Y'know what I ate today? You'll never guess. I ate… TURKEY AND RICE! Turkey and turkey fried rice, to be exact. I also drank some corn soup, and I think I saw some turkey in that too. I'm never gonna get this turkey taste out of my mouth…
It's taking Ku a long time to get out of Home (three weeks to learn the language and culture, one week to learn culture and fighting), but it happens eventually! I bet at least 354,697,000 have been killed by Sin already… there isn't going to be anyone left to save in Spira…
I even managed to use a vocabulary word in this chapter! "Rancor". My language arts teacher says that you have to use a word three times and it's yours. I'm probably never going to use that word again.
Oh, and because I've forgotten it in every other chapter: For the Al Bhed language, I use an Al Bhed-English Translator. A very good one is at http://www.pixelscapes.com/twoflower/albhed.html.
And on another note: To any Cactuars or Cactuar fans out there, I have nothing against Cactuars. They're just a lot easier to use than anything else. And I find their attacks to be horribly cruel. Especially a certain one that includes a number with a 1 and 4 zeros. -_-;;
Kirei na Kanjou
It was the final day of Ku's so-called 'training'. Cid's training program had lasted a week, consisting mostly of learning terms and customs that Rin had already taught her. However, it had also taught her the important skill of fighting, something she would be using often outside of Home. Unfortunately, Ku didn't really have the natural ability for attacking.
Cid was standing just outside of the city limits of Home beside a large cage. Ku stood a few yards away, across from him.
"Alright, Ku!" he yelled. It's time to see if your training's paid off! Get ready!"
She braced herself, gripping her weapon tightly. The weapon was a scythe, its crescent-shaped blade embedded in the long staff that Ku was holding. On top of the staff was a small orb, which Cid had said was necessary for summoning.
"Ready!" she shouted back to him.
Cid pressed a bright blue button on the side of the cage. The metal bars that had once closed off the opening were slowly rising. Ku tried to see what was inside and walked a little closer. Unexpectedly, a small green cactus popped out of the cage.
"Um… Cid?" she said dubiously as she lowered her scythe. "That's a cactus…"
"Ku! Remember the first lesson I taught ya! Never underestimate anything and never let your guard down!"
The little cactus seemed to grow arms and legs. Its eyes, which were more like holes that had been cut into it, stared as well as they could at Ku.
She inched forward gradually to the green thing that was now looking at her. Keeping her distance, she swiped at it with her weapon, effectively chopping off one of its arms.
The Cactuar made a squealing noise and ran backwards. It stopped and faced her again, fury in its eyes. Ku couldn't actually see this fury, but assumed it was there anyways.
"Cid?" she asked nervously. "What's it doing?"
Cid was now hiding behind the cage. He peeked out and yelled, "It's doing its 10,000 Needles attack! Watch out!"
10,000 Needles? She had little time to think about it before she saw a storm of black flying towards her. She looked at it quizzically before realizing they were the 10,000 Needles. Oh… so THAT'S what it means…
She quickly jumped up and started running to the side, the Cactuar following her with its needle attack. "Cid, you didn't tell me it could do that!!" She started running in circles, needles just barely missing her. "You were supposed to give me an easier enemy!! ONE WITH NO NEEDLES!!"
"Hey!" he pointed out. "You only gotta wait for it to run out of needles, then go and attack it! Besides, do ya really think all the monsters in Spira are gonna tell ya what they can do?" Damn, he thought. Aren't main heroines supposed to be better at fighting than that? Maybe I shouldn't let Rikku be her guardian; it's probably not safe. I'll send someone who can actually attack…
While he pondered, Ku was still running. The little Cactuar seemed to have an unlimited supply of needles, and Ku was getting tired.
Finally, the attack stopped.
Ha, Ku thought. Now I'll get you back for that… She started to run towards it, her scythe posed over her shoulder ready to be swung. Just as she reached it, the Cactuar started to run away.
"What?" she muttered. "Hey! Wait!"
The little Cactuar ran off into the desert, its little 'O'-shaped mouth curved into a sadistic smile.
Ku decided at that moment to forever hold a strong rancor for Cactuars. She let her weapon drop to her side and hung her head. "Geez… I finally get close enough and it runs away. Even after attacking me like that!" She walked over to Cid, who was pondering something. "Hey, Cid. It ran away."
"Oh, good," he mumbled, obviously not listening. A few minutes later, he said, "I figured out who your first guardian will be. I'll let ya know who later. I got something to give to you first. Why don'tcha go back to the tower and take a break?"
"Sure," she replied. She waved to him and started walking back to the tower.
Ku had reached the top of the tower and was sitting on the bed in her room. She placed her scythe on the floor. Cid had made it a rule in the tower to not carry the weapon around, Ku being incredibly accident-prone when she wasn't thinking. She had managed to break three vases, two of which had been replacements for their predecessors, and had cracked two mirrors. Ku had tried to convince the Al Bhed that the cracks were a nice touch to the once plain and boring glass, but Cid had thought otherwise.
Ku looked down at her stomach, which was now making odd growling noises. "Feels like I haven't eaten for a week…" She exited the room and walked to another door farther down the hallway and entered the kitchen.
"Al Bhed food is the greatest food!" she said for no apparent reason to the empty room. The kitchen always had some kind of food lined up on the counter so any members of the family could just run in and grab something to eat without having to take the time to prepare it. "Yay!" she exclaimed happily, examining the casserole bowl. "Zu meat!"
She smiled as she grabbed a plate and started dishing the majority of the food onto it. Despite her small size, she could eat a lot, especially when it was her favorite food. Looking back into the almost empty bowl, she muttered, "I hope no one notices…"
Ku sat down at the long table in the room. They were always expecting visitors, Cid being the leader of the Al Bhed, so they always had extra places just in case. The view was beautiful from where she sat, the room having a huge curving window on one side. It felt like one could see the whole desert from here.
"Well, no time to look at scenery! Gotta eat first." Ku laughed at herself, knowing she'd never be saying all these things were there other people in the room with her. It was so much easier for her to open up when she was alone, or around those she was close to.
Hey, Ku!" a voice shouted from outside the door. "You in here?"
"Yeah, I'm in the kitchen!" she yelled back. "I'll be out in a minute." After quickly finishing the rest of her food, she disposed of her plate and all evidence that she had been the one to finish most of the large meal still sitting on the counter.
She walked out of the room to find Cid holding a brown paper bag. "Here, it's a gift for ya. I got some of the Al Bhed to make it." Handing the bag to her, she could see it was a dress of some sort. "Go try it on. I'll get your guardian."
Ku entered the bathroom located near her room and Cid walked to another door nearby. Knocking on it, he heard a muffled reply and opened the door. A few discarded items fell on Cid, making him wonder what his wife would have thought had she still been alive. His parental instincts kicking in, he scolded, "Brother, tu oui hajan lmayh ouin nuus?" (Brother, do you never clean your room?)
"Father," he said lazily from his laying position on the bed, "fro tuac ed syddan du oui?" (Father, why does it matter to you?)
Cid sighed, knowing that neither Brother or Rikku would ever take him seriously. All the better to make him go, he thought. "Brother, E ryja yh esbundyhd dycg vun oui." (Brother, I have an important task for you.)
Brother sat up and looked at his father inquisitively. "Fryd dycg?" (What task?)
"E fyhd oui du pa dra guardian uv y Summoner." (I want you to be the guardian of a Summoner.)
"Fryd?!" he shouted. "E druikrd oui fana ykyehcd pilgrimages!" (What?! I thought you were against pilgrimages!)
"Drec Summoner..." he said softly, "cra ec hud kuehk du cdub. Ed ec ran lruela yhofyoc." (This Summoner… she is not going to stop. It is her choice anyways.)
"Pid Father, fro sa?" (But Father, why me?)
Cid laughed. "Palyica, oui yna dra uha uv dra pacd vekrdanc eh Home. Yht oui lyh cbayg cusa English, cu oui femm hud cdnikkma duu silr eh Spira. Pacetac, ed femm pa kuut vun oui." (Because, you are the one of the best fighters in Home. And you can speak some English, so you will not struggle too much in Spira. Besides, it will be good for you.) Also, he thought sarcastically, You'll have a better chance of surviving with Ku than anyone else…
"Veha," he said. "E femm ku." (Fine, I will go.)
"Good!" Cid said loudly, not bothering to speak in Al Bhed. "You better practice some of that English, boy, cause you'll be needin' it. Let's go meet your Summoner then!"
"…Yes, Father," Brother attempted awkwardly.
Brother got up and followed his father out of his room. Cid started saying something, but stopped as the bathroom door opened.
Brother recognized the one that walked out as Ku, the girl who had arrived at Home four weeks ago and had summoned Leviathan. She looked the same, except that her clothes were now similar to that of what a Summoner would wear, and her hair was also done a little differently from what he had seen a few days ago.
She had on a dark blue shirt held up by four bands of cloth, two around her neck, two around her shoulders. All four bands were tied onto a small gold ring that rested just below her collarbone. The two bands on the shoulders went around the ring and curved down to form the top of the shirt, which then tied around her body. On the top of the shirt was an icicle-like pattern, a light blue color. On her arms were sleeves that were separate from the shirt. They were held on by one belt on each arm, starting at the elbow. The sleeves shared the colors and patterns of the shirt. Ku's stomach was left bare. She also had on a long skirt, a dark blue color like the rest of her costume. It had a small flower emblem going down the side.
Ku's long black hair hung loosely behind her back except for two thick separate strands. The strands each had two colorful beads strung on them.
"Um, Cid?" Ku asked. "My stomach feels really bare… and my back too." She turned around, showing that the shirt sunk fairly low in the back.
"It's the Al Bhed style!" Cid argued. "It'll keep ya cool in the desert."
"And if I'm in Macalania? Then what?"
Cid sighed in defeat and walked into his room. Finally, he emerged with two belts and a large bow. Giving them to Ku, he said, "Most Summoners wear a bow somewhere, so you can use that to cover your back."
The bow had two long strings hanging off of it. Ku tied those around the ring and strung them under her arms. The bow, easily half her size, was surprisingly light. "And the belts?"
"Put 'em around your stomach. It'll work."
She glared at him and buckled one around her waist horizontally. She put the second belt on over that diagonally. "…I guess it works." She looked back at the Al Bhed man who had supplied all these things for her. "Um… thanks, Cid."
He smiled at her. "We got a boat all ready for you two to leave. Why don'tcha go eat something first? You won't get any Al-Bhed cooking for a while." Both Summoner and guardian hastily agreed.
"So, we're going to be together for a while then, right?" Ku asked the Al Bhed who was now scooping food into his own plate.
"Yes." He took more food. "You want food?" He talked slowly, as if he was struggling with the words.
"Oh, sure," she said, not realizing what a pig she was being having eaten so much already. "You don't have to speak English here if you don't want to. I can understand Al Bhed." She walked to him to take her plate.
"No, I should practice." He started filling a second plate with food and handed it to her. "Sorry, not much left."
"Um, that's ok," Ku said guiltily. "I ate a little before already."
"Rikku eats lots." He motioned to the now empty bowl.
Ku laughed nervously. "This is really good," she said, mouth half-full. Brother nodded his agreement. "So…" she continued, "I guess we go on a boat after this?"
"Yes. To Besaid." He finished his food and placed his plate down, waiting for Ku. She eventually did the same and the two walked out of the kitchen.
When they passed his room, Cid yelled to them, "The boat's waitin' out in the harbor. Brother, you know where it is. Be careful out there, ok? I'm expectin' ya both back when it's over!"
Ku nodded and followed Brother to the lift. At the bottom, the two walked silently out of Home. It was then that she saw the large machina weapon strapped to his back. She held her own scythe tighter. They had to walk for a few minutes before they reached the location of the metal boat. Thankfully, they weren't attacked by any monsters, nor had they encountered any Cactuars.
"Wow… it's huge!" Ku stood in awe, looking at the boat. It actually would have been like every other boat if it didn't have the massive crane attached to the side. Still, Ku had never been close to any ships, much less on one, so it amazed her.
Her quiet companion had already boarded the ship and was waving for her to come on. She walked up the platform onto the boat and stood at the side, staring back across the desert. It was strange to her that so much water should be so close to the desert, but Rin had told her that Home was located on Bikanel Island, so water would have been plentiful.
Speaking of Rin, Ku thought, maybe we'll see him somewhere. He said he had to leave on some emergency business to one of his shops, so we might be able to meet up with him again.
"Fa yna mayjehk! Dra creb ec tabyndehk!" (We are leaving! The ship is departing!) one of the boatmen yelled.
The boat shook as it moved, sluggishly making its way out of the harbor. Ku watched as Home got farther and farther away.
When it was almost out of view, she did the prayer gesture that Cid had taught her and that she had seen often both in Spira and Zanarkand. "Home…" she whispered. "If I don't return, please remember me."
Ok, so I lied in the last chapter. The journey didn't really start. Still… I actually finished this in one day, and it's not 3:30 in the morning!! Woo-hoo for me. It's 2:00 AM now. It took me a whole day. Now I have to do my homework tomorrow… Nooo! Vacation's almost over. ;_;
Yay! People actually like my O/C's. Makes me happy. ^^
And so, the journey starts! I'm going to try to draw Ku with her summoner costume on, since I'm not really good at describing it… much easier to draw it. I might even finish the drawing! ^^
Cactuars scare me now. I'm afraid they're going to come after me in my FFX game. All the Cactuars suddenly attack… I'll know why.
Anyways… Next Chapter: Besaid! And four more cameos!
