What Friends Bring

As much as she hated the form itself, Rikku enjoyed being able to take a full look at Radiant Garden as she flitted up and about the spires of the castle. Looking down, swirled eyes kept a close eye on Yuna, unsure if anyone would recognize her. Given it was another world, the possibility was low, but surely still there.

It was when another language caught her tiny ear, and she flitted down to her cousin and this new arrival. "Hey, I know that language!!" It was very rare to hear All Bhed spoken anywhere outside of Spira, so to meet another...

"So if you know Yunie, you'd better know me, yeah???" Tiny hands settled on tiny hips as Rikku floated there in midair like a humanoid hummingbird bird.

Ayami gave a bright nod to the summoner, finally releasing her from the vice-grip the mechanic held. She looked at Yuna with stars in her eyes. Where-as Yuna might not have seen what was so great about herself, Ayami had no trouble at all recognizing those things. Those strengths...They were what kept Ayami going when she would have otherwise given up. It was a statistical improbability that she would have ever actually found her father back there in Spira. She knew that deep down, but she never gave up, because...Yuna didn't, either. Even as she walked to what was the death of most people before her.

"What's the matter? You always look so confident when you're in front of people, speaking to them, and leading them. I'd follow you anywhere ma'am!"

She gave the former summoner a bright grin and a salute. Ayami could see the hesitance in Yuna's words. Though maybe Yuna couldn't see what she had accomplished, the mechanic certainly could. She placed her hand on the gunner's shoulder, still smiling. Even as Yuna tried to claim them stopping that wild machine was nothing, Ayami simply shook her head. That just wasn't true. It wasn't JUST some casual act of kindness.

"You saved countless lives by being there. Those people are like my family, and I know must of em couldn't handle their way around a weapon at all...What you did wasn't just another job."

But it was Yuna's next words that gave Ayami the most surprise. Her eyes opened wide - Not as if she had found a shameful secret, but rather...That her idol was closer to her in stature than she once believed. She was wordless at that...Yuna...Was afraid too? But all she had done in the past, going off to sacrifice herself, saving the world twice, fighting planet ending beings and machina... How? The mechanic wasn't entirely sure what to think of that, other than...She was glad. Knowing that even heroes could be afraid, it was some strange measure of comfort.

What happened next was perhaps more shocking. Though in a more lighthearted way. The mechanic noticed something fluttering their way. And then it uh...Spoke??? Wait a minute, that voice, that laid back way of speaking...Was that Rikku? Ayami was only made more happy to see another person she recognized from home! It took all her effort to hold herself back from just reaching out and grabbing Rikku into a hug. But then, that might've gone a bit painfully, so she did force herself to resist. She gave an excited nod.

"Rikku! I could never forget you. I remember you back from when we lived in Home as kids. Of course...That was a long time ago so I can't really blame you if you don't remember, there were a lot of us kids that played together! But...I guess more famously I recognize you as one of Yuna's reliable allies! Yeah!!"

She took on a faux "fighting stance", pumping herself up. Two of Spira's greatest heroes right here in front of her was definitely cause for excitement!!! But...Still, she was left scratching her head at something. Something Yuna promptly answered.

"Where's the mean witch at?! I'll whip her into shape for that! Just you wait! Like, "pow!" Ha!"

Her excitement was definitely contagious. How couldn't she be? She was so homesick before, but now it was like a small piece of Spira had been brought right here in front of her. Maybe she wasn't more than just a fan to them, but...That didn't really matter so much. She knew them, and hopefully in time they could know her too, that was what was important! She continued on, noting that Paine was with them too, given Yuna's words. So if Rikku and Paine were with her...

"What about the others? Where's Auron, And Tidus?"

An apt question that...Unfortunately might have brought some more bitter feelings to the two heroes. But she couldn't have helped asking. She didn't know better, it really was concern that brought that question about. She had hoped maybe the witch wasn't responsible for THEIR disappearance as well... The questions continued however, she was just too curious now, it was something she had to know most of all:

"So how come you haven't gotten back home yet? Everybody misses you ya know? Even if I dunno what they're all thinking, I can tell. Stuff just feels...A little different."

But, for as long as they had been gone...She was suddenly given a hopeful feeling! If they had been here for this long, just maybe...They'd know the answer to her biggest question of all. Where was her father? Could they possibly have seen him? She set out to ask this question with a description of the man in question.

"I...Don't suppose you've seen anyone here that I've been looking for? Oh, he's got long blonde hair, green al bhed eyes, and he's about...This tall! His name is Fyn, and he wears this kind of black formal coat all the time! If you two have been here for a while, maybe you saw him pass through? I've been looking everywhere for him."

She didn't know why, but...She wasn't going to mention his connection to her. Maybe it was distrust? If he was really up to something bad like it seemed, and they found out he was her father...Would they grow to hate her? She just couldn't afford something like that, so for now she didn't refer to how he related to her. She could only hope SOMEONE saw him before.

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Yuna @rikku

Did she really seem so confident in front of others? Of course their was the big speech and song she sang with Lenne but... It did confuse her sometimes. It wasn't that she didn't understand it. People tended to give most of the credit for saving Spira to her rather than her friends. That was what confused her. She wasn't the only one that stopped Sin, she wasn't the only one to save Shuyin and Lenne, along with that destructive machina. Yet evrryone praised 'High Summoner Yuna' everyone looked up to her.... She was more than happy to help of course, it brough her joy to make others happy. But why didn't anyone else get credit? The closest was the trio of Paine's old friends. She supposed... She just wished people looked up to them to. Kimahri or Tidus would make for a better leader to look up to, at least in her opinion. But people seemed to think differently...? She rubbed the back of her hesd nervosly, more from all the praise she was getting than anything.


"I... I think thier might be better people to follow you know...? Oh maybe Uncle Cid! He's... Turning things around right Rikku.....?"

She looked to her cousan and close friend with an expression clearly asking for help. Ayami wasn't doing anything wrong, not at all. Yuna had simply never viewed herself as a big leader, even if a lot of people, even her friends would beg to differ on the subject. She just didn't think she was very good at it. She did smile at Ayami's insistence that stoppping that wild machine was much more important that she gave it credit for. She nodded. Well, if Ayami felt it was a greater deed... Well she was happy to have helped her friends.

"Well... If your sure, I'm glad we were able to help you Ayami!"

Ayami reminded her a lot of Rikku, and she coudn't help but giggle as she declared she would take out the 'mean old witch' it was sweet, and was just like something Rikku herself might declare. To Yuna it was adorable. Made even more so by both of them having grown up in Home.

"As far as I know she's left this world... But be careful if you do run into her, her names Maleficent and she's a strong witch you know? I'd hate to see you get hurt"

But then Ayami brougbt up Auron and Tidus at once. Both sad points for her and it showed in her expression. Auron was gone now, Tidus was lost again with her looming for him. She frowned and again looked to Rikku again sadly before answering Ayami.

"Sir Auron is... Gone... He passed on a few years ago. Tidus... Tidus is missing, I'm looking for him"

She rubbed her arm hesitently, where was he? Though she was comforted a bit by Rikku's precense on her shoulder, offering a light smile in turn. Ayami asked another question and Yuna tried to get herself back together to answer it.

"Well like Rikku said were not entierly sure how we got here and... We don't really have a way back ether, this is an entirely different world from Spira after all... Were not sure how to get back"

Try as she might the subject of Tidus and Auron had clearly affected her. She missed them both greatly, every day they wearn't around. It was the same for everyone she lossed, her father and Sir Jecht as well... It was all coming back at once to her.

As for the man she was talking about Yuna tried to give it as much focus and thought as she could with her currently jumbled emotions. She was looking for someone? Yuna could relate to that greatly. Rikku to, their was a time her cousan spent s lot of her time looking for and trying to do what she belived would save Yuna herself.

"I'm sorry Ayami... I havn't heard of him yet... I can at least tell you I haven't heard that name on this world though... I don't know if that helps you much... Sorry"

She would give a hesitent bow to more show that sorryness, before relizing Rikku was in fact still on her shoulder and reaching rather quickly to prevent any potential fall!

Really the former summoners mind was all over the place now.