Disclaimer: I own the plot, but not the characters sadly.
A/N: Thanks for reading everyone, loved your enthusiastic reviews. This one is somewhat of a transition chapter, or so I think, (cause it's not as exciting XD) But still, enjoy.
Ironic Circumstances
Chapter 14
Unexpected Help
He wasn't thinking rationally, he knew this quite well as he descended towards the bottom of the building. Riku stood within the shiny, sleek walls of the elevator, Sora resting in his arms and breathing softly against the fabric of his hooded green shirt. The taller boy never took his aqua colored eyes off the slumbering figure. He continued watching and observing, making absolutely sure the brunet was okay. Eventually the doors to the elevator flung open and the walls of the first floor lobby were visible. It was at that point that Riku realized that he had somewhat of a dilemma. There was no way he would be able to walk out of the building without catching every person's attention. Riku glanced around him, trying to figure a way out that would be a little more discreet. But he cursed silently when his options were horribly shut down.
"Fuck, I need to get him out of here…what am I going to do?"
Riku thanked the Faiths that people hadn't decided to walk by, giving him a little more time to come up with some reasonable plan. As he continued watching Sora he realized that he wasn't going to be able to do this alone and felt that he would need help. With a little difficulty Riku managed to grab his cell phone out of his pocket and dial Roxas' number. He held the phone to his ear with the aid of his shoulder, the ringing resonating quietly to the two teens. There was a click on the other side and Riku wasted no time.
"Roxas, it's Riku, I found Sora and he's not looking to good. I need you and Axel to come pick us up."
There was a moment of silence as the blonde on the other side took the words in, only to express his confusion seconds later.
"What? Wait, hold on, you found Sora? Where are you, why do you sound so worried?"
The silver haired teen bit his bottom lip. "You can see for yourself when you and that boyfriend of yours get here. All I know is that I can't leave Sora with Beatrix any longer."
Roxas didn't hesitate, "Okay, give me the directions and we'll be over in two minutes."
Riku told the blonde what he needed to know before he hung up. The weight of the chocolate haired boy was beginning to tire Riku, but he wasn't about to falter. It would be a while before Roxas and Axel would get there, so the least he could do was make their stature look a little more normal. The taller boy brought Sora down to his feet but didn't let go of him as his back arched backwards. Riku grasped the brunet from the back and pressed him to his chest, letting Sora's weight fall completely against him as they both now stood against the wall of the first floor. If anyone were to walk their way and notice the two teens, they would now appear as if they were showing a little too much P.D.A. But it was definitely better than people seeing him with another boy cradled in his arms. With Sora pressed against him, he could feel every little beat of his heart as well of his own. He began to relax against Sora; he let his breathing match the shorter boy's. Riku realized at that point how tired he felt. He had been out late, all in thanks to his so-called father. Riku shook his head, his hair managing to cascade over Sora's shoulder. Riku then followed by pressing his forehead to Sora's, letting his cold skin warm up under his own.
"Riku?"
He froze; never had he thought that someone saying his name would freeze his very blood. Riku craned his neck towards the voice, his eyes falling on a short blonde figure. He blinked a couple times, recognizing the person as his eyes continued scanning her face.
"Rikku?"
It was the sales girl from Al Bhed; he could distinguish those blonde braids anywhere. The girl walked up to the duo, her eyebrow arching upward as she noticed the way both boys were positioned against the wall. But her lips curved into a malicious smile.
"Well if it isn't the cute boys from the other day, did you guys come to my place to say hello? How did the outfits work out? Did you knock everyone dead?"
She was met with a less than enthusiastic response from the silver haired teen, making her feel a little uncomfortable. That feeling was intensified when she noticed that Sora was not even awake. "Uh…is there something wrong?"
Riku looked away, "Sorry, but it would be best if you don't get involved. Things are already pretty complicated as it is."
Rikku craned her hip and placed a finger against her lips, "Oh? Am I detecting a little trouble in the air?"
The taller boy gave her a stern look, "Look, I can't go into details, but I need to get Sora out of here. I don't know where, but I'll figure something out."
The blonde girl offered him a kind smile, "Sorry if I was prying. If you guys need some help though, I'm more than happy to do so. I mean, Al Bhed is no fun right now and I wouldn't mind helping out a pair of cute boys."
Riku thanked her, but told the shorter girl that he had already called someone to come and pick both up.
"It's going to be a while till whoever this person gets here," she informed Riku, "Ever thought that maybe whoever you guys are running from could get here sooner?"
The silver haired teen felt a cold prickle up his spine. She was right, Beatrix could come back any second and he wouldn't be able to do a thing if she did. He eyed Rikku, noticing that she was playing with a braid.
"What are you suggesting?" He asked her, holding onto Sora just a little tighter.
Rikku giggled, "Well, first I can give you guys a ride, how about that? You can figure out what to do from there."
"Okay," Riku said, "But you're going to have to help me with him, I can't carry him through the lobby without making a scene."
"Alrighty!" She chirped, her legs carrying her to Sora's side. Together, they held onto each side of the brunet and slowly began to walk forward, letting his weight fall on both. Rikku struggled at first, but even her smaller frame managed to do her part. They walked down the hall and into the open lobby space, where the occasional person dotted the area. Riku noticed the man behind the counter, but he was busily engrossed behind a newspaper. It was easier than they thought and soon they were out in the warm city air.
"My car's over there, you can carry him the rest of the way while I open it up."
The blonde ran off, reaching a small blue Volkswagen Beetle. She waved with her hand and Riku immediately picked the slumbering brunet into his arms once more. He sprinted in Rikku's direction, gaining a few odd looks here and there but ignored the stares as he reached her vehicle.
"Get in the back," She ordered them and closed the door once both were inside. "Now, let's get out of here."
Rikku got into the driver's seat and soon the small car was off, carrying them away from the place holding Sora prisoner.
"Sorry if this sounds completely out of place, but this is rather exciting," Rikku said, her eyes bouncing from the road to the rearview mirror. "It's not everyday that I have two really cute guys in the back of my car."
Riku was surprised that he smiled at her comment, remembering a similar situation involving Kairi and the back of her bright yellow Porsche. He had Sora resting in his lap, his spiky brown hair poking into the fabric of his shirt and jeans. The taller boy placed a hand underneath his chin, gently touching his cold skin.
"I know you said you couldn't go into details, but can I ask what's wrong with Sora?" Rikku asked, her orange and yellow feather earrings swinging like a pendulum. "Even I can tell he's not doing to well."
Riku let his head drop just a bit, the tips of his hair managing to tickle Sora's face. "I have no idea what could be wrong with him. He seemed fine inside the condo, but then he fainted all of a sudden. All I know is that his mother is responsible for this and I couldn't leave him behind."
The blonde girl nodded her head the entire time, her eyebrow arching once more at the mention of Sora's mother. "His mom? She wouldn't happen to be a woman with brown hair, would it?"
The teen nodded, never lifting his eyes away from Sora's figure. "Yeah, Beatrix, it kills me to think of what she could have done to him. But how do you know her?"
Rikku shrugged, "I don't. She moved into our building like, not even a week ago. I've seen her randomly when I've gone off to work, she doesn't look like a very nice woman, that's for sure."
"You got that right," the tall boy replied, tossing his hair aside, "She's responsible for all the trouble Sora and I have gone through."
They remained quiet for a little while, the engine of the blue Beetle the only thing to reach their ears. Rikku was driving aimlessly at this point, having no clear destination left everyone going in circles around the monstrous city.
"Have you thought of where you're planning on going?" the green eyed blonde asked.
Riku sighed, "I don't know, I don't think I can take him back to where I've been staying."
"Do you guys have any other friends in the city?"
Riku nodded, "Yeah, the guys I called to come pick us up, but I can't let…oh shit."
That's when Riku realized he had made a huge mistake
X
Roxas didn't bother to wait for Axel as he got out of the black Zephyr, earning him a disgruntled look from the redhead. The blonde ran up the series of stairs and entered the condominium building, his breathing slightly faster than usual. He looked around, desperately trying to find the figures of either Riku or Sora. Axel managed to catch up after a minute or so and dropped an arm around the shorter boy's shoulder. Roxas looked up at him, his blue eyes full of anticipation and worry.
"Don't worry angel," Axel whispered, "he's with Riku so he's fine now."
Roxas licked his drying lips as he ripped himself from the tall man's side, "I know, but I can't help but feel like something's really wrong."
Axel followed Roxas as they walked the area of the lobby, their eyes continuously scanning for their targets. At some point Roxas got fed up with looking and took his phone out. Axel watched as Roxas dialed away, silently observing his boyfriend as he waited for someone to answer.
"Riku, it's Roxas, where are you guys?"
Axel decided to walk around for a bit longer and left the blonde to talk away with Riku on the other side.
"You're gone? Who did you go with, wait, what? Of course we're still here Riku, you asked us to come down."
Axel stopped dead as he noticed two figures walking through the double doors of the lobby. He opened his mouth but nothing came out as he tapped Roxas' shoulder. The blonde ripped the phone away from his ear and turned to see whatever it was that Axel was trying to get him to see. One of the figures was tall and had long silver hair, someone he had never seen before. The other was the unmistakable figure of Beatrix, her hand currently latched onto the man's arm.
"Shit," Roxas cursed as he drew himself closer to Axel's taller frame. But it was to late for them to run or hide as they walked closer, Beatrix had indeed seen them. Axel placed a strong arm around Roxas' waist as the two adults faced them, Beatrix' face currently somewhere between confused and surprised.
"Roxas…didn't expect to see you here," she expressed, her eyes never leaving his. "How's your mother been doing? I haven't had the chance to talk to her in a while."
Roxas swallowed hard, "She's fine, but um, I was wondering how Sora's doing. I haven't seen him since…well, you know."
Sephiroth stood quiet, observing the dialogue being exchanged. Beatrix' face twitched slightly at the sound of her son's name, something Axel managed to catch.
"Why, he's doing quite well…but don't worry, I'm taking good care of him."
Roxas was finding it hard to believe her words, but tried his hardest to appear unfazed by the looks she was giving him. Axel squeezed the arm around his waist, letting the blonde know that he was trying to get his attention. He looked up and didn't need to be told what it was that Axel was trying to get across.
"Well," Roxas began, "if he's doing well, then I'm happy, but we'd better be going. Say hi to him for me, please."
With the redhead beside him, the duo walked away, their pace quickening as they continued on. Beatrix was left behind, her eye slanting dangerously as she watched the two boys disappear beyond the doors.
"Not to worry Beatrix," Sephiroth said, "It's not like they would even know where to look for him."
The words didn't seem to have been heard by the brown haired woman. "I'm not liking this Sephiroth, how could anyone have figured out where I've been staying?"
Beatrix didn't waste a single second as she hurried over to the main lobby desk, her hand still dragging the tall man after her. The finished pages of the newspaper the man behind the desk had been reading lay spread out on the wooden surface. Beatrix managed to get his attention and he immediately straightened up, bowing his head slightly not only at her but the handsome man at her side.
"Ms. Beatrix, is there something I can do for you?"
"Yes, there is, I want to know if you have seen any other strange people around here recently."
The man scratched his head as he fumbled with his words, "Er, not that I can think of Ms. Beatrix, I know each and every person that lives in this building and I haven't seen anyone out of the ordinary."
The brown haired woman gave a sigh, returning her attention back to Sephiroth who offered her a smile. "You see dear, you're being paranoid."
The man at the desk cleared his throat, once again bringing their attention to him. "By the way Ms. Beatrix, how is your son doing? I heard about his accident, what a shame."
Beatrix felt her blood run cold, "What? How did you know that? I don't remember ever telling you about it."
He felt a lump grow in his throat, the eyes currently looking at him shooting dangerous daggers. "Umm…that nice looking friend of your son's, the one with the silver hair, he was here not to long ago-"
He was cut off as Beatrix and Sephiroth sprinted off, disappearing into the elevator hallway. The man simply scratched his head before returning to the newspaper resting on his desk.
X
Riku tossed the phone aside, his fingers sliding into his hair and pulling on the delicate strands of silver.
"How could I have been so stupid?"
It was quite clear to Rikku that things had taken a turn for the worst as she noticed the older teen grabbing a fistful of his hair. They were currently on their way north, the bridge connecting the main island to the northern one coming into full view.
"Bad news?" Rikku asked, knowing the answer already but feeling the need to ask.
"Yeah," Riku muttered, pulling his hand back and laying it against his forehead. "I don't know what I'm going to do now. Beatrix is going to know it was me the minute she sees Roxas, I am so fucking stupid!"
"Hey now, stop that," the blonde girl added, shaking a finger at him. "Don't start beating yourself up, it was a simple mistake. We'll come up with something, don't worry."
Her words managed to lighten things up just slightly, Riku offered her a smile as he sat there with a slumbering brunet in his lap. "I know…I have to come up with something. I'd rather die than to see him back with that bitch. But I can't think of anyplace I can take him in this city without having them find us."
An idea popped into Rikku's head, making her giggle uncontrollably. The silver haired teen wasn't finding the situation funny and raised an eyebrow at the girl. "I hope there's a good reason as to why you're laughing."
"Oh it is, but I don't know if you would be THAT desperate."
"What do you mean? Do you know what we can do?"
Rikku's giggles subsided, allowing her to voice the idea that popped into her head. "Well, by the looks of things, there's one thing that's perfectly clear. You and Sora can't stay in Holly City."
It took Riku a second to grasp what it was that the blonde girl had said, but he found that her idea made the most sense out of anything currently buzzing around in his head. "You're serious? Are we supposed to just hop on a plane and take off?"
Rikku nodded enthusiastically, "Yep! Once you leave the city it'll be virtually impossible for anyone to figure out where you guys went."
"Then how is that something desperate?" Riku asked, curious as to why the blonde girl mentioned something regarding desperation earlier in the conversation.
Rikku rolled her eyes, "Well, cause I know who can give you guys a lift out of the city, but he's a little…eccentric."
The taller boy gave her a quizzical look, "And by eccentric you mean?"
"He's my brother," Rikku finally blurted out, "but he's just a little weird in the head. But it's your best bet on getting Sora somewhere safe."
Riku bit his bottom lip, "Would he seriously give us a lift if we show up out of nowhere?"
The green-eyed girl gave them a grin, "Are you kidding me? He's been complaining about not having anything to do, he'd be so ecstatic to fly his beloved ship again. But I do have to warn you, he doesn't speak very good English, so I'll just have to come with."
Riku rested a hand underneath Sora's head to keep it from bouncing as they continued driving. "You're going to come? I've already gotten you to involved, I couldn't ask you to do this for us."
Once again, Rikku gave them a toothy grin. "Well, since I'm already involved, might as well take full advantage of the situation. This Beatrix woman you guys are running from must be a heinous bitch if you guys are wanting to do this. I'm not about to let you cuties get caught."
The silver haired teen gave a sigh, with it accepting the offer that the blonde girl had placed out for them.
"Alright then, I'm gonna head to Brother's place!" She exclaimed, suddenly turning and causing Riku to slide with the ever-slumbering brunet still in his lap. They zoomed off, the northern bridge disappearing from their view as they headed eastward.
X
Vincent heard the phone ring within his cargo pocket and fished the device out. He placed it to his ear and uttered a hello.
"Vincent, you need to come back to the condo, he's here."
The raven-haired man raised an eyebrow in confusion, completely oblivious as to what the maid on the other side was trying to say. "What's going on? Did Riku come back already?"
"No, no, young Riku hasn't returned at all, but Vincent, Mr. Sephiroth is here!"
Vincent's breath caught in his throat, "Sephiroth's in the capital? When did he get back, how long has he been there?"
"Not very long Vincent, but he's asking for you and he doesn't look to happy about something."
"I'll be right over."
Vincent flipped the phone closed and headed for the black Mercedes he had parked out in the airport lot. He found the vehicle and was soon driving back on the highway, heading into the very center of the city. The entire time he wore an expression showing off the confusion currently plaguing him.
"Why didn't he give a call? He would have let me know if he was going to be coming."
For the millionth time that day his thoughts went back to Marlene's words, those three little words that justified all of his suspicions. If he was going to do anything about it, he would need to trust someone with it, someone that would be able to understand that Aerith's death was not accidental. In a way, Sephiroth's surprise visit would give him an opportunity to divulge these thoughts and perhaps, lead them towards a solution. Vincent could see the monstrous building come into view and was sprinting up the steps the minute he was out of the car. That's when he realized his lack of proper dress and hoped that Sephiroth wouldn't mind that he was being a little more casual that day. He reached the correct floor only to find that the condominium door was already open, surprising him just a tad bit. Vincent stepped inside to see the entire staff lined up and bowing to none other than Sephiroth, his long silver hair cascading down his back and resting comfortably there. Vincent's crimson eyes immediately found themselves staring at the tall, handsome man.
"Sephiroth, I'm…glad to see that you are doing well," Vincent voiced, still uncertain as to why he had returned.
Sephiroth slowly turned to the raven-haired man and looked him up and down, only to turn away and to let a stern look caress his face. "Where is Ms. Yunalesca and her son?"
Vincent blinked a couple times, "Ms. Yunalesca left earlier today, she decided to head to Alexandria-"
"And her son?" Sephiroth quickly cut in, his silky voice dragging out.
Vincent could feel a wave of negativity float his way. As if there were something that Sephiroth was not telling him. He tried to ignore it and concentrated on answering the question that was put before him. "Riku stayed behind, he's currently out though."
"Is that right?" The handsome man responded, tucking a bent finger underneath his chin. His icy blue eyes told a completely different story though. Vincent peered closer, noticing the discomfort within them. He slanted his own vision, wondering what it was that was making such a powerful man like Sephiroth worry.
"Don't…"
Vincent felt a spark run through his system as he heard the word. He performed a 360 degree circle, his eyes trying to find a physical form to link what it was he heard. The staff looked at him oddly, but Sephiroth remained oblivious to what it was he had done.
"What was that?Vincent shook his head, strands of onyx managing to fall in front of his face. "Sephiroth, there is something I would like to talk to you about. It's been quite a while since any of us have seen you, but-"
"Don't trust him…"
Vincent felt his lips move, but nothing seemed to come out. Sephiroth acknowledged him at last, giving him a quizzical look. "Yes Vincent? You were saying?"
The crimson-eyed man coughed slightly and retreated a couple steps back. "I'm fine, sorry Sephiroth, it was nothing. We're all glad to see that you are well."
Sephiroth managed a small smile, "Yes…thank you everyone. But unfortunately I won't be staying here tonight."
There was a murmur among the staff, leaving Vincent to voice their confusion. "Are you planning on leaving again?"
The silver haired man was already heading out the door, "It's nothing Vincent, I just have a little business I need to take care of. It was good seeing you again, continue taking care of the place, you've been doing a good job."
And he was gone, leaving everyone completely dumbfounded. The staff retired into the kitchen where they started up a gossipy conversation, leaving Vincent to muse over the sudden visit. It made absolutely no sense to him. Sephiroth was not the type of man to just pop up out of nowhere, and then to suddenly leave? And then there was that voice…it sounded so familiar to him.
"Don't trust him." He replayed, his vision reaching the open door. "What are you hiding Sephiroth?"
Vincent gripped his forehead, things were growing more complicated within his mind. He let out a sigh, hoping things would eventually make sense.
He never would have thought that Sephiroth was busily seeking out Riku's whereabouts.
X
Riku couldn't begin to explain what it was that he was seeing. Before him was a giant red, even pink looking ship with structures protruding from the main hull outwards. He couldn't explain its structure; all he could do was simply stare at it.
"Meet the Celsius!" The blonde girl bellowed out as she got out of the car. "This is Brother's beloved ship and your one way ticket out of here."
Riku was still sitting within the car, Sora's sleeping figure still in his lap. "Uh, I'm going to need a little help back here."
"Oh, sorry, right," she excused herself as she bounded over to the pair's side and opened the door. With a little maneuvering they managed to get Sora out of the vehicle and on solid ground. Riku let Sora fall against him as the green-eyed girl ran in the ship's direction.
"I'm going to go get Brother, I already gave him a quick call but I need to explain the situation. Don't worry, I'll be back in two secs!"
Riku watched as she ran off, disappearing against the gargantuan ship. He cradled Sora's figure against him and let his fingers roam through his hair. Sora's brown spikes were rather soft, and still a little wet from what he figured were the remnants of a shower. He planted a kiss on top of his head and hugged him closer, bringing their already touching bodies closer.
"…I need to breath at one point Riku…"
Riku's eyes went wide at the sound of Sora's words and nearly let go of him. The silver haired teen pulled him away from his chest and peered into his face, noticing that his blue eyes were in fact open.
"Sora…" he whispered, "You're okay."
The brunet dug his face further into Riku's chest, this time bringing his own arms around to embrace the taller boy. "…Just a little tired."
"Don't worry Sora, I'll never let anything happen to you again, I promise you," Riku quickly let out, breaking the contact to peer into his tired blue eyes. "There is no way I'm going to leave you with someone so horrible"
Sora gave him a weak smile, "I still don't know what's going on…there's still things in my head that don't make any sense. How did you manage to find me?"
Riku ruffled his brown spikes, "I'll tell you all about it later, but right now we have to get out of here."
The brunet looked at him a little oddly. "What do you mean? Where are we going?"
The taller boy simply pointed over his shoulder and Sora keenly followed. He felt his jaw drop at the sight of the ship, and if weren't for the fact that Riku was standing right behind him he would have fallen over. Riku placed an arm over his shoulder and applied a gentle pressure.
"I know, I felt the same way when I saw it. You remember that girl from the clothing store? Well, this is her brother's ship, he's going to get us out of Holly City."
"You mean the girl with the name similar to yours?" Sora responded, gripping the arm against his chest with a free hand.
"Yep, Rikku, she's the one that drove us to the eastern island of the city. She's going to be coming with us. I told her that I didn't want her to get involved, but I found that she has very persuasive abilities."
"I can't believe it…" Sora said aloud, "I can't believe I'm actually seeing the Celsius."
Riku cocked his head at the ship's name, a little startled that he knew its name. "Were you awake when she mentioned its name Sora?"
The brunet shook his head, several of his spikes managing to tickle the underside of Riku's chin. "No…I woke up when you guys were getting me out of the car. But…the Celsius…it's another of my father's designs."
Riku's eyes grew a few sizes up. "But you told me that your father was a boat designer. He designed flying ships too?"
Sora nodded his head, "Yeah, he designed countless ships that are used all over the world. Cid, the man who picked me up and brought me to the capital flew a ship he and my father designed, the Highwind. But many of them were never built while he was still alive. So to see his blue prints become this…it's amazing."
Riku brought the other arm around his shoulder and squeezed Sora back against his chest. "Your father was simply amazing Sora. But…I don't think you ever mentioned what his name was."
Sora melted against the embrace and remained quiet for a few moments, his newly returned memories bringing with it his father's name.
"Laguna."
X
Beatrix was drinking herself to death within the walls of her high story condo. An empty bottle of gin lay on the floor while another was currently being opened within her hands. She was sitting in her room, the covers strewn aside and countless papers littering the floor. Her eyes roamed over the white papers, only to scream inwardly for being so stupid.
"How could I have just left them lying around?" She asked herself, the cap coming off the gin bottle. "I have to find my baby, I have to find my little Sora."
She began to drink directly out of the bottle; only to cough as some of the clear liquid managed to go down the wrong tube. Beatrix was drunk, there was no other way around it. The sound of growing footsteps could be heard coming from the hall, the figure appearing at the doorway. Beatrix immediately flung herself out of bed and into Sephiroth's arms, her alcohol soaked breath making him wince.
"Beatrix, how can you be drinking when you know that you are pregnant," He expressed harshly into her face. "I could understand the one glass of champagne, but not this."
"Oh shut it Sephiroth, I don't care, I need my baby," she lashed out, ripping herself away from his arms when she wasn't met with the caresses she expected from him.
"Don't worry Beatrix, we'll find out where they went, everything's going to be perfectly fine, so do me a favor and get some rest. You're no good to me drunk."
Beatrix wiped the corners of her mouth, her eyes dangerously glaring at the tall handsome man. "Things are not going to be fine, if Sora regained his memory, then he'll know what it was I did."
"Even if he did," Sephiroth cut in, "He won't get to far. Don't worry Beatrix, you're forgetting who it is I am. Just give me some time, things will work out."
The bottle of gin lay empty on the bed, the contents soaking into the white covers strewn over the bed. Beatrix relaxed against Sephiroth, her smaller frame just managing to reach his chest.
"Yes, Sephiroth…I want my baby back."
X
The interior of the Celsius was anything short of incredible. Sora was a little surprised when Rikku came up to him and gave him a hug, letting him know that she was happy to see him awake.
"If you boys will be kind enough to follow me, I'll introduce you to Brother. Come on, this way."
They followed keenly after, with Rikku skipping merrily as they continued. Sora smiled at Riku who currently had a strong arm supporting his back, just in case he were to suddenly faint again or something of the like. The duo marveled at the structures, noticing that every little area was debris-free and not a single speck of dust had collected on any of the gears. Rikku eventually led them down a hallway with a door at the end, the entire interior illuminated by a blue radiance.
"The bridge is right up ahead," She informed the duo as she led them on. "Sora, I mentioned to Riku that Brother is a little eccentric, so be a cautious if he starts acting a little weird around you."
Sora looked up at Riku, mouthing "What is she talking about?" to the taller boy. Riku simply shrugged, he too not sure what they were expecting. Eventually the door flew open automatically, causing Sora and Riku to step aside suddenly. The bridge was incredible, and the view showing the outside was just as great. That's when their eyes fell on the pierced and tattooed form of Brother, his hair currently buzzed off except for the very middle.
"Welcome, to the Celsius!" He bellowed out in broken English. They watched as he lunged forward, grasping Rikku in a tight embrace.
"Yna fa nayto du ku oad?" He muttered to the blonde girl in a language Riku nor Sora had ever heard.
"Oac, Brother, pid mad ku uv sa!" She shot right back, the words meaning absolutely nothing to the duo still observing the little scene. "Riku, Sora, this is Brother, owner and pilot of the Celsius."
They waved at him cautiously, only to gasp when he too lunged at them. But Rikku was quick and tripped him, making him fall head over heels into the steps leading up the bridge to where Riku and Sora stood.
"Brother, get a grip!" She yelled at him, placing a foot directly on his back. "Sorry boys, this is exactly what I was expecting him to do. I don't know what's up with him, he's always been rather touchy when meeting new people."
Sora held onto Riku, smiling nervously at the two siblings at the bottom of the stairs. "Umm…what were you guys talking about? I've never heard of such a language before."
The green-eyed girl smiled at them. "That was Al Bhed, it's our official language. If you haven't noticed, we named our shop after it."
"Rikku, get off Brother," the blonde man grunted from below her.
"Right, right you big baby."
She removed her foot and Brother quickly got up to his feet. He looked up at the boys and simply smiled. "I am Brother, I will be your pilot for this trip."
Riku and Sora nodded, "Nice to meet you."
"So, have you guys decided on where you want to go?" the blonde Rikku asked, her hands at her hips.
Riku shook his head, "I have no idea. I haven't had the chance to think about it."
She placed a finger on her lip, "Hmm, have you thought about maybe going out of the country? It would make it harder for anyone to catch you that way."
"You serious?" Riku asked, voicing his surprised as well as Sora's. "I've never gone any farther than Holly City…"
"It'll be fun though!" She exclaimed. "What about you Sora, any ideas?"
The brunet remained silent, eternally embraced within Riku's arms. "I don't know…I don't think we need to go that far out."
"Rao Rikku, ruf ypuid fa dyga dras du dryd uha bmyla?"
They turned their attention to Brother, Rikku's lips widening into a grin. "You're right, we can take them there."
"What did he say?" Riku asked, his frustration over not being able to understand growing with each passing second. "Right now I don't care where we go, as long as we get out of here then I'm perfectly fine. What about you Sora?"
The shorter boy looked at the floor, his gaze concentrating on a single spot. "I don't care, as long as you're with me it doesn't matter."
Rikku was having trouble keeping her giggles in, she thought they were the cutest thing she had ever seen. "Alright then, looks like we are ready to go!"
"Whoooo!" Brother bellowed out as he ran over to input commands on their computer. "We are ready for take off!"
The mood seemed to have lifted for a minute, causing everyone to smile and chuckle at Brother's antics. Sora sighed, pressing his back against Riku's chest. "You sure we're doing the right thing?"
Riku kissed his cheek, "I can't leave you here Sora…not with that woman. I meant what I said, I won't let anything ever happen to you."
Sora relaxed against him, letting his warmth combine with Riku's as they stood there.
"Hey lover boys, you guys better buckle up if we're gonna take off," Rikku expressed, winking at them and running over to Brother's side.
"Let's get out of here," Riku whispered into Sora's ear. "Together."
They walked after Rikku, watching as Brother continued making preparations. The small group stood there, hearing the engines roar into life all around them. Brother was jumping up and down in his seat, his antics worse than a child's. Riku and Sora stood together, their arms linked together.
"Midgar, rana fa lusa!" Brother exclaimed as the Celsius slowly began to leave the earth.
tbc
A/N: This chapter was more troublesome than I thought, but I guess it's okay. If you guys got confused with the Al Bhed, here are the translations for what they said.
"Yna fa nayto du ku oad?" ("Are we ready to go yet?")
"Oac, Brother, pid mad ku uv sa!" ("Yes, Brother, but let go of me!")
"Rao Rikku, ruf ypuid fa dyga dras du dryd uha bmyla?" ("Hey Rikku, how about we take them to that one place?")
"Midgar, rana fa lusa!" ("Midgar, here we come!") XD
I am excited, I wanted them to head off to Midgar the entire time. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Until next time.