Arkinlae was awakened by Sheshay shouting
"Kinny we miss boat hurry."
"Come on," Zen also hurried grabbing Arkinlae by the hand, "Yuna's team already left."
Arkinlae grabbed her staff and was dragged out of the Crusaders Lodge slightly blinded by her mass of raven black waist length hair wafting in her face. The Al Bhed ran all the way through the village not saying goodbye to no one. Not that it mattered, no one acknowledged them going. People only went to the docks because of Yuna. Arkinlae and her guardians ran up the slope to find Yuna and her guardians praying at the Promontory. Except for one. The Zanarkand boy. Arkinlae didn't pray, but went over to it and looked at the sky.
"Fayth help me to fulfil my task, what I set myself out to do. What I want to do. What I feel I should." Doing that made her stronger because now as a summoner Arkinlae felt that the Fayth were really watching over her and it increased her belief. Inside her head though were thoughts that were shared with no one. Do you think the Fayth are really going to watch over you? They only really watch over people who lives would matter being lost. Like Yuna for instance, if Sin attacked she'd be the first one they'd protect, but oh how they make so many mistakes…
Arkinlae shook her head she wanted to get thoughts like that out of her head she'd always had thoughts like that since she could remember repelling her good ones, almost as if they were someone else's…
When Arkinlae and her guardians got to the dock the boat was almost about to leave
"Dzrg!" (Wait!) Shouted Bekayla.
The three guardians ran ahead of their summoner just getting up the gangplank before it was pulled up. When Arkinlae got there seeing it had gone she ran up and to a huge but rather gracious jump from the dock landing in a somewhat undignified heap on the boat deck flat on her bottom.
"Oo ow!" Arkinlae moaned tears pricking into her eyes.
"Look hair." Sheshay giggled.
Arkinlae's hair had gone and flopped over her face.
"Don't worry leave this to 'Almighty Summoner' Arkinlae."
She proceeded to take a small upward blow as if she was casually blowing a loose hair out of her face, but doing this on purpose Arkinlae knew it wouldn't work. She continued to blow harder and making it noiser, until she moved it with her hand to find that she and her guardians were a laughing wreck again, as the had been on the boat from Bikanel. When the laughing subsided Arkinklae got up, rubbed her bottom, which set of a few more giggles and then turned around and looked at the people on the dock. She looked out at the people on the dock. They were all waving at Yuna some of them crying. Only the priest of the temple took a distrustful stare at Arkinlae and then turned back to Yuna.
"Why does she bother becoming a summoner when she matters to so many people? Just because her father was one? I know she wants to good for people but don't she think it would make things better not to go and let someone of smaller significance go?" Arkinlae muttered.
You're only saying that because you want to defeat it. Yes I know what you're trying to do and go one with it if you want. But yes that's where the Fayth are wrong, it is Sin hurting the innocent that drives Yuna and they continue to protect her, when they should really protect the innocent. Oh poor simple-minded Fayth…
"Shut up!" Arkinlae said a bit louder than she would have liked, because most people who were standing around her and people who eventually gathered round Yuna looked round and stared at her. Arkinlae immediately turned away. Zen came over.
"Okay guys shows over." He told them, "Don't worry," he muttered to Arkinlae, "I know you don't like people staring at you."
When the crowds around Yuna had gone Sheshay had gone over to Yuna, Arkinlae, Zen and Bekayla who it seemed had appeared out of nowhere joined them. Arkinlae wanted to ask Yuna whether she'd seen Rikku recently and was going to tell her how Rikku had been last time they saw her.
"Hey Yuna," Arkinlae called, Yuna acknowledged she was there with a meek 'Hi', "So do you want me to tell you how R-."
Lulu had come over to Arkinlae and her friends.
"Excuse me Yuna, can I talk to them a second?"
Yuna of course had no objection; she was still wary of Arkinlae's guardians especially Zen and Bekayla.
Lulu ushered them over to a part of the boat where they might not be overhead.
"I ask you not to do that." Lulu pleaded but still in the dark monotone voice she used for most words.
"But Rikku said that Yuna was her cousin. She wanted to know how she was." Arkinlae said
"Yes I am not saying she isn't or she doesn't, but. You know how people are treating you now? Well I suppose you're used it?"
"Yeah, go on." Zen said
"Well Yuna won't it might destroy all her confidence. Also someone over there is an Al Bhed hater." She paused and gestured over at Wakka, " Please don't tell anyone about Yuna's lineage."
"Very well." Arkinlae agreed, "Lulu, do think it will be okay to come along with you and Yuna?"
"Why?" enquired the black mage.
"Well I'd feel better if I had another summoner travelling with me." Arkinlae explained, "We don't have to go all the way if you don't want. We can split in Macalania Woods."
"Well I don't really have any objections you seem nice enough, apart from I think it would be better if you didn't talk with us unless you need to. You'll have to discuss it with Yuna though."
"Thanks Lulu." Arkinlae said, "And we won't tell Yuna or anyone about Rikku. I swear."
With that Arkinlae went to ask Yuna. Yuna was not in the least bit happy that another summoner would be coming along but she accepted when Arkinlae told her they would splitting up. She didn't want anyone but her to defeat Sin but her really, but in the end she also felt she wanted another summoner so she didn't feel so alone.
After that Arkinlae and the others went to go and sit on the top deck. The people who were standing near to them edged away further. Zen, Seshay and Bekayla started to have a conversation. Arkinlae was sat hunched up slightly apart from them her mind on the summoning.
What went wrong? She thought. Sure my dance was different from Yuna's, but the Fayth said it didn't matter as long as I concentrated on summoning the aeon.
Zen came over and sat beside her.
"What's wrong?" he asked
Arkinlae was not one to share her problems, but when she did it was nearly always Zen she went to. He understood the best. It didn't mean she couldn't talk to Seshay, but Seshay was younger than her and might not understand. And as for Bekayla, well Bekayla wasn't the brightest bulb in the box.
"It's just well, in Besaid-."
"The summoning right?" Zen cut in.
"It's just, I don't understand what happened."
"Arkinlae, is oui sure you're a summoner?"
"Yes the Fayth said so."
"Said?"
"Yes."
"Well if you can summon or not, we'll stick by you."
"Thanks Zen."
Suddenly the boat gave a lurch, which caused everyone on the boat to slide down to the left side of the boat. Sin was attacking. Tidus and Yuna were on the very front of the ship and Tidus was desperately holding on to Yuna's hand to stop he from falling into the water.
"We have to help them." Arkinlae said
"Got it Kinny." Replied Seshay.
Seshay, her brother and Bekayla got tossed around as they tried to get to the stairs. Arkinlae however jumped off. Normally someone might have got injured from doing that but when Arkinlae did it, it felt as if she was flying. She landed safely on the lower deck. People on the boat had fired a harpoon into Sin's fin. Before Arkinlae got up to fight, she stayed in the same position she had landed in. She could her some words, mixed in with a slight wail. It sounded as if it was coming from… Arkinlae shook her head and went to join Yuna and her guardians.
Yuna summoned Valefor and Arkinlae feeling stronger and confident just decided to fight on her own or so it seemed. Yuna made Valefor use energy ray which destroyed all of the Sinspawn in one blast. But more kept coming.
"Yuna the fin!" shouted Arkinlae
As Valefor had already used its overdrive, it had to attack and use sonic wings, which barely did any damage. Arkinlae knew she couldn't use an attack that powerful and there was no point in summoning her aeon. Wait she thought. I never dismissed mine, and the pyreflies… Arkinlae knew her overdrive was full but she couldn't see much point in using that. That was only good enough against fiends. Suddenly Arkinlae from Yuna's point of view had a bemused look on her face.
"Hey Al Bhed!" called Wakka, "You hear to help or just stand and watch?"
Angered by that comment and because it had suddenly come to her knowledge of how to do it, all of a sudden Arkinlae did something that mystified everyone on the boat. She swished her hair round in a circle and…
"Energy blast?" gasped Yuna
The fin had been weakened quite a bit and Arkinlae knew as did Yuna that if the kept relentlessly attacking and using magic then they would eventually defeat the fin and it would get unhooked from the harpoon. Valefor flew and attacked and Arkinlae used black magic and eventually both summoners made the fin unhook from the boat and destroyed the Sinspawn. The boat was safe. However Kilika had not been saved, as they soon found out.
Arkinlae fell back on the floor exhausted while Yuna dismissed Valefor. A few minutes after Arkinlae dismissed hers. The pyreflies came out her and formed back into the aeon. Hers looked different to when she first summoned it. It seemed to look sickly as it flew off and the colours had changed to black, orange and violet.
It was not long before the boat reached Kilika port. Both summoners and their guardians dismounted. Arkinlae stared in amazement at the destroyed homes. So this is what Sin was capable of? It amazed all four Al Bhed seeing the destruction. Sin hadn't affected Bikanel as much as this. The looked at all the crying distressed people, and it made Arkinlae almost weep herself.
"The faster we defeat Sin," she said, "The sooner all this can stop, and maybe then Al Bhed and people of Yevon can be friends, if people know it was an Al Bhed summoner that defeated it." They followed Yuna to a spot where the people of Kilika had laid their dead, ready for the sending. Yuna went out onto the water and danced. While the others watched, Arkinlae looked at the pyreflies they were the spirits of dead she believed. As she stood there it was almost as if they were calling out to her.
"Why did we have to die!"
"What makes you so special that you can live!"
Voices all shouting curses like these filled Arkinlae's ears. She covered them to try and block them out, but it was almost as if the were inside her head.
"Shh shh." She whispered almost without realising it, "You're going to the Farplane, you will be joined by those you envy in their own time."
"Kinny?" Seshay shook her, "Finish."
" I never want to have to watch that again." Arkinlae said, "I want to do the next one."
"R wlm'g dzmg gl sfig blfi uvvormth, yfg R wlm'g gsrmp kvlkov droo dzmg oui gl wl z hvmwrmt. Blf'iv Al Bhed ivnvnyvi?" (I don't want to hurt you feelings, but I don't think people will want you to do a sending. You're Al Bhed remember?) Bekayla reminded
"Well Al Bhed or not I'm still a summoner." Arkinlae said
Kilika didn't have much in store for Arkinlae and the others after that except assisting Yuna and her guardians defeating Lord Ochu. There had been the occasional head turn and usual whispering from people at the temple and almost a dismissal from the priest there and an encounter with the Luca Goers, which had aggravated the Al Bhed sufficiently, but in the end both summoners came out with their aeons. For both parties now it was off to Luca for them to cheer on the Al Bhed Psyches and The Aurochs in the Blitz tournament celebrating 50 years of Mika being Maester.
"Ho hum here we go, more Yevon drivel." Arkinlae said partly as a joke, but one that was taken the wrong way.
"Psyches." Bekayla and Seshay chorused.
"Well at least that's something to look forward to." Zen said. And all the others agreed with shouts of 'Psyches Psyches Psyches' for part of the journey.
I wonder if the Psyches will win this year? Arkinlae thought. However no one knew as yet. Only when they were in Luca would they know.