Ayami the Al Bhed

Ayami

Aya

Lil' Gear

19

Female

Mechanic, Member of the Machine Faction

Al Bhed (Half blood)

Light

Spira

Grandma Aya:
Ayami's grandmother and biggest source of wisdom. She has been through quite a lot, and given up any chance of a normal life at every single opportunity in favor of being with friends and family instead. She constantly encourages her Granddaughter to set out on an adventure as she herself once had done, though at the same time cannot deny she would miss the child if that happened. Greatly supportive of her entire family, she does however have standards, of which "killing to save oneself" is not part of. She denies "Ends justify the means" thinking, and thus has a bitter hatred of Yevonites that even now that greater peace exists she cannot wholly forget. Despite being fully human, her past actions have led to her being viewed favorably by the Al Bhed, and she is in essence seen as an honorary member of their community.

Grandpa Canja:
Though he has been gone for a few years, her grandfather was, similar to Grandma, a source of great inspiration and wisdom. His stories of his life before Home, his leadership of a fringe group of Al Bhed, and the great Pilgrimage they made to reach their new home gave her dreams of being great, of exploring the world around her. He gave her many of the mementos from his various nomadic travels before Home was built, mementos she cherishes even today.

Mother Ayana:
Ayami's mom, the sole protector of her child since Fyn disappeared without a trace. Like Ayami, she is a half-blood Al bhed. Possessing the green eyes of their race, but not the blonde hair. She has her own form of wisdom seperate from her parents, having wisdom more akin to a wild rogue than a calm elder. However, despite being so unyielding and free, she still passes good knowledge onto her daughter, such as how to survive in various dangerous environments, weapon smarts, and bar etiquette! It's because of Ayana that Ayami has a love for competitive fighting, and has studied deeply into it. It's a dream that takes second place only behind discovering all the world's machina. Much of Ayami's more wild and brash nature comes from Akana.

Father Fyn:
Ayami's father. He disappeared during the fall of Home and hasn't been seen since then. Though he still had perhaps the biggest impact on her life. It was him that took her along with him any time he was working around machina. His hard work and dedication to the salvaging lifestyle inspired her the most of all, and is the main reason she works alongside the machine faction today. She still wonders where he could have gone to and continues to believe he survived the fall of Home despite the insistence of others that they would have seen him if he had.

Acquaintances Rikku and Brother:
Though she isn't deeply close to these two, she grew up alongside them and would often play with them when they were kids. Her lifestyle did draw her further away from them however, and she hasn't seen them since the fall of Home. However, word travels around quickly, so she does at least know they're safe and sound for the time being.

Yuna:
A girl Ayami has never met personally, someone she doesn't even know beyond a name and a face. And yet...She feels a connection to Yuna. Their travels across Spira are not so different, even if their goals and drive are far removed from each other. Yuna's words to all of Spira gave Ayami hope in her darkest hours, and without those words she might not have been able to continue forward. She hopes one day she can meet Yuna in person, and tell the former-summoner how her words changed things for the better.

Gippal and the Machine Faction:
As someone who has worked alongside them since near their start, she feels as though they are like family. All of her passions align with their goals, and that is something she respects deeply. Gippal gave her a role to fill when she wasn't entirely sure of her place in the Eternal Calm, that's something she can never forget - Nor ever be thankful enough for.

Ayami is Eccentric, naive, excitable, obsessive, childish, and curious. That is her in a nutshell, however on a deeper level there's much more to these traits of hers. Her eccentricity lies deeply in her love of machina, and machines in general. The history behind them, their inner workings, the way that one machina goes "click, whrrrr" when you flip its switch. To say she loves machina would be an understatement, people honestly tend to spread...Rumors about it all.

Her naivety lies in how secluded the Al bhed used to be. She grew up in Home, never seeing the world outside until Home was destroyed. She always knew there was a wider world of course, but without firsthand experience, she could only fill in the blanks using her own child imagination. She prefers to see people as good before assuming they're bad, even when "I'm evil" is metaphorically written all over them, alongside this however is a downside: She can be ignorant of some things without meaning to be, a thing that leads to a lot of misunderstanding and can cause some to simply see her as "Rude" when it's more accurate to call her blunt and brash.

She is ever excitable in all areas she has a passion in. She can talk almost endlessly about those passions of hers once she starts. Basically anything she loves she could be considered a "nerd" in. Often it takes outside interference to make her stop rambling on about things which she enjoys. Hobbies, Dreams, her Job, these are all things which you would regret asking her about on any given day unless you have several hours to kill.

Her obsessiveness is something of an inherited personality trait. Her father showed this as well, though to a lesser degree. Once Ayami becomes passionate about something, she will go to the ends of the earth in order to digest everything there is to know about that particular thing. As a result she may not have very much social knowledge, but she has a deep understanding of the history of machina, styles of combat, and many, MANY other "trivial" topics.

Her childishness? This comes from her continuing to be childlike at heart. Her dreams and hobbies all reflect those she had growing up, they have never wavered even a little. Even against the worst hardships the Al bhed have faced, she just continues to seek her passions with a smile on her face. Of course, it's not all positive; She can act like an unruly and bratty child when she's upset. Deep down it does embarrass her to act this way, but it's not something that can really be helped other than through age and experience.

Lastly is her curiosity. her curiosity is a culmination of many of her other personality traits, it's a drive to discover the truth of something; The WHOLE truth. Even in situations where others might shy away out of fear, she will continue on in the name of discovery and sating her own burning curiosity; sometimes to the detriment of her own safety, other times to the benefit of the morale of others.

Pre-Birth 『Grandma Aya's Pilgrimage』:

Long before Home was founded, the Al Bhed were scattered, pockets of them trying their best to hide and survive. One such place was Baaj. A small group of them lived here in secret, given their affinity for underwater, it was a perfect place for hiding from humans who wouldn't dare to look in the region. However, they hadn't anticipated a lone human girl would come upon their society. This girl wasn't trusted, but she was alone. Despite constant threats from the fringe group she still set up camp here on this land, days passed, even weeks. The Al Bhedian group bickering and argued of this girl's reasoning. Was she a spy? Some kind of mercenary? Was this all a long game designed to draw them out of hiding?

Others argued that perhaps maybe she was just a traveler, a nomad like them? Maybe even someone banished from society. No matter what the truth was, their leader decided that they wouldn't find out just sitting in hiding and making assumptions. Nor did it seem that she would fall for their bluff and run away. He directed them to simply avoid that camp for now, and thought things over deeply. Was there really a right answer? Several weeks passed like this, until finally he went alone despite the protest of the others, he approached her camp calmly, taking out his weapons and dropping them to the ground in a showing of peace. Though she had put her guard up, she stared at him for a moment...Before finally letting her own weapon drop to the ground.

She didn't let her guard down even still, but she gave him a chance. After all, no Yevonites would travel this far from the mainland, right? If anything, he looked more like an Al bhed. She cautiously gave him her name "Aya", and then explained that she sympathized with Al bhedians. It prompted a rather silly exaggerated sigh of relief out of him as he explained why his people were here, he introduced himself as "Canja" and explained the risk it posed for their home to be found out. He explained why they were so hostile, and apologized for it before mentioning that he would make sure they kept their distance from now on before excusing himself.

But he couldn't help his curiosity. Why was she here? Was she an outcast? How could she have sympathized with them? No one to his knowledge ever had. It just wasn't something people did, he understood before that it was because they couldn't have sympathy without experiencing it themselves. But perhaps he was wrong? The fact that he could have been wrong in all he thought was what fueled his curiosity the most. He wasn't going to tell the others however, because they weren't trusting of outsiders, with good reason. It was just better not to say anything and risk causing strife.

A month passed, and the Al bhedians had forgotten the exchange, they continued to avoid the girl's camp out of respect for their leader's orders. But Canja couldn't forget, his curiosity burned at the back of his mind. He had to know answers, but to speak to a human was a risk that previous leaders of his group had warned heavily about. The responsibility of taking risks like this was even heavier on him because he was supposed to keep them safe, not lead them into risk. He decided to take a risk without the others becoming aware. They didn't know her as he did. He waited for nightfall and approached her camp, to say she was suspicious was an understatement.

However, he was civil before, and she was awake so it was less suspect as it could have been. She lowered her guard and allowed him to approach. She had studied their history and culture for so long, it was these same studies that led to her growing bitter towards Yevon and those who followed these teachings, it was because of their atrocities that she left the mainland in search of a life of hermitage. But maybe she could learn more from an actual member of this culture? It would be a rare opportunity to better understand, to solidify her sympathy. It was because of this reasoning that she opened up to him. She explained her past, why she came here and what it was she intended to do moving forward.

He returned the favor; and explained his leadership over this small group of Al bhedians, where they had come from, what they too intended to do going forward. The two understood each other on a level that had not been seen in some time by two opposing races. It may not have been an earth-shattering historical event, but it was still important for them. These two that were uneasy had become...Friends. He continued to visit her one night a week, speaking with his newfound friend and just gaining a new perspective on things. Though the others would still never approve of a human, here he was on good terms with one.

It would have to change eventually, as all things do.

The others became suspicious of his activities during the night, it didn't take long to piece together what it was he was doing. They grew distrusting of him, and enraged at this human. One rainy day they approached the camp despite Canja's protests, ready to take care of the problem themselves. It brought bad memories back to the girl as she held them at bay. Even despite the best of her abilities, she couldn't stand against all of them at once. Though Canja stood to her defense, it took a moment of back and forth yelling before the fighting finally ceased. Both the human and Al bhed were battered and bruised as the group returned to their hide away, waiting to speak to their now unfavorably viewed leader.

Though in their silence, the two heard frantic shouting as it cut through the sound of the rain. They rushed towards this sound to find the group was being attacked by an aquatic fiend. The great beast Geosgaeno. It attempted to kill the group of Al bhed as they went back towards their hideaway. Despite her reservations, and the markings of their hate, Aya stopped Canja from stepping forward, instead drawing her own blade and diving into the blue abyss. The brave girl fought toe to toe with the beast, even despite being at a disadvantage. She gave the others time to escape as she struggled. The tides of battle began turning in Geos' favor, however before it could deal a finishing blow Canja retaliated, firing a weapon of his own to distract it. In it's confusion, Aya jammed her blade deep within it's tough hide, causing it to recoil and flee from the area. Though it would certainly return one day, the situation for now had been handled...

Her body certainly worse for ware, she dragged herself onto the beach, thankfully having kept the knowledge of a basic healing spell on hand for occasions just like this, she cast it on herself and the Al bhed leader. Though it was tough, both physically and emotionally, she knew she could at least rest easy knowing she had helped. Regardless of her prior treatment. After a sincere apology, Canja left back to their home. He feared that the rift this incident created would destroy their friendship. It was never his intent to bring harm to anyone, but it still filled him with guilt.

There was no contact between the Al Bhed and the lone human for several months. However, eventually regret had filled the entire group. It took them some time to think upon what she had done even despite their hatred and distrust. Few wanted to admit it, but all saw what had really occurred. That lone human never fought back against them. Was it sympathy? Suicidal tendencies? It was a blurred line when someone wouldn't even defend themselves, to be honest. But whatever the case, they had come to a conclusion; they would ask forgiveness. Even if it was too late to do so, even if their words didn't reach her, at the very least this much had to be done.

On that bright and sunny day, they approached her camp, this time not with malice and distrust, but with acceptance and regret. Though she showed them her own distrust at first, they showed that there was no intent to attack through the revelation that only one had brought along a weapon - For protection only. They made their regret clear to her, insisting that it was out of a lack of experience that they didn't show her trust. They had their reasons not to trust humanity, history showed as such. There was no one who would have ever wanted to be led to slaughter. Despite everything, she smiled at them.

Her words were made clear in return - She understood their distrust, through those feelings she shared in much the same way they did. It was her forgiveness that was the tipping point, clear communication showed that neither side meant harm despite what had occurred. From that day forward, an offer was made, though a most unconventional one; join the Al bhed as an honorary member, set aside the hermetic path and join someone she understood well. Though she hesitated, she realized that her situation was a lonely one, and that perhaps...They weren't different from her after all. It was a difficult choice, but she accepted even knowing that others of this race might be harder pressed to accept her. It was a risk, but one she would have to accept.

And so, one chapter closed. The two friends grew into something much closer, and eventually a new generation would be born shortly before the founding of Home.

Childhood 『Gears of Fate are Turning』:


And so two generations had come about since that time so long ago. Now Aya had a grand child, given a name purposefully similar to her own: "Ayami". This child was...Unique to say the least. Her childhood wasn't that dissimilar to those other Al bhed children experienced. She lived in "Home" alongside all the rest, being on at least an acquaintance level of knowledge with almost everyone in the city due to the al bhed population being so low. The other kids picked on her at first due to her half-blood nature, though not for long. She was taught how to fight from her mother, which she promptly used to make sure nobody really made fun of her. Though the end result wasn't really purposeful, she viewed fighting with the other kids as fun. The others didn't so much.

Still, despite all this she couldn't really view her childhood as "negative". It was all positive, even if not totally perfect, she has never really wanted for more. Her growing years were spent following her parents around, asking questions, and learning from them. When it wasn't about those things, she was playing with the other children of Home, sharing her hobbies endlessly with the others. Admittedly most of them got bored of hearing it before long, but she certainly didn't! That was one downside however she does wish was a bit better. She never had close friends, there were only people she knew. Her differences made it much harder for her to fit in. No one hated her per say, they just didn't...Mesh with her.

But, this was something that only had a minor impact on her. Though she still thinks about it from time to time, it doesn't keep her from her optimism and aspirations. Rather, she's pushed forward due to those hobbies of hers that keep the inner loneliness at bay. Aside these things, her time spent gaining wisdom (Read: taking naps) at her grandparents house was well spent! Simple days like these were ones she cherishes, even despite her yearning to see beyond her homelands. Sometimes she has even felt... ... Homesick.

FF-X 『Dawn of Purpose』:

When Ayami reached the age of 17, the conflict surrounding the return of Sin began in full-force. However, this conflict was only talked about among the Al bhed. For the time being she had never personally experienced the heat from this situation. Rather, in the early stages of this point in time, she had grown into an experienced, if...Slightly immature young adult. Though she heard whispers of "Summoners", she was never involved in their "kidnapping", nor did she ever set foot in the sanctum from which these summoners lived. She did consider it once, though she had a much more important job on her hands:

She was tasked with assisting in the upkeep of Home's outer defenses. This job naturally involving being around and working with heavy machinery all day was basically a dream job for her to the surprise of no one. Her parents were certainly proud of her as well, knowing their daughter had such an important job. ... Well, marginally important, but deeply important to those three personally! It was with this job she finally got even further hands-on experience than she had as a child, as an introduction to advanced machinery, there wasn't a better option. Besides, this really did a lot to take her mind off of the loss of her Grandfather only a year prior.

Still, she couldn't help but be curious of the coming storm that was so often talked about. Who was this "Yuna" they kept bringing here time after time? How did she leave so much? WHY did they keep bringing her back? It confused the engineer gal so much. Worse yet were the fear-filled talks of this "Sin" threat potentially coming for their home. How could anyone find this place? It was in the middle of a desert that no one ever dared traverse. Ayami had doubted this ever being a problem back then. Something she regrets not taking more seriously at the time.

Peace sadly cannot last permanently, suddenly and with little warning, Home was assaulted by the Guado, the attack was fierce, and took so many people. In the chaos it took everything Ayami could possibly manage to keep it together. After being forced to abandon her post it was perhaps luck that she managed to meet up with her family despite everything going on. They attempted to stand their ground, though once the evacuation order had been issued, there was no questioning it, the entire family retreated as quickly as they could manage. Sadly, it was not that simple, an escape Hover was required to get away in time. While preparing the escape vehicle Fyn stood his ground to buy the other three time. With a group effort put towards this escape craft, it was not the decision of Ayami or her family to disembark, but they needed to leave immediately, and Fyn was unfortunately still caught in the middle of battle...

...They were forced to leave him behind as the city collapsed behind them, there was no evidence of his escape or survival. A heavy burden had been laid upon the girl as she went forward not knowing the fate of her own father. Despite the insistence of others that he was gone, she vowed that as soon as everything was safe and had been settled, she would find him no matter what. It was a promise she could never forget, a promise she hoped would reach him, where ever he was right now...

It took some time, but Ayami and what remained of her family found a place to settle. Things were difficult, but she never let her optimism fade. Though their original home was gone, there was nothing holding her back from looking for her Dad, so it wasn't all bad! With things resolved with her family, she told her mother of her quest, and like the summoner Yuna she had heard about following the attack on Home, set out on her own journey. It was this quest of hers which would soon take her across the world of Spira.

She began her journey in Luca. A port town that accepted Al Bhed, even if reluctantly. It was here she first observed the sport of Blitz ball, she took some time to watch it, it...Did a lot to take her mind off of current events. A well timed stop in her adventure for sure! After scouring Luca asking for a man named "Fyn", and being met with no success, she set off towards the Mi'ihen Highroad. Though a short and uneventful travel, this path led to Mushroom Rock road, and then to Djose. She noted the temple there, making sure to cover her eyes with her goggles from this point forward to hide her affiliation with the Al bhed. There were certain to be more Yevonites moving forward, she wasn't going to let them stop her from finding her father.

She continued forward across Spira, making her way to the South end of Moonflow. It was...A dangerous visit. People hostile to the al bhed were most certainly all over this area. She had a few close calls with some Yevonites stopping her before she could cross the river...However after careful speaking, they allowed her to continue onward. It seemed given the map she had on hand that the only way forward from where she was, was the city of...Guadosalam. The home of the people who had destroyed her city.

She came upon Guadosalam. She pushed the fear she felt into the back of her mind, trying her best to ignore it. Steeling herself, knowing why she came here, she went into the city. It was an oppressive place, full of swampland and darkness. She tread carefully around the city searching for a man named Fyn, speaking calmly and sparsely so as to not draw attention to herself. It took longer than it had in the last city, but thankfully her father wasn't in this dreaded place. She made her way out as quickly as she could, before someone became suspicious. It was time to leave Guadosalam behind and head for the...Thunder Planes.

The Thunder Plains were a treacherous travel for the lone girl, but she had little choice, this place had to be crossed. Through much struggle she managed to pass through safely. Though...Not without a few close calls! Next however was the far more peaceful and beautiful Macalania Woods. For a change, she traveled through a peaceful area meeting little resistance before reaching the clearing that shared the same name. Though an equally beautiful place, she couldn't stay here, there were more places to visit. He had to be out there somewhere. However, the next place she would go to was far, far more dangerous...

Bevelle. The greatest concentration of the Yevonite religion stood strong here. Of course, none of that was known to Ayami. Unlike Guadosalam, she knew nothing of this place. But it was massive. Perhaps he really was here? Though once she entered the city, the strong presence of those who she had been warned about made her realize that this would perhaps be the most dangerous place she came upon. But just as before, she forced her fears away, this was necessary. She slowly slinked her way through the city, looking for someone who looked like her dad, or someone who looked as though they would know something. She couldn't just start asking, even she knew that asking random people without sizing them up first would draw attention to her.

This time it took days of careful searching, buying her time and looking people over before speaking to them. Days were wasted however, as her father was not here either...However, as she started on her way out, she bumped into a guard, drawing attention to herself. Seems they recognized the goggles! She had been compromised, she pushed the guard aside, toppling over several others with his body. She ditched them very quickly, it was a dangerous chase, but she managed to slip behind a doorway, having evaded them due to the large crowds. She stared down someone's unfortunate laundry hanging out to dry, and pilfered a cloak from it to hide her identity. With the guards on high alert, she moved carefully to the exit and slipped away, heading off towards the calm lands. She fought away doubt in her mind as she knew she would soon run out of places to look.

She could definitely tell why this next place was called the "Calm lands". There was very little here that posed much threat, compared to the earlier locales she had traversed. Though, despite the peace it was definitely going to be a long trip across. She would have taken one of those "Cho-cobos" things, but she certainly had no earthly idea how to ride one, so she opted to walk instead. It was a multi-day travel that went rather uneventfully, save for the occasional wild creature that attempted to stop her. It seemed that those Yevon followers weren't seeking her out, though they were still out even this far looking for...Someone... She kept her distance and made sure to remain low profile. No sense drawing attention if they weren't after her.

Thankfully these random Yevonite hunting parties did little to stop or slow her progress across the open plains. She had finally reached the opposite end of this expanse, and found the foot of a mountain. Judging from her map she surmised it to be none other than Mount Gagazet. She was quickly running out of land to search, and the road ahead looked even more treacherous than before. But she had to press on. He was out there somewhere, waiting. There was no way she was going to back out now. Though there were yet more barriers standing in her way, as she would soon learn.

She had approached the base of the mountain hoping to continue onward, but was met with resistance. The Ronso insisted that only summoners may pass through their mountain. Though she tried to reason with them, their rules were naturally set in stone and unwavering. While she respected their integrity, she also had a mission! She wasn't gonna let respect stop her now! She walked away, pretending to be discouraged from entering... ... Only to sneak around a corner and find a way up the mountain wall and around the narrow gateway. Though she was now inside the path, she couldn't just walk up! There were still Ronso everywhere, and it was doubtful any of them were going to have a differing stance from those at the entrance. Thankfully this issue was resolved rather simply, she spotted a shop stall set up nearby - And more conveniently, a sizable barrel for storing things next to it. She snuck around, behind, and over rock formations to avoid being caught as she made her way over.

It wasn't far to reach this barrel, and with a simple flipping of it's orientation, it was now a perfect cover for her to hide under! She scuttled along up the mountain path, occasionally stopping so that passing Ronso would see only a stationary barrel. ... For whatever reason, no one questioned said stationary barrel nor indeed ever inspected it, much to her relief. Upwards she went towards the mountain's peak. Though the further she climbed, the more dangerous it became, now not only did she have to hide from Ronso, but from fiends, as well! Many close calls were had as this strange little barrel shuffled along the path, but even with all those close encounters, it did nothing to stop her. What almost DID stop her however was a set of trials blocking the way to the summit. Though in a twist of luck, someone had already recently cleared these trials ahead of her, so without stopping to question the fortunate timing, she continued on to the peak of Gagazet.

It was here she could finally ditch that barrel! She also got to take a good look at the end of the road...Zanarkand. Though the air was thick with darkness, she knew that if she stopped now, there would be regrets. If he was here somehow, no if there was even a small chance... She had to go looking. It was rare that fear ever actually made her hesitate, but this place...As she traveled closer and closer, a sense of dread grew more. It was no normal land; even in her endless naivety she understood this much. But even despite all this dread, there were only so many places he could be, it was going to be a quick check and then back out, right? If only it were that simple.

She finally made it to the outskirts of Zanarkand, the end of her journey was at hand. But this feeling was oppressive, as if something there didn't want her to enter, no more than that, it was as if this force was DEMANDING she leave. But even with such a terrifying warning, she couldn't turn back. Not yet. She was so close now. If she could search what remained of Zanarkand, she could at least know her father wasn't in any danger, where ever he was. More than that, it was like a coming of age for her, a trial to prove she had finally matured into an adult. She made it this far after all, what else was there to stop her? She tread carefully into the city ruins, keeping her guard up in case anything should attack.

There was just so much to search through here, it wasn't something she had anticipated would be such a difficult task. When she wasn't searching the ruins, she had to fight off monsters almost beyond her ability. Still, in some fashion, every time she didn't find him was a relief to the girl. Despite her desire to find him, a quest which took her all over Spira by now, she...Didn't want this to be the place they met again. It was a dark and evil place, the very stone it was built from just seemed to radiate some harsh aura. If he were here, it could mean he was in danger, or worse. It...Wasn't something she wanted to imagine, not after already losing him once. Enough time passed that she had checked every location hospitable enough for someone to reasonably be hiding out in. But none of them held the man she had searched so far for. There was only one last place she had yet to check... The dome.

She approached the very thing that loomed within the center of Zanarkand's sinking ruins, the building that seemed to radiate the most uninviting aura of all. When she reached the entrance, every step felt painful, as though it was a terrible idea to even humor entering this place. Though before she could enter, something else entered her mind, unlike the terrifying power over this area that only wished to intimidate, this felt...Comforting in a way. This feeling gave her the impression there was nothing left in this dead city. What could it have possibly been? Whatever the case, she decided that perhaps there really wasn't any point to continuing further. After all, she had gone farther than most could lay claim to. Her father was brave, but it was doubtful he would come here when there were many better places.

Besides...This feeling was confirmed when the only other living people in the area flew off in a ship. With a nod, and a hopeful smile, she turned back, leaving this place to rot as it should. Though he wasn't found...There was still the chance she simply missed him right? She thought that there was a chance he simply met up with her mom once more. Besides...She had been away for so long now, she missed her family a lot. She held her head up high and left Zanarkand behind. The journey back to where she had set off from was just as treacherous and long as it had been before, but she just did as she had done before, opting to avoid the more...Dangerous locations by simply going around them instead.

The reunion she had with her mother and grandma was a happy one, even if it was bittersweet. Her father was still nowhere to be found, but it wasn't all negative. News of Sin's defeat had swept across the land. Though her quest had ended without success, it was still a time to celebrate - To enjoy that at the very least, none of what they had gone through was simply for nothing. She attended Yuna's speech to all of Spira in hopes of seeing her father there. Even then she came up empty-handed, but Yuna's words...They did a lot to encourage her when Ayami had almost given up hope. Maybe if she couldn't find him...He could find her? She vowed to find purpose where she was instead of traveling to the corners of the world. Perhaps if she could make her presence clear, he would come looking for her?

So another chapter had closed, perhaps not in a way she had hoped for, but still in a way that the girl still couldn't lose her optimism. That bright future just had to be waiting, and she was determined to tackle it no matter what obstacles came her way.

X-2 『Pathways of Light』:

2 years had passed since Ayami made her world tour searching for her Father. Since that time not many things had really changed, though even with the next conflict starting, she still found her way. She had joined up with the Machine Faction in their early days, displaying a deep knowledge on machinery and how to perform upkeep on it won the rest over rather easily, and she found herself a solid place within their ranks. Though really despite that, they felt more like a family to her. An odd...Constantly oil-covered distant family, but a family all the same. In their early phases she helped set up in the Djose Temple - Their new base of operations.

She was never really involved in their expeditions to Bikanel. She didn't really care much about digging in the sand, and besides that she got to help repair whatever those guys dug up anyway, so it all worked out fine for her. Still, everything became rather quiet in this new lifestyle of hers. There were certainly exciting developments, and she was satisfied with the way things had gone, but part of her did still miss the excitement of traveling. Some nights she would lie awake, wondering if perhaps there were more out there. After all, if there were the so called "Farplanes" connected to this world, there could have been many more places connected to Spira right?

Yet once the heated political conflict between the Youth League and New Yevon started to ramp up further, her slow paced lifestyle began to return to that of the adventures she had led two years ago. The Djose Temple suddenly came alive with fiends, who wasted no time overrunning the place. She joined the others in fighting back, though thankfully with the Gullwings' arrival, the situation was resolved far more easily than it otherwise would have been. Though now she realized that perhaps sitting back and waiting for things to blow over might not have been the best option.

So she took up her gear once more, promising the others of the Machine Faction that she would return soon enough. She set out into the wide open world to discover herself as she had never done before. It led her to many exciting places, getting to see cities and locations she knew before the Eternal Calm in a new more positive light felt refreshing to her. Even with the threat of conflict hanging over the heads of everyone, she wasn't bothered. She survived once before, she could do it again after all. Her world was worth experiencing to her. It brought a greater sense of experience than it had ever done before.

Eventually, her travels brought her to the Thunder Plains - Specifically to Yuna's makeshift concert. She got to witness what was perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime experience firsthand. Yuna's song, the images that flashed before everyone there...All her fears and sadness regarding her father, it made it all a little lighter. It was amusing in a way to Ayami that the same woman whose words pushed her forward once before had done so yet again. She wanted to speak to Yuna...But she had pressing matters to see to. She excused herself once the event had concluded, heading off to Bikanel island to settle matters on the "Home" front.

She traveled there, to the ruins of Home. She had to see for herself, if he had died...Then there would be proof. It was a dark truth she never wanted to find out about. But it was one she could avoid no longer. She returned to the place her father had last been during their escape. But all she found... Was sand. She dug desperately away in several spots with just her hands, hoping to sift away the dust and find the truth. But there wasn't even a trace. Even after hours of just aimlessly digging. No bones, no weapons, nothing. It was...As if he had vanished. Or maybe he really had escaped? She was filled with a swirling torrent of conflicting emotions. No proof of his death meant no closure. But that lack of proof also meant that... He was alive.

All of her hopes, her efforts, her struggles these past two years, they weren't for nothing after all. She cried tears. Not of despair or sadness. But of happiness, tears of hope. These feelings welled up inside of her all in that moment, now she knew for sure; He was out there somewhere. And she was going to find him. She couldn't return to the Machine Faction until she found her father and brought him back home. But a promise was a promise. She'd return some day for sure, and that day would be perhaps the brightest in her entire life. She set out from the ruins of Home, ready to continue her journey across Spira.

No matter how long her search was, she would find him again. She assured herself of that much. The future looked brighter than ever as she walked off towards the setting sun, ready to fulfill a quest two years in the making. Ready to discover the truth.

Al Bhed Casual:

This outfit is typically worn when she works, or just as a casual wear as she finds it to be the most comfortable. It consists of a black tank top that meets with a dark green jumpsuit in which the top part has been tied around her waste, leaving only the pants of the jumpsuit as practical wear. On her hands she wears black gloves in which the fingers have worn away from constant work. Ending off this outfit are a pair of heavy duty black boots, and her signature head-wear and goggles.

Combat Jumpsuit:

An outfit far more suited to action and adventure. Typically only worn when she's traveling around Spira, or involved in combat in some way. Alongside the goggles and head gear she tends to always wear, in this outfit she sports a blue jumpsuit with red and white highlights, straps along key points of her body, a steel backpack which contains her barrier machina, a utility belt with tools stored in it at the ready, and some fancy silver bots strapped to her legs!

Formal Green:

An outfit Ayami dons for special occasions only! Though, that being said, even if it's a formal occasion she still sports a mechanic's gear. You can never be too sure! In this outfit she wears the same head gear and goggles as usual, though this time it's paired with a formal white dress shirt and red tie, going down to a green skirt and utility belt alongside the same black gloves she wears in her casual attire. Her legs are adorned with thigh-high socks and heavy duty black boots. Functional AND stylish!

MY HERO ACADEMIA, Mei Hatsume is claimed by Ayami

"Well, it may have exploded, and all of our progress may be back to square one, but at least we had fun along the way!"

"There's got to be more places out there than just these small continents, and one day? I'm gonna see them all, every single one of them!"

"Did someone say machina? Lemme see it!!"

There she was, late at night tinkering with a new machine. Though she still hadn't returned to her friends at Djose Temple, she still allowed them to bring machina her way for inspection. It was for old time's sake after all! She whiled away the hours messing with this thing. Her eyes sparkled as she pressed levers and saw it react. The ancient steel felt cold but comforting under her fingertips. To others it would have looked like someone going through the motions, but to her it was like every part she inspected was a new exciting discovery.

"Wow! Who would've guessed they made this thing for THAT purpose? Looks like some kind of...Communication device? Has a lot of the same internals recording spheres have. I wonder what it communicated though...Hmmm."

Her mind ran wild with fantasies around just what this thing could have been used to accomplish. She wrote down her findings before gazing up at the stars, they seemed so bright tonight, twinkling up there in the ether as though fire were flying through the air. It took some time lost in her fantasies of adventure and discovery before she shook herself back to reality. She checked over the machina once more. Taking off the front plate after removing a few bolts that locked it in place. She took notice of a small, rusty lever tucked in between the gears, she reached in carefully and took hold of it with one finger.

"Hey now, what do YOU do little fella...?"

She pulled the lever down and the device made a loud click, all at once it's gears began to turn to life as it made a whirring sound. Before she knew it, it fired off a beam of light into the sky. She dropped the device in surprise as it began to perform what she could only assume was it's intended action. Though what happened next was something she couldn't have ever guessed. A cloud of pure black appeared all around her, it continued to grow as it released a dark miasma into the air. She struggled and backed away, trying to get out from the radius of this inky abyss sitting below her, though try as she might, she eventually got caught by it, starting to slowly sink into it.

"H...Hey, lemme go you...!"

In that same moment a figure emerged from the shadows of darkness that had been called forth by this machine. Her eyes widened in surprise as the light of the moon caught them, revealing exactly who they were...

"D...Dad...?"

He reached his hand out towards her, nodding.

"This world...is too small, child. Give in, and you'll soon be sent to discover places beyond your wildest imagination. You deserve far better than this place. A place of war and strife. I was freed of it's shackles during the fall of Home. But do not be afraid...Your light is the strongest guide."

"W...wait, I don't understand! Please tell me where you've been! Ngrhh...Dad!"

She reached out desperately for his hand, flailing as she sunk deeper and deeper into the darkness.

"Do not be afraid, for the time we will meet again is fast approaching. Hold onto your light, it's your guiding key."

In the last moments before the darkness consumed her whole, she reached out and gripped the device that had fallen in front of her, she held it tightly as the black void crept into the edges of her vision before slowly causing her to black out once she had sunk entirely. So many questions filled her mind in that moment, but none of them were ones she was prepared to hear answers for. She only had the hope of his words to hold onto as she disappeared from the world of Spira.

Circle of Life

Festival of Fools

Terra , Master of Masters

Magic