Yuna was a little nervous. "Do you think Tidus will stay here?" she finally asked Wakka. He shrugged.
"Sir Auron knows him, apparently. I was kinda right, ya? He did meet someone he knew."
"Do you think he'll find a way back to his home?" Kasumi wondered.
"Well, in any case, I'll miss having him around," Wakka replied. "Anyways, I'm also worried about that cat-like fiend. I've never seen anything like it before..."
"The commotion in town has settled down," Yuna pointed out. "I'm pretty sure they managed to win."
Kasumi tilted her head. "Somehow... I had the strange feeling I've seen this fiend before..."
Suddenly, Ranma and the others appeared on the scene, together with Shampoo. Tidus and Auron weren't with them.
"Hey," Ranma grinned. "Look at who we found," he said, gesturing towards Shampoo.
Kasumi smiled. "Shampoo! I'm glad you're okay!"
"Shampoo is glad too," the Amazon replied. "But still doesn't know what happened in meantime and how she get funny-looking ears." She brushed away her hair to show them her ears.
Yuna gasped. "Those ears," she quietly murmured. "Could it be...?"
Akane quickly ran towards her. "Sshhh," she whispered. "Don't tell Shampoo anything about what she did in the stadium. It WAS her, all right, but she doesn't remember, and I don't think she did it willingly."
"What violent girl whispering about?" Shampoo wanted to know.
"Um, nothing," Akane turned around and giggled nervously.
Yuna looked around. "Um, where are Tidus and Sir Auron?"
Ranma pointed behind them. "There they come."
Auron and Tidus came up the stairs, together. The legendary guardian approached Yuna.
"Yuna."
"S-sir?" she asked nervously.
"I wish to become your guardian. Do you accept?"
"You serious?" Wakka asked, bewildered.
"You refuse?"
Yuna shook her head. "No, no. We accept! But... if you don't mind the question... why?"
"Because I promised Braska. And..." he pulled forward Tidus. "He's coming, too."
"Um..." Tidus waved uncertainly. "Hi there!"
"This one I promised Jecht," Auron added.
"Sir Jecht?" Kasumi asked, excitedly. "Is he alive? Oh, that would be wonderful news, right, Tidus-kun?"
Tidus shifted his feet around uneasily.
"Can't say," Auron finally answered. "Haven't seen him in ten years."
"Um, Shampoo has question..."
Everyone turned their attention to the lavender-haired girl.
"Shampoo... has heard about what... pilgir... pil... what journey is all about and wanted to come along as well. As guardian... is okay?"
Wakka whistled. "Man, at that rate, we'll have an entire army of guardians following Yuna around."
"I wonder if Yevon would accept that..." Yuna wondered.
"Feh," Ranma exclaimed. "No big deal. We just say half of them are my guardians! After all, I'm a summoner, too."
"Yes, but the temples do not know about that," Akane pointed out.
"If they don't believe it, they can ask the fayth... or I'll show them my summons. Either way, I think it would be better to 'divide' all of you guardians between Yuna and me."
"Well, I don't mind at all," Yuna smiled. "Okay, Wakka, Akane and Kimahri are already officially my guardians. If Sir Auron wants to be one as well... then Tidus, Shampoo, Ukyo and perhaps Kasumi can become your guardians."
"Um... I'm not going to become a guardian," Ukyo said.
"Hey, why not?" Ranma asked, surprised.
"I... already promised Clas-chan... he wanted me to join the crusaders... and I didn't want to disappoint him, so... he wanted to fetch me here after the game was over. He should be arriving soon."
"Oh..." Ranma said. "Well... if it's what you prefer, then you should go for it.
"Really?" Ukyo asked. "You don't mind?"
"Sure, it's your decision! After all, the crusaders are trying to protect Spira, as well!"
"Thank you for understanding, Ranchan," Ukyo happily exclaimed. "I'm going to do my best as well..."
----
Seymour Guado was walking through a corridor of the Luca blitzball stadium. He entered the basement and approached a certain door.
When he opened the door, the occupant of the room behind it flinched. "Oh, Lord Seymour," Goba Guado smiled nervously. "I didn't expect you. I thought the plan was that you immediately wanted to travel back to Guadosalam..." "Never mind that now," Seymour said coldly. "I'd like you to explain to me what exactly happened in the stadium. I thought the Alpha Fiend would be unstoppable. Care to explain?"
Goba shifted uneasily around his chair. "Well, Lord Seymour, you see..."
"I'm waiting..."
The servant gulped. "Well... it looks like that boy... who fought the experiment, had some traces of magic on his body as well... similar to those of the experiment itself."
"Strange," Seymour mocked. "I didn't exactly see him changing."
"That he didn't, mylord, that he didn't," Goba quickly added. "But he also had a... certain strong phobia hiding inside his head. And when this phobia got control over his actions, he... turned into a savage beast himself. And somehow, his strength increased."
"But I saw that he somehow did return to normal! How did that happen?"
"Well, I think... the pyreflies, that were still inside the experiment, reacted somehow with the magic he contained within himself, and his strong fear... It somehow gave it some sort of... conscience! And now it is safely hiding within his mind. You could say, it is sorta like an Aeon that rests within a summoner's head, but..." he quickly searched around his memos. "He certainly couldn't summon it, of course..."
Seymour glared at Goba. "What about the mind control? Will we still be able to control the Alpha Fiend?"
"Well... under certain circumstances, I think yes. But... one of us had to be close to give it commands. And I think its powers are a little reduced, because of the influence of the other unknown magic, within that boy."
"Goba, I expect you to continue your research. I want that fiend back under my control! Do your best and you better do NOT fail me! Did I make myself clear?"
Goba quickly bowed again and again. "Oh, yes, certainly, mylord... I promise to do my best."
"Good! Now, I shall leave! I leave it in your hands..."
And Seymour Guado left his servant alone.
His thoughts went back to the young summoner he saw in the stadium.
'These eyes, that hair, this powerful aura... she's fascinating,' he thought. 'I think I'll have to invite Lady Yuna inside my mansion some time later...'
And so, the sinister half-Guado continued on his mad plans.
----
While Auron talked to Wakka, Akane and Ranma about the travel route, Shampoo saw that Yuna was talking to Tidus in private. Yuna was saying something, then blew a shrill whistle.
Shampoo walked up to them. "Nihao! We not have been properly introduced. Me Shampoo, Amazon warrior. Who is you?"
Yuna smiled. "Nice to meet you, Shampoo! I'm Yuna, and this is Tidus."
Shampoo nodded. "Aah, yes, Shampoo remember. Boy with loud voice. What you two talking about?"
Tidus smirked. "Well, Yuna just told me how important it is to smile... even if you're sad."
Shampoo nodded. "Make sense. Shampoo also is often too too sad if Airen doesn't want to go on date with her... but then she smiles, pounds Mousse some and feels better."
Tidus looked at her in confusion. "Well, that's fine... I guess."
Yuna giggled. "Now, let's see what the two of you can do."
Tidus scratched his head. "Huh?"
"Come on," Yuna said. "Show me! Smile!"
Shampoo immediately beamed at her with a wide smile. But Tidus didn't do too well, due to his confusion. He desperately tried to keep up the corners of his mouth.
"This is too weird," he finally said.
"But looks funny," Shampoo giggled.
"Now, try laughing out loud."
"What?"
"Come on, show me!"
It certainly wasn't easy just to laugh like that only because someone wants you to, but Tidus was trying to do his best. He took several deep breaths, and then...
"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! AH HA HA HA HA HA HA!"
Shampoo giggled. "This fun! Let Shampoo try too!"
And together, they began anew:
"AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"
Everyone else was beginning to look at them strangely. Yuna giggled madly. "Maybe the two of you shouldn't laugh any more," she said while holding her breath.
But then she smirked, stood beside them and joined their silly laughing:
"AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! AH HA HA HA HA HA HA!"
Afterwards, the three of them broke up in a fit of giggles and real laughter.
"Too... too funny," Yuna managed to say in between giggles.
"Yuna right," Shampoo laughed. "Is too too funny."
"It was your idea, you know?" Tidus reminded Yuna while laughing.
Yuna calmed down and took a deep breath. "Thank you... both of you!"
"Um... why?" Tidus asked curiously.
"I want my journey to be... full of laughter."
When they turned back around, the others were staring at them in bewilderment.
"Hey, what're you looking at?" Tidus wanted to know.
"We were just worried you guys might've gone crazy," Wakka explained.
----
After several seconds, Clasko appeared with two armored and saddled chocobos. Ukyo said goodbye to everyone and jumped on the back of one of the big, yellow birds.
"Um, I've actually never ridden before," she said nervously.
"Hey, it's no big idea, Miss Ukyo," Clasko explained. "Just calm down, don't let the chocobo know you're nervous and steer him while he's walking or running. He'll do the rest. Just trust him!"
"Okay, if you say so, Clas-chan..."
She waved to her friends, who waved back.
"Maybe we'll see you two soon," Ranma called.
"Sooner than you think," Ukyo called back. "The crusaders are planning this big operation..."
"Miss Ukyo," Clasko hastily said. "You shouldn't talk to them about that. It's still top secret."
"Um... sorry!" Ukyo sheepishly scratched her head. "Anyways, I'm pretty sure we'll meet again pretty soon. Bye, everyone!"
And they turned around their chocobos and rode away.
"Where to now?" Ranma asked excitedly.
"Our journey on foot will begin here," Yuna explained. "We'll follow the Mi'ihen Highroad until we reach the Temple of Djose."
'Now we're all back together,' Ranma thought to himself. 'Except... man, I totally forgot about Ryoga! I wonder where old pork-butt has vanished to?'
----
Ryoga and his new chocobo friend looked around in astonishment. "Where... where are we now?" Ryoga asked his feathered friend.
"Kweeeeh?" Choco replied. He really wasn't sure himself.
It looked like some kind of... small planet floating through outer space. There were different colored chocobos everywhere. And on the big throne in front of them... sat the biggest, FATTEST chocobo they've ever seen.
He looked at them with wise eyes. "Aaaaaaah," he said in a human's voice. "You must be the chosen one!"
"M-Me?" Ryoga stuttered. "What do you mean?"
"There is a legend that says there will be one young man that will visit our realm, even though it is only for chocobos. Normally, humans wouldn't be able to reach this place. But according to legend, the chosen one will be a boy with the ability to get that lost, that he will manage to come here just by accident... you have to be the one."
"Ummm, right..." Ryoga said nervously. "So... what am I supposed to do now?"
"You have to help your little friend Choco become a Golden Chocobo."
Choco's eyes began to sparkle in excitement. "KWEEEEEEEH!!"
"W-why? And... how am I supposed to do that?"
"You'll find a way," the fat chocobo assured him. "If Choco becomes a Golden Chocobo, he'll be able to take you anywhere you want. You wouldn't be lost anymore. He would find a way for you. And, under certain circumstances and at certain places, he will even be able to travel between worlds... and therefore helping you finding your way home."
Ryoga's eyes were flooding with tears. "Never... never being lost anymore..." That was too good to be true. But anyways... he had to try it.
"Okay, I'll try it," he said, raising his fist in the air. "I'm helping you become a Golden Chocobo, Choco, and if it's the last thing I ever do."
"Kweeeeh!" The little chocobo joyfully jumped up and down.
----
Once again, they were en-route. The Mi'ihen Highroad was a very long road between wide, green plains, adorned with various ruins of an ancient time.
When they passed the statue of a tall man, an old man came up to them. He explained to them that this man was Lord Mi'ihen, who once travelled along this road to reach St. Bevelle. He founded the crusaders and wanted to gain the trust of the maesters of Yevon, as they feared the crusaders to be rebels. In the end, he succeeded, and thereby the highroad became known as the Mi'ihen Highroad.
At the ruins near that statue, they decided for a little break.
Several other people were travelling along the road that day.
A little girl that walked past them with her mother, saw Yuna and excitedly asked her: "You're a summoner?"
"Yes," Yuna nodded. "I'm Yuna!"
"I'm Calli!" the girl looked at Yuna with cheerful eyes.
Yuna smiled. "Nice to meet you, Calli!"
"Lady Yuna, are you going to bring us the Calm?"
"Yes, very soon," Yuna answered.
Calli was excited and ran around in circles. "Yaay!"
"We're looking forward to another Calm, my lady summoner," Calli's mother said.
"I'll do my best," Yuna assured her.
"And good luck to your guardians as well." The woman bowed.
Then, Calli saw Kasumi and shouted: "Hey, you're that pretty girl that sung in the stadium! I saw you singing!"
Kasumi beamed. Such a nice little girl! "Yes, that was me."
"Can you sing a song for me? Just one little song, pleeeeeeaase?"
"Of course, sweetie!"
Calli and her mother sat down on some rocks, while Kasumi sang a little song, just for them.
"What's the Calm?" Tidus asked Yuna.
"The calm is a time of peace," Yuna explained. It comes after a summoner defeats Sin, and lasts until Sin reappears. You see, Sin dies and is reborn."
'Just as Carbuncle told me,' Ranma thought.
"I get it," Tidus nodded. "It seemed kinda weird. I mean, you father defeated Sin ten years ago, right? But it's still here. Didn't make any sense until now..."
Akane was listening to Kasumi's music while swinging her body forth and back.
Ranma came up behind her. "She surely sings pretty good, does she?" he asked. Akane nodded.
"Yes... these dresspheres truly are amazing! I wonder if we'll ever meet the person who created them..."
"You know, it's probably a good thing Kuno never gets a hold of one of these dresspheres," Ranma suddenly laughed. "Think about it: When he would find Kasumi's dressphere, he'd probably sing one terrible song after another to prove his love to you and the 'pig-tailed girl'."
Akane tried to imagine such a situation...
----
Kuno walked in circles inside his room. "Akane Tendo or the pig-tailed girl... Akane Tendo or the pig-tailed girl... I have to have them both..."
Suddenly, something caught his eye. "Huh? What may that peculiar item be?" He picked up the round sphere.
A bright flash surrounded him.
"Master Kuno, is something the matter?" the little ninja Sasuke, servant of the house asked, while entering the room.
And when he took a look at his young master, he gawked.
Kuno was dressed in garments that made him look like Elvis Presley himself - only were his clothes three times more expensive than those of Elvis. He even had a hairstyle similar to the King of Rock'n Roll.
"Sasuke..." he said. "I had an inspiration... I have to sing an ode to my two loves... I just have to..."
And a spotlight shone above his head, while in his hand, a microphone appeared.
"A one woman man's what I wanna be!
Stay by her side sooo faithfully!
I would if I could... but it's just no good...
Cuz there's two perfect girls for meeee..."
And when the music began playing, two holographic, dancing versions of Akane and Ranko appeared to both of his side.
"Ranko! Oh Ranko! Akane! Oh Akane!
A one-woman man's what I wanna be!
But there's two perfect girls for me!"
Suddenly, the clothes of the fake, dancing Akane shimmered, turning into a sexy female's police officer's uniform.
"Akane Tendo! Oh can't you see!
You can lock me up and throw away the key!
Akane! If loving you's a crime...
Then sentence me now, and I'll do the time!
My uniform beauty's simply the best!
She's got me heart under house arrest!
But before that cop names me her boy...
I'm head over heels for this pig-tailed joy!
Ranko! Oh Ranko! Akane! Oh Akane!
A one-woman man's what I wanna be!
But there's two perfect girls for me!"
The clothes of the dancing Ranko also changed, turning into a nearly scandalous nurse outfit.
"Nurse Ranko, won't you please
cure me of this bad disease!
Oh Ranko, the diagnosis is bleak!
When I see your face, my knees get weak!
Well, I'm burning up, I got the fever!
She's my perfect nurse and I'll never leave her!
Her bedside manner has healed more or less...
So why am I in love with my fierce tigress?
Ranko! Oh Ranko! Akane! Oh Akane!
A one-woman man's what I wanna be!
But there's one, no two...
No, three, four, five, six, seven, sooooo many...
Perfect girls for meeeeeeee!"
Sasuke could only sweatdrop.
----
Akane shuddered. That imagination she would grab and put far, far away into the darkest corner of her mind and never, ever think of it again.
Ranma blinked in confusion. "Hey, what's wrong, Akane? What are you thinking about?"
"Trust me, Ranma," Akane firmly said. "You don't wanna know it!"
