Final Fantasy: Worlds Apart
By: BlkMageRaina or SeraphimRR
A/N: Hey, This is my story about Rikku from FFX & FFX-2 who somehow finds herself trapped in the world of FFVII. This will hopefully be an ongoing fic and will continue for a while!! Oh, and there will always be a song title at the top of the page... why?? Cuz I usually like to listen to music while I read fan fiction and I will suggest a song for all of you to listen to while reading a particular chapter, depending on the overall feel of the chapter. If you never heard the songs I suggest, try to download them, or at least look up the lyrics. Well, hope everyone likes this, please read & review!!!
"Simple and Clean" – From Kingdom Hearts (I think this first chapter reminds me somewhat of the opening of Kingdom Hearts, with Sora falling through the water... well, you'll see why!!)
Italics Rikku's thoughts
Bold Al Bhed language (Translation will be at the end of the chapter)
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy or any characters, they and the FF worlds were all created by the geniuses we know at Square-Enix. So don't sue me!!! Thank you...
Chapter 1 – Through the Rikku Hole
The clouds floated across the sky, just like the ships in the Luca Harbor. Everything in Luca was just bustling, with the Blitzball season starting up, most of the teams in Spira were there, and practicing for the games. And while there were thousands of people moving about, one in particular just seemed to stand out. At the end of Dock 3, there was a young, Al Bhed girl in very revealing clothing. Her name is Rikku, cousin and guardian to High Summoner Yuna... so Rikku was well known, especially to other Al Bhed. Her father Cid was once leader of the Al Bhed before the Eternal Calm and the Al Bhed then dispersed to every corner of Spira.
That was three years ago. One year ago, she helped her cousin Yuna and friend Paine defeat Vegnagun and reunite the unsent Shuyin with his fallen lover Lenne. Soon after, everyone sort of went their own separate ways, but always kept in touch with Shinra's commspheres. Tidus had come back, the Fayth dreamt him back for Yuna, and the two lovebirds made residence on Besaid Island with Wakka, Lulu, and their one-year-old son Vidina. New Yevon had spread throughout Spira, with Baralai as Praetor still, and Spira was united again. The Youth League became the army under New Yevon and of course was lead by Meyvn Nooj. Paine joined the Youth League also to keep up in her training. Gippal was still leader of the Machine Faction, and they had also joined New Yevon. The Machine Faction helped with technological advancement and spread machina use throughout Spira. Rikku's father Cid helped out Gippal in the Faction also, Cid could never be too far away from all his Al Bhed pals.
So all in all, Rikku was stuck with Brother, Buddy, and Shinra on the Celsius airship. There was still the Gullwings, but Brother had to contact Yuna, Paine, and Tidus so they could be picked up whenever there was an important mission. And today was a VERY important one. There was a reporting of a strange waves coming from deep within the Zanarkand Ruins. So everyone decided to meet in Luca, it was the most convenient place. Rikku just waited on the docks for everyone else to come.
Rikku had her blonde hair in many tiny braids that framed her face just right. There was a blue bandana on her head and the rest of her hair was in a long ponytail. She wore a yellow bikini top with a red, orange, and yellow scarf wrapped around her neck and white sleeves that hung from her arms with many bows going down the sides. Around her waist was a tiny khaki skirt with a yellow g-string underneath. She tapped one of her white and blue boots on the edge of the dock. Her green, swirled eyes of an Al Bhed kept staring out into the vast sea. So peaceful... she thought. Everything is normal, The Eternal Calm continues, and all my family and friends are happy. So why do I feel so... empty. Why is MY life so dull? In a way, I want something to go wrong, cuz then there'd be some excitement... "Sigh, so boring...." Rikku said out loud.
"Well, sorry for being such boring company..." a familiar male voice said from behind her. Rikku turned around to find a blonde-haired, blue-eyed guy with a very unusual looking blitzball uniform on looking down at her, with a goofy grin. It was a "Zanarkand Abes" blitzball uniform that had a yellow shirt that showed his tanned chest off really well. There were dark blue almost black overalls that had two pant legs of different length. At the bottom of one pant leg was the Zanarkand blitzball team symbol on it. He had yellow athletic shows on his feet.
Rikku gasped. She jumped up and whirled around to face him. "Don't DO THAT!! Ugh... scaring me like that!! Sayhea!" She then punched Tidus lightly on the arm with a smile.
Rikku then saw two girls behind him. The first one had shoulder length brown hair in a wispy style with a long hair tail swaying in the wind behind her. She had two different colored eyes, one blue, one green... which were simply beautiful. She adorned a sort of revealing white shirt with a pink hood attached with white and pink lace at the bottom, dark blue denim hot pants with a white and purplish half skirt to her ankles. She had knee-length tie up black boots on as well.
The second girl was taller. She had short dark silver hair that was gelled up on her head in a cute swirl. She had dark red/crimson eyes that could just stare right through you. She wore a black leather outfit with silver buckles and red belts on it. She wore black leather boots as well.
"Yunie!! Paine!!" Rikku squealed with joy as she ran past Tidus and gave the girls hugs, which Yuna then giggled and Paine looked stunned.
"What's your problem Rikku?" Paine asked with a suspicious tone when the Al Bhed girl let go of her.
Rikku giggled. "Nothing! I've just been sick to death of Brother lately... I need some other company ya know?"
Tidus laughed. "Yeah, no kidding..."
Just then, the com link beeped and buzzed to life. A very pissed voice was then heard from Rikku's pocket. "RIKKU!! HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT YOUR LEADER?! Oui'mm byo vun dryd!!"
Everyone sweatdropped at Brother's voice. Digging up the com link from her pocket, she pushed the button on top to give her response. Rikku growled with annoyance. "Ggrrrrr.... Just pick us up already so we can go!!"
Yuna just shook her head and sighed. "Sounds like nothing's changed..." Paine commented as the Celsius came riding into view and slowed to a stop so everyone could be let on.
As everyone gathered on the Bridge, they all greeted each other. Brother was very happy to see Yuna, but not as much he used to. He knows Tidus is the only man for Yuna, and Brother couldn't be happier for her. Still the tattooed self, he still as always has his blonde hair in a small Mohawk with dark grey overalls with brown shoes. Buddy looked the same too; he had darker skin, bald, and wore a purple Al Bhed looking outfit. He wore goggles with no strap... Rikku always wondered how he could keep them on without them falling off. Shinra looked the same... hidden underneath a white Al Bhed outfit with a helmet and mask on.
After the greetings, soon it became unusually quiet. Buddy cleared his throat as he went back to the airship controls. Yuna then went straight to the heart of the matter. "So Rikku, what exactly do you know about these strange waves?"
Rikku held up her hands and shook her head. "Well... not much really. Shinra was picking up these weird signals from within the ruins. Doesn't seem like a sphere or anything... the signals were similar to the holes that were in the temples caused by Shuyin and Vegnagun."
"Yes, the waves are similar, but not exact. If my calculations are correct...seems there IS another hole that opened up..." Shinra spoke in the background as the masked Al Bhed whiz kid was still facing the screen at his station.
"But, the fayth returned the statues back to the temples right?? And the ground where Vegnagun escaped from Bevelle is fixed too... So, why is there suddenly another hole?" Yuna wondered and looked down at her boots.
Tidus then shrugged and rested an arm on Yuna's bare shoulder. "Well, I'm still here too, so the fayth haven't just stopped dreaming." The others looked around thinking to themselves.
Rikku was also in deep thought, tapping her foot with her arms crossed. Sure, I do believe everything in this world is connected somehow, someway... but not always directly. Must think outside the box, or maybe just wait till we see what's going on before jumping to conclusions.
Paine then stepped forward and broke the silence. "Let's just see when we get there... hopefully things will be explained then. It won't make it any better to worry ourselves too much."
Brother jumped up from his pilot seat and did his signature "Brother" dances. "My thoughts exactly... so LET'S GET GOING KIDDIES!!"
"YEAH!!" YRP cheered together. On that note, the Celsius was full speed ahead.
The Celsius came to a stop and landed right outside of the Zanarkand Ruins. Yuna came out first, followed by Tidus right behind her, Rikku tagged a little behind him, and then Paine was last cuz she liked to stroll along to her own pace. Rikku stopped for a second to look around. There were a few people... as the tourist problem was never going to be completely solved, but there was no business being ran either. The monkeys were still the inhabitants from a year ago when Yuna, Paine, and herself went and mated the monkeys so Zanarkand can be left in peace. Tidus looked kind of lost, like he was in his own little world. Rikku guessed he was looking around at the ruins of his "home". Tidus, though a dream of the fayth and came from the "dream Zanarkand", still always had feelings for the place. That will never fully go away. I guess I can relate. I still sometimes miss Home, I get upset when I think about that day... when Dad had to blow it up to get rid of the Guado and fiends. At least I have my family. Dad, Yunie, and Brother... though sometimes I wish he could disappear!
Suddenly Rikku snapped out of her thoughts by Yuna's voice. "Come on Rikku, let's go!"
"Kay!!" Rikku waved her arm and ran up to catch the others. Together they walked along the long, winding, broken path to the 1000 year old Blitzball stadium. They passed a few faces, but mostly it was monkeys that ran past them. Once they got to the stadium entrance, everyone got out their weapons. As all were well aware, many fiends lurked in these ruins. As they stepped in and continued with their guards up, Rikku got out her com link and called to Buddy. "Hey, we anywhere near the waves?"
Buzzing and beeping followed. After a few seconds Buddy answered, "Not yet, but getting closer."
"It's probably past the Cloister of Trials deep within the ruins." Paine spoke from close behind Rikku. Yuna and Tidus turned to face the girls who lagged behind.
"Hey... wait..." Everyone turned to Tidus' direction. "Maybe it's where we fought Yunalesca."
Rikku blinked her green swirl eyes and gave him a strange look, like there were horns growing out of his head. "What are you talking about?"
Tidus sighed and explained further. "See, that's where we fought Yunalesca, deep in the ruins... in that floating room right?"
Yuna nodded. "Yeah...that's right. I remember."
"Well, there was a hole left behind where we fought her and she was sent. Maybe it got opened up again?"
"Good idea. But that doesn't explain WHY the hole would open up again." Paine responded.
Yeah... but Tidus has a point. Seems like the logical place that the waves would come from... but we sent her... twice, after the Via Infinito also. Could she have returned? Rikku shuddered at that the thought of Yunalesca coming back for the third time... she'd become another Seymour!!
Just then, a baby behemoth growled from behind them. "Watch out!" Yuna cried out as she jumped to the right side, dodging the behemoth's claw attack. She lifted her guns and went trigger happy on the fiend. Tidus waved his hand and cast Hastega on the party. Rikku danced about and attacked behemoth on its side while dodging claws. Paine then delivered a deathblow on the fiend. The behemoth growled in agony while pyreflies were released from its body. It fell to the ground with a loud thud and the rest of its pyreflies soared to the sky to rest on the Farplane.
Tidus put his Brotherhood away and laughed to himself. "Well, that wasn't much fun."
Paine nodded in agreement. Suddenly beeping and buzzing came from Rikku's pocket again. "Fryd'c kuehk uh tufh drana? Is everyone okay?!"
"Don't worry, everything's fine. Just a fiend." Yuna said reassuringly.
"Alright, be careful..." Brother responded and clicked off. Rikku sweatdropped at her paranoid older brother. Yuna giggled while Paine and Tidus shook their heads.
After glancing around to see if nothing else was going to sneak up behind them, the blonde male youth pumped his arm like he usually does when excited. "Let's get going already!" Tidus encouraged. Yuna nodded and the party continued toward the Cloister of Trials. A few smaller fiends got in their way, but were defeated easily.
When they went inside the collapsing building; moving past streams of pretty pyre files and groups of playful monkeys, and swerving around the fallen blocks and pillars, Rikku started to get a chill down her spine. What's this feeling? It's not that cold in here...I just feel like something's not quite right.
The party moved about the Cloister of Trials, on the tiled floor Yuna and her guardians solved three years ago. Memories rushed into Rikku's head. She remembered how annoying the Trials were... the damn tiles they had to match up, in all the weird shapes. Then when she thought it was all over, a huge insect-like fiend that guarded Yunalesca appeared out of the center of the room. That was a tough battle... but it would've been worse if it was not for Tidus' Hastega, Auron's overdrive and of course, Yuna's aeons.
A monkey ran past Rikku's feet as the party moved onto the platform that leads down to the chamber of the fayth. Yuna suddenly wondered out loud, "Wonder what's going to be down there now..."
"Yeah... I'm just waiting for a huge fiend to pop out at us!" Tidus answered to Yuna's indirect question.
Paine crossed her arms in front of her. "Let's just be prepared for anything, including a battle."
Suddenly the platform stopped. The party went forward into the chamber of the fayth. Rikku stopped at the sphere on the left side of the doorway and waved her hand over it to heal her and the others, then followed Paine into the chamber a moment later. Everything looked normal... the empty circular statue in the middle of the round floor that holds what's left of Lord Zaon, first sacrifice to the Final Summoning 1000 years ago. The monkeys scattered as the three girls and one guy stepped on the statue.
Yuna then squatted down to examine Zaon's fayth statue more closely. She tilted her head to the side as if trying to find something. Yuna then turned her head to Rikku on her right side. "Rikku, can u check to see if anything is out of the ordinary about the statue?" she asked.
"Righto!" Rikku responded. She took out a handheld machina and ran it over the statue as the device beeped different beeps. "Hhhmmmm...." Rikku muttered.
"What?" Tidus questioned as he stood over Yuna and Rikku looking down at the fayth.
"No, nothing strange that I can see. There is nothing out-of-the-ordinary about the fayth statue. So the hole wasn't made here, nor is any energy emitting from it either." Rikku put away her machina in her pocket, but still had it turned on, in case it started irrationally beeping.
Paine stepped toward the glowing passageway in front of them, the lair that was once home to the unsent Yunalesca. "Then it has to be in here," Paine pointed in front of her. "...where you fought Yunalesca three years ago, like Tidus said."
The others turned to face Paine. Yuna stood up first, and then Rikku followed after. Yuna walked over next to Paine and nodded to her. "Let's go..." Then Yuna went in through the glowing doorway first, and then Paine, Tidus, and last was Rikku. The scenery that appeared before them was dark and dreary, but familiar. It was where Yuna and party learned the truth of the Final Summoning... then they followed Yunalesca into the room where they defeated her and the Final Aeon tradition forever. Rikku looked around and saw that it was the same as before, just with even more monkeys and all the chests left for visitors were opened and left empty.
Tidus looked around as memories swept back to him from three years ago, or so Rikku observed. Tidus took in a deep breath and slowly let it out as they walked up the stairs and opened the strong, massive doors that lead to the floating room.
As the doors were pushed open enough for everyone to walk right through, everyone was anxious to see what the hole was, and if anything was waiting for them on the other side of these doors. But.... What was shown was not expected at all...
"What?!?!?! Where's the hole???" Rikku asked as she hung her mouth open in shock.
Tidus ran to the middle of the room, and stood on the floor design of the Yevon emblem on it. He tapped the floor with his toe. Yuna paced nervously around the room, waiting for some kind of fiend, aeon, or unsent to pop out at her. Paine walked up to Rikku, who had her handheld machine scanner out already. Rikku held the scanner out at arm's length and walked over to the circular area first. Tidus moved out of Rikku's way so she could get the right reading. As she walked right next to where Tidus was standing last, the machina started beeping irregular, and it beeped faster. What in Spira is this?? It says something is opened up here, like there's some kind of activity here...but why can't I see any evidence of any? What is going on...?
"Rikku..." Rikku turned to where the sound of Paine's voice came from. Rikku perked up her eyebrow. "What are you reading?"
Rikku shook her head. "I don't understand what this means... there IS irregular activity in this spot here..." She points down at the circular emblem. "...but there's no signs of any... except these weird waves of energy."
Yuna walked up to her cousin with a slight frightened look on her face. "What should we do then...?"
"We can leave this energy wave device here on this spot and track it from the airship's computer. Hopefully if anything really out of the ordinary starts to happen, we'll know right away." Rikku held up a mini sphere scanner. Suddenly Rikku's eyes got wide. "Oh, one last thing before we go..." Rikku walked over to Paine and handed her the handheld machina she was using before. "Could you get a head start at checking over the ruins one last time before we leave...? I'll stay and install this sphere, won't be long. I'll just be a minute."
Paine looked annoyed as she took the handheld from Rikku. "Man, this was a wasted trip wasn't it?"
Yuna ran over and put a hand on Paine's shoulder as the two girls walked out of the room towards the doors. Rikku couldn't really make out what they were talking about, though she had a pretty clear idea. Tidus then came up to Rikku with a curious look, like he was trying to figure out what she was doing. Rikku looked up from the sphere. "What, trying to figure out what I'm doing here... you wouldn't really understand if I told u...this is kind of an Al Bhed thing... cunno!!" Rikku laughed and gave a big grin.
Tidus then laughed in response. "No prob, we'll be waiting out there." He then jogged down the stairs. Rikku turned back down to the ground. She fiddled with the wires and buttons so it can put out a proper signal for the Celsius to pick up. But she was kind of distracted, by a sense that something wasn't quite right... there was something else going on as well.
Rikku sighed out loud to herself. "I hope this doesn't really start something else..."
All of a sudden, a rush of cold air moved past her. "EEEKKK!!!" Rikku jumped up, as she is never really fond of cold anyway. Rikku quickly looked back and forth to see what it was. But she found nothing strange. The young blonde became quite afraid that there was something going to leap out at her, so she leaned back down to finish installing the sphere very defensively. Then as her eyes were studying the sphere, a pyre fly flew past her hand. "Huh??" She stood up to look around her, and found that there were a few pyreflies that swarmed towards her direction. She quickly gasped and backed up. I KNEW IT!!! There WAS something here... figures it shows up when I'm alone!!
Rikku backed up even more, as the pyreflies became concentrated in the center of the room, where the sphere scanner is. Soon they swirl together faster and faster. A deep red aura of light appears amongst the swirling pyreflies to reveal a black cloaked figure with a hood over his head. It seemed like a tall figure with big broad shoulders, definitely the figure of a man. Rikku gasped. "Unsent!!! Who are you, what do you want?" Rikku had spoken with an accusing tone.
The figure chuckled. "You seem useful enough..." The mysterious man said with a deep but calm voice.
"What do u want from me? Well, whatever it is... you'll have to fight me first!!" Rikku pulled out her red double daggers and pointed them at the hooded man.
The cloaked figure laughed, a little louder this time. "You're perfect... you have this certain quality that's perfect for my plan." Rikku stared strangely back at him, but seeming interested in what he was going to say. "You were lying to yourself just now, when you said you hoped nothing would happen. But in actuality, you were welcoming danger. A little excitement... did you not?"
"Huh??? How would you know that? How did you get inside my head and read my mind??" Rikku tapped the side of her head for visual demonstration.
"That's a secret..." he put a finger to his mouth in the gesture of silence. "But tell me, you were wishing for something bad to happen, so you could feel as if you had a place in this world... did you not?"
Rikku opened her eyes wider. He seems like he can reach in and sense what exactly I'm feeling right now... She dropped her daggers slightly and looked down at the ground. "You know, you're right... I did wish I could have something to do. I felt as if everyone had a life and I didn't. But it still doesn't mean I'll let you hurt my friends and family!!" She stuck out the blades, in a more forceful movement.
"Oh, I wouldn't even think about doing that... why, you can't trust me?" He then stretched out a black-gloved hand top her, as if welcoming her. "Come... and you're friends shall not be harmed in anyway."
Rikku gave the mysterious man a look that could kill. "No, I DON'T trust you!! You're just an unsent that has been in mourning over your death too long... so you had better be prepared for your sending... and next time stay in the Farplane where you belong!! YAHHHH!!!" She then went charging at the man, with daggers aimed straight at the chest.
The mysterious hooded man shook his finger at her. "Should not have done that..." the figure said with a strangely lighter tone in his voice.
Just as the blades were going to strike the stranger, the figure started to fade in and out with the pyreflies dispersing from the cloaked one's body. In an instant, all the pyreflies had disappeared and Rikku slashed the air. "WHAT?!?!"
Suddenly, there was an immense burst of energy and light coming from right beneath her. It seemed to swallow her into it. Rikku gasped in fright, thinking there was going to be some serious injuries she'd be feeling later. Then the floor's Yevon emblem split apart, right from underneath her feet. "AAAAHHHHHHH!!!" Rikku screamed as she felt the weightless air from beneath her as she went free falling through the hole made in the floor. All she could see was a circular light from above her moving very quickly away from her as she kept falling straight downward.
The doors suddenly flew open. "RIKKU?!?!" Tidus yelped. He was the first to hear the screams from inside the room. While Tidus and Paine gasped at the hole that opened up in the middle of the room, Yuna ran over as fast as her legs could carry her toward the beam of light. Yuna looked down at through the hole to see blonde hair falling quickly away from her.
"RIKKU!!!!!!!" Yuna screamed at the top of her lungs. She stuck her hand out, as if to try and reach her... though she was way too far down already. Yuna gasped as the hole suddenly disappeared. The lights flashed away and the pyreflies dispersed. Yuna fell to the now reappeared floor as her eyes began to flood tears. "Rikku..... RIIIIIIIKKUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
To be Continued...
Al Bhed Translations
Sayhea! Meanie!
Oui'mm byo vun dryd!! You'll pay for that!!
Fryd'c kuehk uh tufh drana? What's going on down there?
Cunno!! Sorry!!