Chapter 80: Aeon Days

Yuna, now a full-fledged summoner, wanted to have a bond with her first Aeon. She went to Lulu, in her mind. The black mage was the reliable older sister and she asked for some help. Being a bit of a shy person.

"Lulu, can you help me be um... Like get closer to Ramiel? He is my first Aeon and he's really powerful. I can feel it through our connection, he has a certain aura to him." Yuna tried explaining.

"Like a bottomless abyss?" Lulu squinted her eyes and remembered feeling his magic. Ramiel took a part of the lifestream and was basically a walking super reactor. Though it came at the cost of his original body that he has to build up from the ground up again.

"Yeah, that's the word. You think you can help me? I really want to know more about him. He'll basically be with me on my journey to become a high summoner." Yuna cutely did a guts pose.

"Fine, I'll warn you though. He isn't just mysterious, he's dangerous as well, Yuna. I can't explain it, but he feels like he's got that look." Lulu frowned and thought of how Ramiel looked at them when he got a bit vigilant and hostile.

"What look?" Yuna tilted her head and Lulu sighed at her innocence and naivety. "The look of someone that could kill people without batting an eye."

Yuna gasped and went wide eyed. "But he's so... I don't know, playful and kinda kind? He has this warm aura on him." Yuna thought Lulu was borderline slandering him.

"Hah, don't look at me like that Yuna. Just a little advice from someone that has seen more of the world." Lulu's answer made Yuna sad as her big sister figure looked a bit jaded.

She then began teaching Yuna some social skills, but the black mage wasn't really a social butterfly.

Yuna began circling around Ramiel while he socialized with the people of Besaid. It was easier to smile and wave at them than being thought of as a douche after all. Especially because he's treated like a mystical religious symbol.

He saw Yuna at his periphery and she was staring right at him. Ramiel waved at her and Yuna went up to have a conversation.

"Hello, you're really popular with the people aren't you? I'd say you even stole my thunder." She joked at him with a small smile.

"Well, the people just love me. Kids also like the wings. They look pretty cool right?" He extended his wings fully and made them a bit larger so everyone could see.

She stared at them for a moment and was mesmerized by his jet black wings. "Y-yeah, they look beautiful." Yuna commented and he chuckled.

"Wanna touch them? Don't worry, I won't bite." He offered and Yuna went wide eyed. "Really? Then, don't mind if I do."

Yuna started touching them softly and was surprised by their silky and velvety feel. "Oh... Wow, they're so soft."

"Don't touch them too much now, or I'll start charging some money." Ramiel teased her as she was rubbing her face on them.

"Ohh, sorry." She blushed and noticed that she was being a bit too physical with his wings. "So, Yuna... What's your purpose in being a summoner?"

He changed the topic so she won't get too flustered. She was a bit of a shy person and there's no need to get her in awkward situations.

"Ahhh, my father... He is a high summoner. Together with his two guardians, they defeated Sin and gave Spira the calm ten years ago." She looked downwards and it was obviously a pretty sensitive topic for her.

"I see, do you look up to him?" Ramiel snapped his fingers and created some chairs. He don't want to pull out things from out of nowhere after all.

"I do, it was a great achievement that only a handful of people have ever achieved in the centuries that Sin has roamed Spira. And I want to do the same." Yuna smiled and was proud of her father.

"Hmm, that's good. But are you doing it because you are proud of your father. Or you want to because it's what you think is right?" Ramiel questioned her and she went silent.

He patted her head and snorted. "Don't think too much about it right now, but do keep it in mind. Is it really you want to do? Or you're doing it because you think it's expected of you due to your father."

Yuna went into a deep thought and he saw that she was overthinking it. He laughed and pinched her cheek. "Everybody's expectation of you? You shouldn't give a damn about it. What's important is what you really want. As long as it isn't harmful to others."

"Y-yeah, thanks. Hey Ramiel, can you be uhh. My friend?" She fidgeted in place and was feeling extremely anxious.

"Well, that can be arranged. Chin up girl, you have to look people in the eye when you ask them to be your friend." He raised her chin and grinned at her.

"Y-yes!" She straightened her back and he thought she was a bit amusing. "You have no friends besides your guardians, do you?" He laughed and Yuna pouted at him.

"Yes I do!" She huffed at him and Ramiel patted her head. "Sure you do, feeling less awkward now?"

Yuna noticed that she was more comfortable now and nodded at him with surprise. "You're lucky I'm a good and totally not suspicious person. That's how you make friends, don't make things too awkward and take the lead when they're shy like you."

He gave a cheeky smile and she puffed her cheeks. "You're bullying me." Yuna then laughed and thought she was making good progress in bonding with him.

Ramiel then stared at the bonfire and went quiet, thinking about some things. Especially Scarlet's last message to him. He wasn't there for her when she fought tooth and nail. Tifa was injured heavily, and Alexandra would definitely take his supposed death harshly.

Yuna noticed a gloomy air on him and patted him on the shoulder. "What's wrong?" She furrowed her brows a bit, upon seeing him look so worried and sad.

"It's nothing, you go play with the locals okay? You're a summoner now after all. You got to make yourself popular so they'll all support you in being a politician." He chuckled and stood up, walking away to have some time to himself.

Yuna tried reaching out to him, but thought it would be better to leave him alone for now. Seeing the obvious grave stone he created earlier.

And when he left, she was already being surrounded by kids and the people. Gushing about her being a summoner now.

Wakka who is on the side making sure that his charge is taken care of saw Yuna interact with the people. "Pretty, ain't she ya?"

Tidus raised a brow at him. "Well, she's not my type." He lied naturally as he breathed.

"Then we're cool." Wakka laughed. "But you know, what if she like comes on to me?" Tidus quipped back.

"Well, that's not gonna happen. And don't forget her Aeon that will always be by her side. The man looks like he was hand made by a god. All the women are sticking to him like moths to a flame ya." Wakka sighed, thinking the world is unfair.

"Uh, yeah. That guy does look like someone you won't even want to introduce your mother to." Tidus nodded and knew he was in another league all together.

"Right? Tell me if you get tired, I have a bed prepared for you. Gotta get some rest for the blitzball tournament in Luca." Wakka walked away and Tidus nodded.

Ramiel looked at the stars and started developing a technique to at least inform the others that he was going to come back. But it proved to be difficult.

"I need a lot of control which is messed up right now. The barriers between space and time is too large of a hurdle right now... Maybe if I reach the lifestream again?" He tried reaching out to the planet.

But it was too good to be true, it wasn't responding and didn't take him back in itself. "Well, that's another failure... Hah, this is going to take some time."

"Hmm, how about dreams? Can I invade dreams? Maybe that will be a better alternative." He closed his eyes and went to his spectral form. Trying to find some people that were sleeping, he entered their minds.

"Oh wow, that actually worked... But I have to make some changes to this. The void will definitely fuck me up when I return there." Ramiel sighed and thought it was going to be hard.

He roamed around in the person's dream and he was dreaming of being a blitzball champion. Then he'll go on orgies like a superstar.

"Damn, that's respectable. But definitely sleazy." He chuckled and left the dream. With a couple of ideas on how to at least inform his friends and family. He felt a bit better that he's stuck in Spira for now.

While he was dream walking, one Lulu was checking on him. She was still a bit suspicious that an Aeon was a human.

"Hmmm, what's this guy doing here? Just sleeping here?" Lulu squinted her eyes and thought he was relaxing.

She stared at him and he wasn't breathing. Because his soul left his physical body that got created when Yuna summoned him.

"He... He's dead!?" She double checked his pulse and there was nothing there. His body isn't like a normal human's so his heart didn't really need to pump while his soul was out and about.

"Damn!" Lulu, in her panic. Started trying to resuscitate him. Doing some CPR, but she couldn't even get his chest to depress for even a millimeter.

"What the hell is his body made of? Metal?" She got frustrated and did the next best thing, giving him some breaths.

She was about to call for some help, but he suddenly opened his eyes and saw Lulu kissing him.

"You know, molesting someone in their sleep isn't a good thing. I think you're the one that needs guardians, not Yuna." Ramiel pried her off softly and she was shocked to her core.

"W-wha!? You weren't breathing! I was... Trying to resuscitate you!" Lulu got flustered and he snickered.

"Why thank you for your noble effort, but I'm an Aeon remember? I have no need to breathe, sleep, or eat." Ramiel smirked at her.

"T-that's true..." She frowned heavily and Ramiel patted her on the back. "Your lips were soft, but it's a bit chapped. Drink some more water." He returned to the festivities and she squinted her eyes at him.

"Damn. I didn't even learn anything about him. Yuna's conversation with him didn't really tell anything about him." Lulu stomped on the ground and was embarrassed.

"Maybe later, Yuna trusts people easily, I need to learn more of him." Lulu was determined and went back as well.

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The next morning, everybody was preparing to go sail. A ship was prepared and the blitzball team of Besaid, the Aurochs were also with them to go and compete in Luca.

"Where's Yuna?" Wakka looked around, they were about to go, but she still wasn't there with them.

"We're going to travel together right? Why do we gotta wait here then?" Tidus wondered.

"Yuna came here to this village ten years ago when the last calm started." Wakka started telling a story.

"The calm?" Tidus was confused, being 1000 years from the past, he has no idea what Sin is and what the thing's purpose is.

"She's been like a little sister to me and Lulu since then. And she got the talent, applying to be an apprentice, she leaves here as a summoner." Wakka was proud of her.

"This is our journey, and we will be coming with her to be her guardians." Lulu added and they saw Yuna exit a temple, accompanied by Ramiel.

"You don't need all that luggage Yuna." Lulu raised a brow at the bag Ramiel was carrying for her.

"Uhh, this is gifts for the temples that we will visit." Yuna explained. "We're going on a pilgrimage Yuna, not a vacation. Ramiel is your Aeon, not your baggage carrier." Wakka sighed and thought that was kind of disrespectful to the sacred summon.

"Don't worry about it, why so serious?" Ramiel snapped his fingers and it disappeared. "What kind of sorcery was that?" Lulu didn't notice any magical residue or energy being used. It just disappeared into thin air.

Ramiel didn't reply and just ignored her question. "Come on then, let's get on the ship." He gestured for them to go.

They went to an obelisk and Wakka was praying to it for safe travels. "What are we doing here?" Tidus asked, ignorant to all the culture and religious stuff in the future.

"We pray here to travel safely... Chappu didn't that day, said he was going to miss his boat." Wakka prayed for their safety, being more superstitious now than ever because his brother died when he didn't pray.

Tidus read between the lines and prayed as well. They then travelled to the port. But before they could, Kimari. The lion man ambushed Tidus and attacked him.

"Hey! What the hell man!? Why are you attacking me?" He defended himself with the sword he was given by Wakka for self defense.

Kimari didn't talk and growled, he then began pressing the attack. Tidus was just a teen, haven't been in a real fight his whole life. But he is a top athlete. So he successfully defended himself.

Kimari didn't go ham on him though, not really wanting to injure him. Just a bit of a test that he won't drag them down in their journey. A lot of shit can go down anytime in Spira after all.

With a bit of sparring, he backed off and stared at him one last time. "What the heck was that?" Tidus looked at the others that finally noticed he was missing and went back.

"Ahhh, Kimari's a guy of few words." Wakka gave a wry smile. "He's a ronso, and he has practiced the way of the fiends in fighting. Unsent spirits that prey on the living." Lulu chimed in.

Yuna chuckled. "We don't know what he's thinking most of the time too. He doesn't talk much."

Ramiel patted Tidus on the back and ruffled his hair. "Don't take it to heart kid, lion man's been testing you if you could at least hold your own."

"Kinda violent, don't you think?" Tidus raised a brow and Ramiel laughed. "He was going easy on you. He could've easily beat your ass black and blue. You should know, you spied on me earlier." Ramiel smirked and he got embarrassed.

"Y-yeah. Sorry about that." Tidus apologized and the others winced. "Come on, we're wasting daylight."

Everybody boarded the ship and they were met with a tearful goodbye. The people of Besaid waving at them.

"Ramiel-sama! Please return and give me kids!" A few women hollered at him. Making his smile twitch a bit.

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At space, one galactic soldier was roaming around to find a threat that has been plaguing the galaxy.

"A sample of the x-parasite has been detected in planet 6969 of the Sol system. Advised to go and eliminate the target immediately before it proliferates." The AI of the ship reported to the pilot.

"What? From that far? I thought I've eliminated the last remnants of it in planet ZDR. Set a course to the planet." The pilot squinted their eyes and vowed to destroy the x-parasite once and for all.

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Thank you for reading everyone, I do apologize for the sloppiness in Gaia. I just really didn't like dragging it on anymore. So I got impatient.

And as for the newcomer... I think you'd know who that is. I donned my tinfoil hat and thought. 'Hey... The x-parasite is basically Jenova. Then decided to have an interesting addition to the story.

Thanks once again, ciao.