, and young Kiley is showing her true colors." The voice shouted over the stadium, its thunderous voice reaching all ears. "Well Bobba, They have definitely proven that they are a worthy match for our Luca Goers. And here they come folks!"

Kiley turned from the water's edge and saw Damien and his team approaching. She watched him stop and wave at his adoring fans, then he turned back to Kiley, and watched her roll her blue eyes.

"Folks, this game is one for the books, I predict this game will go down in history as the clash of the titans!" The cheers of the fans were multiplied. "Players to your places please."

After lining up Kiley looked towards her father, as he looked towards her and they shared a smile. The buzzer rang and the scoreboard came on. The referee shot the ball into the sphere as the whistle blew.

All players waited to see who of the middle players would catch the ball, It seemed to take an eternity before it landed safely in Jecht's hands. "And the Aurochs have the ball!" Kiley swam quickly towards the goal swimming past the defensive players. As she passed Damien she winked at him and enjoyed seeing him stumble slightly in the water. She turned to Jecht as the ball flew through the water and into her hands, turning she was only yards from the goalie, but the Goers were starting to swarm around her, so Kiley quickly passed the ball to her father, and watched as he shoot the ball with such a ferocity that had the goalie trying to dodge. The buzzer screamed through the air and player returned to their previous places.

The game continue with Tidus scoring two more goals, Jecht scoring 3 goals, and Kiley scoring one. The buzzer for halftime sounded, as the crowd began to disperse, Kiley noticed Balgerda swimming towards her. Kiley wondered what the hell she was doing. But Balgerda just kept swimming to Kiley, she gained speed and barreled straight into Kiley, knocking her to the side. She had purposefully wounded Kiley. Kiley grabbed her middle as the spasms of pain hit her. Damien had seen the whole incident and he raced to Kiley to help her, all the while glaring darkly at his teammate. He touched Kiley's hair softly.

Kiley looked up at him in confusion. She noticed the kind look in his eyes, the unsaid apology in them, before he turned and headed out the other end of the sphere pool. Tidus instantly appeared at her side, with a worried look and indicated that they should leave too, helping her swim to the exit, they left the pool.

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"You guys are doing great out there, we are so winning!" Kiley smiled slightly at Rikku's statement. "Kiley you sure you can play?" Wakka asked concerned over the pain written all over her face. "Yeah, I have to you know Wakka?"

"Okay...I guess...Well keep up the good work you guys!" They all nodded. Well don't you think you guys should go out and win this one?" They all cheered and ran to the door.

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They game continued without any incidents, well not totally, Kiley wasn't quite as much help with her shoots, because of her injury but she still managed to get a shoot in, she took happiness in the fact that she performed the Jecht Shot on Balgerda, and knocked her cold as she kicked the ball at her face.

The Aurochs won the game 10 to 6. Damien had played great but unfortunately he was the only one that was any good. The players of the Goers and the Aurochs lined up in front of Maester Ronso, as he declared the winners. "People of Spira, The Besaid Aurochs have indeed won..." The cheers screamed through the air, "But, due to the lack of the Goers signature on their BTA," which Maester Ronso brought into full view, and the news anchors ran forward to get a close up of the paper allowing everyone to see the empty signature line, "I'm afraid I have to disqualify the Aurochs and announce the Goers as the official winners." The Auroch's fans booed the news while the Goers' fans yelled their approval.

Kiley felt her heart drop, she remembered now at the cafe she had been interrupted by Wakka, before she could get Damien's signature. Her head dropped in defeat, she felt horrible, she was the only reason why the Aurochs lost.

Kiley left the others preferring to be alone. Walking done the steps she was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the dark robbed figures coming out of the shadows into the light. She was almost surrounded when she heard her father's shout. He ran up to her while Wakka, Lulu, Rikku, Auron, Jecht, Braska, and Damien raced down the steps, and stood supportively around them.

The robbed figures parted for the blue "master" to approach them. "So we meet again." His gaze was directed towards Tidus as he shook off his robe hood.

"SEYMOUR!?"

Chapter 12

"Tidus was it? Are you so surprised to see me?" Seymour walked slowly towards the group. His gaze left Tidus' and settled on Kiley's. He kept walking towards her, and slowly reached up and ran his hand down her hair, "Beautiful..." Tidus growled at her side and Damien rushed forward, to stand in front of Kiley.

"Well it looks like we will have to wait fro another time, pity." Suddenly they all disappeared blending in with the shadows. "What the hell is going on?"

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Kiley sat in the dining room on the airship while she waited for Lulu. A meeting had been called by Cid. In hopes that maybe some answers could come. "Hey, you alright?" Kiley looked up at her father's face and felt so much love for him. She also felt the stab of pain for having disappointed him about the game. "Hey don't worry about the game, okay? They know we beat their asses that's all that matters." She smile at her father, a truly genuine smile.

Lulu entered the room with Damien behind her, she noticed Kiley's shocked look and chose to ignore it. "Lets get this meeting started." Damien sat across the table and smiled at me, *what the hell was going on?*

"Okay so where she would start?" Cid yelled at his position at the head of the table. "Well I think its safe to say that Seymour's back from the far plane and he has some plan, probably involving Kiley." Lulu announced that statement, sending everyone into a chaos.

"Excuse me." The talking died swiftly as Damien stood, "Umm, hi, I uh... saw one of those guys before... Well actually twice. The first time I saw one at the Kilika temple, he was talking to some priest dude about--"

"About ancient prophecies." Kiley finished, all eyes averted to her, "I uh...saw him too."

"Yeah and another time was at the cafe, I was walking in to get the BTA signed and this guy in a robe runs into me...come to think of that he dropped something." Damien's face was drawn in concentration *Dear Yevon he was cute...Where had that come from, I must have hurt my head or something.* He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a beautiful piece of red crushed velvet. He set it on the table and unwrapped the velvet. Soon an object was in view.

"Its a stone!" Wakka yelled. Lulu rolled her eyes and hit Wakka on the arm. "Idiot it is a fragment of a wall." Lulu said calmly, "I knew that." Wakka said quickly still rubbing his arm where Lu had hit him. Lulu stood up and walked closer to examine the fragment. "Hmmm, it seems to be part of a mural, probable from a temple. Wait there are some words, 'The sun and moon parted by time and space, brought together by one...' That's all that it says, curious." She walked back to her seat calmly thinking over what she had learned. "Well there is only one thing to do."

Wakka nodded, "Find Seymour and knick the crap out of him." Wakka stated seriously. Lulu turned staring evilly at him. "NO!" she took a calming breath before continuing. "We must go to all the temples and see if we can't find the rest of this mural." Wakka was still pouting and said sulkily "It would be easier my way." "Oh for Yevon's sake enough Wakka!"

"Okay...so you all are going to the temples...there is eight of 'em suckers, don't think you have enough time for that." Cid claimed. "He's right, hmmm...lets see, we should break up in teams. Tidus could you go with Jecht to the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth, and Remiem Temple?" They both nodded. Okay Auron, Rikku could you go to Kilika Temple?" They both nodded. "Right, now Kiley you go with Damien to Baaj Temple, Wakka and I will go to Besaid Temple and the Palace of St. Bevelle. Lord Braska could you and Cid go to Macalania Temple, and we all shall meet there and see if we have found anything."

"What about Zanarkand?" Tidus asked Lulu, "I really don't think we will find anything in those ruins." Lu responded. "Okay then its settled will split up tomorrow. Sleep well until then."

Chapter 13

~ The Cavern of the Stolen Fayth ~

The footsteps echoed in the hallways, as two figures moved through the dark cave. Tidus had his sword drawn, waiting for any fiends that might attack. Behind him Jecht walked casually looking at his surroundings without interest. "Wow, talk about your fixer-ups." Tidus rolled his eyes and glared at his father, "Will you just shut up?" Tidus turned his back once more on his father. "Uhh...kid...I'm sorry bout Yuna you know, she actually reminded me a lot of your mother and--" Tidus angrily turned around his eyes fierce, and blood boiling, "Could we just do what were supposed to without talking to each other!?" Silence filled the cave.

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~ Kilika Temple ~

The Fayth had awakened 17 years ago, ironic how while they slept the temples were filled with noise, but now that they had awakened silence's dark tendrils filled all the temples. Rikku sat in the room where once Summoners had prayed for a way to defeat Sin. She gazed at the dark stone, and felt sadness for those that had given their lives for nothing. Alone in the mystical room, Rikku felt the loneliness that must have plagued Yuna.

The wind blew and the stale air moved as the door opened, Rikku looked up and saw Auron walk in shaking his head. "What? Did you find anything?"

"No, Rikku, I didn't. I wonder what this could mean? It doesn't really make any sense." Auron let out a defeated sigh and joined Rikku on the floor. "Did...did Wakka tell you what happened to Yuna?" Auron nodded gravely. "She...uh...she was so depressed and we couldn't do anything, we just watched...just watched as she wasted away." Rikku shuddered uncontrollable as the tears ate her up. Auron shifted and held as she cried, the sound echoed and multiplied in the chamber.

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~ Remiem Temple ~

"Well that was a total waste, nothing but spider webs and dust, but then again this place ain't much better, Hey! Why you walking so fast, Jeez kid what's eating you?" Jecht walked up to his son and put his hand on his son's trembling shoulder.

"You were right you know? I should have tried harder to stay with her. Why did she have to do that, how could she do that? Just like mom...just like mom." Tidus broke off and hung his head. "Hey! don't cry, crying ain't goin change a single damn thing."

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~ Besaid Temple ~

Lulu examined the wall, touching various glyphs, *maybe there is something behind this wall.* Lulu flinched as a loud crash resonated through the maze. "Wakka what the hell are you doing?" Lulu whispered to herself. She walked casually up to the figure kicking the wall. "Wakka you shouldn't abuse inanimate objects its not good for one's health." Wakka jumped and nervously scratched his head. "Oh Lu its just you, I though it might have been a fiend or something." "Wakka there are no fiends in this temple, never has been."

She turned twirling her skirts as she walked back to the glyph wondering at Wakka's strange attitude. "Lu, I was wondering something."

"What Wakka?" She stopped but didn't turn around. "Lu, when are you going get over Chappu? Before you jump down my throat, hear me out okay? You were a good mother to Kiley, but don't you want children, that are well yours?" Lulu walked away before Wakka could finish what he was saying. Wakka frustrated slammed his fist in the wall, "Damn it!"

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~ Baaj Temple ~

"You can ignore me all you want but I'm still gonna be right behind you?" Damien spoke softly as he dodged a broken stone and a fallen support beam. "Hey Kiley isn't this a little dangerous, I mean not only is this whole frigging place falling literarily apart, but there a fiends all over this place."

"Will you relax, I protect you from those nasty evil little bugs." Kiley said with a smile as she maneuvered around a missing stone in the floor. "Whoa, wait a second there," she stepped back and rammed straight into Damien, "Do you mind?" Damien stepped back hastily, Hand me the rope. Reaching into his knapsack he pulled out the old rope wearily, before handing it to her. Kiley swiftly tied the rope around the boulder to the side of the hole, and handed Damien the torch she had been carrying. Damien watched as Kiley quickly climbed down to the basement floor, "Hey Kiley, you know I'm still holding a torch for you?" "Yevon, that joke sucked, just throw down the torch already and get your ass down here!"

The torch fell with a thud, Damien hurriedly slid down the rope, and yelped from rope-burn. "Kiley? Kiley? Where are you?"

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~ The Palace of St. Bevelle ~

"Thank you Maester Ronso, we appreciate your cooperation, unfortunately the temple did not have what we were looking for." Lulu turned to leave when she heard Wakka ask "Uh...Maester sir, we have been looking for something, but are only real clue is that whatever it is, it is an ancient Yevon prophecy, do you know them?" Maester Ronso shook his head sadly. "All of the prophecies are encrypted," at Wakka's confused expression Maester Ronso added "they are in riddles. No one has solved them, not in a thousand years.

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~ Baaj Temple ~

"Kiley!?" "Oh for Yevon's sake will shut the hell up, I'm over here!" Damien quickly followed the voice and saw her holding the torch and closely examining the wall. "I found it." Her voice was emotionless.

Chapter 14

~ Macalania Woods Campsite ~

Tidus looked around the darkened trees, as memories of an all too clear night haunted his mind, overwhelming his senses. It seemed like only a couple of days since he had been there with Yuna, comforting her after the incident. That's how he thought of the wedding, as an incident. Seeing his friends sitting around the fire it was so easy to be transported to that time, easy but painful. He closed his eyes as the pain became unbearable, he felt the loneliness the heartbreaking sadness that must have plagued Yuna.

Tidus ears and mind tuned in when he saw his daughter approach the fire. She raised her eyes to look at Tidus, understanding gleamed in them. She nodded her head in a silent acknowledgement and a sign of comfort.

Sighing heavily he plopped on the ground next to Wakka, rubbing his eyes as he prepared for the reporting, or in his case the lack of something to report. *Seymour, what was he doing here? Hadn't we killed him enough? And why was he back? How did he get away from the far plane?*

(Kiley's thoughts)

I know my father is upset, he is sad, just like mom was. But why....why....why can't I be enough for either of them. I wasn't enough for her and she took her life. Now it looks like I'm not enough for him either. I thought maybe if my father was back, life would be okay, I guess I was just kidding myself. I couldn't stand the look in his eyes, so I left them to talk, if they had questions they could talk to Damien.

I walked to the pool, wading in the water, images hit my mind, of my mother and father. I had never known that they had come here, but I saw them like ghosts trapped in a moment. Damien walked right through the image of my father, causing the vapor to disappear. "Hey you okay, you look kinda spaced out." He approached me, and just stood their looking at me. I did not feel like myself, heat warmed my throat and cheeks, I was flushed. His eyes were so concerned he looked like he actual cared for me, in those green eyes I could fantasize that I was enough for him, childish I know, maybe that's why I kissed him. One kiss that shattered my mind, with its sweet caress.

Auntie Lu called for us deep in the woods, the discussion was going to commence in a matter of minutes. Damien was the first one to be brought back to reality, he smiled softly, and said that he would meet me back at camp. I didn't want to leave this place. it was so beautiful. My mind still in a daze caught the gentle tingling of a harp. Entranced I followed the sound.

Walking away from the warmth, the light, into the shadows. I didn't know where I was going I had never seen these woods before. Butterflies flew around me in a frenzy. Above me somewhere in the trees I heard the softly strung music clearer. I turned back to look at the campsite, but it was no longer in view, I sighed deeply. Maybe I was expecting too much. I knew deep down that no matter how much I wanted him to stay, he would leave me one day soon like she had. The Blue butterflies suddenly flew by my face and in a straight line they flew through an opening in the trees. I felt compelled to follow their fluttering wings, I didn't care how far they lead me away, or if I got lost.

Several times I stopped to examine the flowers and the trees, each time I did the butterflies would return to fly around me until I started walking again, and they would once again take the lead. The gossamer wings touched my exposed shoulder, tickling my sensitive skin. They flew by my face touching my eyelids, nose, and lips. The feel intoxicated me, until I had no power, and following them was the only thing I was capable of.

The trees seemed to bend down to allow me access to their leafy branches. They created a path that the butterflies followed. Ahead of me I heard the music slowly grow louder as I neared its source. I saw the musical bird with the harp, he motioned to the butterflies to bring me closer. My footsteps never faltered. I approached the brightly colored bird. He lifted up his hand away from the strings of the harp and whispered in my ear. "Sleep my child." Darkness consumed my sight as I felt my body start to drop, the feathered wings caught me gently and took my sleeping body away.

Chapter 15

"So here we were in this sorry excuse for a temple, wooden beams all over the place, and rubble blocking doors, and she just happens to find this hole in the floor which leads to one of the biggest mural filled rooms I have ever seen. All of the ancient Yevon prophecies were illustrated. It was amazing." At Wakka's quick look of impatience Damien continued. "Anyway, I see Kiley standing in front of this one wall, and her face is like really serious, so I go up to talk to her, and she says 'I found it.'"

Damien takes a deep breath before continuing his recount of what took place in the temple underneath the water, and behind the cloister of trials and the chamber of Fayth. "The wall was kind of worn but since the room had obviously been closed off for a thousand years the colors and the writing could still be seen. Now we all now the shard said 'The sun and moon parted by time and space, brought together by one...' now on the wall you could clearly see where that fragment had been broken off, probably a couple hundred years ago, so chances are Seymour hasn't seen the whole wall. Now the whole prophecy is 'Since the dawn of time this is true, the sun and moon parted by time and space, will be brought together by one of both, a child of time, of light and darkness. When the all the sleepers awaken a sacrifice must soon be made. Destroy both light and dark, and the world shall plunge in a nonending spiral of death, the living and the dead together as one forever.'"

After Damien's recitation he noticed everyone had become deadly quiet. They all stared at the burning embers, lost in their thoughts. "Sin, it must be the resurrection of Sin." Wakka said quietly. "I don't think so Wakka." Tidus said quietly, "Yu Yevon is gone, and he isn't coming back. I'm not really good with riddles, I mean the sun and moon, but I do know that Sin is gone, and the 'sleepers' are all already awakened, non of the aeons are still in existence."

"Are you sure?" Lulu whispered quietly. "How is it if they all are awakened, that you and your father walk amongst us. Tidus, I'm sorry but you're just a dream."

Damien looked around the campfire suddenly noticing that Kiley had not returned. While the others argued over the prophecy Damien retraced his footsteps back to the pool. She wasn't there. Confused Damien looked at the ground and saw her tiny footprints. Damien fought the urge to follow them, for he felt that he should get the others first.

He walked quickly back, and noticed Wakka and Rikku yelling at each other. Lulu sat talking softly to Lord Braska and Sir Auron, while Tidus rubbed his eyes, and yawned. Damien rushed to the fire, took a stick from the ground and lit the other end on fire. "Excuse me." Nobody heard him under Wakka's screaming, "EXCUSE ME!" They all jumped, Tidus fell on his back and Auron glared. "Sorry, but I thought you should know Kiley is missing."

"WHAT!?"

Chapter 16

"So um...you like my daughter or something?" Tidus and Damien were walking slowly behind the rest of the search party, Tidus was extremely uncomfortable about the idea of his daughter that he had only for almost two days was already becoming involved with a guy.

Damien looked at his companion, and for the first time realized what the other had to be going through, to be torn from the people you love one moment and be brought back later in their lives the next moment. Hell most people were liable to think Kiley and Tidus were brother and sister, not father and daughter. The crunching footsteps ahead of them stopped abruptly, causing Damien and Tidus to walk into Lulu and Wakka.

"Ouch, jeez Wakka its like walking into a damn brick wall." Damien complained loudly. "The footsteps there gone. But there is this imprint like a really, really big branch fell down. All eyes looked slowly up into the canopy of thick branches over their heads.

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Dreams plagued Kiley. The vapors filled every part of her mind, she saw visions of Zanarkand thousand years ago, the city the lights, she saw her father at the Blitzball sphere. She walked in a daze around the city as Sin destroyed everything, sucking it up into its vast abyss of nothingness. She saw her father talking to a child, "Don't cry."

Everything was standing still except for those two, her father looked so confused, then time started again. As her father ran towards Auron, Kiley walked away, toward the city that Sin had not reached yet. People ran screaming, some ran through her. Children separated from their parents cried for the end. Old couples clasped their loved ones while they waited for their time to end. People accepted their deaths as others ran for safety. Kiley calmly continued walking, inside she knew where to go, she stopped briefly and looked back at Sin, she saw her father and Auron sucked in. Sin kept coming closer, destroying lives, destroying homes. Kiley turned back and looked up ahead of her was a tower, a tower that held a Summoner. Lights changed, images sped past her, through her but on she walked, not apart of this world, untouched, and unafraid of what was behind her.

A child of about seven ran out and started crying, a young boy with blonde hair yelling for his father, yelling his hate for him. Tears cascaded down his eyes. Then the vision blurred. Another image sped up to her, this one had a girl, she was alone crying for her father. Both had been abandoned. Kiley shook her head. Her mother and father were no longer children.

The tower appeared instantly before, without her taking a single step towards it. It called to her, its magnificence gleamed, with lights that twinkled like stars. All the lights went out all except one at the top. Challenging her to come. The lobby doors opened for her. Inside the carpet was like new, the paint fresh, it was empty of all signs of life. Kiley looked to the brass elevator doors their dials all missing except one. As she approached the metal doors they opened without a sound. Stepping inside the completely mirrored cube. The doors closed quietly behind her. She was staring at her image. Kiley looked to the side, and again saw herself. On the control panel, all the buttons were gone except the one for the 100th floor. She reached out and pressed the cold button. The elevator slowly rose. The lobby room she had just left suddenly turned dark, the paint pealed, and the floor became stained with blood.

The metal gears slowly raised the elevator to the top. Kiley stood looking at her image. She closed her eyes briefly. Wondering over her strange dream. "Kiley." a voice whispered softly urging her eyes to open. She saw her image once more, suddenly it changed. The hair became slightly darker the eyes lost their swirling pupils and were replaced with solid ones. The color gradually changed one became a deeper shade of blue while the other became green. "Kiley" The image called trapped in the mirrored glass, its hand pressed against the wall as tears fell. Kiley raised her hand to touch the smooth surface, but instead the mirror rippled at her touch, a hand reached out and grabbed her own.

Chapter 17

The hand had a death grip, it stopped the flow of blood to Kiley's fingers, "Come." The voice was no longer Yuna's, and Kiley's arm was being tugged. Kiley's heart raced at a dangerous speed, she had to remind herself that this was only a dream.

Kiley found herself stepping through the rippling glass, Their was a burst of light that knocked her unconscious in her dream.

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Damien stared at the branches while Wakka circled the stumps shaking his head in exasperation, Auron was looking at the fragment, as in his mind he retold the entire riddle. Jecht was kicking the stump, I think he was trying to jump to the top. He was waving his arms, and crouching low to launch himself in the air. Lulu sat on the ground, her eyes kept moving around, it was clear that she was thinking of all the possibilities that could have happened. Lord Braska debated with Tidus about whether or not Kiley could have gone that way. Collectively they look like fools. Damien shook his head and went to the blue sphere, inspiration had hit. He touched its swirling shape calling the airship to pick them up.

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Kiley felt the cool ground, looking around she realized she was still in her dream. Without getting up she quickly looked around for the owner of the hand that had tugged her out of the closed elevator. Slowly with great effort she stood on her shaking legs, her pants had turned into a jade colored skirt. Her shirt had been replaced with a classy tank top that was ivory white with green stitching. Around her arms were bands with purple velvet fabric attached at the ends. She looked confused at her clothes. She owned nothing fancy, she had never even worn a skirt before.

Kiley saw the gold inlayed doors, angels carved out of mahogany framed the massive onyx wooden door. A beam of light was visible through the cracks in the door. Kiley felt hesitant realizing she really didn't like the feeling of being led somewhere. The walls around her were dark no windows could be seen. In a swirl of fabric Kiley turned around, everything was moving so slow, like time had slowed. Looking at the wall that had been behind her, filled her with dread. The elevator was gone, the only way to go was forward. *Be brave Kiley. It's just a dream, dreams can't hurt you...It's just a weird psychotic dream that's all. Good girl you can do it.* Mentally pepping herself for whatever would happen next, persuading her feet to move, towards the door.

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"Zanarkand." Damien said confidently. "What about Zanarkand?" They all stared at him like he had lost his head. "You said once Zanarkand was like some big far plane place right?" Wakka's face had that 'what the hell is he talking about' look.

Auron immediately latched onto the idea. Yes remember when we went all those years ago, it was like watching several different movies, each pertaining with what we were going through?" Wakka, if possible, looked more confused and irritated then at any other point in his entire life. "I get it." Rikku cried, "We go there and see if any of those cloudy ghost people asked any questions about that or something to that Yevon lady."

Tidus shook his head at his confident friends, "It won't work, nobody questioned the teachings then, nobody cared about all of those ancient 'might happens' they were just there for one purpose, defeat Sin. Anyways, lady Yunalesca is dead, we killed her and sent her to the far plane remember?"

"When did you become such a bummer." Rikku asked glumly. "It's reality Rikku, the real world isn't all Shoopufs, and cute lil pyreflies you know." Tidus voice sounded condescending, so unlike him. Jecht felt the pain of what he had done. He had poisoned his son's mind, so that is son was unable to deal with true sadness without hurting someone else. Tidus was hurting bad right now. Not only had he been unable to save Yuna from herself, he now couldn't save his daughter from a monster. He was admitting defeat. To hell with that. Jecht didn't know what to do, insulting his usually worked but he feared now it would only add to Tidus' frustrations.

"Lets set a course for Bevelle. Maybe with the completed puzzle Maester Kelk Ronso can help us. Everyone, Kiley is not lost to us, we will get her back but unfortunately we don't know enough now." Lulu always the voice of calm logic voiced. They all nodded when Rikku was hit hard with an idea. She jumped quickly to her feet. "Hey people!" They all looked at her with something close to annoyance and tired patience. "When Lu said 'lost' I remembered something. You all remember when we couldn't find Yunie? We used the sphere sila-finder, thingy, or whatever dad called it. Anyways it showed us where Seymour had taken Yunie." Rikku was so excited about her idea she couldn't sit still.

Cid walked up to the table where the others were sitting and nodded at his daughter. "Good idea girl. Those damn Yevonites can't keep us from finding lil Kiley!"

Chapter 18

Mist swirled around Kiley urging her towards the door; the cool watery feel calmed her burning skin. *It's just a dream, just a dream, just a dream* She moved her feet, feeling the soft hide of Shoopuf leather, Confusion again set in. *Why did I change clothes? I've never done that before in a dream. * Shaking my head I walked to the blackened door. The gold gleamed brightly, as it showed the molding and contour of the door. "Come."

The doors opened with no sound, light flooded out quickly into the darkened hallway, It was so bright it blinded my eyes. I lifted my hands to my eyes. In the bright light I saw my parents, I saw my friends, calling to some name I have never heard before.

"Come child, step into the light, the full truth awaits you."

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The blue sphere sat on the deck of the ship, its circular arms moving constantly. The deck had not changed at all; it was one of the few things that had not been redone. The pilot seat was worn, and looked its age of over a thousand years. The control panels had changed slightly with the installation of Autopilot and new machina weapons. The group surrounded the sphere; their eyes bore into it as if all the answers of life's questions could be found within.

"Okay, now how did this work again?" Cid scratched his head and his eyes were narrowed, Suddenly he raised his hand to strike the sphere, but Rikku intercepted, catching his hand before he beat the machina into submission.

"Dad, how many times have I told you, violence and machina don't go well together?" Cid looked at his daughter, and silently relented. "So, Cid if I'm not mistaking the first time we used it you didn't know what you were doing, so like what makes you think you can duplicate a lucky combination of buttons?" Tidus stared at the old, bald man, with a smug and sarcastic face. Not mean, just impatient.

Rikku pushed her dad away from the controls and punched buttons at random, until the sphere started moving. On the screen above the glass in front of the pilot's seat, an image started to form.

They all saw Kiley walking up to a door, "Where is that?" Rikku asked, "It's saying on this little board here that Kiley ain't in Spira right now." "WHAT!?" They all screamed.

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Kiley walked through the open doorway, shielding her eyes; she was unaware that she was being watched, even if she knew she probably wouldn't have believed it, after all she thought she was just dreaming. When she made it past the impossible bright entrance she saw a rather large room, in the center of the circular room was a beautifully built antique wooden bed, with mosquito netting draping down over it from somewhere on the ceiling. The walls were covered in high mirrors. Kiley saw no one. She walked over to the mirror behind her, hoping deep in her heart that she would see her mother once again.

"Child, what you seek is not there." Kiley swirled around and saw a half-nude figure standing behind her.

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"Lady Yunalesca!" Lulu exclaimed pointing at the figure on the screen. "How...how can that be isn't she...didn't we..." Rikku seemed to be at a lost for words.

"Enough!" Everyone looked at lady Yunalesca after she ordered that command, had she heard them?

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"I will be brief child; you must have found the rest of the puzzle by now. And as you no doubt have suspected there is still an unawakened Aeon." Kiley looked up quickly at the figure before her. "How is this possible, you ask? Why did everyone not know? Have you ever heard of the Omega Ruins little one?" Kiley shook her head in reply, not trusting her voice. "Well, deep within a statue of the faith remains. Your dear mother had no knowledge, of this Aeon. It was once called Cerulean, a beautiful blue dragon; it is unknown because it was a rather new Aeon. It was not created with the hope of destroying sin, and as such it was relatively weak." Lady Yunalesca's eyes bore into me, uneasiness set in. Strange, I had remained calm through just about everything that had happened in this dream, but she has the power to make me nervous. I was beginning to wonder why I was dreaming this and how long it would be before I would wake up.

Chapter 19

The blue sphere glowed brightly, swirling mist encased a distorted image of Kiley being lead by the strangely dressed woman. Her grip on Kiley's hand was tight to the point of bruising the skin. Lady Yunalesca's hands were small, immaculately cared for and as cold as ice. Her touch hurt.

Slowly the pressure was released as a wooden bench appeared from thin air in front of the antique bed. Behind Kiley she could hear muffled cries coming from the mirrors. Cries of joy, pain, sadness, and regret. Chills ran down my spine. "Child, this Aeon, was created with the sole purpose of an individual to gain power." Her sharp eyes met mine, her impatience was clear. "Did you ever know of someone named Seymour?" Kiley felt a jolt, "That guy dad knew at the Blitzball match?" The lady slowly nodded her head. "Do you know anything about him?"

"I have heard the stories about him from Lu and Wakka." Kiley responded quickly. "Well you remember them telling you that he had his mother changed into an aeon correct? Well as powerful as that aeon was, he wanted more. Before he thought of Sin, he decided to change someone else. He was still a child but his heart was black, he had a young friend a young guado, named Gareen. One night Seymour had his butler take the boy to the omega ruins, and lead him deep within. Seymour didn't know how his mother had changed to a faith, so he relied upon the psychotic Omega Weapon to turn Gareen."

"The boy was attacked viciously to the point of death. Such a young boy would agree to anything if their was a chance of life. So he traded his happy life, for that of a spirit residing in a cold stone. Seymour couldn't have been more happy of his success. Unfortunately the sacrifice was a waste, the Aeon was as weak as the boy."

Lady Yunalesca paused briefly. The story was so sad yet I realized she felt nothing, and paused purely for my benefit.

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The gang crowded around the sphere they too had been wrapped up into the story. The blue orb started to shake uncontrollably, light flew from it, and the distinct sound and smell of broken, melted, and fried wires was emitted. Smoke blew up from the control panel in front of the sphere. "I didn't touch the sucker so don't look at me." Cid cried stepping away from the sphere as it collapsed onto the floor and shattered, the rings inside rusted instantly and crumbled seconds later right before their astonished eyes.

Damien's mouth dropped open "crap." both Tidus and Damien said at the same time looking at the now destroyed beyond any hope of repair, sphere sila-finder.

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I was so wrapped up in what she had told me, I didn't notice Lady Yunalesca's lack of attention, or the slight smirk she gave with a distant look in her eyes. She coughed lightly and looked back at me, "now this child is for your ears and eyes only, this is what is expected of you. When you awake you will not remember this but when the time comes you will know exactly what to do. Child your story is nearing the end."