Chapter Three
The Demon Bird
A piercing squawk filled the air as Lulu and Rikku got on the wing of the airship. "Damn Zu…" Rikku said as she braced herself for a fight. Lights shone on the beast, and Lulu could tell right away what it was. Two massive wings sprung from an equally massive feathered body. It opened its mouth again, its tongue slithering out, and the piercing squawk was heard again. "Let me handle this, Rikku." Lulu said and took several steps forward. She raised her hands in a circular motion and prepared for a double-cast. The Zu flew close and struck the ship's wing, sending metal shards flying into Rikku, but these were easily deflected by Rikku's targe. Lulu's hands by now were glowing, and she prepared to cast Ultima, her most fearsome spell. "Let me try out something, Lu!" Rikku rushed forward, a black spherical object in her hand. "An impact grenade…non-explosive, the pure impact will force this beast away." Rikku quickly said, pulling the pin from the grenade. Suddenly, a voice crackled loudly over the loudspeakers. "BROTHER IS GOING IN, STAND DOWN!" the airship pulled back, throwing Rikku and Lulu backwards. Compartments open, and the Zu was met with a barrage of missiles. Behind Lulu, the grenade exploded. Rikku yelled as the impact threw her forward, face down. Angered, Lulu threw her hands forward, and her double dosage of spells hit the beast, and vanished it into thin air. After the beast was gone, Lulu ran over to Rikku's fallen self.
"Rikku, are you alright?" she asked nervously. No response, but her cheeks were still warm, and her heart was beating rapidly. Lulu picked her up and struggled back inside, and headed for the medicine cabin. A medic was quickly summoned and Lulu was sent away as the healers began their work.
Lulu was something of a woman now. She walked with a graceful pace towards the Airship's cabin. "BROTHER!" she yelled, and the Al Bhed pilot quickly rushed to her.
"Anything I can help Lulu with?" he asked, curiously.
"Brother…did you know that Rikku had pulled the pin right before you pulled away?" she asked, her voice serenely hiding an almost infernal anger.
Brother shook his head and Lulu pressed her hand to his chest. He barely had time to smile before Lulu muttered, "Fool." And let loose a bolt of electricity, throwing Brother to the side of the cabin. The other Al Bhed there just chuckled and went on with their jobs. Lulu returned to the main Hall and waited outside. The door to the medicine cabin opened and one of the doctors came out. He gave Lulu a puzzling look and moved on.
Hours passed, and Lulu's confidence finally shook. She covered her face with her hands and began to sob gently. She was vulnerable again; she was the girl who was the first to find her fiancée dead after the battle with Sin. She berated herself for having opened her heart so readily and so quickly had it been torn. She prayed to whoever was out there that Rikku didn't go through this. The door to the medicine room finally opened again and the other Healer walked out. He gave look a sad look, but then his rugged face broke into a smile.
"Fine she will be. Need rest." He made a move as to retire for the night, but Lulu blocked him. "You can go to sleep, I'll watch over her." The doctor nodded, and went off to the dormitories.
Lulu quietly walked in, past a small table littered with potions and medical instruments of Al Bhed manufacture, and into another compartment, where Rikku lay on a bed, her right arm covered with bandages. She was half asleep, Lulu could tell, somewhere in that plane of a sleepy alert. Lulu pulled up a soft chair close to the bed and sat down.
"Hey, Lu.." Rikku said weakly, her eyes not opening.
"Rikku, I'm sorry." Lulu responded, her hand holding Rikku's.
"For what? It was that jackass that moved the ship. Doc says we're arriving by morning." She said, still hurt, but cheerful nonetheless.
"I know. But at least the thing's gone."
There was silence for awhile, until Rikku broke the silence again.
"Your eyes look watery, Lu."
"I was..er..cooking." Lulu lied, turning her face away to hide that dry tears.
"Lu, you could tell me these things, you know." Rikku said softly, her hand snugly held against Lulu's.
"I was worried that you weren't going to make it." The sorceress said shyly. Rikku giggled at that.
"I'm not that good of an inventor. I guess that's what saved my life. But why were you scared? You're always so grown up!"
"Rikku…I have to confess something." Lulu said softly, turning to look at Rikku's tired, and now confused eyes.
"Go on…" the Al Bhed said, bracing herself for news of sickness or death.
"I had stopped being mature more or less around the time you decided to join our pilgrimage. I was tired and torn. I loved Yuna like a sister, and I was leading her to her death. But then, you joined, and you knew what was going on. I drew strength from you, your happiness, it helped me be more stoic and graceful. I loved the fact that you tried to be like me, but at the same time, I wanted to be like you again. I wanted to be loving and cheerful at the same time you were trying to be stoic and graceful. I just want to thank you that you've been someone I can think about and be happy, and not sad, worried, or confused. You're special to me."
Rikku took this calmly, let out a content sigh, and smiled.
"That's the nicest thing I've heard in so long. Thanks, Lu."
With that, she turned her head against the pillow and eased off gently to sleep. Lulu stayed watching her for a bit longer, and then, she too, fell asleep, their hands still together.