Lulu leaned back against the cold metallic wall, closing her eyes for a moment as she pressed her palms to its smooth surface and felt the gentle vibration that accompanied the ship's disembodied hum. It was almost soothing.

Her feelings towards the Al Behd, their machina—and many other things—had changed much over the past few days. Blasphemy had become solace; fear, relief. The airship that had once unnerved her (with its strange sounds and lights, the constant tremor of gears, the pressure that built inside her head upon an unnatural ascension to the sky) had become a safehaven. And today, in particular, it felt like home.

Yuna stood at the opposite side of the gallery, staring through a large window at the clouds, lost in thought. Lulu knew the girl was troubled by the way she folded her arms and bowed her head, but she herself felt more at peace than she had in a very long time. Perhaps she ought to be more concerned, now that Yevon had declared them traitors to all Spira—now that they had defeated Yunalesca, thus ending the possibility for any other summoner to call upon the final Aeon…and to die by its wrath. But there was comfort in that finality. The decision had been made and there was no going back. That much, at least, was a heavy burden lifted from the shoulders of her mind. Gazing at the young girl across the deck, Lulu could not help but smile, even as she knew Yuna worried.

"Is something funny?" came a puzzled voice.

Lulu didn't turn his way, but she kept smiling. "Not funny. Just…ironic, I suppose."

"What's that?" The youth plopped unceremoniously onto the floor next to her, tossing a blitz ball back and forth between his gloved hands.

Now she looked down at him, her ruby eyes sweeping over the unassuming boy at her feet. His sun-bleached hair was touseled; perpetually unkempt. His trousers bore a hole in the knee that he didn't seem to mind, and his sneakers were dirty. He was just a kid, but so much more. "You know," she began, "when you first appeared in Besaid—"

"Wakka brought me to town."

"—with Wakka," Lulu added with a nod, "I was not pleased. I thought you would be trouble. A distraction," she clarified.

Tidus grinned. "Bet you're glad you were wrong!"

"Oh, I was right." Lulu laughed. "But I'm glad you're here, anyway. If you and Yuna hadn't met, maybe none of this would have happened. Who can say? But I feel this path, right or wrong in the end, is the right one for both of you and…perhaps…for all of us."