Disclaimer: Never in my life could I even possibly dream of owning FFX or any FF relations.

Howdy! I'm back with another one! If you get really confused, don't sweat it. That's the point. It'll all make sense in the end. This takes place a few months after FFX-2's 'perfect ending'.

Note: Al-Bhed will be spoken often throughout this story. If you don't know it, there is a translator at . You can change Al-Bhed to English and vise-versa.

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Where am I?

By BeautifulAkiko02

Prologue

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I supposed I was shocked, and disturbed. As I stared into my eyes on the Sphere Vision, only my face wasn't there. Half of it was, the Al-Bhed part of me, but the other half wasn't. The other half belonged to my father, the characteristics I did not carry with me, as a result of some DNA mix-up. Of course, I had his eyes. But I still seemed more Al-Bhed.

Her face made me so angry, so confused. Another concert, another chance to be famous, the great high-summoner couldn't pass that chance, could she? No sir, defeating sin wasn't enough of a rub-in for me. No, she had to go and become a 'superstar' and save the world for the second time in the row. Was there some law that said she had to get everything while I'm stuck in the desert, looking like an over-toasted piece of bread, digging up every artifact I can, and trying to get a relationship to the recently engaged Gippal?

I had a crush on him for practically my whole life, and then her friend comes and steals his heart away! Life was so unfair, just to me. All the other Al-Bhed have never felt this sort of pain from her. No, considering the fact that she's saved them more than once, they just love Lady Yuna. Everyone loves Lady Yuna, except me. No, I despise her more than anything in the world.

So, then, why exactly am I so set up in seeing her? Because I want to give her a good slap, that's why. While she was off becoming famous and getting the guy of her dreams, I was starving. I was alone in the world after Mother died, and it was all her fault. If she had come back like she promised, I would have had just as great of a life as she did. But she never came back. She never looked back. After she became a summoner and met that Zanarkand Fayth, I didn't matter. No one but her guardians mattered.

So what was I to her? Just a piece of rubbish? She forgot me, and I will never, ever, forgive her for that. Not even if my life depended on it. I'm going to Luca, and getting a ticket, and seeing her concert. Then I—I'll kick sand into her face! I'll shout at her, slap her, and—I don't know. But I will inflict the same pain she inflicted upon me.

"Ashe!" an all-too familiar voice exclaimed, banging on my door. I pretended a cough and a sniffle.

"Sorry Nhadala, you can't come in. I don't want you to get my flue," I said, adding an extra cold-accent. "It's mega-contagious."

"But we need someone to go on the dig with Gippal!" she exclaimed. I glared at the door. She was trying to get me to go, despite my condition! If it were anyone else, she just would have said 'Get up and go to the dig'. But she knows better than to order me around. "Only about three or four can go this time."

Alone? With Gippal? Well…practically alone. That had been my dream since the beginning of time. No! No Ashe! You swore you would never, ever, no matter what, give up your quest. Besides, you already paid for the ticket!

"Sorry," I replied, coughing. "I can't."

Nhadala left and I continued packing. I opened the door and glanced outside, making sure she was long gone. Then I ran down the halls knocking into none other than Gippal's fiancée, Rikku. I never met her face-to-face, but I knew her name, and her face by the picture in his office. How could I forget someone who caused me so much pain?

"Uilreac..." she muttered, rubbing her elbow that had crashed with the floor.

"Fydlr frana oui'na kuehk!" I exclaimed, getting up.

"Sa?" Rikku inquired. "Oui'na dra uha fru pisbat ehdu sa!!"

"E fuimth'd ryja pisbat ehdu oui ev oui ryth'd lusa uid uv hufrana!" I countered. Already I could see the flames appearing around her, but I didn't care. She had gotten in my way. I turned on my heel and continued down the hall.

As soon as I left the cool campment, I went to the transport. Cayh was standing there with a bored expression on his face.

"I need to go to Djose," I said, throwing my suitcase into the cockpit.

"Does Nhadala know you're going?" Cayh asked, raising an eyebrow. He knew me too well.

"Why do you always ask that when you know what my answer is?" I countered, crossing my arms. "Now hurry up and get in!"

He sighed and got in after me. After a few minutes I fell asleep, only to be awakened an hour later by the halting of the hover. Laying down with your feet up in front of you, and smashing into them, isn't a good feeling. In fact, it downright hurts like hell.

"Fryd fyc dryd vun?!" I shouted, only to be silenced by the sight in front of me. A ton of fiends stood at the entrance to the Mi'hen Highroad, hissing at us while a couple of Youth League members tried to fight them off. I jumped out and grabbed my bag, pulling out an Al-Bhed designed machina gun. I aimed it at a behemoth and began firing. A flan threw a rubbery claw towards me. I toppled over, shook my head, and quickly got up, firing at it. I heard Cayh join me using his own gun.

Suddenly elementals joined from over-head. I already heard Cayh starting the hover and taking off. "Cayh my pack!" I shouted at him. Something hard hit me in the back of my head.

Just the first day and already I was passing out.

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"Is she alright?" a voice asked.

"I don't know," another replied. "She took a piece of hail head on."

"Dryd'c hud vihho," I whispered hoarsely. I could hear the other two jump.

"She's Al-Bhed?"

"Do you know what she said?"

"Agh, quit acting like I can't hear you!" I shouted, opening my eyes. A rather old man wearing glasses and a woman with short brown hair stood over me. I could tell right away that the man was Maven Nooj.

"Forgive me," Nooj apologized. I still gave him a glare. "It's just, usually Al-Bhed speak only Al-Bhed."

"Well it's still pretty rude, either way," I snapped, getting up.

"Are you from the machine faction?" Nooj asked, eyeing me suspiciously. Damn! I was caught!

"Do all Al-Bhed have to be in the machine faction?" I replied angrily. "That seems racist to me."

"No, just all Al-Bhed heading towards Djose usually are," he responded.

"I wasn't heading for Djose, I was heading for Luca. I have a ticket for Lady Yuna's concert." I showed him my ticket as proof.

"Hm, still, we'll need Gippal's confirmation," he replied. Flames appeared in my eyes.

"Oh I see, because I'm Al-Bhed means you have to keep tabs on me at all time?!" I exclaimed, getting up to advance on him. "If I was someone like her…" I pointed to the redheaded girl in armor. "…you would just send me on my way! All you are alike, acting as though you're the ultimate authority."

I turned on my heel and stormed off while he was still stunned. My storm suddenly turned into a bolt as I ran down, being chased by some Youth League members who realized who I was.

I had passed Djose when I heard some motors following me. "Tysh ed!" I cursed, running to a giant pile of grass. I jumped into it and laid as still as I could until the motors had passed me. I sighed in relief as I got up.

"Hold it right there," a monotone voice said. I turned to see a girl with short gray hair holding up a sword. "You're from the Machine Faction aren't you?"

"So what if I am? Are you going to turn me in?" Big mistake.

"It's kind of the whole hero gig."

"Hey! I know you!" exclaimed a familiar voice. Headache was coming…

"You do?" the gray haired girl asked Rikku.

"Yeah, she knocked me over in the Bikanel Desert!"

"You deserved it."

"Did not!"

"Did too."

"Did not!"

"Did too."

"Did not!"

"Did too, times infinity to the infinite power."

She shut up and I smirked.

"Enough!" Pain exclaimed. "I don't care what happened, you ran away from the Machine Faction without proper clearance, so you need to be turned in."

"You can't turn me in."

"Why not?"

"Because, if you do, that behemoth is going to chew that kid up," I replied, pointing to a fiend that was heading towards a mother and her son. The gray-one tossed me a glare as she and Rikku turned to fight it. I passed them and continued running.

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I know it went a little fast but I have homework. Tweehee. Besides, it's only the Prologue!! Mwuaha!