Chapter 6: More Questions than answers

"What were those?" Gippal asked as everyone met on the bridge.

"Well," Shinra said, punching keys on his console. "The definitely aren't fiends." There was a pause as everyone digested this information.

"But, what are they?" Tidus asked when no one else would voice the question.

"Well…" Shinra paused.

"Yes?" Tidus asked impatiently.

"They definitely aren't fiends." Everyone groaned and Rikku even smacked Shinra upside the head. "I'm just a kid!" he protested.

"It doesn't really matter what they are," Paine pointed out. "What matters if finding out how to kill them."

"Paine's right," Tidus said, nodding as if this solved everything. Yuna smiled lovingly at her boyfriend but secretly rolled her eyes. Tidus was really brave and handsome but the blitzer was rather slow some of the time. Ok, all of the time.

"But how do we go about finding something like that out," Buddy asked. Tidus pouted as this particular wrench was thrown in his gears.

"I've never even heard of anything like this!" Yuna sighed with frustration. "Who would?" Everyone was silent as they pondered a solution. How do you figure something like this out without some sort of reference? How do you even know where to look? A sudden, rhythmic thumping signified that Tidus was thumping his head against the wall again.

"Well maybe this isn't the first time that something like this has happened and it was just way before our time. We should look for someone old," suggested Rikku.

"Maybe Tromell would know something," Yuna said, pulling Tidus away from the wall before he did any lasting damage. (AN: heh heh… he already has!) Tidus pouted and crossed his arms.

"I was thinking," he muttered. Rikku rolled her eyes.

"Yeah Tromell would know. He's about as old and wrinkly as they come!"

"Rikku!" Yuna gasped, appalled. "Have some respect for your elders!" Paine grabbed Rikku in a headlock and gave her a noogie. Rikku turned red and muttered some rather inventive curses in her native language.

"This coming from you Paine, the queen of mean herself!" Gippal sniggered as he ducked a well-deserved swat from his old friend. "Hey don't damage this handsome face after Rikku worked so hard to bring it back." He winked at Rikku who giggled. "Hey, I can wink now! This is cool!"

"I'm surrounded by idiots," Shinra sighed shaking his head.

"Buddy set a course for Guadosalam and step on it! Those things are contained on Kilika for now but who knows how long that will last." Yuna ordered. Buddy nodded grimly and jumped into the navigator's seat. Shinra opened up the comsphere network and monitored communications.

"Um, Yunie?" Rikku asked timidly. Yuna stared at her. "I hate to ruin the moment and all but who's gonna drive the airship? Brother's still locked in the engine room." Gippal tried to make himself seem innocent and helpful.

"You know," he said non-chalantly. "I know how to drive an airship. I'm at least as good as Brother. Maybe even better even." Yuna nodded, fighting hard to keep her amusement from showing on her face. Everybody knew he had been wanting to pilot the Celsius forever. "Alright!" He pumped his fist in the air and practically ran Paine over in his haste to get into the pilot's chair. Paine glared at him as she climbed to her feet. Rikku made a mental note to make her boyfriend apologize later. Paine could be quite deadly when she acted on a grudge.

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"Kilika was wiped out you say?" Tromell asked in shock. Yuna nodded bleakly. They were in Tromell's house in Guadosalam. Tromell had refused to move into the Chateau LeBlanc even though LeBlanc had moved out to live with Nooj long ago. Tromell and the other Guado had converted the manor into a museum instead. It was proof of just how far the Guado had come since their despair in Macalania Woods.

"No one survived," she said. "We were there. Those beasts were like nothing we had ever faced before."

"They were like demons," Gippal said, his eyes glazed with memory.

"You may have something there young man," Tromell said thoughtfully, stroking his beard with his large hand.

"Uh, I do?" he blinked. He looked to Rikku who shrugged.

"I was speaking with the new Ronso elder a week or so ago. We were speaking of how history has a habit of repeating itself. He said something about a legend where destructive beings called demons tore into this world from the void to destroy all life and cover all of Spira in an icy death. Kimari spoke of how a great hero arose wielding a life-giving fire and drove these 'demons' back into the great emptiness where they belonged. He was simply speaking of how whenever Spira is threatened Spira young heroes appear risking all to save her. But you may have a lead."

"It's better than nothing," Tidus agreed. "Right now this is all we have."

"Yunie! Let's go see Kimari!" Rikku shouted excitedly. "Oh this is gonna be like the old times." The Al Bhed girl was practically bouncing out of her shoes.

"I can hardly wait," Paine deadpanned.

"Aw Paine, loosen up," Gippal laughed, giving her a playful shove.

"To the Celsius!" Yuna shouted. Everybody stared at her and she laughed sheepishly.

"Who put you in charge anyway?" Rikku asked.

"I did," Yuna said simply. Rikku shrugged and the matter was concluded.

"Can she do that?" Tidus asked, cocking his head to one side in confusion. Gippal folded his arms and chuckled.

"Apparently."

"Sca-ree!"

"Heh heh. You said it!"

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"Kimari glad to see Yuna. Kimari wonders why she is here. And why she brought all her friends," Kimari smiled. At least, to those who knew him well it was a smile. To Gippal it looked more like he was contemplating eating Yuna. Silly Gippal, girls are for fiends. Ronso eat…. Um… um… Come to think of it what do Ronso eat? Oh? What? The story? Yeah, what about it? Oh I should get back to it…

Gotcha!

"Kimari, a terrible thing has happened. Kilika has been obliterated!" Kimari closed his eyes as if pained. Yuna stepped forward, concerned. Kimari put his great paws on her shoulders to stop her. He smiled down gently at her.

"Kimari knows. Spirits of earth have been screaming a great many people go to Farplane. Kimari just sad, that all." He shrugged and seemed to shake off his pain. He forced another smile. "Now, why has Yuna come to Kimari if she should be out fighting demons?"

"So you know that they're demons then? We came here because they are much to strong for us. We were hoping that you would know something about how to defeat them." Kimari nodded and looked thoughtful.

"Simple. You find Phoenix. She is guardian who sent demons back to void. She did it once she can do it again."

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Paine said. "Just how long ago did this Phoenix live? I've never even heard of this legend. It must have happened a long time ago."

"A really long tome ago," Tidus agreed. "Because I haven't heard of her either."

"Two thousand years. Maybe more?" Kimari shrugged his shoulders as if this didn't matter to him in the slightest. It did to the others though.

"Kimari! There's no way that Phoenix is still alive!" Yuna pointed out.

"And even if she was there's no way she would be able to fight. My grandfather is only seventy-something and he doesn't do excavations any more because it hurts his back. Just imagine how much somebody who is over two thousand's back would hurt. Major arthritis I'm thinking. The demons are too much for us and we're nice and young." Rikku shouted, waving her arms. Having said her peace she fell silent. Paine rolled her eyes and swatted Rikku on the back of the head.

"So what?" Buddy asked. "It's another dead end. Do we go look elsewhere? Where else is there to look? Any ideas Kimari?" Everyone turned back to the Ronso elder hopefully.

"You can start with listening to Kimari," he growled in mock anger. Gippal laughed nervously. "Kimari was going to explain how Phoenix gets reborn when she is needed. Phoenix guardian is alive. Just need to find her. Not easy but Kimari know Yuna can do it."

Yuna smiled sadly at his blind faith and hugged the Ronso. "Thank you Kimari." It touched Yuna how much Kimari believed in her but she didn't think that she could find the Phoenix Guardian. Finding a single person in all of Spira who probably didn't even know what she was. There were thousands of people in Luca alone. At least she didn't have to look on Kilika… "Sweet Spira!" she gasped. "What if she was on Kilika." Everyone paled.

"Not possible," Kimari said immediately. "She would have fought back. Maybe not use abilities, but surely not get killed."

"Any ideas what to look for Kimari?" Rikku asked, trying to put a positive spin on the discussion. "I want to start looking for the Phoenix right now!"

Kimari looked embarrassed. "Kimari not know everything. Kimari just simple Ronso elder. Besides, legend is very old." Rikku deflated. "But maybe should just look for someone with abilities that seem too great for ordinary person?"

"Like bringing someone back from the dead?" Gippal asked quietly.

"That would be power she have," Kimari, said nodding. "Phoenix power greater than death."

"Well thank you Kimari! You've been a big help." Rikku said suddenly. "Come on guys we've got to go look for that guardian! Heh heh… No time to lose!" Her laugh as she pushed everyone onto the airship was somewhat hysterical. "Who knows where that sneaky Phoenix Guardian might be hiding!" Gippal gave her a concerned look as she shut the hatch and gave everyone an enormously happy, enormously fake smile.

"Are you alright Rikku?" He asked as the others went towards the elevator discussing what they had learned. Rikku nodded cheerfully. Gippal shook his head and pulled her into his arms. "Oh Rikku, it's going to be all right. We'll figure this out. Even if you are the Phoenix you'll still be Cid's girl to me. And we're all here for you. You know that right." Rikku nodded and muttered into his shirt. Gippal tightened his grip and buried his face in her hair. "I love you so much Rikku."

"I love you to Gippal," she said as they pulled apart. "But what if it is me? I'm not the hero, I'm the best friend. The… the… sidekick! I'm not strong enough to save Spira!"

"You were strong enough to save me," Gippal said cutting off her tirade before it really began. "Now why don't we go let poor Brother out of the Engine Room before he starves to death."

"Yeah, I'm really hungry myself," Rikku laughed. She hooked her arm in Gippal's as they walked towards the elevator. She looked up at her boyfriend. "It's really going to be ok. Isn't it?"

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AN: Booya! I'm back in business! I got a computer for Christmas even though I only actually got this lovely little machine on Monday. But I will be more faithful in my updating from now on I promise. This time I really mean it. Now that I've got a comp of my own at home I can find the time to update. Cool huh? To all my previous reviewers I hope that you're still around and I apologize most profusely for making you wait so long. I will do my utmost best to make sure that it doesn't happen again. I'm already hard at work on the next chapter so just you wait!