Hi there! I have an update for this story! Can you believe it? I thought of a way to continue the story after a year. I'm so impressed with myself, I can hardly stand it.
I don't own FF X or any of his characters. I just use them for my own ideas and don't make any sort of money from them.
"How can you stand wearing all those robes in this heat, Issaru? I'd be boiling in them!"
"You get used to it, Maroda. Besides, unlike you, I'm not being plagued by insects while in this jungle."
Maroda just shook his head at Issaru's answer. Issaru did find the heat slightly oppressive, but not to the extreme Maroda seemed to think. He was resigned to the fact that male summoners wore heavy robes. Had he come to this island several years ago, he would have written off ever going on a pilgrimage. As it turned out, the priests had kept him at Kilika Temple until he had outgrown such childish reactions.
Rikku was walking beside him, while the guardians were before and after them. The few fiends they encountered were easily dispatched, usually by Pacce and Gippal, who were at the front of the group. Issaru was heartened by the sight of Pacce defeating fiends single handedly. Gippal kept an eye on him of course, but Pacce's spells were getting stronger every time he used them.
"Pacce'll be one heck of a black mage when he's older." Rikku observed. "He's a cute kid. Gippal said he's got a neat victory dance?"
"Haha. Yes. Although the one he saw is reserved only for pestering his brothers."
"More than one victory dance? I'll have to get creative and come up with another one." They both laughed out loud, startling a flock of birds from their roost in a nearby bush. Gippal looked back for a moment with a face that asked what was funny, and Rikku stuck her tongue out at him in response. "He's so nosey...YES I KNOW YOU'RE LISTENING GIPPAL! Don't make me mention the boxer incident!" Gippal held his hands up in defeat and turned back to the front.
"You two seem close."
"We've been friends forever. One of the first things I remember is Gippal getting a black eye from taking my stuffed cactuar plushie back from a group of older kids. They stole it not two hours after I got it as a birthday present."
"And he stole it back? That was nice."
"He beat the crap outta them, too. Not sure why he did it, but I'm glad he did. We've been best friends ever since."
"I had assumed you were lovers." Rikku smiled at that.
"We tried that, but we're WAAAAAAAAAAY better off as friends."
"I see." Issaru paused before speaking again. "May I ask a question, Lady Rikku?"
"You just did, silly!" He smiled at her but waited for her to answer. "Yes, you can ask. Doesn't mean I'll answer, though..." She grinned at him, and he found a similar one appearing on his own face.
"You are Al Bhed, yet you are a summoner. Why follow the teachings if you don't believe in them?"
"I don't follow them." Issaru looked at her sharply. "They know I don't believe in Yevon or its teachings, but the fayth chose me to be a summoner. They have no control over that. I don't denounce them or skip around without a care, though. I'm present for the temple and its followers. I don't take part in their prayers but I remain there to show my respect for the fayth."
"What do you do, if you do not pray?"
"Talk to the fayth, mostly. They'll chatter your ear off if you're not careful. I've been talking to them all my life. I didn't know at first that not everyone could hear them. My parents thought they were imaginary friends or something. Then, one day I told them that the fayth said my aunt died. Three days later we got the message. They believed me then. Took me to Besaid, since my uncle was the summoner here before defeating Sin. Valfor began telling me things, which I told the priest. Things I wasn't supposed to know. He wanted to convert me, but my family refused. So I was allowed to stay here with my cousin and her legal guardian." Rikku shrugged, indicating that was the end of her story. Issaru had a feeling she was leaving something out, but did not press the matter.
"Forgive my curiosity, Lady."
"It's alright! I'm not shy. You should see Sir Grump when I start talking about un-ladylike topics. The first time I talked about sex he nearly burst a blood vessel." She giggled at that, and turned to wave at Auron who was walking behind them. He nodded at her but went back to scanning the area.
"I can imagine."
"Sometimes I think Auron regrets becoming my guardian. I'm not what he's used to dealing with."
"I regret nothing, Rikku." Auron said, startling both her and Issaru. "You simply take a great deal of getting used to. A Lady Summoner is not supposed to run about in a bikini, or flirt with acolytes." Rikku grinned while Issaru stared at her, imagining her doing those things.
"What better way to test their piety than that, Auron? And what am I supposed to swim in?"
"I agree with you in principle, but a summoner shouldn't be seen that way."
"Humf! If I was some frumpy old lady you'd say the same thing!"
"I'm quite glad you're not a frumpy old lady, Rikku. I wouldn't enjoy being your guardian nearly as much."
"Well, that's good to know." Auron smiled slightly, but refrained from commenting further.
"You seem close to both your guardians, Lady Rikku."
"Yep. They're great friends!"
"Then our journey will be a great deal of fun. I do hope Maroda and Pacce won't start another prank war, though."
"Oh, why not? Those are fun. One time I put cold porridge in Gippal's boots, and he put one on in the morning! The sound, and his face, were well worth him dumping me in a mud puddle." Issaru was staring at her for a moment before going back to watching the scenery.
"Please, don't give my brothers ideas. We wasted an entire day getting coelur saliva out of Pacce's hair the day before we left."
"HAHA! I'll have to remember that one." Rikku winked at him, which made him worry about what would befall them on the journey. "Oh, don't worry so much, Issaru! I'll be a good girl. If I misbehave, you can spank me!"
"What..." He missed a step while walking, nearly falling over. "What did you say?"
"I said, 'you can spank me'. If I misbehave. Don't you think that's a good idea?"
"No. You really shouldn't say such things, Lady Rikku."
"You don't want to spank me?" She asked, her face completely innocent.
"Rikku, knock it off. You're going to make him pass out in a minute. You gotta take it easy with Yevonites." Gippal said, without turning back to look at them. Auron chuckled behind him.
"Aw, I was just teasing him! You knew that, right Issaru?"
"I should hope so."
"I bet he's a little disappointed, though. Who wouldn't want to spank you, Rikku?" Gippal replied, making Issaru blush scarlet. Thankfully, she was glaring at Gippal too much to notice.
"Why would my brother want to spank Lady Rikku?" Pacce asked. He was looking up at Gippal quizzically. Gippal ruffled Pacce's hair before saying anything.
"We're just teasing your brother, kid."
"Oh."
The rest of the walk back to the village was easy, and less embarrassing. Rikku asked him questions about Kilika and the fayth there. There were also random questions about him. He blinked when asked what his favorite kind of cheese was.
Issaru found Besaid Village to be vastly different from Kilika. Kilika was a trading port, loud and energetic with the cries of merchants. Besaid, on the other hand, went about the day at a leisurely pace. Even the market was easy going, people bartering and purchasing in calm voices in between questions about family and friends. Everyone knew everyone else, and even the stray dogs that sometimes wandered into the market were waved off like flies instead of people chasing them out with brooms or yells.
The people stared at the new summoner party curiously, bowing politely as they passed. Issaru bowed back, wondering about the life style on this island. Everywhere he looked there were people sitting or laying in a hammock or sharing a meal. No one seemed to me working.
"Besaid is the leading exporter of hand woven fabric, yet there is no one working."
"That's because it's midday. There is a break for two hours during the day here for eating and sleeping and relaxing." Rikku said, answering him. He blushed slightly, not having intended to say that aloud. "They don't take breaks in Kilika?"
"Not like this. There is too much to get done in the day for a two hour break. Although, I like the idea very much."
"You have to here. The heat gets horrible later on in the summer. All you CAN do is lay there and drink something until the heat subsides a little. In the desert, nothing gets done in the day. It's all done at night."
"The desert? You mean Bikanel?"
"Yep. Me and Gippal used to live there. It's nice, but the temperatures change so much, and going somewhere else when you're used to being awake during the night isn't much fun."
"It isn't always hot?"
"Nope! At night, it gets cold enough to see your breath. Sometimes, there's even ice! But it all melts an hour after the sun shows itself."
"How strange. I never would have thought of finding ice in a desert."
"There're a lot stranger things in the desert, Issaru. Most of them are dangerous." Rikku was frowning slightly at Gippal's back when she said this, her eyes sad. "The desert, is a place where only the strongest can survive. It doesn't care if you're a kid or rich or old or a parent."
"The desert makes equals of us all."
"That's poetic. Are you a poet, Issaru?"
"Certainly not. I write sonnets, which is completely different." He managed to keep a straight face for about thirty seconds while she stared at him, then his face cracked a smile at the same time hers did. Both snickered under their breath all the way to the temple entrance. Issaru tried vainly to get a calm expression on his face, but failed. Every time Rikku laughed, he did too.
"Lady Rikku, you really should not tease our guest. What will he think of our manners at the temple?" The voice belonged to an old man who was walking out of the temple, hands clasped behind his back as he stooped slightly. He had a firm expression on his face, but the lines that surrounded his eyes said he smiled and laughed a great deal. He wore the robes of the High Priest with sandals on his feet, which made Issaru blink for a moment.
"I wasn't teasing! He's the one that made a joke." Rikku pouted at the priest, who sighed and smiled at her.
"I do hope she hasn't made you uncomfortable, my Lord. The Lady is not what most people think of when presented with a summoner."
"Lady Rikku has been all that is kind, to me and my guardians." He saw Maroda nod from the corner of his eye, while Pacce jumped forward eagerly in front of the priest.
"And she wrote me a letter, and sent a sphere, too!"
"Did she? That was indeed kind of her." Pacce giggled when the priest patted his head gently. "I assume you would like to rest before entering the Trials. I can show you to a room here in the temple if you don't want to stay in the village."
"I would much rather stay in the village. I'm eager to explore Besaid and meet the people here. And we rested well on the ship here, so if it isn't a problem, may we go ahead and enter the Trials?"
"As you wish. Come, refresh yourself before entering." The priest led the way into a side chamber, filled with beverages and fruits. Some fruits were already peeled and sliced, some whole, and some were preserved in sugar or syrup. "Not the fair you're used to, I think, but it's best to save heavy meals for the evenings here."
"I would be inclined to agree."
It was a brief meal, one that found the visiting summoner party surprisingly thirsty. They downed more water and juice than food. Rikku was hoarding an entire bowl of cut pineapple to herself, slapping Gippal's hand whenever he tried to get some. Gippal was trying to sneak a piece when Rikku was not looking, but she always managed to catch him. Auron stood against the wall near the entrance, staring at the ground.
"Won't you join us, Sir Auron?" Issaru asked, indicating an empty cushion at the table.
"No. Rikku would throw a fit when I take the pineapple away from her."
"HEY! There's another bowl right over there! Why don't you guys get THAT one and leave me alone!"
"You see?"
"HEY! That wasn't nice, Auron. You shouldn't talk to your summoner that way!" Rikku continued on, berating Auron for being uncouth and rude mean. Gippal managed to spear four pieces of fruit while she was busy. Pacce giggled, but put a hand over his mouth when Gippal signaled him to silence.
"Is it always like this around them, Father?"
"Oh, yes."