I thought since I didn't have anything else to do at the moment, why not update this? So here it is. Oh and this is kind of a short chapter.
Summary: What if Yuna chose the final aeon and Sin wasn't defeated? What if Rikku and the surviving guardians go on a new pilgrimage? What if Bevelle had claimed that Rikku had sabotaged Yuna's pilgrimage and was after her? This is that story. Rated T. Oh it will be Aurikku before the end, so if you don't like, you don't have to read. Characters may be OOC.
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X.
Journey of the Hunted
Chapter 4: Trouble at Sea
I raced up the steps and onto the deck, I could smell wood smoke very strongly. I looked around and saw fires from several ships that were probably fifty feet away and getting closer.
"Rikku cast Fira on them! Kimahri keep extinguishing the fires! Rikku give Kimahri some of your Ethers!" Auron yells out as he stands watching the ships approach. I toss my pouch to Kimahri and begin casting the Firas. I hit the ship that's closest to us, and the flame dies. I try another and another, each Fira I cast hit's the ship but doesn't do any damage. "Rikku aim for the sails! Kimahri hand me the Ethers!" I concentrate on hitting the first ship's sail and cast a Fira.
The sail bursts into flames, the fire spreads quickly on it and down the pole, then the pole falls on the ship. I cast another Fira at the next ship's sail, it hits and burns the sail. The first two ships seem to have slowed down a bit. "Rikku get down! Kimahri try and hit the oncoming arrows with a wateraga spell! Have an Ether Rikku! When I say now begin casting again!" I look up as probably a hundred flaming arrows come flying towards us. Suddenly a huge wave of water crashes into the arrows extinguishing the flames and knocking most of them down. "NOW RIKKU!" I concentrate on another Fira spell and hit another sail, then another spell, and another, and another until my mana energy is low.
"Auron I need an Ether!" I yell. Another group of flaming arrows is coming towards us.
"Get down Rikku! Kimahri, wateraga!" Auron yells. I duck and wait. "NOW RIKKU!"
"Ether please!"
"Okay." Auron says throwing one at me. I notice the first ships are within twenty five feet of us now.
"Auron, the ships are too wet! My Fira spells aren't doing enough damage!" I yells, "Maybe a Thundara spell would work better!"
"Try it!"
"Okay." I yell and concentrate on a Thundara. It hit's the ship and several people scream from on the ship.
"Rikku do that!" Auron yells. I cast another Thundara and another. "Rikku down now! Kimahri wateraga!" I duck and watch. Another group of flaming arrows come towards us. A wave of water hits them, and they are extinguished. Then I see one lucky arrow coming straight at me. A flash of red appears in front of me. "UMPH" He falls, and jerks the arrow from his arm. I cast Cura. He gets back up.
Auron motions Kimahri and me back. I watch in amazement as he spins with his sword. Wind picks up from his sword and travels towards the ships. The water becomes rough as it goes, and our ship rocks out of control. The wind feeds off of the water and becomes stronger until it's a huge Tornado! It collides with the first ship tearing it to pieces, then it picks up the second ship! Auron tosses the jug at his side up into the winds and it explodes sending pieces of wood flying in all directions, amazingly none of them hit us.
Suddenly something big and on fire hits our boat. The boat tilts dangerously to the left and Auron grabs my arm. "They have an Onager! Rikku can you do a mix?"
"Yeah!" I say and get to work. Maybe I should make a fire storm, or better yet a Cluster Bomb! I mix the required items together and hurl it at the ships. The bomb blows one ship into smithereens! Suddenly another of the… fire bombs hit our boat.
"We're sinking! Kimahri protect on the boat! Rikku summon Valefor!" Auron yells as another fire bomb hits our small boat. I summon the aeon.
"Valefor, Sonic Wings… please." I say. The aeon Sonic Wings the ships, hitting them over and over. Suddenly a fire bomb crashes into Valefor and she fades into Pyreflies. "Damn! Now what?"
"Thundara!" Auron yells. I cast, and then another fire bomb hits our boat. "Rikku you can fix things right?
"Yes."
"Rikku go down into the cabins and see if you can repair the boat."
"Okay."
"Kimahri Thundaga!" I race back down the steps into the hall with our rooms. Water is knee deep down here. I push my way through the water until I find the source. There is a large hole in one of the walls and water is steadily pouring through. I rush back to the steps.
"Auron! I need your help!" I yell. I rush into the room where we eat at and I grab the table. Auron comes in quickly and picks up the table. He follows me carrying the table. I point at the hole and Auron tries to cover it with the table, but the water pressure is to much.
"Rikku, grab whatever you need and come back to the deck!" he yells as he drops the table and runs back up. I have the only things I brought with me in my pouches so I follow him. "Kimahri turn this boat around and head straight for the last ship!" Kimahri stops casting and runs to the boat's wheel and begins working. "Rikku cast Thundara!" I cast, and cast, and cast until I am low on mana energy.
"Ether please!" Auron throws an Ether at me and I begin casting again. Suddenly another fire bomb hits us, and one end of the boat sinks lower than the rest. "Damn!" I cast again, and again. Another fire bomb hits us and the ship rocks too far to one side. Auron grabs my arm. "Hold on Kimahri!"
"Kimahri hanging on!" he yells back. I look back and see him clinging to the floor with all four paws like a giant cat. I cast Thundara again and again until I can't cast anymore. Suddenly Auron lets go of my arm and jumps over the railing. I grab the railing and watch as he grabs the railing of the ship and pulls himself up. Then he turns and motions for me to follow him. I climb up on the railing and push myself off. Then I'm falling. Two arms catch me and pulls me over the railing. Then Kimahri leaps onto the ship.
"Was that the Bevellian Navy?"
"Yes, I believe it was." Auron says
After a moment we begin searching the ship. Auron walks in front with his sword ready, Kimahri walks beside of him, and I walk behind them. No one is alive on the deck and we move on to search the area downstairs.
Suddenly as we step off of the last step several men come running down towards us. Auron pulls me back behind him and begins taking them out with his sword as they get close to him. Suddenly more men from downstairs come running at us. Kimahri pushes me behind him and begins fighting them off with his spear. I strap my claw on and help Kimahri.
After several minutes none of them are left standing. We finish searching the ship finding only bodies and Pyreflies. We walk back to the deck and I ease myself to the floor. Its almost like I can feel their spirits floating around me. Auron approaches me and reaches out his hand. I stand and look at him.
"Rikku, you should send them." he says, "We've already had enough trouble, we don't need fiends."
"Okay." I say. I walk away from Auron and begin the dance. Auron clutches his chest and I stop. "You want me to stop?"
"No." he says. I begin the dance again. Suddenly I can feel the spirits of the dead rising out of the ocean and off of the ship and coming towards me. Then they begin grabbing at me, pulling my hair, tearing at me, and finally several of them has their hands locked around my arms, my neck, my legs. I continue to dance as they hang on. I look at Auron and he's on one knee, holding to his chest.
"You won't fade away will you?" I ask as I begin to cry.
"No."
"Okay." I say and keep on dancing. The Pyreflies turn into an almost water-ish substance and lifts me into the air. I continue to dance.
"Why did I die?" one of the spirits asks.
"Don't make me leave."
"Now my family will starve. My children will grow up without a father. I shouldn't be dead."
"Why did you kill us?"
"Leave us alone." one says. Each one speaks to me, kinda the same way the Fayth speaks to me.
"I didn't kill you, Yevon did. You attacked us because of what Yevon says. None of you should be dead, but you are, and this world was meant for the living. You have to go." I say. They tear at me, their emotions encircling me, but I force myself to continue the dance. Suddenly I can see their memories, of their homes, their families, their friends. I try to ignore the memories but they keep forcing their way into my mind. "None of you can stay here."
"We don't want to go." one of them wails. More of them float up taking me higher into air. I force back the tears and continue dancing.
"Please lady, don't make us go." one with the voice like a child says.
"I have to. You, you can't stay." I say. I continue to dance as they gently sit me back down. Then the Pyreflies begin fading away. Moments later the last one fades, and I sink to the floor. I feel two arms wrap around me. I look up at Auron and begin to cry. "They didn't want to go."
"None of them do." he says as he kneels beside of me letting me cry into his shirt. "Good job."
I don't know how long we sit like that before I fell asleep. The next morning I woke up in the same spot, with Auron letting me use him as a pillow. I stand up and stretch before walking over and looking out at the ocean. The remnants of our battle are no where in sight and the waters are calm. If I didn't know that the battle happened I wouldn't be able to tell that it had.
After performing my first sending somehow I feel different. I can still hear their voices, and feel them grabbing at me although they are gone. I wonder how Yunie was able to stand doing a lot of sendings? I force their voices and memories away from me and begin looking for the kitchen of the ship.
Days have passed since my first sending, and I can still feel them around me. I know they are gone, but I can't forget it… I can't forget them. Kimahri says we should be at Luca before noon today, hopefully we won't be too late. Auron has been making me practice using magic more and more, but today he says I can rest. I sit on the front of the ship and watch him practice with his sword until he stops and then I look out at the ocean. I could get used to living on the ocean if its like this.
"Rikku, Sir Auron! Kimahri see land!" he yells. I run to where he's standing and look out. I see Luca and the big fish thing, Sin in the distance. Sin is attacking Luca. We have to hurry!