ACT II: CALM BEFORE THE STORM
Chapter Six
Time flew ever so slowly as Ceres waited for them to return from the ocean's depths. She hadn't thought she would worry so much about people from a dream but she'd yet to wake up from this strange apparition. God forbid, this all be real!
She let the captain take her around the ship to appease him. The goofy man dramatically pointed to what seemed like random things to her. In the first few rooms, she'd nodded her head and smiled. As the tour went on, she felt guilty and stopped lying. Her smiles turned into grimaces and forever shrugging shoulders. She had no idea what he was showing her and the language barrier did none to help.
Frustrated, he shoved a book in her arms and guided her to the roof of the ship before locking her up there. She screamed and kicked at the door for maybe 5 minutes before deciding she'd rather not spend her energy on futile things.
Resting her feet, her eyes carried over to the wavering ocean. Dark and lush in its continuing motions. She finally allowed the waves of the ship rock her into peace.
For once, she truly felt alone with her thoughts. And pondered her situation.
If she woke up, she would be walking down the aisle, clutching her uncle's hand. She'd look dazzling in the dress picked out for her, hair pinned perfectly as usual. He'd tell her how much she looked like her mother and how proud her father, his brother, would be. She'd look on with tears, biting away her bitterness.
Real tears formed behind her eyes and she sniffed, rubbing them raw. Crying always made her uncomfortable and feel weak.
She decided, instead, to pick up that book. The tome was quite thick and filled with pages and pages of nonsense. There were some pictures and portraits of people she didn't know.
She had more luck in the back of the book, a section on Al Bhed machinery. There were sections of wiring and basic instrument pathways.
It's fucking engineering!
Interest piqued, she spent much of her time guessing how each machine operated without aid of the captions. She still did not understand Al Bhed and could not for the life of her figure it out. So she settled for assuming.
"Hey," she heard a latch open. A yellow and red head popped up from the small hole she'd been barred from. "There you are!"
She couldn't fathom being anywhere else, being a stranger to this ship but she didn't comment. Rikku began pulling her back down into the ship, still wearing her goggles.
"I think you broke Brother."
"The captain's your brother?"
Rikku steered them near a dim-lit corridor and to a window holding a single tray of spicy food. Rikku told her the name of it before but she can't remember.
"Well—yes, but his name is Brother."
"Oh..."
She did not see it.
"Sorry?"
"He's sensitive. It'll be alright."
Rikku led them back to the staircase that would bring them outside. She opened the outer door and Ceres' eyes were assaulted a bright white light. It was quickly gone, apparently roaming the area. Rikku pulled down her goggles and stepped forward with the tray. Before Ceres could call Tidus' name, Rikku lightly kicked his arm from underneath him.
"Hey!"
"What's with you guys and kicking people down?" Ceres asked, rolling her eyes.
She grabbed the tray from Rikku and placed the food in front of him on the ground. He practically pounced like some animal, starved from their stint in the ocean. Rikku watched in awe as he swallowed without chewing. Ceres leaned against a railing, crossing her arms against the slight chill.
"That must've been some mission down under..."
Ceres was only answered with the sound of Tidus gulping down a too-fast swallow of water, desperate to chase away the spice. Ceres looked away in disgust.
"Yeah, it got pretty sticky," Rikku shook her head.
Breathing once again, Tidus' head popped up at her voice.
"Wait, did I hear that right?"
He dropped the empty tray and stood to face the girl. Ceres lazily pointed between the two.
"Oh yeah, this is Rikku: Normal girl, 'Not a kidnapper', " she air-quoted. "And this is Tidus."
"Can y—"
"Yes, she can understand us."
Tidus nearly leaped with joy, taking hold of the girl's arms.
"Someone understands!"
He started a stupid little dance before Rikku took her arms back.
"So what is that you're always speaking?"
"We're Al Bhed. Can't you tell?" Rikku moved to join Ceres at the railing. A startling thought stopped her as she abruptly turned around. "Wait, you're not an Al Bhed hater, are you?"
Tidus scratched his head. "I don't even know what an Al Bhed is..."
"Where are you from?"
"Zanarkand." At his answer, Rikku glanced at Ceres as if accusing her of confusing Tidus. "I'm a blitzball player."
Yeah, tell her!
He simulates kicking a ball in the air. "Star player of the Zanarkand Abes!" Ceres wooped, smiling at his enthusiasm.
Rukku leaned against the railing, almost seeming exhausted at all this information. "Did you hit your head or something?"
"Um, you guys kinda hit him a lot."
"Oh right...do you remember anything before that?"
Tidus joins them at the railing as Ceres sits at a pole, resting her legs between the gaps before speaking.
"I've already told you what happened to us...and it doesn't make sense."
Rikku stares out at the sea, not sure of what to do.
"Well, maybe Tidus' story will be different?" she mentioned.
When nothing happened, Ceres knudged his leg.
"Oh, right..."
And so he told her his side of the story. Oddly identical and as sensational as hers. Though he never explained knowing that Auron guy. Just hearing his name stirred up feelings of aggravation. Did he cause the destruction of Zanarkand? And why save them?
When Tidus was done telling his story, there was silence and Ceres sighed.
"What, did I say something funny?"
Ceres leaned her head against the pole she clung to. "This is the part where Rikku says you're crazy."
Rikku looked at Ceres before stating a fact. "You were near Sin."
"And?" Ceres prodded.
"Look, don't worry," Rikku cut in. "You guys will be better in no time! I mean, it could've just been a dream."
"You mean I'm sick?"
Ceres butt in. "Correction: she means we're collectively both the same sick."
"Because of Sin's toxins...yeah," Rikku didn't sound so sure. "Look, Zanarkand was destroyed 1,000 years ago. I don't think anyone's playing blitzball there..."
Destroyed...a thousand years ago?!
"What do you mean a thousand years ago?"
Ceres and Tidus shared identical looks of bewilderment.
"We," Ceres pointed between the two, "saw it destroyed just days ago," shaking her head.
"I...don't know what else I could say to help you guys."
They drifted into silence, Rikku not knowing what else to say. Tidus ran his hand through his hair, frustrated and all-around confused. Ceres just closed her eyes and allowed the breeze to come in.
She still wanted to believe this was the dream. It was certainly possible. She was feeling unwell just before the match. And her nerves about the wedding she never wanted could've hurdled her into madness. She wouldn't be surprised; her uncle did always say she was dramatic.
"Say, you mentioned playing blitzball..."
Tidus perked up.
"You could try going to Luca? Maybe someone will recognize you."
Tidus looked at Ceres, trying to get her opinion. She was already looking at him.
They have no idea where they are but it wasn't a bad idea. She wasn't really sure what 'Luca' had to offer but it was better than sitting out in the middle of this ocean, twiddling their thumbs. And there wasn't much else to follow. Tidus was a blitzball player; apparently Luca has something to do with that?
Ceres shrugged. "Not like we have a bunch of options..."
"Hey!" Rikku jolted up with energy. "We'll get you to Luca no problem. Leave it to me!"
She didn't know if Rikku could be making demands like that, but it kind felt like there was a speck of hope. Ceres didn't know where Luca was nor where she was, but she was sure Luca hadn't been their destination. To change their course for two strangers...
Ceres glanced at the bubbly girl and stood from her position, holding on to the railing to balance. "Rikku, that's awful nice of you."
"Ah, don't worry bout it. It's terrible, what happened..."
Tidus still hadn't said anything.
"We don't have many other options, Tidus."
He had the same look of despair Ceres held, but he seemed so unsure.
He sighed. "Yeah, alright," he finally conceded.
Rikku cheered, motivated for the new plan. Ceres went back to staring at the ocean.
It was good they had a plan of action but...there was a small part of her afraid to find out the truth. If this was the dream, would she awaken to a life in the shadows of a man she attested? Or was this reality, and everything she'd thought to know was a lie?
Not only that, but how could both her and Tidus be here? Was he apart of the dream as well?
She turned to Tidus, thinking of what to say. How did one go about investigating their own crazy? But just as she collected her thoughts, there was a rumble from the water.
Sin attacks the ship. Ceres is thrown overboard. Knowing she can't swim very well, Tidus impulsively jumps in after her, hoping to save her.
The water swallows them up.
A/N: I'm gonna do my best in the future to not copy the script too much. Also, eventually this story will be less of an OC-insert. We just need to get through the beginning introductions. Then there will be some 'things' in store
