Finally, we get to my fav part. We meet Rikku! Word of warning, most of the dialog will be the same (Cause I just can't compete with the perfection of this part) But I will add more insight to Auron's thoughts.
Disclaimer: Okay, let's see. I own final fantasy 7, 8, 9, 10, and kingdom hearts. Notice I said I own them, not the rights to them::Holds up games for readers to see: Told Ya
After another days journey, we reached the moonflow. I remembered back to Braska's pilgrimage when Jecht had been so drunk he attacked the shoopuf. He had vowed to never drink again after that. And surprising enough he kept his word. I glanced around at the group. They all stood calmly waiting for the shoopuf. Then I noticed Tidus was missing. He had run ahead like normal. I chuckled silently at his reaction to seeing his first shoopuf.
"Ten years ago, Jecht saw his first shoopuf here as well. He was drunk and thought it to be a fiend. We ended up paying all of our travel money to pay for the damages. It would seem as it was enough since it still works here." I told him as I walked past. He watched me but said nothing. It was just as well; I had nothing more to say anyway.
We boarded the shoopuf and pretty soon Wakka began in on his 'Why we hate Al Bhed' spiel. I listened, but I chose to ignore him. After all, Braska's wife was Al Bhed and she was one of the sweetest women I had ever met. Wakka would have to get over his hatred one of these days.
Just as Tidus brought himself back into the carrier after leaning over to see the underground city, the entire thing shook. Out of reaction to protect the summoner, we all stood. I ordered them to sit down, but only a moment too late. An Al Bhed jumped on behind Yuna and grabbed her pulling her under the water. Tidus and Wakka jumped in after her leaving the rest of us to wait impatiently for them to return.
It seemed like hours later before they came back holding a coughing Yuna. We all breathed out a sigh of relief when we saw them. The shoopuf used his nose to lift them back onto the carrier and we continued on again. It was silent until Wakka had to open his mouth.
"What do the Al Bhed want with Yuna?" He asked. "Wait, maybe they're mad because they lost the tournament. Or maybe because..."
"Or maybe because you need to shut up." Tidus spoke up interrupting the redhead's thoughts. "Look, I don't know much about what is going on. But I do know that I will protect Yuna no matter what."
"Yeah, yeah. You're right."
I could see why those two got along so well. It was as if Wakka had found Chappu again. They were very much like brothers.
At the other side of the moonflow, Tidus ran off saying he wanted to scout the area. We caught up with him as he stood next to a blond haired girl. I caught a glimpse of her eyes. They looked to be green. But if that was the case, that would mean she was an Al Bhed.
"Hey guys. I want you to meet Rikku. She helped me when I first came to Spira. She's an Al Bh..." He dropped the thought quickly right there.
I glanced at Wakka. If he were to find out, but my fears were wrong. He was doing the prayer and saying praise to Yevon. I turned away and saw that Rikku had walked away with Yuna and Lulu to talk about something. I saw something colorful on the ground in front of me. Knowing it was an Al Bhed wet suit; I kicked it into the water before Wakka would have a chance to see it. I had a feeling Rikku would be traveling with us. (I always did wonder what happened to that thing after she dropped it on the ground)
"Sir Auron?" Yuna's voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned to her. "I would... like Rikku to be my guardian."
I lifted an eyebrow, but said nothing as I walked over and stood in front of the young girl. Now I would get to see if what I saw was true. "Let me see your face."
"Huh? Oh, okay." She tilted her head up, but her eyes remained closed.
"I chuckled lightly before being serious again. The girl sure had spunk. "Open your eyes." I ordered lightly.
She did so, but one at a time. "As I thought." She was most certainly Al Bhed. I wondered if she wasn't part of the group that just tried to kidnap Yuna. "Are you sure?" I asked. She looked too young to really know what this journey meant.
"One hundred percent." She seemed confident. "So can I?" She asked retreating into a child's voice.
"If Lady Yuna wishes it." It may have been her idea to begin with, but she did ask for my thoughts. After that she became part of the group.
In our first battle this side of the moonflow, Rikku took charge. "Hey guys, watch this." Before any of us could stop her, she ran forward and swiped at the fiend.
"What was all that about? You didn't even do anything to him." Wakka complained.
She opened her hand to show him what she held. A hi-potion. She grinned and gave a slight giggle. "I may not be strong, but I'll be able to save us some gil."
Kimahri took her place and finished of the fiend. He said nothing as he walked back to us.
"Where on Spira did you learn that trick, Rikku?" Lulu asked. She was still the epitome of calm.
"I travel a lot, and when I would run short of gil I stole from fiends. You just have to know where to grab." She explained. Lulu seemed to accept the answer. I had to agree, it would save us some gil.
We traveled on letting Rikku steal every so often. She was a weak hitter, but her ability far out weighed any thoughts of her being useless. It was getting dark and so the party decided to rest. We could get an early start for Guadosalam in the morning.
As we sat around the fire that Lulu created, it was decided who would stand watch for the night. Rikku and I. "Great," I thought, "I would be stuck with the child first." She was a bit hyper, but she did help to make us laugh from time to time. Lulu and Yuna were the first to go. Not long after, Tidus and Wakka went to lie down in the other tent we set up. Kimahri sat down outside of Yuna's tent and fell asleep there.
It was silent as I leaned against a tree listening for fiends. I could hear the steady breaths of those sleeping, but not much else. After an hour or so, I heard someone walking up beside me from my right. I waited until they spoke first.
"Sir Auron?" It was Rikku. She sounded small and maybe even a little tired.
I grunted to let her know I heard her. She was probably going to ask if she could go sleep as well. I was pleasantly surprised with what she said next.
"Thank you for letting me be a guardian. Yunie told me about you being a warrior monk and all, you know. I'm gonna try real hard to keep her safe."
I turned to her and raised an eyebrow. She had shown more maturity in that moment then the whole time she had joined us. "Just don't tell Wakka about you being Al Bhed. You might find yourself at the receiving end of his blitz ball." I warned her.
"Yeah, Tidus told me about that." She clasped her hands behind her and used the toe of her boot to play with the dirt in front of her. She suddenly lifted her head and gave me the brightest smile she could. "But, if he gets to know me, maybe then he would think different about the Al Bhed." She made a small hop in her excitement.
"Humph, don't get your hopes up." I said before walking away.
Guadosalam; home of Measter Seymour and the farplain. I did not want to be here. I had done so well in avoiding this place for so long, and now here we were. I hoped that we would be able to pass through quickly. I should have known that was a lost hope.
"Lady Yuna. It is a pleasure to have you here in Guadosalam. Please come in." A nasally voice spoke before reaching out to grab Yuna's hand.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Wakka moved to stand in front of his summoner. "I don't think so."
"Please excuse me. My name is Tromell. I work for the Great Lord Seymour. He heard you were coming this way, and asked that you be brought to the mansion. Of coarse your guardians are invited as well, Lady Yuna." He explained.
The summoner turned to make sure that it was alright. Collectively we nodded saying it was okay. After all, one could not turn down the Measter, could they? So we headed for the mansion that sat at the far end of this treelike town.
We waited in the foyer for him to call us in. Wakka and Lulu explained about the past Guado leaders as I stood off to the side. I didn't care much to be here, but it was Yuna's choice.
"Please come in now. We are ready for you." Trommell stood in the now open door. He moved aside so we could file in.
I stood just inside next to the door. It was as far from the Guado measter as I could get. Tidus came up to me shortly after that and began asking questions.
"Just who is this Seymour guy? He's just a priest, right?" He asked as his arms went behind his head.
"He is a Measter. A Measter with power. Those with power will seek to use that power."
He dropped his hands and stared at me dumbly. "You got something against Yevon?"
"Nothing that would concern you." I told him roughly to get him to leave. Luckily the Measter took that moment to enter the room.
"Please, Trommell. That is enough. Am I to always endure such praise?" I glared at him as best I could from where I stood. His attitude set something off in me. "Ahh, Lady Yuna. I am relieved to you have decided to join me. There is something I wanted to show you." He held out a clawed hand and with some hesitation Yuna reached out to grab it.
He gently pulled her until she stood next to him. As soon as she did so, the room seemed to melt away. Everyone except Kimahri and I awed at the hologram presented. Suddenly the scene changed and we found ourselves in Zanarkand.
I heard Tidus exclaim and Seymour's answer that he was correct. "Zanarkand. The lost city of a thousand years ago. She once lived in this metropolis"
I let out a humph, but showed no emotion. Now was not the time. If only they knew what Zanakand really held. The scene shifted again and we stood in front of a woman who sat on a very ornamental bed. 'Lady Yunalesca.' I thought. 'You may have won last time, but I vowed the next time we meet it would not end with the same results.
I glanced around to see the faces of the others. Lulu and Kimahri were stoic, as usual. Tidus and Wakka appeared to be taking it all in stride. Rikku looked scared out of her little teenaged mind, not that I blamed her. And then there was the measter and summoner. He leaned over and whispered something into her ear. She stepped back shock written all over her face.
As soon as the images faded she made a beeline for the table and poured herself a glass of water. She gulped it down in one shot. Whatever he said to her had certainly made her uneasy.
Rikku bent over to get a better look at her face once she was done with the glass. "Wow, your face is beet red!" she exclaimed.
"He asked me if I would marry him." Yuna said softly.
I took a step closer to the measter. I glared at him as I questioned his motives. "You know what Yuna must do."
"Of coarse. She like all the summoners are charged to bring peace to Spira. Though it means more then just defeating sin. I asked Lady Yuna to marry me as a Measter of Yevon to help bring that peace."
"This is no game." I growled. "Spira is no playhouse."
"Even so, the actors must play the parts." He gave a lopsided grin as if he had the upper hand. "Lady Yuna, think about your answer. There is no need to rush."
"I will do that then. Let's go." Whatever embarrassment she had before was quickly put aside as he headed out of the room.
I was almost out when I heard his voice one last time. "Why are you still here sir?" I turned my head to glare over my shoulder. "I'm sorry. We Guado are keen to the farplain."
I ignored his remark, but Tidus just had to come over and smell me. I pushed him aside roughly as I saw Rikku watching the whole thing. I know that would cause trouble later. Her curiosity would come into play the first chance she had. I hoped it would not be too soon.
We gathered outside of the mansion and waited for Yuna to make up her mind as to what she wanted to do next. She sat on a bench as we all crowded around her.
"What should I do? It... it would bring joy to Spira."
"You could always give up your pilgrimage if you get married." Rikku suggested. It was in vain as I knew it would be. Yuna would not give up. Her will was too strong.
"Come on. Let's just go. Marriage? Yuna has plenty of time for that later." Tidus still did not understand, she must not have told him what awaits for her at the end yet.
"I'll going to go talk to my father. Then I think I can decide what I should do. So then, let's go to the farplain."
I cringed slightly. Somehow I knew she would want to go there, but also did not expect something like this to happen. As we walked Tidus began asking questions about what it was like there. He gave an involuntary shiver as until Wakka told him he would see it for himself.
I hadn't noticed it, but Rikku had trailed behind even me. I turned when I heard her voice behind me. "It's not like you actually see the dead. The pireflys react to your thoughts, and they show up. Nothing more." She almost seemed sad, but her next statement discredited that thought. "Well, see ya." She made a small one footed hop.
By now it was only the three of us left. Tidus looked around as she sat on the stairs across from me. "Aren't you guys coming?" He asked.
"I do not belong there. You better be going, Yuna is waiting." I told him. I steeled myself against the thoughts of what would happen if I were to cross that barrier.
"I prefer to keep my memories to myself. Besides, what if Wakka were to find out about me?" I had to give her more credit. She was more mature then she let on.
"Feh. Be that way." He turned and climbed the rest of the stairs.
I was enjoying the silence as we waited. I took a chance to glance over my shoulder at the Al Bhed across from me. She had pulled something out of her pocket, and was throwing it up in the air. She noticed my gaze and began with the questions. "So what did Seymour mean back in the mansion?" Her high-pitched voice giving me a chill.
"Nothing that you need to be concerned about." I moved so that I was facing away from her, giving the subtle indication this conversation was over.
"Hey! That wasn't very nice. I just wanted to know, that's all." She stomped her foot in aggravation. She then sighed and spoke in a softer tone. "I just want to be your friend. And friends help each other, you know."
I faced her once more to see that she had squatted down next to me. Though she had enough respect not to touch me in any way. I could see the fight in her eyes as she fought with herself whether or not she should put a hand on me in comfort. I sighed as her green-spiraled eyes watched every movement I made.
"Yes, friends help one another." I conceded.
She gave me a big smile and nodded her head once. "Exactly, so if you ever need someone to talk to..." She trailed off, but I knew what she was getting at.
"I'll keep that in mind."
She moved back to her original spot and began playing with that ball again. Neither of us saying anything more until the group returned. They came out not too long after that. Yuna in the back.
"Okay, I'm ready to go tell Measter Seymour what I decided." She smiled, but it was quickly replaced by a look of confusion as guado and guardian alike gasped. She turned around to see Measter Jyscal trying to break through the barrier. "Measter Jyscal?"
"He is Lord Jyscal no more. Yuna send him." Lulu advised the girl.
I braced myself for what was coming next. Being so close and standing in Yuna's presence as she danced made it difficult. I gritted my teeth together as I resisted. Nobody looked at me as she danced. They were concerned more about what was going on at the top of the stairs, which was fine by me. When the dance ended, I stood up quickly to make it look as if nothing had happened.
"We leave. Yuna must speak with Seymour." I left the farplain entrance not giving anyone time to say anything. The after effects still bothered me, but they would fade in time.
She went by herself back to the mansion while we split up. Kimahri waited by the door as always; Tidus and Lulu went off somewhere else to talk; Wakka waited and practiced with his blitz ball. And Rikku? She followed me before heading up to a higher level of the city to wait for Yuna.
"I saw what happened, you know. Something was hurting you. And if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here. I may seem like a child, but I'm more grown up then you think." She told me before leaving me.
Ten minuets later Tidus came running something. "Hey everybody, Seymour left. Some guado said he went to Macarena Temple."
"Macalania." Wakka corrected. Tidus just shrugged.
Well it looked like our journey was continuing. We were heading out.
Well that's it. I hope you like the little parts I added. I figured something more had to happen instead of just one event after another. I'll try not to do it too often if you don't like it though. Let me know. (hint, hint, review) I know it seems like I'm putting Rikku and Auron together a lot, but it seemed to me that after Tidus, she was the one who interacted with him the most. Next chapter will be up as soon as I finish typing it. Until then... G