Everyone prepares for the ceremony in the afternoon, and find their lives entwined in small ways.

Thank you for the follows/reviews.

italics = denotes thought or memory (for the most part)

Not Mine

The Morning Of

S and I

The article by Associated Communications member Gilly, known both for being able to stir drama but also maintain her journalism credentials - went up exactly as the sun begun cresting over the horizon. Data pads, magazines, newspapers, commspheres - the communication was impossible to ignore.

"Good Morning Spira! Today is the day." It started, "After eight long years of waiting her Lady Yuna will become her Emissary Yuna today. People from all over Spira have gathered in New Zanarkand to celebrate this joyous occasion. The coronation marks the end of Yuna's long journey that started with the defeat of Sin which heralded in the true Eternal Calm. This peace that she created for us was swiftly followed up by her fight and victory against Vegnagun. A victory that ended the cold war between the fractions of New Yevon and The Youth League, and put a stop to a great deal of the weapon propagating by the Al Bhed. We tried reaching out to Yuna or her camp but were told rather briskly that she was busy, which considering the circumstances we completely understand."

Sitting in her chair at the table inside their small but opulent apartment Shelinda sighed. Unlike the article she had been up before dawn, checking and then double checking the day's events. Elma had told her security was in place, and that she didn't have to worry but she still did. Yuna said it was one of her best qualities, that it meant that she cared too much but she still hated it. She had been up late last night too, unable to sleep - staring at the ceiling. Only a rather vigorous tussle in bed with Issaru had been eventually able to tire her out enough for sleep. Speaking of, "Are you ready?" She called back to her husband.

"Ah, in a moment. I cannot get this unruly bit of hair to sit still." He told her.

"I'm sure you still look a lovely picture. We will be late."

"Ack. I know."

Finally after a pause he came outside, trying to flatten the part of his hair that was still sticking up. Standing up her dark jade green gown shifted to the floor. Other than the deep red small butterfly outlines that had been stitched into it, the gown was rather simple. It was made to impress but not to overshadow. Walking over to her husband she took the comb he was fiddling with from him and bent his head so that she could comb out his unruly hair, "You are going to be okay you know. Cast aside the what if, you mustn't let yourself be overcome." She stepped back to admire his hair and smiled, "Let's go!"

"Let's. I got word that my brothers are already at the temple and it has been quite sometime since I have seen them. I heard that Maroda and Pace were chosen as part of my security detail."

When he said that Shelinda felt her face flush, "That was me. I thought it might be comforting?"

"Very much so. Thank you. But you are right, we are going to be late if we do not hurry."

He turned and opened the door for her. Grabbing her data pad and checking it for the umpteenth time that day Shelinda followed him, communication forgotten. Things would be perfect. They had to be - her job depended on it.

R and A and N

Rikku watched as Naimi's legs kicked back and forth before she snuck a small bit of the food she was eating under the table to Dusky. The monkey, who had been dressed in a small blue waistcoat and top hat chattered excitedly as it nibbled at the bread in it's hands. Once it finished it climbed up the chair and onto Naimi's shoulder, "What did I tell you about no monkeys on your shoulder while we eat?" Rikku asked.

"That it encourages Dusky to climb on the table, and eat food out of plates. But it's a special day sus! Look at him he's so cute." Naimi gave the monkey a scratch under it's chin that it's smile showed it clearly enjoyed, "Also why do I have to wear a short qipao dress. You and tyt are both wearing pants."

It was true for the most part. Rikku was wearing a modified version of her alchemist dressphere costume, that was less focused on function and more on fashion. For instance the half skirt had been lengthened and her orange boots which were normally more about function than form, now had a high heal and had forgone battle use for looking like they had just come out of a high end fashion catalogue. Auron meanwhile, well he looked as he always did and that was why his Rikku loved him, "You choose to bring the dress to wear didn't you?" Auron asked his daughter.

"I did. But I didn't know I could bring pants!" Naimi argued.

"Would you like to change?" Rikku asked.

"No that's okay." Naimi said quietly so that Rikku had to ask her to speak up, "No that's okay." She repeated.

"Alright." Auron said.

As they continued to eat Rikku looked down at her bowl of porridge and realized with a start what day it was. It wasn't so much that she didn't already know, just that the meaning of it suddenly came upon her swiftly and left her feeling as if she was free falling. Things would be so different after today. Her Yunie, her cousin, her best goddamn friend was about to be in charge of Spira. In charge of all of them, their destiny in her hands. It wasn't too different from how they had always lived their lives while adventuring, but somehow this felt different. She spooned a bite of food into her mouth and ate it slowly, "We'll protect Yunie no matter what right?" She looked at Auron for guidance.

"Even if people are terrible to her, or she faces another New Yevon verses Youth League situation, when the moon sets or when the sun rises. Yes, we will be there for her." Auron told his wife, "We are her guardians, but perhaps we are something more important as well - we are her family. All of us, bonded together by experience."

"Tyt! You're leaking." Naimi pointed to a stray pyrefly that had come loose from his form.

"Ah. I am." He glanced at his form which had lost some of its corporeal state, "I suppose I went too deeply into the memory of it."

"No. It's good. I'm glad. That's what I needed to hear. Now let's finish eating and join Knyhtvydran. We can walk over to Valefor's temple together with him." Rikku said.

"Yes ma'am!" Naimi saluted her mother.

Naimi's giggle was infectious and helped raise Rikku's spirits. Auron was right. What was about to happen was terrifying in a way that Sin had never been. Sin was constant, unending, and static. This was so very different - this was change.

A moment later her thoughts were interrupted when the comm on the wall next to them begun to whistle. She thought about letting Auron get it but it begun to glow orange signaling that it was for her. With a sigh she stood up and walked across their kitchen to see just who was calling.

L and N

Lulu pushed open the door of the cabin she was in to look out over the small village that used to be the only living area in Besaid. This was where she had grown up, where she had lost but also gained. The whole village had been gated off to company, and camera's lined the small road that made up the only street in the village. A few news reporters who had been given front seat access walked around waiting for those who had been invited to the private High Priest or Priestess naming ceremony to arrive. They didn't actually know that she and Nooj had opted to stay in her home village instead of the inn and Lulu thought to keep it that way until it became absolutely necessary to leave the tent.

She shut the door and turned to Nooj who was polishing his new bright silver colored leg modification until it shone. It had been a gift from Gippal on the occasion of the coronation and Nooj was very much in love with how well it fit and grafted with his skin. Two weeks ago he had been sick with the pain of the installation, which he had called a beautiful high - but now that he was no longer ill even Lulu could see that he moved better with it than his previous one. Gippal was getting better and better each time he made the new part that Lulu thought that Nooj might not need his cane one day. But for now he still did.

The cane too was a gift from Gippal, part cane part hidden blade. It went against the rule that Elma had tried to lay out that no one but protective detail would be able to carry weapons. However Lulu guessed that everyone who had watched over Yuna at some point would not be able to help themselves. A small moggle was clipped to the side of her dress, Rikku had already said she was bringing a dressphere, and she knew that Auron was fond of bringing his sword with him wherever he went. She wasn't sure about the others, but she didn't doubt they too would either have visible or hidden weapons on them somewhere. Especially Kimahri whose race considered weapons part of ceremonial clothing, "I know it's silly but looking out at everything, I feel like I might actually miss this." Lulu said, this emotion had not been present a few days ago.

"You could always do what Baralai is doing and abdicate to a council member." Nooj told her.

"And have to spend the rest of my hopefully short life locked up in a dusty room debating with people I loathe? Ha." Lulu answered, "Baralai can stand that. He even likes it for reasons I will never understand, but I would rather live thousands of lives than join the Yevon Council."

Thinking about it made her shudder. She had already lived that life for eight years and to do so for any longer was unacceptable. To be caged in that room again made her head dizzy. As her heart caught up with her emotions she laughed, "What do you find so funny?" Nooj asked.

"I believe you just cured me." She told him.

"It was a short ailment."

Still, there were parts of it she would miss. Not the debates, not the conversation, and surely not many of the people. But she would miss the feeling that came with putting a law or amendment into the flow of the world and seeing it blossom to life. In creating real change that lead to smiling faces and a world where perhaps there would be just a little bit less hurt, just a little bit less pain. So that perhaps no one would ever have to go through what she or Yuna went through again. That is what she would miss. But now it was Yuna's turn, a changing of the guard. And truthfully she was glad to give it up.

L and N (2)

Lucil had the chest at the end of their guest bed open and was riffling through it while Nhadala was in the bathroom putting on the finishing touches to her make-up. While Nhadala was in a short yellow summer dress Lucil had put on her old Chocobo Knight garb. For the most part she was doing her best to not look frazzled but when Nhadala came back into the bedroom she had to go back into the bathroom to get a comb and hand it to her wife. Lucil sighed, "I can't find my gun holster. I could have sworn I left it in this box." Her face looked a bit nervous and paler than usual, but she accepted the comb and was able to placate her hair back into position.

"Did you check the bedside table drawer?" Nhadala asked.

"I did." Lucil's brows knit and Nhadala could tell that she was frustrated, "My first day back at the gig and I can't find my gun holster."

Sighing Nhadala knelt down on the floor and took Lucil's hands. It was clear to her that her wife was more than a little nervous to be on protective detail after so many years away from the force. It didn't help that Elma had decided that it would be Lucil's job to watch over Yuna with her. Lucil had requested Lulu but somehow her old comrade had been able to talk her into helping out with Yuna on the premise that it would be just like old times. Originally Lucil had thought it would be fun but as the day had worn on yesterday she had confessed that she was nervous. Nhadala rubbed Lucil's palm with her thumb in soothing circles, "You are going to be fine. Who was it that saved me from those crazy Maelspike fish a few weeks ago when I dove to deeply into that underwater cave we were exploring."

"Me." Lucil sighed, "I should call Rikku and ask if I can borrow one of hers. I know she hordes them, hopefully she hasn't left yet."

Kissing Lucil softly Nhadala smiled and then helped her off the floor, "That would be the responsible thing to do."

"It would." Lucil said, "And dear?"

"Yes?" Nhadala inquired.

"Thank you."

"Love you too." Nhadala told her, "Now hurry up so we can get out of here."

With a small motion of accent Lucil ducked out of the room to make the call leaving a smug Nhadala in her wake.

K and K and N

Kelk grumbled as Nuvy licked the top of his head and then brought the large fur comb she was holding down the length of his back. She repeated this process a few times until he was squirming in his seat. When it had just been him and his father the last few days Kimahri had not demanded this of him. He had been treated like a true Ronso Youth instead of a Ronso pup. The arrival of his mother last night had changed that. If his friends could see him now they would be laughing their heads off. He hated it and his crossed arms into a stiff disposition letting his frustrations be shown, "Not pup anymore!" He complained.

"No not pup." Nuvy said, "But still son. Let mother dote on him. Soon will be full grown and mother will fade from thoughts."

"Never. Kelk good Ronso son."

At that Kimahri let out a bark of laughter from the back of the room and the chair he was sitting on, "Ha. Kelk troublemaker."

"Kelk Ronso youth now. Kelk good son! Good brother." Kelk argued with a bit of a wine in his voice.

"Good son not patronize Ronso mother like this." Kimahri told him, "Ronso mother would best Ronso son in combat. Make him look like paste."

Being reminded of his skill in battle made Kelk drop his arms and growl in frustration. But the point had been made. For the next few minutes Kelk let his mother, lick and comb his fur to shining. When she was done Kelk walked over to the mirror and had to admit that she had done a good job. His father took baths in the mountain springs to clean himself but his fur never shone like this. Mother's cleaning was best it was true and even his frustrations from before couldn't deny this, "Look like Ronso Chief." He complimented his mother.

"Not yet." Nuvy said, standing up from her place on the floor. She walked over to the counter, where she opened a black box and took out a hollow silver horn cast. She returned to her son and affixed to Kelk's almost grown horn, "Now you ready."

His father had one too, only his was golden and not silver to show his status as Chief. It had been made to hold tight to his blunted half horn but still extended upward to a point. It was the first time Kelk had seen his father with a full horn and it made him full of pride. Hornless or not his Ronso father was the epitome of Ronso pride and Ronso strength. Some Ronso pups had even tried to blunt their own horns in solidarity before they were caught and admonished. It was said now that no one other than the Chief could be hornless and so strong. Ronso father had laughed when Kelk had told him this, and said it was just a myth to stop Ronso pups from cutting off their horns. All Ronso were strong no matter the size of their horns. Still it wouldn't do to tell Ronso pups to go cut off such a weapon, "Is Kimahri nervous?" Nuvy asked her husband.

"Yuna is strong like mountain. Yuna will be fine." At his father's words Kelk whooped, "Yes. Kelk Ronso youth correct. Today is day of celebration. Let go celebrate."

B and P

Baralai laughed as Paine fiddled with the high collar of her white dress. In all of his years of knowing her he had seen her in the type of dress she was wearing a grand total of once. The dress had looked different last time and he had known she had hated wearing it then just as equally as she hated wearing it now. Anything for her best friend Baralai surmised, anything for the woman who was her father's chosen partner. Paine fiddled with it a little more until the stiff fabric sat against her neck in a way that worked and didn't leave her feeling uncomfortable. For the most part the dress had a simple silhouette, but at the bottom as per Valkyrie tradition were the symbols of the different Aeons. Unlike the dress she had won at the start of the battle against Sin the rainbow color had been forgone for simple black thread.

It fit her better, which was good because she was wearing a large skull ring to complement it. A stiff cape also in deep ebony black, hung off her shoulders. Baralai thought she looked like a goddess of death, and perhaps she was. The only one of them who had been unable to put her sword down, who cut down swaths of fiends and found pleasure in it. The last remnants of Yu Yevon and Sin's bloody urgings curling inside of her - unable to deny them like her father could, like her father had. But then, there was also the woman who could come home and just sit for hours. A beautiful oxymoron, he loved every bit of her, "You're stunning." He told her and meant it.

"You don't look so bad yourself." She teased.

"These are just normal robes. Just normal me."

"And he is stunning."

If he were a stronger man he would have been able to stop the blush that colored his face. He was not a stronger man and so he felt his face heating up, "Tidus will not like the gown." He commented.

"He will recoil once. I have warned him that I plan on wearing it. He cannot escape the fact that I killed him, it will be with him forever. He will grow stronger from each sting. The dress is not for him."

No Baralai supposed, it was not. It was for Yuna, to show solidarity. To remind her of the bond the two of them shared. There was a knock on their door, "Breakfast!" A chipper voice informed them.

Baralai stood up leaving Paine to her devices. As he stuck his head out the door to thank the woman who had brought their food he saw Lucil talking animatedly on a commsphere and chuckled to himself a little bit. When he returned he noted that Paine had her eyes closed, her way of telling him that she was speaking to Yuna and Tidus. Giving Paine time to herself, he put the tray on the table next to them and drank from one of the cups of tea that had been brought for them. Wheddn Paine was done they would eat and then depart.

G and C

Gippal fixed the edge of his buzz cut and then put the razor down to admire his face. Not too bad if he had to say so himself. He was quite the handsome devil honestly. He had no idea why Rikku always thought it pertinent to mock this haircut - buzz cuts were in this season. Also he had started to get tired of always finding sand in his long golden locks so off all his hair had come. And no matter how much Rikku said it was true, the haircut did not make him look like their father. It just wasn't true. It made him look badass.

A knock on the metal bathroom door interrupted his thoughts and his father's gruff voice spoke to him, "Rikku said she's going to be a few minutes late, but it shouldn't change her arrival time too greatly. You finished preening in the mirror?"

Ah yes he had forgotten the joys of living at home. When he was young he hadn't minded it too much. After all there were meals he didn't have to pay for, a bedroom he didn't always have to clean, and all sorts of other nice perks - if he wanted something his father would, money permitting buy it for him. Of course he was a grown adult now, and his father's self appointed representative for all Al Bhed matters but living with his father sometimes made him feel like a child again, "Almost done old man. Hold your horses."

"Who you calling an old man? Didn't they teach you more self respect than that?"

"With you teaching the lessons?" He shot back and then opened the door.

His father was leaning against the metal wall that ran alongside the door. As he came out Cid pushed himself off the wall and the two of them walked side by side into the bridge room. His half-brother, and Rikku's full brother was there waiting for them as well shutting off controls and turning the airship off. For some reason Brother was okay with living with Cid, even found ways to take pleasure in it. But then Brother had always been content with taking things slow. Cid said Brother took after him, they were both a little wild at heart but deep down they were okay with living an easy undisturbed life. Rikku and Gippal took after their mothers. They were doers, they loved getting their hands dirty and changing the world around them.

In one of his father's more pensive moments he had told Gippal that he was glad that all the women in his life had been so willing to fight and break things to fix them. To go against the status quo. He was no longer hurt that Sayda had decided to marry outside off Al Bhed blood, because when you looked at the outcome - at the woman Yuna was and had become - how could you be angry at that? She had swept into their life like a whirlwind and left them without Home, but she had also by doing so knocked down the racial barriers that had long existed between those from Yevon and the Al Bhed.

That's why this day was so important to some of them. It would truly signify the beginning of what he hoped was a new age, a new dawn to the story of the Al Bhed. No longer feared, and no longer regulated to dark alleyways to skulk about. Yuna was a child of Spira above all, a child of a united Spira - not a broken one, "You seem like you've dipped into some scary thoughts there." Cid said.

"Nah. Just thinking about Yuna." He told Cid.

"She's come a long way hasn't she? She's got her sudran's blood." Cid said.

"Indeed she has."

A small ringing noise alerted them to the fact that a small boat was approaching their ship and Brother exclaimed excitedly, "Rikku is here!"

Indeed she was Gippal though. Together with his father, and his half-brother they went out to greet her.

Y and T

Elma and Lucil both would be at her home at any moment so Yuna was outside on her porch enjoying the morning sun before they arrived. She was dressed in her formal lavender, white, and gold robes. Around her neck she wore a black stole, which had her own butterfly and phoenix symbol embroidered into it with thin stitching at the bottom. The same symbol that she had seen the day before on the banner on the Capitol building. It had been Tidus's idea - to slowly replace the symbol of Yevon with her own. Of course she couldn't completely erase it, it would always be in the alphabet as "A" but as a religious symbol - Tidus said it had to go.

As he had told her this she could tell that he was struggling to get the words out, unhappy to erase part of himself that had made such a mark on Spira's history but eventually he had told her that it had to be done. Himself be damned. Lulu, Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal - who had been part of that particular conference call, had agreed. Yuna was hesitant to put her mark on the world like that but Lulu had put it in plain terms that it would either be her or Yevon, and which would she prefer. After that she had agreed with a little less, but still some - reluctance.

She took a sip of her tea and banished those thoughts from her mind. It wouldn't do well to dwell on the past, instead there was a future ahead of her and despite her fears she would conquer it. Closing her eyes to the sunlight she took a deep breath, today would be a good day.

"It will be." Both Paine and Tidus told her at the same time.

"Listening in were you?" Yuna said mirth in her voice.

"Couldn't help it. You were worrying loudly, interrupting morning breakfast." Paine told her.

Next to her Yuna heard the floorboards creak as Tidus joined her. He didn't say anything and Yuna opened her eyes to reach out for his hand, "Sorry for interrupting breakfast." Yuna said.

"Not all is lost." Paine said.

"Not all is lost." Tidus repeated and smiled at Yuna as he said it.

"Don't be so pessimistic." Yuna said, "We have our whole future set out for us. If we fight for it, there is so much to gain."

At that she could hear both Paine and Tidus laugh, "It's just breakfast." Paine told Yuna.

"Oh hush." Yuna said. Despite that Yuna too couldn't hold her own laughter in, and joined them in their merriment. As her laughter quieted she let out a breath, "Today is really the day isn't it." She said.

"It is." Tidus said, "Are you afraid?"

"No. I think I should be. Afraid. But I'm not. Everyone is with me, cheering me on. I reach out and can touch feelings - yours and Paine's and the warmth of them, and I know that I will be ok."

As she said this she leaned against Tidus's shoulder and took another sip of her tea. Elma and Lucil would be here soon indeed.

A/N:

Knyhtvydran: Grandfather

Sudran: Mother

This is a bit of a quiet chapter before the next two with just a little smattering of plot.