Fade With Me
Chapter One
"Riiiikku!!" Brother's voice came hollering throughout the entire airship. He seemed to really be enjoying the new intercom system that I installed for him.
"What does he want now?" I grumbled to myself as I made my way to the bridge of the airship. I was trying to finish a last-minute upgrade on one of the engines, but I guessed it could wait until I got back from the Moonflow Mission.
That's a really creative name for the mission I would be going on today!…Not.
Brother thought of it.
I was thinking of something more along the lines of Rikku's Heroic Underwater Adventure to Bring Home Back to All its Former Glory, but that was a bit too long, even though it was obviously a lot better than Brother's.
The metal doors made a resounding cling as I entered the bridge, and Brother dashed towards me the moment he saw me. "Fryd, Brother?" I tried to patiently ask him.
"Rikku! I need that you double-check the position of machina on radar-" I softly smiled to myself as I began to zone out what my brother was saying.
His Spiran really had gotten so much better ever since I got back from Yunie's pilgrimage. He was really motivated by all of the guardians and Yuna to learn the language they spoke after meeting them on Pops' airship after Home was destroyed. Brother was really obsessed with Yunie, which disturbed me…because she's our cousin.
Anyway, I tried to always challenge him to use the common language more by talking to him in Spiran, and so far, he's been doing pretty well. It's not perfect, but he's making progress.
"Are you listening!?!?" Brother demanded as he noticed that I was completely tuning him out.
I put on my most convincing smile and nodded. "Yep! I'll make sure that the coordinates are set for the correct destination." I silently hoped to myself that this was what he wanted me to do. I really can't help not listening to him. He just tends to ramble…and ramble…and ramble…
"Kuut," he muttered and sauntered back to the pilot's seat.
I rolled my eyes, trying to conceal my smirk, as I skipped over to my area of the bridge. I was in charge of the maintenance and service of all the airship's electric parts, while Brother was the pilot, and Buddy was the co-pilot and navigator. I always thought that Buddy and I did way more work than Brother; he just sits there in that pilot seat pretending to steer even when the ship is on auto-pilot. But I would never dream of saying anything.
"Hey, we should arrive at the coordinates you set in about five minutes," Buddy called over to me. "You should probably go finish getting ready for the mission."
We always left it to Buddy to keep everybody on task. Brother and I would probably never get anything done without the poor guy. He most likely got pretty annoyed with us from time to time.
"Did you hear me, Rikku?" Buddy politely asked.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm going," I waved my hand in a dismissive manner as I got out of my seat to leave the bridge. "Just have Brother yell over the intercom when we get there."
I made my way to the cabin so I could put my bodysuit over my regular yellow bikini and my dark green skirt. I giggled to myself as I zipped up the back, remembering when Pops saw my new outfit for the first time. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets in shock. He said something like, "No daughter o' mine is going to wear an outfit like that!" The veins in his neck nearly exploded when I told him not to stick his big bald head in things that aren't his business. Pops will always be a little too overprotective of his only daughter, I thought.
I figured my outfit was perfectly fine. It was comfy, which was a biggie for me, and it was perfect for the hot temperature on Bikanel. Can ya blame me for not wanting to get overheated as I work?
All my thoughts about heat and Bikanel made me think back to the mission I was about to go on. I readjusted my bandana to keep my hands from trembling. Nerves were starting to make themselves known again. But everything would be okay if I just did what I needed to do. Nothing should go wrong. My mind was really convinced, but my nerves weren't.
I started to whistle an off-key tune and twirl around my trademark goggles when Buddy's voice echoed throughout the speakers. The sudden noise startled me, even though Buddy was much more soft-spoken than Brother, and I accidentally flung my goggles a few feet into the air in surprise.
"Rikku, we're here. Let's meet down in the engine room so we can pull out the exit latch for you."
I smiled to myself once more, thinking that I could easily pull the latch on my own. Who do they think they're fooling? They probably just want to make sure that I start the mission to their satisfaction or something, I thought.
I was already in the engine room by the time they came in, and I was surprised to see Brother's anxious face. That didn't help me in any way because I was already anxious to begin with. Buddy just looked as calm and easygoing as ever.
"You good to go?" He asked me kindly.
"Yeah, I think so." I patted all the pockets of my bodysuit to make sure that I had everything I needed. I had my thieves' knives, my waterproof flashlight, my goggles…I didn't think I needed anything else.
"Glad to hear it," Buddy replied with a smile, walking over to the latch for the exit ramp with an uncharacteristically silent Brother right behind him. After pulling the latch down, the ramp slowly descended.
I looked outside to see that Buddy and Brother had the airship hovering right over the middle of the Moonflow waters, just to make the mission a bit easier for me. How sweet, I thought to myself.
"Well, I'll see ya in a little bit!" I hoped I didn't sound too phony as I turned to walk down the ramp. I was way more nervous than I was letting on.
"Wait!" Brother suddenly shouted.
I turned around slowly, expecting Brother to reprimand me for something again, but to my complete shock, he closed the distance between us with a few steps and gave me the biggest hug I'd ever gotten from him. Maybe the only hug…
"What has gotten into you today, Brother?" I was shocked, and even a little confused. "You never worry about missions that I go on!"
Brother backed away from me slowly and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "I don't know. I just have weird feeling."
"Okaaay," I tried to hide my shaky voice and turned around again before my facial expression could give anything away. "I'm expecting the airship to still be here when I get back, kay?!"
Before I even took a step down the really steep ramp, I felt two hands forcefully push me from behind. The next thing I knew, I was ten feet below the airship in freezing cold water. In confusion, I looked up at Brother and realized that he had been the culprit. He had a triumphant look on his face and waved to me happily. "Kuut milg!"
He just had to go and ruin the only special moment we've ever had by being a total meanie! I thought to myself indignantly. He was probably embarrassed about his rare show of emotion, so he balanced it out by pushing me into the water. Guys' reasoning skills can be so illogical sometimes. Well…not all guys', but Brother's sure are!
"Thanks a lot," I sarcastically mumbled, sticking my tongue out at them, which was probably very childish, but it wasn't as if I actually cared.
I didn't even say goodbye before I dunked my head under the water and began to swim to the bottom of the sea. Serves 'em right!
The first thing I noticed was how cold the water was. I didn't remember it being this cold when I had my last mission here: the mission to kidnap Yuna. I tried not to think about that day because whenever I did, it led to thoughts about Tidus…and Auron.
The water was getting darker and darker as I kept swimming further into its depths. I took my flashlight out of one of my pockets and turned it on to scan my surroundings. The bottom of the sea was becoming more visible, which meant that the machina should be somewhere nearby.
Now that I was actually in the water instead of anticipating the mission, I wasn't nervous. Water always seemed to have a calming effect on me, ever since I was a little girl. My favorite spot on Bikanel Island was the Oasis a little ways away from Home. I always wandered off from Home to visit my secret spot whenever I wanted to be left alone to my thoughts. The waters of the Oasis seemed to clear my mind and make the everyday problems seem more manageable. That place worked wonders for me when I was growing up as an Al Bhed.
The Moonflow water was almost having the same effect. This water is just a tad bit colder and it's not as clear as the Oasis water.
I continued to use my flashlight to search through the various rock formations and seaweed on the ocean floor. I saw some of the ancient machina from one of the historic machina cities, but that wasn't the type of machina that Brother's sensors were picking up.
A sudden water current came towards me, and I felt a freezing cold rush against my whole body. Tingles went up my spine at the thought of a fiend that could be lurking in this area. Focus, Rikku! You can take on an ugly fiend anytime, anywhere!
Something jutting out from in between two oddly shaped rock formations suddenly caught my eye. It was a long curvy shape, and I was convinced that it was the arm of the machina I was looking for. I swam up to it for a better look, and when I reached out to touch it, it started twitching.
That doesn't seem right, I pondered.
I reached out to examine the machina arm some more, but it rose at an angle above my head. I couldn't see what was around it because the light of my flashlight was so small, and the surrounding area was so large. All of a sudden, tons of tiny little lights started turning on inside the rock formations. Yes! I knew this was the machina!
The lights were abnormal, though. There was a central dot in each of them and they moved around in their own spaces like crazy. After a few seconds, the central dots all focused on me. That's when I knew that this wasn't a machina and that those weren't lights. They were eyes, and knowing my luck, they all belonged to one, huge monster.
Cred.
It was a monster. And that long arm was one of its teeth. This thing's gonna eat me!
Something sharp slashed the side of my face, ripping off my goggles. I wasn't like I could see well with the goggles on, but now I was doomed. I needed to get to the surface, and fast.
Before I could even move, I felt something else crash against my stomach, causing me to gasp and accidentally let out all the air from my lungs. Every part of my body started to feel like it was on fire due to the loss in oxygen, especially my lungs. I was trying to swim upward before I lost consciousness, but something kept pulling me back down. I don't know if it was the monster, or the painful weight of the dizziness caused by my empty lungs.
My hope was lost when my arms and legs eventually went completely numb. Now, even if I wanted to swim to the surface, it wasn't possible. I was going to drown down here…alone…well, if you don't count the scary monster.
After all the time I spent in the water…all the missions I'd done in it…all the fun I'd had in it…water was what I would end up dying in. There was too much I wanted to do with my life for me to accept a fate like this. I had so many ideas and plans for my future.
I guessed there was no point in it now.
My lungs were in excruciating pain and I knew that if I didn't drown to death, then this pain would surely be the end of me. After a few more seconds, my lungs couldn't take it anymore, and I involuntarily opened my mouth, completely filling my lungs with water.
It felt like everything was spinning around me as my vision dimmed.
My world faded to black.
---X---X---X---X---X---
The sun's rays glistened on the sand crystals of the beautiful desert. It was one of the hottest days of the season, but the Al Bhed still had work to do on one of the excavation sites in Bikanel Island.
One man stood apart from the rest. He had a powerful presence and was aiding the Al Bhed excavators in their jobs. He was clearly their leader.
My eyes had to be deceiving me. That was Pops…but he was much younger. This wasn't making sense to me.
Suddenly a little girl with bright blonde hair in three high ponytails came dashing towards Pops. She had a beaming smile that lit up her whole face.
"Daddy, Daddy!" she squealed when she finally reached Pops. "Can we do it now? Pleeaaasse!?!?"
Pops just looked down at her with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, hon. Not today. I still got some work I have to finish up."
The girl's smile was dramatically wiped from her face. "Awww! But you promised!" She stomped her foot and started to pout.
"No, Rikku. Not today," Pops stated with a strong finality in his voice.
What is going on? That's…me over there? My heart started to race. I was in full panic mode. Am I dead…in the Farplane, stuck reliving old memories?
The past-me and Pops started to fade away, along with all my surrounding area. Now I was completely shrouded in a white light so vivid that it was almost blinding. "I really am dead," I muttered to myself dejectedly, crossing my arms over my chest to keep the despair inside. "I'm never gonna see Pops, or Brother, or Yunie…or anybody again…"
"You are not dead," came a soft voice from behind me.
The unexpected noise startled me. I snapped my head in the voice's direction to see a young boy standing a few feet away from me. He had an olive-complexion, and his face was half covered by a dark purple hood that shielded his eyes from view. "W-Who are you?" I managed to sputter out; I was still dazed and confused about what was going on.
"My name is Baathum," he calmly responded, taking a few steps closer to me.
"Um, hi," I lamely replied. "Do you know where we are, Baathum?"
He cracked a small smile. "We are simply in your subconscious mind. That is why you have just seen the memory of you and your father."
"W-wait a minute!" An abrupt thought flashed in my mind. "Why are you in my mind? How do you know who I am?"
"That is not important," he replied, unfazed by my outburst. "What is important, Rikku, is that you finish your mission."
"What?" This little boy was doing a great job in confusing me even more than I already was. "I don't think that'll go over too well, considering that big, fat fiend almost killed me, ya know!"
Baathum slowly shook his head. "That is not the mission that I am speaking about-"
"Huh?" I interrupted, brows furrowing together in bewilderment.
"I am speaking of another mission that has been laid out as your next journey. We realize that you are the only one who exhibits the qualities and abilities necessary for this mission's completion," he paused for a moment. "It is vital that this mission is completed. Maybe this time, things will be turn out the way they were supposed to…with your help," he explained.
"I…I don't understand." I couldn't grasp the reality of the situation I was in. Here I was, in my mind, where a little boy came to tell me that I'm destined to go on some mission, or something. How can this be real? This has to be a dream.
"You will discover for yourself soon enough," he stated before my vision started to dim again. Baathum was becoming less and less visible by the second. "And no," his disembodied voice echoed around me, "you are not dreaming."
---X---X---X---X---X---
A soothing blanket of comfort was passing up and down my body in repetitive motions. It felt cold when it came in contact with my skin, but it felt good. I wondered what it was, but I didn't know if I would have the strength to open my eyes to find out.
"Ugh," I groaned, testing my feet first to see if I could feel them. Check. Both legs were accounted for too. I had a dull pain in my stomach, and my shoulders were throbbing with a small sting along with it, but at least I could feel them. I finally wiggled my fingers to see if I could register the sensation.
I did.
Okay, good. So I'm not mortally injured or anything.
I cracked my eyes open slowly so that they could adjust to the light. "Where am I now?" I moaned, choosing to remain lying on my back, staring at the cloudless sky, instead of trying to get up. I didn't want to move quite yet.
Looking down towards my toes, I realized that the soothing motion was waves of water coming back and forth on a shoreline. I turned my head to the side to see if anything was recognizable on the land around me. To my surprise, the grass and trees were very familiar. "I-I'm still in the Moonflow?"
All of a sudden, I heard footsteps approaching me.
"---Eh? There's a wounded kid on the shoreline!"
The footsteps came rushing in my direction at a faster pace. The next thing I knew, a man with a very large headdress was leaning over me. He had a smooth, pleasant face, and was wearing a small, reassuring smile.
"Are you alright, young one?"
I had no idea what Baathum meant when we were talking in my mind, but I had a serious feeling that he had something to do with how I came to be here. There was no other logical reason to explain how I am staring at this man, right now.
My jaw dropped in shock.
I hadn't seen this man since I was probably four years old.
Uncle Braska.
---X---X---X---X---X
Disclaimer: I don't own FFX…etc.
Translations: (if ya need them)
Fryd=What
Kuut milg=Good luck
Cred=Shit
Quick Author's Note:
In this fic, pretend the FFX-2 never happened, kay? ;)
I took just a few aspects out of it, like Brother's airship and Rikku's thief outfit, but that's about it. Oh, and I guess Wakka and Lulu getting married…I may add more random things here and there later on…but I'll just have to see how it goes.
Anyway, feedback would be awesome!
I'm really not sure if this fic is gonna turn out the way I want it to…eh… and I hope it's original…?
Oh, and THANKS FOR READING! =)
-koalababay-