"But it couldn't be Rikku!" Tidus exclaimed when Rikku and Gippal told everyone what they thought.
"Thank you Tidus. Hey wait! What I can't be a hero too? I can't save Spira like you and Yunie did? Am I not good enough for you?" Oh Rikku was mad. She was ready to slug him something fierce! "I got powers too you know! I brought Gippal back from the dead!" Gippal put calming hands on Rikku's shoulders.
"Oh no no no no no no!" Tidus said waving his hands. Honestly those two are an awful lot alike eh? "I'm not doubting you're power. But you were fighting with us Kilika. If you were the Phoenix wouldn't your powers have surfaced even if you didn't know they were there?"
"Tidus has a good point you guys," Paine said, frustrated. "Unfortunately this means that we are right back where we started. So what do we do now?"
"I can check the comspheres for reports of strange activity as well as monitor what's happening on Kilika," Shinra volunteered. "We were lucky. The demons haven't destroyed the comspheres."
"And the rest of us just pick a spot and start looking?" Buddy asked with a roll of his eyes. Brother chose this moment to appear on the bridge. Having eaten four plates of food he had pronounced himself full and rolled over for a nap. Apparently he was awake now and ready to start pretending like he was in charge again.
"What is going on here? Why is everybody looking so solemn?" he asked looking around at all the grim faces.
"We got a problem," Yuna said and began to explain all the strange things that had happened since poor Brother had been locked in the Engine Room.
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"Well if that is the case," Brother paused for effect. "I say we find some nice little bar in Luca and get pissed drunk while we wait for the end of the world." Rikku groaned and kicked him in the shins. "What!"
"We can't just give up," Yuna said, addressing everyone. "We just have to look everywhere. Start in major population centers and work our way from there?"
"Then let's look in Luca," Brother suggested slyly. Paine saw through that one quickly enough.
"We can't start in Luca. People move in and out of there so fast that we would never keep track. Not to mention that people in that city would do anything to make some quick Gil. If we asked them if they had seen anything unusual they would probably just make something up."
"So that leaves Bevelle," Tidus said in a rare display of intelligence. "But I can't imagine the Phoenix having anything to do with Yevon." He was still bitter. Unlike the others, he hadn't had time to let old wounds heal.
"I was born in Bevelle," Yuna pointed out. "And she probably has no idea who she is anyway, which means that New Yevon wouldn't know either. But you have to admit that most citizens of that city are more honest than Luca."
"Which is why some of the best kept secrets are kept there right?" Paine said, rolling her eyes. "But it's as good a place to start as any. And Baralai is there so we can ask him if he has heard of anything unusual. He is one of the most well informed people in all of Spira after all."
"No one is better informed than me," Shinra muttered indignantly. "I watch the comspheres."
"Well let's go people!" Gippal said walking towards the pilot's seat. "As Cid's girl pointed out before we haven't got much time to lose."
"Oh no you don't!" Brother yelled, grabbing Gippal by the shoulder. "I am the leader. It is my job to pilot the Celsius. You are not allowed anywhere near the controls." Gippal smiled brightly.
"Oh, I know that you're the leader that's why I'm piloting the ship." Brother stared at him incredulously. "The Leader should never stoop so low as to do a mediocre job as piloting. You only did that because you were understaffed old boy. Think about it," Gippal added as Brother still looked doubtful. "When Cid had his airship what did he do? Did he pilot? No! He stood there and looked important. I'll pilot the ship for you even though I don't have to. I am technically a guest on this airship and not a crewmember at all. I don't mind at all. No need to thank me!" He flashed Brother a winning smile and jumped into the pilot's chair and took a hold of the controls before Brother could figure out what had just occurred.
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"Strange occurrences? No I haven't heard of anything out of the ordinary here. Although, I am aware of what happened in Kilika. Such a tragedy," Baralai said with a sad shake of his head. "I've been trying to coordinate a relief effort for survivors."
"What survivors?" Paine asked bitterly. "No one is alive on the island. Shinra's been monitoring the island ever since the attack. The demons devoured everyone."
Baralai paled. "Everyone?" he asked hoarsely. Paine nodded sourly. "They're still contained right?"
"As far as we know. But it's only a matter of time before they get off the island," Yuna, said grimly.
"And you tried fighting them it take it. You always were the type to rush into battle without thinking things through, all of you," Baralai said with a small smile on his face. Rikku stuck her tongue out at him.
"Yes, and we nearly got ourselves killed," Gippal said. "Remember the fiends on the farplane?" Baralai nodded. He may not have been in control of his body at the time but he had still been conscious.
"Well these are a bajillion times worse. Ordinary fighting isn't going to be enough."
"And there are so many of them," Rikku added.
"So what do we do? I for one am not about to give up and resign the people of Spira to this kind of fate. We didn't let Shuyin kill everyone. Are we going to step aside for a bunch of mindless demons?"
"Of course not! What do you take us for? We've already been looking into ways of fighting these things while you were busy trying to save a bunch of dead people!" Gippal said, laughing when Baralai blushed slightly.
"Well we always knew that Yevon was useless," Rikku commented with a smirk. "Didn't we so muja? Us Al Bhed knew these we're-only-so-high-and-mighty-because-we're-being-propped-up-by-the-stick-up-our-collective-arse priest guys for what they really were all along."
"Oh really? I thought you wouldn't be able to realize anything when your brains had been scrambled by the Sun long ago. Not to mention being fried by trying to put together a bunch of useless machina."
"Hey might I remind you, if it weren't for machina, the Gullwings would never have been able to drive around Spira trying to put it back together after you and Nooj tore it apart?"
"And need I remind you that Vegnagun was machina? Not all machina is good," Baralai said. Gippal walked over to the comsphere in the corner of the room.
"And not all machina is bad. If you had tried to contact us on this thing then you would have known that your efforts to save the people of Kilika was useless." Baralai gave Gippal one of his patented glares. You know, one of those glares where you know that he knows that he's wrong but he doesn't care he is still going to argue until he's blue in the face though he doesn't have anything to say. Yeah, one of those glares. Rikku stepped between them.
"Um guys? Aren't we supposed to be fighting demons, not each other? What was the point of this argument anyways? I know that you're both edgy. But you're not helping matters. Baralai, we found something out. Apparently these demons have shown up before. Some magical being called the Phoenix Guardian sent them packing. According to Kimari she's been reborn. Now all we have to do if find her and she can do it again. The whole reason we came here was because we were hoping you had noticed anything that could point us in her direction." Baralai frowned thoughtfully.
"I think that you had all better come with me," he said, and walked out of the room. Everyone stared after him for a moment before following him. Baralai led them down a series of hallways. Rikku hoped that they wouldn't have to find their way out themselves. It was way too easy to get lost in there. Their path kept twisting and turning and Rikku was getting more and more nervous.
"Baralai, just where are you taking us?" she asked finally, tapping him on the shoulder. They turned yet another corner before he answered.
"We're here," he said. Rikku and the others stared.
"Um, Baralai, just where are we?" Gippal asked. "You've led us to a dead end." Gippal knocked on the solid wall for emphasis.
"At the location of one of Yevon's best kept secrets," Baralai replied, staring at the wall. "Only the Praetor knows about its existence, and before us, only the Maestors."
"A wall," Gippal said, a hint of laughter in his voice. "As far as I know walls are quite common in the outside world."
Baralai frowned, "The wall is not our secret. It's what's behind the wall. Really, old friend, you have no imagination." He ran his hand along a carving on the wall and muttered something under his breath. Suddenly the wall seemed to melt. It became like a rippling cloth of turquoise light.
"Cool!" Gippal said, stepping forward. He was about to touch the light when Baralai grabbed his wrist.
"Don't touch it! It's a portal, though it isn't working. Only the Phoenix may activate it and it out and out repels men." Gippal rolled his eyes and tried to reach through it anyway with his other hand. Blue sparks appeared and he was thrown back nearly six feet. Baralai shook his head, torn between concern and amusement. Gippal grumbled and climbed to his feet. "I did warn you," the Praetor laughed. "Haven't you learned any form of caution?"
"Nope!" Gippal said with a grin. Rikku rolled her eyes, Gippal hadn't changed much at all since they were kids growing up on Bikanel together. "So if only the Phoenix Guardian can work this thing, what's the point of bringing us here."
"I don't know where she is. But when you think that you've found her. Bring her here and try to her to activate the portal. All she has to do is touch it and it will open," Baralai replied. "I think that you three should try to open it first. You never know. If it is one of you it would save you time trying to look for someone who is already among you."
Rikku giggled. "Wouldn't it be weird if it was one of us?" (AN: Ooooooh the irony! XP) Yuna stepped forward.
"I'll try first," she said. "This kind of thing always seems to happen to me. I'd rather not have to be the one to save the world again but…" she touched the portal. Nothing happened. "It's not me," she said with relief. Tidus smiled as she walked back to him and took his hand.
"Good thing eh?" he said. She nodded.
"My turn," Paine said, stepping forward. She took a deep breath and touched the portal. Again, nothing happened. She sighed and stepped back. She looked at Rikku. "That leaves you Rikku."
Rikku looked up at Gippal. He smiled reassuringly at her and squeezed her hand. "It's going to be ok," he whispered then gave her a gentle nudge forward. Rikku stepped in front of the portal. She stared for a second and marveled at its swirling, ethereal colours before resting her hand on the surface. She felt a warm tingle beneath her fingers. A strange sort of calm washed over Rikku, and suddenly she knew what to do. Instinctively, she pressed harder against the portal causing it to ripple. She spread her fingers and watched with a detached fascination as flames leapt from them and spread across the portal changing it from turquoise to a bright orange.
She turned back to her friends, a smile of acceptance upon her face. "I think that we found our Guardian," she said.
"I think you knew all along, didn't you, so muja?" Gippal asked. "Deep down." Rikku nodded as he took her in his arms.
"When I brought you back to me, I knew something was different. I won't be the sidekick anymore." She looked up at Gippal desperately. "But I don't want to do this alone. Don't make me do it alone."
"Rikku, you are never alone," Yuna said, walking up next to them.
"Yeah! You've got you're friends right beside you," Tidus said, with his usual energy. "Always!" Paine arched an eyebrow and folded her arms.
"You didn't honestly think that we would miss out on all the fun now did you?" she asked with a laugh.
Rikku blinked back the tears that had been threatening to fall. "Thanks guys," she said, trying to force down the lump that had formed in her throat. Gippal squeezed her tighter. Rikku sighed happily. "We should go through now though, while it's open. It took us a while to get here. I seem to always have this feeling that we're short on time these days."
"Rikku's got a point guys… girls… people. So who's going? Besides me, obviously," Gippal said with his usual cocky tone.
"Well I'm going!" Tidus said instantly.
"Me too!" Yuna and Paine said at the same time. Everyone turned to Baralai who shrugged.
"As much as I would like to see what's on the other side of that thing someone must remain behind. We cannot close the portal or you might not be able to get back. And we cannot leave it unguarded in case the impossible happens and someone finds this place. We don't want anyone to sneak up on you in an unfamiliar place. It would not be wise."
"So you're staying then?" Paine said, disappointed. Baralai nodded. He smiled suddenly.
"Bring me back a souvenir!" he said. Paine nodded. Tidus looked between them and titled his head, blinking. Rikku laughed because she could tell exactly what the blitzer was thinking. Is it just me or is there something going on between those two? And it must be obvious for Tidus to notice. She pulled away from Gippal.
"Don't worry Baralai, we'll be back before you know it!" She walked to the portal. "Alright guys! Let's do this!" She placed her hands on the portal and then pushed through.
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AN: Ok, I was asked for longer chapters. I know that this isn't much longer than any of my other chapters but that's ok. I have a HUGE one planned for the next chapter. And so much will be explained. We all know how much Rikku wants answers. Now that we know that Rikku is the Phoenix Guardian we can get to the action.