The kid was shy, he looked thin and sickly. It looked like no one had known he was here at all. He was startled by the girl who appeared out of no where. He was scared of her at first, not knowing how she found him out here.

"My name is Kat, I can help you find your family."

The kid had a sad look on his face, as he looked at the ground. It took him quite a while before he could muster up the courage to actually reply to her.

"M-my parents are gone."

At this point he kid had looked more sad than before. he was at the point of crying, but didn't want to show it. He tried once again to talk a little more, but he only got so far.

"My name is Axel." He paused for a moment to try and calm himself down.

"My dad disappeared when sin attacked besaid."

He was again on the verge of crying, but still he held it back. Thoughts of his dad ran through his head, the last moment he was with him. The very last words he said to Axel, "I'll be back after the game." Then came the thoughts of sin. The tidal wave that wrecked the island and almost left him for dead. He began to cry, softly at first, then it became more clear that he was crying.


(Boy, not really what I'm use to writing :\ )

Kat looked at Axel, he looked like a little puppy scared of humans. She slowly moved closer to him so she wouldn't scare him and reached her hand out and caressed his hair softly. SHe wanted to comfort him, it wasn't right for a little kid like him to be all alone. She saw he was trying to stay calm and not cry, but it was hard for him. Kat hugged him tightly while caressing his back.

"It's ok Axel, I am sure we will find your father. You are really brave to stay here all alone."

She looked at him smiling softly. She knew it would be hard to help him find his father but it was what she had to do even if she wanted to meet the summoner. As she was thinking about this new summoner she got an idea. She could take this kid to Shinu, she wasn't sure if that was his name, and they could find the way to help Axel together.

"Do you know we have a summoner in the town? I am sure he could help us find your dad Axel, all summoners are nice and helpful so I am sure it will be nice to meet him. But first you need to eat something that's why we will go to my hut, you will be able to take a bath too."

Kat smiled at Axel kindly and whiped his tears away softly. She stood up and took his hand in her and walked back to the village with little Axel.

"I am going to make you some food so you can have enough energy to talk with the summoner when he returns to the village."

She smiled at him and walked to her hut still holding his hand. When they were finally there she prepared food for them both and let Axel soak in the tub, hoping that her father will figure out where she was.

Mieli turned to Shinu.

"Let's take his money and let him go. We never should've run into him to begin with. You're a summoner, and I'm a guardian. Our enemy is Sin, not Spirans. Take the money, enjoy the money, and continue the pilgrimage. You're not a warrior monk fighting crime. You're a summoner training to defeat Sin, and this is nothing but a distraction."

Mieli turned to the theif

"You misunderstand me. I don't care if he followed you or not. You seem to know the obligations of a guardian, and I fulfill those no matter what the circumstances are. If you're fighting him, you're fighting me too, there's just no way around that.

I guess our fate is in the summoner's hand. He can take your money and enjoy, or he can fight and much to my chagrin give it back to who had it first."

Tif sighed as she saw Mieli look towards her and run out of the village gates. By this time, Shinu and the supposed criminal were gone. Instead of chasing after Mieli immediately, she walked over to Erk to make sure he was okay.

"Ah, um... We'll be back later?" With that, Tif played copycat and ran out of the village gates. Was she supposed to do this? She never agreed to be a guradian, and she would, of course, make Shinu and Mieli firmly understand where she stood.

Tif was obviously lighter and faster than Shinu and Mieli, so it wasn't long before she caught up to one of her partners of justice, and not long before reaching to waterfall where Shinu was. As they reached their destination, she and Mieli stood behind Shinu. As she listened to the "criminal" make his long (and somewhat boring) speech, she decided it was her time to step up and take control by standing in between Shinu and the unknown male.

"We won't do anything. I'm sure it was just a misconception. If you could please explain what really happened, then this mess will be cleared up and we can all walk away in one piece." Tif turned to Shinu. If looks could kill, Shinu would have obliterated. "Isn't that right, Shinu?"

Just then, their talk was disrupted by a combination of curses, clopping hooves, and loud braying. They turned as one to the direction that had just come from... and a mule hurtled out of them and nearly barreled Meili over, with Erk clinging like a burr to it's back. The aged Guado tumbled off of the beast's back as it screeched to a stop, and Erk scrambled to his feet before Meili.

"Sweet Yevon, what do you think you're doing?! Rushing off like that without a single word, leaving me crumpled at the base of those monster stairs, half the village in an uproar! Was it your intention to cause as much chaos as possible?!" Erk turned on the thief.

"And you! Robbing the head priest of his life savings to renovate the temple! That money's been scrounged away for decades so that this temple could be fully repaired! It will collapse unless extensive repairs are done! How dare you attempt to rob it?!" Erk fairly screeched.

Mieli was a bit disgusted with Erk. He never liked being lectured, especially by older men on being a responsible Spiran. He shook his head slightly and quickly back and forth curling his lips to a minimal frown. Mieli glared at Erk as if Erk had pickpocketed his wallet right in from of him. He was not a happy man after Erk's comment.


"I'm trying to cause chaos, I didn't steal your life saving and knock you down. I didn't leave you crumpled, because I never actually cared that you were. I'm a guardian not a nurse, and you don't like anything like my summoner."

Mieli turned to the theif with an inquiry.

"The situation seems a little bit more complicated now. I'm afraid they won't accept your bargain. Did you have a plan Z or are you just going to succumb? I would encourage you not to throw your life away, I've never seen anyone get more than one."

Shinu watched this little intriguing man as he started to talk after a short amount of time in obvious though. He brought a smile to Shinu's face however when he told him that he didn't look the part of a summoner. In his lifetime, he only saw one summoner, and she wasn't exactly what he was trying to look like so that was good news to him. This little guy had some moxy though, and Shinu rather liked that. He didn't know too well who he was dealing with obviously. Nuraki would absolutely terrorize that little dagger of his if need be. This man seemed to put a lot of thought in to what he was going to do and say, so Shinu decided to let it play out a bit more.

Thinking that Shinu was immune to fear was definitely a false statement. He wasn't scared of this man, that was for sure, but he did have fear in his heart. He feared many things, most of which included some type of vulnerability, so this definitely wasn't affecting him all too much. He didn't fear death or a fight against any one or any thing for that matter.

This guy was definitely on a suicide mission. Was he crazy? Well, yes, he was at least crazy in order to threaten a summoner's life. Not just a summoner, but as he'd already acknowledged, a physically overbearing one like Shinu who also appeared to be a swordsman. Shinu wasn't a hundred percent sure, but this guy did seem to not be afraid, and may have been as confident as Shinu was himself.

Now Shinu was at a crossroad to say the least. The road ended going straight, and he was going to have to put this bad boy in reverse, or change directions one way or another. There were a few things to consider now, and the first thing was Shinu's pride. He'd kept quiet and let the man talk, and most of it was coming out of the side of his neck in Shinu's eyes. He was going to have to figure out how at some point he could get a bit damage done to this guy. The next thing was that money was something of a necessity, well it might be, Shinu wasn't sure if summoner pilgrimages needed gil anyways considering the amount of support they would receive, but with Tif in the party it might not be a sure thing. So the money could be worth taking and swallowing his pride. Then the temple was up for consideration too, and it wouldn't be the best karma one could obtain by allowing a thief to steal from a temple and then taking half the loot to be bought off.

As soon as Shinu thought he'd come to his answer and decided to dice this man up in three pieces, his guardians showed up. Mieli seemed none too happy about the run, and thought it best that he take the money, which did quite make sense. Then Tiffany, damn Tiffany wasn't going to let him kill him! What is going on. Somehow Erk made it, and he was none too pleased with the turn of events and now Shinu couldn't take the loot! Gah! Shinu was getting pissed.

You!

Shinu pointed his blade at the man on the ground.

I'm quite tired of this story time lecture, enough of that. And you Mieli, you make a good point, but you've got to cool off right now so I can think man. I trust you with my life, but this time I think I have an idea.

Shinu turned back to Tiffany, still staring a whole through his face without a break in between.

You don't worry, I won't kill him.

Then he turned to Erk, quickly making his rounds to everyone that put their two cents in.

Look Erk, I'm sorry you got knocked down the stairs, but you have to keep calm too! Everyone just hold up a minute. I have an idea.

Shinu put his blade back up and motioned for the man to get up.

Now, we're in a sticky situation, and I think there's only one way to make everyone happy, well at least the best it's going to get. I don't want any complaining either.

Shinu looked at Tif and Erk this time, knowing Mieli was going to accept Shinu's decision whether he disagreed with it or not.

The money goes back to the temple. Ah! No talking yet! No one is going to fight here and now either. No one is getting off free either. Let's just rationalize here, and come to a consensus. Mieli and I are going to defeat Sin one way or another, that is our goal. Erk would like to see that money go back to the temple, and Tiffany would like to keep you alive apparently. The way we do all three, is the two of you becoming my guardians like Erk and Mieli already have. You sir will find your money on the pilgrimage I am more than certain, and you Tiffany can see to it that he stays alive.

Shinu turned now to see that yet another person was searching for some answers.

You sir, I'm not quite sure as to who you are. What's going on is a pilgrimage, and if you would like to interrupt it, than continue quizzing me. However, if you would like to help, you can find a place for my guardians and I to eat some food before we set off on the long journey ahead. I'm sure Yevon will bless you greatly for your help.

Shinu looked back at the man who was now standing and at Tiffany. He figured the man would understand that this was going to be his only way out, his plan Z for that matter. Shinu hoped for everyone's sake that he would do the right thing. He and this man would definitely have their battle later, that much was sure.

I will be needing food for all of my guardians, there are four of them. Does anyone have any objections? Right now I don't see a better option. Can you help us kind, curious sir?

It took all of Erk's considerable willpower to resist from several of the darker whims that surfaced in his mind at that moment. The scenarios flashed through his mind, the many branches of cause and effect stretching out.

Him collecting his borrowed mule and barging off, leaving them to face heaven and high water for all he cared. Him confronting Shinu directly and demanding that this dastard be turned in to the authorities in Luca for robbing a temple, a felony he might add. The villain burning at his feet in wreaths of flaming plasma. Branches upon branches, nearly all of them stopping at dead ends.

Erk sighed and decided that he best hold his tongue for the moment. He would have his moment with this condemned rogue eventually, however. Nothing would stand in this old man's way of that, summoner be damned.

An Al Bhed, an uncouth man without care or respect for the temples, a lecherous hothead, and now a damned criminal. What had he gotten himself into? He momentarily pondered the wisdom of just leaving this motley crew, but decided that he couldn't just abandon a summoner in need. He would be just as damned as the thief if he were to fail Yevon in such a way.

So the old guado remained silent, for the moment. His silence, however, could not keep the sparks from his eyes.

Axel thanked Kat. He looked much better now and was clean. He was still very quiet, but did speak to Kat more about how he managed to survive.

“My dad taught me how to survive on my own. We travelled all over Spira, even to places where very few people lived. He taught me how to find food and clean water.”

Axel was pondering through his thoughts. What was this summoner like? Were they a man or woman? Would they be able to defeat Sin? He wasn’t too keen on seeing this summoner, but if they would be able to help find his dad, Axel would be very grateful.

He was beginning to wonder when this summoner was coming. It seemed like quite some time had passed since he had entered the hut. Even though he was wondering this, he didn’t ask Kat the question.