Wow!!! 107 Reviews!! You guys do care! *tear,tear*
Thank you to:
Shy-Lil-Dreamer:I'm glad I added Paine too,she's the coolest,with the exception of Rikku of course.Thanks for your review ^_~
Suki-Saki-14:Well then,I suppose here is the chapter you've been waiting for lol,thanks for your review ^_~
Fanfic-Lover:I'm glad you really like it,I'm trying my best to update.
SjabRox:I'm trying,thanks for the review
punkygal:She is,but see,she needed a way out and she chose Atempted Suiside,things will get better for Rikku
angels kissx:Thank you so much! I am a fan of your Tikku story and I am really honored that you reviewed to my story.I really appreciated it...
Dragon Tears Wing:Well,Here's your update,hope I didn't make you scream,thanks DTW or should I say CD? Lol,thanks for reviewing.
trinity-frost:Rikku is The One Of You will have to read and find out-y,lol,thanks,I like that it's mysticy.
Psycotic_teen:Don't worry,I have everything planned out,thanks for taking interest,She will have something to live for...doesn't everyone? lol ^_~
Xtreme Nuisance:I'm sorry,here's more for you,hope you enjoy
Zell's MiNi SoRcErEsS Chick:I was definatly going for Suspense-y,thanks,I'm glad you like it.
rikku4life:Love the name,Rikku is the best ever! I won't stop Updating as long as you don't stop reviewing!Everything is all planned and I got it set up,trust me ^_^
sayinjinj7:Glad to hear I've caught your interest,I'll try to keep it ^_~ thanks for the review
RdawgX:I'll explain about the Rikku,Paine=Strangers thing below,thanks for bringing it to my attention that no one knows what the hell I'm rambling on about,lol ^_~
Cyber Phoenix:You'll find out soon,Promise,thanks for the review ^_^
katsuhito sage: lol,I'm to lazy to log in when I review all the time ^_^ Thanks again,Paine and Rikku are the best FF characters in the history of forever!
Bandit-Gurl42:Yeah,I love Paine and so dose my Best Friend,that's one reason why I put her in,every story needs a Paine LOL
FinalFantastManiac788:I know,I know,I'm working up to the point were Tidus finds out,It will all work out in the end,*puts hand over heart* Promise,from one Final Fantasy Lover to another ^_~
Lady_Of_Eternal_Darkness: Sorry,I type so fast I don't bother to use my commas appropriately,and I'm working on the longer chapters.
!PreciousPearl:I'm Trying
FinalFantastGuru :Yeah,I know,ya just don't see Rikku as a depressed person,Depression and Rikku are unmixy things,but I just HAD to give it a shot ^_^,thanks for the review
A/N: ---------------------PLEASE READ--------------PLEASE READ--------------------PLEASE READ---------------------PLEASE READ------------------------PLEASE READ--------------------
Ok,yes,as you all saw I added Paine to the fic.Let me just make some things clear as there seems to be some confusion.This is an AU so Rikku and the gang NEVER met Paine,she is a complete stranger to them.In this story Rikku was ONCE part of the Gullwing from FFX-2 at the beginning of FFX,meaning GullWing was the name of the team she was on when you first met Rikku in FFX (Remember,when Tidus was in the underwater tavern in the beginning of the game and was attacked by the lizard thingy and Rikku saved him) That is why Rikku doesn't know Paine in this story because NOTHING from FFX-2 happened.
Thanks for brining this confusion to my attention RdawgX and anyone else who mentioned it in their review.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tidus walked along the street,it wasn't raining but the fog had not cleared up.His mind was still racing with what had happened down at the docks.He was furious with himself for not handling it better.He ran,like the scared little kid he use to be,he ran.He should have took her in his arms and told her how happy he was that she felt that way,he should have,he wanted to...but he ran.
Rikku has been missing for almost 2 days and no one is doing anything about it! It was all his fault,even though everyone tries to reassure him otherwise,of course...no one knows what really happened down at the docks.No one knows that two days ago,Rikku expressed her love for him,and he ran.
He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed he was back home until his feet stopped at the stairs,his mind must have been on 'Auto-Pilot' again.He ran a hand through his messy,blond hair and it fell in front of his face again.He turned the knob and entered the house.When Rikku didn't come home after the incident at the dock,her Father had put up a bulletin for her,but because she is 19 and old enough to be on her own,she's not technically 'missing'.
But she was missing,they needed to understand that.If any of them even knew a little about Rikku they would know she just wouldn't leave like that...expesually without her things.Tidus had tried to point that out to everyone,but no one would listen,they all insisted that she was gone on her own free will,and Yuna wasn't helping at all,always talking about how it is probably best that Rikku went out on her own.
Tidus walked up the stairs and sighed,he was about to open the door to the room he shared with Yuna when his gaze traveled down the hall,to Rikku's door.
He studied the white door from where he stood,it was shut...no one had really entered it since she left,he had once or twice,but not really.
His hand dropped from the knob of his bedroom door and fell at his side.He began walking toward Rikku's shut door,it only took him a couple steps to reach it.His hand reached out and it slightly grazed the brass knob.He carefully turned it and walked into her room.
It was exactly like she left it,not even a piece of clothing disturbed.He closed the door behind him and studied her room.It wasn't very messy,there was a few articles of clothing lieing about,but it was,for the most part,clean.
He walked over to the bed in the middle of the room.The black sheets were disturbed,she hadn't made her bed before she left.He sat down on it and carefully picked up a small,black bear.It was a stuffed animal she always had,for as long as Tidus had known her.From his understanding it was a gift from her mother when she was little,but he never really got in on any of the details.He looked up and across from the bed was Rikku's mirror,he saw his reflection,sitting on her bed,holding her stuffed animal.
Thats when it caught his eye.In the mirror,behind him he saw a case of some sort,her special glass case filled with all of her most precious items,but inside he saw something he had not seen before.
A large something.
He placed the bear back on the bed and got up,walking over toward the case.
He carefully opened the glass case and inside he saw something he never expected to see...Lulu's moogle.
He recognized it from the pilgrimage,Lulu carried it everywhere,it was her favorite,her very first moogle He remembered how she told them,mostly Rikku,about how she got it and why is was so important to her.
Why did Rikku have the doll that Lulu most preciously guarded?
Was Rikku and Lulu really such good friends...if so...maybe Lulu knows where Rikku is! It was worth a shot...
__________________________________________________
The morning sunlight shone through the small,circular window in Rikku's room and it slowly crept over her face.
Rikku was given one of the spare rooms.It was pretty small but Rikku didn't complain.It had a few crates of storage in it,but when your on an expeditions squad ship,you treasure all the space you get.
Rikku was lieing in a bright orange hammock that hung from the ceiling,this was the exact type of bed she slept in when she was part of GullWing.
As the sun crept over her face she struggled to block out the light,She hated ship windows,they never had curtains because the sea and occasional storms would destroy them.
Rikku began to stir as she fought to keep the light off of her face,but being on a hammock her options of avoiding the light was very limited.She started rocking and before she could stop herself she fell out of her hammock and landed on her butt with a loud 'THUD'.
"OWWW",Rikku cried as she rubbed her sore bum.
Just then Paine opened the door and peeped her head in,"Ah,your awake,good...let's go,I have something to discuss with you...",Paine began.
Rikku gave her a scowl that Paine laughed at.
Rikku met Paine out in the hallway,"Rikku,Do you have any unusual markings that you don't have any knowledge of getting?",Paine asked quickly.Rikku was shocked at Paine question,"What kind of question is that?",Rikku asked,an eyebrow cocked at the taller woman."A question that I need answering desperately and seriously",Paine answered,her face was stone sharp and Rikku could tell it was no time for games.
"No,not really,I mean I do have a scar or two but...",Rikku trailed off.
"Show me them,"Paine said,turning to Rikku.
Rikku gave her a weird look but did as she was told.She pulled off her glove and just above her wrist a small,almost unnoticeable scar could be seen.
Paine held Rikku's wrist up to her face and closely examined it."How did you get this?",Paine asked.
Rikku stuck out her tongue as she tried to think,"Oh yeah,this is the scar I got when I was trying to defend myself from the Thunder spell my brother accidentally cast on me when I was little." She answered once she remembered,it was that incident that had made her afraid of thunder once.
Paine looked at Rikku,and seemed to be studying her mind with her piercing red eyes,"You say you got this from a spell?",She asked.
"Yeah,why?"
"Well,It's only that-",Paine's sentence was cut off when a man came rushing down the hallway toward them.Rikku recognized the man once he was close enough,as the man who had talked with her on deck,the First Mate Paine had said he was.
"Lybdeyh,fa vuiht cusadrehk!",He said in an excited voice,[Captian,we found something!].
"Lyh'd oui caa dryd E's pico?",Paine replied in an annoyed,yet calmed tone [Can't you see that I'm busy?].
"Oac,yht E's cunno vun tecnibdehk,pid drec ec esbundyh Lybdeyh! Oui cruimt NAYMO caa drec!",He responded [Yes,and I'm sorry for disrupting,but this is important Capitan! You should REALLY see this!].
"Fryd,fryd ec ed?",Paine asked [What,what is it?]
"Fa vuiht dra drent",He answered happily [We found the third].
"Dra drent?" [The Third?]
"Oac,dra drent..."[Yes,the third]
"The third? The third what?",Rikku asked,looking from Paine to the man.
Paine looked as Rikku,as if she had just remembered She and the First Mate were not alone.
"The crew and I have been paid to find five little gems,scattered across Spira,we've found two of them and now it seems we've located the third?",Paine answered.
"How much are you working for?",Rikku asked with interest.
"Trust me,the gems are very valuable",Paine answered with an ironic sort of smile,although Rikku couldn't find the irony...maybe there was something else that Paine wasn't telling her.
Rikku followed Paine and the first mate up on deck to get a look at these so called 'valuable gems'.
A couple of men were hauling what looked like a small,gray chest onto deck.
"The gem is in a box,how cliche`",Rikku commented out loud.
Paine just cocked an eyebrow but stepped forward to open the box.
She took the sword that was attached to her belt and brought it down hard on the small chest.
"Ya know,you could just flip the lid",Rikku said.
"Yeah,and risk getting hit with a protectant spell...my sword is resistant to all kinds of protectant spells so it's alot safer to wack it until it opens up",Paine told her as she reached in one of the two halves of the box.She searched in it for a little bit before dropping it and searching inside the second half.
A smile curled onto her lips as her hand pulled out of the box,clutched into a fist.
Rikku approached Paine,"So,let's see it!",Rikku said,holding out her hand to Paine.
Paine's hand lingered over Rikku's before she turned her wrist and Rikku felt something light hit her hand.
She pulled her hand closer to her face to examine it.It was a small red ruby,no bigger than a nickle.
"It's so small",Rikku observed,holding the red gem up to the sun,where it caught the light.
"They all are,It's what they do that makes them so valuable,not their size",Paine told her.
"Why,what's so special about it?",Rikku asked,taking her eyes from the gem and looked at Paine.
Paine shrugged,"Not completely sure,I was just ordered to find them,I was told they were about the size of a nickle,all of them where buried in the ocean and they all had an elemental color",She told Rikku.
"Elemental color?",Rikku asked.
"You know,Blue for Water,Red for Fire,Yellow for Light,White for Wind,Purple for Dark...elemental color",Paine explained,taking the small red gem from Rikku and handing it to one of her men.
"So I take it that one's fire...",
Paine shrugged again,"Couldn't tell ya,like I said,I know what I need to know",She draped and arm over Rikku's shoulder,"Come on...let's go,the next gem is 'spose to be somewhere south of here".
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I know,It doesn't really explain much,but I did give ya some clues...Rikku's scar,those gems,and you even got into Tidus' mind a little,Thanks to all of my reviewers,I really like that people are actually taking in my story...if you have any friends that like FFX tell them to read and review to this so I can have even more people to put up with me ^_~ lol I'll hurry up with the next chapter.Also,I TRIED to add a bit more to this chapter,but it's hard! I will try to make the next chapter longer because of the information and all of the action that will be in the next chapter...oops,did I let that slip *slaps self* bad Lyric! anyway,please review and I'll work on the next chapter.
Thank you to:
Shy-Lil-Dreamer:I'm glad I added Paine too,she's the coolest,with the exception of Rikku of course.Thanks for your review ^_~
Suki-Saki-14:Well then,I suppose here is the chapter you've been waiting for lol,thanks for your review ^_~
Fanfic-Lover:I'm glad you really like it,I'm trying my best to update.
SjabRox:I'm trying,thanks for the review
punkygal:She is,but see,she needed a way out and she chose Atempted Suiside,things will get better for Rikku
angels kissx:Thank you so much! I am a fan of your Tikku story and I am really honored that you reviewed to my story.I really appreciated it...
Dragon Tears Wing:Well,Here's your update,hope I didn't make you scream,thanks DTW or should I say CD? Lol,thanks for reviewing.
trinity-frost:Rikku is The One Of You will have to read and find out-y,lol,thanks,I like that it's mysticy.
Psycotic_teen:Don't worry,I have everything planned out,thanks for taking interest,She will have something to live for...doesn't everyone? lol ^_~
Xtreme Nuisance:I'm sorry,here's more for you,hope you enjoy
Zell's MiNi SoRcErEsS Chick:I was definatly going for Suspense-y,thanks,I'm glad you like it.
rikku4life:Love the name,Rikku is the best ever! I won't stop Updating as long as you don't stop reviewing!Everything is all planned and I got it set up,trust me ^_^
sayinjinj7:Glad to hear I've caught your interest,I'll try to keep it ^_~ thanks for the review
RdawgX:I'll explain about the Rikku,Paine=Strangers thing below,thanks for bringing it to my attention that no one knows what the hell I'm rambling on about,lol ^_~
Cyber Phoenix:You'll find out soon,Promise,thanks for the review ^_^
katsuhito sage: lol,I'm to lazy to log in when I review all the time ^_^ Thanks again,Paine and Rikku are the best FF characters in the history of forever!
Bandit-Gurl42:Yeah,I love Paine and so dose my Best Friend,that's one reason why I put her in,every story needs a Paine LOL
FinalFantastManiac788:I know,I know,I'm working up to the point were Tidus finds out,It will all work out in the end,*puts hand over heart* Promise,from one Final Fantasy Lover to another ^_~
Lady_Of_Eternal_Darkness: Sorry,I type so fast I don't bother to use my commas appropriately,and I'm working on the longer chapters.
!PreciousPearl:I'm Trying
FinalFantastGuru :Yeah,I know,ya just don't see Rikku as a depressed person,Depression and Rikku are unmixy things,but I just HAD to give it a shot ^_^,thanks for the review
A/N: ---------------------PLEASE READ--------------PLEASE READ--------------------PLEASE READ---------------------PLEASE READ------------------------PLEASE READ--------------------
Ok,yes,as you all saw I added Paine to the fic.Let me just make some things clear as there seems to be some confusion.This is an AU so Rikku and the gang NEVER met Paine,she is a complete stranger to them.In this story Rikku was ONCE part of the Gullwing from FFX-2 at the beginning of FFX,meaning GullWing was the name of the team she was on when you first met Rikku in FFX (Remember,when Tidus was in the underwater tavern in the beginning of the game and was attacked by the lizard thingy and Rikku saved him) That is why Rikku doesn't know Paine in this story because NOTHING from FFX-2 happened.
Thanks for brining this confusion to my attention RdawgX and anyone else who mentioned it in their review.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tidus walked along the street,it wasn't raining but the fog had not cleared up.His mind was still racing with what had happened down at the docks.He was furious with himself for not handling it better.He ran,like the scared little kid he use to be,he ran.He should have took her in his arms and told her how happy he was that she felt that way,he should have,he wanted to...but he ran.
Rikku has been missing for almost 2 days and no one is doing anything about it! It was all his fault,even though everyone tries to reassure him otherwise,of course...no one knows what really happened down at the docks.No one knows that two days ago,Rikku expressed her love for him,and he ran.
He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed he was back home until his feet stopped at the stairs,his mind must have been on 'Auto-Pilot' again.He ran a hand through his messy,blond hair and it fell in front of his face again.He turned the knob and entered the house.When Rikku didn't come home after the incident at the dock,her Father had put up a bulletin for her,but because she is 19 and old enough to be on her own,she's not technically 'missing'.
But she was missing,they needed to understand that.If any of them even knew a little about Rikku they would know she just wouldn't leave like that...expesually without her things.Tidus had tried to point that out to everyone,but no one would listen,they all insisted that she was gone on her own free will,and Yuna wasn't helping at all,always talking about how it is probably best that Rikku went out on her own.
Tidus walked up the stairs and sighed,he was about to open the door to the room he shared with Yuna when his gaze traveled down the hall,to Rikku's door.
He studied the white door from where he stood,it was shut...no one had really entered it since she left,he had once or twice,but not really.
His hand dropped from the knob of his bedroom door and fell at his side.He began walking toward Rikku's shut door,it only took him a couple steps to reach it.His hand reached out and it slightly grazed the brass knob.He carefully turned it and walked into her room.
It was exactly like she left it,not even a piece of clothing disturbed.He closed the door behind him and studied her room.It wasn't very messy,there was a few articles of clothing lieing about,but it was,for the most part,clean.
He walked over to the bed in the middle of the room.The black sheets were disturbed,she hadn't made her bed before she left.He sat down on it and carefully picked up a small,black bear.It was a stuffed animal she always had,for as long as Tidus had known her.From his understanding it was a gift from her mother when she was little,but he never really got in on any of the details.He looked up and across from the bed was Rikku's mirror,he saw his reflection,sitting on her bed,holding her stuffed animal.
Thats when it caught his eye.In the mirror,behind him he saw a case of some sort,her special glass case filled with all of her most precious items,but inside he saw something he had not seen before.
A large something.
He placed the bear back on the bed and got up,walking over toward the case.
He carefully opened the glass case and inside he saw something he never expected to see...Lulu's moogle.
He recognized it from the pilgrimage,Lulu carried it everywhere,it was her favorite,her very first moogle He remembered how she told them,mostly Rikku,about how she got it and why is was so important to her.
Why did Rikku have the doll that Lulu most preciously guarded?
Was Rikku and Lulu really such good friends...if so...maybe Lulu knows where Rikku is! It was worth a shot...
__________________________________________________
The morning sunlight shone through the small,circular window in Rikku's room and it slowly crept over her face.
Rikku was given one of the spare rooms.It was pretty small but Rikku didn't complain.It had a few crates of storage in it,but when your on an expeditions squad ship,you treasure all the space you get.
Rikku was lieing in a bright orange hammock that hung from the ceiling,this was the exact type of bed she slept in when she was part of GullWing.
As the sun crept over her face she struggled to block out the light,She hated ship windows,they never had curtains because the sea and occasional storms would destroy them.
Rikku began to stir as she fought to keep the light off of her face,but being on a hammock her options of avoiding the light was very limited.She started rocking and before she could stop herself she fell out of her hammock and landed on her butt with a loud 'THUD'.
"OWWW",Rikku cried as she rubbed her sore bum.
Just then Paine opened the door and peeped her head in,"Ah,your awake,good...let's go,I have something to discuss with you...",Paine began.
Rikku gave her a scowl that Paine laughed at.
Rikku met Paine out in the hallway,"Rikku,Do you have any unusual markings that you don't have any knowledge of getting?",Paine asked quickly.Rikku was shocked at Paine question,"What kind of question is that?",Rikku asked,an eyebrow cocked at the taller woman."A question that I need answering desperately and seriously",Paine answered,her face was stone sharp and Rikku could tell it was no time for games.
"No,not really,I mean I do have a scar or two but...",Rikku trailed off.
"Show me them,"Paine said,turning to Rikku.
Rikku gave her a weird look but did as she was told.She pulled off her glove and just above her wrist a small,almost unnoticeable scar could be seen.
Paine held Rikku's wrist up to her face and closely examined it."How did you get this?",Paine asked.
Rikku stuck out her tongue as she tried to think,"Oh yeah,this is the scar I got when I was trying to defend myself from the Thunder spell my brother accidentally cast on me when I was little." She answered once she remembered,it was that incident that had made her afraid of thunder once.
Paine looked at Rikku,and seemed to be studying her mind with her piercing red eyes,"You say you got this from a spell?",She asked.
"Yeah,why?"
"Well,It's only that-",Paine's sentence was cut off when a man came rushing down the hallway toward them.Rikku recognized the man once he was close enough,as the man who had talked with her on deck,the First Mate Paine had said he was.
"Lybdeyh,fa vuiht cusadrehk!",He said in an excited voice,[Captian,we found something!].
"Lyh'd oui caa dryd E's pico?",Paine replied in an annoyed,yet calmed tone [Can't you see that I'm busy?].
"Oac,yht E's cunno vun tecnibdehk,pid drec ec esbundyh Lybdeyh! Oui cruimt NAYMO caa drec!",He responded [Yes,and I'm sorry for disrupting,but this is important Capitan! You should REALLY see this!].
"Fryd,fryd ec ed?",Paine asked [What,what is it?]
"Fa vuiht dra drent",He answered happily [We found the third].
"Dra drent?" [The Third?]
"Oac,dra drent..."[Yes,the third]
"The third? The third what?",Rikku asked,looking from Paine to the man.
Paine looked as Rikku,as if she had just remembered She and the First Mate were not alone.
"The crew and I have been paid to find five little gems,scattered across Spira,we've found two of them and now it seems we've located the third?",Paine answered.
"How much are you working for?",Rikku asked with interest.
"Trust me,the gems are very valuable",Paine answered with an ironic sort of smile,although Rikku couldn't find the irony...maybe there was something else that Paine wasn't telling her.
Rikku followed Paine and the first mate up on deck to get a look at these so called 'valuable gems'.
A couple of men were hauling what looked like a small,gray chest onto deck.
"The gem is in a box,how cliche`",Rikku commented out loud.
Paine just cocked an eyebrow but stepped forward to open the box.
She took the sword that was attached to her belt and brought it down hard on the small chest.
"Ya know,you could just flip the lid",Rikku said.
"Yeah,and risk getting hit with a protectant spell...my sword is resistant to all kinds of protectant spells so it's alot safer to wack it until it opens up",Paine told her as she reached in one of the two halves of the box.She searched in it for a little bit before dropping it and searching inside the second half.
A smile curled onto her lips as her hand pulled out of the box,clutched into a fist.
Rikku approached Paine,"So,let's see it!",Rikku said,holding out her hand to Paine.
Paine's hand lingered over Rikku's before she turned her wrist and Rikku felt something light hit her hand.
She pulled her hand closer to her face to examine it.It was a small red ruby,no bigger than a nickle.
"It's so small",Rikku observed,holding the red gem up to the sun,where it caught the light.
"They all are,It's what they do that makes them so valuable,not their size",Paine told her.
"Why,what's so special about it?",Rikku asked,taking her eyes from the gem and looked at Paine.
Paine shrugged,"Not completely sure,I was just ordered to find them,I was told they were about the size of a nickle,all of them where buried in the ocean and they all had an elemental color",She told Rikku.
"Elemental color?",Rikku asked.
"You know,Blue for Water,Red for Fire,Yellow for Light,White for Wind,Purple for Dark...elemental color",Paine explained,taking the small red gem from Rikku and handing it to one of her men.
"So I take it that one's fire...",
Paine shrugged again,"Couldn't tell ya,like I said,I know what I need to know",She draped and arm over Rikku's shoulder,"Come on...let's go,the next gem is 'spose to be somewhere south of here".
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I know,It doesn't really explain much,but I did give ya some clues...Rikku's scar,those gems,and you even got into Tidus' mind a little,Thanks to all of my reviewers,I really like that people are actually taking in my story...if you have any friends that like FFX tell them to read and review to this so I can have even more people to put up with me ^_~ lol I'll hurry up with the next chapter.Also,I TRIED to add a bit more to this chapter,but it's hard! I will try to make the next chapter longer because of the information and all of the action that will be in the next chapter...oops,did I let that slip *slaps self* bad Lyric! anyway,please review and I'll work on the next chapter.