Chapter Sixteen: Soul-searching

Hi again! I'm real sorry that it took so long for me to put in a new installment of this story. As promised, I will start adding 'image songs' into the next episodes soon as the plot gets thicker and thicker. Hope nobody thought I was dead/

Chapter Sixteen

I sat down on the cold metal floor thinking about the wonderful moments I had with Yunie before she was kidnapped. Even my memories with dear Keyakku had begun to materialize in my sub-conscious. Thinking about the red stoical of a legendary guardian, I began to flare up.

"LEGENDARY GUARDIAN SO WHAT?!?" I screamed at the near-darkness, assuming I was the only soul in the room. I threw a tiny pebble across the room, making a metallic thud as it made its impact on the iron floor. "MORE LIKE A LOGHEAD GUARDIAN!"

For a moment I came to my senses. I had suddenly spoken Yevonish on impulse for the first time. What on earth was going on? Since when did I become this fluent in Yevonish and not my common problems with speaking it. I heard footsteps, the footsteps of boots approaching my way.

"Fryd tu oui fyhd?" I shouted back assuming that it must be some person. Making some guesses, feelings of embarrassment came to my head with warm blood rushing to my cheeks. "Ur! E vunkud drec ec dra ahkeha nuus. Cunno du pudran oui mega dryd." I made my way across the room back to the elevator which led back to the airship main area.

A rather big figure blocked my way as his shape showed itself from the only light behind. "Aqlica sa," I ordered but with no avail as the figure did not budge. Wait a minute. I never remembered the Al Bhed having such tall people. A shade of red cloth revealed itself as the air created by the engine blew the figure's clothing. "Ur hu...ed lyh'd pa oui." I began to run back into the engine room.

"Stop." The thundering single word order from the legendary guardian came across the room. I froze in my tracks. I heard silence.

"Just go," I replied back. "I need some solitude for myself now." I knew my words fell on deaf ears as I heard the approaching footsteps once again. "I TOLD YOU TO GO!" I shouted back.

"You should be resting," his valuable speech came out of his mouth. "Why are you here?"

"It doesn't concern you." I replied back coldly.

"It concerns me if it is Yuna's order," came his reply which gave me a little shock.

"What do you mean?"

"Yuna wishes for you to be safe," the same old low-pitch voice sounded.

"Uubc! E lyh'd ihtancdyht ouin myhkiyka," I began to play around with the stoical. I didn't want to accept what he was speaking. Auron was a really a pain in the neck now.

"Yuna fecrac vun oui du pa cyva," he gave back the translated version.

"E tuh'd kad oui."

"Cra fecrac dryd E fydlr ujan oui." Came the same short reply. Idiot. If he was going to say he like me, why wasn't he attending to the subject?

"Listen Auron," I made stern rejoinders at him. "I don't need anyone to protect me, goodbye!" I gave him a hard push before heading for the elevator. "Thanks for spoiling my time for soul-searching." I gave him a cold hard stare.

-------------------------------------------

I re-opened my eyes to see a beautiful plain around me. Flowers grew on the land with butterflies flying from one to another. This was our original home, the native land of the Al Bhed. I smiled at the beautiful landscape.

"You love this land, don't you?" I turned around to see the brown-haired girl approaching me. "This place also existed in my time too."

"Oh? Was it nicer?" I questioned.

"In my time I visited this place to pay my respects to a relative," she replied with a rather sad look on her face, staring at the landscape. "Many of my friends had their final resting place here."

I took a step back. "You mean…?" I was in shock. "This land was a cemetery?"

"If you believe, then it is," came her reply. "Fret not, you won't probably know where are the resting areas. It was one a very long time ago."

"During the Zanarkand era?"

"Incorrect," she shook her head. "A very long time even before Zanarkand came into existence."

"How did you manage to avoid the so-called Farplane for such a long time?" I asked again.

"Like you," she replied placing her hand on my shoulder. "I do not believe in it."

"Is that how Auron managed to be unsent all these years?"

"The Farplane does not call Auron," the brunette responded. "Auron is somehow alive yet unsent. He does not belong to this world."

"Huh?" I answered in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

"You'll understand in due time," she replied. "I have to go now. We'll meet again, Rikku." As soon as she touched me, I saw a blinding white light that made my eyes shut.

--------------------------------------------

I opened my eyes to find myself on the bed in my cabin. As my memories re-collected, I had took the elevator back to the ship main deck and rested in my room. A few pyreflies had mysteriously made their way into my room and rested onto my palm.

"Hello Rikku," one pyrefly sprang to life. I could recognize its voice.

"Seymour!" I cried back. "Where is Yunie?" I could hear sinister laughing as a reply.

"Do not worry, my dear." Came the reply. "You'll be next after her." As soon as the last word was spoken, the pyrefly made its way into oblivion. Suddenly, I heard a knock on my door.

"Rikku? Are you awake?" I heard the black mage's voice from outside. "We have found Yuna. Come to the cockpit soon." Soon, I heard her scuttering away into the corridor.

Pressing a button to open the door, I made my way outside into the corridor. I made my rush towards the cockpit, praying what could have happened to Yuna.

Okay guys! I couldn't really write much this time. Perhaps soon when I have time. Expect to see the next episode written soon!