CHAPTER 2

"Is Yunie gonna be okay?" The guardians were settling into their quarters at the Travel Agency which was almost as cold inside as it was outside. Huddled in a blanket on one of the agency bunks, the little Al Bhed girl looked confused as she questioned the motives of her cousin.

Tidus stoked the fireplace in the room, deciding to remain silent. Wakka sat on the lower bunk with Lulu clearly overcome with Al Bhed prejudice, Auron leaned on the wall by the fireplace, and Kimahri sat alone in a far corner opposite end of the room. No one replied immediately because they all felt a mutual concern for Yuna's well-being, even if the Maester did promise to take care of her.

"She'll be fine… I promise," finally interjected Tidus out of the silence. It took every bit of self-control he had to hold back his pent-up feelings. He didn't dare break the oath of silence he made to Auron earlier because he was well-aware of the consequences that would follow.

"Seven days until the wedding, huh? I wish I could see her before then," said Rikku, growing more anxious by the second. She wasn't alone in her feelings, but her age gave away her passion. Finally, Tidus climbed to the top of the bunk and sat next to the girl of only fifteen years of age.

"It'll be fine!" he patted her on the head, "we'll visit before the wedding happens." The young man wasn't sure how he'd accomplish such a task, but he was certain staying put for nine days wasn't a risk worth taking.

"Bevelle isn't very far away," Lulu chimed in. "We could at least try to visit Yuna."

"Yeah! Chin up, everyone!" retorted the cheerful teenager. "We'll all see Yuna soon and be on our way again with the pilgrimage." Tidus wasn't sure if his words would be a reality, but did did know the morale of the party relied on positivity much as the Zanarkand Abes' victory did back when he was star player on the team. Sometimes a few encouraging words supplied a better team performance even when the odds were against them.

"She's in the hands of Yevon, now. What could be so bad about it, ya?" Wakka asked naively as usual.

Rikku hopped off the bunk and glared at Wakka with her angry swirled eyes. "Yevon uses summoners! I can't help but feel suspicious!" she exclaimed, pointing with her gloved hand rather rudely.

Wakka shook his head in dismissal of the young Al-Bhed. "No way. I'd trust Yevon over an Al Bhed any day!"

Tidus squeezed in between the two before things got out-of-hand. "Come on, you guys! Cut it out! Is this what Yuna would want?" They immediately ceased their behaviour with a 'hmph!'. Playing mediator with such strong conflicting personalities wasn't easy.

"Would you mind coming outside with me?" Rikku asked Tidus, walking towards the door. The young man shrugged and followed. Before leaving, Auron gave Tidus a menacing glare as if to say 'don't follow her', but he ignored and went regardless.

Outside of the travel agency, the wind and snow finally settled down. Rikku leaned against the outside wall with her arms crossed. She had an exaggerated pout on her face. "Something about this stinks," she finally spoke. Comically, Tidus began to sniff himself. He had just showered, after all. Rikku smacked him instinctively. "Not that kind of stink!"

"I know," he responded with a laugh. His tone quickly became serious ,"What did you mean by Yevon using summoners? I thought they were important."

"They ARE important. Yevon doesn't have to soil their hands when they have lots of summoners to defeat Sin for them!" she replied. "Why can't we see Yunie for ten whole days? I'm a little scared, y'know?"

Tidus nodded in agreement. "Well, I never trusted Seymour. You're right, though; after Operation Mi'ihen, it seems like everyone's disposable to Yevon. I just hope she's okay… I feel like such scum for letting her go like that," he admitted to Rikku, kicking the snow in frustration.

She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault... we both know there's no stopping that girl once she's made up her mind. Yunie probably had a good reason for doing this."

"I hope so," Tidus responded, not completely put at ease. "So… Rikku. How do you know Yuna anyway? It seems weird to me that you appeared almost out of nowhere and then decided to be one of her guardians."

Rikku now slid down the wall and sat in the snow, her face shrouded in shade from the agency's awning. "She's my cousin," she replied solemnly. "I know the Al Bhed who tried capturing her. I tried capturing her, too. Please don't think we're bad people because you don't know the whole story."

The young blonde male sat down next to his fellow guardian and looked her right in the eyes, sharing her concern for their friend. "Listen, Rikku... Yuna could be in danger. I have a plan to get her- "

"That's enough!"

A voice cut in through the conversation like a knife. It was none other than Auron. The two teens immediately looked up in shock while slumped on the floor of the Agency at the gruff guardian who was fully equipped with a scowl. They hopped up from the cold snow in unison.

"You two will do nothing but cause trouble for Yuna if you try to interfere with the Maester's terms," Auron scolded. "Did you really think a boy claiming to be from Zanarkand and an Al Bhed would be allowed to just traipse into Bevelle? You have no idea what fire you're playing with."

The two hung their heads in shame from being reprimanded like school children. Auron was right; they were both considered heathens according to Yevon.

"Got any better ideas, old man?" Rikku asked sarcastically.

"Yes. It's called waiting seven days until the wedding," Auron replied, dishing back her sarcasm. "After the ceremony takes place, we will take Yuna back into our custody."

"Yeah? And then what happens? We continue Yunie's pilgrimage?" questioned Rikku.

Auron remained silent for a few minutes. "We will do whatever Yuna wishes."

Tidus did not speak, but merely observed the two. As someone who tended to speak before thinking, observation was a skill the blitzball player only developed upon his arrival in Spira. He couldn't quite put his finger on the reason, but Yuna's pilgrimage always seemed to shroud the guardians in an air of melancholy. This situation was no different. Though he'd never admit it, even Auron seemed a bit concerned for Braska's daughter.

"You know she's gonna defeat sin. She's got her mind made up." Rikku's voice was filled with disappointment and her eyebrows arched into an expression filled with sadness.

"That is her decision to make, not yours," Auron sternly advised. "Just lend her your support and do not cause her any trouble. Behave yourselves." With those words, he strode back inside of the Travel Agency, the door slamming behind him.