Author's Note: Do you guys want a sequel? I'm having thoughts about something and... hehe... just a thought! But if you want this story to be done with cream on top... your wish is my command. But I'm afraid that Gippal isn't meant for Rikku in this story. :( No, don't get me wrong. I love the pairing and I'm also a die-hard fan but I was pondering over something that my "professor" told me... "A good writer and reader is open to new ideas and possibilities that may either lead to good or bad..." Or something like that... And hey! We would really never know if Gippal is really the one meant for Rikku... and so are we with Baralai and Paine... me myself, I'm getting weird ideas that something happened between Nooj and Paine... (Shrugs) based on my analysis in the game, I found two clues: one in the Den of Woe and in LeBlanc's chateau... don't know why she's so affected about Nooj being there but... I guess it doesn't matter. It's just a crazy thought... Rikku also shares the same thoughts as mine coz she was having thoughts about why Paine is also affected... remember the infiltration of YRP in Chateau LeBlanc (retrieve the stolen and stuff?)???? I seriously appreciate your reviews nonetheless!!!!!!
The only way that we can figure out what really happens next is by Square Enix, doing a novel or something or perhaps, a CG about FFX-3??? Haha... for the mean time, use your imagination to figure out the result of what really happens to Rikku after the events of X-2... and this is MY version of the story.
Here's chapter seven as promised! READ & REVIEW!!!!!
Chapter Seven
Rikku was stomping around the room with a pout, obviously forgetting about her aching body when she winced back in pain after flumping on a chair in the balcony. It has been roughly two weeks and Louise said that the body ache is a good sign that she's fully recovering from the fatal blow of the werewolf. Staring up at the morning sky of Falcon Island, the thought of her fight with Rex came back and struck her like a lightning bolt would in a very gloomy and rainy day. I wonder how he's doing? I haven't seen him for quite some time now... She thought and then sighed, turning her gaze at the waterfall on the left most part of the balcony's view.
She frowned at a sudden occurrence of a thought, He deserve it! If he hadn't been so arrogantly blocking my path then I would've considered taking him lightly... That was a little boost of self-esteem for our bouncy heroine. She cast a grin of satisfaction to herself. Maybe he's not at all that bad... I mean... he did rescue me even though he has a terrible wound... And Rikku knows that it was painful as hell. It doesn't take a genius to tell if he was or wasn't in pain.
"How're you feeling?" Louise entered the balcony with a light smile. The Al Bhed couldn't help but to notice how the room suddenly lit up with her powerful presence radiating all throughout. Plus, Rikku was thinking if it was just really her imagination or Louise was just simply, blossoming as she sees her everyday. Either way, she loves Louise's company. It sort of removes the feeling of loneliness and boredom whenever she was around.
"Disasterrific..." She answered terribly, feeling like she has just been run down by a hover, "But I'm getting better than I was before though!" She added cheerfully "I didn't know that there's a place like that in here. I haven't noticed it before..." Her words were purely the words of what an enthusiastic person would say at the moment. It made the doctor chuckle. Never had she met a person who bears the same bounciness and energy. Rex is right... she's really one in a million... Louise's face brightened at the thought and nodded at the female Al Bhed.
"I would love to take you in for a stroll but I don't think your body would agree on that for a while." Rikku whirled around to face the female knight in surprise. Louise wasn't completely telling her that she could move around the castle freely. Rikku was thinking that maybe she was just misinterpreting her words. "But I think you can be in a week..."
"You mean it?" The Al Bhed gasped in surprise. Now she's assured that Louise means it.
"What made you think that you can't go on about after placing you in a room like this?" Louise chuckled. "You're not the real target and... well... I don't exactly know what Rex is planning for you but-"
"But you do know the reason why he's attempting to kill Yunie... right?" Rikku immediately asked as the thought returned to her.
Louise smiled at Rikku apologetically. "Rex strongly believes that once the High Summoner who brought the eternal calm in Spira is killed, it will prove the Black Knight's supremacy over the folly teachings of Yevon or New Yevon..." She stopped and sighed. "They're a bunch of murderers..." She whispered. Her voice was faltering and Rikku could sense that she's hurting about something.
"Why?" The green-eyed Al Bhed stood in wonder as she tried to take a glimpse of Louise's face. It was free from any emotions but her shaking voice was enough to tell that something was amiss.
"They murdered our parents... Rex witnessed the whole thing and blamed them... and himself for not trying to do anything." Releasing a breath on her chest, Louise's head sank and stared at her black boots. "He was sixteen when Seymour murdered both our parents in cold blood. The damned maester knew that our parents were loyal to his father and when my parents found out what he was planning, he killed them... he tortured them... he didn't stop until our parents died an agonizingly slow and painful death." Rikku saw Louise clenching her fists. Her eyes were blazing furiously as she looked back at the waterfalls beside her.
"That's... that's awful..." Rikku shook her head in disbelief.
"And then, two years later, we found out that Lord Braska's daughter killed Seymour." She smiled. The fury in her eyes softened as she turned a gaze at Rikku, "That was enough revenge for me and Riley but Rex's guilt hadn't faded... he wants to wipe the name of Yevon out of history and he vowed that he would do so... he got the crazy idea of seizing Spira." Louise shrugged. "And then he told me that the only way to show off the Black Knight's power is to abduct key officials and then kill Yuna as a warning to spark a war. Personally, I don't like the idea." The green-gray eyes of Louise glittered mischievously. "That's why his plans were continuously thwarted."
Rikku stared back at Louise unbelievably. "So you're telling me that-?"
Louise chuckled and cut off Rikku's words, "Yes... I told Rex to get you as bait for Yuna when you jumped in and then I plan on doing something... different... to steer clear his thoughts away from assassination and other weird stuff." Louise's slyness is definitely stupendous. Whatever her reason was for doing an act against her own brother, it doesn't matter anymore. She's not planning on killing anyone in the process so Rikku thought that it was good enough to pose as a reason.
"But I can't promise that my plans would work. Apparently, I can trick my siblings to do things my way but I can't exactly order them about especially my brothers..." The knight shrugged and sighed in defeat, "They're older... and I'm afraid I can't do anything if he decides on something."
"Oooh... that meanie!!!" Rikku frowned at the thought, "That... that... heartless... er..." Rikku stopped at the thought. A small smile was trickling on her lips without her consent. Heartless...? Well... Maybe not too much... Rikku let out a little chuckle. "That meanie..."
"You seem to be changing your mind about the heartless part..." Louise's voice was throwing hints of skepticism and mockery.
"I was just thinking that... maybe... he's not at all that heartless..." Rikku's face lit up with a smile, "A meanie... but not at all heartless..."
Louise raised an eyebrow at the Al Bhed. "Of course..." She chuckled and shook her head amusingly at Rikku.
"That sure is the... nicest... thing that I've heard from you since we've met..."
Louise and Rikku's gaze flew back at the balcony's entrance where the sarcastic voice was coming from. It was Rex. His arms were folded on his chest as he leaned his back on the wall, staring at them with a smile. But instead of the official uniform of the Black Knights, he was clothed in a white polo, dark blue slacks and a pair of black boots. There was nothing fancy about what he was wearing but his simplicity surely added points to his- already- handsome features.
If he weren't such an arrogant meanie, I would've thought of him as completely hot... Rikku thought as she stared at Rex from head to foot.
"You're looking at me as if you were a vulture ready to kill a prey, blondie..." Rex snapped her back to reality. She turned a very annoyed gaze at Rex and began to pout.
"Ooooh... YOU MEANIE!!!" Her pout deepened, making Rex grin mischievously at her.
"You idiot! I told you not to get out of bed! Your wound hasn't completely healed yet!" Louise furiously marched towards Rex and unbuttoned his polo, inspecting the wounded part of his chest.
Rex saw Rikku flinched at the mention of the wound. "It'll take more than that to stop me..." Rex chuckled, returning his attention to his sister who was continuously bustling like a mother hen. He immediately dismissed the thought of seeing Rikku feeling guilty about it. Well she should be! It hurts a lot... He frowned when Louise began lecturing him again for disobeying direct orders from her physician.
All throughout the scene happening between Louise and Rexus, Rikku was staring at them with a small smile. The petty quarrel that was happening between them reminded her vaguely of her own bickering with Brother. It looked funny but she realized that maybe it was just their way of showing how they cared for each other since Maester Seymour murdered their parents. Well... it was a good thing that it didn't happen to me and Brother... She caught herself smiling at the thought, because if it did... heh heh... what a disaster... Definitely a disaster if that happened. She was thinking that instead of Brother protecting her, it'd be the other way around.
"There..." Louise finally said, her frown deepened as she carefully buttoned her brother's polo. "Try not to move too much and avoid that wound from any contact..."
"I certainly wouldn't have any trouble keeping that in mind." He frowned at her sister, "It hurts me even if I'm doing nothing at all." He wrinkled his nose.
Rikku looked down on the ground with her face flushing slightly. She didn't even realize that Louise was already staring at her alarmingly. "Er..." Louise began and then turned a gaze at Rex and then returned to Rikku. "I think I'll leave you two for a while... you have scores to settle, am I right?" Rikku's head jolted up to Louise's smiling face. There wasn't anything mischievous on it but why the hell was she blushing?
"See you later..." Flashing one last smile at Rikku, she turned for the door and gradually, the one that Rikku saw faded into a very mischievous grin. Rex frowned annoyingly at her sister, warning her not to think of any funny thoughts. Rikku followed Louise with her eyes until she disappeared behind the door of her room. When she heard the click on the door, her gaze flew back to Rexus. She caught herself looking a little bewildered at him.
"Stop looking at me as if I'm going to eat you!" Rex irritably moved towards the chair and sank down with a deep breath. The wound was beginning to send waves of pain and he wasn't feeling comfortable at all. And he didn't even know why the hell did he even bother going in this annoying Al Bhed's room. Rikku pouted at him and then stuck her tongue out before turning her back on Rex.
"You certainly have a way of saying thanks..." His sapphire blue eyes were glittering mysteriously as he stared at Rikku's back. "Come on! Just give me a little credit. I promise to be nicer if you do."
Rikku's frown deepened and her face was deep red. She just couldn't believe that a guy like him even existed in this world. Why that self-absorbed bloat!!!!! She thought. Rikku was already gritting her teeth as she waited for another word from him. Besides the irritated feeling, he certainly was doing a fine job making her feel rather... uncomfortable with his eyes gazing over at her bare back. If there's a time that she regretted wearing her revealing clothes, this was it.
She waited for him to go away but when she finally concluded- and realized- that he wasn't going anywhere; she turned her heel to face him. Not caring if her face was already beet red out of annoyance and discomfort. He was just sitting at the chair as he was before she turned but this time, he was wearing a small smile. It was cute but it certainly annoyed the wits out of her. She doesn't know what he was thinking and she surprised herself why she even cared.
"I was beginning to wonder if you're serious about ignoring my presence and I'm glad that you didn't... that would've caused an even greater blow in my ego than this wound have caused me." He said without flinching. Rikku stomped towards until she was just standing a pace away. "I seriously admire your bravery AND stupidity for ignoring my words though." He smiled tenderly.
"I'm not asking your opinion, you meanie!" She answered acidly, resting her hands on her hips. "Why?" Her voice was commanding.
"I'll appreciate it more if you would thank me first..." He smiled coolly at her. What in Spira could've molded him to be this annoying? Rikku doesn't have a clue how he could keep his cool around someone who's almost biting his head off. This man is certainly a mystery to the female gender.
Rikku snapped and grabbed Rexus' polo, attempting to slap his face. "Ooh... You mean-!?" She immediately stopped when he winced in pain. Stepping a pace backward, she sighed heavily with a slightly flushed face, abashed by her inconsiderate move to her rescuer. "Sorry..." She immediately muttered.
Rexus was completely arrested. The smile that was playing on his lips suddenly faded into a ripple of shock... or perhaps even something... more. He heard her apology and it really softened the whole of him. Annoy her! It's your chance! His head screamed the thought but found that he has completely lost his will to do so. "It's..." He hesitated for a while and then stood up, his face hardened, trying to clear his thoughts away from the sudden occurrence of a silly thought, "It's nothing..."
But Rikku knew better to believe that it was nothing at all. While she was preparing to descend her hand down to his cheek with a slap, she saw a reflection of pain streaking through his shimmering glacier eyes. And just seeing something like that made her realize how guilty she was for doing it anyway. The thought that "it was his fault" isn't working anymore because she desperately knew that she hasn't been completely giving him credit for his unreserved- and puzzling- kindness.
"Why?" Gathering enough of her wits, Rikku looked up into his deep sapphire eyes. "You know that I've injured you! Why did you do it!?" She demanded as the knight looked down on her petit figure. She waited for an answer but instead of hearing one, he immediately turned his heel and walked out of the balcony.
"You haven't answered me!!" She shouted and stomped after him.
"I don't know!!" He snapped as he looked at her over his shoulder, "Stop bugging me about it because I don't know why I did!"
His answer caught her off guard as her question did to him. The answer that she had received from the sapphire-eyed knight caused her to stop her tracks and helplessly stare at his towering and sublimely powerful presence near the door. Suddenly, the two of them were aware of the deafening silence that hung over them for a few seconds though it felt vaguely like hours. Rex waited for any movement for a few seconds. When she didn't, he immediately- but calmly- motioned towards the door, leaving Rikku pondering about his last sentence.
After hearing the click on the door, Rex sighed heavily and frowned. It seems to him that everything about this girl confuses him. Most girls are but this one... He sighed to himself and didn't even bother to continue the sentence that was forming in his mind. The girl is completely confusing him and to start off, he was being confused from day one and he could've fed her to the werewolves but here he was... pondering over things mindlessly, assessing his impulsive action. Rexus doesn't like the idea of heroics, which obviously made things complicated in his part.
Rikku was driving him nuts.
Finally regaining his whole composure, he looked up only to see Louise's accusing and skeptical gaze on him. "I admire your perseverance..." He said, seeing his sister arc an eyebrow.
"I was right..." Louise smirked and stepped a few paces towards him, "You were dying to see her..."
Rex acidly turned to the side and began walking away from her sister, "I'm not hearing this..."
Louise followed him with a mischievous grin on her face, "Tell me something, my beloved brother..." She stated mockingly with a smile, hoping to annoy her brother. "Is there anything that I should be aware off?"
"It's none of your business, Louise..."
"Well, I'm your sister and temporary doctor! I have every right to know if my brother and patient is doing fine!"
"But it doesn't give you the right to intrude private matters."
Louise's grin turned into a smile. Her eyes shimmering with delight as she stopped pacing behind her older sibling, "Private matters?"
"An wrong statement..." He snapped and whirled around, seeing his sister's beautiful and curious smile brightening her face. "Why won't you stop trying getting inside my head, Louis!?!" She annoyed him.
Instead of being intimidated by his brother's acidic approach, Louise advanced a step forward, the smile never leaving her face. "Because... I was thinking that maybe..." Her smile faded into a sweet and charming one, "you would yield to my persuasion?"
Rex frowned and sighed, "Look," He stopped and rested both of his hands gently on his sister's shoulders, "I know that you care for me, Louis... it's just..." He stopped and thought of a word, his eyebrows burrowed in thought until he had finally sought a word, fit for his statement. "... Inappropriate of you to... interfere with my affairs." Louise frowned at her brother.
"I'm not interfering..." Her frown deepened, "Let's just say that I'm merely quenching my thirst for knowing reasons...? It's not everyday that you risk your own neck for a girl unless she's related to you."
Rex chuckled and patted his sister's head. It was their little affectionate gesture of older brother-and-younger-sister relationship. Though it may seem awkward at times, Louise enjoyed the feeling of sibling protection... or even paternal in a sense that Riley and Rexus has been posing as her father ever since their parents died. She love her brothers though they did annoy her most of the time. "Remind me to supply you with other "refreshments" to quench your thirst, okay?" she gave a chuckle again and returned his hand on her shoulder, "You're getting weird ideas..."
"Who's getting weird ideas?" Louise's eyes shimmered in delight. She knew that she got him on the right track. Rexus sighed in defeat and turned around with a light chuckle.
"I'm not listening..." He answered and walked away.
"Well perhaps, you should listen on this one..." Riley appeared with a satisfied smile. Rexus turned his heel and faced his siblings again. "It's from our Angel..."
Louise's eyes widened in a surge of pure joy and worry, she immediately whirled with Rexus taking long strides to reach his twin brother immediately. "What's the news? Is everything alright?" Louise immediately fired at her older brother. Obviously, she cared for this Angel.
"Intelligence report and our precious little Angel say that everything's fine. They said that the top brass is pulling out all the stops to avoid the kidnapping of their Major Aeris again." Riley chuckled in amusement.
"Aeris, huh?" Rex scratched the back of his head and chuckled amusingly. "Clever Aeris... Same ingenuity as always... I wonder how would she manage to escape this time?"
"I think they're planning on rescuing Yuna's cousin, Rex..." Riley said with a small smile on his face. His eyes were glittering in delight as he waited for a response from Rex. When Rex's expression hardened and his sapphire eyes turned into a pair of blue glaciers, Riley smiled in satisfaction. Obviously, he was hoping that Rex reaction would be "distressed" but this was far better than what he expected. Without saying any other word, Rex immediately walked away from them in a very quick pace.
"We can always let Rikku go and then take the summoner... our job'll be done in no time, you know." Riley added coolly with a half smile.
"No." Rex turned to face them again, putting an emphasis to what he was saying. "I am NOT letting HER go!" He snapped.
"Ah... of course..." Riley's eyes shimmered in pure delight. Louise nudged Riley's arm "accidentally" and chuckled. When Rexus finally realized what they were up to, he gave a deep sigh and shook his head in disbelief.
"It's not what you think..." He immediately replied in his calmest way possible to avoid skepticism. Unfortunately, his siblings knew him better than what he gives them credit for. Louise and Riley gave him a challenging look on their faces. "I'll let her go after we get Yuna..." He answered simply.
"Well it'll be too late for that now..." Louise chuckled and smiled. The mischief was glowing in her eyes. "Rikku'll probably stay here with her cousin to protect her again... or is it part of your plan?"
Rex's lips tightened at the thought. There was no way that he was going to escape his siblings' skeptical and weird thoughts. These two probably has their own way of understanding him more than anyone could ever do and for goodness' sake, he couldn't even keep a secret from them if they wanted to find out. It was just not fair but he couldn't bear to hate them for it anyway. Nothing can change the fact that he's attached to them and goodness knows how much Rexus loves his siblings... they're the only thing that he's got ever since their parents were murdered... the riches and treasures that their parents left are mere memories but his siblings are more than memories... they're his family.
And he'd kill anyone who would dare to harm anyone of them again... especially her girls.
But this time, he was thinking that he wanted to strangle the life out of his own siblings. They're interrogating him with weird and impossible questions and they're not being fair at all! The odds are two to one, how could he win a match like this? Louise and Riley each have the mind of a genius and combined, they completely out-witted him... the odds are a hundred to one. After figuring out a hundred ways to strangle Louise and Riley in light speed, he decided to leave the question hanging above them. Turning his heel around, he began pacing towards the hallways to go to the gardens.
"We need your plan of action now, Rex." Riley said calmly with an interested smile.
"Continue with the assassination and don't you even let Rikku get out of her room until this whole operation is over, do you understand?" He said without turning to face them.
"Sure..." Louise and Riley answered in chorus. There was neither mockery nor sarcasm about it but he didn't feel right about their answer. These two wouldn't agree in a zip to him about plans of assassination and the condition is even more dangerous because he didn't even bother to look at their expression. Well, he would probably be meeting hints of mockery but their intonation... it doesn't FEEL completely right. Or maybe he was just imagining things...
Cripes! Why the heck am I being paranoid!? His mind shouted at him as he shook his head to clear the thoughts away. After this, she'll be out of my life and that's it... I'm just being like that because of the wound that she caused...I'm just not thinking clearly that's all. He assured himself a couple of times as he was pacing around the open halls of the chateau. It was a beautiful morning in Falcon Island and he doesn't intend on wasting it because of some thought that completely meant nothing...
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"Altitude at 38,000..." Buddy looked over to his shoulders with a grin. "How are you guys feeling?"
"Same as ever..." Paine shrugged nonchalantly making Buddy frown in disappointment.
"I never could make you flinch with this simple trick o' mines... can I?"
"Do better..." The warrior's lips twitched as he saw the defeated look on Buddy's face. Paine looked around the bridge and saw that everyone was really trying to calm down while waiting for any call from Nooj, Gippal or Baralai. She found something really amusing about how each of their faces vary from each other and she was really having fun describing them inside her mind: Yuna's face is completely funny to look at. The summoner is having problems about what she should feel at this moment. A thousand things are written across her face and Paine, if she were the type of a person who easily laughs, she would've done so a long time ago.
Tidus is getting impatient about the whole deal. He wanted this over because he knew the risks on this mission... or maybe perhaps he didn't get the chance to show off his "superb" sword skill. Paine held back her laughter when she saw Buddy's face in a complete frown. He was still disappointed about her being so... hard... to please or even irk all the time. Paine decided to turn her gaze away before she starts to laugh. She doesn't want anyone to raise questions at her... it'll ruin her moment.
But when her eyes turned to Brother, no questions asked... it really ruined her moment. The airhead sure has an amazing talent of ruining a day with that stupid look on his face. Paine rolled her eyes around in disgust and wondered how Rikku must've been seeing him everyday. Well, both of them seem to have irritating qualities but this airhead sure has a lot more than Rikku... Her face brightened up with a small smile at the thought of the Al Bhed girl.
If Rikku was here, I'm sure that she's already shouting out her little pep talk... She stopped and turned on a puzzled look as her gaze went down on the floor. No. I don't think that we would even have a problem like this when she's around... she's the cause of this attempt anyway... Paine shrugged to herself and looked up at Shinra's working place: Her gaze fell on a very quiet Aeris.
Now she knows the reason why everything seems so quiet. The normal noise of someone, fiddling with the panel's control buttons has stopped. Aeris was sitting still, deep in her thoughts as she stared back at the panel, unmoving. Not wanting to ruin everything for her, Paine walked calmly towards the panel while the others were pacing around the room.
"Don't tell me that you're getting air sickness..." Paine asked, smirking at the official. She made no reply. The warrior frowned and then snapped her fingers in front of her face, waking her back to reality. "Spira to Aeris? Are you there?" She couldn't believe that she actually stated a joking statement.
"Huh?" Aeris' eyes widened in surprise as she looked back into Paine's crimson eyes, "Hey..." She stopped and then looked back at the panel. "What were you saying?" She asked with acheerful smile as she began pressing buttons on the panel again.
"I was asking if you're okay." Concern finally overthrew Paine's usual stoic features.
"Yeah... I was just... thinking about something." Aeris' looked back into Paine's eyes. The merging color of blue and green were shimmering in an odd way. Paine couldn't make something out of it even though she was trying to think of something light speed. "Promise me something, Paine."
Paine was arrested by her words. She doesn't know why Aeris was doing this to her of all people. "What?" The warrior chooses to ask anyway. To hell with indirect questions... she wanted to here this.
"Promise me that no matter what happens, you would always trust me." Aeris' eyes glimmered as her whispering conversation with Paine became intensely... different. "No matter WHAT happens, okay?" Aeris whispered almost pleadingly.
The crimson-eyed warrior couldn't understand why she was making her promise but she guessed that she would figure it out soon enough after the mission, "I don't know what you're getting at but okay..." Paine nodded, "I promise..." She added making Aeris sigh in relief. The warrior was thinking that Aeris was a person worthy of anyone's trust even though you're in a tight situation. Nooj told them a couple of times in secret that Aeris' judgment- though risky and sometimes impossible- saved a lot of Youth League recruits' neck... and admitting to himself, she saved his neck dozens of times by doing the unthinkable.
"Thanks..." Aeris gave Paine a smile with eyes shimmering in gratitude and relief.
"I really don't know why I shouldn't be. You've done a lot of things for everyone in your own way..." The warrior shrugged and patted Aeris' head gently. "Promise me one thing in return..." She said.
"Anything." Aeris bit her lips, forcing back her tears into her eyes again. A beeping sound alarmed everyone on the deck, making them look over to Buddy in a breathless manner.
"Don't betray your friends..." Paine smiled back at her and immediately turned around to hear out Buddy. She failed to see a shocked expression in Aeris face for a few seconds until it faded into a big cheerful and happy smile.
"Count me in!!" Aeris jumped out of her seat chummily and launched herself towards Buddy's station with a cheerful smile.
"Hey..." Buddy began pressing buttons on his panel, "Call from Besaid... Vidina wants to see the gang..." He smiled, "We could wait for any call from there... Besaid'll calm your fears and troubles away even for a moment."
"Gullwings!! Move out!!!" Brother's irritating accent boomed around the room as he sped towards the island of Besaid.
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"Where's Aunt Rikku?! She promised that she'll see me when I called?! Why did she break her promise!?" Vidina angrily confronted Yuna and the gang when he realized that his favorite auntie has gone AWOL. "She promised me!!"
"Aunt Rikku'll be gone for a while but she'll be back after a few days... we promise." Yuna assured the teary-eyed boy standing angrily in front of her. Wakka and Lulu stood on the same spot with a quizzical look.
"No!! I want to see her now! She promised me that we'd look at the stars together again!! If she's gone now then what will happen to the wish that I made for her!! She's a liar!!" Vidina turned his heel around and ran towards the beach with tears streaming down from his eyes.
"Vidina!!" Yuna called out and attempted to run after the boy. Wakka immediately stopped her and shook his head.
"Whoa, whoa... let him go to think about things, ya? It came in a shock to him..." Wakka scratched his head and shrugged. "Now, I know you're not telling him the truth so I guess you owe the boy's parents some explanation, young lady." Wakka and Lulu led them towards the tent.
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"Kidnapped? By the Black Knights?" Wakka's eyes went round in exasperation. Even though Besaid was far from any occurring events, they're not completely out of it. Besaid is still a big part of Spira and they have every means of getting news, one way or another. "This is not good news..." He added and then sighed heavily.
"Why did they kidnap Rikku?" Lulu inquired. Her soft voice loomed around their ears as she worryingly looked over at each of the Gullwings' faces, falling eventually to Yuna. "And are you even sure that they're after Rikku?" She threw a questioning glance at Yuna.
"They're after me... Rikku stalled their attention to herself and... we're thinking that maybe they're taking her as bait." Yuna answered in remorse. Even though everyone around her was saying that it wasn't her fault, she couldn't stop herself for feeling completely responsible for Rikku... and she knew the reason why she was totally feeling guilty. It should've been her and not her beloved cousin.
"I see..." Lulu nodded at Yuna with a small and comforting smile. "What's your plan of action then?" The black mage began with a very encouraging smile, hoping to lighten up the spirit of the ex-summoner.
"Nooj, Gippal and Baralai set up a completely framed diversion to make the Black Knights go after a key personnel..." Yuna glanced up at Aeris who was standing near the tent's entrance. "Major Aeris of the Youth League. She's been in the island and managed to escape with Elma bearing lots of vital information about the Black Knights."
Lulu looked up at the officer and searched her face. Aeris smiled back at the black mage and bowed, "Pleased to meet you!" She greeted cheerfully, although she was intensely troubled by Lulu's piercing personality. The black mage was obviously looking at her, searching for some clues about something and it was only then that she realized that Lulu is the kind of a person that has a very strong maternal instinct without the tendency of bustling in like a mother hen.
The black mage looked up with a smile brightening her delicate features and then she nodded in acknowledgment before turning her attention back to Yuna, "And?"
That shocked the wits out of Aeris. The calm-looking black mage is acting awfully a lot like Paine and someone else that she's very close to. Lulu is simply unpredictable and confusing to start off, but she could really feel the kindness and everything nice despite her... cold... and piercing features. Totally sister-like... She told herself in delight as she remembered a thought somewhere in her past...
"After she's been kidnapped by the Black Knights, she would do an undercover attempt to rescue Rikku." Yuna explained and Lulu noted that there was something bothering the summoner.
"Yuna, you're aware of the risks..." Lulu shook her head in disagreement, "Why?"
"Aeris insisted that she could pull it off..." Yuna looked up with her eyes shimmering in fright, "And Paine is going with her but I still know the risk that they're taking..."
"It's the only way?" Lulu's eyebrows arced.
"It's the only-?" Yuna stopped and darted a puzzled look at Yuna, "I suppose we can figure out a less dangerous way..."
"But Aeris and Nooj pointed out that the alternative is to ignite an attack..." Tidus finally stepped forward, "And you know very well that the island is impenetrable. Airships are useless... we were almost shot down by missiles that cannot be detected by radar..." He added and shrugged in defeat.
"Besides that..." Paine backed up Tidus, "There isn't any time... it's either they move first, or we do..." She added. Her voice was beginning to sound desperate in Lulu's ears.
The black mage sat still for a while beside her husband who was looking at each of their faces, "They have a point, Lu..." He broke the silence that suddenly hovered around the tent.
"She told you that she could pull it off with Paine?" Lulu raised a questioning eyebrow at the Gullwings.
"No..." Yuna began, looking up to the mage's face, "Paine insisted that she goes with her in case something goes wrong. She was hesitant at first but Paine's stubbornness eventually prevailed." Yuna said with a chuckle and Paine, instead of being annoyed, regarded it as a compliment.
Lulu, however, threw in a skeptical look at them and then towards the door... only to find Aeris gone. "I see..." That was all that she could say about their comment.
"Hey! Where'd she run off to?" Wakka stood up but Lulu pulled him back on the couch again.
"She went off to find Vidina..." His wife answered with a small smile.
"You seem to have all the answers..." Paine commented with a slightly amused smile hovering on her lips.
"I've noticed something peculiar about that girl... a sense of guilty about Vidina's tantrums..." Nonchalantly, Lulu raised her head up with a confident smile. "Or maybe it was just my imagination..." She stopped and then smiled thoughtfully. "That girl is complex... She's very good at hiding things."
Paine stopped and looked quizzically at the black mage, "She's the worst liar that we've ever met..."
Lulu nodded in agreement, "Perhaps..." she answered simply without anything else in tow. There was neither hesitation nor any doubt in her expression, making Yuna, Tidus and Paine wonder to their selves. They didn't know exactly what Lulu figured out with her simple questions but there's definitely something in her eyes.
"Lulu, you're beginning to creep me out..." Tidus joked and attempted to laugh. The only thing that kept his laughter at bay was the sarcastic smile on Lulu's face and the slight blazing of her eyes, telling him to be careful. Tidus chuckled nervously at the Black Mage and then looked helplessly to Wakka and Yuna. "I-I er... was only kidding!" He immediately added in defense.
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Aeris walked around the beach, her head throwing in on every direction until she finally spotted Vidina, propping himself on the corner most side of the beach. His face was buried on the hollow between his crossed-arms, revealing only his curly red head. Her face lit up a wonderful little smile as she walked towards the boy's direction, wondering how the boy avoided the fiends on his way here.
"May I sit down?" Aeris began when she finally reached the boy. Vidina's face popped out of the hollow and nodded immediately, without looking at Aeris. Easing herself in a propped position, Aeris yawned and stretched her arms out. "It's a pretty nice day, don't you think?" Aeris' attention was caught by a glimmer of something blue beside the boy. "I think I'm in the mood for a blitzball game with an ace..." Aeris said with a smile, making the boy look up at her wonderingly, "Maybe you know someone who can play with me?"
"Uncle Tidus and father... They're the best in the Aurochs" Vidina blinked his wet and red eyes, "They taught me how to blitz ever since I learned how to walk."
Aeris' eyes twinkled down at the boy, "Which makes you good enough to contend with..." She let out a grin at the boy and got up on her feet, showing off hints of gracefulness. "Can you oblige me?" She smiled tenderly at the boy and motioned her feet on the blitz ball, making it fly up in the air with a very skilled kick. Aeris smiled gently at the boy while she continued to kick the blitzball higher and higher until it reached a certain altitude that contented her. Mustering the sufficient force that she needs, Aeris made a graceful back-flip, standing upside-down on her hands and then pushed her whole body up in the air. When she was close enough with the ball, she moved herself into an accurate falling motion and twisted until her feet made contact with the ball, kicking it towards one of the practicing Aurochs with so much force, it made him fall back along with two other players standing right behind him.
She heard a thud on the ground and a couple of "ouch" and moans of pain...
Aeris landed on both her feet gracefully with a chagrin look on her face. "Sorry!" She shouted and waved a hand towards them. "I'm really, REALLY sorry!!" She shouted again, scratching the back of her head, abashed about what she just did.
"Wow!!" Vidina's eyes twinkled in excitement and wonder, "Can you teach me how to do that?" the little boy stood breathless for a few seconds.
"Hm..." Aeris looked down on the little boy with a thought in mind. "Would you like to hear the truth, or a part of the truth?" She asked, placing a finger on top of her lower lip thoughtfully.
"The truth..." Vidina's worried and disappointed face flew towards Aeris, "The whole truth, please..."
Aeris smiled at the boy, satisfied by the polite audacity of the boy. "To start off, I can teach you the move and perhaps, it's a good idea that you start off early..." Her eyes twinkled, "But I don't think that I have the time..." Aeris' eyes grew mild with hints of guilt streaking out across her face in full force, "I have to rescue Rikku first..."
Vidina turned to look at her wonderingly with huge eyes, "Why? I thought that she was just gone for a few days fixing machines..."
"You said you wanna know the whole truth, right?" Aeris received a nod from the boy. He was extremely breathless and she knew that Vidina was dying to hear the cold-hard fact about Rikku. "I'm going to tell you the whole truth but promise me... don't to tell anyone about it, okay?" She received another nod from the redheaded kid.
"Your Aunt Rikku has been kidnapped by the Black Knights... and I'm off with Aunt Paine to find her." Aeris could see the arrested features of the boy. He was shocked but Aeris knew that a boy who obviously cared for someone mustn't be deprived of the truth... no matter how hard it may seem to him. The boy must know the truth if she wants him to understand something. "And Aunt Yuna can't go with us because if she does, the Black Knights are going to kidnap her too... would you like that to happen?"
A guilty look streaked the little boy's face, "I should say sorry to Aunt Yuna... I was mean to her." He looked down on his feet and began fumbling with the sand beneath him. Aeris was glad that the little boy wasn't the brat that she assumed he was from the first second that she encountered him. Vidina is mature for a five-year-old child and besides the boy's uncanny attitude, her weakness are children... brat or no-brat.
"I think so too..." Aeris threw an appreciating smile at the boy and knelt in front of him, fixing his ruffled red hair. "Tell me... How much does she mean to you?"
"Aunt Rikku's my friend and... and... I don't know..." He looked down on the ground disappointedly, "But I do know that I love her." The boy sniffed. Aeris noticed that he's blushing.
"Oh..." Aeris chuckled and patted the boy's head again.
"Can you promise that you'll come back here with her?" Vidina inquired. Hope was glimmering in his eyes. "Can you promise me?"
Aeris sighed and looked up to Vidina with the surrendering shimmer in her eyes, "Yes..." she closed her eyes and sighed before looking at him again, eye to eye, "And upon my life, I swear that I won't betray you nor break my promise to you. Not now, not ever..." She said that as if she was talking to someone of high stature. Well, she guessed that a child IS a high stature. They're everything that an adult could never understand...
Vidina grinned and jumped over at Aeris making her lose her balance. She fell on the sand with Vidina hugging her with all of his strength. "Thank you!!" Aeris chuckled at the little boy and then suddenly, she let out a heart-felt laugh. When Vidina finally realized what he just did, he immediately stood up and wrinkled his nose; his face was slightly flushed. "Sorry..." He said.
"No harm done!" Aeris was laughing at the boy but managed to somehow nod at him, "The name's Aeris... and you are?"
"Vidina..." The whole beach seems to brighten up when the boy flashed his cute grin. Aeris thought that now she has a reason to do the thing that she has to do, she was sure that it won't make her feel guilty anymore. She finally found the strength to move on despite the agonizing memory of her past... and she completely realized that it was time that she changed her views and continue on living as the Aeris that she was before...
"Okay then, brat..." She flashed a mischievous grin at Vidina, "I'll teach you that move after I've gotten Rikku back... and you can show it off to your father and uncle Tidus." Aeris winked at him.
Vidina nodded and looked at Aeris determinedly, "Yes!" he gave a yelp of joy and ran towards the Aurochs, thrilled at the idea that he was actually going to learn an awesome blitzball technique. Shaking her head in an amused manner, she thought about the whole plan of the rescue attempt. Now that she has finally cleared her mind off of the thoughts that may endanger everyone that she cares for, she knew that she has to pull this off... miraculously or not.
"Aunt Aeris!!" Aeris thoughts were dragged back to reality. She felt like a soft pillow hit her on the head when she heard Vidina bestow on her the "honor" of being called his auntie. She whirled around and saw the faces of the flabbergasted Aurochs on the side. She turned on a puzzled look and remembered what she had done to them.
"Heeey!!" Keepa called out with his very deep voice, "Can you show us that move again?" He asked chummily, hoping that she would agree.
I guess it won't hurt anyone... She smiled sweetly at the Aurochs and looked around for an appropriate target. When she couldn't find anything at all, she walked towards the blitzball players with a nod and stood up a few paces away from them. "Sure..." She answered, the smile not leaving her face as she fumbled the sand beneath her feet. "I should really ask you to move away..." Another sweet smile flashed across her fair face making the Aurochs swoon at the sight.
Vidina looked up at the slacked-jawed Aurochs and then up to Aeris, his eyes glittered in mischief as she approached Aeris and whispered something. The players wondered what Vidina was telling Aeris. Their faces turned on a confused gaze at the boy when Aeris chuckled with her face slightly flushed. "Ready, guys?" The Aurochs stood there, dumbfound until she stepped a couple of paces away from the hole that she made. "Keep your eyes peeled." She winked at the Aurochs, making their faces turn red as tomatoes. Vidina lay the ball on the ground and then, Aeris did her stuff...
"WHOA!!!!" Wakka and Tidus exclaimed at the same time. Their eyes were almost popping out of their face as Aeris landed gracefully on her feet. "Hi guys..." Aeris looked at them over her shoulders with a small and mocking smile. "Just showing them a move..." Aeris turned around and nodded at the excited little boy, standing next to her, carrying the ball that bounced off the sand. Lulu, Wakka and the others stared at Vidina and Aeris wonderingly. "We had a little talk... and it eventually led to blitzball..." Her eyes glittered under the light, hinting something to the others.
Tidus gave her a nod, understanding what she meant by her words. "Er... Nooj just called in... He said that everything's set." A boyish grin was plastered on Tidus face as she looked down at Vidina.
Vidina's eyes glittered in worry as he looked up to Aeris. The little boy tugged her trench coat with his little hands, "Be careful..." He said, forcing a small smile.
Touched by the boy's thoughtfulness, she fell down on her knees and smiled at Vidina again, "Hey..." She raised an eyebrow and poked his head gently, "I promised that I'm teaching you that move, right?" The boy grinned and nodded jerkily at Aeris.
"The two of you seem to already have secrets..." Lulu motioned and rested an arm on Aeris' shoulders before whispering something, "Thanks for cheering up, Vidina. Rikku is the only one who can actually take his mind off of things..." The black mage stepped back and smiled gently... trustingly, "And it seems that you too can do just that."
Aeris looked back at Lulu with an understanding smile. She nodded at the black mage, "I'll get Rikku, I promise..." Determination is evident in her voice and gentle features. Seconds later, the booming sound of the Celsius approaching the island became louder as it closed in on the beach...
"Everything's all right now, ya?" Wakka smiled at them and then turned to face the Celsius that is now parking at the beach. "Your ride's here..."
Everybody stared at the Celsius, not budging an inch. Once they entered that airship, their mission will start off as the other missions have before this one. All of them are aware of the difference and risks of this mission, which makes it harder to bear. Everyone glanced at each other in silence for a few minutes... and as the one who's going to take most of the risk, all their gazes fell upon the young officer with a smile. They ARE counting on her and she couldn't bring them down. She thought about her debt to Rikku and the friendship that she had already established with the Gullwings... she knew that she shouldn't have attached herself on the first place but it was inevitable anyway...
It was too late...
Advancing a step forward, Aeris determinedly- and surprisingly calmly- stared at the Celsius. She felt like a heavy luggage- burdening her back- have been removed... she felt free from all the grudges of this world... the grudge that she has been grasping in her hands for a very, very long time now... and it felt really good. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply and when she opened them, the people that saw her, noticed that the pair of green-blue was shimmering with much courage and strength... and then, she opened her mouth to utter the words that she often says before running a mission:
"It's show time..."
A grin lit up her face. The other Gullwings followed her behind until their group has disappeared behind the entrance of the airship. Celsius' shiny red coating glimmered under the sun as it sped away from Besaid Island. They were finally off to rescue a valuable member of the Gullwings... they were getting her out even if it means a certain deadly confrontation with the Black Knights...
... And perhaps the confrontation of someone's past...
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Author's Note: Oooooiiiiii... my eyelids are already closing in on me and I don't know how long I can keep myself from falling on top of my keyboard. (Yawns...) PLEASE REVIEW this chapter and help me muster up a hundred reviews!!! But I'm already apologizing for any major set back... I'm too sleepy to even think of anything anymore... (YawNs... ... ... ... SLAMS!!!)
OUCH!!! That hurt... I really need to stop this now... ciao. I'll add in notes on the next chapter and I promise that it'll BE BETTER...