nyep! Okay, so I once again decided to extend the chapter and make it way longer than I expected. o.O sorry… but that's ok, the plot thickens… kinda.
Just FYI: I'm sure most of you know this, but, in ffx-2 there is a sphere called "Gippal's sphere" in which you see Auron talking to Gippal. I find it incredibly amusing, because it is completely out of character and hilarious. A paraphrased bit of that sphere is in this chapter, but it doesn't spoil anything, don't worry.
You might need a translator if you don't know Al Bhed yet… but… it's not critical to the story.
Oh, and squaresoft still has total 0wN4g3 of FFX and the sort. :sigh:
Chapter 7: Enemies at war we build defenses
Tysh ed. Her head hurt. She sat up and looked around, rubbing her throbbing temples. The vast, barren desert stretched for miles. 'Bikinel…' She recognized her homeland. She stood up and shielded her eyes from the blazing sun, which reflected blindingly on the hot sand. At least I know where I am. She scoured the landscape, looking for any sign of life. but where the hell is everyone else? Her erratic mood had changed once again.
Raging hormones, frequent and more intense mood swings, and extreme irritability… it only meant one thing. She was PMS-ing and she knew it. "Ughh! I hate being a girl!" She yelled, kicking a pile of sand in disdain. She coughed as the flying dust filled her mouth.
Auron's luck wasn't much better, but at least he wasn't PMS-ing… that would be bad. He had only a vague idea of where he was; he remembered it from Braska's wife's stories of growing up in the Bikinel desert. But he didn't really care where he was, he only wanted to know where Rikku was. Since when have I been more concerned of her whereabouts than my summoners? He shook his head and decided the answer didn't matter, he needed to find them both.
He began to wander aimlessly, hoping to find someone, and before long, he came across two young Al Bhed men. One was carrying a recording sphere, the other donned an eye patch and looked like he was hiding from something.
"Hey, just got word the Guado are conducting a manhunt nearby. Orders are to find summoner Yuna and kill her guardians." The pirate-type boy informed Auron.
Auron looked him over carefully, he had no reason to be lying, but there was something Auron didn't like about the young man.
"Is that advice?" He asked.
"No, the temples are after me too, I just don't want you stirring them up."
The boy seemed a bit cocky, even more so than Tidus. Perhaps that's what annoyed Auron. "Well, then, I apologize in advance." He said tersely as he walked off. They briefly exchanged a few more words, and Auron walked off in search of his party. He was grateful for the warning; it was vital information, but the smug Al Bhed had simply rubbed Auron the wrong way.
He ambled around the Sanubia Sands for what seemed like hours before he came across any trace of his fellow guardians.
"AHHH!" Auron's ears perked up upon hearing Tidus's shouting. He followed Tidus's voice until he finally saw what had been troubling the boy. A large Zu was hovering over him, threatening to peck his eyes out. Seeing as though he couldn't simply leave the boy to die, he joined him in the fight.
Apparently Lulu had sensed the danger as well, and she came running with her miniature moogle doll following close behind. With his friends at his side, Tidus relaxed and the battle was easily won.
"Woo! That was close!" Tidus said, as he bent over, putting his hands on his knees. Lulu looked at him as if to say 'what a drama queen.' And Auron walked off, his mind obviously somewhere else.
"We're supposed to stay in one place if we get split up." Lulu called out after him, but he continued to walk on.
"Wait here if you want, he's not." Tidus noted, following after his mentor.
where is she…? Auron wondered, refusing to identify the ambiguous 'she' as either Yuna or Rikku as they trekked through the sizzling sand. So absorbed was he in his thoughts, that they nearly passed right by Wakka, who had sought refuge under a crude machina tent.
Wakka brushed sand off of his yellow pants and inquired about Yuna. No one said anything; they had no idea where the young summoner was. "Dammit! First I lose Yuna, then I'm ambushed by machina! Great day I'm havin'." He stood up, and kicked the machina, which accomplished nothing but great pain in Wakka's foot. Auron looked at him blankly for a few seconds and walked off again, wordlessly. Hmph You think you're having a bad day.
But no one was having a worse day than Rikku. She may have grown up in the desert, but it was so vast, she never really had the chance to explore the whole thing, thus; she was completely lost. She was amazed at all of the machina parts that lay scattered around ubiquitously. She bent down to pick up a shiny one, but stopped when she heard someone whistling from behind her.
"Well, well, well, if isn't Cid's little girl."
She recognized the voice as Gippal's. vilg, zicd frah E druikrd drehkc luimt hud kad funca. She spun around to face him, a scowl plainly written on her face.
"Fryd yna oui tuehk uid rana?" He asked her, moving a little closer, oblivious to her contempt.
"E ys cibbucat du pa kiyntehk so summoner." She said, backing away a few steps. He always tried to do something, to invade her personal space. It was as if he didn't know that their relationship was over. For ever. For real.
"Fryd! Oui, y kiynteyh? Dryd'c essbuccepma."
"Tuh'd muug cu crulgat. E's ylldiymmo bnaddo kuut." She said confidently.
"'Bnaddo kuut?' Drah frana ec ouin summoner?" He smirked, and she had no reply. She only glared maliciously.
"Pid… oui'na Al Bhed. Tu drao ghuf?" He pressed.
"Oac. Pid ra tuach'd lyna." She bit her tongue, she hadn't meant to say 'ra' out loud… she wanted to say 'drao'.
"'Ra'? Oui sayh dryd umt kio eh nat?" He sounded a bit jealous.
Her eyes lit up and her heart fluttered against her will. "Auron? Oui cyf res? Frana ec ra?"
Gippal looked at her, arching his eyebrows. "Fryd ec ra du oui?"
"…ummm…"
"'umm'?" He repeated. Anger was beginning to set in. He wasn't ready to let her go… even if she had broken up with him. She still wants me. He told himself.
"Ra'c zicd… E tuh'd ghuf, ugyo? Yht fro cruimt oui lyna? Oui yna hud so puovneaht yhosuna!" She shouted angrily.
"Ur, oayr? Oui ghuf oui cdemm fyhd sa, oui'na zicd vuumehk ouicamv po drehgehk udranfeca. Fryd, yna oui dnoehk du syga sa zaymuic fedr res? Ryr. Yht pacetac, ev ra megat oui, ra cruimt cyo cu, mega E tet, yht oui fuimt ghuf fryd ra sayhd du oui, hud zicd 'ummm.'" He shouted as he stormed off, disappearing quickly into a mild sandstorm.
Rikku glared after him, eyes burning with hot tears. She despised him now. He had been such a jerk, and a total player when they were together, and Rikku had vowed to never let herself fall in love with someone like that again. But, he was right about one thing… She thought, Auron really doesn't like me…
She let her tears stream down her face and she punched an old signpost in anguish. With her bloodied knuckles, she collapsed under a small rusted machina shelter and let the tears flow.
It didn't take long before the group was reunited with their Al Bhed companion, still parked under the scrap metal tent; she quickly wiped her eyes clean. Auron's heart lightened once he knew she was safe, and as much as she tried to fight it, she felt her insides flutter as well. It was weird; he was once again at a loss for words. He thought he had known what he wanted to say, to do, but in her presence, he froze again, simply standing there, staring at her. Standing up and wiping sweat off of her forehead, she avoided his gaze, even though she could feel him gawking at her from behind those dark lenses. Just knowing he was watching her made her body temperature rise, and considering it was already 100 degrees outside, that was no good. She suddenly found great interest in the sand at her feet as she informed the group that she knew where they were.
"Umm… but promise not to say anything." Now she could feel Wakka glaring at her, but at least she could handle him. "No glaring either!" She yelled, giving him her own menacing scowl. "I know where we are. We're on Bikanel Island. There's a place us Al Bhed call Home near here. I will take you there if you promise that you won't tell anyone about it. Especially not Yevonites, okay? You know they don't like us Al Bhed. Who knows what they'll do if they knew?"
Wakka scoffed. "Gimme a break. What are you accusing Yevon of this time?"
The man was completely intractable. "Yevon did something really bad to us before." She attempted to explain.
"Well, you Al Bhed must've deserved it." He shot back, folding his arms over his chest.
Everyone groaned; this battle was ceaseless.
"Just promise you won't tell anyone about this island. Promise?" She pleaded desperately.
"Wakka, come on!" Tidus begged.
Auron meticulously shifted his katana to his other shoulder, noticeably scowling at Wakka the entire time.
Wakka sighed laboriously and complied. "All right, I promise! Lead the way." He said impatiently, throwing his arms in the air.
"You got it!" Rikku said as she ran off, urging them to follow.
As Wakka grudgingly trudged after her, he could have sworn he heard Auron mutter, "You better not forget those words, boy." But when he looked behind him, he found that Auron had already walked past, marching off after Rikku.
"Over here!" She shouted to them after hours of schlepping through the sand. She ran up a nearby dune, but when she got to the top, her eyes widened and jaw dropped. She took in the sight of her Home under siege. Fiends were swarming the massive building, and flames were rising from the turrets. Ceaseless gunshots could be heard, drown out only be the cries of those calling for help.
Rikku went numb; she didn't want to believe what her eyes were seeing. Her insides were cold and hallow. She didn't even feel herself running towards her home, friends and family, or hear herself cursing the entire way.
end chapter 7: beep.
Yeah, I don't have much to say… do you? Bwa, then leave me a review, you know you want to.
I love my reviewers, kwee! I /do/ feel lucky to have you guys read my shturrf :gives you all a hug and an ice cream cone:
:runs off to finish chapter 8:
