"Geez, Yunie, you're being awfully slow," Rikku whined.
"Just a moment, Rikku. I'm not used to wearing.. such attire," Yuna responded.
"Rikku, what is she doing?" Sora asked.
Rikku grinned. "She's wanting to become a spherehunter, but she can't go around dressed as she is and be one! You gotta have style and spunk and let people know she's not the sweet little Yunie anymore!"
"Rikku, I'm eighteen. I wasn't a sweet little girl in the first place," Yuna called.
"Then how did you let people run all over you, Yuna? You were much too passive, dear."
"Exactly. Now quickly get dressed and get out here. I still gotta get dressed into my outfit. We got someone to pick up from here, too."
Yuna threw the door open, and Sora's jaw dropped when he saw how different she looked. She was wearing a white tanktop that was a bit revealing, short dark blue shorts with a two-toned duster pulled around her waist and pushed to the side. On her feet, knee high, black tie-up boots. Yuna blushed.
"This is so unconcealing," she said quietly.
"That's the point. Duh," Rikku said in a singsong voice. "Now it's my turn to get dressed.
Within no time, Rikku was dressed and ran out of the room, but the reason she took so quick to get dressed was because she hadn't much to wear in the first place. She wore a sun yellow bikini with a short, army green skirt around her waist. She wore purple toned cowgirl boots on her feet, and a purple bandana around her head.
"I'll do my hair in braids, but later," she concluded. "It would take forever to put them in braids the way I want."
"I can braid," Sora said, embarrassed. "Kairi would always put Riku's hair in braids and wanted me to learn so I could braid hers."
Rikku grinned. "One sec." She ran into the cockpit and yelled to Brother. "Brother, oui mega?"
Brother turned around and his jaw dropped. His hair stood up straighter than it had already stood. "Rikku, (w)ro una oui tnaccat mega y (w)rina?!"
"Brother!" she shouted. "I am not!"
"What did he say?" Sora asked.
"Uh," Rikku started nervously, "he just kinda disagrees with what I wear, but that's his opinion."
Sora shrugged and smiled. "Looks okay to me," he said. "Just kinda like a bathing suit and skirt."
She grinned. "Exactly. We're going by my homeland to see my father, so I have to wear something like this because it's hot."
Sora turned to leave the bridge when he turned back to her on his heels. "Oh, I haven't explained why I'm here in the first place."
"Yeah?" Rikku said, sparkly eyed.
"I'm looking for a girl."
Rikku's smile dropped. "Oh? You have a girlfriend?"
Sora shook his head. "No, no, just a friend, but I live in a whole other world, and I have to get back to her."
Rikku frowned. "I see. Another world, you say? The Celcius here can take you anywhere in Spira."
"You misunderstand. She's not in Spira. Spira is YOUR world. My world is called Destiny's Island."
"The heck, you live on another planet?"
Sora scratched his head. "Er, sorta. Have you ever even heard of Destiny's Island?"
Rikku thought for a moment. "My friend, Paine.. her brother lives on Tyraine. Perhaps she can tell you where this girl is."
"So Tyraine is another world?"
Rikku smiled nervously. "If you put it that way, then I guess there are other worlds."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."
"That's where we're going now: Sanubia Sands. Father is there with Paine and her associates from the Crimson Squad."
Only shortly after saying this, Brother had landed Celcius in the soft, yet scorching, sands of Sanubia. Standing under an old Machina, which was now being used as sun shield, was Cid and Paine. Rikku also saw a young, blonde boy just to the right of her.
Jumping off of the airship, Rikku jogged on over to Paine, and gave her a tight hug. She hesitated a little and returned the embrace. "Good to see you again, Rikku."
"Likewise, Paine." She looked to the cute blonde boy next to Paine. "And who's this?"
"Name's Gippal," he said, and offered a handshake. "You must be the lovely Rikku."
"Oabbanc," she said cheerily.
"Ah, you're Al Bhed," he said. "Duh, should've figured that one out since you're Cid's girl."
"I need someone who needs your help," Rikku said, addressing herself back to Paine.
"Hey, hold on a sec, Cid's girl," said Gippal. "How about you and I have a little chat while Paine and uh..whoever has that talk?"
Rikku looked to Sora, and smiled nervously. "Sorry. You explain to her whatcha gotta do." Rikku turned from them and followed Gippal over a small machina, and they sat by it.
Meanwhile, Sora was a little hesitant to talk to this girl. "Hi, name's Sora."
"Paine."
"Boy, it sure is hot to be wearing black," he said, referring to her clothes. He laughed, and then stopped when she didn't join. "Ahem, so.. Rikku tells me you have a brother in another world."
She raised her eyebrows. "Yes. You can't get there unless you go through a world portal, however."
"Do you know where the one for this world is?"
She nodded. "Follow me."
She got on a sandmobile machina, and he held on tightly and he climbed onto the back seat. Sora kept his eyes closed while the sand whipped in his face. Paine, Rikku, Gippal, and Cid all had goggles, but he didn't, so he hadn't a clue where he was being taken. When the machina stopped, Paine pointed to a large sinkhole in the ground.
"We tell people not to go near it because a large fiend lurks within in and preys on human flesh. Anyone who goes near it will be dragged under." She looked to him and smiled. "But we know the real reason. It's a portal."
Sora smiled and nodded. "Thank you so much. Tell Rikku and Yuna thanks for everything and I hope Yuna finds what she's looking for." After saying this, he closed his eyes and jumped in. A blue light luminated from the hole, and Paine blinked.
"What was she looking for?"
"Brother, oui mega?" is "Brother, you like"
"Rikku, (w)ro una oui tnaccat mega y (w)rina?!" is "Rikku, why are you dressed like a whore"
"Oabbanc," is "Yuppers."
(I know you're thinking "What the crap? Why are her W's like (w)?" I don't know the Al Bhed letter for W, and I'm not using a translator, so there.)