==++
Of all the things I believed in
I just wanted to get this over with
-Michelle Branch "Goodbye to You"
==++
"So let me get this right,"
Tidus scratched his head as he looked at the strangely dressed girl.
"You're Rikku and you're an al bhed."
"Uh-huh!" The blonde nodded her head enthusiastically, smiling at the confused blitzball player.
"And you say I have to go to some place called Besaid to meet a what?"
"A summoner – her name's Yuna. You have to meet her! If you don't –" her voice wavered as a sea of emotion crashed down upon her as her mind began to wander back "- well, if you don't something bad will happen!"
"Okay! Okay!" Tidus waved his gloved hand, dismissing the urgency in Rikku's voice. "So, how do I get there?"
"Well…" Rikku stopped and tilted her head, her brow furrowed in thought. She hadn't thought about that. She herself had never been to Besaid. Before Yunie, she had never even heard of Besaid!
"Well?"
An idea came to mind. "I'll steal a map for you and you can take a boat. Of course, we'll have to do it during the night though. I'll tell them that you used your …err…powers to make me fall asleep and then you stole one of our boats!" Rikku beamed with pride over her complex plans and her smile seemed to light up even the most dismal of her surroundings. However, her pride was short-lived.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait a sec! You mean I have to go alone?"
Tidus certainly didn't look happy, his expression matching the anxious one on the al bhed's pale face. With a sharp gasp as a shock of pain stung his body, Tidus stood up. His injuries still hadn't healed and Rikku knew it. And yet thinking back, Rikku could have sworn his recovery had been almost immediate the first time it happened – when she was 15. Not a 34 year old stuck inside a 15 year old body.
"Well, I – I can't…"
Rikku was stuttering. In her heart of hearts she did want to go with him. She wanted to see everyone again. Yuna. Wakka. Lulu. Even Kimahri. But she couldn't. She told herself that. "I can't. I can't go." She muttered under her breath.
"Sorry – come again?"
"Ohh...nothing," she tried to giggle and make it true but the only sound she made was more of a hiccup. She knew that Tidus wouldn't make it to Besaid without her – what with his injuries and his current confusion. But she couldn't go with him. If she did, she would have to relive it. Relive all that pain…all that suffering.
"Why should I believe you anyway?" Tidus turned and began to pace about the deck. His head was throbbing and he could no longer even feel his arm. But he shouldn't tell the strange girl that. If it did come down to fighting her, it would probably be better if she thought he was the stronger of the two. "All I want to do is get home. I have a big blitzball game tomorrow and – and I have to get home."
Rikku had already explained everything to Tidus; about Yevon, about Sin, about the al bhed – but he still didn't believe her, which she truthfully didn't believe he would anyway. Yet there was something. Something she couldn't quite remember. But it was there – and it was frightening her. But what was it?
"You don't have to believe me but – but – you have to go. Y-You have to go now."
Rikku held her head. It all felt like some sort of dream; like she'd experienced all this before but something was being held back. She couldn't remember what it was exactly – but she knew it meant danger. Tidus had to leave. He had to leave now. Or he'd die.
"But I thought you said we'd go at night?"
Tidus really didn't understand the urgency of the situation. Rikku had no other choice.
"Listen – I know you're not going to believe this but I'm from the…."
Suddenly the ship tilted drastically, throwing the two across the deck like toys.
==++FLASHBACK++==
"Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!"
The whole of the al bhed crew flowed from the one exit out on to the deck, surprisingly efficient in the disastrous situation. Sin's mutated and horrific fin reared it's ugly head out of the murky water, sending another wave of water to beat down upon the rusting ship. The ship lurched again.
Rikku and Tidus held each other. They cowered against the rails, as far as they could get from Sin. The ship heaved again, throwing Rikku into a wall. Another wave. Another heart-stopping groan from the weakening hull. Another violent shake. It was all too much for the star player of the Zanarkand Abes. He weakened. And he was gone.
"Tidus!…."
==++END FLASHBACK++==
Sin. Why hadn't she remembered? Another wave crashed against the side of the ancient ship. Once again, the al bhed people spilled out onto the deck…Sin's fin appeared…but where was Tidus? She looked around frantically, trying to remain upright against the constant shakes and shift of the deck.
"Tidus!"
She was screaming. A wave caught her off guard and she was thrown down to the floor like the weak teenager she was. Then a blur. A blur of blue…and yellow…and black. She felt a blow to her stomach and she was thrown to the railings. She blinked, her vision blurred by the constant rain and explosions of waves as they hit the floor with solid force. It was Tidus. He was holding her around the stomach. He had saved her.
"We'll stay here," he said, with a strange calmness, "It'll go soon."
"No, no we can't," Rikku breathed, "We have – have to find a – a boat."
She was winded. And cold. And scared. Her head was spinning with a million thoughts. This wasn't what happened.
"There's a boat – I think – around there." She pointed with a trembling finger to the far side of the ship. "We'll have to go quick. We can't stay here."
Tidus nodded and held Rikku's shivering body to his.
"On three," he shouted above the roaring of the waves and the shouting of the now frantic al bheds. Another wave reared it's giant head – bigger than all the other waves. This one threatened serious damage – and it was about to fall. Tidus saw this with wide eyes. He gulped. "THREE!"
He and Rikku stumbled across the churning ship, slipping on the soaked deck and blinded by the ever-lasting rain. Rikku felt herself loose her footing as the wave struck the ship and it was once-again thrown out of its correct alignment. She was going to fall.
Tidus' strong hand gripped hers and he turned to her and smiled.
"If we're gonna make this, you're gonna have to stop making me save you all the time."
Rikku giggled, despite the chaos around her. They ran with what was left of their might across the last of the deck and reached the rusted boat. Struggling against the tossing and turning of her own ship – her home – Rikku got herself into the boat and began to prepare it for shoving off. Tidus joined her.
"Lets go!" he shouted over the deafening noise. Rikku nodded in reluctant agreement. She lowered the frail boat into the water and began to unhook it from the main ship. But something was wrong. It wouldn't go. It was stuck. Stuck to the ship.
Tidus looked at her, an edge of worry – or confusion maybe – tingeing his boyish features.
"We're stuck."
The orange-clad girl looked at the docking mechanism. A single piece of cord had hooked over into a harpoon shooter and that single cord was what was halting them from salvation. She pointed and Tidus looked too. A look of anguish struck his face.
Before he even knew it, Rikku leapt forward and grabbed a protruding rope that hung over the side of the ship. Tidus gasped. The blonde lifted herself and with amazingly agility, began to scale the sleek side of the ship. The rain continued to drum into her eyes, robbing her of the sense she needed the very most. Trusting her instincts, Rikku continued to heave herself up the side.
She was close to the deck now. Using the little strength she had, she reached up for the rope. Sin moved again, sending an angry tide at the severely dented ship. Despite the worrying groan from the vessel, Rikku heaved herself a little further up. Her slender fingers brushed against the drenched rope, but she still couldn't quite reach it.
"Incoming!"
Tidus' voice rose out from the commotion as two sinscales landed next to him in the boat. Tidus, not yet the hero he was to become, stumbled clumsily as he reached for his sword. However, he was too late as the stronger of the scales crept forward and attacked him. Tidus cringed, hot tears stinging his eyes, as the fiend sunk it's teeth – or whatever they were – into the same spot as his earlier wound.
Rikku watched all this in horrified awe. She knew she had to so something, anything now. She gulped. It was now or never. Thrusting herself upwards, she let go of the attacked wall and jumped for the rope. For those few milliseconds, her heart stopped beating. The noise and chaos around her became nothing. Nothing mattered. She'd either die now – or save Tidus, save Spira.
She got it! But it was still caught, and she hung helplessly by the one hand. But she wasn't about to give in. Taking a deep breath, she reached up to the rope with her other free hand. Cursing her weak self, she managed to do this but the result was not what she had hoped for.
The extra weight caused the rope to unravel, sending the brave al bhed back down to her boat where Tidus impaled the last sinscale with his sword. However, the rope had been caught on the harpoon shooter and as it jerked free, it sent a raid of harpoons towards Sin, a lone rope flying behind each one. The ship was attached to Sin – and Sin was leaving.
The ugly fin disappeared below the water and began to turn away. The scavenger ship was helplessly pulled down and away. Rikku screamed and reached forward towards her sinking home. Tidus had to hold the panicking, remorseful young girl to stop her from jumping out of the boat. Rikku cried.
She had done it, but at what price?
She had saved Tidus – but doomed her people.
Had she already chosen her fate?
MOI+++===+++===+++===
I know this chapter's a bit rubbish, but it's because I was in a rush. Sorry there's no twists like I said there would be, they'll be in the next chapter instead. Next chapter will be better, I promise! ^^
By the way, when you r+r, can you please say which of these you'd prefer because I can't decide :S
- RikkuxAuron
- RikkuxTidus
- TidusxRikkuxAuron
- YunaxTidusxRikkuxAuron
Hmm…some big love messes! Obviously, it's gtta include Rikku in some way as she's the main (and best :P) character. Any other ideas? R+r them!
..::Rikku::..
(Rikku__al_bhed)
PS: I noticed lots of people have those little quotey/song things at the beginning of chapters and I thought they were pretty cool so I thought I'd try them out.