Lulu facepalms.

"We can deal with that later—she's clearly not hostile, she's not attacking us again, which leaves—are you responsible for the disappearing summoners?"

"Which disappearing summoners are these, because I know about the disappearing guardians and also I passed through other-Zanarkand and your-Zanarkand and I have kind of a lot to tell you."

"What disappearing guardians?"

"Wait, do you mean my Zanarkand?"

"Okay this is way too many threads of conversation and you still haven't answered my question!" he says, directing this last part to Rikku.

"Um... I... maybe? It's not what you think!"

"I knew it! These sand-blasted greasemonkeys!"

"Can we maybe quit it with the racism, dude."

"But—"

Kaede raises a finger. "Nah. He has a point. How about we all go to Guadosalam and figure out why exactly my cousin decided kidnapping me was a swell idea on the way, and perhaps she can explain why Al Bhed have been kidnapping other summoners." To Theo: "A few people have told us that summoners are vanishing mysteriously in the middle of their pilgrimage and this would explain a lot."

"Okay, well that sounds ominous." Frown. "So, an unsent Yunalesca disappears a guardian when you get into Zanarkand, Sin has one of these at its control point who has been mind-controlled in unspecified ways, and I am not to tell you about a thing that seems quite ominous but I have a feeling you'll be at least somewhat reasonable about it."

"What—you—what—" He looks at Auron.

"This was an ill-conceived moment for you to mention that," he tells Theo.

"Oh, I thought this was about the other ominous thing. Since this whole place seems intended to screw with everyone in it by crippling them and then being all backwater and also having stupid magic."

"Wait—hold on—"

"Whoa whoa what? Yunalesca does that why? Why is there a guardian in Sin?"

"Are you sure of what you're saying—"

"We. Are in the middle of the Moonflow North Road. There are fiends here. Guadosalam is that-a-way, only a couple of hours' walk. Let's wait for a better location to have any more revelations, shall we?"

"I was just at Guadosalam," responds Theo. "But yeah, sure."

"Wait, we're not really just walking with an Al Bhed are we?"

"Wakka—in Yevon's name, can you just let it go until we get there and get it sorted out so we don't get eaten? Do remember you've been hanging out with an Al Bhed all your life."

He grumbles but eventually settles on "Fine."

Theo moves to beside Kaede and starts walking.

"Fiends are the worst."

He looks at Theo, again. "You okay?"