The Caged Bird's Song (Dra Lykat Pent'c Cuhk)
-by Zell's Girl
All characters owned
by the great Square.
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AL BHED WARNING!!!
Pieces of the story are in Al Bhed, originally the whole
story was, but I decided to change it. Here is a good
translator-
http://pixelscapes.com/twoflower/albhed.html
Use it if needed.
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When it began, it was magic. I lived the life of a caged bird, being
reprimanded about only given bare necessities. I wanted to sing
but I was silenced, to taste the wind, a fleeing dream in a sea of
screams.

It started harmlessly. Well, actually it was harmful. It was a simple
salvage mission. Dad said 'We found something under the sea, we
need to get it'. Keyakku, several of my friends and I went to scan
an area known as the 'Pyyz Dasbma Niehc'. We all couldn't help
but be a little jumpy, considering the area, and its history. The aura
of death engulfed the place.

The doors were blockaded, so we took our usual strategy; 'when
there's a road block, it's easier to blast through it then go around it'.
So my brother and I took our tools and blasted our way past every
door. He and I exchanged glances as we blast our way into the main
hall. The door blew open, and we saw what looked to be a boy
fighting a fiend. A surge of compassion led me to my next actions.

I leapt into battle and fought with him.

They were just simple fiends , so they fell quickly. He looked to me
with a smile on his face. His indigo eyes pierced my spirit. "Thank
you!"

My whole team drew their guns.

"Y fiend!!!" Keyakku shouted. He grabbed the boy and held his
neck with all his strength.

"Ed'c y syh, caneuicmo!" I said in my native language.

"What huh?" the boy asked, horrified.

"Y fiend eh teckieca?" one of our team called.

"GEMM ED!" Shouted one. Everyone placed their fingers on the
triggers of their guns.

"Fyed!" I called. "Oui leg'd!" I inspected the boy for signs of death
and he had a heartbeat and he was breathing. He was definitely
human. I nodded to the others. They all put their guns away. I
whispered to him, "Cmaab huf." I hit his windpipe quickly and he
passed out.

Keyakku looked to me. "Fryd yna fa du tu?"

"Dyga res du dra creb." I stated firmly. "Ra syo bnuja.... icavim."

Keyakku draped the boy over his shoulder. I walked behind my
brother, keeping my eyes placed on the boy he carried. He looked
like he had spent too much time in the sun from his even tan, he was
quite muscular, and his clothes were of a mysterious style. I knew
that something was going to happen, between him....

And me.

It was decided later that he and I would salvage the mystery object
together. He did his part, and he did mine. The team didn't seem
pleased that I took him with me. All of them thought of me as...
well.... a princess to the Al Bhed. They thought the boy was
dangerous, and I was determined to prove the opposite. He was
locked away against my wishes, but of course, I wasn't gonna just
leave him there! I planned an epic escape and he and I would sail
into the sunset. Great idea huh?

I slipped into the dining hall. I took some provisions and headed on
to where he was being held. In case I was being monitored, I didn't
act merciful. He was laying peacefully on the floor.

I lightly kicked him in the side. "Yeeeow! What was THAT for?!"
he said to me.

I smiled. "You said you were hungry.... But, if you're not....."

"No no no, I'll take the food!" He said happily. He looked at the
food with a look of pure joy in his eyes. I suppose he hadn't eaten
in a while.

"So, who are ya' anyway?" I asked.

"You don't know me?" he asked, standing up. "I'm a star Blitzball
player of the Zanarkand Abes!"

"Blitzball in Zanarkand?" I asked. The boy now seemed insane.

He spilled his guts to me. His name was 'Tidus'. He said things
about Zanarkand, Blitzball, a man named Auron, and a monster the
man named Auron called Sin. It all became clear or so I thought. I
suggested the toxin theory, and he didn't seem the slightest bit
convinced. I promised him, "We'll go to Luca, blitzball's HUGE
there."

Disappointingly, I never got to. A fiend attacked the ship, and he
was thrown overboard. The whole crew was rescued. Tidus,
though, was nowhere to be found.

When Keyakku and I returned home, we were given a new mission
by my father. 'Go catch summoners'. I went on my way, never
looking back. I caught the one 'Issaru' in Besaid. It was easy,
considering one of his guardians was a child. Pacce, the child's name
was. Moroda and Pacce, two brothers looking out for their
DOOMED brother. It was disturbingly heartwarming.

I walked into Home at the dining hall. I sat next to Berrik, my best
friend. He had returned here once the tournament ended. I was
happy to see him. Everyone of the people at Home thought we
were a couple. I could basically have any guy in 5 years of me
there, but I real didn't find any appeal in them. Berrik was a
childhood friend who understood me. That's all.

REALLY!!! IT WAS!!!

Well he offered me some of his food, and we talked for a while
on my missions. He said he wished he could adventure too, but
they needed a blitzball team. He also said he was not much for
fighting, and his training was insufficient. I told him about how I
envied him, his fame across Spira, and his chance to live a normal
life.

I learned normality is the last thing I needed.

Just then, my squad was called in. They said that we needed to
catch Yuna, our cousin. 'Don't take her guardians, they're strong'.
Dad warned. Keyakku agreed and I did too. We were to leave the
next day. I was to operate a water machina, my specialty. I bid my
friend farewell, and went on my way.

I caught her as they rode a shoopuff. Keyakku brought her to the
water and I put her in the bubble thing that would give her air and
limited her magic use. Then, he came. He came back, and I was
amazed. He fought, Keyakku took the controls and fought back.
We lost to him and his friend quickly. I washed ashore. As was
ordered, Keyakku went straight to Home.

I awoke, and he was there. It was fate I guess, and they took me
with them. I became her guardian. I convinced myself I could
change her mind, or lure her into Home. I fell in love with Tidus,
well, I loved him on sight really. I became closer to my cousin, I
made friends as well as enemies. I was finally living.

Then everything happened. Home was destroyed, we killed
Seymour..... 3 times, I became a traitor. It crushed me, I wasn't
welcome anywhere. Only they excepted me. They became my
family.

When Home was destroyed, Tidus first held me. My brother, one
of the people I was closest to, died before me. I knelt and held
Keyakku's head. "Rikku....." Keyakku stuttered, his wound was
deep in his stomach, blood seeped out his mouth. His face was
covered in cuts, the blood was fresh, but cold. "Cyja Home, cdub
dra Guado..... Muja oy cec...." He died, and I slowly laid down his
head. Tidus embraced me as I cried.

Dad came, and it all ended. We boarded the airship, and set out to
save Yuna, again. To Bevelle, a place that screamed of the misery
of oppressed peoples. We were going to save her. We had to save
everything.

Nothing though, could save my broken heart.

Yunna took me aside outside Bevelle. She was so happy. Then she
told me. He loved her. Tidus loved her. They kissed and it was
wonderful. I was happy for her, or so I acted. It hurt. "Don't mind
Rikku; she's just a girl." "She's just a happy kid." "She's just a
friend." That what flooded my head. I wanted to cry, but I didn't.

I just kept on following.

Yuna didn't die. He did.

He told Yuna while we watched, after we defeated Sin. He was
a dream of the fayth, he wasn't real. I looked on. They hugged and
were all lovey dovey. It wasn't fair. Tears streamed down my face.
I mumbled something that was in my head. It just seeped out of my
mouth. Luckily, it wasn't in the Yevonite language, so the others
didn't understand.

E ryda oui, puo vnus dra cay.
E ryda oui.
Fedr ymm so raynd,
Ymm so cuim,
E ryda oui.
E cyjat oui, yht oui
drnaf sa du dra meuhc.
E rambat oui vekrd ouin tasuhc,
Po maddehk dras tajuin sa.
E kyja oui so raynd,
Yht oui, oui lunnibdat ed.
Fedr oui muug,
Fedr ouin funt,
Oui niehat ymm dryd fyc kuut eh sa.
E mujat oui, pid oui
Fymgat nekrd bycd
Hajan Muugehk Pylg

He didn't notice me. He never said good bye. He never smiled at
me, he never loved me. It hurt, more then anything. Celebrations
started. We were saviors of the land of Spira.We all went to Luca,
and we were going to change things. Yevonites and Al Bhed and
Crusaders, Ronsos and Guados, we all celebrated together. I,
though, didn't feel like celebrating. Why did it all need to change?

Change is rampaging.

Change is menacing.

Change is the source of good and evil,

Love, hate, friendship, heartbreak.

I sat on the docks, and I waited. I picked up a few smooth rocks
and skipped them across the water. I was crying again. "E ryba
oui... E ryba oui!" I started screaming, as loud as I could.

"Hey, I hope you don't mean me Ree!" A familiar voice. It was
Berrik, he sat down next to me

"Hey Berrik, you speak the Yevonite language?" I asked, clearing
my face.

"Yeah, Elder Cid taught me. You know.... Ree.... I've missed you."
Berrik said, smiling at me. I nodded.

"Yeah, we need to spend more time together!" I stated. He nodded
back.

"You are coming for the rebuilding of Home right?" Berrik asked.

I considered for a minute. Should I go home? It was my duty, but it
was also my responsibility to Yuna to stay with her and helped her
through all this. She didn't need me though. Dad and Berrik needed
me more. My people needed me.

"Yeah! Of course Berry!" I reassured him.

"You know Ree, I've been looking for you for a while, I know you
would be here so I thought I'd just search a little. I love you, you
probably know.." Berrik said, simply. "Ever since we were kids.
I know, I know, I 'm not right for you, and I'm three years older
then you and Elder Cid wouldn't approve....."

"Berrik, love hurts, and I can't hurt you."

"The damage is done. It's been like this for a while." His smile
diminished.

"Love has made us a couple of fools, remember how strong we
used to be?" I said, putting my head on his shoulder as the sunset.
He put he head atop mine, and just sat there, staring out, for a few
hours.

Fate is cruel. It hits us all, sooner or later. It makes the strong cry
and the weak cold and ruthless. We all are fools for love, it's part
of being human. When the line is drawn, the heartless survive, while
people like us suffer.

Happiness is more over a front than an emotion. No one can
always be happy. Good is balanced out by evil, so that happiness
won't be taken for granted. I guess that's what I did, and this, is my
just reward. Happily ever after, truly alone, forever crying unto the
tapestry of the night sky. The stars fly by to return, but my cheery
mood is now gone. I wonder what everything will be like. I sing the
song of a bird, free from its caged life, but regretful of all I now
know.

~~Fin

Not too great.
Don't dislike it because it's not Aurikku,
just, look at it and be fair.

ALL EDITED! MY GRAMMER!
MY SPELLING! FIXED!

Not a Tear jerker, I should have made it
sadder! Hmmm..... I'll write another
Rikku/Tidus again, maybe I could make
it so then.