FFX-2: Ties That Bind Fanfic

Chapter 14: Machina

The hum of the Machina was the only thing to break the silence as the Blitzball Ace looked down the hall to the world outside, the world guarded by Helm-P22, in the distance he heard gunfire and the sounds of magic and steel clashing, looked down at his ComSphere then back to the room where Rikku had vanished into a crawlspace and still had not returned.

"Rikku," his voice soft, "You coming out?"

"Just leave me alone." she said coldly.

Standing there he watched the crawl space, them made his way over, taking a seat on the floor by it's opening, "I think...I'm going to go look for the others...it's been too long."

"No!" Rikku's voice was frantic, scrambling out of the crawlspace with a panicked look as she wrapped her arms around him tightly, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry OK. Please don't go! I didn't mean it!"

As he pushed away Rikku eyes were red, puffy, and her face full of tears, she pulled him back into her embrace shivering. "Rikku? It wasn't that big a deal. What's gotten into you? I'm not still angry over that. What is it?"

"D-Don't go, p-please." she pleaded, holding him tighter.

Cautiously he wrapped one arm around her waist and ran another through her hair.

"I don't want to be alone."

"Alone?" he whispered, trying to calm the frazzled girls nerves.

"First Yunnie, then Paine, then even that fake Yunnie, I-I don't want to be alone in this place."

He nodded, understanding, "It's OK, your not alone. W-We can go together."

Rikku looked up panicked, "But what if they come back her..."

The beep of the ComSphere suddenly broke her focus, like a man dying of thirst in the desert Rikku jumped at the device, practically shouting, "Brother? Buddy? Shinra? Oh thank Yevon!"

"It's me." Shinra responded.

The Blitzball Ace stepped back as Rikku cradled the ComSphere protectively, "What is it Shinra?" he spoke aloud.

"I have news, some of it good." he said cryptically.

Rikku's eyes lite up, "You found Yunnie?"

There was a long pause, before Shinra spoke, "Maybe."

The Blitzball Ace nearly toppled over as Rikku leaps up nearly tossing the ComSphere in her excitement, "Where is Yunnie?"

"I don't know...exactly." Rikku's hear sank, The Blitzball Ace grabbing the ComSphere suddenly, "Well don't keep us in suspense!"

"I spoke with the other Yuna, we shared information on the Garment Grid and on the radar systems..."

"You gave the face Yunnie info on our Garment Grid, Shinra!" Rikku chided angrily.

"Quiet!" Buddy's voice cut over the com, "Listen to Shinra."

Rikku tensed and grew silent as the Blitzball Ace smiled, "We're listening."

"We now have the means to track all humanoid targets in the area, they are displayed a orange arrows on the radar." Buddy explained.

"It can even show markers at the edge of the map for the direction of those out of displaying range." Shinra elaborated, "But we will need you to return to the Celsius to update your personal ones. If Lady Yuna is out there she is one of the markers, so so are Machina and Fiends, they all look the say on radar. Still we have some leads."

"And 'Yuna' helped you with this?" the Blitzball Ace tried to confirm.

"Yes." Shinra said simply.

Rikku pupped away looking at the crawlspace a moment, her voice low, "M-Maybe he isn't so bad."

"What about Paine," The Blitzball Ace asked, "And 'Yuna' why aren't they back yet?"

"Interference prevents me from beaming down to the closest transport sphere, I can beam up fine but Paine had to enter at the entrance sphere, 'Yuna' went to find her using the radar upgrade as she was out of range and lost the friendly marker. To be honest your markers went dim as well but I haven't needed to keep track of you two to work the ComSphere so it didn't matter."

"Get on with it!" Rikku said impatiently.

Shinra paused again, "Anyway once 'Yuna' finds Paine using her generic humanoid radar signal they would have to make it back to your position. Right now they are resting in one of the abandoned houses. Paine thought you would like to know, and advised that you move to the next repair location then find a transport sphere. You can all meet up here on the Celsius where I can upgrade your radars, then transport down together in the morning to continue the search."

"So where just leaving Yuna alone down here all night?" The Blitzball Ace said incredulously. "Not happening."

Rikku beamed, wrapping her arms around him, "Yeah we're not going to start from scratch!"

"Paine thought you would say that, but without the radar upgrade the only person who knows where all the humanoids are is me and 'Yuna.'"

The Blitzball Ace sighed, "He's right."

Rikku slouched forward, "Not fair!"

"There is one more thing," Shinra added, "Paine is using 2 of the Garment Grids now, Wish Bringer and The End. Keep that in mind so you don't mess up her Dresssphere assignments."

"Got it," The Blitzball Ace nodded, "Anything else."

"That is it." Shinra finished, "Keep in touch."

And with that the ComSphere went silent, the Blitzball Ace putting away he never saw Rikku change jobs and as Berserker make a dash for the exit.

"R-Rikku? What are you doing!"

"I'm going to find Yunnie, even if I have to sniff her out!"

Thanks to his automatic-haste the Blitzball Ace was still faster, cutting her off, "I want to find Yunnie too but we can't keep splitting up, we need to meet up with the others."

Rikku snarled, knocking the Ace along the ground, "Don't get in my way!" before she charged off.

As he got to his feet he sighed, "She beserked herself." scratching the back of his head but by the time he had made it down the hall Rikku was long gone.

Sighing again he took out the ComSphere, slapping his forehead a moment, "And I have her ComSphere." With a resigned sigh he activated it, "Shinra," he began, "We have a problem."