1
Category:
Final Fantasy X
Disclaimer:
I do not own Final Fantasy X, Spira, or the characters.
Description:
This is a piece of randomness that just started unfolding when I sat down with a blank page in front of me. Basically, this is a back-story for Rikku. Yes, I know it's short, and I may add more to it later; still, I like it. Time gaps are assumed between the chapters, but it's fairly easy to catch on and goes right up to the beginning events of FFX. Enjoy!
On a personal note, this is one my favorites. Why? Beats me. It took me another play-through on FFX to really connect with Rikku's character, and I hate the apparent character regression that's in place before/during FFX-2 (the FF gods made her a dumb blonde in FFX-2, even though she's anything but that in FFX). Anyhow, this is the Rikku I saw in my second play-through. It's short yet sweet. "Yes," I am randomly a girl.
Language Note: Al'Bhed is in normal font while standard Spiran is in bold.
Watcher-TT
A euphoric grin spread across her face as the small machina finally took form. Rikku had been scavenging 'useless' bits from old salvage stocks for the past three weeks in search of scraps that could be made to fit her invention. Building the motor had been the most challenging part as it had to be durable enough to keep the internal propellers within an acceptable rotation variation yet light enough to not make the machina drop out of the sky like a dead peregrine. The next major obstacle had been fitting the unit with six fans to keep the motor from overheating. After figuring that out, installing sensor grids and welding the external paneling into place had been a synch.
As the orange glow faded from the cooling metal, Rikku removed her protective goggles. Blowing on it for good measure, she snatched up the remote control and brought her little machina to life.
The motor and fans whizzed and whirred loudly, coaxing the machina into a wobbly hover. Switching the scanner's radius to a mere five feet, Rikku turned her attention to flight control. Any higher than three feet and the machina started to shake uncontrollably, but this was just the first prototype. Manipulating the knobs, Rikku lowered the gizmo to two feet and maneuvered the flying machina in circles and loops around her chair at various speeds before attempting to land it under her desk. The machina sputtered to a halt, hovered for a moment, and dropped unceremoniously onto the pillow she had placed there for such an occasion.
Grinning, Rikku brought up the controller's screen and accessed the information transmitted during its first flight. It had detected all six of the hidden 'treasures' in her room and identified her location in proportion to the obstacles in the room (a.k.a. her bed, chair, and desk). "Oh, yeah!" she cheered.
Just then, her door chimed.
"Hold on a second!" she called, scrambling to shift the machina and remote control under her bed. Scattering a pile of metal scraps around her, she pretended to ticker with a completely useless gizmo she had completed ages ago. Sufficiently nonchalant, "Come in!"
The door scrapped open.
Rikku glanced at Brother before pretending to continue the gizmo's fine-tuning. "What do you want?" she asked ungraciously.
Brother scowled, but Rikku didn't pay that any mind. Brother was always scowling. "Father wants to speak with you." He paused. "What are you working on?" he demanded.
With an exaggerated sigh, Rikku allowed the gizmo to drop to the floor. "Nothing much," she responded, dusting herself off. Rikku eyed Brother's newest set of purple flame tattoos. He seemed determined to cover every inch of his skin before puberty. Stupid Brother. "Nice flames," she lied. "Maybe the next ones can spell 'idiot' across your forehead."
Brother made a general sound of derision before stalking down the corridor. He hated it when she made smarmy comments that he couldn't think of comebacks for, which, of course, only encouraged further smarminess.
Trotting after him, Rikku noted that this section of Home had finally been completed, the last weld marks still faintly glowing. Rikku smiled fondly at the haphazard bits of scrap metal that were now functional bulkheads. It had taken Pops almost as long as she'd been alive to do it, but Al'Bhed finally had a place to unite and call their own. Of course, no one else in Spira could know about it, but the Al'Bhed knew, and that was enough. We're no longer nomads by force but by choice. Rikku remembered Pops' words and grinned.
Misinterpreting her look, Brother eyed her suspiciously. "What's so funny?"
Rikku smiled sweetly. "You." She made it to the end of the corridor before Brother caught her in a headlock. "Owowowowowowowowow!"
"Who's funny now?" he gloated. Rikku didn't have to see Brother to know that he was posing.
"Let up, you big meanie!" Brother rubbed his fist against her head for good measure before allowing her to escape. Immediately, Rikku shoved him, rather ineffectually. "You should be nicer to me! I'm your only little sister, ya know?"
Brother crossed his tattooed arms and made a point of glaring down at her. "And I am your only older brother," he declared. "That means you have to be nicer to me than I am to you."
Ignoring his posturing, Rikku rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right," she dismissed and resumed walking. Miffed, Brother gave her the silent treatment for the remainder of the trek to Home's outer courtyard. Rikku savored the silence.
Pops was looking cross, as usual. "What do you mean you can't make the trip now!" he demanded of the unsuspecting Vinel, who was in charge of security for speeder caravans. "What good is security detail if they won't protect incoming Al'Bhed? No good, that's what. Are you trying to sabotage us by isolating Home from free Al'Bhed access?"
"I can't keep risking my men's lives by transporting non-combatants into the heart of Bikanel's most dangerous region," Vinel protested.
"Ha!" Pops scoffed, "Those fiends could be knocked over with a sneeze. Then again, maybe you're too yellow to take on that level of fiend."
Rikku recognized the intimidation tactic. In another few minutes, the man would crack. She had seen it countless times and would have waited for Pops to send the caravan security back to work if she had not a unique solution to this problem. Strolling past Brother, she inserted herself as casually as possible next to Pops.
"Hiya, Pops!" she greeted. "Hey, Vinel!"
Vinel nodded his acknowledgement before returning his attention to Pops, but Pops kept his attention on her. "Wait just a minute, Rikku," his gruff voice softened a tad. He returned his steely gaze to Vinel. "This will be over in a minute." The man's jaw clenched.
Forcing a light laugh, Rikku scratched the back of her head. "Actually, Pops, I kinda wanted to show you something I made. It's a machina for reconnaissance." Now she had both of their attentions. "I just finished the first prototype. It isn't perfect, but it should warn a caravan if there are any unmanageable fiends approaching." Rikku bit her lip. She wasn't sure if the last part was entirely true, but the theory was sound she was desperate for a field test. Besides, she had confidence that anything she built would last at least a week before falling apart.
"Well, let's see it," Pops assented.
Grinning, Rikku scampered back to her room to retrieve the prized invention from under her bed.
Controller in hand, Rikku noted the looks shot at her device, both curious and appraising. She had a pretty good track record for inventing crazy models that were quickly seized by Al'Bhed techs, improved, and mass-produced. That was one of the reasons Rikku had hoped to keep this invention a secret for awhile longer. For once, she wanted to present an unflawed machina as her own, but caravan safety took priority, and, if her machina tinkering might help Vinel's company come back without casualties, it was worth the early presentation.
Placing her prize carefully on the ground, Rikku began a brief demonstration of her invention's limited maneuverability and hovering capabilities. "He's not as fast as a speeder, and I haven't figured out how to improve the hover stability. Sorry, he's just a prototype," she finished with a light blush. Rikku did not try to land the machina but shifted it to Wait Mode and plucked it out of the air. "But that's not important right now," she dismissed the fact that she had built the first successful flying machina since the time of the fabled 'airship' of millennia past. "Here," she said, turning the remote so Vinel could see the controller screen. "This is a treasure and terrain map of Home being transmitted from Watcher here back to the controller. He only has a range of seventy feet, so I'm not sure how useful he'll be. Still, if you hold him on your lap and keep him in Wait Mode, his scanners should provide enough forewarning to avoid any fiends that are too dangerous."
As Vinel familiarized himself with the controls, Rikku glanced around to gauge the small crowd's reaction. The newer Al'Bhed were shaking their heads in disbelief while the rest quickly explained that she had created half of the prototypes that had become Al'Bhed staples in the past six years. Rikku pretended not to notice but allowed herself a small smile. Maybe that patch-wearing dolt and his friends would finally stop referring to her as Cid's girl.
"What are the white Xs?" Vinel asked, recalling her attention.
"Buried treasure," she responded without looking at the screen. The crowd chuckled softly. Without batting an eye, Rikku explained, "It's designed to detect objects buried in the sand. Right now, the sensors only have a penetration of two feet down, and they don't discriminate between small objects, like a lost potion, and larger objects, like covered ruins." The chuckling died. If this device could be improved, it would save the Al'Bhed a lot of time spent on meaningless digging. Instead, they could just go to a site and dig precisely where the ruins were located. Months would be saved. "I'll have to make the sensors more sensitive next time," she said, already planning the next model's design.
Rikku remained oblivious to the world until Pops grunted, "Treasure and terrain, huh?"
She started slightly but grinned at Pops' approving tone. "Yup!" she chimed. "Watcher-TT!" Just because she could get away with it, Rikku spun in a circle and jumped excitedly. Pops laughed. Rikku spun again. Pops hadn't laughed much since cousin Yunie had decided to become a summoner. He needed to laugh more.