Author: Stormforce
Rating: PG-13 for language
Disclaimer: Don't own either Buffy or FFX. So please don't sue me, all I have is 20 cents, and pocket lent.

Following the stairs Willow finds herself in the Temple courtyard. She could see another small set of stairs leading down to the Temple door. The temple was four stories tall and was painted with red flames, and had green glowing orbs sitting on the roof. Red flames had been painted in a circle in the middle of the courtyard. As Willow takes all of this in she sees three men walking toward the group, hearing Xander groan she looks at him. "Hey, you okay? You not feeling well?"

He turns to face her. "Not anymore I ain't." He jerks his thumb over his shoulder indicating the three men. "And it's because of them."

Willow looks at the men again they were wearing blue, brown and purple overalls and sandals. Right off she could tell they were blitzball players, and by their looks, very cocky.

"The one with the red hair and headband is Bickson, he's the captain of their team, the Luca Goers. The one with the dark skin is Abus, second best player, and the other one is Graav." Xander told her then turned to face the men as they approached. "What'd you three come here to pray for victory? Or just to stand around and look stupid?" Xander asked them.

Bickson glared at Xander, then winked at Willow who frowned. "Xander, you are an asshole! You really think, we, the Luca Goers, pray for victory? We don't have to, and you know it. But we have been praying for some competition for the tournament."

"Yevon knows it won't be the Besaid Aurochs!" Graav said laughing.

Abus looked to Graav. "Ah, yes, what is it? Oh yeah! Their gonna "do their best."

"Ha! Too bad their best isn't good enough. So why bother showing up?"

Willow's face was red and getting redder by the second. "This time, we play to win!" She angrily said with a glare.

"Ohhh! I'm so afraid we're going to lose to a bunch of babies." Abus said and pushed past Willow, with Graav following.

Bickson looked Willow over, and grinned like a shark, giving her the creeps. "Well, honey, when you wanna play on a real team," He said then looked at Xander. "and have a real man in your bed, look me up." Bickson slapped Willow on the ass when he walked by.

"You sonvabitch!" Willow screamed and tried to launch herself at Bickson's retreating back, but Xander and Faith held her back.

"Will! You gotta calm down! Don't worry we'll see them in the finals and kick their ass." Xander said holding Willow's right arm.

Faith was holding on to Willow's left arm. "Listen! This is a Temple; you don't fight at, or in one! Tara could get into trouble, is that what you want?" Faith calmly spoke to her.

"I hope a fiend eats them!" Willow muttered too quietly for Tara and Anya hear, but Faith smirked and Xander laughed. She calmed down enough for Faith and Xander to let her arms go. "We'll beat them! We have to!" She said still angry.

Tara walked over and placed her hand on Willow's shoulder calming Willow down even more. "Do you know that team?"

Willow looked at her, and then turned her head. "Putting people down... They're as bad as my old man!"

Tara took a step back. "But, Sir Ira was a kind and gentle man!"

Willow jerked her head around. "Well not my Ira... My dad was always like that."

Even ten years after he left... just thinking about my old man got me mad. But maybe that was just my way of keeping him... Nah.

Willow entered the Temple to find Xander on his knees praying to a statue of an older man. Faith was leaning against the wall a few feet from the door, and Tara and Anya were standing by the stairs leading to the Trials. When she stopped beside Xander she could hear him quietly whispering "Lord Ohalland, guide our feet." <Oh well why not...it might help.> she thinks the prays.

The door to the Trails opened and Willow's eyes widened as a woman and her guardian stepped out. She was wearing a black bikini top covering her breasts, and protective sleeves covering her arms up to her shoulder. She had two pieces of protective cloth covering the outer sides of her legs and was wearing a black thong. Her dark hair was tied up in a ponytail. The man beside her was wearing gray and red overalls with no shirt showing his muscles, he had dark hair, and pale skin.

Faith, Anya and Tara joined Willow and Xander by the statue of Lord Ohalland. The woman stopped in front of the group, and she looked Tara and her guardians over for a moment before she spoke. "A Summoner, are you?

Tara bowed and spoke. "My name is Tara from the Isle of Besaid."

"Cordelia." She says. "So you're the daughter of High Summoner Mythe. That's quite a name to live up to." Cordelia said and looked at the four standing behind Tara. "And all these people as your guardians?" What a rabble! As I recall Lady Mythe only had two guardians. Quality over quantity, my dear. What in Yevon's name were you thinking? I have need of only one guardian. Right, Angel?"

Angel nods "yes".

As Cordelia spoke Tara started to get angry and took a small step back. "I only have as many guardians as there are people I can trust." Tara took Willow's hand in hers and intertwined their fingers, and Willow smiled. Anya, and Faith saw this, Anya turned her head, and Faith gripped her spear, and grit her teeth. "I trust all of them with my life! To have so many willing to be my guardians is a joy, and an honor! Even more so than being my mother's daughter! Of course I would never think of questioning your ways either. So Lady Cordelia, I ask of you: please leave us in peace."

Tilting her head up Cordelia looked at Tara closely. "Fine. Do whatever you want to. Angel we're leaving." Cordelia turned on her heal and left the Temple with Angel following.

Willow frowned when Tara let her hand go, and watched as she walked over to Anya and Faith. Anya looked upset and Tara put her hand on her shoulder as she spoke to quietly for anyone but Anya to hear. Anya said something and Tara looked over at Willow that moment and gave her a smile. Willow blushed from being caught staring, but smiled back before dropping her head.

A guardian is someone a Summoner can rely on. Someone she can trust with her life. I started to wonder, did Tara feel that way about me? And why was she smiling at that moment when she was talking with Anya?

After talking with Anya and then Faith, the group entered the door leading to the Trials, and sees an elevator at the end of the hallway they were now in.

"The Fayth is right below us. Let's do it!" Xander said and headed to the elevator.

"Uh...the Fayth?" Willow asks confused looking at Faith who glared at her.

"Yes, but first we have to go through the Trials." Anya said holding her stuffed Mog doll to her chest. "Xander? Faith? Are the two of you ready? They both nod "yes" and step on the elevator.

"Have strength everyone!" Tara said as Willow stepped on and was suddenly shoved off by Faith.

"Hey! Why'd you do that?"

"You're not a guardian yet. So you stay here." Anya told her with a grin.

"Sorry." Tara said giving Willow a sad smile. "But don't worry we'll be back soon, okay?"

Willow sighs and watched the elevator descend. "Oh sure. Like "tomorrow" soon, right?" She grumbled as the elevator rose back to ground level. She turned to leave but jumped back when she saw Angel standing in front of her. "Why the hell are you lurking about?" Willow said as she placed her hand over her heart. She then saw Cordelia step out from behind Angel, and looked her over.

"Where's Tara?" Cordelia asked with confusion written all over her face.

Willow pointed to the elevator. "They already went to the Trials."

Looking from Willow to the elevator and back again only confused her more. "Then why are you still up here?"

"I'm not a guardian, so I'm not supposed to go in, right?" Willow said then took a step back as Angel stepped toward her.

"Not a guardian, you say?" Cordelia said with a smile like the cat that just ate the canary, as Angel picked Willow up over his head.

"Hey! Lemme go! Wait!" Willow screamed. "Oomph!" The air rushed out of her lungs when she landed on the elevator floor. "And just what the hell is your problem?"

"Oh, I just want to play a little game, that's all." Cordelia said as the elevator descended to the bottom floor.

<Oh hell! This is bad, very, very bad> Willow thinks when the elevator stopped.

Willow walked over to the fifteen-foot tall door and stopped. "Only guardians allowed, and I'm sure no guardian. Well I guess it's too late now." She spoke out loud and opened the door. The first thing she saw when she stepped through the door was a pedestal, with a red glowing sphere sitting in the middle of it. <Ah-ha! This is going to be just like in the Besaid Temple! This should be easy.> Willow though to herself.

Taking the sphere from the pedestal she found it was warm to the touch, looking around she saw a slot next to the door, and place it into the slot. The door went up in flames making Willow jump back a foot. <Whoa! That was close! Now how am I supposed to get through that? I can't walk through fire. Wait! The door turned to fire when I put the sphere into the slot...so if I take it out...> Taking the sphere out was the solution the flames flickered out and Willow stepped into the next room with a smile, only to have it wiped off when she saw the whole middle of the room on fire. <Well damn!> She examined the room and on the right wall there was another red sphere with a red light running down the wall, and into the flames. Taking the sphere out of the slot made the wall rise to reveal a room, and extinguishing the flames. Willow walked into the room and found a purple sphere she picked it up and took it with her. With the flames now gone she looked down at the drop. <Now how am I supposed to get down?> Something flashed to her left, when she looked there was a flashing sliver light on the floor.

Walking over to it she kneeled down, and touched it then jumped back as a bright light flashed. When she opened her eyes the pedestal from the previous room was there. Another flash to her right showed that the sliver light had moved over by the room, where she got the purple sphere. She walked over and touched the light and nothing happened. Sighing she walked back to the pedestal and leaned on it causing it to move. She thought it over, and decided to try moving the pedestal over to the light, standing to the left side she started to push the pedestal. It smoothly slid over the floor, and over the light, it sunk into the floor and a staircase was revealed. Willow found another slot by the stairs and placed the purple sphere into it causing the wall to explode. Inside was a treasure chest, opening it Willow go a Red Armlet for her troubles. Standing up and taking the red sphere with her, she proceeded to the door at the top of the second staircase. Placing the sphere in the slot she stepped back when the door went up in flames, she took the sphere out and the flames flickered and died out, letting her pass through the door.

At the Chamber door Willow hesitated <Oh boy, are they gonna be mad.> She thinks then opens the door and walks into the Chamber.

"Whoa! You can't be in here!" Xander said when he saw her walk in.

"It wasn't my fault. It was Cordelia and that creepy guardian of hers."

Anya shook her head as she approached. "It doesn't matter, Tara will be the one to suffer the consequences!"

Willow frowned. "What consequences?"

"She could be excommunicated!" Xander said as he leaned against the wall and lowered his head.

Willow looked from Xander to Anya, and then to Faith who was glaring at her. Deciding to avoid Faith for the time being she walked over to Xander.

"So...uh...Xander, what's in there anyway?" Willow asked and leaned on the wall next to him.

"The Fayth, remember?"

"Oh, yeah...that thing. Right." She said a little unsure.

"The Fayth are people who gave their lives to battle Sin." Anya said walking over. "Yevon took their souls, willingly given from their still living bodies."

"Huh?" Willow looked at Anya in disbelief.

"Now they live forever trapped in statues. But when a Summoner calls for them, the souls of the Fayth emerge once again. That is what we call an Aeon." Anya explained the walked over to Faith.

"All that in this room? S-so what's Tara doing in there?"

"Tara prays with all her heart for a way to defeat Sin." Xander looked over to Willow. "And then they merge with her."

<They were alive when their souls were taken? And the souls live in statues? So the Aeons are the souls taken from the living...that's creepy! Merge? And just how do they merge?> Willow thought as the door opened and Tara stumbled out. Xander ran over as Anya and Faith helped Tara to stand. <That must be one hell of a merge!> Willow thought when she saw Tara being helped.

There was something I didn't tell anyone else that day. That song we heard there, in the Temple...I knew it from my childhood. It was proof that Spira, and Zanarkand was connected. At least to me it was. Maybe that's why, suddenly, I felt like...I just wanted to go home. I tried to say something, to tell them. But the words just wouldn't come.

Willow walked behind the group with her head down as they walked back through the Trials. Tara saw this and waited for her to catch up. "Willow, please don't feel bad about being here." She said when Willow stepped beside her. "Everything will be fine, so don't worry, okay? Besides, I'm not mad at you."

"Yeah, but...if something does happen...it'll be my fault." Willow was looking everywhere but at Tara.

Tara put her hand under Willow's chin and tilted her head up. When she looked up Willow saw that half smile she was beginning to love on Tara's face. Tara dropped her hand and took Willow's hand in hers. "Don't worry nothing will happen." She squeezed Willow's hand before letting go, and moving over to the elevator.

Willow smiled as she stepped onto the elevator. "So, what Aeon did you get?"

"I got the Aeon Ifrit!" Tara said happily.

{Ifrit is the male Aeon of fire. Ifrit looks something like a huge dog. He has a brownish red body with orange fur on his head, the side of his face, and the front of his legs. He has two horns on the top of his head curving over his back, and two smaller ones curving to the front of his face. He also wears a golden bracelet on each wrist. His overdrive is Hellfire.}

When the group stepped outside to the Temple courtyard people surrounded Tara, Willow watched as she thought back to Zanarkand when her fans did the same thing.

I thought I had put my feeling for Zanarkand behind me. But they were there, and they grew inside me, bigger, and bigger till I was ready to burst.

"Are... you okay?" Tara asked when she approached.

Willow looked up, and shrugged her shoulders. "I...I really don't know."

"Well, what do you want to do?"

"To scream real loud." Willow thinks for a second, then tilts her head back and screams as loud as she can. Tara laughed when Xander jumped a mile in the air, and turned with his Blitzball ready to fight. Anya shook her head, and Faith sighed.

The walk back through the jungle was easier than it was before. Just as the path was coming to an end Xander screamed in pain, and fell to his knees. Looking behind them the group saw a giant red bee, and a yellow metal like fiend. The yellow fiend had four small crescent moon shapes around a small ball in the center, and a small ball in the center of each crescent shape. And electricity was sparking off its body.

[Flash]

Name: Killer Bee
HP: 110
MP: 5

[Flash]

Name: Yellow Element
HP: 300
MP: 100

Anya was the first to react to the fiends by casting a Water spell on the Yellow Element. Faith swung her spear at the Bee and missed when it dodged. Tara and Willow helped Xander stand and he shook off the attack, and threw his ball at the bee knocking it out of the air. Faith ran over to the fallen fiend and stabbed it with a grin on her face. Anya cast another Water spell breaking the Yellow Element apart killing it.

"You okay?" Faith asked cleaning the spear blade.

"Yeah, just a little shocked." He replied and grinned when Anya groaned.

Back at the village Willow stopped to look over the armor a man was selling by the boat dock. The others went on to wait by the boat. Not finding anything she wanted, Willow thanked the man, and headed towards the group. Tara was sitting on a barrel, with Anya sitting to her right, and Faith standing to her left, Xander was sitting on the dock in front of her.

Xander looked up when she approached. "Hey, you ready?"

"Yeah, let's go." Willow said and boarded the S.S. Winno with the group.

When the boat set sail towards Luca Willow walked around the deck a few minutes before getting bored. <I wonder where Tara is?> She thought and headed below deck to have a look around. Datto was being seasick again, and she quickly backed out of the room. Deciding to go up top she ran into O'aka by the stairs.

"Hey, how goes the business?"

"Not good at all, ye would think a small island like Kilika would be sellin' things cheap. But, no, everything was expensive. Say ye wouldn't have a spot of Gil to lend ye ol' pal, would ye?" Shaking her head Willow gives O'aka 400 Gil. "Thank ye! I'll make it up to ye, that's a promise!"

Willow walks back up to the top deck, and stops in her tracks when she sees the Goers surrounding Tara.

<What the hell! I don't want them jerks around my Tara! Wait...My Tara? Well Willow it looks like you've fell for the Summoner. But... what about her? Does she, or could she possibly feel the same about me? Screw it for now those Goers are bad news!>

"What are you talking about?" Willow asked when she neared the three Goers.

Bickson turned around and looked her up and down. "So honey, did you come to find a real man, or play on a real team?"

"No, to both! I came to see how my Summoner was doing!" Willow said making Tara smile.

"Ha! She shot you down, man!" Graav laughed.

"Well she's an idiot." Bickson said to Graav.

"Don't call her that!" Tara stood and faced Bickson.

Bickson stared at Tara showing no emotion. "But she is an idiot! Especially if she thinks the Aurochs can beat us."

Willow stepped up to him and poked him in the chest with her finger. "Now, that I'm here, we'll win!"

"Yes, they will win! Because she is the star player of the Zanarkand Abes." Tara said and Willow's eyes widened.

<Oh shit! Tara don't say that!>

The Goers started laughing. "Yeah, as if anyone live in those ruins." Abus said before walking off.

Tara's face turned red from anger. "It's not ruins, there's a big city there! It's true!"

"I-I got too close to Sin and..." Willow said and was interrupted.

"Right. Whatever Your Ladyship says." Bickson said and left with Graav following.

Tara turned her back to Willow and looked up at the stars.

"Hey, Tara don't worry about them. Their nothing but jerks!" Willow said taking Tara's hand and gently squeezing it.

Turning to face her Tara smiled. "It's okay, Willow. But I still believe you. If you don't mind could I have a few minutes alone, please?"

<Well damn!> "Yeah, sure. I'll be on the upper deck if you need anything." Willow turned to leave and saw Faith standing behind her, nodding her head Willow walked over to the stairs. She stopped half way up when she heard Anya and Xander talking.

"Well? You'll take responsibility?"

"Anya! Will you relax? She is bound to know someone in Luca."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Well, with her moves... she could always join a Blitz team. Anyway bringing her along was better than leaving her in Besaid." Xander said and leaned back against the pole he was sitting by.

"What!" Anya shouted. "You'd just leave her in Luca?"

"Well, what do you want me to do?"

"Tara wants to make her a guardian."

"Oh yeah... There's that too, eh?"

"And who's fault is that?"

Xander's head shot up "Not mine!" Then he lowered his head "It is mine, huh?"

"Yes, it is."

"Why do you think she wants to make her a guardian, anyway?"

"Xander! Don't you listen? Because she is Sir Ira's daughter."

"Oh, right... Wait, you sure ‘bout that? She is really Sir Ira's daughter?"

"It's hard to say, but Tara believes it's true."

"Okay." Xander shrugged.

"Okay! Okay!" Throwing her hands up in the air Anya stomped over to Xander "Is that all you have to say?"

Xander shrunk back a little "Well, yeah, I mean... it's her decision... well hers and Tara I guess."

"You're right, for once."

"Hey! I've been right plenty of times."

"I wonder which is best..." Anya trailed off and thought for a moment. "Why don't you tell her she should?"

"Huh? Should what?" Xander asked confused.

Anya rolled her eyes and shook her head "Become Tara's guardian."

"Why me?"

"Why do you think... because Tara can't."

"And just why not? It's the Summoner that asks that, not another guardian."

"Because she hates her father... what he was, what he did. Do you really think Tara can possibly say to her..." "I want you to be my guardian, like you farther was to my mother?"

"Aren't you being a little over-sensitive, Anya?"

"Xander!"

"All right, all right. I'll talk to her after the tournament. Okay?"

"Be discreet."

"I know it's her decision." Xander leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. "She doesn't like her father?"

"Apparently. She told Tara as much."

"Hating your own father, huh? Sounds like a luxury to me. I don't remember my parents. Can't say how I feel about them."

"I remember mine a little." Anya said showing no emotion.

"Dammit!" Xander hit the deck with his fist. "Sin just takes everything away from us!"

Not wanting to hear any more Willow walks up the stairs. Looking up Xander nod. "Hey girl, go to bed. The tournament starts tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, okay then." She turns to leave when Xander stopped her.

"Someone's bound to recognize you when they see your moves out there."

Willow sadly smiles and nods. When she reaches the bottom of the stairs she spots a Blitzball and goes over to it. Resting her right foot on the ball she thinks back to when she was five.

[Flashback]

A five-year old Willow kicks at a Blitzball, misses, and falls to the ground.

"Well, well, trying to follow in my footsteps, are you?" Ira asks walking toward the young Willow. "I usually charge for lessons, you know... that shot is done like this."

Ira kicks the ball toward a pole, it rebounds back to him, he then hits the ball with his fist, making it rebound again, he kicks it into the air, and jumps up spinning his body. As the ball came back down, he kicks it sending it sailing out to the ocean. When he lands he smiles at Willow. "You can't do it, kid. But don't worry you're not the only one. I'm the best." He says and walks off.

[End]

Willow looked at the ball as the anger rose. Doing just like she remembered her father doing, she succeeded in performing the Super Shot. "The best? Yeah, right." She said out loud and turned to leave, and was startled by Xander and the Aurochs standing behind her.

"Dude! What's that called?" Xander asked amazed.

"Doesn't have a name. Anyone can do it if they try."

"Can you show it to us again." Xander handed her another Blitzball.

As Willow is preparing she looks to the right to see Tara wave. She performs the shot for the Aurochs, then walks over to Tara.

"That was the Super Shot, wasn't it?" The question was more of a statement.

"How'd you know that?"

Tara smiled "Sir Ira showed it to me when I was a child. He called it the Sublimely Magnificent Super Shot Mark III."

"Stupid name, huh?" Willow said and sat on the railing. "You know what? There is no Mark I or Mark II, ya know? My old man said the name Mark III was just something to get the crowd hooked. She said they'd come back every night expecting to see Mark I and Mark II. And, they really did. I used to get so mad." Willow said making Tara giggle. "Is he alive, you think?"

"I don't know. But, Sir Ira was my mother's guardian."

"So, he's famous here, too?

"Yes. So if anything happened to him, I would think word would get around fast."

"Uh-huh."

"What would you do, if you sound him?"

"Who knows? I thought he died ten years ago. Well I'd probably smack him one. After everything he put mom and me through. And because he was famous, I was always... Tara you should know. Your mother's famous. Everyone in Spira knows her, right? Ain't it tough?"

"It is hard to follow in her footsteps, as a Summoner."

"Sure."

"But the honor of having a mother like her, surpasses all that, I think."

Willow jumps off the railing and sighs. "Well, there wasn't much to honor about my old man, that's for sure."

"You shouldn't say that about your father!"

"Hey! I got the right!" Willow snaps.

"I guess you do." Tara says sadly and hangs her head.

<Great work stupid! You've hurt her!> "Tara, I'm sorry." Willow says putting her hand on Tara's shoulder. "Its just...thinking about him... makes me mad." Raising her hand she cups Tara's cheek. "Please, don't take it the wrong way. Okay?"

Leaning into Willow's touch Tara gave her a small smile. "Okay." She then leans in closer to Willow.

<Is she gonna kiss me? Yay!> Willow thinks and leans toward Tara, and jumped when a Blitzball hit her on the head. Looking up she saw Xander waving from the upper deck. <Dammit Xander!>

"Show me that move again!" She heard him holler. Sighing she showed Xander the Super Shot again, and watched as Tara went below deck to the sleeping quarters.

I didn't think my old man would come to Luca. He never did like watching other people play. But I couldn't help feeling something bad was gonna happen. And these feelings of mine are usually right. Sure, I'd told Xander that I would help him win the tournament. But I wasn't sure I had it in me to play at all anymore.