DISCLAIMER: Any final fantasy X or X-2 character, places, creatures, or themes that are in this fanfic belong to Squaresoft, which is now currently Squarenix, I give my props to them for making such great games. A/n: Weewooo.... Well, this chapter was interesting for me to write, and I hope that it is just as interesting for you to read. I'm sorry for not having this one done by the deadline, but now I'm probably going to forget the deadline and just write more whenever I have the chance. Its hard trying to do this and all of the other things that I have to do so, here it is. I'm not going to complain anymore and rather I'm just going to let you read and review, let you state your comments to me. I'm also taking suggestions! Oh isn't that fun! So, yea. Oh yea, you can check out my webby too, I'll post the link in my profile.

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I knew I would regret not seeing Maester Kinoc as I walked down the buzzing hallways to the huge front doors that lead out of this facility, shielding my eyes from the blinding sun as they try to adjust. Come to think of it I haven't been out in the sunlight for some time, my body not feeling right in the daylight... Like I'm some kind of Canis Major.

But still, my mind kept on roaming to what Kinoc would have possibly wanted to talk to me about. His frantic voice running through my mind in Al Bhed like a broken record. I mean, he was a Maester, why would he want to talk to an Al Bhed boy? Why would a Maester know the language of Al Bhed? Why was he whispering? Who wrote the letter? A Maester is too important to talk to me... I'm nobody right now.

I was in a large group of people like Nooj, all sure faced and stoned jawed, looking ahead into their futures... As if they were all sure of what was to come next. .. And if they weren't then they weren't showing it. Then there were the other people who stopped to kiss their sobbing girlfriends, hugging them goodbye as they wish them a safe passage over the sea. My eye roamed over them, looking for a specific couple, but I didn't see them anywhere, and I really wasn't planning to. I know that Nooj wouldn't be with Leblanc right now, not after waiting this long to go overseas, He wouldn't sacrifice this... He just doesn't seem like the type of guy. We walked in a jumbled mix of people, even though our superiors were yelling at us, telling us to get into a straight line, we didn't listen, most likely the people around me weren't paying attention, or just didn't hear them over the noise.

I was looking for my bunk mates now, I saw Paine somewhere behind me but I didn't lag behind to talk to her because I was afraid of getting cursed at or pushed out of the group like I saw happen to so many others, nor did she run ahead to talk to me. I squinted my eye, which was now well adjusted to the light around me, and searched for Nooj or Baralai. I kind of didn't mind Nooj anymore, as I saw him this morning when he politely squirted his water bottle on my face to wake me up, but I hadn't seen Baralai at all.

Finally I spotted the brown hair of Nooj shining in the sun up ahead and dived through people to catch up to him, walking beside him. I smiled slightly looking up at him.

"What's up with the garments?" I asked

Nooj was wearing a skin tight red body suit made up of expandable material from neck to foot, his boots being connected to the suit, but had tan slip on shoes over them, the zipper in the front which kept it all together unzipped at his chest.. Over his right arm was a sleeve-like thing that covered his whole arm up to the wrist, white fur covering his right shoulder then converting to a leather like material that covered his left shoulder, being hooked together by a series of buckles and straps. His left bicep was covered by a load of different colored material, though everything matching the original color scheme, but his whole lower arm was complete machina, everything electronic down to the last finger. Which brings me to the metal brace that was on his left leg, which was also held by a series of buckles and straps. His hair was tied up in a pony tail, a loch of hair parted making long bangs on the right side, long braids along his back which were under his ponytail. Also, he was wearing glasses...

"Nothing, Leblanc chose it, so I wore it." He said blankly, looking ahead.

"So now you take orders from Leblanc? I grinned, playfully punching his arm lightly.

He turned his head to look at me and smirked. "My orders are none of your business."

I nodded... "Right... And the glasses?" I said, pointing up at them.

"I need them, why else would I be wearing them?"

I stopped to think about that like an idiot and Nooj laughed at me.

"Come on..."

I shook my head again and walked faster to catch up to him again. "And the sudden machina makeover?"

He turned his head and looked in front again... "Inquisitive aren't we?" He mumbled hardly moving his lips.

"Inquisi... Wha...."

I stopped in the middle of my sentence as he pointed to the ship that we were to be boarding.

It was a magnificent ship...

It was a huge vessel Stretching from One end of the Highbridge to the other, its sails flapping gallantly in the wind, it's sails spreading for what seemed like for miles into the sky emitting a fluent change in color from the deepest of violets to the brightness of glistening gold. The fresh scent of freshly cut wood filled the air and the railings of the ship were colored the deepest jade, reflecting the ocean below in swirls of light. The body of the ship was of a dark mahogany, the ocean waves hitting it with feeble attempts to break into it, though the wood that held the ship together was too sturdy and well-built to give in to such despotism and at the fore there was a symbol of a Chocobo with its wings extended as if to give the ship speed and good luck.

I stopped walking and looked up at the ship marveling at the piece of work, though wishing that we were riding an airship instead... Cid had a special one of those that I used to ride on as a kid, letting him steer it around while I would be in awe of my youth, knowing that not everybody got to ride on one of those. He told me to keep it a secret and told me that if Home ever needed it that's when he would let it out to the world of us Al Bheds, I was lucky for being one of the first people to ride on it. I knew I would probably never get to ride on one of those again.

I didn't even notice how Nooj was already at the ship standing on the edge of the highbrige his arms at his side, waving to various people who I did not know the names of until I got rudely pushed ahead almost falling to the ground.

"Hey!" He yelled, turning my head to see who it was, but nobody looked at all the least interesting in me. I shook my head and ran over to where Nooj was, looking at him for a moment trying to figure out what he was staring at.

I followed his eyes to the huge temple that lay at the end of the highbridge, people stopping to look at what I was looking at, and some people stopping to look at the ship that you could see through the trees that outline the highbrige.

The temple doors opens and Baralai appeared in the doorway of the temple walking confidently towards the ship, crying nuns adorned in multicolored silk and huge headdresses both young and old were following him out, crying in their hands, begging him not to leave but failing in their attempts to stop him. Many of them hugged him and he stopped to hug back, then continued to walk, some of them kissing his cheeks and grabbing on his robe. A row of priest came out afterward and started shaking his hand, also many of them having tears in their eyes. He would stop to shake their hands, giving them a pat on the back as they wished him a safe passage and praying to Yevon that it wont be a goodbye... At least not forever.

Which brings me to Baralai's garbs. He was wearing something that seemed the most peculiar to me, as I have only seen him in his white silk toga with his white silk pants that flowed down to the floor, and a black cloth belt holding the pants up, a black cloth head band around his head also to keep his bangs back from his face. But now he was wearing what appeared to be a heavy green duster with orange patterns on the seems. Instead of being a regular take off duster or coat it closed all the way around his throat with just enough space to fit his head in and out, but could be adjusted by a huge red decorative rope that looped in and out of the collar, tying into a bow in the back, the two strands running down his back. Starting at his waist the duster had more patterns of ancient text in black columns written in silver thread. Around his chest were white bandages crisscrossing over each other and a huge white plate covering where his stomach should be, that held by a yellow ribbon tied in a bow at the front. He was also wearing pants that matched his duster.

"What is this about?" I mumbled to myself, not really expecting an answer.

"A former sumoner sacrificing his pilgrimage." Oh course Nooj had to give me one.

I looked up at him, shocked and confused.

"Bevel produces some of the best, or at least that's what they say."

I turned my head as the cool voice came from behind on my left side. It was Paine... I didn't even know she followed.

"Woah! Baralai's a Summoner?" I turned my head forward to look at him. "Looks like he's some kind of celebrity..."

"He's the one that's supposed to bring the calm... He's giving up a lot to join the Crimson Squad."

"But it's to help Spira, its all the same..." Paine turned around to walk on board the ship, leaving us behind.

I had heard of Summoners and their power, but I had never actually met one... Let alone slept in the same room as one...

Nooj turned around and began to walk to board the ship following behind Paine who was now already on board.

I rolled my eye, turning with him... "He's no celebrity..."

Nooj stopped and raised his eyebrows, turning his head to look at me. "I wouldn't say that out loud."

~~~~~*****~~~~~

The crew of our ship were all either native Besaid Islanders or young Crusaders who just joined. I didn't talk to the crusaders because they wouldn't talk to me. I didn't talk to the Besaiders because I could hardly understand Spiran as it is, and when they add 'ya' and 'huh' at the end of each sentence on top of the heavy accent it really threw me off. Why didn't I talk to the Crusaders? You might ask: Well, because I'm an Al Bhed. I really, really cannot stand people like that, but that's how Spira was back then, and I had to deal with them turning their heads, covering the side of their mouths with their hands, and whispering about me to their naïve partner, who in turn would whisper back. I heard names and statements like, 'Oh, their goes the baby eater...' or 'Is it true that they don't believe in Yevon?' and as a reply their partners would say: 'Yea, I heard they worship Sin...' I ignored it the whole voyage, but if it got too bad and they pissed me off by saying ANYTHING about Bekanel or any other Al Bhed, I would reply: "Yea, well excuse me but I don't think that our mother enjoys you trying to pick the padlock off of her iron clad draws every night. Oh, and she told me that she doesn't believe you when you say that you spilled ice- cream on her underwear..." And that always shut them up for an hour or two, until they thought of a good comeback.

But the first few days on the ship nobody really gave me any problems.

On around the second night I remember that I was walking along the polished wooden deck, the waves and the light from the crescent moon reflecting on the deck of the ship and casting little light circles that hopped around never staying still, like they were dancing. There was a light breeze blowing my hair this way and that and a walked over to the railing, grasping it tightly as I leaned on it, watching the waves.

I was there for a while as I remember it before I felt eyes watching me. I turned my head and saw Paine standing about a few feet behind me, her arms crossed over her chest and her tussled bangs moving around in the wind. Her eyes were closed and her head was tilted slightly up, the moonlight shining on her pale skin making it cast an eerie white glow, but it didn't take away from her strange elegance.

I turned around to look at her, my back leaning on the railing.

"Nice view huh?"

She just nodded her head in response.

I stood up straight and walked over to her, extending my hand.

"Hey, my names Gippal."

She nodded again, this time opening her eyes and looking at the sea.

"Yea..." I lowered my hand and put it behind my head, beginning to rub the back again out of habit. "I guess you already know... You know, your eyes reflect the waves and your..."

"Stop."

I looked up at her surprised and slightly confused... That line always worked... That's when I noticed the slight smile on her face as he turned to look at me.

"What?"

She turned her head back to the water, still smirking.

"Ok..." I turned to the side and put my hands on my hips, sticking out my chest a little "But you know, I'm going places and... You're more than welcome to come with me... There's always room on this ship!"

I looked at her as her face contorted as she tried to fight back laughter... But failed miserably as she busted out laughing. She turns her back towards him and begins to walk towards the stairs that lead to below deck.

I turned back around to face the water, though my head was tilted down and I was looking uncomfortably at the deck. My hands still on my hips.

"Cina?"

She stopped walking as I said that and turned her head to the side to look at me.

"What was that?"

I tilted my head up and turned back around to face her, putting my hand behind my head again.

"Oh... Uh, that was Al Bhed... I'm... Al Bhed..."

I looked at the deck again...

She nodded, then turns her head back to the ladder...

"You'll have to teach me that one day."

I looked up at her, blinking a few times utterly surprised that she would ask that... Nobody in his or her right mind would ask me that... But she looked serious...

"Naymmo... I mean... Really?"

She nodded again then walked down the ladder, leaving me there.

I blinked again, and then turned around to face the ocean.

"Yhodrehk vun oui..." I mumbled to myself...