Urban Fantasy X

Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

A/N: Well here's chapter two. You may have noticed that the chapters are going in the same order as Tidus meets characters in FFX. This is intentional. Please enjoy the next chapter.

As in the last chapter:

Blah: emphasis, Spira, or thoughts

(Blah): means a Fayth is speaking or is the () are being used in their usual context. I originally meant to use asterixes but they didn't work on the site.

(Here. Pull over,) the child Fayth said as he and Aaron passed through a district of New York that not a moment ago the cop had been hoping they would exit quickly. It was almost picturesque in its aura of crime and poverty. Few people walked openly in the street but the shadows teamed with half-seen forms, their eyes shifty and feral like a hoard of rabid vermin. More than ever Aaron wished that he had had time to stop at home and pick up a gun. Even the sewers were doing their part to add a feeling of foreboding to the area, spewing columns of steam, caused by the cold sewer air colliding with the warmer surface, into the sky.

"If we leave the car it will be stripped by the time we come back," Aaron warned but there was a trace of resignation in his voice.

(Do not fear. We will not go far from it.)

Aaron sighed but so far he had no reason not to trust the boy so he pulled the car to the side of the road and flipped it into park. Was it just his imagination or did those phantom eyes take on a hungry gleam?

Unbuckling his seat belt he noted this time with only a tiny jolt that Bahamut had not bothered with the door but had simply appeared on the other side. Aaron wondered briefly if it was even worth it to lock the car and decided against it in case they needed a quick getaway.

"Now what?" Aaron asked, standing on the curb with his arms crossed.

(Now, we wait. Open the hood of the machina as if you are trying to repair it.)

Aaron rolled his eye. Assuming that by machina the Fayth meant car then he should have said that at the beginning and Aaron might have been able to make it look more convincing and less difficult to start the car in case of an emergency. Pushing up the hood of the jeep and putting the prop in place he began to study the washer fluid container like it was his key to passing police school, cursing his missing eye for leaving him vulnerable to attack on his right side. Though the biggest threat is someone trying to shoot me and there isn't much I could do against that anyway, he thought, screwing and unscrewing the cap while trying nonetheless to surreptitiously watch the road and the child.

Twenty minute passed and Aaron was beginning to wonder what the hell he was doing here. The more he examined the last two hours of his life the more insane it seemed. First he woke up in a strange hotel room, having no idea how he got there, then all of a sudden Aaron's not his real name and he's following a barefooted six year old who can walk through walls around town as if his life depended on it. And the thing was that it did. He was about to turn to said six-year-old and suggest that they try someplace else when a flash of movement caught the corner of his eye. Luckily it was on his left side so he did not need to turn far to get a better look at the figure. Had he not been so familiar with the ways of the underworld he might have been surprised.

She seemed to dance as she walked; her fingers twitching to an unheard melody and her ponytail that sprouted form her head like a fountain bobbing along. She was extremely thin and Aaron wondered whether it was because she was naturally like that or if her appetite had been stolen by certain illegal substances, possibly carried in the small black backpack that was slung over one shoulder. He guessed the former for despite her lean form she had quite well-developed breasts, showcased by a low-cut, mid-rift revealing orange tank-top. With her wheat blonde hair and her legs that went on forever from her short shorts to her beat up sneakers she could probably land a job modeling if she acquired the right connections but it was more likely in this area of town she would get a brief unhappy career at the local peep show then quickly lose her vivacious beauty to the hardships of life.

Since the "fragile beauty" look was incongruous with the way she walked, bold as brass, down the center of the sidewalk in a place where she would be lucky to survive a day without being robbed and raped he would have to assume that she was either lost (which was unlikely) or that that delicate exterior hid some sort of brain or brawn that the locals were familiar with and thus steered clear of.

"You need some help with that?" she called in a high, almost squeaky soprano. She did not slacken her pace and by the way she would ever so subtly sway her hips she was betting on her looks to get her out of any unexpected trouble. Something told him she had a backup plan ready if it only got her into more.

Aaron turned to Bahamut who gave a slight nod. "It would be appreciated," he replied though all his instincts screamed against it. She looped her hand through the other strap of the backpack and took her place beside him at the front of the car.

"Hey there," she waved cheerfully over her shoulder to Bahamut. Though he had trusted the Fayth, the fact that she saw Bahamut only confirmed his belief that she was somehow tied to this. But how to get her to come along? Aaron knew that if they lost her they'd never find her again. The slightest hint of a threat and she'd be out of here or at his throat before he could blink.

"I'm Marika," she said, holding out her hand which was grease stained from her inspection of the motor, "But my friends call me Ricky. I was just passing through when I saw your car," her words were so fast that had Aaron not been concentrating on them he probably would have only heard a blur of speech, "I'm not old enough to drive yet but I'm a real wiz with cars since I help at dad's shop so you don't have to worry about me, you know, wrecking anything," fixing cars was obviously not the only thing she was good at. As her right hand reached out to take his, her other slipped into her pocket, obscuring something small and square that nevertheless filled the tiny pouch of the shorts to overflowing. Her sleight of hand made it immediately obvious what her niche on the streets was. He took the much smaller hand in his firm grip, giving her the barest hint of a thankful smile to hold her gaze for a second then with a swift flick of his wrist freed the handcuffs from his belt loops and snapped them around her wrist.

"What the... whoa!" she cried before his hand closed over her mouth and lightning fast knocked the prop out from under the hood, slamming it with a clang. Praying that she was now too close to him for any friends of her to risk taking him out from a distance he grabbed her other hand with his free one. She tried to resist, pressing the tiny backpack into his chest as she squirmed like a snake in his grasp. But he was the stronger within a moment of the initial surprise she was helpless wriggling weight in his arms, silenced by the hand he had not yet removed. She tried to bite even as she screamed through it but he had anticipated that and had bent his hand slightly to prevent that from happening. Frustration blooming in her face she wriggled the tip of her tongue against his cupped palm, hoping that maybe the feeling of the moist, tentacle-like appendage brushing up against his dry skin would distract him enough to offer her an opportunity to escape. Freeing his hand for an instant to open the back seat he tossed her extremely light form (no more than 100 lbs. he guessed) into the back seat and assumed the driver's seat, making sure to lock the doors and put on the child-lock. Her eyes, which he could now see where a vibrant shade of green, were wide and rolling and her breathing emerged in panting gasps. Bahamut stepped through the car door, eliciting a shriek from the bound would-be thief.

(That was unnecessary, Sir Auron,) the Fayth said sternly, with a touch of anger in his voice, (You are fortunate that she is one of your fellow Guardians and not a stranger of this world else I would seriously consider leaving you to face consequence of your actions.)

"It was the only way we would have been able to make her come," Aaron growled, starting the car and putting it into reverse to return the way they had come. He wasn't sure where they were going next but he figured that his apartment would be a good place to start. Whether Bahamut liked it or not next time they went through this he intended to have a gun handy. "Now why don't you explain to her what's going on before she has a heart attack. I wouldn't recommend trying to forcibly return her as you did with me."

(Of course,) the Fayth said and stepped through the seat to the back where he sat down next to Ricky, who gave a fresh squeal of terror at the sight.

"Was that truly necessary?" Aaron said sarcastically.

(I have found it an effective way to broach the subject.)

"Right," Aaron replied and turned back to the road, leaving the Fayth to bring his fellow Guardian around.

(Hello, Rikku,) Bahamut said pleasantly.

It seemed that the girl had overcome her initial paralysis and there was now more fury than fear in her eyes, "Let me out, let me out now! Or I swear I'll call the cops!"

"That won't be necessary," Aaron said, flipping open a small leather case to reveal a shiny brass badge. "I am one."

"Wha-? No way, I don't believe you! I bet you stole that off someone you murdered!" she cried. "Let me out or you'll be sorry, you big meanie!"

"Would you ask her about her last name and get this over with?" Aaron said irritably.

"Yeah right, like I'm telling you my last name!" Ricky shot back.

"It would not matter even if you wished to. Unless I am gravely mistaken, you can't remember it," Aaron said, biting off the end of each word.

Derision then disbelief flitted across the girl's face, followed closely by anger. Anger melted into blank shock and a cross between a gasp and a choke broke her lips. Her breathing slowed but each intake became deeper and more ragged and her face was now a sickening shade of greenish-white.

"Please, let me out," her green eyes had taken on a luminous quality and all traces of a street-hardened pick-pocket had disappeared. Now she just looked like a sad, scared little girl. "I- we don't have much money but I'm sure my family could give you something if you let me go. Please?" she placed a shaking hand on the window, leaving a faint trail down the glass as her fingers slid down to its base, her other arm gripped her small backpack as if she were a child with a teddy-bear. However, her gaze stayed locked on Aaron's sunglasses-shadowed face reflected in the rearview mirror. "Please?"

He felt a wash of pity for the girl overwhelm him. She was in the same position as him now, lost and confused, the world she knew crumbling around her. But unlike him she did not have years of maturity and self-reliance to keep her strong. Even with all the difficulty of street life it sounded as if she had always had her family to fall back on. Now she was alone, with only a child ghost and a cop aged beyond his years to offer her comfort. Despite all this he kept his visage firm and stony. It was out of his hands. "It's your turn now, Bahamut," he said gruffly.

(I'm sorry, Rikku,) Bahamut said sadly, taking a seat next to the blonde 15-year-old.

"Why did you keep calling me that?" Ricky sniffled, pulling away from the apparition. She had realized by now that his childish appearance was deceiving.

(Because Rikku is who you are. Child of the Al Bhed of Spira; Guardian to your cousin, the Summoner Yuna. There was an accident and for some reason you all ended up in this alternate dimension,) Ricky was now openly staring at the Fayth now but the spirit continued, undisturbed. (I do not yet understand why you are still here. This world is rejecting you and unless there is some reason you do not wish to return to Spira you should have automatically been overpowered and sent back. Sir Auron I assumed had a strong enough will to shrug off this world's effects but when he could not I guessed that it was because of his nature as one of the Unsent, that perhaps the spirit of this world had tapped into the will that kept his form together and was thus controlling him. But that is not the case with you and yet you also seem to have no memory of your true existence. Or do you?)

"Did you...hit your head or something?" Ricky said incredulously then turned to the only other person in the car who seemed sane (and did not walk through solid objects). "What is he talking about? If this isn't about money and you're not gonna...you know...me then why do you have this crazy story? Are you high or something? Am I high?" when the stoic police officer didn't respond she turned back to the kid, who was still sitting there placidly, floating an inch or so above the seat, "Al bed? Guardian? Speera? What the heck is going on?!"

"Would you rather we let you go?" Aaron interjected. Before Ricky could answer a resounding affirmative he continued, "You cannot even remember your last name. There may be bits of your life disappearing from your memory with nothing to replace them. Would you rather be alone right now? Or would you rather have someone help you?" he paused and decided that he was making some headway for she remained silent. "If you want out then say the word and you're free. But if you are as frightened as I am about all of this then listen to Bahamut. He may be able to help, but if not then this nightmare will end and we can both return to our lives. Fair enough?"

(Well said, Sir Auron,) the Fayth supplied softly, a tiny smile visible beneath the shadow of his hood.

"It's not fair," the girl sniffled but there was no more rebellion in her voice.

"No one ever said life was," Aaron said neutrally, his scarred face turned slightly back towards Ricky. Sometimes the old sayings were the best. The ride continued in silence.

A/N: This is not an Aurrikku, nor does it contain any Aurrikku romance. It is much weirder for those two to hook up in our world than it is even is in Spira. However, this chapter is a slight tribute to them simply because I enjoy that genre.

There is an alternate version of this chapter available on my homepage (the link is in my profile).

Please review to tell me whether or not you enjoyed this chapter. I assure you it will help me write the next one faster.