Author's Notes: Wow!! Thank you for the Reviews!! They are all lovely!! I love it when I open my e-mail and there are a couple of reviews just waiting to be opened and read! It really means a lot to me! So...onto the story! Sorry it's been a while...I've been so extremely busy that I wouldn't have even dreamed it possible. But, today I can stay up until four in the morning to make sure that this chapter is the best quality for my great readers! If this chapter works out well and people get more interested I might be looking for a beta reader because as you have probably seen, my grammar and spelling suck! Also, if you are interested, I would love it if you would take a look at my other FFX-2 story that I have going on as well and give me your opinion! Translations are at the bottom again! Thanx so much! Please R&R!
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X or X-2. But, I am totally fascinated and obsessed with them!! Like everyone else isn't?!?
Chapter Two: "Home"
I stepped off of the ramp of the Celsius and placed my feet on the familiar rough sand of the Bikanel Desert. I looked up at the bright sun that shone down on me, creating a pleasant warming sensation that spread through my body. Closing my eyes, I sighed as a soft and relaxed smile curved on my face.
I was home.
"It's great to be back," Brother said from behind me. I nodded, my eyes still closed as I breathed in deep the familiar scent of the desert. "I didn't realize how much I really missed this place."
"I knew how much I missed it!" I said opening my eyes to look at the cheerful face of my brother. "Travelling is great, but sometimes you just need to plant your roots down again." I slung my bag over my shoulders and walked towards the only leftovers of "Home" in front of me; Brother followed close behind. I turned my head from side to side as I walked, observing all the other Al Bhed who were there attending to their own business. I laughed slightly as I looked from each person's face to the next. Everyone had the same bright blond hair and swirling green eyes that made us Al Bhed unique. It had been weird to be away so long and I had almost forgotten the way all of us looked so similar.
I soon reached the building that was looming before me in the sand, many workers and different types of Machina swarming around it.
"Brother? Rikku?" A familiar voice called from the left of us. Both Brother and I looked over to where the sound came and immediately recognized the approaching figure of our father.
"Pops!" I called running over to him with my arms stretched out. He quickly accepted my hug and pulled me to him, his massive arms squeezing my body tightly. Brother came up beside me and looked over at Pops. Once he had let me go, Pops looked over at Brother who had put his hand out for a casual shake. Our father grinned broadly, his sun tanned face wrinkling around his eyes and chin. He spread his arms open wide and gathered Brother in a rib cracking hung, tousling the little hair that he had on his head. I looked over at my father as he bear hugged Brother and chuckled softly to myself. He hadn't changed much over the time that we had been away. Last time we had seen him was some time ago in the Thunder Plains. Back then he had been all mopey over the fact that he was unable to gather enough money to start the rebuilding of "Home." It had been pretty funny to see Pops in his melancholy mood because he was still the broad, tall man that he had always been. His head was still as bald as ever and his jovial personality still there.
"Mop-head!" he said delighted to see his son. Brother smiled, his face showing a playful annoyance. "What brings you two back to the far reaches of Spira."
"We thought we'd stay here for a while," I said implying a slight question if we were welcome back or not.
"Great!" Pops said, placing his hands on his sides. "We need the extra help!"
"Extra help?" I questioned, slightly confused about what was going on.
"Haven't you noticed?" he asked me. "We have started rebuilding 'Home.'" I turned from Pops and Brother and looked around at my surroundings. My eyes grew larger in surprise as I realized everyone was working on the building that was half buried in sand beside us. This place was the only part left of the previous "Home" that Pops had to destroy during the attack of the Guado race a couple of years ago. Since then he had been trying to find different ways and using a variety of tactics to raise money to rebuild it. All of his attempts had been basically unsuccessful though.
During the happy rush of being home again, it had completely escaped my notice that it was finally being rebuilt. I jumped up joyfully, my arms coming up to my chest.
"I can't believe it!" I said, my voice rising to a higher pitch. My father laughed at me, thrilled that I had come back. "Of course we'll help! But how were you able to get enough gil to afford all the costs?"
"I'll have to tell you later in private," Pops said to me, putting his hefty arm over my shoulders. Brother looked at me and frowned slightly.
"I don't want to work!" he moaned, as his body slumped and his arms hung heavily at his side.
"Crid ib!" Pops said to Brother giving him a smack across the back of his head. "Ajah yvdan ymm ouin ytjahdinac oui yna cdemm y fesb!" I looked over at Brother and laughed. It was so true. Brother had been so pompous on the Celsius, strutting around saying that he was the Captain and that we had to follow him. In reality he had done basically nothing except order us around and follow Yuna everywhere.
"Vydran!" he said as if he was a child moaning about his chores.
"Oh, stop it. Or I'll pull that thing you call hair off your head!" Pops said making Brother groan in exasperation. "Now we need to do some catching up! Come on, you two must be starving. You probably haven't had a proper meal in ages." Brother made a slight huff of sarcasm in his throat.
"Like you could ever cook"Brother mumbled under his breath, his voice barely audible.
"What did you say boy?" Pops asked, his voice rising in mock anger.
"Nothing," Brother replied as if dismissing the subject, his head bent down and his eyes looking at the sand beneath his feet. Pops smiled and began to walk to a tent on the other side the main building of "Home." I looked over at them and tried to suppress my overflowing laughter.
It feels so good to be back, I thought as I followed my family across the sand.
oioioioio
Brother, Pops, and I sat in his tent, the low table where we had just been seated at before us. The surface of he table was scattered with small bowls that had held various foods. We had just finished eating and had told Pops about all of our sphere hunts and other adventures. He leaned back onto a small cushion and propped himself up on his elbow, pleased that we had done so much. My stomach full and my head exhausted, I lay down on a small recline couch on the side of the tent. Brother sat with his back against a chair across the room from me, his legs spread out in front of him.
"So I guess you would like to know how I gained enough gil to start rebuilding," Pops said, the amusement that had been on his face leaving. Both Brother and I nodded silently.
"Well," he said, looking down at his hand for a kind of distraction. "About three weeks ago I decided to come back and stay in the Desert permanently. By then, I had really started to grow weary and unsure if I would ever be able to start the reconstruction. I still had no money to begin. But two or three days after I arrived here, I got a visit from Gippal..." My face froze at the mention of his name and the beat of my heart had begun to quicken.
"He said that he wanted to donate a big sum of the money that the Machine Faction had raised to me so that I could use it for "Home." He even volunteered the labour of his men so that we could begin immediately. Most of the people out there right now are his workers." I looked at my father, my throat dry and lips unable to separate. Why would Gippal give up that much money to save a home, which he had left the moment he could? He wouldn't even live here or even come back if it was eventually rebuilt. That was something that Gippal would never do, or at least he wouldn't have so suddenly without it being public.
"But," I croaked suddenly. "It must have cost him millions of gil. Gippal would never willingly give up that much money." Pops looked at me and nodded, placing his hand up to his chin in thought.
"That's exactly what I thought at first too," he said, his voice lowering in tone and slightly puzzled. "I even asked him if he was making the right choice, but he made me accept the money. But he really seemed sincere, and not anything like I would've expected from a rebel like him. Everything seemed...normal. Except for one thing...when he was about to leave he asked me not to tell anyone, but especially you of his dealings with me. It was the only part of our agreement that bothered me, because he seemed quite stern and determined that you shouldn't know in particular."
"What?" I asked confused and somewhat offended, my brow furrowing as my eyes squinted. "Why would he ask something so absurd of you?"
"Knowing Gippal," Brother added in rather lazily, not really affected by the conversation. "He probably didn't want you to know because he could tell that you would freak out like this."
"Ahhhhh!!" I yelled picking up a cushion from the floor and chucking it across the room at him. "Oui yna cu ykknyjydehk! Ku tea!"
Pops and I continued to talk about the money issue, but in the end we couldn't figure out any reason for Gippal's behaviour. We just had to let the subject be. Even though what Gippal had asked of my father was strange, he had still provided us with a way to finally rebuild our home.
Over the next two weeks, I worked in the Desert and enjoyed the peacefulness of our secluded abode. I felt so more alive here than I had in Bevelle or anywhere else in Spira; I felt the positive energy from everyone else around me. No one had changed here and they all realized that everything in Spira was the same. They didn't hide their sight with false beliefs and views; I could really talk to people. This place made me really truly happy and I hadn't felt that way in such a long time.
I was very open and joyful here, but one evening would change it all over again. After a hard day's work, I found my feelings closing in again and head becoming more and more confused. That evening I received a very unexpected visit that would soon lead my mind in another whirlwind if thoughts.
That day I had really worked hard making my muscles extremely sore. But, all the aches made me fell even happier about what I did. The sun had begun to set, sending its golden orange rays across the sand. A chill breeze started to settle in the air, and was beginning to stir the sand on the ground, causing wisps to rise with the wind. I looked behind me across the desert and admired the beauty of the twilight sky. It was a really striking moment.
I sighed with delight and began to walk towards my tent on the far side of the area. I made my way over slowly, my legs weary. Finally getting there, I pulled the piece of beige canvas that was covering the entrance aside. I walked in and slumped down on the couch to my left. I needed some rest before I made my way back to the main tent where dinner was going to be served. I lifted one of my arms and rested it on my eyes in exhaustion. I let out a long breath as my blithe mind began to drift into a light sleep.
By the time I woke up again, the sun had fully set and the lanterns around the camp had been lit. I walked out of my tent with a sweater on and looked out at the peaceful night. The stars were now shining brightly and the moon was looming mightily in the sky. The lanterns swung lightly in the wind, the light they were emitting bobbed up and down making them look like small spirits that floated in the sky. They whole place looked somewhat like a dream.
I walked towards the largest tent in the camp, which was on the far side of the building of "Home" I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my sweater, my body shivering faintly in the nippy air. My boots crunched in the sand as I drew closer to the tent, where the voices of many other people could be heard. I was about ten yards away when I stopped suddenly and looked up into the sky. The sound of an engine roared above me as massive dark object descended from the sky. The object landed on the sand, rumbling the ground to some extent. I looked over at it as a ramp on the underside was lowered. Three people walked down the ramp and off towards the main building. They were probably just men that had business with Pops.
I walked into the tent and was bathed in a shower of glowing orange light. People were seated at long tables along the left and right side of the tent enjoying a warm diner and chatting with whomever was near them. No one noticed me as I stepped in and made my way to the table that Brother and Buddy were seated at.
"Hey guys," I said as I pulled up a chair and sat down beside them. I leaned my elbows on the table and dropped down still tired from before.
"Here eat something," Buddy said kindly to me, as he pushed a bowl of stew towards me.
"Thanks," I replied somewhat sarcastic, looking at the lumpy green and brown surface. I frowned down at it, playing with the chunks with my spoon. "Looks...questionable."
"Eat it," Brother said to me before taking a spoonful himself. I plunged my spoon into the stew and lifted up a big clump, stringy morsels falling from over the sides. I brought it to my mouth and slowly placed it on my tongue. I swallowed hard, an oozy like feeling running down my throat.
"That's actually...not bad," I said smiling before eating more. I quickly finished the bowl that Buddy had given me and stood up to go get more from the serving table on the side. I made my way along the rows of people and was almost there, when three men entered from the entrance that was just to the left of me. I looked over at them, my face growing long and my jaw dropping as I realized who they were. Two of the men I recognized as being substantial organizers in the running of the Machine Faction on the other side of the Bikanel. They hadn't really caught my attention, but Gippal, who was standing in between them, did.
My heart began to quicken and my hands started to become clammy, making it impossible to keep hold of my bowl. My swirling eyes watched him as he moved his head from side to side observing everyone around him. No one other than me had really noticed them as they entered and walked along the rows of tables to sit down.
I placed my bowl down on the table nearest me and walked towards the entrance. I lifted the canvas and was about to leave, when my head turned to where he had sat down. Suddenly twisting his head around, he looked over to where I stood. A smile spread across his face, which made my heart flutter and made my head light. Our green eyes caught for a second, but then I looked away and left the tent to return to my own.
I walked into my tent and lit a small candle to give me some light. I placed my hands on my stomach, which had suddenly started to turn. Taking off my boots, I let the cool sand spread through my toes. I sighed, before I lay down on my bed finally completely giving way to my growing exhaustion.
Why is he here?
Translations
"Crid ib!" – "Shut up!"
"Ajah yvdan ymm ouin ytjahdinac oui yna cdemm y fesb!" – "Even after all your adventures you are still a wimp!"
"Vydran!" – "Father!"
"Oui yna cu ykknyjydehk! Ku tea!" – "You are so aggravating! Go die!"
Yay! I really really hope that you enjoyed that and you want to keep reading on! The plot is starting to thicken. Why is Gippal there? Where did he go in the darkness of the night? Is Rikku going to admit to herself what is in her heart? Hmmmm...all very puzzling questions that will be discovered in the next chapter!
So again, thank you for reviewing my story! I'm glad you guys like how Rikku bursting out like that! I hope I didn't go overboard with it! Please tell me if you think that this chapter is a bit too choppy. Or if there are anyways that I can inprove it, just tell me! I'm open to anything. Anyways...I will update as soon as possible...so bye for now!
