Chapter 1

"Tell me again, why we have to go to Bevelle?" Rikku asked impatiently, lying back in her navigator's chair, absentmindedly fingering on of her long, blonde braids. A loud and long sigh emitted from behind her. "We are going to be knighted by Praetor Barali, for defeating Vegnagun." Shinra said, a little computer like, from behind his desk. Shinra. Ten year old computer boffin. Like a little brother to Rikku.

"But I'm already a 'lady'. Hello! Guardian material remember?"

"Yeah. But we aren't 'sir's' are we? You'll just have to go through it again." A voice from the far side of the ship informed her. "You are right Buddy! Now everyone will praise me! The leader of the Gullwings!" The heavily accented voice of Brother echoed throughout the bridge. Rikku rolled her eyes. "Give it a rest bro huh?"

Closing her eyes and lying back against the soft, leather, thoughts swirled through the Al- Bheds mind. 'I never ever wanted to go back to Bevelle if I could help it. Way too many bad memories. It's not Barali's fault. He doesn't know. Its just….'

A large blast interrupted her thought, sending both her and Buddy slamming into their computer screens. "Owie! What was that?" Rikku yelped, rubbing her forehead in pain. "We've got a majorily huge storm headed our way.!" Buddy shouted back."We just got hit by a huge bolt of lightning. Gullwings! Defensive positions! Brother get us outta here!"

"Ymnyto ys!"

"Currently loosing 30 of power! The engines can't take it!" Shinra's muffled scream cried. "Speed faliu… Cred this is strong!" Buddy screamed as another bolt hit the Celsius. "We're done for! One more hit and we're toast. Literally!"

Rikku felt paralysed to her chair. She hated lightning. She hated knowing she was gonna die. She had to stop it. She wasn't about to let her friends get zapped. She had to be strong. She had to protect them. She had to be like Yunie… She knew what to do.

As quick as a flash, she jumped out of her seat and hurriedly sprinted to the elevator. "Rikku! Wait! Come ba..." She couldn't make out who had pleaded for her to come back. Buddy? Brother? That was the last she heard anyway.

Reaching the top deck the doors opened, revelling a dark hell. I was sitting here a few minutes ago! Rikku thought to herself. Running uneasily to the centre of the deck, Rikku selected her black mage sphere. Light glowed around her, illuminating her peachy skin. Slamming her thief daggers together she threw them to the ground. Causing them to awkwardly jut out. Taking a deep breath she pushed down into her boot and flew up into the air. Keeping her eyes gently shut, Rikku felt her thief attire slowly melt away from her skin, feet up, being replaced by the black mage. A conductor flew to the ground while flames encircled a humanoid figure. As they cleared, the image of Rikku appeared, now magically decked out in witch wear and holding her conductor. Now was not the time to worry about her own fears. Now was the time to worry about saving her friends.

Summoning her concentration, Rikku focused on a spell that she had learned off Yuna a few months ago. Waterga. The most powerful water spell. Raising her conductor above her head with one hand she moved it in a lasso type motion. Feeling the power build up inside her Rikku gripped on more tightly to her pole. When the power became too much to bear she spun round and pointed the pole forward. "Tidal Wave Incoming!" She bellowed at the top of her lungs. Almost as soon as she had ended the sentence, what looked like a monsoon of water dropped down from the heavens. Large waves of water surrounded the ship, covering wherever the conductor pointed. After a short while the entire ship was protected by a large, bluish, shield of water from fan to fan. Lightning hit the water, being absorbed, drawing it away from the ship into the water itself. Sparks flickered and twinged, inches from Rikku's face. It was taking all her strength just to maintain the magic that powered the shield. With each passing moment she grew weaker and weaker, magic feeding off her strength, sapping her strength. 'Hurry up! I can't last much longer! Nearly there! Not much longer. I can see the light!'

Sure enough a few moments later, the ship emerged dramatically into the open air. The end of the storm! Brother had flown them out! Rikku sighed in relief lowering the conductor, watching through squinted eyes as the shield evaporated as quickly as it had appeared. However as the shield evaporated it seemed to take her energy with it, as if it was desperately trying to remain in this world. With a small sigh Rikku mustered enough strength to feebly grasp hold of her thief sphere. Without jumping this time she simply kneeled as her witch appearance was replaced with her usual thief bikini, scarf and skirt. Her white mage was far too many garments away. She would just have to manage…

Crawling to the edge of the deck, Rikku stared out across the ocean, paying her thanks to its services in her time of great need. Nodding finally, with one last breath, she let go. Head spinning she felt her knees give way to the huge pain flowing through her. Slowly slipping from the Celsius, towards the sea below Rikku uttered one word "Sorry"

First chapter complete! Yay! Now I can start the next! I think for the next I will use first person just cause I feel like it and I think it will explain the story better. Hopefully you enjoyed that chapter? I hope so. It took me a while to get it right, I had to keep changing the ways Rikku falls. First lightning strikes, then invisible force? Most of this is being written while listening to the Gorillaz album Demon Days by the way. So please review! Pretty please with a chocolate chocobo on top-