Chapter 18

Rikku kept the sphere with her. Though she hated the thing she didn't want anyone else to know of its existence. Besides…there was something about it that her want to keep it close, grotesque as it was.

Rikku, Lila and Llaman headed to Bevelle…or rather what used to be Bevelle. They had no idea where to go now, and Bevelle seemed as good a place as any other.

When they arrived there, however, Rikku wished they hadn't. The place was reduced to a pittance of its former glory, everything crushed and twisted, the once proud city reduced to rubble.

They explored it however, Rikku playing a sort of game, seeing how much of it she could recognise.

Llaman had another vision. They didn't hurt him so much now he was used to them. This one hurt him in a different way, however. Rikku cried when he told her what he had seen, and although he himself hadn't been too upset, he hated hurting her.

Yuna was dead. She had locked herself in her depression, and let the life drain out of her, spewing out poison in every direction as she wilted. Finally she had died and gone to join her beloved Tidus.

Aura was queen of Calm now. Much as she hated to admit it, Rikku didn't like that girl. She'd been taught by Rin, and in retrospect, especially considering Rin's general creepiness and willingness to value machina over human beings, this had not been such a good idea.

Though she was not blessed or cursed with Llamans visions, Rikku could see the future as clearly as yesterday. Aura, pushed by Rin, would stop at nothing to ensure the comfort of some of the people at the expense of all the people. Shinra, obsessed by his machines had never really made any decisions of his own. He simply invented things. Whether they were used for good or bad was no his problem.

They pressed on through Bevelle. Eventually they came the chamber of the fayth. The glass floor under which Bahamut's human body lay, was cracked, the body frozen in form forever. Lying above it they found a sphere, a bright red sphere.

Llaman picked it up, again automatically. This time he didn't collapse although the sheen of sweat on his brow revealed how much effort this was costing him.

"Summoners…" he whispered. "They come, praying…for me to help…you can't tonight… brought here to Spira… a dream of the fayth…our dream will vanish…I – ah!" Llaman dropped the sphere. Still, he didn't collapse though his whole body was shaking and his messy dark hair fell into his eyes.

Rikku picked up the sphere, placing it in her pocket.

"Mom?" asked Lila, "What was that?"

"Y Vyodr." Answered Rikku. "Bahamut. Ra p'nuikrd Tidus du Spira." (A Fayth. Bahamut. He brought Tidus to Spira).

"Mom! What does that mean?" Lila frowned, looking so much like her father that Rikku was forced to smile, despite everything. She didn't know why she hadn't taught her daughter Al bhed. She and Yuna were pretty much the only ones in Calm to speak it, so she'd found it easier not to use it. And, as the years passed, she hadn't often thought of it. She wondered if the language would be lost forever.

"Mom! What did you say? I don't understand!"

Rikku smiled again. "Oui fanah'd cibbucat du," (you weren't supposed to).

"Mom!"

Rikku shook her head and quoted Yuna. "Draca calnadc yna hud vun oui du ghuf."

As her daughter gazed at her, confused and frustrated, Rikku decided she'd translate that last line.

"These secrets are not for you to know,"