The Makings of a Pilgrimage

"Well, Mt. Gagazet is pretty far away...maybe we should start with Besaid Island first. We just have to take a ship across. It won't take too long." Lucine said after the door had been fixed.

…

The young Ronso rushed toward the mountain trail entrance.

"Elder!" The Ronso called to a slightly hunched over male Ronso leaning on a wooden staff.

The older male turned around, revealing a slightly grayer Kimahri.

"What is it?" The elder asked the Ronso.

"I...I'm sorry I could not bring spring water. I came back to apologize. I will return with it quickly." The young Ronso said.

The elder shook his head.

"That is not important. I have new job for you." Kimahri said.

"What can I do to serve you, Elder?" the Ronso bowed.

"Stand." Kimahri said simply.

The Ronso did as she was told.

"Younger Ronso very important to rest of us. It is you who have energy and strength to carry out future." Kimahri began.

(What does this have to do with a job?) The Ronso thought.

"I wish for you to find Lady Yuna." Kimahri said.

"Elder..." The Ronso trailed off.

"I am not young and our people need me here."

"But Elder...I do not question your judgment, but what of the others who search for Lady Yuna?"

"They are older and do not listen to Elder as young Ronso do. You are young and willing to learn and listen to old Ronso."

"Elder..."

"Do you not wish to go?"

"No Elder, it not that. I...I just afraid of disappointing you."

"You will not. I give you good clue to find Yuna. Go to Besaid Island."

"That is-"

"Where Lady Yuna began her story. There you can follow her trail."

The young Ronso nodded.

"I, Lhinx Ronso will find Lady Yuna for Elder Kimahri." The young Ronso said.

Kimahri smiled proudly.

"Not for Kimahri, for Spira," the elder said, receiving a nod as a reply.

…

"Well, I haven't been in Besaid for years. It would be nice to see it again," Silver said. "Maybe then I can play blitzball against Wakka, I've heard he's pretty good."

…

(According to Elder Kimahri's direction's, there should be a ferry service near Zanarkand.) Lhinx thought as she walked through the exit of the cave that led to the path to Zanarkand.

(I can't believe I'm actually doing this...What is Elder Kimahri thinking? I can't even take a bucket of water down from the spring, how does he expect me to find Lady Yuna? She was to go to Zanarkand, and then suddenly she went missing...what could've happened?) Lhinx thought.

…

"Alright, then! Besaid it is!" Lucine opened her pack and was rummaging around inside, when she pulled out a small leather bag. "I think I've got enough Gil here to get us to Besaid and back." She jingled the bag a bit. "Yup. Definitely enough."

"You're in an odd little dream world indeed if you think you're paying the way for all of us," Zephyr chided as she carefully placed fire gem shards to weld the hinges of the door together. "I'm a woman of the world, I can pay for myself. I don't particularly look forward to the reception I'll be getting at Besaid Island, really . . ." She stepped back from the door and swung it experimentally. It moved smoothly, maybe even better than it did before. "I hear they're a bit touchy about Lord Seymour's . . . error, still."

"Okay, well," Lucine said, shaking the pouch again. "...Maybe just enough for all of us...one way." She grinned, trying to cover-up for her mistake. "And I'm sure Wakka and Lulu will welcome you, Zephyr. They really are nice people. In fact, the people of Besaid have probably put the whole Seymour thing behind them now." She said. Then, under her breath adding, "I hope..."

Zephyr pulled a coin from her pocket and flipped it in one hand amusedly, eyes following it on its glittering path through the air. "M'lady, have you ever heard of a half-Guado other than Lord Seymour? Aside from myself, I mean."

…

Lhinx yawned deeply as she leaned against the guardrail of the boat. The dock at Zanarkand was packed with visitors to the ancient city, much to the dismay of the Ronso.

(Is nothing sacred anymore.)

Too many times did some crazy tourist come up to her, wanting a picture or just to gawk at "an actual Ronso, can you believe it honey?".

(Those people never get out I suppose...) Lhinx thought with an annoyed look on her beast-like face.

Lhinx had been told many times about how years ago Spirans were very used to there being a Ronso around, but now that so few ever traveled with the lack of and little need for Pilgrimages.

…

Lucine thought about it a bit then answered. "None, I guess. But you don't look like Seymour. Everybody knew he was definitely part Guado. But you don't look it, so much. You have to look reeeally close to tell." She smiled widely at Zephyr.

…

"You say it as if looking like a Guado would be a bad thing," Zephyr said calmly, watching the coin on its path. "You see, Lucine . . . it's relatively simple. I, like Lord Seymour, am an unusual half-breed . . . and quite frankly, were I you I would not trust me." Zephyr looked past her coin at her quarry. She could tell, from the look on the face of Rikku's daughter, that phase one of the hunt was over. Her trust was solid, be it wise of her or not.

"However," she said, returning her gaze to her coin with a smirk, "since I'm such a rare creature, as I am . . ." Zephyr laid both of her palms up as her coin arched through the air, and somehow or other, one coin landed in each palm - one heads, one tails. The heads side of her double coin was a stoic man's face, with eyes that were curiously rusted out. Upon the tails side was a pair of dice with no numbers inscribed upon their faces, plain cubes.

"It's a one in a million chance," she said softly, looking up at Lucine with a smile. "Try to understand as best as you can . . ." Zephyr tossed the coins up again, and they seemed to join in midair before falling back down again into one palm. " . . . That luck and fate are two sides of the same coin."

With a flick of the half-Guado's thumb, the coin spun into Lucine's hands in a shining silver arc. "We're fated to be on this mission together, Lucine," Zephyr said finally, with a somewhat dangerous grin that fit naturally onto her face. She looked over the room at everyone in it. "I believe it, and I hope all of you do too. So let's get this thing rolling!"

…

"Actually, I think you were the one who was worried about looking like a Guado in the first place." Lucine said, equally as calm. "And I do believe what you said about fate. If we are destined to journey together, why not trust you? I admit it might not be wise..." She looked Zephyr straight in the eye. "But for now, I'm willing to try." She looked at the coin in her hand. It indicated tails. Times when Lucine was serious were rare, but this was definitely an appropriate time.

…

Zephyr smirked. "Eh, take a chance on me. I could be the best psychotic little half-Guado you'll ever know." She turned around, ready to leave then looked over her shoulder.

"Anyway, y'know what I mean about my appearance - my mother's a Guado, or rather, she, er . . . was a Guado." She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly before continuing. "I'm proud of what I am . . . it's just that other people sometimes don't trust me." She shouldered her gun with that rather creepy grin of hers. "Damn smart of them, really. When the mind of a Guado, the keeper of the Farplane, that which hears the voices of the dead and of the mad . . . when that merges with the drive and ridiculous ambition of a human, you get a Lord Seymour, or . . ."

She narrowed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair in its sloppy bun, her smile widening. "Or you get a Zephyr - strong as a tempest, capricious as a tornado."

She took a moment, then continued; "Seymour was a brilliant son of a gun, if out of his mind. I really hope I can do something as . . . visionary . . . as he did." Unable to surpress it, she burst out laughing.

…

The ship was well into the sea, land being nowhere in sight. Lhinx looked about the ship's deck, leaning back against the guardrails.

(Tradesmen, returning tourists, fishermen and sailors. Nothing unusual I suppose.) The Ronso thought. (Other then me I suppose.)

Her right ear cocked itself in a folded cone like shape and listened.

"Bevelle has gone to crud I tell ya'. New Yevon instituted a new tax to build a new chapel." A sailor complained. "Even those who don't follow New Yevon are supposed to pay."

"Well, can't you just not pay the tax?" A companion to the sailor asked.

"They find you if you don't." The sailor replied. "They got those soldiers and all they do is terrorize civilians. I'm headed to Besaid to get a job and set up a way to get my family there. It ain't safe in Bevelle."

(Interesting...) Lhinx thought.

…

Lucine couldn't help it. She let a little laugh escape her. Something about Zephyr's laugh made it very infectious. "Yes, I know what you mean. But maybe that's your problem. You're so used to people not trusting you, that you don't know anything else. Of course it's just a guess." She said, walking towards the door and stopping by Zephyr. "And I bet that someday you will be just as great as Lord Seymour. Only, you know, it will be something to help the whole of Spira. I just know it."

"Well, hey," Zephyr said with a shrug, smile still on her lips, "if I'm starting off by helping Rikku's daughter find the lost Gullwings, I figure I'm going somewhere with this funny little life of mine. But I digress," Zephyr said as she grinned and opened the perfectly balanced door. "I do believe we're off to the docks now, to get on our way to Besaid . . ."

Serenity looked at the two, who were both so serious that it sort of put her on edge. She stayed silent, looking off into space, drifting into her own world. It was terrible to see that such discrimination was still existed in Spira, after everything that happened. She only zoned back into reality with Zephyr's last comment.

"…I really hope I can do something as…visionary…as he did."

Serenity blinked, and looked at the girl. She figured it was a joke of some sort, or meant it in some other way, for soon the two were laughing. Serenity put on a smile, though still thoroughly confused, and walked off out the door, ready to head off, and needing some fresh air after being in the room for some time.

…

"Right! To Besaid we go, then!" Lucine marched out the door and headed for the docks, looking over her shoulder to se if the others were coming.

…

Lhinx sat down on the wooded deck of the boat, closing her eyes out of fatigue.

(We should arrive in Besaid by morning. Then I'm too find someone named Wohkke...no no...That's not his name....Wooky....nooo...Wa-something...Wakker..?...No....Well, I know the first syllable, I guess that's good.) Lhinx thought.

Sleep began to set in for the Ronso. An afternoon nap sounded way too good to pass up to the beast-like person.

But good things tend to avoid those who desire them most.

"Whadjoo say you son of a-#$%&?!" A loud, half-drunken voice thundered across the deck, silencing all who were in range of the sound.

"You heard me. Besaid is nothin' more then a clod of dirt full of blitzer wannabes and stinkin' fish. They don't stand a chance in the tournament." Another drunken voice snapped back.

A loud smack sound followed, bringing in loud chants and jeering as a deck fight ensued.

(Why can't I ever have a moment's peace?) The Ronso thought, keeping her eyes shut.

The noise intensified, what with almost all of the male passengers joining in just to get revenge on one accidental punch or kick that came their way.

(Peace...Tranquility...)

A large man tripped near Lhinx, his attacker going instead for the Ronso.

(Aah, I'm bored anyways.)

Lhinx rolled out of the way and punched the attacker square in the jaw.

…

Silver was really confused this time. But it suddenly hit him; he looked in his wallet and saw he had just enough money for his own pass. "Ok, if we have a problem to get money and get back we can build a boat and I'll pull it by swimming" he joked, really hoping that they could skip that.

…

Zephyr followed Lucine, looking like some sort of deadly bodyguard with her gun on her shoulder. Even so, she was smiling and humming a pretty - haunting, but pretty - tune.

…

Serenity stifled a laugh from Silver's remark, waiting until Lucine was ahead and then following after her, her hands atop her head again. She wasn't worried about money. She just got off the boat that left there, and still had the pass that took her back. Lucky she bought a round-trip ticket. "I don't think you'd make it all the way over to Besaid pulling all of us, Silver," Serenity teased.