There is nothing as exhilarating as flying.
I mean, don't get me wrong, I've done a lot of things in my eighteen years that gets the heart going. I've saved the world, twice! I've fought countless battles, walked the world around once, and then traveled it again in search of spheres…I've broken conspiracies, brought people together, repaired machina four times the size of me. I've had my experience, you see. Still…there's something about sitting on the deck of a massive airship with the wind whipping through your braids and the wide expanse of Spira underneath you. It's…humbling, y'know?
The experience is the only thing keeping Brother alive. We're flying to Djose Temple to visit my father, who is working on some sort of massive project with the Machine Faction. Buddy, our regular pilot, is on the project, too, so Brother decided to take the controls. It's mostly programming, but still, I don't trust him with anything. I tried to help, but he got annoying enough that I made my way to the deck, which has proven to be much less annoying.
My tan's looking a little not-so-tan, anyway. I've been indoors a lot over the past year or so. After Vegnagun was destroyed and Tidus came back, Spira became surer of its permanent calm, and the whole place has become one giant party right after the other. Yunie, Paine, Tidus, and I are expected to make an appearance at basically all of them. Paine gets to say no, but Yunie is very big on being good role models and showing up to mingle with the people of Spira, so guess which blondes in the spotlight can't avoid the events, either? I mean, I guess it's nice to get a little credit, especially since Miss High Summoner got all of it the last world-saving go-round. But I never realized how tiring this would be. People expect stuff when they know who you are. I thought I understood because I was Cid's daughter, but that attention was really different than what I'm getting, now.
I must call him with my thoughts or something, because as soon as I think about Cid the airship begins to dip into landing. I stand and give myself a moment to stretch towards the sky, and then lower to touch the toes of my dusty old boots. Now that we're actually landing, I feel…nervous. Cid won't say anything about this "project" and it worries me, especially after super-great time he decided to turn the Zanarkand Ruins into a tourist trap. Zanarkand.Nothing is sacred to my good-for-nothing father.
"RIKKU!" My brother screeches into the voice-carrying machina, loud enough to make me wince. "Where are you? Fa yna rana!"
Right, since I'm on the deck, I need to be told that we're here. "E's lusehk, cdibet-rayt!"I snap.I'm coming, stupid-head! He can't hear me, but it makes me feel better.
I toss my ponytail over my shoulder — Spira, my hair has gotten long — and move to the sliding door that will take me to the ship's elevator.
By the time I get to the bridge, my tall, tattooed disaster of a brother is waiting by the door with his hands on his hips. They don't stay there, though, as fleeting as all of the gestures Brother tends to make. He flails as he shrieks, "We landed and you weren't here! We could have been outside already!"
"I wasoutside," I respond with a roll of my eyes. A weird mixture of nerves make my gut roll. I press a hand to my stomach, as if that will stop it, and give it a frown for good measure. I'm Rikku! I saved the world! I shouldn't be scared of a few mystery plans and my own stupid father! Or a certain one-eyed, overly confident Machine Faction leader…
That is notthe source of my nerves. He doesn't even deserve to have me think of him. Raising my chin high, I stomp past my brother, who is shouting something or another, and then step gracefully down the steps. Or try to. Until my boot gets caught on the stairs and I stumble.
What a great omen.
My clumsiness gives me the momentum to take off at an almost-jog, and so Brother has to rush to catch up to me. Huffing quietly, he whines, "Fryd tu oui drehg dra bnuzald ec?" What do you think the project is?
"E tuh'd ghuf."I don't know. "He wouldn't say much, which isn't weird for the old man, y'know? It could be anything."
"I hope it's something big!"Brother shakes a little for emphasis, spreading his hands out wide above his head. "Something that changes all of Spira!"
"I seriously doubt that," I say. I want to stay calm just to spite my brother, but I'm getting pretty excited, too. Maybe it's something we can help with!
We're entering the temple area, now, and I have to stop to soak in the sights and sound. Home might be nothing but a memory, now, but flavors of it definitely still remain, and Djose Temple is teeming with them. Everywhere I look there are shades of blonde hair and spiraling green eyes. The Al Bhed language is spoken interchangeably with English, and it's like music to my ears. People and machina alike wander around, and though there is an air of solemnity, that fun, joking atmosphere is still there. This is what life is supposed to be like!
"Look! Cid's kids!" someone shouts, and I give a grin towards the owner of the voice. This makes a tidal wave of greetings, both in Al Bhed and the native tongue of Spira. Brother and I look at each other and then shrug, waving excitedly at the lot of them. A bubbling laugh escapes me as he grabs my arm and then pulls us through the crowd. I want to stop and chat, but he's got this Super Project on the brain, so he pulls us straight through into the temple.
The faces inside are familiar and kinda surprising. Especially the determined-looking blonde woman that makes her way up to us: Nhadala. She's rarely seen outside of the headquarters of Bikanel's desert excavation, and honestly, she scares me a bit, so the fact that she strides towards us immediately is enough to make me stand up straight. She doesn't look happy, but then again, she never does.
She offers us a quick smile. "Brother, hello. Rikku…we miss you guys out there. You were our best diggers, you know." That's definitely a compliment, and I'm flabbergasted. Thankfully, she doesn't expect a response, continuing immediately, "Cid's in one of the back rooms. Don't go in there," she adds, holding a hand out as Brother starts to rush in. "I'll get him."
With that, she's gone. Brother huffs and stomps his foot. "E fyhd du caa dra bnuzald!" he exclaims.I want to see the project!
"Calm down. Acting like a big dummy isn't going to get you anywhere but sent outside," I respond with a roll of my eyes. I want to know what's going on just as much as he does. I'm just…calmer about it, y'know?
"The project would be nice to know about, though…" This, I add under my breath as I'm wandering away. A wayward machina has caught my eye. I crouch down to look at him, a little brown creature that looks like he's probably meant for patrolling. Occasionally, his movements jerk, a flash of electricity marking the malfunction. "Poor thing…" I reach my hand forward, to see if maybe I can tell what's going on, but a booming voice interrupts me.
"Well, if it isn't Brother! And Rikku!" I stand to face my father. He's wearing his trademark overalls, his hands on his hips and a casual grin on his face. "What're ya doin' here?"
"We said we'd come visit you, Dad," I reply with a small roll of my eyes. "Always distracted."
"Oh. Right." He clears his throat. "Well, we're in the middle of somethin'."
"Dra bnuzald!"Brother exclaims. The project!
"Lyms tufh." Cid calms him in our native tongue. "It's top secret, all right? Ya can't see none of it!" His voice becomes less gruff as he continues, "Work'll stop at sunset, though. Why don't ya stick around and we'll chat after. Maybe we can find a position for ya, if yer done with all them fancy balls…"
"They're not 'balls', Dad," I respond with a sigh. "Besides, we have responsibility. Or, at least I do. Like what's invested in this huge 'project' you won't tell us about? That means I can totally relate to it." I might be a little pouty, but I don't care! I want to know what's going on.
"Look, ruhao, I'd tell ya if I could, but…"
"Cid!" An unfamiliar face pokes his head out of the Big Fancy Top Secret Room. "Fa haat oui!"
"Hear that? They need me," Cid says, waving a hand towards the already-retreating face. Why does everyone interrupteverything? I guess that's the part about Home I don't miss at all. "Stick around, yeah?"
He's gone before we can say anything else. I stamp my foot and let out a little huff. "Rrgh, he is so annoying!" Brother is giving me a gloating look, so I glare at him. "Crid ib!You know I'm right. What are we even supposed to dofor hours?"
Brother shrugs. "Talk to people. Have fun. Oui vunkad ruf du ryja vih," he accuses.
I gasp. "I do not forget how to have fun! I'm the queen of fun!"
"Frydajan," he replies. Whatever. And then he takes off to…to do something stupid, no doubt!
"Hey! Wait for me!" I whine. When he doesn't even slow a little, I look towards the jerking machina I'd noticed earlier. "Hey, little buddy. I know what it's like to be a mess. But I also know what it's like to be fixed. Lusa rana." I coax it forward, hoping it has the voice controls down enough that it will understand. It makes its way forward, and I flop ungracefully to the floor and lean in to find whatever switch stops it. The wires are familiar, the problem exciting.
I'm hooked.