Hi everyone! This is my first FF X-2 fanfiction. It is pretty much a prologue to an idea I had while trying to write the next chapter to my other story. Let me know what you think!

Aleigh Walker

Turbulent Skies

Why Me?

"Come-on Rikku. Please?" begged Yuna.

"Not a chance. Not even for a new dress-sphere." Rikku's voice was muffled as it drifted out from under the machina.

She had been working on this stupid thing for the last two days. Four days ago, the left side propellant engine on their airship quit, and they had made an emergency landing in the center of the Calm Lands. Not the smoothest of landings, but at least they were still in one piece. In one piece, but unable to fly anywhere.

Thus, they had been land bound for days. Brother had not taken it well. At all. If he asked her when the ship would be ready to fly one more time, she was going to tie him up and leave him to the Marlboro that was lurking around outside. Or whichever fiend that got to him first.

If Pops ever asked what happened to him, she could always say it was an accident. Yeah, she thought, an accident of birth. She chewed on her lower lip and tried to move her arm into a position it didn't naturally want to go. Had to reach…got it. Rikku pulled the offending wiring out and spliced in a new segment.

It had taken them two days to simply locate the malfunction site. Right now, they were trying to fix the blasted thing. Yards and yards of wiring lay burned. Rikku had followed and replaced electrical lines until she was seeing them in her dreams. Buddy was busily checking out the other engine, while Shinra was looking into the hardware programming; he thought that the malfunction may have been triggered by a code he had experimented with. Brother was, well… being Brother.

"Please Rikku" Yuna cajoled. "You know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

"The answer is still no." she glared at the black boots that were Yuna's.

The two of them had shown up about an hour ago trying to talk her into their madcap scheme. Yuna was currently pacing around the engine room in agitation while Paine was leaning against the wall watching the clash of wills.

"Paine, tell her how important this is." Just great, two on one Rikku thought as Yuna turned to the most silent member of the former Gullwings for support.

"Come-on Rikku, its worth sixty respect points." Paine enticed.

She heaved a sigh and blew a lock of hair out of her face. They weren't going to give up she acknowledged. She grumbled irritably as she climbed out from the machina. She was filthy and desperately in need of a bath. The smell of burnt plastic was probably permanently adhered to her skin and a combination of oil and dirt clung to everywhere. Ugh…

"Sixty respect points? You want me to convince Brother to let Gippal use his baby as a taxi service! You do remember that those two never have gotten along right? And as if that wasn't enough, you want me on damage control. I have a hard time keeping Brother under control, and in line. But with the two of them going at it… I'm liable to dump them both off in the middle of the ocean! This whole idea is… is…" Rikku floundered for a dire enough word to sum up the whole fiasco waiting to happen.

"Disasteriffic?" Yuna helpfully supplied.

"Exactly!" agreed Rikku. "Why don't you go ask him Yuna? I know exactly what his response would be. 'Yuna wants? Yuna gets!' Brother would never refuse a request from you." She stated reasonably. Perhaps she wouldn't be needed after all.

"Er… well I did. But…" Yuna scuffed the toe of her boot into the ground.

"But... what?" Rikku prompted the reluctant summoner.

"I believe his exact words were, 'No Yuna, no fly.'" Inserted Paine helpfully. "It seems that unless Yuna is going, he wasn't interested." Paine explained as Rikku rolled her eyes at her brother's antics.

"Please Rikku, it really is important." Yuna said desperately. "All of those old scrolls they found in that hidden room under Bevell hinted at the possibility of farplaine and summons research in the west sea. Just think how useful that information would be! Especially now, with the massive increase of fiends running around; it's harder than ever for people leave their home! Never have they been so bad." Yuna was really, really, worried Rikku realized.

Frustrated, Rikku ran her hands through her hair and paused mid way. Her hands, she remembered, were definably not clean; nor was her hair, at least not any more. aggravated she spun on her heel and kicked the side of the airship. The satisfying clang helped relieve some of her irritation.

"Aghh!" hollered Shinra, who still lay buried deep within the depths of engine. Rikku cringed.

"Sorry Shinra, I forgot you were still in here." She said guiltily as she poked her head inside the opening. That must have sounded really loud inside.

"No, kick it again! I think I found something!" his muffled voice drifted out.

Rikku caught the priceless looks Paine, and Yuna gave her. She grinned at them, shrugged and gave the metal casing a couple of swift and satisfying kicks. From inside she heard a cry of victory, soon followed by a metallic hum. Rikku danced in victory. Fixed!

"And that," drawled Paine sarcastically. "is the fabled 'secret touch' of the Al-Bhed." Yuna giggled.

After sticking out her tongue at Paine, Rikku reached down to help pull the struggling Shinra up out of the engine. In elation, she swung him around before he reached the ground safely. After gaining his own feet, he ran over to Yuna to give her a hug. Yuna embraced him tightly as they all looked up to see Buddy emerge out from under the still working engine.

"Please Rikku," pleaded Yuna after she let go to Shinra. "I need your help on this. Tidias and I would go, but we are needed here. Feinds had been slowly dieing out since the defeat of Sin, but suddenly more and more are appearing. People are starting to panic; they think that Sin may be coming back again. If I disappear now, people might start to panic." Yuna looked imploringly at Rikku.

"Awww, Yunie, you know I can't resist it when you say you need me. No fair. You know I promised to always be their for you." Rikku whined.

She looked over to Shinra and Buddy who had been listening to the whole idea and argument. If they agreed, she would do it. After all the airship wasn't exactly hers alone. She arched an eyebrow questioningly.

"Well, it has been a while since we have had any good missions." Buddy pointed out. "All of the spheres on dry land seemed to have been found. Who knows what we might find under the sea. I say we go for it."

"Certainly." Agreed Shinra. "Besides I have wanted to test my new underwater radar. If we have any trouble we can always keep in touch with the comspheres."

"Well, I guess that is settled. Yuna, consider the Gullwings are on the case!" Rikku bounced, ready for action despite her initial reluctance.

She was looking forwards to this more than she would admit. Buddy was right. The sphere hunting business had been slow of late. Really slow. After helping to save the world twice, Rikku found that she was happiest when she was constantly on the move.

"Ah, what about Brother?" Pain's question did little to dampen Rikku's growing enthusiasm.

"Well if he refuses…" Began Buddy.

"Then we mutiny!" finished Rikku.

"Is that allowed?" Yuna asked Shinra in surprise.

"Don't look at me, I'm just a kid." Shinra shrugged.

"Alright let's GO!" shouted Rikku enthusiastically.

"Ah, not you." Instructed Shinra.

"Ehhh? Why?" asked a puzzled Rikku.

"Your still supposed to be replacing wires." Explained the youngest Al-Bhed.

"Yup, Back to work." Ordered Brother.

"But, but I wanted a bath!" complained Rikku.

'Sorry Rikku. Orders are orders." Yuna smiled as she passed on her way to the stairs.

"Harsh crew." Commented Paine as she followed the retreating summoner.

Rikku watched as everyone in the room filed up the stairs and to the lift. She stuck her tongue out at their retreating backs. In dismay, she looked at the engine she had to finish rewiring before she could get out and find a bath.

"Awww... Why me?" she cried out in the empty room.