A/N:- Thanks to losttoxichope, Gining, goodwitch08 and VampyreQueen24 for your kind reviews!!!
Oh yeah, dunno if this will turn out as an Aurikku, obviously not when she's 6, now we're going a bit too far...I'll see how it goes, and what peoples want...
Heh, that Author's note at the top used to be alot longer...
Translations at the bottom.
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Is this long enough?
Chapter 2 - She's A Big, Scary Monster!
"Oui yna yfyga, oac?"
In all the months and years he had spent in the company of Braska and his wife, picking up bits of Al-Bhed here and there, he still could only just understand the foreign words she spoke.
He nodded stiffly in response.
The room was silent, only the birds and occasional fiend howl were heard. The petite girl uncrossed her bruised legs, and crawled up the side of the bed and sat facing him at an angle, sadness, curiosity and pain written on her face, and prepared for another translation.
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"Fryd rybbaht du oui?"
Rikku had wanted to ask this since she first laid her eyes on his horrid, yet strangely beautiful scar of his. It intrigued her, made her want to ask more, find out more, about this stranger. He was not Al-Bhed, so, as soon as he left the travel agency, she would never again have the opportunity to ask such questions.
She watched his facial expression twist in disgust, then in pain, 'Tysh, I forgot, remembering can be painful, but they are memories, and that's all they are, that's what Mama said, so that's what I gotta remember. Still, it's not very nice to have to recall painful memories' And she regretted what she asked.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. You don't have to answer. E's cunno."
"No"
The first word he had uttered in her presence. 'No'. It's one of the first words that can be taught. People use it rather loosely, but when said in the right manner, can stop the actions of all but a few.
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As well as stopping her, that single syllable seemed to cause excruciating pain. His breaths came to him very short, then gradually getting longer as he steadied himself, preparing for another sentence.
"Never be sorry about an inquisitive nature"
It was strange. And it confused him. He had always been very..closed. Not even Yuna, who, with her bi-coloured eyes, melted the hearts of all Yevon priests with her determination, and devotion to her Father, could not get him to open up and talk to her.
And yet. Before him was a young girl, she looked maybe just younger than Yuna herself, but they had the same look of kindness, love and determination inside their eyes, except maybe this girl had a little more spark in her.
But here, was a petite Al-Bhed. Who he had never seen before. Who's people she had been brought up to hate. And he was contemplating telling her everything. It wouldn't matter if he said something a little off about Yevon. Of course, only a fool would tell her everything. (Then again, a fool wouldn't make it to Zanarkand. On the other hand, only a fool would fall prey to green eyes and a heart-shaped face.) And anyway, she wouldn't understand.
But what if she did? What if that face was just a facade? Now, this was paranoia. Even if she did understand him, it wouldn't matter, because, The Al-Bhed don't believe or follow Yevon!!
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She sat watching him in silence. His open eye was glazed over, and she could almost see the wheels and cogs of his mind working overtime. But they were meshing together like a machina that hadn't been oiled for a good while. He was so turned off, that she didn't even realise when she crawled to the other side of the bed, and picked a piece of card out of one of the boxes.
His eye focused again as she was settling back down.
He opened his mouth to speak, only to cough up crimson blood, Rikku darted to the bedside table, snatching up the box of tissues on top, pressing one gently to his chin to catch the thick liquid dribbling down. She'd be dammed if she let anything happen to her charge, she would make Pops and Uncle Rin proud.
He took the tissue from her and held it to his mouth, and nodded to her.
"How?"
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Now, if he were to tell her in a way that made sense, the best way would be relatively basic. So, what about a story?
He focused. He would not be interrupted by any coughing or pain. Shouldn't be too hard, after all, he was trained to never feel pain. The only let down, was that it guarded against physical, pain, it offered no protection against emotional pain.
"Well, there was once three travelling companions, one was very calm, collected, one was very bold, took risks, and it had gotten him into trouble on more than one occasion. The other.. well, was known as the old stiff guy"
"Was that old stiff guy you?"
'That makes me feel better. Where did she get that impression from?'
"Yes," The young girl flashed a victory sign towards me, then signalled for me to continue. "The man who took risks and the man who he frequently called 'old' were looking after, watching over the calm man"
Her green eyes widened, "Like the Summoners and their Guardians?"
"Yes, I suppose you could say that they guarded him. Like the Summoners."
"So then what happened?"
"They found someone. No, something it was even worse than a fiend. An evil monster. She greeted the travellers with death just as she had with all the others that passed her way"
The story idea was working. "She?"
"Hmm, I suppose at some point, she was human enough to be called a 'she' but now, I do not know. But, her twisted words came as a shock to them all."
"Oooooo, what did she say?"
"She said that hope was all they had. That even in a cycle of change people live in, the one thing that really needed changing, was something not even an entire united nation could change, let alone one man and his two friends"
"That's sad. Maybe they wanted to change the religion. I mean, even the Al-Bhed can't change that, and we're almost united. So then what happened?"
Children can change from one topic to another instantly. Rather amusing actually.
"Well, the three travellers went, and, even though noone had succeeded truly, they thought that, maybe this time, things would turn out differently"
"And did they?"
"Sadly, no. And the stiff old man had to watch as his friends died infront of him. And instead of cherishing their lives, he went back to the monster, and, in blind rage, he challenged it, accusing it of treaturous actions, all of which it was guilty. It's defence was that they chose to do what they did in hope that they could change the unchangeable, as if it had nothing to do with it, and that it was perfectly okay and acceptable. The challenger was struck down mercilessly. Now, he had been deprived of everything he had, his pride, his friends, and was left with nothing. Maybe he wasn't to have pride, maybe he was not to have friends"
His fists clutched at the sheets of the bed, knuckles turning white, but they loosened their grip as he saw fear in the young girl's eyes. But, instead of recoiling away like he thought she would, she leaned over and wrapped her arms round his neck.
"Drana ec huuha uh drec myht dryd tuac hud tacanja vneahtc, cu mad sa pa ouin vneaht. E tu hud ghuf ev yvdan oui kad paddan E crymm caa oui ykyeh, pid E femm cdyo ouin vneaht.Yht du bnuja ed, oui lyh ryja so cbaleym lynt, E syta ed socamv."
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And she would. She would stay his friend. Even if they never saw each other again, or they met again in a 10 years time, this man would always have a friend in the little Al-Bhed Bnehlacc.
She sat back to look at him. "Then I will be your friend, little Thief. But only on the condition that you give me back the beads from my jug" Smiling sheepishly, she sat the colourful beads on the table.
"Hey! I have and name Mr. Red!! Promise to stay friends?"
"I Promise, Thief"
"Pinky promise! Mr. Red"
The two locked fingers and Rikku sat back triumphantly. "Now you can't go back on your word, you'll be a big meanie if you do!! And make sure you keep that card, it's hand made, that makes it extra special! So don't you go lose it!"
The door of the Agency opened and Rikku squealed and ran off to greet her Uncle and her Brother from another Mother (A/N:-Couldn't think of any other way to put that. Forgive me)
The four entered the room. Rin turned Rikku and Keyakku towards the door. "The Healer need space to work, you are not needed right now" As she left, Rikku looked over her shoulder towards the bed "Don't worry Mr. Red, you're in very capable hands!"
The next morning, everyone was in bed, the healer, the children and the entrepreneur. All who could be in bed were. But one figure staggered out of the door, and started to almost drag himself in the direction of the great city Bevelle. He set out with a few regrets, one of them regretting he let an emotion such as rage control him, the other was guilt, for the young girl who would look for him in the morning.
"Fryd rybbaht du oui?" - What happened to you?
"Tysh" - Damn
"E's cunno" - I'm sorry
"Drana ec huuha uh drec myht dryd tuac hud tacanja vneahtc, cu mad sa pa ouin vneaht. E tu hud ghuf ev yvdan oui kad paddan E crymm caa oui ykyeh, pid E femm cdyo ouin vneaht.Yht du bnuja ed, oui lyh ryja so cbaleym lynt, E syta ed socamv." - There is noone on this land that does not deserve friends, so let me be your friend. I do not know if after you get better I shall see you again, but I will stay your friend. And to prove it, you can have my special card, I made it myself.
It's not finished yet! lol
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