Chapter Five
Slow Motion
It was a very broken group that entered the Lake Macalania Travel Agency late that evening. The group had just battled something called a Spherimorph, and it had drained nearly everyone of their magic and health.
Plus, it was freezing at Lake Macalania. Rikku was a desert-dweller, and she definitely was not made for the colder regions of Spira. She dared not complain, for she knew somebody would throw out a disparaging remark about her clothing – or lack thereof for that matter.
She was quite aware that she wasn't properly dressed for a cross-Spira trek, but that hadn't exactly been her plan when she had set out, nearly a week ago. And now she was stuck, with no way out, to watch her beloved cousin basically commit suicide.
Stupid Yevonite traditions, she thought bitterly to herself, glaring at the most devout of them all as she ruminated.
What was his deal any way? A while ago, they had been avowing their friendship to each other, and now he was barely even looking at her. Was he always this wishy-washy?
She decided to talk to the person who knew him best. While Yuna finished healing everyone, Rikku crossed the lobby to where the black mage stood. She was alone, thank the gods, and she looked thoughtful.
"Lulu?" Rikku began meekly.
Lulu's startling red eyes focused on the younger girl, and she gave her the closest thing to a smile that she could manage. "Oh, hello, Rikku," she said in her quietly husky voice.
"Uh, if you're not, like, busy or anything, do you think that maybe we could talk?" Rikku said, feeling nervous around the poised older girl.
Lulu looked at Rikku, amusement in her eyes. "Of course," she said kindly. She gestured for Rikku to follow her back to one of the rooms. Once they were behind the closed doors, she turned to the young Al Bhed. "What seems to be the trouble?"
Rikku was astonished. "How – how did you know there's trouble?"
Lulu laughed a little. "I may not talk much, but I notice things. I notice all kinds of things," she said pointedly.
Rikku felt her face heating up. "So, uh, you know that this is about Wakka?"
Lulu nodded. "It's okay, you know." Smiling to herself a little, she continued. "It was bound to happen sometime. Somebody had to be the first one to find him charming and endearing in his own way."
Rikku was puzzled. "The first? What about you? I mean, didn't you guys, like – I mean, don't you two have a history?"
Lulu shook her head, shock evident on her pretty features. "What gave you that idea?"
Rikku sighed. "Well, you guys talk to each other all the time – about everything. And you seem very close. Closer than just friends."
Lulu shook her head and sighed. "Well, it's because we've been through a lot together. First our parents, and then Chappu …" She trailed off, and her expression grew dreamy.
"Chappu?" Rikku repeated, her voice very quiet. Suddenly, a light dawned over her face. "Why didn't I realize this sooner? Chappu – your boyfriend. Wakka's brother."
Lulu froze. "How do you know about Chappu?" She was sure the last time he had been mentioned had been on the Farplane, and Rikku had not been there. Perhaps Wakka had said something to her?
Rikku looked up at Lulu, her green eyes sad. "Because I was there, on Djose."
Lulu looked at the younger girl, her own eyes blazing. "You were there?" she rasped. "Did you know him?"
Rikku smiled. "Yes. He was the first Yevonite that I ever met that treated me like an equal. He was really nice to me. We'd sit together in the evenings, and he'd tell me stories about Besaid. He knew Yunie, so we had that in common."
Lulu took a deep breath. Maybe, just maybe, Rikku could ease her mind about something that had plagued her since Chappu's death. "Rikku, when Chappu – when he – was he alone?" Lulu was flustered, which was something that Rikku didn't think was possible.
Rikku's eyes were brimming with tears as she looked at the mage. She shook her head. "No. I was with him. I saw him go down, and I ran like I had never run before to get to him. I held him in my arms. Yours was the last name he said." Taking a deep breath, she looked down. "He said, 'Lu, I'm sorry'."
Lulu's face showed pure anguish. Rikku hated that she had been the one who had put it there. "Rikku," Lulu began.
"No, Lulu, I'm sorry. I shouldn't, I shouldn't have said anything."
Lulu shook her head. "No, Rikku, I'm glad that you spoke. I had always worried that he was alone … now I know that he was in very good hands." She smiled at the Al Bhed kindly. "Thank you."
The two women sat in companionable silence for a while, and then Rikku spoke again. "Chappu was Wakka's brother? They're so – different."
Lulu nodded. "Well, Chappu always seemed to have everything that Wakka didn't. Chappu was handsome and smart and all the girls loved him. He was athletic and noble. When he died, Wakka came to the conclusion that it was because Chappu had had no faith. So he vowed to be faithful enough for both of them, to make up for Chappu's mistakes and to avenge him."
Rikku looked down. "I should tell him, shouldn't I?"
"Tell him what?"
"What I am – Who I am. An Al Bhed," Rikku explained.
"No, Rikku. You can't." Lulu was forceful.
"I can't lie to him, Lulu," Rikku protested.
"You don't have to lie," Lulu told her. "There's just no reason he should ever have to know. Nobody else will tell him that you are Al Bhed, and if he hasn't figured it out on his own by now, I would say that there's a good chance he never will."
"No, Lulu. I can't lie to him." Rikku's voice was small, and she wouldn't look directly at the brunette.
"Oh. Ohhh," Lulu sighed. "I see. Rikku, you know that this is a bad idea, don't you?"
Rikku had a pained expression on her face. "I know. It's like, the most hopeless of all hopeless situations! My pops would absolutely lose it if he knew I was even on this pilgrimage, let alone if he knew that I was getting a crush on a Yevonite!"
Lulu's eyebrow rose. "A crush?"
Rikku bit her lip, realizing once again that she had spoken too freely. Damn her emotions always getting the best of her! "Yeah. And I know that it's just stupid. I mean, we have a pilgrimage to concern ourselves with! And, you know, he doesn't think that I'm anything special. I mean, he pretty much avoids me at all costs."
Lulu smiled reassuringly at the young girl. "Wakka can be confusing, but don't give up on him so easily. He might just surprise you."
Lulu left, and Rikku sat alone and pondered things. She hoped that Lulu wasn't mad at her for telling her about Chappu. And what should she do about Wakka? She wanted tell him about Chappu, but she knew that she couldn't do that without revealing her Al Bhed identity.
But she wanted to tell him that she was Al Bhed.
Blowing her bangs off her forehead in frustration, she stared out the window and watched the falling snow. It never ceased to amaze her how something so pure and spiritual could be so cold – cold enough to cut through to your bones.
Part TwoWakka woke up the next morning, shivering. For all their fancy machina, the Al Bhed couldn't seem to keep their Travel Agencies warm in the frigid climate of Lake Macalania.
He climbed out of bed and dressed quickly. He was repositioning his blue headband when there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" he called.
The door swung open and a bouncing ball of blonde-haired energy entered. "Morning, Wakka!" Rikku sang out cheerily. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to have an extra wrap or cloak or somethin' would you?"
Wakka eyed her warily. "What for? Isn't that outfit warm enough?" he teased.
Rikku glared at him. "Wak-ka," she whined. "Look, I'm only asking you 'cause I thought you'd be nice to me! Please? I'm not used to the cold!"
Wakka rolled his eyes and went to his knapsack. He pulled out a somewhat worn blue cloak and handed it to her. "Which brings up an interesting point," he said. "Where are you from, anyway?"
Rikku's eyes widened. She grabbed the cloak and pulled it on, tying it tightly. "Here and there," she muttered. "I told you, Pops likes to travel."
"But where were you from originally?" Wakka was looking at her intently. Why won't she tell me? It's not like it's some big secret, ya?
Rikku sighed and smiled at Wakka. "Mom died when I was really little, so I don't know where I'm from."
She hated this lying to him. But it was for the best, right? Everyone else seemed to think so. Even Yuna. To be honest, Rikku understood that Wakka didn't like the Al Bhed, that he had some big grudge against them because of Chappu – but how bad could it be, really?
"Thanks for the cloak," she said, and turned to go.
"Rikku, wait," Wakka said.
Rikku turned to look at him. "Yes?"
"Did Lu say somethin' about me last night?"
There he goes again, scratching the back of his neck – why do I find that cute? Rikku groaned inwardly at the thought. To Wakka, she just shook her head. "No, nothing. We weren't talking about you. Mostly about Yunie and the pilgrimage. Stuff like that."
"Oh," Wakka said. He wasn't sure if he was disappointed or not. Surely, if she was interested in him, she would seek Lu's counsel, wouldn't she? That was what the other girls had always done, what few of them there were.
Then again, Rikku wasn't like any of the other girls he had ever known. For one, he'd never even seen anyone as golden as she was. And for another, he'd never known anyone as bubbly or bright or funny or outrageous.
"You seem disappointed, Wakka," Rikku teased. "Don't worry. Next time, I'll be sure to talk about you and nothing but you." She touched the tip of his nose lightly before turning and flouncing out of his room.
Wakka watched her go, his feelings more in turmoil than they had ever been before.
Yes, he definitely liked her. Was he going to act on it? He wasn't sure. He wanted to, there was no doubt about that. But he wasn't sure that she felt the same way, and he really didn't like the thought of yet another rejection. Plus, should he really be thinking about romance when there was a pilgrimage that all but promised the death of one of his dearest friends to be concentrating on?
Shaking his head, he turned back to his pack. Frowning, he sifted through the contents before he threw up his hands. "Dammit!" he swore.
He had given her his only cloak.
Part ThreeShe smelled it on the air long before the snowmobiles came into site. Oil. Ur hu, ur hu, ur hu! Bmayca … hud drec, yhodrehk pid drec! She looked frantically at her companions, but nobody seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary. Yet, anyway.
"Yo, Rikku!"
Wakka's voice behind her made her smile. She turned back to face him. She noticed with some concern that he didn't have a cloak. "Wakka, did you give me your only cloak, you dummy?" Sighing, she shook her head and held her arm open wide. "C'mon, I'll share!"
He looked at her uneasily. "Uh, are you sure 'bout that?"
Rikku sighed. "We'll both be warmer if you get over here. I promise, I won't try anything unsavory," she joked.
Rolling his eyes, he walked over to her. She spread the long cloak around his shoulders and huddled into his side. "See? Isn't that much better?" she said softly.
He thought he might have died and gone to heaven. However, his bliss was short-lived.
They walked a little farther past the Travel Agency, and were once again accosted by Tromell and a few other Guados. "Lady Yuna!" Tromell said warmly. "We've been expecting you. The maester is waiting at the temple." He turned to the guardians. "It is Guado custom, you understand. We will send an envoy for the rest of you shortly."
"Go ahead Yuna," Sir Auron said. "We're behind you." Yuna nodded. Sir Auron chuckled a bit. "Sorry," he said to Tidus. "That was your line."
Tidus ran up a little bit farther ahead. "Yuna!" he called, and then he whistled.
Yuna turned, her eyes lit up and she smiled. "Yessir!" she called back, and then turned to follow the Guados.
At that moment, the snowmobiles crested the top of a snow-covered hill just a little farther off in the distance. Rikku's heart leapt into her throat when she saw who was astride the machines.
"Oh, no!" she cried.
"Al Bhed!" Wakka exclaimed
The snowmobiles surrounded the group then, and the guardians wasted no time in rushing to Yuna's side. Rikku was pleading to her damn Brother with her eyes. Bmayca … tuh'd tu drec! But as always, Brother wasn't paying attention to his little sister.
"Stand back!" Sir Auron called.
Tromell tried to lead Yuna to safety, but she jerked her hand free from his grasp. "I will fight with them," she said, her voice unwavering.
"Rikku!" Brother called out and Rikku looked up at him nervously. She could feel the other guardians' eyes burning into her. Especially his. "Tuh'd ehdanvana un oui kad drec!" Brother continued.
A giant cannon rolled up over the hill. Rikku shook her head and tried desperately to fight back the tears that were threatening her. Brother laughed and proceeded to tell Rikku that he was going to freeze their magic and summoning abilities.
"Uh, translation please?" Tidus said from behind her.
"He's using an anti-magic field on us!" Rikku said desperately. She pointed at the small floating Negator. "We gotta take that out first."
Wakka's surefire blitzball attacks took out the Negator with little problem and after everyone took a good swipe at the cannon, Yuna summoned Ixion to finish off the fight.
Everyone was gasping and battle-weary by the end of the fight, but Brother just couldn't leave well enough alone. "Rikku! E femm damm Vydran!" he shouted to his wayward little sister.
"E ys dra guardian uv Yuna, oui caa?" Rikku shouted back. "Yuna ec cyva! Fa femm kiynt ran! Cra ec cyva!"
Brother yelled back, and then he ran off.
Rikku giggled nervously to herself as she turned to face the others. "I – I told him I was a guardian. I had to, really," she stammered quietly. She knew he was staring at her, and she couldn't bear to meet his eyes.
"How come you speak Al Bhed?" he demanded. "Why?"
Rikku looked up, her anguish written clearly all over her face. She held her head high, though. She wouldn't be ashamed of her race just because someone challenged her. Even if it was someone she cared for a great deal.
Tidus looked nervously at Lulu, who looked completely lost as to what to do. "Uh, well," Tidus began, fumbling for words.
Rikku held up her hand to silence him. This was her fight. She owed Wakka that much. After all he'd done for her – and this was how she repaid him? By lying to him? Her stomach flipped over. "Because – I'm Al Bhed," she said firmly. "And that – that was my brother."
Wakka's face turned as red as his hair, and Rikku bit her lip. Fro, fro, fro ec drec rybbahehk? "Wakka …"
He shook his head and clutched tightly to his blitzball. So tightly, that Rikku feared he might pop it. "No, just don't," he said coldly to her. He turned to Tidus and Lulu. "Lu? Tidus? You knew?" They could only nod. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded.
"We knew you'd be upset …" Lulu began.
Wakka laughed derisively. "Upset? Upset? No, Lu, I'm not upset." He turned to Rikku and glared at her with such vehemence that she jumped. "I've just been traveling with a heathen this whole time, why would that upset me, huh?"
"Wakka …" Rikku tried again.
"Don't." One word, but in that one word, Rikku felt every single biting racial slur that had ever been thrown in her direction, felt every haughty look that had ever been cast upon her, and she snapped.
"Don't what?" she challenged.
Tidus cleared his throat, clearly nervous about what was going on. Rikku and Wakka both ignored him.
"Don't talk to me!" Wakka shot back. "You and your kind – you just ruin everything, ya? You take everything away!"
"I thought Sin took everything away!" Rikku retorted snottily.
"Well, it's because of you and your people using forbidden machina that Sin is here in the first place!"
"You got proof? Show me proof!" Wakka was silent and Rikku glared. "Yevon says this, Yevon says that. Can't you think for yourself?"
"What do you know about it anyway?" Wakka rebuked. "You're the reason Chappu is dead!"
Rikku's anger had reached the boiling point, and she knew that she was about to say something she would regret, but she didn't care any more. "I'm the reason Chappu died? Me? Well you know what Wakka? My face was the last one that your brother ever saw! I still have a shirt that is stained with his blood. I tried like hell to cure him and make him better again, but it didn't work!"
Everyone stood, dumbfounded at Rikku's outburst.
"He was the first Yevonite who ever treated me like a person, you know?" she continued, her voice getting shaky. "He used to tell me stories about Besaid. He told me that his brother was 'the best guy in Spira'. The nicest, the funniest, the friendliest." She looked at Wakka derisively, so mad now that she couldn't even see straight. This man – this man that she had thought she might be able to …
He had become a monster – a bigoted, racist monster – before her very eyes. That hurt more than she could even begin to comprehend at the moment. "What would he think of you now, I wonder? Chappu would be ashamed of you, Wakka, that's what!"
"Rikku!" Sir Auron's voice broke into Rikku's tirade. "Will this go?"
Rikku turned away from Wakka and looked at the legendary guardian. He stood over one of the snowmobiles. She forced a smile, hoping to block the tears from falling, and hurried to his side. She began fiddling with the machina, hoping to get it started.
Wakka felt like he had been punched in the stomach, slapped in the face, and kneed in the groin, all at once. Rikku knew Chappu? Rikku was there when he died? So … he didn't die alone. Instead, he died in the arms of a heathen! Wakka honestly didn't know what was worse. And here he had been, about to go ahead and fall in love with that cursed girl …
He noticed the others huddling around those damned machina and he glared. "We're not using that are we? Wait … Sir Auron's not Al Bhed, too, is he?"
Tidus rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Wakka …" he began. "I mean, getting mad just because you found out Rikku's Al Bhed? You guys got along fine before."
It isn't just that! Wakka told himself. It's the fact that she lied to me, to my face! I thought we were friends … and she kept this from me! How can I even look at her the same any more? I can't. She's nothing to me now. Less than nothing. She's Al Bhed. Maybe he was being unreasonable, but he really didn't care. The Al Bhed were the lowest of the low. He never was the kind to hold a grudge – he was too good-natured and easy-going for that – but the Al Bhed were the reason Sin was there – the reason Chappu had died.
And the fact that it had been an Al Bhed at his beloved brother's side when he had passed – there weren't strong enough words to express the pain and suffering that that caused him.
He turned and began walking off in the direction of Macalania Temple.
"Let him go," he heard Sir Auron say. "Give him time to think."
Wakka heard footsteps running up behind him. He turned around, and was surprised to see Rikku. She untied his cloak from around her shoulders and dropped it onto the ground in front of him.
"I don't want anything that belongs to you near me," she hissed at him, mouth set in a firm line. "You've completely frozen me out, all because of who I am! Nothing I do or say is going to make any difference to you now, you know? So I'm not even going to bother any more! You want to know how I feel right now, Wakka?" Slowly and deliberately, she stomped her wet and muddy boot down on the cloak, crushing it and soiling it beneath her foot. "Like that." She gestured at the dirty fabric. Rikku figured it was pretty symbolic of what he had just done to her heart. She felt the tears threatening, but there was no way she was going to let him see her cry.
She spun on her heel and raced back to the snowmobile. She climbed on behind Sir Auron and they sped off toward the temple. Tidus and Lulu were not far behind. Wakka stood there, staring after them for what seemed like an eternity.
When they were all out of sight, he knelt and picked up the marred garment. For the first time in his life, the high road, the righteous road, didn't feel so great. In fact, it felt pretty damned awful.
But she betrayed me He argued with himself. It didn't help. In fact, it just made things worse.
He had been ready to care for her – maybe even fall head over heels in love with her – and she had betrayed him.
That was something he didn't think he would ever be able to forget.
A/N: Well, here's the next chappie! It's nice and long and pretty damned dramatic ... As you can see, I used a bit of the actual in-game dialogue, but I added a bunch of extra stuffto make it more gut-wrenching (lol)and fitting to the whole Wakka/Rikku storyline. Also, here are the Al Bhed translations for this chap:
"Ur hu ..." "Oh no"
"Bmayca ... hud drec, yhodrehk pid drec!" "Please ... not this, anything but this!"
"Tuh'd tu drec!" "Don't do this!"
"Tuh'd ehdanvana un oui kad drec!" "Don't interfere or you get this!"
"E femm damm Vydran!" "I will tell Father!"
"E ys dra 'guardian' uv Yuna, oui caa?" "I am the guardian of Yuna, you see?"
"Yuna ec cyva! Fa femm kiynt ran! Cra ec cyva!" "Yuna is safe! We will guard her! She is safe!"
"Fro ... ec drec rybbadehk?" "Why ... is this happening?"
As always, R&R and enjoy till next chap! XOXOXO, Rhianna XD
