[Besaid] We all start at the beginning, right?

Rustling. Silent rustling. Leaves. The rustling was of leaves. But what did he hear next to the rustling? Waves. Going back and forth, washing up and leaving dark stains on the beach. A beach of sand, white sands, with the biggest ocean one could have ever witnessed next to it. Peacefully coinciding one next to the other, rubbing water and sands in one's turf.

Emblem slowly opened his eyes as small beams of pure light trickled through the vast leaves of the biggest trees. He was in a sitting position, bent over slightly backwards. The light was warm, a gentle caress upon his face and limbs, warming him for a new day to come. Emblem raised one hand. His slumber had been a pleasant one, the light, although bright, was one he had rather not seen for a little time. His slumber had been dreamless, comfortable. One would wish for such dreams to be more relevant.

Daylight on the isle of Besaid however, would not be stopped by a mere hand gesture. The screeching of a lone seagull prompted Emblem to open his eyes and get used to the notion of day. The man sighed slowly, breathing in and out. The smell of the salty sea was one he pleased, combining a calm scent with the calm pattern of waves. This, and of course the imminent rustling of leaves was all there was needed for Emblem to fall asleep. Nights on Besaid, skies filled with stars...

Emblem slowly looked around. A futile thing, much more done to warm up his muscles then to actually explore. Emblem knew exactly where he was. The tree that supported his back was the one that always supported his back, the plants were those who always watched Emblem slumber. Emblem sat upon the high hill, bordering into a cliff. This cliff has the sands to the left, and the vast endless sea to it's front. He had only to tilt his head and he would see Besaid. Besaid all around him, Besaid everywhere.

Emblem sat upright, and felt his back had been a bit sore. A minor side effect from the tree, one he was willing to accept any day. Almost any place without a proper bed was a sore resting place. Emblem's haori had done it's best to keep him warm during the night, and had succeeded in most of those tasks. Besaid however, had the most gentle nights of all.

The haori, did not go up in flame though. Emblem had a small circle filled with ash, proof of his small campfire the night before. The fiends of Besaid were little and even less prone to stalk at night, but a fire was both a warning and a welcome gesture at night times. It provided some dry heat, smelled pleasantly to Emblem, and the sound of it just made him calm down. As an added bonus, Emblem had a reason to cast Fire, as he preferred not to create fire the hard way when magic was providing it.

Magics. Emblem's interest was with magic. As he stretched out and stood up to face the day, Emblem saw the S.S. Liki port into the bay. It was earlier then usual. Emblem wanted to take that passenger ship and move to Kilika, on to which he would take the S.S. Winno and visit Luca. His supplies were running low.

But before all of this, he needed to wash himself. The sea provided, as the salt would dry him up sooner then then anything. Emblem threw his haori off the hill, making it float and fall unto the sands of Besaid beach, before leaping off the cliff, far enough to evade the sharp rocks, and into the semi-deep parts of the sea. The usual ritual. Jump, dive, swim, swim back to the light blue, make sure every area got soaked, give the hair some extra attention, and get on land. There was no need to rush, Emblem thought as he leaped off the hill. The S.S. Liki would depart after unloading and restocking, wait for the villagers, then leave. If he would wash himself, then load some cargo in, he'd even have free passage. A simple deal made with the captain, but yet an easy one.

The crewmen of the S.S. Liki would always smile as they saw that white haired phenom leap off the hill. A dangerous thing to do, something they would never, but Emblem did not know of it any different. One particular young sailor would always comment on it, and while having a nice chat, the cargo would be placed in the Liki's storage area before they knew it.

Emblem hit water and dived under. After swimming around a little underwater, he resurfaced to catch some well-salted air. The cold sea always was a shaking sensation, but also the best way to wake up. This was also the farthest Emblem preferred to go out on the sea. A treacherous thing would it be to go further without people watching you.

As he swam around, Emblem though of the things to do today...

Raven stretched as the cargo ship slowly landed on the small island of Besaid. He needed a vacation from all the constant killing in Cocoon. Not to mention the fact that PSI-COM nearly caught him as he was sneaking away from their "high security" base in the White Woods on the surface of Pulse. He chuckled softly as he remembered to confused stares of the guards as they saw him standing next to his own wanted poster. They must have been rookies.

It didn't matter though, because by the time he made it back to Task Force 3's new base of operations, his friends had a bit of an intervention staged. He had been working non-stop since his family had died and he needed a break. If he had continued to work at the same rate, he would have killed himself. So, he bribed an airship crew to take him with them to a beautiful place. They took him on as a repair man and gave him a small cot in the cargo hold. Through the trip, he had worked on a few minor glitches on the ship, but for the most part slept.

Now that the ship was here, though, he was going to be free to go. Free to walk the streets of a city without having to worry about being arrested. He was going to find a nice little beach and do nothing but sleep for a week. Only waking to answer Nature's call. All he had to do was help unpack and be back in a week. Then he would return on the same ship to Bodhum.

Raven walked out of the large cargo doors into the harsh sunlight. The ship landed near a beautiful harbor. Raven looked out across the crytal blue waters and watched a few ships roll by lazily. Oh yeah, he could definitely use this vacation. He lit a cigarette and walked towards the bridge of the ship, eager to unload so he could get out of there.

Upon reaching the captain's bridge, Raven asked what he could do to help. The captain sent him back down to the cargo hold to help the crew unpack the haul. Raven got to work immediately, moving large crates to the edge of the dock with ease. He took a lackidasical approach, as he kept getting distracted by the peacful and gentle ocean's breeze.

As he was carrying the crates, he couldn't help but notice a man standing on a cliff across the harbor. To his amazement, the man jumped from the cliff and crashed into the water. Raven almost dropped the heavy crate on the other crewman's foot as he got distracted. (Raven was never the one for boring labor) To his suspense, the man resurfaced and began to swim. Raven was going to have to try that.

Upon finishing his work, Raven began wandering the city. He stopped at markets and taverns. He talked to the local people, learning a few new things about this strange place in the process. Eventually, though, he was pointed towards the docks. He was told he should go out onto the waters on the boats and see what it was like. Though he had lived in Bodhum, he had never been out on the water there. The only time he was on water was for military purposes.

He was pointed in the direction of the S.S. Liki. There he purchased a ticket and boarded the boat. The captain told him that they were to set sail for Kilika. Raven settled down on the port side banister and lit up another cigarette. So far, it was a good vacation.

As Raven had talked to the Captain, Emblem had washed himself in the salty sea, dried up in the sun and taken up his small duties. The captain was a friendly man, proud but kind. The only time his faith had been shaken was when Sin was basically riding the ship, with one harpoon projectile lodged in it's fin. Logically, the man had been shaken.

This was possibly why he would still make little prayers to Yevon, even though they held no worth at this time. It was a reassuring ritual to comfirm Sin was gone forever, albeit gone in physical form. Emblem saw the cargo was small, and grabbed a few wooden boxes to move. The work itself was not all bad, and could be fulfilled while chatting a little. The crewmen were small talkers mostly, spending day to day between voyages. Some liked the salty sea, others loved the routes they took. One day on this boat, another day on another, and some days from Besaid to Luca and back.

Nobody minded ending up on Besaid. If you were just in time, you could enjoy the sun going down, losing it's shine as it bathed itself in the eternal seas, before saying goodnight with it's last ember glow. Ebon darkness would then set, but not the warmth. A good bed in the building that once belonged to the Crusaders, just after the campfires in the middle of the village...

Emblem shook his head as he almost bumped his head against the low ship cargo doors. He retook his grip on the big wooden box in time, and heaved as he lifted it to place it in the top right compartment, before locking it tight inbetween a connection of ropes dangling form the ceiling.

After the work, Emblem said his farewells to the crew in advance. He'd be seeing them during the voyage, but when they docked, he would depart and they would work on endlessly. He knew the men by face, and some by name, but they were all good men. It was only courteous to say goodbye, but annoying to do it while they're working hard.

Emblem walked up the ship, as he suspected it to move to Kilika soon. He looked around and smiled. Such a lovely wooden ship. He quickly went below deck, one of the things he always did. He entered the engine room and nodded politely as the not-yet-monitoring engine mechanic. She was a gorgeous female if you took into account she worked too much hours. Had she not been such a chocobo fan, she'd never be able to pull this off. Emblem loved chocobo's as well, and searched in his pocket for some greens. He found some Gysahl Green and gave both birds half of it. They were funny creatures, already sticking their heads at the door when he came in. They ate the Greens and chirped in delight. It was a little snack before work, but if it kept them happy, Emmy'd feed them the Greens all the time, with permission of the mechanic of course.

After stroking the Chocobro's (as there were to, and all those Chocobo's were identical) Emblem laughed at the mechanic before going back out. She had joined him in quiet times, sometimes during evening trips. She was only knowledgeable when it came to chocobo's, but she was a kind soul. Good company needed no covers. In any case, she knew Emblem's favorite spot. Highest ship level, a bit to the right of the mast, with a good view of the spear-like front deck. He would sit on a box or crate, with his back leaning against the low edge, looking over the world as it unfolded before him. He liked this trip most during the evenings when he got back to Besaid, as the sun started to burn brighter by the minute. His spot was truly a hot spot. Good thing the highest level provided shade for the levels below. A spot on there had Emblem's preference this time.

Emblem moved to this spot. Deck-level, with his back against a pillar supporting the upper level, good view of the spear-like front-deck, and covered in blissful shade. As he moved however, Emblem spotted a peculiar man. He had never seen a man like this, not one remotely looking like him. No tribal insignia's, no reference to any bloodline, standing, or even city. Much unlike Emblem's Besaid symbol on his back. ...And what was that glowing thing that gave off smoke in his mouth? Truly something special, but none of Emblem's concern. The young man placed his back against the pillar and sat down, placing his trustworthy axes next to him. He sighed deeply and looked over the deck. His vision impaired a little as his thought wandered off in the cool shadows..

Raven sat onthe banister for a while, just enjoying the gentle breeze blowing in his face. He watched as a few dolphins jumped out of the water in the distance and remembered the time he took his family to the beach in Bodhum. A good time, with his wife lying out for a tan while he and his daughter walked along the beach collecting seashells. He chuckled softly to himself when he remembered how his daughter was so very afraid to get in the water so he would wade through the waters and carry her; swinging her out in front of himself so that only her feet skimmed the water as she squealed with delight. That was only a week before the Purge.

The Purge...

Raven's hands balled up into fists as he remembered that day. He could still remember the pain that shot through his arm as he reached out to try to stop half a train from plummeting to the floor below. How his men had to pry him off the train and how he wasn't even able to go find their bodies because of the damned PSI-COM soldiers that seemed to be everywhere that day. That was the day he died. Now he was Raven and Raven was going to do whatever it took to get revenge.

But not today. Today, and this week for that matter, was his vacation. He was here to enjoy the sights, not dwell in the past. He looked around to the beautiful ship and began to inspect every detail. He watched as the crew worked to keep them on course. The ship itself as it rocked gently on the rolling waves. It was times like these that made Raven wish he had choosen a different profession.

Raven's interest peaked when he saw the oddly dressed man sit nearby. Obviously Raven was in a new world, but even for this colorful place the man's attire seemed... off. Not to mention the ornate axes that the man carried with him. The man must have taken this voyage before, because he moved about the ship with a sense of familiarity that only comes with past experience. The man's look intriqued Raven so much that it led to him doing something rather new. Actually starting a conversation for the sake of conversation.

He turned away from the banister and removed the cigarette from his mouth. He looked at it quickly and saw that it was very close to disappearing in his grasp. He pinched it between his index and middle fingers and flicked it over his shoulder and into the sea. He drew out another and lit it with the zippo lighter he always kept with him. Taking a breathe of the toxic fumes, he continued to nonchalantly inspect the man.

After a moment he exhaled and said, "You want one?" and extended his hand which held an open pack of cigarettes. If Emblem took one, he would offer the lighter too. But for now he had other questions.

He leaned back on the banister and said, "So, I'm obviously not from around here, and it may very well just be that, but I can't help but notice your clothing sorta stands out. Even for these places. Not to mention your axes. Where did you get them?"

Raven almost stopped mid sentence when he realized what he was doing. A bit of rambling and a lot of being rude. "Excuse me. I am sorry, this must be strange. I am asking a lot of questions and rambling and I haven't even told you my name."

Raven walked over to Emblem and extended his hand, "The name's Raven. Just Raven."

(OCC: You are right. Sorry, I forgot we were in advanced rp. I fixedd it.)

''You want one?''

Emblem looked up, pulled out of his deep cycle of thoughts. A cycle he had gladly continued. While he dreamed off, Emblem would always research himself. He had still not mastered the powers within, the unbounded potential. He kept improving himself, only be thinking about improvement. But alas, fate had granted him someone to talk to. However, this man offered him something he had never seen before. It was a small rod-like paper wrapped thing. Where did this man come from? Another Zanarkand?

It seemed the ship had at least, already set sail. Emblem had also missed that...

''I daresay I do not know what you offer me. I did see you blow fumes like a Lamashtu with it, so I must decline.''

How weird. He got offered something offworld, without even knowing anything about the man himself. He generally saw people as friendly here on Spira, as they have witnessed death in it's most vile form. It would generally keep them at bay, although it also drove the more cunning to hide until their plans came to flourish. The man however, talked on.

"So, I'm obviously not from around here, and it may very well just be that, but I can't help but notice your clothing sorta stands out. Even for these places. Not to mention your axes. Where did you get them?"

Emblem could not help the fact that he already established the fact this man was not from Spira. The question was, where was he from? Emblem had no knowledge from any other worlds. It could be possible, but not very likely, in his mind.

"Excuse me. I am sorry, this must be strange. I am asking a lot of questions and rambling and I haven't even told you my name...the name's Raven. Just Raven."

Emblem looked at the extended hand in silence and took it. He shaked hands with the stranger, and only then started to talk. He took no offense in the rambling. A lot of people would sometimes come up to him and talk, just because they can. Emblem was Emblem. Apparently he attracted people who wanted to talk. Some wanted his advice, others his help, others wanted to be seen with him. Only the last did he not appreciate much for that quality. Raven could not be one of those, as the ship wasn't full of passengers. A thing Emblem liked, crowds were no good half of the time.

''I must correct you, sir Raven. My clothes are similar to those of the warrior monks of Bevelle, loose pants, tight boots. While they have been seen less and less, Bevelle still is a city in Spira. My cloth shirt might have no sleeves, but bears the symbol of Besaid on it's back, the island we just departed from. I can understand you did not see this, as this pillar does do a good job of supporting our backs.''

Emblem looked at his trustworthy axes, laying stern at each other's side, not moved by the ship nor by the sea. A small smile escaped his otherwise half-dreaming mind as he talked on. The sun caressed his face as a wave caused the ship to heave up a little, nothing serious though.

''As for those twins, I daresay they are the simple ending of an even easier equation. I do not know if you know of the old pilgrimages, but these axes embody my feelings to protect a friend to the end, and the means to turn those into something useful. I crafted them myself, although back in those days I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I traveled in harsh conditions for the materials, poured in my soul and blood, filled it with the desire to protect, and this was what came of it.''

Emblem turned his head slightly and looked at Raven. The man looked more out of place then he did, and Emblem could not stop the impulse to ask.

''Now that we are on the subject of small talk, I have never been outside of Spira. I've been to secret regions, forbidden regions, hardly existing barren regions, but I never met a man dressed like you. I have only heard of a man from elsewhere, and only once met one who came from that same place. Might I ask, where do you hail from? A question asked to me most, and one I cannot answer, but can you?''

It was true. Emblem had been found by other humans on the beaches of Besaid, but none knew where he came from. In time, he would state he simply came from Besaid, to make sure none would perform useless gossip over him. It wouldn't happen as he always spoke his mind and clarified his truths, but still. The merchant of Luca called him Emblem of Besaid. It was so that his unrelenting interest in emblems, which granted him the name of Emblem by the village of Besaid, became his new name. Emblem of Besaid. Raven only called himself Raven. No last name. No need to know why, as it could have many reasons, but none really important for Emblem to know.

'I daresay I do not know what you offer me. I did see you blow fumes like a Lamashtu with it, so I must decline.''

Raven gave a slight shrug. Raven was told all the time that those damned things would be the end of him, so he understood when the man declined. Even though he did not know what a Lamashtu was. Obviously it was not a very pleasant creature, though.

As Emblem went on about his attire, Raven listened intently. He was truly interested in the story, other wise he wouldn't have asked. Though Raven hadn't the slightest clue who the monks of Bevelle were, he thought better of asking. They were obviously important to this man. When Emblem spoke of the symbol of Besaid being covered up, Raven gave a chuckle. Though, the problem wouldn't seem humorous to most, Raven liked the little details. And the cool manner in which it was stated didn't help matters.

Emblem then moved onto his axes. Though the true story behind them was lost to Raven, as he did not know what the pilgrimage was, the true reason for making them struck home. For he too had someone he had sworn to protect. Though drastically, he came with different results. Raven smiled when Emblem spoke of forging his own axes ,though, for Raven loved to build and tinker with weapons.

"I know how that is," said Raven as he patted the pistol that was holstered on his leg. "Though I didn't originally make it, I practically rebuilt this gun from the ground up."

'Now that we are on the subject of small talk, I have never been outside of Spira. I've been to secret regions, forbidden regions, hardly existing barren regions, but I never met a man dressed like you. I have only heard of a man from elsewhere, and only once met one who came from that same place. Might I ask, where do you hail from? A question asked to me most, and one I cannot answer, but can you?''

Raven was expecting this question to come. He knew he looked out of sorts here, butt never really cared too much with fitting in. Raven hesitated to respond, though, for he did not know what to say exactly. All his life he was taught that his world was a paradise, that anything else was wrong. But after seeing the things he saw, he could not believe in a utopian society.

"I come from a place where carts and wagons are pulled without horses. A place where everyone is supposed to be happy and go along with the flow of things. Where even at night the cities stay lit up. While everyone sleeps, the cities keep going, seeming to have a life of their own. Most from there will tell you it is a utopia, but I cannot. I have seen my government slaughter innocents and hurt more people than should be. That perfect place is only a lie."

Raven got real quiet and puffed on his cigarette, as he thought back to that day...

Guns. Back in the days of Sin, Bevelle forbid any use of machina. Although it was at most frowned upon now, all Emblem ever felt from guns was the stinging pain when one connected. The fact that Raven talked about carts not being pulled by horses made Emblem wonder. More things did. What Raven just said seemed comparable to some things that happened on Spira, but in a more grave manner.

''Machina on Spira moves without horses. Hovers, mostly. However, what you tell me sounds grave, visitor. I am truly amazed you tell me of another world. I had always believed Spira was the only world on this planet. The only big island, with Bikanel as it's little brother. I daresay I prefer to stay here. The only city I know at night that still lived is the Zanarkand of legend, but it has been destroyed more then 1000 years ago. The only instance I knew that at times intently hurt people was the Order of Yevon. They allowed the Crusaders to die, knowing that attacking Sin, the supposed embodiment of all our wrongdoings, head on was going to cost them their lives. One attack from Sin, and most of the Crusaders and some of their Chocobo's died. Wiped, disintegrated. At least I can assume it was a quick ending to their valorous effort.''

Emblem looked over the sea. Kilika could be seen, if only a glimpse. It would still take some time to get there. The sun's intensity was steadily increasing, the promise of another warm day in the regions of Kilika and Besaid. Raven's last words rang in Emblem's ears.

''The perfect place is a lie. I don't know about that. Besaid comes close. Close to the perfect place for me. I wonder why you did not stay longer, you should once experience their hospitality at a nightly campfire. Clear night sky, sparkling stars, nice people, calmness befitting the Eternal Calm, and the comfortable warmth of the campfire. I can say it's almost a mirror of the peace one can have within. I'm guessing your inner sanctuary might need some more peace...Travel can do that.''

If the eyes were the window into the soul, Emblem would only need a peek to confirm. He thought that would be rude, but also knew his eyes would be clouded. Emblem was a peaceful individual, only fighting to protect (convenient with all the fiends) and only traveling to explore and learn to master his potential. However, Emblem had given things in favor of strength and protective assets that at times do not help. For one, a small part of brain was asleep forever. It kept functioning, but always was more on standby then active duty. A sleeping Aeon in his mind, a powerful force he could control, but not influence. He heard the voice in his mind at times, sometimes the voice spoke with his lungs...sometimes Emblem feared the power it held, but had confidence in mastering his and his Aeon's powers someday. Enough fiends around to help him with that..

Raven smiled as the man told him about how nothing bad happened in this world. While Raven tried to believe it, he could not bring himself to do it. His belief in humanity was somewhat broken. He did not believe that a world could exist where conflict did not run rampant. Atleast.... not a world inhabited by humans.

"The perfect place is a lie. I don't know about that. Besaid comes close. Close to the perfect place for me. I wonder why you did not stay longer, you should once experience their hospitality at a nightly campfire. Clear night sky, sparkling stars, nice people, calmness befitting the Eternal Calm, and the comfortable warmth of the campfire. I can say it's almost a mirror of the peace one can have within. I'm guessing your inner sanctuary might need some more peace...Travel can do that.''

Raven gave the man another warm smile. "I am glad you have found peace here. That is actually why I have come to this world. I have dragged on in the dark for so long, I needed a break. So I jumped on a ship going through the universal multiplex system and came to the first nice place i saw. Your beautiful islands are actually what brought me here. It wasn't until after coming did I realize that the people were a delight, too. The reason I did not stay in Besaid any longer was, well, this whole place is new to me. I wanted to see as much of it as possible. So I jumped on the first ship out of port and went for an adventure."

"But now that you mention it, that nice night sounds great. I may have to take you up on that offer before i leave. But for now, I am going to get some rest before we get to our destination."

Raven said his "good-days" and headed below deck. He layed down in a hammock and slowly drifted off to sleep. There he dreamed of gentler times. Playing soldier with his brother when they were little. Kissing his wife for the first time. Seeing his daughter and holding her for the first time. Times that helped lift his spirits a great deal.

But as they say, "All good things must come to an end."

The next thing Raven knew, he was standing in a hallway with flickering lights. Down the hallway, there was a long, long line that seemed to go on forever. Raven approached the first man in line and instantly recognized him. He was the first man he had ever killed. As he went down the line, he noticed that each and every one of the people standing there were people he had either killed or led to the death of. He seemed to walk for hours.

Finally, he saw the end up ahead. He ran for it. But what he saw there destroyed him. At the end of the line stood he wife and child. He began screaming "NO! NO! NO!" But it was too late, what was here was set in stone. Raven fell to his knees sobbing and...

Raven awoke screaming and covered in sweat. He looked around to try and understand where he was. He had made it back to the ship. But the memory of the dream still haunted him

''Raven.''

Emblem had stood up from his spot before he called Raven. The ship had arrived in Kilika, and after one last round, Emblem found it best to disembark. The crew, as always, had started moving around boxes in and out of storage. Besaid and Kilika worked together in a tight unison, with Besaid mostly delivering woven and hand-painted rugs. They were asked for all over Spira. Emblem had at one occasion owned one, but his travelling nature led him to give it away to a Ronso cub who seemed to like it, catching his interest several times. Quite a 'different' Ronso, but still a Ronso.

Back to the boat, Emblem almost stood on the little wooden bridge between the dock and the ship. He had not seen Raven, but Raven came out before the crew woke him up. Emblem held his hand to his forehead to see Raven a little bit better, the hand shielding his eyes from the sun. Emblem saw Raven did not have a good nap. It was in all probability either the sea, or his mind who disallowed him this. It would be rude to ask the latter, although it was the more likely one to do this.

''...Sea keep you awake?''

Emblem walked down the little bridge onto the docks, and cast a quick look on Kilika. The dock hardly was any lower then the ship itself. He looked back at Raven.

''I'ma go fetch some food. I'll be back with some for ya. If you don't have any plans, I can recommend traveling with me for a little while. I'm visiting the Kilika Temple. To do so, we cross the entire town and walk up a tree-covered mountain. You would not believe the view from up there.''

Emblem walked off towards the store, remembering the last times he was on Kilika. The city suspended on water, without contempt for nature. It was not like the city above water that sank, the city above the Moonflow. He was sure Raven would either adventure on his own orwait. He'd see in due time. Emblem took one deep sniff of ocean air before moving on the wooden bridges. He wondered if some of those were placed there by his hands. He had little time as a Guardian to help the townfolk, but it was little time well spent. His route had not changed. Through town, into the mountains, up to the temple.

As he entered the store, the man behind the bar would look up from his cleaning work, and smile.

''Hello Tom. How have you been? How is business?''
''Emblem of Besaid! Mighty fine to see you! Business has indeed been good, my boy. I expect you watched over the rugs I ordered?''
''Naturally. Loaded them in myself. Didn't make them though.''
''I know my boy. Don't worry, I wouldn't want you to either! Haha!''
''So my dear Tom, I was just wondering...''
''If I got something to eat for you? Same as always?''
''Make it double. Another visitor of Spira came with me. Says he is not from this world.''
''Did Sin's toxin erase his memory for good and replace it with illusions?
''No. I believe him, oddly enough. But let this rest for now before it becomes mayor gossip. Could you fetch this for me, I'll pay double, naturally.''

Tom disappeared for a short while behind the counter, rummaging and going down to his cooled storage before bringing back two cloth bags filled with fruits and bread.

''There ya go. The left one has the other things you required, Emblem.''
''Thank ye Tom...including the gifts?''
''Yes. Everything. Fair tidings ma boy, be seeing you soon.''
''To you too sir. Stay safe.''

Emblem gratefully grabbed the cloth bags and left the proper coin on the counter. Both bags were filled with food as Emblem was one big eater. He moved back to the ship to see if Raven was still there. If not, he'd have double rations.

Raven was still in a fog when he reached the top deck. He was thinking back on the dream, trying to make sense of why his family was in that line. It made absolutely no logical sense why they were with all the people he had killed. He knew he hadn't killed them. In fact he knew exactly who killed them and that man went through unspeakable horrors before he was allowed to take his final rest. But if they weren't there because he had killed them, then why were th-

''...Sea keep you awake?''

Raven looked up to Emblem with a blank stare. The words did not process in his mind right away because he himself was miles away, sitting on half of a train. Raven realized after a moment that the man had asked him something. He searched his mind for the question and found it. Though, he wasn't 100% sure it was the right one he slowly nodded his head and said, "Yeah, I guess I am not used to the waves."

'I'ma go fetch some food. I'll be back with some for ya. If you don't have any plans, I can recommend traveling with me for a little while. I'm visiting the Kilika Temple. To do so, we cross the entire town and walk up a tree-covered mountain. You would not believe the view from up there.''

Raven nodded his head in approval. That sounded nice. He wanted to see everything he could of this world, and with only a week to do it in he couldn't risk being lazy.

As Emblem walked away to fetch them some food, though, Raven became restless. He walked across the dock for a short while, but quickly grew tired of that and moved around. He walked off the dock and began to look around. He walked past fish vendors and market stalls. Past people who stared and people who pointedly avoided looking at him. He was definitely the outsider here and others made sure to let him know.

As he was walking past one of the stalls, though, a figure shot out in front of him and landed on the ground. It was a little girl, no more than five, and she was obviously thrown onto the ground. That assumption was confirmed when Raven heard the cry, "Thief!!! Stop her!" come from the raspy and muscular man behind the stall.

Raven looked at the girl through steely eyes. The girl was the same age his own Christine would have been and she reminded him of her in so many ways. Raven looked up to the man and said, What did she take?"

"She tried to take a whole fish! But I caught her!"

Raven reached for his money and said, "How much?

The merchant looked disgusted and said with a harsh tone, "She must be handed over to the authorities!"

"That won't be necessary. Now, how much?"

"But she must! If she is allowed to go, she will steal again!"

"I am not going to ask again."

"This is ridiculous!" said the man as he stepped forward around the stall to grab the child. Raven stepped in his way, though, and stopped him short. Raven grabbed the man by his shirt and in one quick motion, drew his knife and used it to pin the man's shirt to the stall."Let's get one thing straight, that girl isn't going anywhere except with me. Now, I was willing to compensate you for your loss, but now i can see that your life is the only reward you deserve. I am leaving now and she is coming. I will leave you a bit of cash, and you are going to go about your day as if none of this had happened. Do I make myself clear?"

The man gave a short terse nod and Raven pulled the knife out of the stall, releasing the man. He then went over and picked up the girl in his arms and walked away. He went back to the dock where Emblem had left him to wait for him. The whole time trying to get the girl to speak, but she would not.

Emblem shook his head. Walking through the market, smiling children would play, people would bow. They knew him, and he kinda stood out, but it was nothing he was not used to by now. Nor were they.However, Raven stood out more, and drew more attention by the minute. Emblem hid behind a few people in the crowd to see what was going on. Surely, Raven's life was not on the line.

After seeing the whole ordeal, it seemed the noise had beckoned Emblem's Aeonic counterpart. It stirred in the back of his mind, in the dark void of eternal slumber. It warned Emblem. Raven was not one you should be friendly too. He drew a knife that fast, then he knew how to use it. It had not been the first attempt on Emblem's life. He suspected it would never be the last though.

Emblem walked back through the crowd to make sure Raven did not see him. He had seen enough. Emblem had met quite the troubled man, and hoped the grandeur of Kilika temple, alongside it's peaceful views would calm his fellow traveler's mind. It was after a short detour that Emblem met Raven on the docks again. And he had company.

''I leave for one minute, and you make new friends already?''

Emblem yawned as he threw Raven the bag. Raven catched it easily, and inspected what was inside. Fruits, bread pieces, and some more rations. Water as well.

''...that should keep you and your friend well fed for some time. On me this time. Reminds me...do you have any Gil on you at all, Raven?''

As he waited for a reply, Emblem took out an apple and threw it to the little girl, before fetching another apple out of his bag and taking a huge bite out of it. His stomach had started to growl a little in wait of breakfast. Emblem sat down, and looked at Raven again. His observation was a quick but thorough one. To him, it seemed the man's eyes were clouded, his mind filled with fog. He had yet to process some severe loss, but Emblem had no idea what. It looked like he was affected by Sin's rampaging bouts, but Sin had already disappeared for several years. All that he left, were scarred families and scarred faces. Kilika had rebuilt multiple times, and nicely so too. He looked at his own scars. Even they healed up nicely, but never faded. Emblem thought it was best to let Raven know he saw what had just happened.

''...a fish on Kilika is only 5 Gil now that there is plenty. I think I could lend you some for future friend-shopping.''

Emblem took another bite nonchalantly, as if he just talked about the weather. He laid back a little to bask in the sunshine. There was a gentle sea breeze keeping the temperatures down to comfortable levels, and the shade would almost instantly let you sleep. It was a very tempting offer, but not one Emblem was about to take. He drank some water, grabbed the third apple, and stood up.

''...Ready to go?''

Raven looked up at Emblem as he approached. He hadn't had any luck in trying to get the girl talking. She didn't seem afraid, quite the opposite actually, but still she would not talk. He was beginning to think she may be mute. She didn't seem to be, though, she was probably still in shock.

'I leave for one minute, and you make new friends already?''

Raven laughed softly at the comment. It seemed Raven had been making more friends than usual that day. It could have been that he was actually taking a vacation, or as Emblem had stated, this place really was a very peaceful world. "Yeah, well I got lonely while I was waiting. She looked like she could use the company too."

"...that should keep you and your friend well fed for some time. On me this time. Reminds me...do you have any Gil on you at all, Raven?'

Raven reached down into the bag and pulled out the bread. He broke the loaf in half and handed the little girl some. She grasped it quickly and began to nibble on it. Obviously hungry for it, but at the same time knowing that she had to make it last. Raven himself took a bite out of his half and washed it down with some water. He looked up to Emblem and said, "I have a bit of Gil. Enoguh to get by on for the time I am here. I got it through the conversion bank in the Universal Multiplex system before I entered this world. My world didn't use Gil. We used credits, but to the traders in the Multiplex, all money is the same."

He took another bite of his bread and continued to watch the girl. She seemed to relax more now that she had some food in her. But he quickly turned to face Emblem when he told him about the price of fish. Raven looked at him with one eye raised, trying to ascertain what all Emblem knew. Raven just assumed it was the whole thing. After a moment of awkward silence filled with Raven staring at Emblem, he burst into laughter. He couldn't help himself. The probably thought he was some psycho murderer, who would just as likely stab him as pay for his lunch.

"I'm sorry if you don't approve of my methods, but I did give the man his warning. All I wanted to do was pay for her meal. He was the one who was making it into a big deal. And if you must know why I HAD to help her out its because I've been there before. I've been caught with my hand in the cookie jar and just about got it cut off. Now, I paid the man seven Gil and no one was actually hurt. I just receive even more stares from people now, that is all."

Raven finished his bread with a big smile on his face. He probably WAS a psycho, because now that he thought back on it, the action was a bit extreme. He just couldn't see the girl get hurt. He looked over to the girl and smiled at her.

She gave a weak smile and let out a voice that was no louder than a whisper. "Thank you."

Raven about keeled over. "She speaks! I was beginning to think you never would."

Emblem rose and looked at Raven. ''...Ready to go?''

Raven stood up and picked the little girl up. He placed her on his shoulders and turned to Emblem. "Ok, let's go. By the way, you never gave me your name. You know mine, but what am I to call you?"

Emblem's face nodded upward with a smirk as he heard Raven ask his name. The best question he had ever had from anyone. In all honesty, he did not know himself. He was a nameless entity, but like others, he had been given a name, one he wore with pride. He thought it was best to let that one wait for a while as the two, no three, moved to town. He was not disagreeing with Raven, but hoped to call for some containment. For now, Spira had no worldly conflict. He had hoped to keep all means to stay that way.

''Methods were not my concern, the shopkeeper was. Sin has destroyed lives. Lives that will never be mended until now. The man I know. He has been like this ever since his wife and house were taken by Sin. Still, a good warning it was. He will now think twice, I assume. As for you, you probably had your reasons, as you said. Be careful not to plant that knife somewhere where it does actually hurt. The wound invokes change, and not all change is good. I believe you already know this.''

Emblem moved to town, but took a different route, somewhat around the trade district. This way, Raven got to see all the wooden houses, covered in palm tree leaves, with countless draperies to cover up, provide shadow, or act as doors. It was amazing to know Kilika did not have a lot of crime, seeing they had no locked doors as well. Kilika and Besaid were tied for that score most of the time. As they slowly moved over the wooden walkways, crossing bridges, people looked at them. Some waved, and Emblem smiled and waved back. It was during their walk that he told Raven of his name. His tone was neutral at first, indicating a delicate mixture of equal pride and doubt. As the story progressed, his tone got more playful, and more prideful.

''I have no name. At least, not one that is known. No name, no heritage, no relatives. It is thought that I was one of the rare survivors of Sin's attack. The weird thing was, the first time I was found was on Besaid. Had the village not found me, I would not have lived. Fiends pray on the living, no matter their age. The Temple, then still funded by the Order of Yevon, took me in and nurtured me to good health. I would not become a simple templar though, but I will always remain thankful to them. They were, nay are, good men. They just misinterpreted my fascination with all kinds of emblems for an honest interest in the Order. An did they have a lot of emblems. It is why I still carry one on my back, as it got them to call me Emblem.''

Almost done with walking through the little town of Kilika, the mountain behind them, and the only dry land the town seemed to be connected to, showed itself in all it's green grandeur. Trees as far as the eye could see, with a field of grass connected it to the town they were walking through.

''...As I grew up, I learned to survive, I learned some combat, I learned of the summoner I was going to protect. A dear friend. The same who got me to craft my axes. I came to love Besaid for everything it has, and everything it did not have. As I got old enough, I paid for my meals with errands and minor fiend-hunting on the island, until my errands got me to go to other places. In Luca, the merchants were surprised to hear of my name. A funny name to them, they felt it was not enough, and easily mistaken in a simple conversation. I was Emblem, and I came from Besaid. Coincidentally also the way I introduced myself in the first times I met them. It was how they would call me. Emblem of Besaid. It is so that I am called to this day.''

They reached the wooden gate to the mountains. In previous times, these would be guarded by the Order of Yevon, but it was free to pass now. There were guards, but they were to make sure no fiends would come down the mountain. In such regard, Emblem looked over his shoulder to Raven.

''You could exhale like a Lamashtu before...can you also create the same fire?''

Raven followed Emblem in blissful silence. The walk through the city amazed him. Being a tinkerer, Raven had only built things that helped him destroy his enemies. He was used to making explosives, new guns, and ammo that would destroy so much. That did not mean when he saw something that was so simple and does so much good, such as architecture, he liked to stop and admire it. He did not have to stop now, though, and probably couldn't at the rate Emblem was going. But he didn't care. He was getting a wonderful story about a man from a wonderful new world.

He admired the simple architecture of the buildings. How the buildings where each made from only wood and palms, giving them a rustic look. Yet that same rustic look seemed so perfect. On Cocoon, everyone was worried about getting where they needed to be, they did not slow down enough to enjoy these simple things. Not to mention the fact that almost all of Cocoon's houses were either condos or apartments. Cocoon was a metropolis world, cramming everyone in a tight space. That was one thing Raven could not stand.

That's why Raven had gone to Pulse on those long campaigns. It wasn't that he loved the killing or even that he did not love his family. Those things were the only reason he would go back to Cocoon. No, Raven went on those long missions by himself in the jungles of Pulse to find solitude. He loved to just go out into the wild and spend days doing nothing but watch his surroundings and think. He even grew to envy the simple lives of the Pulsinians.

But those lives always ended the same way. Raven would report his findings and after about a week of political crap, the rest of his team would show up and burn the place to the ground. Killing all of the "rebels", including their families. This was the first time Raven had seen these wooden buildings up close without them being charred from fire and death. It was a good change.

As they walked Emblem gave him a great story of how he got to be named Emblem of Besaid. Raven marveled at the story, because, well, it was a better reason than why he was called what he was. Emblem's story was a tale of rebirth, where Raven's alias was only there because of revenge. Raven envied him in this way.

When Emblem finished his story, they were standing at the edge of town and staring at the large mountain ahead. Emblem asked if Raven could use fire. Hr chuckled a bit and said, "No, the smoke is just a bad habbit of mine. The smoke is just these little things," Raven revealed his cigarettes, "I light them on fire and then breathe in the smoke. It helps me relax and think clearly. But other than that they are terrible for your health and your wallet. As for being able to use fire, definitely no. I don't use magic. Never have never will. I don't agree with it and it doesn't really like me too much either. But I have a question for you, since you keep comparing me to it. What in the name of Linzei is a Lamashtu?"

''mmm...Fascinating. I sorta use meditation...or sleep.''

Emblem was truly interested in this new thing. He had never expected those little paper wrapped sticks to do what they did, and he had no clue why Raven would exhibit their use if they would eventually have a negative effect on him. Furthermore, why do so if you already know? But that was for another time. What he thought it was was nowhere near what a Lamashtu could.

''Lamashtu is like...well, let's say you need to see them. All fiends can be described, but to see is to know. A Lamashtu, and don't get me wrong, is a lizard-type fiend. If it would stand on it's hindlegs, it would be one and a half time as big as us, but it stands on four legs. It's like a wingless dragon, tough scales...Bashes you with it's skull, slowing you down...''

Emblem rubbed his shoulder. He remembered being bitten by a Lamashtu once. Painful memory.

''They have a breath attack, and while it's element varies with every species subtype, all of them breathe smoke from their mouths, but only little of it. Just like when you exhaled your smoke. I had hoped you were able to breathe fire, for that would make the journey up ahead a lot easier. My apologies for the reference by the way, didn;t mean it in a bad way. And since you don't use magic, I guess I will have to.''

Emblem's axe gleamed red for a second. It was slowly warming up. As he did so, he gazed over Kilika once more. They could skim the rooftops with their gazes. The sun was rising only more as it was approaching noon, or maybe already past it. the axes kept heating up, little by little.

''Fine axes. I can channel elements through them. Give me a minute and they're flamin'.''

Emblem looked from Raven to his own axes, before looking up the mountaintop. He remembered Raven was not from here, as he seemed to keep looking at the houses. Emblem looked in the same direction, and back. The little girl seemed to stand there, also looking at the axes and back again.

''...Take your time. How many days you get to stay on Spira, might I ask? ..As for the fire, we are about to enter Kilika's woods. Relatively harmless, but preparation is best. If you have any weapon that can produce certain heat, I advise you to equip them. This forest houses the first breed of Ochu's. Another fiend best seen then described, one in particular, the Lord Ochu, is known as the Guardian of the Forest. Weird thing as it is a simple fiend, but if we aren't prepared, it's tentacle-branches may surprise us.''

Emblem looked up the mountain. His axes glimmered once, and the red jewel shined with a fiery light. He was ready to go up the mountains.

''Simple rules, just in case. We stick together, and you keep the girl close at any times. I don't see us get separated, but I would be stupid to not prepare for anything. Ochu's are generally hurt by anything, but absorb water-based attacks. If we are to encounter Lord Ochu, then we're unlucky. It's bigger then regular Ochu's, don't absorb water, but also throws earthquakes at you. Every Ochu is poisonous, not highly, but make sure she doesn't get hit..''

Emblem beckoned the guard, who slowly opened the turnwheel gate for the three travellers. Emblem then had a thought. Is the girl joining in on the whole journey?

''Unless she prefers to stay that is..Then we find her family.''

Raven followed Emblem with the girl on his shoulders. He listened as Emblem gave him the discription of the Lamashtu with awe. Cocoon was home to many different types of creatures and Pulse with even more dangerous monsters, but nothing there compared to the discription Emblem gave. The only thing Raven could think of was the discription Emblem had already given. He kept picturing a large dragon, rearing back to bathe the land with flames, but without wings. I looked a little ridiculous in his mind, but Raven knew it would be much more intimidating in person.

When Emblem asked him how long he had in Spira, Raven looked around himself and said, "I have seven days. After that, I have to go or I will miss my ride back home." Raven thought about that for a second. He was definitely not going to have enough time to see all of this place, but he could see a good chunk of it. Especially if he kept with ghis Emblem guy. He seemed to know what was going on.

As Emblem laid down the ground rules, Raven continued to listen. Raven was quick to make a joke about the grimmest of situations, but he was completely serious when it came to the protection of others.He would follow those rules to a tee and was already thinking about how he could defeat these things if he saw one.

But then Emblem brought up a good point. Raven picked the girl up off his shoulders and placed her on the ground in front of him. He lloked at her for a moment before asking, "Well, what do ya say? Do you want to go with us or do you want us to help you find your parents first?"

The girl looked down at her feet and shuffled them, kicking up a cloud of dirt in the process. She mumbled something that Raven couldn't hear. He grabbed her by the chin and gently brought the girl's face up so that she was looking in his eyes. "What was that?"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she said, "They're dead."

Raven frowned and scooped her up into his arms. He patted her on the back like he used to do his own child. Why was he acting like this? He never cares about those who aren't important to him. He remains emotionally detached so that he is never hurt again. And yet...He can't stop helping this child. There was just something inside of him that refused to let this kid cry one more tear or get hurt anymore than she already was. Maybe it was the fact that she reminded him so much of his own deceased child.

Or maybe Raven was just getting soft.

Raven shuddered at the though before placing the girl back on his shoulders. He handed her up an apple and turned to Emblem. "Well, that settles it. She's coming with us. Don't worry, I'll take care of her."

Raven waited for Emblem to go ahead through the gate and followed him into the wilderness...

Emblem walked through the gate in silence. All he heard were the wooden cogs squeaking as the forced the wooden gate to open. Yet his mind was elsewhere. A child who lost her parents. It happened a lot in the times of Sin, but it was nothing fun, nothing to joke about. And another soul to protect. Emblem had doubts. Should they really pass on into the wilds? Sure, they were on a lush patch of grass now, the mountain was only beginning. As they walked on, this doubt got bigger. If both were surprised by Ochu's, it could end badly. Emblem stopped in his tracks, much to Raven's surprise.

''Two things...''

Said Emblem as he turned his head and looked over his shoulder.

''Where will your ship depart from?''

Emblem waited until his companion gave an answer. It would determine most of their route as it would be unfortunate for his traveling mate to miss his ride home. Furthermore, when he does so, Emblem would probably have to escort the girl back to a safe place. Kilika probably, or any other village she would prefer to stay in peace. As long as she would be taken care of, Emblem was fine with it. He was going back to Besaid as always in the end, so Kilika would be on route.

''...And would you spar with me for a minute? Here?''

A surprisingly sly question. Emblem never asked this much as he would prefer never to fight. But if they were to enter these Kilika Woods, they would have to be ready, their minds focused, and they should know what the other is capable of. He went on and explained that to Raven.

''We need to know what the other can do. Sparring for a little time will let us do so in combat. We test each other, and we test ourselves. Sharpens the mind, strengthens the will. Do you accept...then we duel.''

Emblem had not sparred much in his life. He didn't like it. He was trained in his ways by fighting a numerous amount of different fiends, scattered all over Spira. Only a few times had he sparred against Auron and Tidus, and that was mostly when he needed to keep his powers in check. He learned a lot from those things, and experienced elevated senses shortly after. Nothing like a battle to keep you sharp. It might be best if they would do so were they to find any Ochu's. They were manageable, but had grown more vicious and more cunning over the days.

Then again even Emblem had to rethink his own thought. If he was going to show his opponent something, and he was gonna show Emblem, both were gonna be hurt for some time for sure. There was no middle ground in battle. You don't do anything, or you go all out. At least, that was Emblem's take on it. He'd always fight will all his might, stick in all the energy. But they both had to know what the other was capable of. Maybe he would even Summon...Raven'd get to see the only Summon in the whole world of Spira left. Well usually. Even if Emblem'd go into his alternate form, that'd be dangerous enough. He'd have to see how far they would push each other. He was sure Raven had some nice tricks up his sleeve as well...

...and Emblem strongly disliked guns.

Raven followed Emblem through the gate toe to heel. As he stepped through the large wooden gate, he sight was met with a gorgeous view of the mountain. Raven took a moment to take in the view of it all. He saw the desidous forests roll up the gentle slope of the mountain until they began to thin out. The roccky face of the mountain then carried up the slope until reaching the snow capped peak of the regal looking mount. The view was oddly reminiscent of his time on Pulse, but there the forests of fiends were replaced with jungles of monsters and forgotten technology. It was interesting, to say the least, for Raven to be able to draw the correlation.

He continued to walk in mute bliss behind Emblem for a bit before the native stopped. Raven slowed to a stop and took a quick glance at his immediate surroundings before looking Emblem in the eye. He usually tried to look the people he talked to in the eye. It was a habbit of his that gave the person a sense of respect while also allowing him to size up the person. If the person wouldn't look him in the eye, he knew something was off. Emblem didn't seem to have that problem, so Raven liked the man.

Raven smirked when Emblem asked him about where he was departing from. He didn't even know what was funny about that question, he just smiled. "I leave from Besaid. For some reason, when the Universal Multiplex decided to open all of it's portals, it opened the one to Spira off the coast of Besaid. So that is where all the interdemensional traders go to when dropping off new goods. I guess they could fly to another city, but I guess they are just looking for convenience."

Raven thought about the kid again. As he finished his last sentence, he realized that she was going to need someplace to go. He briefly entertained the idea of taking her back to Cocoon, but what he did there... The place was no place for a child. Even an orphan would never be able to grow up well in a place like that. Not when her only parent was always out killing people. He was about to ask Emblem if he could help, but was interrupted of that thought when Emblem spoke again.

So the man wanted to spar... That was an interesting thought. But looking over Emblem, he became a little weary. He knew nothing about this man. He was completely in the dark when it came to this man. He did not know how far he would take this practice fight. Not to mention that one of those beasts could show up during the fight while they were focused on each other. But Raven nodded anyway. While this was a vacation for him, he was a strong believer in staying at the ttop of his game. Besides, seeing how this man fights may give him some insight on how others from this world act in combat.

Raven removed the kid from his shoulders and placed her on a boulder nearby. He smiled at her and said, "Stay here for a second, we're gonna play a little game. I need you to play a very important part in this game. While we're playing, I need you to play look out. You are incharge of making sure nobody who isn't playing the game doesn't try to join in. If they do, I want you to scream for me ok?"

The little girl looked up at him with an expresionless stare. Raven frowned and was about to say something again, when she gave a quick terse nod. Raven smiled and handed her the bag of food before turning to face Emblem again. He was going to fight Emblem, but he was going to start easy to try and determine how far Emblem planned on going. He would start with his knife and move on to his other tricks if needed.

Raven wlked towards Emblem and drew his knife from the shoulder sheathe. He flipped the knife in the air in one smoothe motion and caught it in a reverse assassin's grip, with the blade pointing downward. He stopped about ten feet away from Emblem and lowered himself into a half-crouch. He raised his left hand up in front and balled in a fist while his right held the knife was slightly behind it. His arms would be able to quickly jab out and return to protect his torso from seriouus damage. His weight was distributed across both legs, with 60% of it on his back leg so that he could easily move his front leg quickly. Be it an attack with a kick or a retreating step. Raven was ready for Emblem.

He gave a slow nod to Emblem to let him know that it was his move.

((For Emblem to fight like he should, he needs dual-wielding. Damnit.))

Emblem took out both Collapse axes, and gleamed the shining metal alloy in the sun's light. The red jewel imbedded glowed, as if it knew it was going to be used in battle. However, Emblem moved to the girl, deployed his sack of food next to her gently, and layed one of the axes near to it. He knew Ochu's were not going to come out of the Forest into the large grass fields, well, not usually. The sun would burn too much. Then again, it was best to be prepared for anything. Emblem was not going to go all out. That would prove disastrous for multiple parties. In a flash, he thought about unleashing his Aeon. He would probably not.

Emblem moved back to Raven, with one axe in his right hand. He held the axe up, inspecting his adversary.

''Interesting stance.''

Emblem's stance was nothing like Raven's. The axe was a little higher and to the right of his head, his body was curved so that Emblem's left side was more to Raven's side. In short, Emblem was more about the force then technique, as he had never had any fighting training apart from the fights he had with fiends, and they don't care how you stand either way. In survival, Emblem learned combat. He decided to try and measure up Raven in the beginning, before switching to one of his action plans. He already hindered himself by fighting with only one axe.

''Let's go!'' said Emblem as he jumped away from Raven, still looking at him. He tugged at his axe and flinged it towards the man with the knife. While he was moving back to the ground, Emblem was interested to see how his opponent would react to the Boomerang Blade from such a short distance. There was about 6 feet between then at the time he threw the axe.

The purpose of this fight was not to hurt Raven immensely, but if they had no measurement of strength they were not going to get far. Emblem did not want to swing at Raven now, preferring to use this attack to scout his first moves. He reckoned Raven was faster then him, so he needed to do something about that.

Emblem's axe flinged through the air, spinning, shooting itself towards Raven. The three feet axe, spinning at high speeds...Emblem couldn't explain how. It was big and bulky, but seemed to cut air itself. Then again, his axes were also bestowed with the sensory ability, helping Emblem see more things, pointing them out. What was unknown to some was obvious to him, but even Sensor had trouble with this opponent. What he could discern was a higher speed and evasion, as well as faster weaponry. Hopefully, more information would be disclosed in the battle itself. That was the entire purpose.

The moment Emblem landed, the Axe reached Raven. This was it. The battle had begun, and while Emblem's moves were designed more powerful then anything else, the Boomerang Blade was a test to see how Raven would handle the first blows. Would he expect the axe to move this fast?

________________________________________________

Enchantments active: ''Battle Prowess'' (+10% HP)

Attacks used: Boomerang Blade (30 MP)

120 MP left.

Raven watched Emblem with speculation. The man's stance spoke volumes about how he fought. The stance said, "I'm going to kill you with just a few swings" meaning that Emblem's strength was definitely in his power, but it also said something else. The problem with too much power was that it meant too much set up. Just by the man's stance alone, Raven already knew how the first strike would play out. He prepared for the slash from the left to come crashing in on him.

But what Emblem really did caused a moment of hesitation. As the man jumped backwards, he threw the axe at a great speed towards Raven. His first plan of reaching out and grabing the man's arm would not do, but the body movement would. As the axe came towards him, Raven steped to the side. He brought hiis knife up and hooked it in behind the blade of the axe while spinning along the arc of the axe. The knife stopped the spinning motion of the axe so that Raven could reach up with his other hand and grab the hilt. He finished the spin with the axe and his knife in his hands.

He honestly didn't believe the little stuunt would work and could feel the slight burning of his right forearm, where the blade had gashed him while slowing down, but other than that the maneuver had worked. He now stood with both blades and Emblem was stuck with none. If he wanted another, he would have to make a dash for his other axe next to the girl.

Raven gave Emblem a quick smirk before lunging in towards the man. He dove between the man and his other axe, slashing across the man's body with the axe in his left hand as he did so. As that movement was being followed through, he brought hiis other arm up above his head to bring down onto Emblem's shoulder. Just as the momentum of the axe followed through, he allowed the movement to bring his right arm down towards his shoulder, trying to stab at the man's neck.

If the stabing attack stuck, Raven would spin to his right, slashing across the man's torso again with the axe from another direction. If it did not, Raven would continue with the motion and spin to his left, using the spin to add speed behind the next swing of his axe. That attack would be aimed at Emblem's legs, trying to sweep them out and come down ontop of the Native Spiran.

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Ability used: Steal

MP remaining: 200

Emblem had expected the axe to hit and come back to him. He had expected it to miss and come back for another hit. That was the mechanic behind the Boomerang Blade. What he did not expect was Raven to hook it's knife to claim the axe as his own. It baffled him. How could someone be so precise that he could get the axe to stop in time by hooking the knife just behind the blade? Emblem was about ready to write it off to his opponent's luck, or his bad luck when his opponent lunged between him and his other axe.

Emblem had expected as much. It was logical he'd want to go for his other axe. With that plan failed, Emblem was left without a weapon, or was he? Raven swinged at him with a very neat combination, trying to hit Emblem multiple times. Emblem knew his own weapon, but even so he barely dodged the strike from it, and in return, he had a knife going for his neck. In reflex, he got his neck out of the way, but he did not think his opponent would go for his neck, of all places. It was not how he had perceived sparring, but then again, why would they save energy for the journey ahead?

The knife cut Emblem along the top of his torso, going past his neck. In the same motion, Raven swung the Axe again to strike from a different angle. Emblem, angered at the loss of his weapon, would not dodge this time. He was too close. The axe went for Emblem's right side. In the split second he had, Emblem tried to block the axe. As the sharp metal struck his flesh, Emblem felt the pain rise. He remembered how hard the weapon could hit, even without his arm swinging it. His anger rose as he was so close to Raven, and ready to inflict some pain.

With a whisper of his breath, Emblem casted two spells in one, Haste and Thunder. The Haste, on himself. The thunder was planned to strike Raven from above, but it was aimed a little behind him. It was Emblem's plan to get Raven there. He bashed his shoulder forward and forced his strength upon Raven, pushing him back, hoping a little out of range,.. and hoping even more into the Thunder spell. If it was successful, Emblem would be able to either reclaim his axe, or go for his second one, depending on how the spell hit. Emblem's adrenaline got the best of him, and he decided to cast another Thunder spell, again targetting Raven. Two were always more shocking then one.

While the sparring battle had only just begun, it was clear to Emblem that he was going to have to use bigger moves against a foe such as Raven. He was not going to hold back, so it would only be warrior's code to return the favor. The strike to the neck, and bleeding gash from his right side showed him just that. Raven had already proved to be able to think, and that was something Emblem was glad of. The girl was gonna be safe for sure. Until then, it was game time. Emblem tensed as his opponent was pushed back. This was going to get heavy really fast.
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Abilities used:

Haste : 30 MP

Doublecast: 2x Thunder : 10 MP

Misc.: Emblem shoved the opponent.

MP: 80

Raven winced as the axe dug in to Emblem's side. How he was trained, there were no half blows. The only blows taught were the ones that would end your opponent swiftly and painfully. But that didn't mean Raven had to like inflicting this pain onto Emblem. He would eventually heal Emblem, but for right now he was going all out. He was going to go until one of them was forced to capitulate.

But what Emblem did next baffled Raven. While he expected some form of hand-to-hand movement, he did not expect him to throw his entire body at him, let alone be that fast. Raven was thrown backwards and through the air, tumbling head over heels as he tried to find the ground beneath his feet. But as his feet finally found purchase, he heard a loud crack and a flash come down from above him. The lightning struck in the large metal axe that he was wielding in his off hand. The shocking effect coursed its way through him, stunning him for a moment. The shocking blast made him reflexively grip his weapons tighter.

He staggered for a moment and heard the rumbling of a second one on it's way. This time he was ready, though. As the lightning came down, he rolled out of the way, watching as the lightning struck where he was just standing. [i]Huh, I guess lightning does stike in the same place twice.[i]

He looked around for Emblem, trying to regain his bearings. He saw him exactly where he expected him to go, straight to his other axe and Raven was sorely out of position. He dashed towards the weapon, but Emblem was much faster now. There was no way that Raven could get there in time. Instead, he decided it was time to up his armor. He used his weapon call system in his armor to call the X-130 Modular Combat Suit to him. The suit appeared on his back and began to unfold. The armor wrapped its way around Raven's body and formed its way to him. After a moment, he was fully clothed in the armor.

Tossing Emblem's axe to the side, Raven pressed a button on the armor, making him disappear from sight. He placed his knife in it's sheathe and drew his silenced pistol. The supressor on the end would ensure that any shots fired from it would not make a flash or make any noise. This means that Emblem would have no way of knowing where Raven was whenever he attacked. Raven raised his pistol to aim at Emblem and started to walk towards him...

He fired once, twice, thrice at the man, aiming for the center torso. He then rolled to the side, so that even if Emblem could discern the direction that the shot were fired from, he would not be able to pin Raven's exact location down. Raven stood up behind a tree and leaned out again, firing his next two shots at Emblem's abdomen.

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Form used: X-130 Modular Assault Suit = 60 MP

140 MP remaining

It was when Emblem had reached his axe that his opponent decided to perform a little trick..and vanish in front of his eyes. It was technology Emblem had never witnessed before. Truth of it was he knew Raven had to be somewhere, but it was never going to be known to him. Emblem's axe lay further away from him, where Raven had just stood.

''Figures. Just when it's time to maul, he disappears.''

There was no denying it. As it was, Emblem was no match for this opponent. Not as he was now. After Yunalesca had completely rearranged his physicals, Emblem had undergone a reset of sorts. He was undergoing a reboot of powers, in which he needed to master them all again. Only his skill with the axes, and rough survival, had remained. He might have stood a better chance then, but now, he stood none. It would not stop him now though. As from the transformation, he had gained something else. Something he was going to use.

Back to the battle, Emblem had his axe ready, in both hands, pointing to the ground in front of his, ready to strike. It was then that he was struck, one, twice, three times in his chest. He clamped it in pain and the axe fell out of his hands as he knelled onto the grass. He hated guns. He hated them for everything and everything. He looked at his hands, and balled them into fists. He heaved as his head shut up to where the shots were fired. It was time for one last display of power.

''...You ready?'' said Emblem to himself as he stood up slowly. Another voice, called out, but it was unclear what he said. Emblem's eyes turned to white as pyreflies surrounded him. Both Collapse Axes floated up and moved towards him, and attached themselves to his back. These two weapons seemed to glue themselves stuck, their handles merging with his skin, creating two wing-like appendages.

Emblem's feet lost touch with the ground, but quickly remade it he was hit twice in his abdomen. A second and he floated up again, and his skin turned more to that of an Aeon, sturdier, tougher, resembling more a Guado them a Human. His shoulder tattoo's started to glow as he readied himself for battle. The transformation was something special to watch, almost awe inspiring, as little jolts of pure energy seemed to shoot from this Human-Aeon hybrid. Little red lines showed up on Emblem's skin, and he spoke up. His voice was split in two, indicating he now shared his physical body with his Aeon. He doubted Raven had seen something like this before. Emblem's mind had a split-second of thought how powerful this could later be. Potential...yet his mind quickly snapped back to the battle. He had no time for fickle thoughts.

''It is time. All...or nothing.''

With that, Emblem's muscles tensed, his arms spread, and red and blue energy jolts shot out from every side. His tattoo's glowed up for a second before returning to their normal reddish glowing proportions. He had used the Power Lapse. He turned to where he thought Raven was, although he was not sure. It was a sense, not an accurate reading. He needed a little more life to live, so the Aeon moves his hand and cast Cure on itself. The boost in magical energy seemed to help, as it restored him to better functionality. It was nothing much, but he could fight on longer now, against an opponent he could not see.

The Aeon decided it was time to attack, as he shot forth his arms in the general direction of his opponent. Energy patterns, looking like hot streams of air, burst forward.
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Form initiated: Aeon-Emblem Alpha (70 MP)

Form Ability Used: Power Lapse (+20 MP)

Spells used: Cure (10 MP)

Misc: Two Form normal attacks. Power Lapse: Form will cease to function when MP is depleted.

MP: 20

Raven watched as Emblem twisted and contorted. As he lifted off the ground, Raven realized that he really didn't know anything about this world or it's inhabitants. He was completely in the dark to their ways and customs. Now, looking at Emblem in this advanced form, Raven realized that he may be out of his league for this fight. If he didn't end it soon, Emblem may overpower him with brute force. Though Raven was confident in his techniques, but after taking so much brute force even the best can falter. Raven could not make any mistakes and he couldn't wait to attack for soon his cloaking would over heat for a moment.

He kept his slow and steady pace towards Emblem as the enhanced man lashed out with his first attack. The attack went wide and crashed into a tree, breaking it and causing it to fall. Raven turned to see where it fell. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it feel in the opposite direction than the girl. Raven smirked and turned just in time to be slammed in the chest by a second wave, and because he wasn't ready and moving, his footing was bad. Raven was thrown though the air and crashed into another tree. He landed in a heap, but instantly bounced back to his feet and moved to the side. He continued to dash along the tree line out around Emblem.

As he circled, he thought of what he needed to do. Obviously, he couldn't take his eyes off the man. That little stunt was quickly noted and documented. Raven could take the pain and sores, but that didn't mean he liked them. He would much rather cause the pain to the other guy. Things went a little more smoothly when that happened.

Raven was just about behind Emblem when he thought of it. He pulled one of the flash-bang grenades off of his vest and pulled the pin. He tossed the grenade towards Emblem and then took cover behind a tree. While the grenade wasn't blinding at this distance, it really didn't help his situational awareness. As he took cover, the grenade flew through the air towards Emblem. It landed at his feet and detonated, sending a blinding light up towards himand all around him in a ten foot radius.

As soon as he heard the detonation of the grenade, Raven moved. He brought his pistol up in front of him and looked down the ironsights as he approached the Aeon. He moved in behind the floating man and placed the barrel of his gun to his head. Assuming the grenade worked, the man should be blinded, but that should be the only sense that was dulled. Raven said, "That cold cylindar shaped object on your temple? That's my gun. Now you could try and get away from me and knock me away before I pull the trigger. And maybe you can put your whole body in motion before I can pull my index finger. Maybe you can get away with it. But what you should be asking yourself is, 'Do I feel lucky?'... Well? Do ya?"

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Flashbang, through the door!: 40 MP

100 MP remaining

Emblem was sure he had hit Raven. Lucky him, but it meant nothing. The opponent was still invisible to him. It was a problem, a lock, and he had no key. All he could do was hope he'd make the invisibility go away. It was then that his visibility was impaired. He had seen an object fly, and turned to face it, but it was too late. It seemed to be a grenade, but it blinded him. Only Rikku would use such tricks in spars. It was effective though, as soon, Raven held his gun next to Emblem's head. A rather peculiar decision.

Yet Emblem had a decision to make of his own. He felt the barrel against his head, but this also meant Raven was close enough to unleash magical hell upon. He still had some juice left. Not much, but if he had any luck left, neither did Raven. Emblem decided it was best to stop, as it was only a spar, but not all agreed with him. His voice was one-toned, and his own. Yet the other tone, his Aeon, also seemed to talk out loud.

''It is done. This is no matter of luck.''
''Finish him! He is next to you, you can still win.''
''If he fires, I probably lose consciousness. Maybe die. His gun is better then any Spiran machina.''''If it is, he will not fire. He will not kill.''
''Then neither shall we...End this, Aeon. Now!''
''..you should have summoned me.''

It was then that Emblem got his feet back on the ground, as the Form slowly seized function. Emblem lost the ability to Auto-Float, and his appearance slowly converted back to his old self. A few pyreflies flew through him and disappeared. As the form ended, Emblem sank on his knees. He started to bleed again, out of his left side. His twin axes dropped off his back and landed next to him, their sharp edges stuck in the grassy ground. Emblem coughed repeatedly, before spitting out some blood.

''Heal.''

A small white light emanated from his right palm as he moved it to the wound. It took the edge of the hurt, and the bleeding seemed to stop. Still, he was in pain. And he had lost. But what Emblem was most cross about ,was his Aeon. It had been very, very close, or his Aeon would have moved his body and attacked Raven. The battle might have escalated by then, and have less faithfull endings. It was to be expected, and Emblem was still master of his own body. He turned to Raven, and cast Cure again to heal him, part of common courtesy.

Emblem would be alright. A few steps, and his wounds would heal themselves. It was the magic behind his equipment, the testament of his stamina. He only hoped Raven would have something similar....and the food might help as well. Emblem was drained in any case. The aeon had taken much power, and refused to heal his wounds in the end.

''I suggest we take a second to heal, then move to the Temple. In any sense, we need to be in Luca when the evening falls.''

As if nothing happened, Emblem fetched his axes, and slowly got up, growling a bit as he did. auron always told him not to hold a grudge after a loss in sparring. He did not like losing, but it was a step on the stairs of improvement at the very least. The first steps always were the hard ones, both in terms of healing and losing. He looked at the girl, then back at Raven, to see where he would appear. He would want to ask about this invisibility thing. It was impressive.

''Well invisible man, where are ya?''