Chapter One: Rescue Remedy.
The room was pitch black, the only light came in the form of thin strips that managed to squeeze through the cell bars. Paine watched the particles of dust dance in the fading beams of light, but soon stopped her observation when something across the room caught her eye. She strained to see, but was sure she could make out the outline of a person.
She gripped the handle of her sword tightly and walked cautiously toward the sight. The sound of her leather boots on the cold cell floor echoed throughout the dark room, she carefully stepped over puddles of water-or what she hoped was water.
Paine gasped and nearly dropped her sword at the sight in front of her crimson blood eyes. She was right it was a person but she wasn't prepared for this. It was a young girl about 16 Paine thought, the girls arms were chained above her head and she was completely naked. Paine propped her sword against the damp cell wall and knelt beside the girl, she studied the girl's body and her ribs were dotted with large multicolour bruises, her arms and legs were covered in large cuts, grazes and welts.
Paine put a gloved hand to the girl's cheek and raised her head- her lip was burst and her nose bloody.
Paine gently ran her thumb over a small cut under the girl's eye, wiping away some dry blood. Paine sighed and stood up, she began to pace the full length of the cell. She wanted to get this girl out of there, but the captain would not be a happy man.
"...screw him" she though and grabbed her large black sword, focused on a weak part of the chain that held the girl captive, closed her eyes and swung. The sound of metal meeting metal echoed through the room, bouncing off the wall and returning to her ears. Paine slowly opened her eyes and smirked at the sight, one of the girls arms hung limply beside her body free from the chain.
"One down, one to go" she was about to swing at the second chain when the door to the cells opened and three guards rushed in. One shouted orders in his native Al Bhed tongue and one of the men charged, his sword raised- Paine easily side stepped the clumsy attack, he turned to strike again but before he could turn completely around Paine's sword contacted with his armour then his flesh, then bone. The man fell. Paine shook the blood from her blade and turned to the two advancing soldiers- she smirked. Before they could get in striking distance a blade penetrated one guards body from behind, the mans eyes grew wide and blood escaped his lips
"No need to thank me" said a young blonde haired man, who pulled his sword from the man's slumped over body while he spoke. Paine had killed the remaining guard by the time he had finished his sentence and was now wiping the warm blood from her sword.
"I wasn't going to, I could have easily killed him myself"
"I never said you couldn't, just hurry it up... grab what you can, Nooj and Baralai are waiting for us"
Paine nodded and watched him leave- but not before he grabbed some loot from the fallen guards. She turned her attention to the girl again. Just like before she searched for the remaining chains weakest point and struck it at full force, the chain snapped and the girl was free from her bindings. Paine attached her sword to her skull buckled belt before scooping the girl's frail form into a protective embrace. She was careful not to hurt the girl's already battered body and carried her to the waiting airship.
"Paine! What the hell is that?" a man with long brown hair and glasses yelled at her before she was even half way in the electronic door.
"That Nooj is a girl. I just rescued......."
"Well it's obvious that we both have different definitions of what 'loot' is- because that! This... this is a girl!" he said looking down at the girl in Paine's arms.
"Wow Nooj, your powers of observation are outstanding" added Gippal who was laying his finds across the table.
"Well she is your responsibility Paine, and once she's better she's gone... you listening?
Paine wasn't, she was halfway out the door and heading toward her room. She lay the girl down on her bed and covered her nakedness with a blanket. Paine sat beside her and brushed back a stray strand of matted hair from the girls face.
"Better find you something to wear, not sure you'll like my clothes you don't look like that type of girl, but I guess they will have to do for now"
Paine's door opened slightly and a young mans face poked through, he had long white hair that was held back with a blue head-band. "Heard there was a new member" he said gently. Paine gestured him to come inside, he nodded and carefully closed the door behind him. He sat next to Paine on the bed, they both looked at the sleeping girl in silence- silence that was soon broken by an intrusion.
"Has that yoke woken up yet?" asked Gippal. Baralai and Paine glared at him from where they were sitting.
"What? What I do?" he said totally confused by their piercing glares.
"You did nothing, you didn't knock, you didn't whisper! Nothing!" Baralai said in a raised whisper. Gippal rolled his eyes "whatever" and he left the room
".....idiot" grumbled Paine, Baralai nodded his agreement. He turned back to the sleeping girl and put a hand on her forehead.
"She's got a fever, I can make a remedy for her but it will take a while. You should bathe her, try to cool her down." Paine nodded and thanked Baralai.
Paine searched through her wardrobe for a suitable item for the girl to wear and after much shifting trough her leathers found a long black t-shirt "it'll do as a nightdress for now" She grabbed a few towels and left to run the water for a bath.
When the bath was ready Paine picked the girl up from the bed, the young girl moaned and shuffled in her sleep. Strands of damp dirty hair fell across her face and Paine tucked them behind a small ear. She carried her to the bathroom and carefully slid her into the cold water, instantly the colour of the water changed to a dirty red. Paine slid an arm around the girls back to hold her up and began to gently wash the dried blood from the girls face and hair. She dabbed at the girl's bruised body carefully- little moans escaped the girls split lips, she was in agony. Paine grit her teeth and silently vowed to kill the bastards who imprisoned and tortured the girl.
She washed the girl's dirty and matted hair before taking her out and drying her off with a large woolly towel. She carried her back to her bed and after a slight struggle managed to dress the unconscious girl in the black t-shirt. Pine propped the girl up into a sitting position so she could towel dry her hair, as the young girls hair dried Paine marvelled at its colour- a sandy blonde, her hair fell around her face and shoulders, layered all the way down framing her beautiful face. On seeing this something clicked inside Paine, she lay the girl down gently before leaving to see Baralai.
Baralai was in his room, crushing some ether and phoenix down together in a bowl, preparing them for what would be the Remedy.
Paine burst in the door and leaned against the wall biting on a fingernail. She said nothing.
"Well are you going to tell me what wrong, are shall I guess" asked Baralai still focused on the Remedy. Paine uncrossed her arms and opened her mouth a few times but couldn't find the right words.
"....well?"
"Shit..." is all the Paine could manage and finally Baralai looked up at her.
"You didn't drown her, did you?" he asked, eyebrows raised.
"NO! I'm after figuring out who she is! She is lady Rikku"
"Lady Rikku...as in lady Rikku guardian to the high summoner?" Baralai had stood up at this point "are you sure?"
"Yes I'm sure!" snapped Paine.
"Well this is ready, let me have a look at her" he said shaking the bottle that held the remedy after putting a cap on it. They went to Paine's room, and found Rikku still unconscious, Baralai sat next to her and brushed back her hair from her face. "It is her, guess we couldn't tell because of the blood- should we tell Nooj?" Paine shook her head "not now, let's give her the remedy first." Paine sat the girl up and held her from behind so Baralai could try to make the girl drink, after much coughing, spluttering and cursing (mostly from Baralai) the remedy was gone. Paine put a hand on Rikku's forehead and could feel the heat radiating rapidly disappear. "We should let her rest" said Baralai and Paine reluctantly agreed.
Rikku's head swam, she was sure she had her eyes open but all she could see was black- pure darkness. She tried to sit up but she just got dizzy and slid down again. She started to cry. Her body ached all over and her head throbbed. She pushed her lips together into a pout to stop her crying but only managed to give her self hic-ups the shock her chest. She grit her teeth and tried again to sit up. This time she was successful and her vision was slowly coming back to her. She looked around the room she was held captive in. Instantly her eyes picked out the black skull decorated sword, she could use it to get out of here.
She slid out of the bed slowly and tried to stand, her knees buckled and she fell but Rikku was determined she grabbed onto the bed post and pulled her weak body up. She held onto it until she was sure she had found her balance. All the time she kept the black sword in her sights. She took small steps toward the weapon- it shone in the sunlight that poured through a window.
When she reached the sword, she grabbed the red padded handle. She tried to lift it but nearly toppled over with its great weight.
"This is no Al Bhed sword! It's too heavy." Rikku said. But she wasn't going to let something like that stop her from escaping this prison- "they moved me... while I slept? They must have drugged me, but why here!? Why a room with a sword? Are they trying to mock me!" Rikku whispered as she looked around her new prison, a bedroom? She grabbed for the sword with new found vigour and this time managed to lift it.
"What are you doing? She'll slaughter you, she loves that sword" Rikku spun round on hearing the voice and fell over again from a mixture of shock, weakness, and the swords influence. She looked at the man leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, he was laughing at her.
"Don't you laugh at me, I'll kill you I will!" she yelled at the blonde with the eye patch who laughed even harder at the threat from the girl who couldn't even stand.
"Those are big words, coming from one so small" said Gippal as he crossed the room to where Rikku was, he picked up the sword and looked at the black blade and then down at the girl. "Humph..... I'm surprised a weakling like you could lift such a sword."
"I'm not weak" snapped Rikku.
"Well you sure look weak from where I'm standing, standing... you can't even do that" he walked back to the metal door and yelled "hey! Paine, the brats awake!"
Paine and Baralai came instantly and pushed Gippal out of the way. Paine looked at the girl sitting on the floor. "The weakling was playing with your sword and fell over" Gippal jeered from the door way. Paine saw the girl's eyes drop to the floor and realised her pride was hurting also.
"Baralai could you get Gippal out of here and tell Nooj that she's woken up"
Baralai smiled at Rikku before grabbing Gippal and dragging him away. Paine waited for the electronic door to close and knelt beside Rikku "lady Rikku, are you alright?" Paine said softly- so much so that Rikku was surprised that such a sweet voice could belong to a woman who looked so strong and fearless. Rikku also thought that it suited her. The blonde didn't answer – she didn't know what to say, she was captive in this place...wasn't she?
"Let me help you" Paine went to pick the girl up.
"Don't...Don't you touch me! Who are you!! Where am I? What the fuck is going on!" Rikku yelled. Paine was a little taken back by the outburst but realised how confused Rikku must be and explained how she had found her in the cell and that Baralai and herself had been looking after her for nearly a week now. After hearing this Rikku let herself be carried back to the bed, she was thankful for Paine's gentle touch as her body still yelled out in pain. The grey haired girl sat at the end of the bed "how do you feel lady Rikku?" she asked.
"I feel... like I was run over by a shoopuff! You can call me Rikku, only old Yevonites call me lady Rikku. The blonde said.
"I'll remember that, would you like some food?"
Rikku didn't realise how hungry she actually was until she heard the word food and her tummy seemed to of heard as it rumbled in response.
"Yeah I'd love some, but...first, tell me your name."
"Paine"
"Paine...." Rikku repeated
The grey haired girl smiled and left to get some food. While she was gone Rikku had another visitor. There was a knock on the door, so gentle Rikku thought she imagined it until Baralai stepped in.
"How are you feeling, little one?" he asked and gestured to Rikku that he was going to check her temperature she closed her eyes and felt a cool hand press against her forehead.
"Well... it's gone down considerably. Where is Paine?"
"The girl, she left to get me some food"
"Ah where are my manners, my name is Baralai" he said as he bowed. Rikku liked this guy a lot better than that Gippal fellow. "I'm Rikku" she said cheerfully while blowing some hair from her eyes.
"Here" Baralai took off his blue head band and handed it to the young girl "to keep the hair out of your eyes"
"You sure I can have this?" she said running her hand over the soft blue material, Baralai nodded "I'd be honoured" Rikku smiled and put it on with some help from Baralai, he stood back and looked "you look very pretty Paine will be lost for words, I'm surprised she even left your side. She's been watching over you since she saved you" he said gesturing to the leather chair with the black throw.
"She slept there? Where is her bed?"
"You're in it" he said while tucking some silver hair behind an ear, Rikku felt guilty for taking his head-band now. "She sits there every night watching over you, she bathe you and dressed you" Rikku was blushing furiously at the thought of the older girl seeing her naked.
Baralai smiled at her glowing red checks. "She's been your angel, Paine is very hard to figure out but she is a good person"
"An angel?" Rikku said more to herself than to Baralai who smiled at her innocence and left the room to Rikku and her thoughts.
Not long after Baralai had given Rikku some food for thought, Paine came with some real food. Soup and fresh bread. Rikku sat up in the bed and took the soup and started to drink.
"Take it easy. We don't want you chocking on us and you may need this" said Paine handing Rikku a spoon, her eyes fixed on Rikku's new head-band.
"Baralai gave it to me" the blonde said noticing Paine's stare "He's a really nice guy, he said you were my Angel" Rikku continued between gulps of soup.
"...I don't know about that" said Paine looking at her blood stained sword at the end of the room. "Maybe an unconventional one" Paine sat down beside the blonde girl on the bed, she spoke softly.
"Rikku when I rescued you, the guards they spoke Al Bhed... and you're....."
"...Al Bhed..." Rikku finished looking up from her soup bowl like a puppy, her amazing green eyes now fixed on Paine's crimson ones.
"...yes, I was wondering why they would hold one of their own captive and especially one so famous" continued Paine blushing under the force of Rikku's captivating gaze.
"Well that's just it!" said Rikku, putting the bowl back on the tray "they kidnapped me because I'm famous...for the wrong reasons, well in their eyes anyway"
"Their eyes?" questioned Paine.
"The Al Bhed Extremists eyes, they...well they hate me! And not just me, my whole family too! Pop, Brother even Yunnie!"
"Why? I didn't know you were related to Lady Yuna" Paine said while getting up from the bed so she could get away from Rikku's stare.
"Well my ties with Yunnie are the problem, the Al Bhed Extremists believe strongly that Al Bhed should only marry Al Bhed and my aunt...Yuna's Mother broke that tradition no that RULE by marrying lord Braska. Pop didn't even talk to her until Yunnie was born, he was a strong believer in the old traditions. But I'm the one who's being targeted because I became my cousins Guardian and just like that" Rikku flicked her fingers "I became hated by the Extremists because one I failed to kidnap Yunnie so she wouldn't have to do the final summoning and two I became a guardian to a Yevonite, followed the rules of Yevon and entered Yevon's to pray to the fayte! I was at Bikenal when I was kidnapped and brought to the Extremists base at Mushroom rock, where I was tortured and..."
Rikku's voice became a faint whisper "and raped...."
But Paine heard.