A/N: This is the start of my Rikku challenge at the fanfic100 community on LiveJournal. There are 95 prompts that I have to write a fan fiction for. There are five "writer's choice" prompts as well. Over the next few months I will put out 100 one shots about Rikku.
The prompt for this story is Beginnings. Enjoy, and review when you're done reading!
The Beginning
It was one of those cloudy, rainy days where all you want to do is stay inside, and curl up beside the fire in your pajamas. Of course, there was hardly a time when we were allowed to do that.
"Rikku! Kad uh talg! Huf!" Get on deck! Now!
I rolled my eyes, muttering to myself something about annoying, bossy brothers. "Zicd y sehida!" Just a minute! I shouted, pulling a pair of goggles over my head. I made sure I had my gear ready, and stretched my arms out. It was going to be another long day of salvaging.
I exited my room on the ship, and walked to the deck. The air was thick with fog. I could feel the cool mist against my cheeks, and shivered slightly.
"Don't let Brother see you shiver like that," someone chuckled behind me. I turned, greeted by Ysa. She was one of the few Al Bhed, like me, who could speak the main Spiran language.
"He'll just tell me to stop acting like such a baby and embrace the cold," I laughed along with her.
"Rikku!" Speak of the devil. "Kad du fung!" Get to work!
I smiled at Ysa again, shaking my head as I muttered, "Oayr oayr." Yeah, yeah. I pulled my goggles over my eyes, hiding the laughter.
We stopped the boat outside an underwater cavern. I was putting on a harness that I'd use for diving when I heard a loud cry. I looked over at Brother, who shrugged.
"Ed'c bnupypmo zicd y fiend," It's probably just a fiend. Brother said nonchalantly.
Ysa shook her head, "Rikku, take a team and figure out what it is. We don't want any trouble."
"Right!" I punched a fist into the air. Ysa knew I was dying to get off the ship.
"Fryd, Fryd?" What? What? Brother shouted, confused.
I laughed, hand-picking a few decent fighters, and we lowered ourselves onto a rocky edge. We walked to an entrance, now blocked off by fallen rock and debris. "Tufh!" Down! I shouted in warning, tossing a grenade at the blockade. It exploded, and we swiftly filed inside the abandoned temple.
A blonde male was fighting a group of fiends, and was losing. Always eager to help, I jumped in the battle, assisting as I could.
"You on my side? Cool!" he said breathlessly, swinging his sword down on the fiend.
The battle didn't take much longer. We finished off the fiends, and sighed in victory.
Taking off my goggles, I squinted to get a better view of the boy. The cute boy.
"Whew! That was close!" he said, catching his breath. He definitely spoke the Spiran language well.
Before I could reply, the three Al Bhed on my team ambushed him.
"Hey! Let me go!" he cried.
"Fryd ec drec?" What is this? one of them demanded.
"Y fiend! Eh risyh teckieca! Oac! Ed ec cu!" A fiend! In human
disguise! Yes! It is so!
"Fa gemm ed?" We kill it? the last one held a blade against his throat.
My eyes widened with fear. "Fyed!" Wait! I cried, "Fryd ev ed ec risyh?" What if it is human? After all, I was pretty sure this guy wasn't a fiend.
"Drao yna dra cysa eh taydr." They are the same in death. Still bent on killing the guy.
"E vunpet ed! Fa pnehk ed fedr ic." I forbid it! We bring it with us.
I suppose this is where it all began. Our journey, our friendship (well, maybe that doesn't begin here), and everything that would take place in the next few years…
I got close to the male, and whispered, "Cunno," in his ear as an apology. Swiftly, I punched him in the gut, an easy way to knock anyone unconscious.
I signaled to the others to grab the new guy, and led the way to the ship. Now I'd have to speak with my father, and try to convince him that the guy wasn't a fiend and he could be useful. After all, he was just another Al Bhed in trouble. My dad had a liking for helping our own people.
We got on the ship quickly, and with a few strange looks from the others, I ordered a couple to guard the unconscious guy. With another glance back at him, I walked inside the cabin.
"Rikku!"
"Vydran!" I put on the biggest smile I could, walking up to my father.
He was a tall man, with a bald head decorated with a flaming tattoo. He was the proud leader of the Al Bhed, and I adored him, even if sometimes he drove me absolutely crazy. "What's this I hear about you picking up someone?"
I sighed. News traveled fast on the boat. "He was in trouble, Pops. I had to help him--"
"When have they ever helped us Rikku? Hmm?" he yelled.
I twisted my hands behind my back, my temper rising. "Not all Spirans are bad, Vydran!" But before he could reply, I continued, "Besides, he's Al Bhed too."
My father stopped for a moment, sighing in defeat. "Fine. He can stay if he works. But we're dropping him off at Home next chance we get."
"Dryhg oui!" Thank you! I jumped up, thanking my father. I smiled, heading back to the deck.
"Oui'na milgo oui lyh gaab res." You're lucky you can keep him. Brother had joined my side. Yes. His name is Brother, and he is my brother. Seems silly, doesn't it?
"Keep him?" I raised an eyebrow, "He's not a pet!"
Brother angrily crossed his arms over his chest. He couldn't speak Spiran like my father, Ysa, and I could, and I knew it made him terribly upset when I spoke it. The door opened and I was greeted by the sight of the boy being held captive by the guards at gunpoint. "Ugh," I groaned.
"Caynlr res!" Search him! Brother ordered.
I gritted my teeth together, angry that Brother was in control.
"Right. Whatever," the captive shrugged. I was now sure he didn't speak Al Bhed, otherwise he probably would've started.
"Tu oui hud cbayg?" Do you not speak? Brother asked, bewildered.
'Of course not, stupid,' I thought in my head.
Brother motioned to a pair of goggles, and made a diving motion.
"I said I don't understand!" the captive said, frustrated.
"Ehcumahla!" Insolence! one of the guards shouted, readying to hit him.
"Fyed!" Wait! I cried once again. Geez, sometimes I forget how violent my people can be to outsiders. "He said you can stay if you make yourself useful," I muttered to him.
"You-you understand me?" his eyes opened wide in surprise. That caused him to receive a hit from one of the guards. "All right, I'll work!" he shouted, wincing.
I stretched my arms, and prepared for the dive. The boy came up to me, looking around cautiously. He obviously was confused, so I tried to explain the situation. "We found some ancient ruins right beneath us. It's not active now, but there should be some power left. We're gonna go down there and activate it and then we should be able to salvage the big prize!"
After a few more preparations, we were ready. "Okay! Let's get to work!"
I won't bore you with the details of the salvage, but I found out the guy was pretty reliable in a battle, and would be useful to have around. He certainly had a knack for underwater work.
After getting back on the ship, we (rather, I) told the others that we had found the ancient airship we'd been searching for, and we'd be able to work it.
Puzzled by the problem of dragging it out of the water, and excited by the find, I hurried inside to tell my Pops the great news, sort of… forgetting about the new guy.
"Guess what Pops!" I shouted happily. In a mix of Al Bhed and Spiran, I blurted out the find, surprised he understood.
"What about your friend?" he reminded.
"Oopsies…" I bit my lower lip, and excused myself from the meeting. They'd need my help later, but for now they could try to use Brother's "awesome skills" to figure out how to bring the ship up.
I salvaged the fridge for some food (well, it mostly looked edible), and brought it out the deck. There I saw him, moaning about being hungry. Nudging him with my foot, I caught his attention and presented his meal. Surprisingly enough, he was happy to eat whatever I gave him, and with a "Right on!" he began to scarf down his meal.
I couldn't help but laugh moments later, when his food was gone. He was choking on the last bit of meat-surprise. I tossed him a canteen, and he thirstily downed the water.
"It's 'cause you eat too fast," I told him, kneeling on the ground.
With a sigh of relief, he jumped up, stretching his body.
"Hey!" I cried. The ungrateful little bugger started walking away from me.
He faced me, a big grin on his face. "Hello there. What is your name?"
"Rikku," I smiled.
And that's how it began. He soon introduced himself to me as Tidus of Zanarkand. Well, I quickly set him straight about Sin, his toxin, and the destruction of Zanarkand. He, uh, seemed a bit upset… He kept talking about this whole world of Zanarkand. I didn't want to believe him, but I can't say it wasn't true… I'd never been to Zanarkand… Still, it was too weird. How could someone affected by Sin's toxin come up with such a story?
Anyway, after promising to take him to Luca, I went back inside to ask yet another favor of my Pops.
Well, I had barely entered the cabin when I heard the sickening call…
"SIN!"
I ran to the deck, nearly screaming as I watched a wave crash upon Tidus, sweeping him underwater. "No!" I cried, running to the edge of the boat. I reached my hand toward him, watching his body in the current.
The last I saw of him was his gorgeous blonde hair…
And those beautiful blue eyes. Blue… not green like any other Al Bhed…
"Rikku!" a few Al Bhed grabbed me by the arms, dragging me back inside the ship. Away from danger, away from Sin, and away from those eyes.
That was the beginning. Weeks later, when I met up with Tidus on that sandy shore, I knew we had been destined to meet. We had a purpose, a journey.
And it was only the beginning.