2: Bevelle, All Over Again
Singing. Voices were singing to her, Rikku realized groggily. She blinked once, twice, then tried to shut her eyes and fall back asleep. Beautiful voices, men, women and children, all harmonized perfectly into an achingly familiar chorus, forcing her to stay awake. "Why?" she mumbled, feeling her insides curl. She knew the words to the song, just as any Spiran would.
Dream, Fayth. Forever and ever, grant us prosperity.
"No," Rikku murmured, opening her eyes again. The light of the pyreflies dazzled her, spinning lazily in and out of her vision before slowly drifting away into the dark sky. "No, this is a nightmare," she told herself firmly as the never-ending melody began anew. The Hymn of the Fayth was a heart-rending song, beautiful and terrible at the same time. To hear the song was to hear the Fayth. But where there was Fayth, there was also Sin.
Rikku shut her eyes again and tried to ignore the black sky and the feel of the cool concrete beneath her cheek. "Let this be a dream, just a dream," Rikku said again, clenching her hands into tight fists. Her fingertip stung sharply, and Rikku's eyes flew open. The wound from her bite was still there, slightly crusted over now and throbbing dully where she had worried the scab. And the Hymn still floated above her, sung as it only could be by the Fayth.
"This can't be happening…" Rikku mumbled as she sat up and rubbed her head. She took in her surroundings slowly. It was night and she was fairly certain she was outdoors; however, the tall, dark buildings rising all around her obscured her vision of the sky. Cradling her pounding head, Rikku carefully scrambled to her feet and leaned on the wall. She let out a sigh of relief as a quick check revealed that she was still all in one piece. That was where the good news ended; she still had no idea where she was or how she had arrived there.
Cautiously, she pressed her back against the building and crept down the alleyway; she could see the dim, artificial light of the street beyond and the shadowy forms of figures as they moved about the road. The Hymn of the Fayth was unusually loud, but no one seemed to notice or pay it any mind. Reaching the end of the alley, Rikku steeled herself and leaned out, looking up into the city.
Ornate, brightly-colored buildings rose high into the sky; banners flapped from the roofs of several of the structures. The street was bustling with activity; people mingled together in large crowds as they went about their business, forming a teeming morass of humanity. It was a sight Rikku recognized immediately, and she pulled back into the alley quickly with a quiet gasp.
"What the heck…" she whispered furiously, her hands automatically reaching for her daggers and pulling them out. "This is Bevelle!"
Only it wasn't Bevelle; not the Bevelle Rikku was familiar with, the one that Paine called her new stomping grounds and the seat of the Spiran government coalition. This was the Bevelle of the past - the manipulative, fearsome religious power that gave the Al Bhed nightmares. The flags and banners that flapped in the wind prominently displayed the symbol of Yevon and heavily-armed guards patrolled the streets with stern expressions. Priests and warrior monks could be seen wearing their old uniforms, bowing and saluting to each other as they went their separate ways.
"I'm in hell!" Rikku squeaked, taking a quick look at herself. She slid deeper into the safety of the alley, her numb fingers methodically feeling around her pockets for any sort of defence she could muster. And she would need it; with her outlandish mode of dress and long yellow hair, Rikku knew her appearance screamed poster girl for the entire Al Bhed race.
"This must be that aeon's idea of a sick, sick joke," she moaned to herself as she sprinted down the alley towards the opposite end of the street, trying to orient herself. "I knew I should've taken Paine up on that offer to tour through Bevelle before." She grit her teeth and peeked out of the other end of the alley. Then her step faltered and she stopped, mouth dropping open.
The Hymn of the Faith swelled to an unbearable level, and Rikku covered her ears and felt the color drain from her face. "That isn't right…" she mumbled in shock. There was a huge crowd gathered on the street; the people were watching a strange religious ceremony taking place in front of the ornate palace of Bevelle. That wasn't what had stopped Rikku cold; it was the participants that had shocked her.
"From henceforth," the quavering voice cried out, rising over the murmurs of the people gathered there, "… we shall accept the Ronso into Yevon's fold as one of our own, for we are all brothers and sisters of Spira. Go now with the blessing of Bevelle and spread the word unto your people. The mercy of Yevon shall be known to all who open their hearts to the Teachings!"
The massive, blue-furred creature straightened and turned, and Rikku felt her insides turn to lead. "Maester Kelk…" she gasped. Only he wasn't dressed as a Maester, and he did not yet wear the long white beard that set him apart from his brethren. Most importantly, however, Kelk was very obviously not dead. Though Rikku couldn't be sure that the same was true of Maester Mika, who stood at the Ronso's side, dwarfed by his huge companion. She even spotted someone who looked very much like Kinoc hovering behind them, though he was sporting much more hair and less paunch than she remembered. Kinoc stepped forward and raised his arms towards the people, a broad smile on his face.
"Praise be to Yevon!" she heard him yell, and the crowd erupted into wild cheers.
No. No, no no NO! Rikku thought wildly, grabbing her head and shaking it. "This isn't right! It's not Spira! It's not my Spira!" She didn't even realize she was shouting as she doubled over and tried to force herself to wake out of her nightmare. "Yevon is dead! Sin is dead! We paid for it already! We paid with blood and lives and hearts and Fayth and this is all a lie!"
A small crowd was beginning to form around her, and gasps went up as they recognized her race. Rikku ignored them, stumbling towards the palace that she knew housed the aeon within its depths. "Take me back home!" she yelled at it, as though Bahamut would be able to hear her through the thick stone walls. "I knew you guys were cruel, but how could you do this to me? How could you let Yunie's sacrifice go? How could you bring me back here? It's all wrong here and HOW COULD YOU!"
Her last scream was muffled as the first guard tackled her, and Rikku automatically ducked and shrugged him off, sending him flying with an elbow to the chin. She turned and sprinted for the palace, bowling through the surprised guards; the only thing she knew was that she had to get to the Chamber of the Fayth, to see the strange dragon-child and demand to be returned to her own reality.
"She's going for Mika!" someone shouted and the crowd screamed and parted. She heard the click of a gun and reached into her pouch, throwing a flash bomb behind her. It exploded simultaneously with the retort of the rifle, and people began to run in every direction, panicking. Rikku ignored them all, intent on breaking through into the palace; she stumbled and slowed down but refused to stop as another rifle cracked sharply and pain exploded in her shoulder.
"Damn! Alright, use some dream powder!" she heard another guard yell. A smoking canister landed at her feet and without pause Rikku picked it up and chucked it back in the direction that it had been thrown from. More cursing erupted behind her, and Rikku covered her mouth and held her breath, charging past the few remaining guards. Almost there, she thought wildly, lunging onto the dais and sweeping towards a very surprised Mika. Her sprint came to a painful halt as Kelk finally flung himself into her path, planting a meaty blue fist into her stomach. And then for the second time that day, the world exploded into white, and Rikku passed out.
.x.x.x.
"Ugh… I think I liked waking up better the first time," Rikku winced. Her entire body ached, and her shoulder was killing her. What the heck did I do? It feels like a chocobo's been having a dance party on my stomach! Did I try wrestling with Paine again or something?
"You're finally up," a gruff voice greeted her.
"No I'm not," Rikku replied immediately, keeping her eyes shut and trying to pinpoint why it felt like her shoulder was on fire. Better heal that first, she thought groggily, reaching for her pouch. Her hand closed over her hip onto empty air, and her eyes shot open. "My stuff! It's gone!" She tried to sit up and flopped back down instantly as her body protested to the motion. With a growing sense of apprehension Rikku felt around her waist and noticed her entire belt missing, including the garment grid. "Oh no!" she groaned.
"'Course your stuff's gone! You don't think they let you keep your gear in prison, do ya?"
Rikku forced her eyes open and glared at the source of the voice. "Shut up!" she yelled. Then her eyes widened and memory returned like a sledge hammer striking her forehead. There was no doubt about it; from the messy brown hair to the twisting tattoo across his chest, it was definitely Jecht who was leaning against the wall in the cell across from her own, giving her an amused smirk. "Juh-juh-juh…" she gawked, staring at him.
Jecht smiled and puffed up smugly, tapping his chest with a thumb. "Like what you see, huh?"
"Jecht! You're Sir Jecht!" Rikku finally managed to gasp out, pain momentarily forgotten as she regarded him with wide eyes. "What are you doing here?"
Jecht crossed his arms and looked puzzled. "Now, that's the first time I got a proper reaction ever since I arrived in this crazy town. Figures it would come from a loony," he grumbled to himself.
"Who're you calling a loony?" Rikku shot back immediately, her shock disappearing momentarily under indignation.
"That's what them guards called you. Some kinda loony from Al's bed. If this is where sleepin' with Al lands ya, you should probably dump the guy!" He took a moment to laugh at his own joke while Rikku could only stare, then gave her another broad smile. "So you've heard of me, huh? You a Blitzball fan?"
"No I'm not!" Rikku snapped at him, annoyed by his overbearing self-confidence. "Are you really Sir Jecht?" she repeated, sitting up slowly and dragging herself towards the bars to get a better look at him.
Jecht frowned and scratched the back of his head; for a moment he looked so much like Tidus that Rikku thought she would burst out laughing. Then she remembered that he thought she was crazy already and bit down on the impulse.
"I dunno why the hell you keep calling me that 'sir' junk, but yeah. Jecht's my name, Blitzball's my game." He gave her another practiced smile and posed, and Rikku resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"Wow… Tidus wasn't joking about his ego," she muttered under her breath.
"What was that?" Jecht asked, lowering his eyebrows curiously.
"A-a-ah," Rikku fudged, fidgeting with her braids. The movement caused her to hiss in pain and she carefully reached back and touched her shoulder. When she drew her hand away, it was covered with flakes of dried blood. "Ouchie," she said miserably, trying to feel around the wound.
" 'ey, girl, you okay?" Jecht asked, looking at her with a little concern. "You were bleedin' pretty bad when they brought you in. I think they gave you some kinda medicine before they dumped ya. What'd you do anyway?"
Rikku scowled and gave up trying to assess the wound in her shoulder. "I was born, that's enough for these Yevonites," she muttered angrily.
"Yevawhats?" Jecht asked, confused.
"Yevonites," Rikku repeated, shaking her head. Then, feeling slightly guilty, she cleared her throat. "Listen, maybe you should try to keep your mouth shut about being a famous blitzer and stuff around the other people here. And… maybe you shouldn't go around telling people where you're from, too. The Zanarkand they know isn't exactly the same Zanarkand you come from anyway."
"You know I'm from Zanarkand!" Jecht repeated, eyes lighting up. "Man, I thought I was goin' crazy here! So you believe me then?" he asked eagerly.
I'm digging a hole, I just know it. What to say, what to say… "I… uh… I've seen you blitz before. On… spheres. Yeah, that's it, spheres! I've seen spheres of you blitzing! So, umm… yeah. I believe you. But I bet no one else will! 'Cause... they haven't seen the, uh, the spheres."
"My games were always prime time material! Whadda ya mean nobody's seen 'em?" Jecht sputtered.
"They broke!" Rikku said with a nervous laugh.
"What broke?" Jecht asked, looking even more upset.
"Boy, you really are dense! The spheres of you playing Blitzball," Rikku replied, exasperated.
"Well, what the hell are spheres?" Jecht threw his hands up in frustration.
Rikku sighed and sat back. "You really are from another world," she murmured quietly. Then, brightening, she snapped her fingers. "Here, I'll show you!" She reached into her hair and felt around underneath her bandana.
"Eh?" Jecht said, watching Rikku as she spilled her braids out of their messy holder and sorted through them. "What're ya doin' now?"
"Hah, they didn't get them all," Rikku cheered, flashing Jecht a victory sign as she unwound a glowing blue orb from one of her braids. She hadn't even remembered hiding away her precious dresspheres while she was running through the alley; sometimes she was grateful that her thieving fingers could work on autopilot even if her mind was miles away. "Sometimes it's good to have big hair, remember that!" she told Jecht smugly, giving the sphere a cursory examination.
"Huh. Maybe if you like the bird nest look," Jecht replied with a grin, causing Rikku to scowl and stick her tongue out at him.
"Like you're one to talk, Mr. I-Need-Grooming-Badly! For your information, this bird's nest is the reason I can show you what a sphere is at all, so you better be thankful!" Rikku huffed. She held her personal thief dressphere; the one she had recorded of filching tools out from under her father's nose. She kept it more as a keepsake than anything else, since she didn't need the augmentation of the sphere to bolster her pick-pocketing abilities; thieving was Rikku's favourite pastime, after all. "This is a sphere. You can use it to record stuff that happens, and play it back later if you want to remember," Rikku explained patiently.
"Huh, kind of like a camera then?" Jecht asked, eyeing the sphere curiously.
"Yeah, we can make cameras out of these too, though that doesn't happen much outside of Luca..." Jecht's eyes were glazing over as she babbled, and Rikku bit her lip and reconsidered her generosity. Father's on this. And if Jecht's here, then maybe uncle Braska…
"Oi!" Jecht said impatiently, interrupting her. "I thought you were gonna show me this sphere thing!"
"Ahh," Rikku said, laughing a little too loudly as she discretely deleted the recording on the sphere. "Well… umm, I forgot that this one is blank. So there's nothing to show you here yet!"
Jecht only snorted and sat back with a look of disbelief. "Man, you are an airhead. Maybe they were right, you really are crazy," he grunted. "Why use spheres when you could just grab a camera anyway? It's stupid," he grumbled to himself.
Rikku scowled at Jecht and held her sphere up defiantly. "Spheres are cameras, you idiot! I'm not lying, and I'll prove it! I'll make a recording of you right now and we'll see who's the stupid one, huh!" She fumbled with the sphere controls, steaming.
Jecht only rolled his eyes and leaned back against the wall with a yawn. "Sure, whatever. Crazy bitch," he muttered under his breath.
"Ooh, you!" Rikku sputtered, holding the sphere up and giving him her best death glare as she started recording. Before she could add a pithy insult, however, the opening door caught their attention. A heavily armoured prison guard stepped in. He strode into the narrow room and stopped in front of her cell, turning sharply and standing at attention.
Hmm… somebody important must be visiting, Rikku thought to herself, craning her neck forward and trying to see who it was. And then time itself stopped.
He was young, so young it almost hurt to look at him; she hadn't realized how ruthlessly handsome he would be with his dark hair worn long and two whole, burning eyes. Even as a young man he bore the same stern expression, his lips pressed together tightly and his eyebrows lowered in a permanent scowl, as though he was continuously annoyed by his surroundings. The most breathtaking thing of all, however, was his face. For the first time Rikku saw him without the mask of his dark glasses or the high cowl. And he was more beautiful than she had ever dreamed. Unconsciously, her hand reached out through the bars to try and touch him, to see if he was real, but he brushed past her without even acknowledging her presence. He stopped in front of the guard and glowered at him.
"Is this how you show respect to a Summoner and his Guardian?" Auron said curtly, and Rikku almost dropped the sphere.
It's him, it's really him… I'd know that voice anywhere! She gaped soundlessly at Auron, still seated on the floor of her cell, and flushed a deep red as he caught sight of her and met her eyes. Then his gaze flickered to the sphere in her hands and his scowl deepened.
"And what in Yevon's name is that prisoner doing with a –"
Rikku gasped and shook her head wildly at Auron. Please-please-please don't say anything! She panicked, silently pleading with him. If she really was stuck in the past, she had a vague idea of what would happen if the Bevelle guards caught a prisoner with contraband material… particularly an Al Bhed prisoner.
Auron's lips twisted slightly, but he turned his attention back up to the smirking guard and crossed his arms. "You will bow when Lord Braska enters."
"He's not a Summoner yet, sir. Give me one good reason I should do anything for that Al Bhed lover," the guard said with a sneer.
Rikku flinched at the tone of the guard's voice, looking down into her sphere. Ouch… She had almost forgotten what it felt like to be so hated by everyone else; a lance of pain zipped through her chest. Then she pressed her lips together into a tight line. Never let them see you squirm! she told herself strictly. Yeah, that's me… cool as a cucumber, Rikku. Be like Auron. Smooth. Cool. You can set this jerk's pants on fire later, right?
Auron's cold voice cut across her musing; she could have sworn the room temperature dropped several degrees from his tone alone. "Conscious or not, you will bow. Do I make myself clear?" He fingered the hilt of his sword and gave the guard a meaningful look.
The guard paled and swallowed loudly before nodding. "Y-yes, sir…"
"Auron, that's enough." Rikku snapped her head towards the door and almost dropped the sphere a second time. The tall man who stepped into the room behind him was unmistakable. He smiled apologetically, shaking out his long robes. "You'll have to excuse him. Guardians can be quite intimidating at times, can't they?"
"Yes, sir!" the guard replied sharply, pulling his hands together respectfully and giving Braska a low bow. "The prisoner you wanted to see, sir!" he added, clicking his heels and pointing at Jecht.
Braska looked over the guard's shoulder and down at Rikku. Startlingly blue eyes regarded her from a gentle face; he looks just like Yunie! Rikku realized with a shock. He lifted his eyebrow as he took in the sphere, and then, to her surprise, gave her a conspiratorial wink. Then Braska turned and faced Jecht, who was watching the entire display with a look of bored amusement.
"You ladies done prancin' around now?" Jecht sneered, propping an arm up on his leg. "Who are you anyway?"
Braska ignored the jibe and stepped closer to Jecht's cell, tilting his head curiously. "You are the one they call Jecht, the man from Zanarkand, are you not?"
Jecht eyed Braska suspiciously, drumming his fingers on his knee. He shot a stealthy glance over towards Rikku, and she realized belatedly that her well-meant advice might actually be backfiring. Grinning, she tried to give Jecht an encouraging nod and froze when she noticed Auron's suspicious glare.
Jecht sighed loudly and shrugged. "What of it?" he said carelessly.
Auron was at Braska's side before he could add in another word. "Watch your tongue, knave!" he ground out harshly, but held back when Braska shot him a warning glance.
"My apologies. I am Braska, a Summoner." He paused, waiting for Jecht's reaction, but the Blitzball player only yawned. Auron twitched noticeably. Braska let a small half-smile play across his face and dropped his head. "Well… perhaps you'd be more interested in knowing that I've come to take you from this place."
That got Jecht's attention; he stood up quickly and approached the bars of the cell, giving Braska a frank appraisal. "Sounds sweet. What's the catch?" He stretched lazily and folded his arms over his head.
Braska only laughed in response, shrugging his shoulders. "That easy to see, was it? I soon leave on a Pilgrimage." Braska paused, expecting a response, and when none was forthcoming, he shook his head and tried again. "... to Zanarkand?"
Jecht's arms dropped at the same time that his eyes lit up with boyish hope, another trait Tidus had unknowingly inherited. "Seriously?" he asked.
Braska nodded at him and smiled. "I would like you to join us. It will be a dangerous trip. Yet, if we do reach Zanarkand..." He paused and closed his eyes, his shoulders bowing forward slightly. "… my prayers will be answered."
The sphere trembled in Rikku's hands. How could you pray for that, uncle Braska? Your hope is a lie! But she kept silent.
"Huh?" Jecht mumbled, staring at Braska through the bars of the cell in confusion.
"Oh…" The darkness lifted away from Braska as quickly as it had settled, and he gave Jecht an encouraging smile. "And you will be able to go home, we think. What say you?"
Jecht shrugged, a wide grin slipping over his face. "Great! Let's go!"
Both Auron and Braska did a double take at Jecht's easy acceptance of the task. "So quick?" Braska asked with an air of disbelief. "Even Auron didn't -"
"Don't compare me with that drunken fool," Auron cut in immediately with disgust.
"I ain't the one with a jug of hooch tied to my hip," Jecht replied with a smirk, unruffled by Auron's fierce glare.
Braska intervened quickly when he saw Auron's jaw clench. "Then it's settled," he said, pushing Auron away from the bars.
"But I must protest!" Auron sputtered, staring at Braska in consternation. "This drunkard, a Guardian?" The disgust in his voice was evident, and Jecht bristled.
"You want to step in here and say that?" He cracked his neck and pounded one large fist into the other, meeting Auron's glare steadily.
"Hmm," Braska said, a small smile forming over his lips. "There aren't many people who can meet Auron's gaze without flinching," he said to Jecht, surprising the large man. "I think you'll make a fine Guardian." Then he turned to Auron and put a calming hand on his shoulder. "What does it matter anyway, Auron? No one truly believes that I, a fallen Summoner wed to an Al Bhed could possibly defeat Sin. This is what they say. No one expects us to succeed."
"Braska..." Auron protested immediately, but Braska only shook his head and tightened his grip.
"Let's show them they're wrong. A fallen Summoner, a man from Zanarkand ... and a warrior monk, doomed to obscurity for refusing the hand of the priest's daughter. What delightful irony it would be if we defeated Sin!"
Rikku felt her eyes bug out as she stared at Auron. His face was flushed, probably with embarrassment, but also with anger at Braska's frank appraisal of their reputation. That wasn't what fascinated her, though. Auron had a girlfriend? She could barely process the thought; the Auron she knew and romance were polar opposites. But what if it was true? A sharp prick of jealousy stung her. Which was followed by an even sharper jolt of disappointment. But if what uncle Braska says is true, then he shut her down faster than Gippal could lift a skirt. And then the disappointment slowly changed into humor, and she barely had time to shut down the sphere and tuck it away in her hair before her giggles broke out audibly.
Geez … he really was born with a stick up his butt! I wonder what he'd say if he could see me now! She realized that Auron was looking at her, and he could see her right then, only this Auron didn't know her at all. And that was the funniest thing of all. "D-delightful … irony!" she managed to gasp out, the laughter escaping her in painful, sobbing breaths as she doubled over, feeling the scab on her shoulder stretch and break open once again.
"Silence, you Al Bhed dog!" the guard yelled, turning towards her and kicking the bars of her cage with his heavily booted foot. Rikku only held her stomach and laughed harder.
Jecht peered at them from his cell uncertainly, then rattled the bars of his own cage with a grimace. "Stop gabbin' and get me outta here! Her type of crazy might be catchin'," he grumbled.
Braska ignored him and walked over to Rikku's cage, kneeling by her side and studying her through the bars. The guard moved to pull him away, but Auron stopped him with a look before he could disturb the would-be Summoner.
"Now how did an Al Bhed girl end up lost in the heart of Bevelle?" he asked her gently. A frown touched his face as he saw the slow trickle of blood leaking from her shoulder, and a brief flash of anger flitted across his features. "She is injured. Why hasn't the wound been tended to yet?" he asked, standing up and fixing the guard with a stern look.
"But sir… she's just an Al Bhed!" the guard replied.
"She's a human being, and she deserves to be treated as one," Braska said curtly. He stared at the guard, who fidgeted slightly, then straightened up.
"She attacked Maester Mika," he said defensively.
Rikku, who had finally managed to quell the rabid laughter that was leaking from her mouth, leapt to her feet and then winced painfully. "I so did not!" she yelled. "That stupid Kelk Ronso is the one who attacked me! I was just trying to get inside the temple, but you guys got in my way!"
The guard spun around angrily, hefting his weapon. "Blasphemer! An Al Bhed, in a temple of Yevon! You should be put to death for this insolence!"
"Silence!" Braska said, his voice rising slightly. He was a quiet, unassuming man, soft spoken and gentle; however, there was something about his bearing that commanded respect from others. Usually it was a quiet something; when he felt strongly enough to raise his voice that power came blazing out, though, cowing others who stood in his presence.
His will, Rikku thought. Just like Yunie. That's why he can beat Sin. Braska hadn't moved, but his presence seemed to fill the room. He turned and looked at her with a thoughtful expression. "Why did you want to enter the temple?" he asked her softly. "You are Al Bhed." She knew what he didn't voice; you hate the temples. You hate the Fayth. You hate the Summoners… you hate people like me.
Rikku shook her head wildly. "It's not like that! I… I just wanted to see the Fayth," she mumbled, looking down at her boots. What am I supposed to say? she wondered. I wanted to force Bahamut out of his statue and get him to send me back home, so I wouldn't have to watch the three of you die for nothing? Then she looked up with a glint in her eye. "I just wanted to ask them why."
Braska studied her for a moment, and then gave her a slow nod. "Unusual," he said finally. "Do I know you? You remind me of someone…" he added, squinting at her.
"Y-you know this criminal?" the guard piped up, his face paling. He grew quiet very quickly as Auron tapped the hilt of his sword deliberately.
"N-no! We've never met! Really! I'm nobody special!" Rikku babbled, smiling brightly and wringing her hands. She started to rock on the balls of her feet and then stopped with a wince as the wound at her shoulder pulled even more. "Owwie…" she hissed quietly.
"Hmm," Braska said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.
" 'ey! You should take her too!" Jecht yelled suddenly, leaning against the bars of his cage. "She knows all about my Zanarkand. Said she saw it on a sphere or something!" Then he smiled broadly. " 'Sides, it's never wrong to bring a babe along!"
"Babe?" Rikku spluttered, flushing red with disgust. Jecht, observant as he was, mistook her reaction for embarrassment.
"Ah, don't tell me you're shy, not when you're wearin' that getup!" he laughed.
Rikku's face nearly turned purple and she exploded in anger. "You're a dirty old man!" she railed, shaking her fist against the bar. "For the last time, I am so not one of your stupid Blitzball fans! And aren't you supposed to be married or something?" she added, planting her hands on her hips. Then she blanched as Jecht grew quiet and stared at her intently.
"Now how would you know that unless you really have heard of me," he wondered out loud, fixing her under his baleful glare.
"Oopsie..." Rikku mumbled, feeling the others turn to her with questioning stares.
"Braska, this is a bad idea," Auron interjected, rubbing at his temples. "First this drunkard, and now an Al Bhed -" he ignored the glare the others shot at him and continued brusquely. "- and it seems they know each other, too. I must strongly protest this, my lord! We don't know what mischief they might be planning."
Rikku balled her fists together and glared at Auron, all of her tender thoughts at his breathtaking younger appearance flying out the window. Well, almost all thoughts; he still had killer lips, especially when they were pursed together so angrily. Focus, Rikku! She fixed her gaze somewhat higher on Auron's face.
"What I'm planning? Hello? What about what you and Braska are planning, huh? You just want him to make this Pilgrimage so he can save the rest of us!" she spat out. "Look me in the eye and tell me how anything I can cook up could be worse than that!"
Auron's jaw clenched and he glared back at her but said nothing. Rikku met his stare boldly, refusing to be cowed by his fierce expression. No way, not this time buster! She let out a small 'humpf' of satisfaction as Auron broke off the staring contest first, flushing angrily.
"Oh," Braska said, turning to Rikku and giving her an appreciative smile. "I hadn't thought anyone else could do that to Auron, and here it's happened twice in the space of a few minutes. I think that's a sign," he said with a small chuckle.
"Well?" Jecht said impatiently, baffled by the entire exchange. "So is she comin' with us or what?"
The smile remained on Braska's face as he regarded Rikku. "Are you interested?" he asked her. "It's better than staying here, I think. But ultimately, it is your choice."
Rikku looked at Braska. Is it? I don't want to make another Pilgrimage… I wanted that time to be over forever. She winced and thought of Bahamut; if the only way back to her time was through the Fayth, then she didn't have much of a choice after all.
"Yeah," she said reluctantly. "I'll go with you, Lord Braska."
"Then it's settled," Braska said reasonably. "Welcome to the group."
edited 07/16