A/N: Well, here's a nice long chappie for you guys, since I won't be writing any this weekend (sorry)! Hope you like it ... this chappie is the turning point in the story, from here on, it's going to be all kinds of fun! XD So R&R as always! Here are the few Al Bhed translations for this chap:
"Fru tet drec du oui?" "Who did this to you?"
"Vydran!" "Father!"
"Ku, ku, ku!" "Go, go, go!"
Some of the dialogue and whatnot in this chap is directly from the game, but I've peppered it up with a bunch of my own stuff to make it oh-so-dramatic! Whoo-hoo! Enjoy! Rhianna XD
Chapter Six
Gravity of Love
On his walk to the temple, a thought occurred to him. After everything had gone down between himself and Rikku, everyone – even Lu – had been on her side. Was he really that unreasonable and stubborn? Was he wrong?
He had always hated admitting that he was wrong. It felt like weakness to him, and in this case, he still wasn't entirely convinced that he was wrong. Maybe everyone else was, and he was the only sane one left.
The walk to the temple was long, lonely, and cold. He looked at his muddied cloak forlornly. Had it really been only a little over an hour ago that he and Rikku had been huddled closely underneath the garment's warmth? He could remember perfectly how she had smelled –spicy and sweet like cinnamon and sandalwood and roses – and how perfectly she had fit into his side. Her giggle echoed in his mind.
What was he doing? Why was he still thinking about her, as if nothing had changed?
Because nothing has changed. The voice gnawed at his mind, threatening his sanity, his beliefs. His faith.
"No, everything has changed!" he said aloud. No one was around, and to tell the truth, he wouldn't have cared either way. "She's forbidden, ya? She's like Sin itself."
And she had lied. To his face, blatantly lied. They had become friends – more than friends – and she could have told him at any time. But she didn't. Why?
But he knew the answer. He knew why she hadn't been forthcoming about her heritage; why everyone else had told her not to say anything. Because of how he was behaving now. If he was going to be honest with himself, and he thought that he was, he knew that even if she had come straight up to him, baring her soul – Wakka, I am Al Bhed – he would have reacted the same way.
The Al Bhed – no matter how he felt about one of them – they were all to blame. They all used the machina; they all went against the teachings. He wouldn't forgive.
He couldn't forgive.
Part TwoThey weren't going to let her into the temple. The priest took one look at her face, noticed her swirled emerald green eyes, and held up his hands. "The likes of her are not allowed inside this hallowed place," he sneered.
Rikku felt like crying all over again. This day really couldn't get much worse. It was cold, Yunie was in there all alone with Seymour, the stupid priest wouldn't let her into the temple, she had lost Wakka.
Wakka.
She didn't want to think about him, but he was still nagging at the back of her mind. The way he had looked at her – it had pierced her clear through the heart. It was the coldest look she had ever seen from anyone, anywhere. And the fact that it was directed at her …
Sir Auron came up behind the young Al Bhed, and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He had seen how difficult this day had been for her, and he was determined to ease her pain a little, if he could.
"She is a guardian of the Lady Yuna," he told the priest.
"An Al Bhed, a guardian?" the priest spat. "That's preposterous."
Rikku wondered if punching the smug Yevonite bastard priest with her Hurricane Claw would be entirely unreasonable.
"She is here of her own volition, and that is all one needs to be a guardian," Sir Auron said firmly, giving the priest a look that left no room for argument.
The sound of snow crunching behind her made Rikku turn around. Wakka had finally made it to the temple, and he was standing behind them, watching the scene unfold.
He probably loves this! Rikku thought bitterly. He probably feels that it proves him right or something! She quickly turned away from him and looked back at Sir Auron, who ushered her inside the temple.
Wakka trudged in slowly behind them. "Rikku!" Tidus called out. Rikku, thankful for the escape, ran over to where he and Lulu were standing.
Sir Auron stopped in front of Wakka and led him off to the side. "You're keen on repentance, aren't you, Wakka?" the older guardian asked.
Wakka was puzzled, but he shrugged. "Uh, yeah, I guess so."
Sir Auron nodded once. "You have much to repent for today."
All of a sudden, it dawned on Wakka what this was all about. "I'm not the one who lied to everybody, ya?" he said forcefully.
"She lied to nobody," Auron said, his voice never faltering.
"She lied to me," Wakka retorted, feeling very insignificant at the moment.
"Obviously this bothers you a great deal more than it bothers anyone else," Auron said quietly. "Perhaps you should think about why."
With that, the red-clad guardian walked over to where the others stood. Wakka glared at his retreating form. He was tired of being chastised. Everyone was entitled to their own beliefs, ya? So why was everyone being so hard on him?
He didn't have time to contemplate the subject much longer, because there was suddenly a blood-curdling scream coming from one of the temple's chambers.
"Lord Jyscal!" the woman cried. "A sphere! In Lady Yuna's belongings!"
The guardians made their way into the small room behind the stairs. Auron "humph"ed to himself. "This may well answer a few questions."
Tidus quickly flicked the sphere on, and then sat down on the floor beside Rikku. Wakka couldn't help but feel a little pang at the sight. They're sitting awfully close, aren't they? But any and all thoughts about Tidus, or Rikku, or anything for that matter, quickly left his mind as they watched the sphere.
Lord Jyscal appeared and began speaking in worried tones.
What I am about to tell you is the unclouded truth. I swear it on my honor as a Guado. Listen to me very carefully, for I will tell you the truth about my son, Seymour. His mind is closed, even to me, a Maester of Yevon.
But I can feel flames of darkness burning in his heart. He is using Yevon, the Guado, and even the summoners. If he is not stopped, he will surely bring chaos and destruction to Spira.
I will leave this world soon, killed by my own son. But I do not fault him. Because I was not wise enough, he has suffered, and become twisted. I could not protect him and his mother from the world and its cruelty. I will accept death as punishment for my deeds
But whoever is watching this …I implore you to stop Seymour! Stop my son!
The sphere clicked off, and Rikku bounded up. Auron grunted. "Wonderful," he said dryly.
Rikku turned to Sir Auron with worried eyes. "Will Yuna be okay?" she asked in a small voice.
"Without us, no," Auron said bluntly.
Kimahri and Rikku didn't need to hear anymore. Rikku looked up at the blue beast and they nodded at each other. Then they raced out of the room.
"Hey, where you goin'?" Wakka called.
Tidus, on his own way out the door, turned to look at Wakka. "You saw right? Seymour's bad news!"
"Yeah, but …what are we gonna do? Kill a maester?" Wakka protested feebly.
"Fine, stay here if you want!" Tidus yelled. He was tired of all this today. Wakka had been stubborn about Rikku – and her heart had been crushed. Now, he was being stubborn about Seymour – and Yuna's life hung in the balance. If Wakka wanted to go back to Besaid at this point, Tidus could give a dingo's ass. He was in this for Yuna.
"Come on, Wakka," Lulu said gently. "Let's at least hear him out."
Wakka shook his head sadly as the first tremors began to shake and fissure his once rock-solid faith. "This can't be happening."
Part ThreeIt was hours later, and she was freezing cold. Rikku didn't have many thoughts in her head at this point. What good would thinking do any of them? They had killed Seymour. And they were now traitors of Yevon.
The thought made Rikku smile wryly. As if she had ever been a friend of Yevon. She looked sadly at the blitzball captain. Well … maybe she had been, for a little while. She shook her head, hoping to make some sense out of all this.
Where were they? She looked around at the group; no one else seemed to have any ideas either. Sighing, she sloshed through the icy, ankle-deep water and stood by Tidus. He was watching vigilantly over Yuna, who was still unconscious.
"I'm sure Yunie's fine, Tidus," Rikku said reassuringly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "She's breathing and all." Taking a deep breath, she surveyed her surroundings until her eyes landed on Wakka. Wrinkling her nose, she turned her attention back to Tidus. "How are Lulu and Wakka?" she asked, trying not to sound too bitter.
"Well, Wakka's in shock," Tidus began, looking at Rikku sadly. "Can't blame him, really. He's had a hell of a day."
"We all have," Rikku countered. "He's not the only one who lost something today."
Tidus nodded. He understood, she didn't have to go on. "And Lulu," he went on, "well, she's just the same as always."
Rikku bit her lip. "She's so together. All grown up, I guess." Shivering a little, she shrugged.
"I guess," Tidus said, a little confused as to what she was talking about. He turned around to talk to Kimahri. "So, Kimahri, how do you think we're supposed to get out of here?"
Exasperated, Rikku tapped Tidus on the shoulder. "Hey! Don't change the subject!"
"We climb," Kimahri responded to Tidus' question.
Rikku stomped her foot and put her hands on her hips. "Kimahri too!"
The Ronso finally looked at the young Al Bhed. "Only those who try will become," he said stoically.
"Huh?" Rikku asked, puzzled.
"I think he means you have to work hard if you want to be like Lulu," Tidus explained, though to be honest, he really wasn't sure what the Ronso meant either.
"Oh! I will!" Rikku said emphatically.
"Kimahri think Rikku should stay Rikku," Kimahri continued.
"Hey! Are you saying I'll never be like Lulu?" Rikku protested. "Kimahri!"
Tidus laughed, and hearing the sound made Rikku laugh too. It was funny – she didn't know why they were laughing, but it felt good to let it out. Everyone had been so tense …
"How can you laugh at a time like this?" His voice was angry and cold, and the biting remark was aimed mostly at Rikku. She looked up, her expression slightly pained. "Have a little respect, ya? Or do you even know what that is?"
Rikku was about to open her mouth and say something really heinous to Wakka, when Tidus' voice broke into her thoughts. "Yuna!"
Relief washing over her, she ran to her cousin's side. "Yunie, you're awake, you're okay!"
Yuna smiled sweetly. "I'm fine, really. I'm sorry. Are you all okay?"
Everyone else nodded. After a few minutes of silence, Yuna finally explained why she had gone after Seymour alone, without telling her guardians of the plan.
"I know it was the wrong way to go about it, and I apologize," she said. "But I thought, I could negotiate with Lord Seymour. I thought I could convince him to turn himself into Yevon's judgment."
"In exchange for marriage?" Tidus filled in the blanks.
"Yes," she said quietly, not meeting his eyes.
"What did Seymour say?" Tidus asked.
"He – he didn't say anything. Now … now I don't even think it was worth it." Yuna shook her head sadly. Rikku knelt beside her and put a comforting arm around her cousin's shoulders.
"Enough." Sir Auron's voice was harsh, cold. "Dwelling in the past is futile."
Rikku jumped up, glaring. "Hey! You don't have to say it like that!"
"You want to waste time listening to her regrets?" Auron retorted.
Rikku turned back to Yuna and sighed. "You don't have to say it like that," she said, softer this time.
"Yuna, are you willing to continue?" Auron asked his summoner.
She nodded. "Do you think Yevon will allow it?" Her bi-colored eyes were full of questions.
"It doesn't matter," Auron proclaimed. "It's the Fayth who give the summoners their power, not the temples or the teachings. If the temples try to stop us, then we will defy Yevon, if we must."
Rikku's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "I can't believe you said that!" she gasped, walking over to him.
Wakka eyed them stonily. All of a sudden, Sir Auron was the big hero in her eyes – when not so very long ago, it had been him. Well, screw that! He wasn't going to defy the teachings just to impress some little heathen wench.
"Well, count me out!" he nearly shouted. "We have to atone, make up for the sins we have committed …"
"Aaaaargh!" Rikku screamed, suddenly fed up. "Shut up, Wakka! I'm so tired of hearing about your atonement and your transgressions and your Yevon. Don't you get it? This isn't about Yevon any more! It's about Yunie, and her pilgrimage, and the fact that like it or not, we just killed a maester! And you were there with us! You wanna back out now? You wanna stay here under the ice? Fine, no one's gonna stop you. But no one's staying here with you either!"
Her face was red, and her blood was boiling. But, damn, that felt good.
Yuna looked sadly at her cousin, and then at Wakka. "We must go to Bevelle," she said firmly. "We must speak with Maester Mika and explain what has happened. There is – no other way, I think."
Wakka, still shaken by Rikku's outburst, was glad to have something else to focus on. "I agree," he told Yuna.
Rikku rolled her eyes. "Yep, as long as it's Yevon-commissioned, he's on board …" she muttered. She hated that there were tears stinging the back of her eyes, hated it even more that they were there because of him.
"So it is decided?" Auron asked Yuna.
"Will you come with us?" Yuna asked him hopefully.
"Well, I am the troublemaker after all," Auron said dryly.
Rikku, thankful for the diversion, jumped in. "That's right! Kimahri roars, and Sir Auron runs off …"
"I never asked you to follow me," Auron quipped.
"Yeah, but that's what friends are for," Tidus replied.
"Right!" Rikku agreed, and then she smiled impishly at Tidus. "Friends, huh? You know, that's only the second time ever a non-Al Bhed's called me that."
Tidus grinned. "Second time, huh? Who was the first?"
"Chappu," Rikku said with a sad smile.
Wakka stood a few feet away and he overheard the conversation. "Friends?" he spat at her. "You call him your friend, but your people are the reason he died."
Tidus shook his head and massaged his temples. "Wakka, chill out," he said.
Lulu concurred with Tidus. "You're too edgy, Wakka. Listen to the Hymn and relax."
"How can I relax when she's over there talking 'bout my brother, sayin' they were friends, huh?" Wakka said sharply.
Rikku's features crumpled, but she held her head high. "Oh, so what, Wakka? Because you hate the Al Bhed, it's impossible to think that your perfect brother might actually have cared about someone like me? Did you ever stop to think that maybe what he did, he did of his own free will? Nobody had to force your brother to do anything!"
Wakka didn't say anything; he just looked away from her and stared off into the distance.
"Fine, I give up!" Rikku said, throwing up her hands. "Have it your way!"
She stormed off to sit by herself. She hid her face in her hands and felt the first teardrops fall from her eyes. No, Rikku, dammit, don't cry over him. He's not worth it – he's just proven that. But no matter what her head was telling her, her heart had a different story all together.
She sat alone for a while before anyone else spoke.
"The singing stopped," Lulu commented.
All of a sudden, the ground began to rumble and quake.
"There's something here!" Wakka called out. He didn't see Rikku anywhere, and as much as he hated to admit it, he was worried. Where the hell was she?
"Sin!" Yuna gasped.
The world went black.
Part FourWhen Rikku woke up, the first thing she felt was the heat. She noted the sand that she lay on with a smile. Bikanel. I'm home! Closing her eyes dreamily, she tilted her head back to greet the hot sun. "Oh, I've missed you!" she cried out, laughing. After all that time in Macalania and under the frozen lake, being back in the desert was like heaven to her.
Looking around, she wondered where everyone else was. She remembered what they had said about staying put if they ever got separated, so she sought out shelter under an old lean-to.
Sitting there was really boring. She began drawing pictures in the sand, hoping and hoping that somebody – anybody – would come along soon.
It seemed like hours before she made out the shapes of five people rushing toward her. Jumping up, she began waving like a crazy person. "Over here!" she called out.
Tidus, Auron, Kimahri, Lulu, and Wakka all hurried to her location. "Where's Yunie?" Rikku asked.
Tidus shook his head. "Gone," he said, his voice cracking.
"Gone," Lulu repeated. "Some guardian I am."
"Um, there's something I want to tell you," Rikku began slowly. "But promise not to say anything!" Her eyes immediately darted to Wakka. He glowered at her angrily. "No glaring, either!" she protested. "I know where we are. We're on Bikanel Island. There's a place us Al Bhed call Home near here. Yunie's there, I'm sure of it! Other Al Bhed would've come and rescued her."
"Rescued?" Wakka retorted angrily. "Don't you mean kidnapped?" Why did he feel the need to argue with her at every turn? He knew – he knew – that it wasn't helping anything. But she had hurt him deeply, and he wanted to make sure that she felt his pain tenfold.
Rikku wished she could make him understand that she was hurting as much – if not more so – than he was. She was really sad about the way things had worked out. She wanted her friend back, and more than that, she wanted the possibilities of what they could have been back.
"Oh," Tidus groaned in exasperation. "Wakka, what does it matter as long as Yuna's safe?"
Rikku nodded emphatically. "That's right! And I'll take you there if you promise not to tell anyone about it. Especially not Yevonites. You know they don't like us – who knows what they'd do if they knew …"
"Oh, gimme a break!" Wakka shouted. "What are you accusing Yevon of this time, Rikku, huh? Plagues? Fires?"
"Yevon did something really bad to us before," Rikku said in a small voice. She refused to let him break her.
"Well, you Al Bhed must've deserved it, like you always do!" Wakka retorted.
"What makes you think you're so much better than me, Wakka?" Rikku exclaimed. "Just because you're Mr. Holier-Than-Thou Yevonite does not give you the right to decide which race gets special treatment and which race gets crapped on!"
"Aaaaargh!" Tidus cried out. "Can you guys talk about this later? We do have a summoner to find!"
"Just promise you won't tell anyone about this island," Rikku pleaded, her eyes begging each and every one of them.
If Wakka wasn't mistaken, she held eye contact with him a little bit longer than she did with anyone else.
"Wakka, come on!" Tidus yelled.
"All right, all right, I promise!" Wakka said with resignation. "Lead the way."
Rikku nodded. "You got it!" The Al Bhed led the group through the desert swiftly and deftly. "It's just over this sand dune up here," she told them after about two hours. She could tell that they were fading quickly – not being used to the desert could make the trip through Bikanel hellish.
Smiling to herself, she crested the hill.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Her scream was deafening, shrill, heart-breaking.
Tidus reached her side first. "Rikku?" he said.
Rikku's hands were covering her mouth and nose and she was shaking her head violently. "No, no, no, no, no!" she whispered over and over again.
The others quickly joined them at the hilltop, shock and horror written all over their faces. "What?" Wakka exclaimed. "Yuna's down there?"
Lulu shook her head. "Let's go."
The guardians raced down into the midst of the fighting. They ran past several Al Bhed soldiers. "Where's Yuna?" Wakka demanded.
A young Al Bhed fell over just a few feet in front of them. "Keyakku!" Rikku screamed, running to his side. She dropped to her knees beside him and cradled his head in her arms. "Keyakku, Keyakku," she murmured softly, her tears mingling with his blood. "Who's attacking us? Fru tet drec du oui?"
"Yevon …" the young man choked out. "Guado … Sorry … Rikku …" He sputtered and coughed a little and then went limp in Rikku's hands.
Rikku shook her head, her tears falling freely now. "Keyakku? Keyakku!"
Wakka felt like he'd been shot. Everywhere, Al Bhed were falling, and bleeding, and screaming. And at his feet, the little one who mattered the most was sobbing her heart out. He'd been an idiot … but what could he do now?
All of a sudden a bald man approached them. "Rikku?" he said.
"Vydran!" Rikku jumped up and into his arms.
He hugged her quickly, and then knelt to check Keyakku's pulse. He stood and shook his head. "The Guado have come for the summoner … they're tearin' this place apart." He looked at the people that stood behind Rikku. "You Rikku's friends? Well, don't just stand there! Let's kick these Guado outta our Home!"
Everyone followed the man inside, but Tidus and Rikku hung back. "Who's that?" Tidus asked her.
"Cid. The leader of the Al Bhed. He's my dad," Rikku said softly.
"Let's go," Tidus said gently.
"Right. We have to save Yunie," Rikku said.
"Not just Yuna," Tidus told her.
She looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks," she breathed, following him inside.
"Yuna! Where are you?" Wakka was calling. The group was ambushed by fiends and they made short work of dispatching them. "What in Yevon's name are those Guado thinking?" Wakka asked after one such fight.
Rikku, standing next to him, just shook her head. Do you see now, Wakka? she wondered. Do you understand? "This is terrible!" was all she said.
They ran into the next section of Home, and Cid's voice came blaring over the intercom. He yelled in Al Bhed and Rikku's throat closed up.
"Oh no," she murmured.
"What'd he say?" Wakka asked.
"We have to get underground!" Rikku told them.
"Where's Yuna?" Auron asked sharply.
"The Summoner's Sanctum – this way!" Rikku led them through a maze of tunnels and down a flight of stairs. "It's over here."
She led them through a mechanized door. The next room was in ruins. The walls were on fire, fiends and Guado were everywhere. There were dead Al Bhed no matter where they turned.
"This place done for," Wakka said carefully. The last thing he wanted at this point was to upset her even more. He'd done enough of that.
Rikku just looked up at him, tears brimming in those emerald pools of hers. "You're right," she said sadly. "You're right, Wakka." Putting her face in her hands she kicked the nearest wall and cried out. "Aaah, this really sucks! We Al Bhed, we weren't always like this," she explained. "Sin destroyed the island where we all used to live. We were all scattered, all across Spira. But then my dad, Cid, he brought us back together again when he built this place." She looked around her surroundings sadly. "Everyone worked so hard building this place. We had our Home back. But now – Why did things have to turn out this way?"
Wakka turned to her. At this point, he would have told Yevon to go take a flying leap. He didn't care about anything right now – except her. And she was hurting.
"Rikku …" he said quietly. He put his arms around her and was somewhat shocked when she allowed him to hold her. "Damn those Guado," he said forcefully, stroking Rikku's hair and rubbing small circles on her back. "What are they thinking?"
The group just stood silently for a moment, allowing Rikku to cry a little.
"Rikku," Lulu said gently. "What's the Summoner's Sanctum?"
Rikku pulled away from Wakka's strong embrace and looked at the mage. "It's where we keep the summoners. We keep them safe there."
"You do kidnap them," Wakka said, but there was no contempt in his voice.
"I know it's against the teachings and all …" Rikku began slowly.
"I get why you did it," Wakka told her. "But …"
"Well, I don't get it!" Tidus shouted. Now it was his turn to be angry. "I mean, they might get hurt on their pilgrimage, so you kidnap them? If guardians do their job, the summoners will be safe, right? Right?"
Nobody said anything for a long time; they all just looked at the boy from Zanarkand sorrowfully. Nobody wanted to be the one to tell him the awful truth.
"It's quiet, Kimahri go now," the Ronso finally said. Everyone followed him down the final flight of stairs and through the last door.
Inside the Sanctum, the summoners Dona and Isaaru sat. Dona stood when the group entered. "Yuna's not here," she said. "Hello again. Wait there until we've performed the sending."
The two summoners performed the dance, and then Pacce, one of Isaaru's brothers and guardians, came up beside Tidus. "What's 'sacrificed' mean?" he asked. "I heard the Al Bhed say that summoners were being sacrificed."
Tidus looked back at the group, accusation in his eyes. "Why couldn't the Al Bhed trust the guardians to protect the summoners? You had no right stopping their pilgrimages …"
"The pilgrimages have to stop!" Rikku cried out, suddenly not wanting to lie any more. There should be no more lies – it only caused trouble. Tidus had a right to know that Yuna was going to die. "If they don't, and they get to Zanarkand … I mean, Yunie could defeat Sin, but then … Yunie will die, you know?" Rikku fell to her knees in despair. Wakka placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"What?" Tidus asked, dumbfounded.
"You know, right?" Rikku asked, begging him to know so that she didn't have to say it out loud. "Yuna told you, didn't she? Summoners journey to get the Final Aeon – and with it, Yuna can defeat Sin. But if she calls it – the Final Aeon will kill her too!"
Wakka pulled her up off the floor and back into his arms. Rikku watched, tears streaming down her face, as Tidus sank to his knees. "Was I the only one who didn't know?" he asked, his voice broken and detached. "Why didn't I know?"
"We weren't hiding it," Wakka said calmly.
"It was just too hard to say," Lulu finished.
"I've been telling Yuna … Let's go to Zanarkand. I told her all the things that we could … we could …" Tidus felt like he was about to cry, but this time, he didn't care. "I can't let her die! I'll find her, and I'll find a way!"
Cid's voice came over the intercom again. The group ran up a narrow flight of stairs into what appeared to be another room. "We have no time!" he yelled. "Ku, ku, ku!"
Everyone congregated in a large room full of machines and sphere screens. Tidus and Cid were having a heated argument, one that ended with Tidus promising to do everything in his power to keep Yuna alive.
"You better remember those words, boy," Cid said warningly. "Now, we just have to go find her. Using this airship!"
"Airship?" Wakka asked, eyes wide. The room began to shake, and Wakka knew that Cid had not been lying. The airship took off and began its ascent slowly.
"Next, we use that!" Cid said, pointing to something that only the pilot could see.
The pilot, Rikku's brother, said something quietly and then began singing the Hymn of the Fayth. Cid joined in, and Rikku began crying. Wakka looked at her, concerned. "What's goin' on?" he asked her.
"We're … we're gonna blow up our home," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.
Cid ordered the Al Bhed sitting next to Brother to fire. There was a loud explosion and an intensely bright burst of light, and the airship sped up to escape the blast. Brother began to cry softly, and Cid went to comfort him.
Rikku sat at the back end of the bridge, her knees tucked up underneath her, head in her hands. Wakka went to sit in front of her. "Hey," he said quietly.
She looked up at him, her face tearstained.
"Don't get so down, huh? Boom! Like happy festival fireworks, ya?" Wakka said cheerfully, smiling, hoping to make her do the same.
Instead, she glared at him, venom in her gaze. She jumped up. "You can cram your happy festival, you big meanie!" she cried, turning and running from the bridge.
Wakka sighed sadly and shook his head. "Dammit … that sounded so good in my head," he muttered to himself.
Behind him, Lulu exhaled noisily. "Wakka!" she cried in exasperation. He looked up at her. "Honestly. That's the best you could do?" She gave him a pointed glare. "You better go do damage control. And whatever you do, don't mention fireworks or happy festivals, okay?"
Wakka stood up. Lu was right. He had to make this right – he had to make all of this right. He couldn't give her back her Home; no more than she could give him back his shaken faith. But he could offer her a shoulder to cry on, and arms that would hold her like they never wanted to let go. He could lend her some of his strength to help her get through this. He could love her.
All he had to offer her was an apology – and his heart. He only hoped that would be enough.
