News from the temple makes for a sleepless night. Meanwhile plans are whispered in secret.
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italics = denotes thought or memory
Not Mine
Restless Night
Yuna twisted the commsphere on and an image of a priest filtered into view. He bowed deeply, "High Master Summoner. You honor me."
She recognized him instantly as the man who watched over Besaid's temple when she and Tidus took time to escaped to the other side of the island for a bit of peace and quiet. He was a kind man, if a bit of a coward. Although that was why Yuna had chosen him, he was easy to manage, didn't talk back, and respected her immensely. Out of all her priests he was one of her favorites, not her absolute favorite, but one of them to be sure. He had a look on his face of worry that caused Yuna to sit up wrapping the sheet around her form, "Can this wait a minute?"
"I suppose. But not much more than that My Lady."
"Thank you."
Slipping into the backroom Yuna begun to change out of her nightgown and into her robes. They were different than the more casual ones she had worn to the meeting with Nooj, Lulu, Baralai, and Gippal. These robes were closer to that of Maester robes, but had slits up both sides to allow for easier movement. The skirt area also was less fitting and more flowing than most Maester robes. The dominant color of them white, with blue and yellow accents. These were her ceremonial meeting robes. When she had put on her robes she quickly braided up her hair tying it at the bottom. The whole affair had taken about five minutes, Yuna was proud of the speed at which she could accomplish putting her work face on. Feeling more presentable she walked back into her room where the commsphere had been moved to the table.
Tidus was speaking with the priest on the other end, "She'll be out in a moment, you caught us a bad time I'm afraid." he told the man.
"A bad time?"
The priest sounded scandalized, "We were just talking. What did you think I meant?" Tidus told him.
Despite his best attempts to look serious Yuna could tell that Tidus was silently laughing at the poor man. Tidus had a bad habit of teasing her priests - leaving them shocked and fearful. So far only a small few had caught on while the rest remained easily confused and afraid. She only let him do it because it kept things interesting, and because sometimes a little ribbing kept those under her control from getting too complacent. Not that it kept them on their toes, but it kept them human and humbled. She sat in the chair that Tidus had pulled out for her and looked up at him, "I think you've teased the man enough."
"Teasing? Lady Yuna, what are you talking about. This man is… he's besmirching your good name!" the priest looked so flustered.
"It's okay Bok, no need to worry." she smiled up at Tidus.
"B-but."
"The reason you called?" It was time to put this man out of his misery.
"Oh, it might be nothing but some of the younger priests are claiming they are hearing thumping from inside the Aeon chamber."
"Thumping?" Yuna asked.
"Movement Lady Yuna. They are hearing movement, no one has peaked in yet, but-"
She held up her hand, "Send someone to check please? I can wait."
Bok turned around and called out to one of the younger priests to go into the temple and check on the movement they had heard. One of the men behind him bowed and disappeared inside the temple doors. Together they waited patiently for the man to return, an awkward silence followed. Moments passed in that silence and eventually Tidus sat down next to Yuna and rested his head on the table blowing out a small bit of air. This turned to doodling on the table with his finger. He was in the middle of a doodle of a blitzball when the man came back winded, his clothes askew, and awe in his eyes. He bowed at the commsphere, "My Lady."
"What happened?"
Taking a moment to adjust his clothes he stared at her a worried look in his face, "She's moving."
"M-moving?"
"Valefor, she's awake. Beautiful and terrifying, but very much moving around."
Next to him the older priest who had called her went white as a sheet, "My lady if they are awake-" he was one of the few that knew of Sin's true motivations.
"Sin cannot be back Bok, I promise. We will be there in the morning."
Bok bowed, "Thank you."
"Oh and Bok? Please do not let this spread outside your temple walls, you understand why of course."
"Yes, yes Milady."
The commsphere went dead and Yuna looked at Tidus who had gone very still, as if he was listening to something. Finally he looked at her, "I can hear them too."
"The Aeons?"
"Yeah. She's telling me that something's bothering her, and she's angry. She's trying really hard to not give into her anger but she can't hold on much longer."
That didn't give them much time Yuna thought, maybe until tomorrow afternoon. She didn't know if they could take on an Aeon alone truthfully, the idea of just the two of them confronting Valefor and her power by themselves left Yuna a little nervous. But if they couldn't do this alone and that meant that they would need help. And needing help meant that they had to call two people, two people who Yuna were sure would not be happy having their honeymoon interrupted. That wasn't an uplifting thought, there was nothing Yuna liked less than dealing with a grumpy Rikku. When she was grumpy Rikku was even more frightening than a stern Auron, although maybe that's why they fit together so well. Upset they were a force to be reckoned with. Sighing she set the commsphere into the table's node and keyed in Rikku's own commsphere.
As her commsphere flashed Tidus stared at her, "Do you really think we need their help?"
"I think so, yes."
"She is not going to be happy about it." Tidus warned her.
"Oh I know." Yuna said.
On the table her commsphere stopped flashing and a picture of the grumpiest girl Yuna had ever seen graced her view. Rikku cleared the gook out of her eyes and glared at the light in front of her. Then, upon realizing she had picked up glared at Yuna's smiling face. For a moment she didn't answer and then she swung her legs over the side of the bed, and picked up the commsphere to place it on, what Yuna assumed was a nearby table. She wrapped herself in one of the bed sheets sat down across from where she had placed the comm, "It's way too late at night for these kind of calls Yunie. Some people need their beauty sleep, some people are on their honeymoon with the men they love."
"Rikku…"
"Don't you Rikku me missy. We had a very nice late night last night and now here you are waking me up."
"I don't really want to know the details."
The idea of her cousin and Sir Auron doing… that, was not something she wanted to think about. In fact she stuck her hand in front of her mouth while she made fake gagging sounds. As she did Rikku continued to glare at her, "Don't you gag like that miss woke me up in the middle of the night."
Across the room Auron grunted and sat up to look at his wife, "Who is it?"
"Who the hell do you think would call us so late at night! We only have so many friends too." Rikku paused, "Are we getting predictable?"
Auron laughed, "I don't think anyone married to you could ever be predictable."
"That's what I like to hear!" Rikku grinned at him.
Auron pulled the blanket on the bed up to his waist, "Hello Yuna."
She waved, "Hello."
He stood up and crossed over to where his red bathrobe was hanging, and in a feat that could only be magic both put it on and took off the blanket without showing anything that Yuna didn't want to see. For a ghost he was rather dexterous Yuna thought, and of course when she thought that she was back to thinking about what Rikku had said and… yuck. Auron sat down behind Rikku and the girl snuggled back into him, which didn't help the train of thought that Yuna currently entertaining, "It's late Yuna, is this really so important?"
"Afraid so." Tidus said trying to take some of the heat off his partner.
"Call us in the middle of the night important?" Rikku grouched.
"I wouldn't… if it wasn't important." Yuna said.
"So what's up then?"
Rikku played with her hair as she spoke, twisting it around in her fingers, "The Aeons are awake." Yuna told her.
The hand in her hair stopped and she stared at Yuna, "Like, awake awake?"
"What other kind of awake would there be Rikku?" Tidus said looking at her pointedly.
"Well someone had to check! What are you going to do about it?" When she was met with silence Rikku sighed and Auron tightened his arms around her, "Yunie."
"I'm going to have to confront Valefor aren't I?"
Looking dejected, Rikku let out a loud sigh, "Can't someone else do that?"
That thought had passed her mind before she had called Rikku, just for a moment, but Yuna knew it was a fleeting dream. This was not something anyone else could do, this was her job, keeping the affairs of temples in order, making sure things didn't get out of control. And if she didn't fix the problem she would look like a weak leader. People would lose faith in her, and then lose faith in the world around them. A world without faith and no hope was not a world Yuna could go back to. She had cast that world aside after she had rescued Tidus, when Paine had given up everything for her. Back then she had vowed that she would make Spira a place of hope, no matter how much it took from her. This was just another thing she needed to do to keep that promise.
She shook her head, "They can't."
"I was afraid you would say that." Auron's calm voice dragged her back into the present.
"Sorry." she told him.
"Don't be sorry." he said, "What do you need us to do?"
"Get here by early tomorrow morning?" She asked hesitantly.
Yuna waited for them to tell her that they were on their honeymoon, that they couldn't come. She waited for Rikku to become upset that she was asking them to pack up and leave almost instantly, for one of them to be disappointed that they were going to have to cut this very important thing short. But none of that came, instead Rikku smiled at her, "Okay."
"Okay?"
"You're going to need backup confronting this thing right? So okay. You're family, family sticks together, even through the bad parts. Even when things get rough again. That's what we do."
Hearing Rikku say that almost made Yuna break down in tears, but instead she took a deep breath and smiled more relieved than she had been in a very long time. Rikku wasn't upset, Rikku wasn't angry. Rikku just wanted to help. Really she shouldn't have been surprised, but sometimes she feared that she and Rikku were separating in directions that the other wouldn't be able to follow. Rikku to a life of grand adventure and married life, and her to politics and humdrum meetings.
Truly she wanted the life Rikku had, she yearned for that life of ease and fun. No matter how afraid she had been in those early days of their quest to defeat Sin there had always been something fun about it. They had traveled as a family, as a pack, one unit united under a common goal. Some nights they would have to camp out, and those nights they would sit around and just tell stories, some happy, some sad. But by the end of it they would all feel closer. Those days had been good days. Then she had sacrificed Tidus and everything had crashed down around her. Wakka had left, and Kimahri had gone his own way. Then Wakka had been dead and everything had been so so wrong. Now Rikku was married and Lulu was off doing god knows what, and she hadn't found time in her busy schedule to pop in and see Kimahri. It was a mess, for sure, "Thank you." she whispered.
"Oh Yunie. Listen we'll be there in two shakes of a sand worm's tail. Then we'll go kick this thing in the ass. Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Just hold your chocobos!"
"See you soon then?" Yuna said softly.
"See you soon!"
The commsphere went dead and Yuna looked at Tidus who was giving her this pensive look. Finally he stretched out his arms for her, "Come on. Time to hug it out."
"What?"
He advanced on her, arms still spread, "You heard me."
"Tidus!"
Her cry didn't seem to stop his advance. Instead he swooped in, arms enfolding her body softly. Then, as if guided by some demon his arms begun to creep to her belly, and began to tickle her. Yuna let out a giant screech and then even louder laughs. She twisted in his arms trying to get free as he tickled her. Her fighting was for naught and they collapsed on the bed like that. He continued to tickle her until they were out of breath, "Feel better?"
"Yeah. But if anyone saw me like this they would never believe I was the High Master Summoner. No matter how much you tried to convince them."
"Forget about them for the night, just pretend you are Yuna going on a quest to slay Sin, and I'm Tidus, the dumbass boy who would follow you anywhere."
She flipped them over so she was straddling his chest. Then she tucked her braid behind her back, "Okay."
As she said that she leaned down to kiss him. For a moment they didn't move from that position, enjoying each other, enjoying something they thought they would never have the chance to do again. It felt a great deal like coming home, and no matter how many times they kissed each one felt different, like they were discovering something new about each other. When they parted Yuna laid down on his chest and smiled, just for the night, she would forget about the problems of the world. She would forget that she was a leader, tonight she would just be Yuna, the Yuna Tidus had fallen in love with.
As the commsphere went blank Rikku turned to Auron, "Did she look worried to you?"
"Nervous. I think she's overworked."
Hearing that made Rikku sad. Yunie had accepted a big position when she had accepted Baralai's suggestion those years ago. Truthfully she had wished that Yunie would have asked their advice before she had said yes but Yuna wouldn't be the type of persons she was if she had asked for advice. Rikku obviously would have told her to run far away, she had done her work, brought peace to the people of Spira. She didn't owe them anything else other than to retire and enjoy her life like Rikku was. But Yuna had agreed, and there was nothing to do about it now other accept that her cousin was some big shot leader in the political landscape now, and do her best to support her in that, "We should start packing. I'll call my father and have him pick us up, it will be faster than waiting for the morning boat. I'm sure he'll put us up for the night."
"We are going to have to start talking about where we want to settle down eventually."
This was true, and Rikku had been avoiding it. She didn't want to settle, she wanted to go from place to place discovering new things. But that wasn't the kind of life she knew Auron wanted. He was a man who, after wandering lost for so long, would want a place to settle. A place that he could call home, and attach himself too. A home would also help the angry spirit inside of him calm down, would lessen the chance that he would become a fiend. So she had been thinking about it, but she didn't have an answer yet, "I know."
"You would rather be out exploring the world, you're easy to read."
"Yeah. But I'd settle down for you, you know that right?"
She finished folding the few clothes she had brought with her and packed them into her satchel bag, "I know. But there has to be some compromise that's not your father's airship. I don't want to live on that thing forever."
"Maybe we could live here." Rikku said softly.
"What?"
"It's a small island, but there is still a lot of it that remains unexplored. And it's near water, when I was a little girl all I wanted was to live near water."
The island was a bit too warm for him, but their home was out of the way. If Yuna wasn't the High Master Summoner Auron would have pegged Kilika for the island that would grow into a bustling community. And while the port had grown a little bit, finally at peace after Sin's defeat, most of the population growth seemed to be on Besaid island. People were even talking about building a city over the water there. Yuna wouldn't like it, but it was what it was. Kilika would remain the vacation island instead. Their tiny hidden beach would mostly never become overpopulated, and if it did Yuna could always do something about it. Kilika was a beautiful island, truly, "Won't you miss your machinery?"
"I could set up a small shop here. It would be good for expansion, there's not a good machina source here yet."
That was too true. For a wild girl like Rikku a place like Kilika where she could run free with little consequence was a paradise. He thought back to how happy she had looked in the water and smiled, "Hm."
She nudged him, "And if you got bored, well there are plenty of feind here to destroy."
Rikku knew him too well. With those words she had sold him on the place, a small amount of destruction would soothe his soul when it got too hungry for death. Kilika wasn't all peaceful he forgot, it was filled with miles of empty fiend filled jungle. It wasn't just the best place for their honeymoon, it was the best place for them to live period. This tiny little island could become home to them, it really could, "I'll take to Yuna about keeping this cabin."
She hadn't thought it would be so easy. But ever since they had gotten here, Nori aside, something about this place had felt right to her. It was beautiful and peaceful, but not too peaceful. This is where Rikku wanted to stay forever, by the water with the one person who could keep her happy. As she thought happily about this she flipped open the small communication device her father had given to her and keyed in the numbers that would send a beacon out to their new airship. For a moment static crackled and then her father's loud voice answered her, "My baby!"
"Hi tyt." she smiled.
"Is the man who stole you from me there too?"
"His name is Auron tyt. And he's across the room from me."
"Tell him to give you back to me."
"I don't think that's how it works." Auron's gruff voice broke into the conversation.
"Hmph."
"Oh, don't be that way. We've found where we want to settle down."
"Have you now."
"Yes!"
Auron gave her a look to talk about that later and Rikku sighed. He was right about that, they could tell her father how she wasn't going to live with him later. He would be heartbroken but sometimes father's needed to let their daughters go Rikku thought. If they adopted an Al Bhed child Rikku wondered if Auron would be like this. The thought made her laugh, and she had to deal with Auron's increased stare, "You still there?" Cid asked.
"Oh, right. Uh, we need a ride back to be Besaid."
"Back to that crap hole of an island already? What he not treating you right?"
"Cousin Yunie needs help, things are fine here. Auron is being nothing but a gentleman."
"He better be. But you said Yuna is in trouble? I will be right there. Yeha! Another adventure here we come!"
Rikku could almost hear Auron as he messaged his temples. He loved her but he put up with her family. They were too loud for him, too noisy. Sometimes she wondered what made her different but she knew that love made you do stupid things. It also made you accept things you wouldn't normally, "Thank you. We'll be waiting here for you."
"Uncle Cid is always here to help."
There was a crash and then the communication shut off, as if Cid had dropped whatever it was he was holding. Rikku wouldn't have been surprised if that was what had actually happened. It would hold even more weight if Brother had been in the room. Her brother had finally come back from his deep sea exploration and now loitered around The Celsius helping her father with odds and ends. She was glad of it - especially since Gippal seemed so focused on his own business instead of their father's, "Sorry that our trip had to end early." Rikku said.
"It's not your fault. Just like it isn't Yuna's. It's our job to support her, there was never any question what we were going to do."
Opening the door for her the two of them stepped outside. He turned around and locked the door. Hopefully, in a few weeks time, once this all settled this would be their new home. This would be the small cabin where they would live until they faded away. Together they walked to the beach where they soon heard the tell tail signs of the airship coming down to greet them.
"Gippal should have never given it to him to begin with." Nooj looked at Lulu pointedly.
"Do you want to take it?" Lulu asked patiently.
"Vegnagun?" he asked her to clarify.
"Yes."
"Do you think we should?"
Of course she thought they should. In all her ventures Lulu had slowly come to learn that nothing good came of giving the government any sort of weapon. While she held Baralai in higher regard than she did some she also knew that he was still very much a product of the old ways. Old ways that had gotten Wakka killed and had fostered people like Seymour into existence. No, those old ways could be be set to stand. Yuna was okay with letting the chips fall where they may with minor prodding, she was not not. And now that they knew that Gippal had given Vegnagun to Baralai, it wasn't something that should be allowed. They had spent months making a good underground space for the machina to be stored, one that wasn't right under the biggest city in Spiria. And yet Gippal had chosen Baralai. Perhaps because he thought that by doing so the current government would be kinder to Al Bhed. She didn't truthfully know, "I do."
"I'm glad we are in agreement then." he told her.
Sometimes when they talked like this, about hidden weapons, and stealing things from the Spiria government Lulu wondered what Yuna would think. Yuna wouldn't understand, she thought. There were still parts of Yuna that she wanted to protect from this, Yuna had enough on her hands anyway. Anymore and she worried that they would have a repeat of what happened last time with Yu Yevon, and she couldn't think of seeing Yuna taken over like that again. Her body and autonomy stolen from her. It was her duty as her guardian to protect her after all, even with Sin gone, "We are."
"I'm glad." Nooj said smiling, "Things tend to run smoother when we are in agreement. Now, come to bed."
"That sounds heavenly."
They would sleep well tonight it seemed. Going to sleep with solid plans always eased the worries of the day. Stripping off she climbed into bed next to him and curled her arm around his chest. Resting her head in the nook of his shoulder she let the lub of the machina gentle her into sleep.
A/N: Not much happens in this chapter but what little does is rather important. Next chapter the adventure begins once more, and I put a twist on one of the major plot points in Final Fantasy X-2: The awakening of the Aeons.
