Guardian of Legend

Title: Children of Fate
Written by: Auron (me)
Disclaimer: All characters and locations are property of square; except the parents, they're mine
Warnings: some violence; tragic, but with uplifting ending
Summary: It's about Auron as a child and a possible look into his past and some clues as to his behavior in game. Auron loses everything, but then finds something.

Children of Fate

It was a bright sunny day on the island he called home. The small boy stood with a huge smile on his face as his black hair blew around him in the wind. Since it was the middle of summer all he wore was a pair of long black shorts. It was also his birthday and he was holding his present, a new blitzball. He didn't have a care in the world; little did he know that on this day everything would change.

He was enjoying the breeze and the warmth of the sun on his bare back and so didn't notice the footsteps sneaking up behind him. By the time two the two large hands seized his waist it was too late. The boy found himself hoisted into the air and slung over a man's shoulders and giggles loudly as the hands at his waist tickled him relentlessly. The boy squirmed until a woman's voice interrupted.

"Dear be careful, you'll hurt him."

The man turned to look at her.

"Nah."

The boy was catching his breath and then took the opportunity to seize the man's neck in a bear hug.

"Ack!"

The man feigned a tackle and fell to the ground making sure not to hurt himself or the boy. The boy gripped him until he fell over in a fit of laughter and the man scooped him up.

"Looks like you got me, Auron."

Auron laughed and then leapt from the man's arms landing on his feet. The woman obviously didn't like his action.

"Auron! How many times have I told you not to do that?"

"I'm sorry mother."

The man walked over and put his hand on Auron's head.

"Aww, you're too hard on him, dear. He's a only a boy, let him have fun."

"I just don't want him to get hurt."

The man knelt down in front of Auron and rustled his hair.

"So, little guy, what do you wanna do today?"

"I'm not little; I'm six."

"Well so you are. How about you show me what you can do with that blitzball."

"Alright, daddy."

Auron ran to fetch the blitzball he had dropped when his father had tackled him. Auron turned around and kicked the ball toward his father but it landed short of him.

"That was very good, son, but why don't you try coming a little closer."

"I don't want to. I can kick it from here."

"Alright."

The man walked forward to pick up the blitzball. And that's when everything changed. Neither of them noticed the pirates that were approaching, nor did they notice the spear that was brandished.

It happened in a flash. The spear pierced the man's heart and he slumped over his son the blitzball falling from his hand. Auron looked up in horror.

"Daddy? Daddy?!"

The man slowly lifted his head and looked at his son. He took a chain from around his own neck and put it around Auron's.

"Wear this my son, it will protect you always. Now run!"

"Daddy..."

"Go now!"

The man took hold of the spear and pushed it backward through his own chest then reared up and slammed his elbow into his attacker's face. The enemy staggered backward allowing the man the opportunity to pull the spear from himself and turn it against the enemy.

Auron slowly backed away. Fear, confusion, and rising sorrow kept him from turning away. The man braced against the impact of a sword against the spear he was holding.

"Run! Hurry Auron!"

The man was already dead, but shear determination and an unyielding drive to save his son kept him going. Auron wanted to run, but his feet wouldn't work. Fear gripped him, but he couldn't bring himself to leave his parents behind.

The next thing he knew he felt his mother's arms wrapped tightly around him and he felt her tears running down his cheek.

"I love you, Auron. Now please run, you have to live on."

Those were the last words he would hear from his mother save for a scream of pain as a sword was driven through her heart. Auron felt a sharp pain pierce his shoulder as the blade traveled through his mother's body into his own.

"Mother?"

Auron felt the sword pulled from his shoulder and then looked up to see the enemy grinning down at him.

"Looks like you're next boy."

Auron's father pushed his own attacker backward and then fired the blitzball at the one about to strike Auron. The blitzball hit the enemy in the head and he staggered and fell back.

"Run Auron! Go now!"

Auron finally found his feet and turned and ran as fast as he could into the forest leaving a trail of blood behind him.

"Idiot! You let him get away!"

"Don't worry about it, he won't get far."

"Go after him!"

"You go after him!"

The two enemies stopped their argument when they heard a vicious bark and then saw several streaks of fur rush past them. They looked up to see the third enemy.

"Why do all that work when the dogs can do it for us?"

--------------------------------------------

Auron ran through the forest as best he could. At one point he tripped and slammed his knee into a rock, breaking it. But somehow he managed to struggle to his feet and continue moving forward.

Behind him he could here the clash of metal and his father's cries. Somehow the man was still fighting, determined for his son to live on. That sound pushed Auron forward and he struggled through his pain and sorrow to make it through that forest.

At last he reached the edge of the forest and found himself on the beach. By now he was tattered and bruised, his skin covered with cuts and scrapes from the dense brush. He was covered with blood though most of it wasn't his.

He held his injured shoulder and staggered forward toward the water. He could no longer hear his father and it became harder and harder to continue. When he reached the edge of the water he collapsed. He couldn't continue on, which was fitting since he had nowhere else to go.

It wasn't long before he heard growling as the dogs broke through the forest. Seeing they prey enticed them and they charged at Auron. The boy did all he knew to do and pulled his knees to his chest and huddled up as tightly as he could. Absently his hand went to the chain his father had put on him. On it was what looked like a tuft of fur and two small yellow beads.

Auron curled up tighter as he heard the dogs approach. He braced himself for the bites and tearing that would certainly come; it never did.

Auron slowly opened his eyes and peeked out from under his arms to see the dogs running away. Huh?

In the distance the enemies had exited the forest just in time to see the fleeing dogs.

"What the hell? You useless mutts!"

The enemies then saw what had frightened the dogs and their expressions went pale.

Auron ventured to look behind him toward the ocean and was instantly filled with terror. A large wave was rising toward him and an enormous whale-like creature was approaching. SIN!

Auron was surrounded in cold icy water as the wave crashed around him and he was swept out to sea. He felt himself thrown and tossed by the currents and he coughed as water filled his lungs. One particularly strong wave threw him against a large rock and then everything went black.

************************************

He slowly stirred and opened his eyes unsure of where he was. He found himself on a grassy path below a cliff. Wherever he was, he was far from home.

He tried to stand but immediately fell suddenly aware of a sharp pain that shot through his entire body. Slowly he tried standing again and this time made it to his feet but he feel back to his knees which causes an even sharper pain to shoot through his leg and he cried out.

Auron...you have to live on.

The last words of his mother echoed in his ears. He squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth. Using his good arm he pushed himself off the ground and struggled to his feet, this time to stay. Slowly he began to walk forward. Every step was a struggle and pain shot through him, but he kept going.

He passed several people along the way, but they all either ignored him or pushed him away. No one wanted anything to do with him. He was a bloody mess covered with cuts and bruises and his shorts were in tatters. For all they knew he was a fiend, or worse, Al Bhed. Both assumptions were wrong, but no one cared.

One man even violently pushed him away, sending him sprawling on his back. It was a struggle to get back to his feet, but somehow he managed and continued on.

Finally he rounded a corner and saw some kind of wooden structure, a chocobo stable; not that Auron knew what a chocobo was. Auron just couldn't walk anymore and he grasped a wooden railing and slowly fell to his knees.

Auron was kneeling with his head down when he heard a voice.

"Hello, who are you?"

Auron slowly looked up to see blond-hair teenager leaning down beside him. Auron noticed that the teenager's eyes were a strange almost iridescent green. Auron was rather surprised that someone was talking to him. The teenager spoke again.

"I'm Rin, It's always a pleasure to meet new people."

Auron didn't say anything; he just looked at Rin.

"You don't look so well. Why don't you let me get you back to the inn and get those injuries looked after?"

Auron was about to accept the invitation when a rough hand suddenly seized the scruff of his neck and dragged him away.

"Stay away from him kid, he's Al Bhed."

Once they were far enough away to satisfy the man he dropped Auron.

"Get lost kid, this is no place for a runt to be alone."

Auron didn't move; he had no strength left. He just lay in a heap on the ground.

The man saw that Auron wasn't complying and it angered him. He stormed over to Auron, roughly grabbed the boy by the neck and hoisted him to his feet.

"I said get lost."

The man emphasized his words with a squarely placed kick in Auron's backside. Auron staggered forward and then fell to his hands and knees.

"Get up!"

Auron couldn't move. He was paralyzed by pain and fear and he could feel tears beginning to flow from his eyes.

"Damned runt."

The man picked up Auron by the neck again and glared at him.

"I gave you an order, now do it!"

This time the man flung Auron against the rock wall and he slammed against it then fell to the ground.

"Stop it!"

The man stopped in his steps to see a teenage boy with long silvery-blue hair rushing toward him.

"Mind your own business."

The boy rushed past the man to Auron's side. He looked over the small boy with a worried look.

"Can't you see he's injured? He needs help, not orders."

The man moved to swing but found his wrist grasped tightly by another. A low deep voice hissed in his ear.

"You will not strike him."

The man turned around to find himself looking in the eyes of a very angry warrior monk.

"You strike an injured child and dare call yourself a crusader?"

"He was speaking to an Al Bhed."

"That is your reason? You disgust me, get out of my sight."

The monk released the crusader with a rough push and then turned his attention toward the teenager.

"How is he, Braska?"

"I dunno, dad, he looks pretty bad."

The monk walked over to the small boy and put his hand on his forehead and Auron instinctively jerked away.

"It's alright, little one, I won't hurt you."

Auron found himself looking into two pairs of gentle blue eyes and wondered if these two were really there to help him. This time he let the monk touch his hand to his forehead.

"He looks cold dad."

"And he's sick."

Braska made a worried sound.

"Well, we'd better get him to the inn and get him taken care off."

The monk took off his coat and wrapped it around the boy. Auron stiffened a bit at the touch.

"It's alright, my dad won't hurt you."

The monk carefully picked up the boy taking care not to cause him greater harm.

"Alright little one, let's get you well again."

------------------------------------------

Braska was sitting in a chair next to the bed where Auron was now sleeping. He had been cleaned up and his wounds treated but he had yet to regain consciousness.

Braska sat with his head bowed in the light sleep that had finally claimed him. He had been watching over the boy since they'd brought him here and fatigue had finally taken over.

"How is he?"

Braska started at the voice that shook him from his slumber.

"Oh, it's just you Rin."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, it's alright; I shouldn't have fallen asleep."

Rin looked around the room before walking over toward Braska.

"Where is your father?"

"Oh, he continued on to Luca to attend to the business he had there. He should be back in a couple of days."

"I see."

Braska didn't mind being left behind; in fact he had insisted on it. He felt drawn to the sleeping boy and couldn't bring himself to leave his side. Besides, he was sixteen and he could take care of himself.

Braska laid his hand on Auron's forehead.

"His fever has gone down, but he's still not awake yet. Have you had any luck tracking down his parents?"

"No, no one has ever seen him before."

"I wonder where he's from."

Auron began to stir and was dimly aware of the two voices in the room with him. He felt the soft bed underneath him and the warmth that surrounded him. Absently his hand went to his chest to make sure his father's chain and what it held were still there, they were. Slowly his eyes opened and he looked around the room with clouded vision. Rin had seen this.

"Perhaps you could ask him."

"Hmm?"

Braska turned to see that Auron's dark hazel eyes were open and staring into his.

"Oh so you're finally awake. Good morning."

Auron slowly blinked as he found himself gazing into a pair of familiar blue eyes. Auron tried to sit up but found movement was still a difficult task. Braska laid a gentle hand on the boy's chest to assure that he wouldn't get up.

"Don't move; you need to rest. You're still not well yet."

"Where-"

"Where are you? You are at the Mi'ihen Highroad travel center."

Mi'ihen? Auron had never heard of such a place and he had no idea how far it was from home. Come to think of it he had no idea where home actually was or if it was even still there.

"So where are you from?"

Auron stiffened, shaken from his thoughts. He had no idea of how to answer that question and so he just shook his head.

"Do you know where your parents are?"

Auron was silent save for a light sniffling as tears began to flow from his eyes.

"How did you get here?"

Tears began to freely fall from his eyes. He had no idea where he was or what had brought him here. He was scared and alone and he desperately wanted his parents back, but they were gone.

Rin had been looking at the chain around Auron's neck and he drew Braska's attention to it.

"Look, around his neck."

Braska followed Rin's gaze to the chain. The chain was rather long on the boy suggesting that it had belonged to an adult. But Braska and Rin were looking at what was hanging from the chain, a tassel of fur framed on either side by a yellow bead.

"That is not from anywhere on the main continent. He must be from very far away."

Braska didn't doubt Rin's knowledge on that matter. No doubt the Al Bhed teen has already amassed a large quantity of information about all of Spira. Braska turned his attention back to the boy.

"Can you at least tell us your name?"

"It's Auron."

"Auron huh? That's a handsome name. I'm Braska, and this is my friend Rin."

Auron started at the site of the Al Bhed from earlier but for some reason he wasn't afraid.

"We have met. It is a pleasure my young friend."

"Rin owns this place. Can you believe it, 13 years old and he already owns his own chain of travel centers."

"I cannot help it if I have an enterprising mind."

"Oh don't be so modest Rin."

"Hello," Auron spoke softly.

Braska smiled at Auron and the boy couldn't help but smile back. It was a faint smile but it somehow warmed Braska and broadened his smile.

"So Auron, are you hungry?"

"Uh-huh."

Auron nodded his head. He was starving and the mere mention of food set his stomach to growling.

"Well at least you're sure about one thing."

Braska laughed. It was a warm laugh and it wrapped around Auron and somehow put him at ease.

Auron smiled again; he couldn't help it. Something in those kind blue eyes just got to him and he couldn't shake it. Auron had lost so much, but he had also found something. It pulled him from his despair and he clung to it with all his strength.

That day was the start of a long and lasting friendship. A friendship that would see them through laughter and pain, joy and sorrow, life and death. A friendship that would one day turn into love, one that would last to the end of their days, and beyond.

--end--