Room 308, Monday Afternoon
"You can't ask me that," Rikku said, staring at her cousin. "You can't."
"I need you," Yuna said. "I need your help. Don't fight me, Rikku. Help me."
There was one moment, then, that spun out in time. Her choice.
Rikku was standing on the banks of the Moonflow, having just failed at kidnapping her one and only cousin, Yunie. Yunie was off to kill herself to save the world. Which wasn't going to work, anyway, and besides, she didn't want Yunie to die, dammit.
She had washed up on the shores of the Moonflow, coughing and sputtering, and that's where the rest of the group found her. Yuna insisted on pulling her aside. Rikku expected a lecture. Instead, she got an invitation.
Help her? Ridiculous. Yuna had five Guardians to protect her already. Besides, Rikku was an Al Bhed. Guardians, Summoners -- it was a Yevon tradition. Al Bhed couldn't be Guardians. They wouldn't allow her to enter the temples. No way would the other Guardians even agree to it.
Yuna needed to reach Zanarkand alive. Few did. If she died on the way, she wouldn't save the world; her death would be wasted. It would all be for nothing.
Help me, Rikku.
Rikku had thought five minutes ago that she would do anything for Yuna. That, alone, almost swayed her.
It wasn't enough.
"I can't," Rikku said firmly. "I'm sorry, Yunie. I can't."
She told herself, sternly, not to wince at Yuna's expression as she walked away.
With her brother, she tried (and failed, again) to capture Yuna in Macalania. One of Yuna's Guardians -- the tall blitz player -- had shouted rude things about the Al Bhed as they had run away. See? It would never have worked.
She hoped Yuna would stay safe. And tried not to worry. She was trying to save Yuna; the other Guardians were willing to sacrifice her. She had made the right choice.
She told herself that, at least.
When Sin roused itself, all of them had found themselves deposited on Bikanel Island. It was easy to scoop Yuna up before her Guardians had even awakened, and take her to Home.
Yuna had been more disappointed than angry. She refused food, and showed no interest in seeing the Home where her mother's people lived.
"It's just until this all blows over," Rikku had pleaded.
"You have no right," Yuna said, sadly. "I know where your heart is, Rikku, but you have no right."
"Stop saying that," Rikku snapped. "I'm not going to let you do this. They're willing to let you die. I'm not."
"No," Yuna had said defiantly. "They're willing to let me choose."
She had stormed away, not able to see the difference.
It was bad, when the Guado came.
There were fiends everywhere. Birds and beasts and monsters she had never seen the likes of before. The Guado killed any who stood in their way. They had come for the Summoner.
Pops sent Rikku down to the Sanctum, to keep the Summoners safe, while Brother tried to get the airship running. It was impossible. But it was their only hope, to get those still alive out.
Yuna's Guardians had arrived, had fought bravely with the Al Bhed to defend their Home. It was hopeless. Home burned around them, and the bodies of her friends littered the ground.
The Guado had breached the Sanctum.
"I'll go," Yuna said. "I'll go with you if you promise not to hurt anyone else."
"No," Rikku seethed, raising her claw. "Don't you touch her."
She rushed towards the nearest one. That was when everything went black.
When Rikku awoke, she was on an airship, and her father was very pale.
She was lucky to be alive, he'd said. One of Yuna's Guardians had found her, in the sanctum. Had carried her, slung over his shoulder, onto the
airship.
Tidus, she figured. He owed her one for saving his life.
Home was gone. Most of her friends were gone. Yuna's Guardians were with what was left of the Al Bhed, on the airship. They were going to Bevelle, to rescue her. (From the Guado, who had kidnapped her while the Al Bhed had already placed her under lock and key. Rough gig, being a Summoner.)
The Guardians went onto the roof, when Evrae attacked the ship. She stayed down in the hold. She'd failed.
The Guardians left the airship in Bevelle. They found one another again in Zanarkand, much later. Everyone was pale and quiet. The Final Summoning was a lie. Yunalesca was dead. It was over.
The tall blitz player wasn't with them. She didn't ask. She didn't think she had the right to.
Yuna said they could take the fight to Sin. So Cid had flown the ship in close, and her Guardians had gone into the strange city that appeared. Rikku waited on-board with everyone else.
When the last Aeon was defeated, Auron returned to the Farplane, and Tidus faded out. Yuna danced the Sending, standing on the roof of the airship, the rest of her Guardians around her. All of the people on the ground were celebrating.
The world was saved. Rikku had no place with the people down below, or on the roof, consoling Yuna as her heart broke. So she watched from inside the ship as visions flew past and disappeared again. Wondering if things would be any different, now.
Rikku stared off into space for a while, trying to wrap her head around what she'd seen.
Nothing much had changed. Home still fell. They had saved the world, six of them instead of seven. The Al Bhed were still on that same airship, waiting to find a new Home.
Everything had changed. Yunie had seemed more tired, more sad. On the pilgrimage, Rikku had appointed herself in charge of making sure Yunie was in good spirits. No tears, Yuna had admonished all of them. When it was late and Yunie wasn't sleeping, Rikku would climb into her sleeping bag and start pointing out constellations. Make up silly names for them.
The fight with Yunalesca, in Zanarkand, had been the hardest of the whole pilgrimage. They had barely managed it, with seven. It was amazing they had all survived. Without her -- with one less -- someone hadn't.
Wakka would have been gone. And she would never have missed him, either. She would have thought he was that tall blitz player that didn't like the Al Bhed much, and shrugged.
She would have never seen it, either. Other-Rikku ... had someone shown her what her own life was like, she would have thought they were just making it up. Wakka, stopping on the staircase as Home burned to pull her into a rough hug. Auron, lecturing the guards in Macalania Temple who tried to keep her out. How much she wanted to grow up to be Lulu one day. Kimahri telling her to be Rikku, instead.
That other her would have never been a Guardian. Would have never found her Godhand, or taken out fiends with it. That other-her had never played the Karma Game with a Tonberry. She'd never reached into her pouch and tossed a hi-potion to Tidus when he'd been lying on the ground, or called him a lightweight once she was sure he was steady on his feet again. She'd never swiped a Shining Gem from a Sand Worm, only to throw it at a Zu.
The same, but different.
One little choice. Reno had said that he'd had some sort of vision -- what his life would be like, if one small thing had changed.
Maybe this was hers.
Weeeeeird.
(It's a Wonderful Life, Rikku Edition. Open (both door and post!) for any who want to chatter at the Al Bhed girl after her vision funtimes.)
"I need you," Yuna said. "I need your help. Don't fight me, Rikku. Help me."
There was one moment, then, that spun out in time. Her choice.
Rikku was standing on the banks of the Moonflow, having just failed at kidnapping her one and only cousin, Yunie. Yunie was off to kill herself to save the world. Which wasn't going to work, anyway, and besides, she didn't want Yunie to die, dammit.
She had washed up on the shores of the Moonflow, coughing and sputtering, and that's where the rest of the group found her. Yuna insisted on pulling her aside. Rikku expected a lecture. Instead, she got an invitation.
Help her? Ridiculous. Yuna had five Guardians to protect her already. Besides, Rikku was an Al Bhed. Guardians, Summoners -- it was a Yevon tradition. Al Bhed couldn't be Guardians. They wouldn't allow her to enter the temples. No way would the other Guardians even agree to it.
Yuna needed to reach Zanarkand alive. Few did. If she died on the way, she wouldn't save the world; her death would be wasted. It would all be for nothing.
Help me, Rikku.
Rikku had thought five minutes ago that she would do anything for Yuna. That, alone, almost swayed her.
It wasn't enough.
"I can't," Rikku said firmly. "I'm sorry, Yunie. I can't."
She told herself, sternly, not to wince at Yuna's expression as she walked away.
With her brother, she tried (and failed, again) to capture Yuna in Macalania. One of Yuna's Guardians -- the tall blitz player -- had shouted rude things about the Al Bhed as they had run away. See? It would never have worked.
She hoped Yuna would stay safe. And tried not to worry. She was trying to save Yuna; the other Guardians were willing to sacrifice her. She had made the right choice.
She told herself that, at least.
When Sin roused itself, all of them had found themselves deposited on Bikanel Island. It was easy to scoop Yuna up before her Guardians had even awakened, and take her to Home.
Yuna had been more disappointed than angry. She refused food, and showed no interest in seeing the Home where her mother's people lived.
"It's just until this all blows over," Rikku had pleaded.
"You have no right," Yuna said, sadly. "I know where your heart is, Rikku, but you have no right."
"Stop saying that," Rikku snapped. "I'm not going to let you do this. They're willing to let you die. I'm not."
"No," Yuna had said defiantly. "They're willing to let me choose."
She had stormed away, not able to see the difference.
It was bad, when the Guado came.
There were fiends everywhere. Birds and beasts and monsters she had never seen the likes of before. The Guado killed any who stood in their way. They had come for the Summoner.
Pops sent Rikku down to the Sanctum, to keep the Summoners safe, while Brother tried to get the airship running. It was impossible. But it was their only hope, to get those still alive out.
Yuna's Guardians had arrived, had fought bravely with the Al Bhed to defend their Home. It was hopeless. Home burned around them, and the bodies of her friends littered the ground.
The Guado had breached the Sanctum.
"I'll go," Yuna said. "I'll go with you if you promise not to hurt anyone else."
"No," Rikku seethed, raising her claw. "Don't you touch her."
She rushed towards the nearest one. That was when everything went black.
When Rikku awoke, she was on an airship, and her father was very pale.
She was lucky to be alive, he'd said. One of Yuna's Guardians had found her, in the sanctum. Had carried her, slung over his shoulder, onto the
airship.
Tidus, she figured. He owed her one for saving his life.
Home was gone. Most of her friends were gone. Yuna's Guardians were with what was left of the Al Bhed, on the airship. They were going to Bevelle, to rescue her. (From the Guado, who had kidnapped her while the Al Bhed had already placed her under lock and key. Rough gig, being a Summoner.)
The Guardians went onto the roof, when Evrae attacked the ship. She stayed down in the hold. She'd failed.
The Guardians left the airship in Bevelle. They found one another again in Zanarkand, much later. Everyone was pale and quiet. The Final Summoning was a lie. Yunalesca was dead. It was over.
The tall blitz player wasn't with them. She didn't ask. She didn't think she had the right to.
Yuna said they could take the fight to Sin. So Cid had flown the ship in close, and her Guardians had gone into the strange city that appeared. Rikku waited on-board with everyone else.
When the last Aeon was defeated, Auron returned to the Farplane, and Tidus faded out. Yuna danced the Sending, standing on the roof of the airship, the rest of her Guardians around her. All of the people on the ground were celebrating.
The world was saved. Rikku had no place with the people down below, or on the roof, consoling Yuna as her heart broke. So she watched from inside the ship as visions flew past and disappeared again. Wondering if things would be any different, now.
Rikku stared off into space for a while, trying to wrap her head around what she'd seen.
Nothing much had changed. Home still fell. They had saved the world, six of them instead of seven. The Al Bhed were still on that same airship, waiting to find a new Home.
Everything had changed. Yunie had seemed more tired, more sad. On the pilgrimage, Rikku had appointed herself in charge of making sure Yunie was in good spirits. No tears, Yuna had admonished all of them. When it was late and Yunie wasn't sleeping, Rikku would climb into her sleeping bag and start pointing out constellations. Make up silly names for them.
The fight with Yunalesca, in Zanarkand, had been the hardest of the whole pilgrimage. They had barely managed it, with seven. It was amazing they had all survived. Without her -- with one less -- someone hadn't.
Wakka would have been gone. And she would never have missed him, either. She would have thought he was that tall blitz player that didn't like the Al Bhed much, and shrugged.
She would have never seen it, either. Other-Rikku ... had someone shown her what her own life was like, she would have thought they were just making it up. Wakka, stopping on the staircase as Home burned to pull her into a rough hug. Auron, lecturing the guards in Macalania Temple who tried to keep her out. How much she wanted to grow up to be Lulu one day. Kimahri telling her to be Rikku, instead.
That other her would have never been a Guardian. Would have never found her Godhand, or taken out fiends with it. That other-her had never played the Karma Game with a Tonberry. She'd never reached into her pouch and tossed a hi-potion to Tidus when he'd been lying on the ground, or called him a lightweight once she was sure he was steady on his feet again. She'd never swiped a Shining Gem from a Sand Worm, only to throw it at a Zu.
The same, but different.
One little choice. Reno had said that he'd had some sort of vision -- what his life would be like, if one small thing had changed.
Maybe this was hers.
Weeeeeird.
(It's a Wonderful Life, Rikku Edition. Open (both door and post!) for any who want to chatter at the Al Bhed girl after her vision funtimes.)