Chapter 2 – The Pass Over
The crowd was bellowing in the arena and the laughs, chuckles and the conversations could be heard throughout. Rikku and her mother, Namine were amongst the people and feeling them press against their body's as the crowd was pushing to try and find their seats. The long awaited event had arrived, 'The Pass Over'. It was an event in which occurred once a year and saw the young trainee's of Spira become saviours, and were now able to join the Spira Army to protect and serve.
"Over here," shouted Rikku as she forced her way through the echoing crowds. Her and her mother reached their reserved seats in which had a bright green tag saying, 'The Spiral Party'.
Rikku Spiral was seventeen years old, which was slightly younger than her brother, Tidus, who was sixteen. She had grew up without a father and had no intention of finding him, though she was always curious to see what he would be like, whether he would be like her. Her mother Namine had never really told her about her father, in fact she never really mentioned him. Rikku always thought she was scared, whether something had happened all those years ago that made Namine too frightened to talk about him.
The crowd had erupted as Kinoc Forgeka emerged from the side of the stage. Kinoc had been incharge of Physic City for more that 40 years and now his age was showing.
"Welcome, people of S-Spira", he encountered to the engaged audience. "As you are aware we are here to witness the passing over of the young and brave fighters who will be joining the Spira Army"
A cold shiver ran down Rikku's spine as she heard Kinoc say these words. She was so proud of her brother and knew he was always going to do well in life, she never knew why, but she always saw these images in her head, her brother facing success, but she never seemed to appear in these images herself.
"This event has taken place every year to see these marvellous people approach their future destiny's", said Kinoc. "From black and white mages, to extreme weaponed warriors, from quick elite swordsman and back round to the extraordinary summoners, all whom which will achieve great glory when joining the Spira Army".
Great explosions of fireworks emerged from the Thunder Forest arena, in which 'The Pass Over' had always taken place. What baffled Rikku was that it was situated so close to the massive crack in the ground, which was embarked upon around 20 years ago, when Collier Colder ruled Misty Mountains.
"So, now lets meet all these people who have set out their dreams and goals in the future and whom will embark on a incredible journey through the wilderness of the amazing continent that we call Spira!", Kinoc announced from his table in the centre of the stage. Different names were being called out who had achieved this great glory.
Fifteen minutes had passed and Rikku was waiting anxiously for her brother to have his moment up on the stage. So was her mother Namine who was waiting patiently to see her son's face when he was awarded the Spira Army badge, so it could be seen that who were the lucky ones that had been chosen to go in the army and face evil. Namine was a very patient woman. Her past had been filled with excitement aswell as terror. She had never told the secret behind Rikku's father, nor the secret in which told the tale of her other child, Tidus. Namine had seen many therapists to try and make her life liveable, and it seemed to work, for now.
"And next up, to be awarded his badge of honour is Tidus Spiral" the announcer woman called out.
"Yea, go Tidus", shouted Rikku at the top of of her lungs.
"Rikku! Be quiet and lets just admire your brother as he accepts his badge", Namine said as she nudged Rikku in the arm.
Tidus walked onto the stage. He arms and legs were shaking as if he had just entered a cold indulged freezing blitzball pool and he had just come out dripping wet. His smile was frowning as if he had just had a squabble with Rikku or Namine. His body stiffened up like a tall oak tree and his arms were fluttering nervously like the leaves as he approached to shake Kinocs hand. Her turned to look at the crowd to get a clear view of how many people had turned up. He had a quick glimpse until he had met his mothers eyes. Namines eyes met Tidus eyes, and a tear rolled down Namines face, she had never experienced such a high achieving event which had involved one of her children. Rikku saw the look on her mother's face as she was staring at her son. She just wished she could do something that would put a look on her mother's face like the one she had when seeing Tidus, but she knew deep inside that what she was going to reveal in the future would make her mum fall apart.
Tidus had accepted his award and had now headed back to the seats to see the second part of the ceremony.
"O mi gosh, you were amazing up there, you did us both well proud!" exclaimed Rikku in an excitable voice.
" Yes, I am so proud of you son" emitted Namine, as she gave her son a comforting hug.
"So now it's time for the second part o the ceremony tonight, the passing over of a new leader" Kinoc announced. Once again the crowd had become engulfed in another wave of noise and Kinoc made a blowing noise in the mic to calm everybody down. "So, now you are all settled I will begin with welcoming the leaders of each city"
As he was reading out the leaders, Tidus had noticed something shiny on the floor which had been glistening in the sunlight. He went to approach it until he heard Kinoc's voice on the mic say, "Vice leader of Viscious Volcanoes, Lulu Convayer". He was stricken by Lulu. She had always had that look of power and passion. As long as he could remember she had been vice leader, and she was always attached to the leader of Viscious Volcanoes, Jecht Kachinski. He could see that now on the stage as she was standing at his side and she seemed shy when engaging with the other leaders and vice.
"Hey look it's Lulu!" said Rikku looking at Tidus. "She really inspires me, when she was the only woman who was allowed in the Spira Army and was aloud to fight because of her strength. I want to be to the second woman to do that" exclaimed Rikku.
"And how are you going to do that, tell mom what you are doing at the moment behind her back, just to try and get in the army. You know you have to be spectacular to get into the army, not just become a...". Before he could finish the sentence Rikku interrupted him.
"Sssshhhh, I don't mom hearing this, so be quiet, it's going to break her heart when I tell her" Rikku replied.
"And now the moment we have all been waiting for." Kinoc's voice once again echoed from the microphone. " The new leader of Misty Mountain's will be announced, so who will be. The new leader of Misty Mountain's is Shiva Colder"
Now half the crowd were roaring with excitement and the other mouths were wide open with disbelief.
"Mom, is that Collier Colder's younger sister?" asked Rikku.
"I'll be god damned, yes, yes it is. I can't believe they have accepted her offer of becoming leader, literally what is Spira coming to", Namine words spoke and a man behind replied. "I totally agree with you maam. I am shocked to see her in power, after what happened to her sister years ago, it's an outrage"
Tidus and Rikku looked at the man and then looked at their mother who was now engaging in a conversation of what happened all those years ago.
"People of Spira", Shiva's voice was heard thoughout the arena. "You may see my welcome as a evil welcome, an insightful welcome and an unhelpful welcome. But my welcome will consist of help for the poor, aiding the young, making the Spira Army a better defence, though it has a brilliant defence at the moment, I must say. I will make Spira a safe place to live, a safe place for children and summoners who wish to carry out pilgrimages to collect their aeons, and lastly I will enhance Spira by making new school's, hospitals and not just sit in my office all day doing nothing but protecting Spira with all my might and power".
The entire crowd now was roaring and this amazing speech. People were climbing over chairs to try and touch Shiva, shouting her voice and yelling. Shiva had come to save Spira, but is Spira going to have to protect itself against Shiva?
Night was falling upon Thunder Forest arena and the crowds were starting to depart and head off home in the coaches and shoopuffs in which brought them here.
"Listen Mom. Do you think Shiva can help us and stop the poor and stuff?", asked Rikku.
"Listen, both of you". Both Tidus and Rikku listened insightfully.
"Collier Colder was an evil and decisive woman who always got what she wanted and only cared about herself. I actually don't think Shiva will be like it, but did you see that cold look about her, the stained blue face she had, that long plain red dress which seemed to go on forever, the blue haired plaits that also seemed to go on forever. She defiantly has that look about her, but I do think she will do as well", Namine proclaimed to her children.
"I actually quite like her, I think she has passion", said Rikku.
"Just like Lulu", replied Tidus.
The Spiral family started heading towards their car, that was until Tidus saw the sparkling object in which he saw before, but his time it was even stranger. The sun had set but the object was still glistening like a diamond, just like before.
"What is that?" he mumbled to himself as he headed in the objects direction.
"Tidus, come back we haven't got time to play silly games, we need to get back home" Namine shouted towards Tidus' direction.
"Hang on, just a sec" Tidus shouted back. He approached the object to see that it was a shiny key, which was still shimmering in his hand. He looked at it closely and he noticed how strange shaped it was, it seem to lure him in, luring him to look at it.
"Oh, Rikku, go and get him" Namine told Rikku.
Rikku ran towards the direction of Tidus. She saw him and spoke in a subtle tone. "Come on, stop messing about"
"Look at this, this key. Isn't it strange?" he told her.
"Whoa, yeah, it looks like a mangled key" Rikku said.
"Thank you!". A strange voice said from behind them, as this person snatched the key.
Both Tidus and Rikku turned round to see Shiva standing right behind them.
"Um, I take it this is yours", said Tidus. He looked at her and he seemed mesmerised by her, her long plaited hair and her blue skin which brightened slightly in the moonlight.
"You mustn't play with things that are not yours" she said arrogantly to both Tidus and Rikku.
Meanwhile Namine was waiting for her children, she never got impatient, but now she was. She felt a hand tap her on her shoulder and she whizzed round to see the impeccable Lulu standing upon her.
"Are you lost?" said Lulu to Namine.
"Lulu Convayer, how nice it is to meet you. Um, no I am just waiting for my children, they just went behind that crate" replied Namine.
"Well, lets go and get them, after all you don't want them getting lost. Here I'll carry your bag" Before Lulu and Namine could move a step forward they heard the scream of Rikku shatter through the night sky.
"RIKKU!", shouted Namine, as both and her ran towards them.
As they reached behind the crate, Lulu and Namine saw Shiva and Tidus fighting fiends which had seemed to appear out of no-where.
"Here, I'll finish this one off", shouted Shiva as she spiralled round waving her hands. "Diamond dust!", she bellowed and the fiend disintegrated into thin air. One fiend all of a sudden circled Namine and Lulu. Without opening her mouth Lulu waved her hand and the spell 'Thundaja' crackled out of her hand in an nano-second. Then several fiends circled Rikku, who was curled up on the floor. She knew she had to do something, so she pulled out a strange looking glove from her pocket, that had multi-coloured spines on it and was caged in by several pieces of wire. She whirled round attacking the fiends and several items dropped from their mouths and the same time she killed them. At last all the fiends had been killed and Tidus and Rikku were relieved.
"I'm sorry, they just appeared out of nowhere, it was a good job that I was here, or else you children may have been severely injured", exclaimed Shiva, as she walked back into the arena as it was closing.
Though Namine face was in shock at what she had just seen Rikku doing. Aswell as this shock, Lulu's face was also in amazement. Lulu had never seen a woman fight like that, and she knew that Rikku could be capable of lots of power.
"Well, I have to go, though I am impressed. I know a thief is classed as a crime, but you do it well, I look forward to seeing you all again", said Lulu as she disappeared off into the night.
Namine looked at Lulu in disgust, but then she turned to Rikku and gave a look of immense torment and a look of abolishment. On the way home, back to Physic City, Namine and Rikku didn't talk at all, it was an uncomfortable silence, which seemed to last for a century, though Tidus had broke it.
"Listen, I know you have a lot on your mind Rikku, now mom knows in all, about you training as a thief, but we have to tell someone about Shiva, she set those fiends on us and you know it", Tidus said quietly so his mother couldn't here.
"We need to figure out the significance of the key and why she snatched it away from us, why does she wasn't it so badly?", replied Rikku.
"I don't now, I really don't know", said Tidus as they were approaching the driveway of their house.
A few hours had passed and still Namine was not speaking to her daughter, she was shocked to see how Rikku acted and how she stole those items. One thing Namine didn't know, was that in a few months to come, Rikku's skills would become needed to save Spira.
A/N : This is my second chapter of my story, hope you enjoy it so far. Please review and tell me what you think. If it's needs any improvements, please tell me, but don't be mean!