A/N: Chapter Two is finally here! To all three of you who care, we're starting to get to the good part. I say starting because my typical style is to create epic stories that span twenty or thirty chapters. The problem, of course, is that I also have the tendency to throw out these novels after about seven chapters. Eh...here's to hoping! Also, if you want a disclaimer, go to the first chapter for it. From here on out, that is what you will get for a disclaimer, you lazy bastards. Anyway, on with the show.


Chapter Two: How'd I Get Here?

Ah...the infinite bliss of a comfortable bed...I have not felt the likes of it since I left Lut Gholein... Desperately, I clung to my semi-conscious state in an attempt to return to sleep. However, several voices were hindering my efforts.

"Ec ra ymeja?"

"Ra'c hud tayt, Rikku."

"Oayr...ra zicd fyhdc du cmaab."

"What the hell are you three talking about?" The first three voices had been female voices indicating varying levels of compassion and spunk. Each had also been speaking in a strange, foreign (to me) language. The fourth voice was decidedly male, and it was clear that he had little patience in him.

"I think you know full well what we're talking about, Jonathan," the first voice replied toyngly. To me, it seemed, from the sound of her voice, that the first girl was somewhat ditzy, very energetic, and cared for most people.

"Is that so, Rikku?" "Jonathan" responded. There was little compassion in him, but enough intelligence to know when he had to aid someone for the good of the cause...whatever that cause may be.

"Oac, ed ec," "Rikku" retorted.

"You know, for being the one that said we should stay pretty quiet while we're in here, Rikku, you sure are doing a bad job of it!" the third voice pointed out. This girl was obviously known to be a quiet girl, but she had the kindness of ten angels packed tight into her finite being. "Keep it down."

"Better do as she says, Rikku," the second voice taunted. This voice was cold as ice: I don't think I've ever encountered anyone who acts quite as distant and indifferent as she does. However, though they have differing demeanors, she and Jonathan clearly have much in common as far as character goes. "After all, she is the high summoner."

"Even so, she ain't the boss of me!" Rikku responded.

I finally decided that getting back to sleep was highly unlikely under these conditions, so I began to stir.

"See what you've done, Rikku!" Jonathan declared. "You woke him up!"

"That's not entirely true," I managed to state. I didn't expect it to be that hard to speak, but now that I was actively regaining consciousness, I found that I had a significant headache and was sore in places I didn't even know I had places. "I...I heard everything you four have said so far...starting with...well, those three lines of nonsense...you know, the second one was someone addressing Rikku..."

"Nonsense? They were speaking Al Bhed," Jonathan replied. "Even though it's just a cipher for English, it's still a bitch to learn..."

"I'll take your word for it..." I answered weakly. I opened my eyes slowly and found myself looking up at a high, red, metallic looking ceiling. I struggled to sit up, but waved off a blonde whose hair was absolutely crazy when she tried to keep me down. "Get off me," I demanded a bit harshly. "I'm sore...not broken." The blonde looked hurt, so I apologized. "Sorry...I just hate having people try to control me when I'm like this...they think they know what's best for me better than I do. Well, believe me...I've been like this more than once, so I know what to do about it...a bit of rest and relaxation and I'll be just fine."

"Are you sure?" said the brunette. She was the one who possessed the superhuman kindness.

I grinned weakly, then replied, "Yes, I'm sure..." I looked around at the room I was in and saw a couple of beds other than the one I was in (one served as the seat of the blonde who had tried to hold me down). I saw a railing that prevented falls from this level to a lower level. I saw what appeared to be a wall covered with drinks, so I assumed there was a bar or tavern on the lower level. I saw strange emblems on the metallic walls. I was not in Sanctuary anymore. "Um...where am I?" I asked.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to ask that question," Jonathan replied. "You are definitely NOT in Sanctuary anymore," he continued, echoing my thoughts. "The world you are currently in is called Spira. It is, at once, both similar to the world you left, and fundamentally different." I furrowed my brow in confusion at this statement, but remained silent. "Once we get out into this world when we go on a mission or two, you'll see what I mean." With that, his little improvised speech concluded.

"Okay...so...how did I get here?"

"That's a little harder to answer..." the girl in black replied. "All we know is that you washed up on the shore of Besaid, Wakka called us, and we picked you up. As Brother and Rikku carried you up to the ship, Wakka and Yuna kept exchanging significant glances...yeah, those are the looks." She was referring to the glances Rikku and the blonde (I assumed that was Yuna) were now exchanging. "What is so significant about a guy washing up on the Besaidian beach?"

"Paine, do you remember Shuyin?" Jonathan asked. Paine opened her mouth to say something, but Jonathan continued before she could get too far into her rant. "Well, someone who looks a lot like Shuyin washed up on the beach at Besaid three years ago...just in time to join Yuna in her pilgrimage, in fact. He played a key role in destroying Sin for good. Yeah...that's why." Jonathan fell silent, and Paine remained silent.

After a few awkward moments of this silence, I struck up a conversation again. "Well, now...since I'm not going anywhere for a little while, why don't the five of us get to know each other?" I turned from one girl to the next (I turned to Jonathan last).

"Erm...I suppose that would be a good idea...seeing as we're going to be working together soon." Such were the words of the brunette.

"Really?" I said in a way that implied the old 'I never agreed to that!' argument, but, since they did pick me up, and one could only assume they intended to nurse me back to health, seeing as I'm not dead yet, I couldn't muster much of an argument. "Okay...who wants to go first?"

"I will," Jonathan replied. "I am, besides you, the newest passenger on this airship. I'm not really that remarkable except for my interest in video games and Duel Monsters."

"Duel Monsters?" I asked stupidly, having never heard the term before in my life. The three girls had expressions similar to the one I must have been wearing.

"Yeah, Duel Monsters...I'll have to show you later. Anyway, what you see is pretty much what I've got," he continued, gesturing to his clothes and himself. "I brought some of my video games on board, but nothing else: it all got left behind...along with my old life."

"I'm Rikku!" the peppy blonde declared, picking up the slack. "I'm an Al Bhed and-along with my brother," she added in a very small voice before continuing outloud, "I am the main reason we have an airship to ride on!"

"Are you saying you stole the money to buy the airship?" Paine asked tauntingly.

"No!" Rikku answered. "It was one of the ones Pop was using in...his business venture. Brother and I just...commandeered it."

"So you stole this airship itself? That's a lot better," Paine taunted again, but by the look on her face, she didn't really mean it.

Seems she's not as cold as she seemed, I thought.

"Well..." Rikku geared up to tell some backstory about the airship, but Jonathan would have none of it.

"Not now, Rikku," he commanded. "He doesn't even know all of our names yet, and you already want to fill him in on everything that's happened in Spira for the past THREE YEARS." Rikku slumped in her seat, and the brunette took over the introductions.

"My name is Yuna," she began. "This, as you know, is Rikku, and this is Paine," she continued, gesturing to the "platinum brunette".

"Usually, they do their pose at this point, but, since you're too sore to appreciate it, I think they're going to spare you the embarrassment."

"Shut up, you," Rikku commanded, but Jonathan made it clear that he did it of his own accord.

"Regardless, I appreciate your...restraint. So...I suppose it's my turn, now..." I took a breath before beginning. "My name is Kaji Fireson. I am a sorcerer who journeys (or...journeyed...) around a land called Sanctuary in my quest to hunt down and destroy the three Prime Evils."

"Prime Evils?" the three girls asked unanimously, but Jonathan would answer for me.

"The three Prime Evils: Diablo, Mephisto, and Baal. They are the main cause of grief in his world, just as Sin was in your world before it was destroyed. They caused immeasurable Destruction across the land, instilled Terror into millions of hearts, and planted and encouraged much Hatred among those who survived."

"Ah..." the three girls unanimously replied.

"So," Yuna began slowly. "Um...did you manage to kill any of them before you...well...ended up here?"

"Yes...two of them, and I can prove it," I declared. "Jonathan, was it? Could you hand me my robes?" The armor that I wear underneath my robes was still on me, but the robes themselves were hanging on a peg above the adjacent bed that Jonathan was sitting on. Unquestioningly, he handed me my robes. Sorely and painfully, I reached into a pocket on the inside of my robes and pulled out a long, ovate rock. It was incredibly shiny and colored a bright blue.

"Ooh...what is that?" Rikku asked, entranced by the stone's beauty. I slapped her hand away urgently (causing me a bit of pain, but it was worth it).

"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" I cried. "This is Diablo's Soulstone! You mustn't touch it or you will be corrupted by Diablo's evil taint!"

"Then why are YOU touching it?" Yuna asked as though I were being hypocritic...and, in a way, I was.

"I am touching it because I know that I cannot be placed under a Prime Evil's corrupt influence. I have extensive experience handling Mephisto's Soulstone, that's how I know before you ask," I continued, looking at Jonathan. He had opened his mouth to say something, but he quickly shut it again. I placed the Soulstone back into the pocket of my robes, then Jonathan hung them back up. "Well, now...other than the fact that I specialize in fire magic, you know all there is to know about me now."

"Great. Now that the introductions are over, we can let you rest again." Yuna stood up, and the others followed her example. "We'll check on you every so often, but, if we do it right, you will never notice while you're asleep. Once you've recovered, we'll go on a mission or two to help you regain your strength. Sound good?" I nodded slightly, then closed my eyes. I was asleep almost instantly.


Well, there it is: chapter two. Chapter three is already underway, but, like chapter two, it may be a while before it is online. Until then, tell me what you think of the first two chapters. Praise me, instruct me, whatever. I encourage criticism of my work, but only if it is constructive and productive. Flames...why do you people even bother? It only pisses people off and nothing good comes of it. Anyway, that's all for now: I'm done. See you in chapter three!