Worth Fighting For
By Letselina
For Saikia
"I don't know what's worth fighting for,
Or why I have to scream.
I don't know why I instigate,
And say what I don't mean.
I don't know how I got this way,
I know it's not all right.
So I'm breaking the habit tonight."
- Breaking the Habit, Linkin Park
"Was it even worth fighting to get you back?" - Yuna; Old version of Worth Fighting For
Chapter One
Reunion
Long braids of golden hair decorated with colorful beads whipped the cerulean blue sky. A wide set of pearly teeth were revealed as a grinning Al Bhed kept her balance upon a magnificent scarlet ship. Her heart raced through the skies of Spira as she looked at her two friends. Quick at recovering, the Al Bhed hardly seemed winded by the battle with the Spira-threatening weapon, Vegnagun, and the love-struck and destructive ghost, Shuyin.
She was only seventeen, and she was on her way home from saving the world, for the second time. Well, from helping save the world. She could never do it alone. And the real savior was the brunette whose name was famous throughout the land.
Rikku didn't mind much though. She loved to travel, and she loved being with her friends, especially her famous cousin, Yuna. Turning her head, she looked at a silver haired woman who was more mature than she was. Paine, a young woman would rather brood than say a kind word, looked at peace. The wind wisped through her hair as she turned to face Rikku.
"Do you really think we had to leave like that?" Rikku asked, raising her voice to be heard over the airship. They stood ontop of the Celsius, the headquarters of the Gullwings. "Just think of the party we're missing!"
"Hmph," Paine groaned slightly, still smiling, "Don't you think we party enough?"
'I suppose!' Rikku thought, giggling. 'Everyday is a party in my life.'
"Brother! Higher!" a cheery voice called.
Rikku's head turned to see the girl who had spoken. Brunette hair, and an outfit she had picked out herself, Rikku's cousin was the idol of Spira. The savior. Yuna was the most gentle, kindhearted person she knew.
"Roger!" yelled Brother, from the bridge.
"Brother! Faster!" she cheered.
"Rogerrrr!" Brother cried back, energetic as ever.
Yuna laughed, "I can't hear you!"
"Rogerrrrrrrrrrrr!" he screamed.
Rikku smiled, 'This is why we're called the Gullwings,' she thought. 'Because gulls are free.' She looked at her cousin, and her smile dimmed slightly. 'No matter how much Yunie tries,' she thought with an inward sigh, 'she can't prove to anyone she's gotten over him.'
"Look," Paine spoke after a long silence between the three sphere-hunters. "There's Besaid in all its glory," she joked as the small, almost primitive, island came into view.
"Home," Yuna nodded slightly.
Rikku and Paine walked closer to the nose of the ship, near Yuna. "Besaid's peace will be nice after all the trouble we've been going through," Rikku chuckled.
"It will," Yuna nodded again. She stared at the island, squinting her eyes. "I wonder who that could be..."
The Al Bhed and warrior both squinted, attempting to see what had caught Yuna's eye. 'Huh...' Rikku thought. She saw a single figure standing on the sandy beach. 'Who ever goes alone to a beach? And don't they see us? We could hit them!'
As the Celsius came closer to the island, Yuna emitted a tiny gasp, and pushed past Rikku and Paine. She ran back into the ship, leaving the two confused.
"What's her problem?" Rikku wondered, looking back at the beach. "No way!" she cried.
The Celsius hit the water, spraying the figure with the salty ocean, but Rikku recognized the figure immediately. She saw Yuna jump from the ship, before it even came to a full stop, running at full speed to the figure.
"It's him, isn't it?" Paine assumed, looking at the Al Bhed.
"Tidus..." Rikku whispered his name, smiling widely. She felt her heart pound loudly in her head, and excitement rushed through her body. "Come on!" she cried, running inside the ship, Paine close behind. They ran through the ship, not even acknowledging Brother, Buddy, or Shinra.
Out of breath, they walked out onto the ledge that extended to the ground. Rikku smiled, seeing Yuna and Tidus cradling each other in their arms. She laughed softly, glancing at Paine, who smiled.
"She seems happy," the warrior mused.
"Trust me," Rikku replied, looking out to the beach where Besaid's residents had gathered. "It's more than just happy."
"Hey! You two!" a familiar accented voice cried out.
The former summoner and blitzball player pulled apart at the voice.
"Get a room!" Wakka laughed from the beach.
The blonde male laughed, throwing out an arm, "Who asked you to watch Wakka?" he joked.
Rikku giggled, yelling out a loud, "Hiya!" throwing her arms in the air.
The couple standing in the water began to run toward the beach, and Rikku and Paine started walking into the shin-deep water. "I can't believe he's back," Rikku stated, skipping along.
"You must have been good friends," Paine mused.
Rikku ran backwards, so she could see Paine, "Yeah," Rikku nodded. Tidus had been her first non-Al Bhed friend. The first person who hadn't cared what her eyes looked like. The first non-Al Bhed who shared the same passion to save Yuna. "We were like best friends."
They reached the beach as the red-haired man gave Tidus a large bear hug, picking him off his feet. "Good to see yah!" he chuckled.
"It's great to see you too, Wakka," Tidus said, grinning wildly once Wakka had released him.
"It's been much too long," a woman with long black braids spoke. She cradled an infant in her arms.
Tidus' cerelean eyes widened, "...Apparantly much too long... Is that..." he pointed a gloved finger at the baby, who already had a layer of red fuzz for hair on his head. Scrunching his nose, he shook his head, "I don't even want to know..."
The black mage chuckled, "You've missed out on some things."
"That's what Yuna said," Tidus laughed, looking at the brunette beside him.
"Victory!" a group of men cried out.
"The Aurochs!" the blitzer laughed, "Did you guys win without me?"
Rikku laughed, shaking her head at the blonde's antics as he ran around, greeting familiar, and some unfamiliar Besaidians. "Hey!" she yelled, "Aren't you forgetting someone?"
Tidus turned around, a huge grin on his face turning into feigned confusion as he faced Rikku. "I could have sworn I heard Rikku," he said, winking at Yuna, "but all I see is this pretty blonde over there," he pointed at Rikku.
Yuna giggled, "Well, if she's so pretty, maybe you should ask her where Rikku's gone."
"What? I didn't change that much!" Rikku put her hands on her hips, "Yunie's changed much more than I have!"
Tidus laughed, throwing his arms around Rikku in a friendly embrace, "Of course. I'll always recognize my first Spiran friend!"
Rikku smiled, embracing him back. She noticed his clothes and hair were damp, and he smelled strongly of the ocean. She wondered if it was because of the Celsius, but brushed it away as she squeezed him around his shoulders. "We missed you tons and tons!"
Tidus pulled away, looking at the Al Bhed, "You really have changed though."
"Not at heart!" Rikku laughed, her braids flying through the air as she shook her head.
"I bet not!" Tidus chuckled.
Rikku smiled sheepishly, unable to take her eyes off her friend as he was introduced to Paine. She didn't really hear what was going on, because her heart was pounding too loud. 'What's going on?' she wondered, shaking her head. Her stomach fluttered, and a strange sensation was shooting through her body. It had begun when she had hugged Tidus, but brushed it away as the ecstatic happiness to see a long, lost friend.
"Rikku?" Yuna waved a hand in the blonde's vision. "Spira to Rikku! Are you in there?"
"Huh?" the Al Bhed came back from her trance-like state, "What?" she looked quizzically at her cousin.
"I asked you if you were going to stay in Besaid with us tonight," Yuna raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah!" Rikku nodded her head, "We can throw a Welcome Home party for Tidus!"
"Sounds like fun!" Paine chipped in, odd for her character.
"Then you guys can tell me everything you've been doing!" Tidus grinned.
"Yeah!" Rikku giggled again.
"But first, I want to go and see Spira on this ship you guys have!" Tidus said, looking wide-eyed at the Celsius. "It's even better than the one Cid had!"
"Come on!" Rikku jumped up, "I'll race you there!"
"You're on!" Tidus laughed.
"One, two... Hey! You CHEATER!" Rikku screamed as Tidus ran ahead of her.
A/N: Welcome to the rewrite of 'Worth Fighting For'. I'm not quite sure where this is headed, so I won't update as often as my other stories. No more than two weeks between each update though, I promise. This story is dedicated to Saikia who hasn't stopped sending me emails and reviews telling me to update my Final Fantasy stories. This is for you girl! Review on your way out- Letseina.