A Secret Journey (Rikku's Story)
by tuatha danaan

Summary: Rikku's story.
Classification: AU, Rikku/Auron relationship, story, romance
Rating: PG, rated up to R for some sections.
Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to Squaresoft, but the story
is mine. (actually Rikku's, but you know what I mean. : )

Feedback (comments, suggestions and constructive criticism) is welcomed at
tuatha@coastalnet.com.au, or onlist is fine.


*****A/N: Looks like I have to split the last chapter (battle with Sin) into
more than one part for posting. I forgot what an epic it was and how many
times you had to front up to the damn thing. :)


A Secret Journey (Rikku's Story)

Part Thirty-one


The deck vibrated beneath my feet, a staccato hum rising from the engine up
through the soles of my boots and into my bones. I could hear the strains of
the hymn rising from the ships speakers and from the ground below as the
many people gathered in Bevelle raised their voices in the song of prayer. I
held onto the rail as we rose above the city, the wind whipping around me as
I stared out over the ocean below.

I could feel Auron's coat lifted by the wind brushing against the backs of
my legs, then he reached out, his hand large and comforting against my
shoulderblade as he steadied me against the onrush of air as the ship
wheeled through the sky, searching for Sin.

It found us instead, a lumbering hulk of armoured flesh it hung, suspended,
waiting for us to come. Jecht, waiting to be freed. Yu Yevon was not so
compliant, the great beast shook, its flesh seeming to gather itself
together. Energy streamed towards it, a gasp of air as it drew in everything
near enough, then a ball of dark matter formed around its body.

Something terrible was going to happen, but I couldn't look away, fascinated
by the sight. My curiosity drew me forward to stand near the edge of the
deck. I watched as the dark core around Sin grew and grew, until it seemed
it would overbalance the entire universe. The balance couldn't sway too far,
there was a limit even to the power of Sin, and Yu Yevon.

There was a violent explosive burst from deep within the centre of that
darkly pulsing core that sent us all to our knees as it rocked the ship,
then it threw out a wave of power in all directions, cutting a swathe
through the ocean. A perfect arch of blue was carved out of the sea, a
tunnel with steep curving walls and I gazed at them in awe. Then gravity
took hold once more, and the arching tunnel collapsed in a roaring wave of
blue that rushed towards us.

A second burst of fire was released and I turned to run along with the
others. Auron grabbed me and threw me to the deck, covering me until the
second wave passed leaving us shaken but unharmed in its wake.

"You okay?"

"Yeah." He helped me to my feet, and we held on once more as the ship
manouvred back into position. Sin was moving at a juggernaut pace, slowly
and ponderously it came closer, an unstoppable force, and I could feel the
deck shudder again and again as my brother corrected our course to avoid a
collision.

Auron's arm came around my shoulders, pulling me closer, then he leaned in
to speak to me, his breath harsh and warm against my neck and ear. "Listen,
Braska used to tell us that he believed that when a soul went to the
farplane...it became part of everything. And that one could be anywhere,
everywhere at once. Even if you can't see or feel it, the people who loved
you are still with you, all the time." His hand moved to stroke my neck
gently before drawing away and resting on my shoulder.

"You can believe, that if it is at all possible, I will be with you if I
can."

I turned into him and leaned against him for a moment. "Then I'm sure of
it."

I turned back to watch Sin approach and noticed that the others were
checking their equipment one last time, so I did the same. Then my brother's
exclamations could be heard over the piped strains of the hymn.

"Cruud! Fa yna bimmat po Sin!"

I listened, then translated for the others. "Sin's pulling us in!"

The airship was being drawn closer, and my father shouted. "Everyone, back
inside!"

But it was too late. From this distance it would be impossible to use the
missiles, they'd blow the entire ship up right along with Sin. So we fought,
our weapons having little effect on Sin's rough hide. Lulu's magic was
effective, as was Wakka's attacks, and we targetted a weak spot where Sin's
fin protruded from its massive bulk. Finally the ship was able to draw away
to a safe enough distance.

I could hear the steady whine as the electronic doors to the missile bay
opened below us.

"Hold on, everyone!" I called and struggled back to my handhold. Then I
watched as the rocket was launched right into Sin's side. We were rocked
from the explosion, a wave of heat, noise and light that made me blink. When
my vision cleared I could see the wing shaped fin, now totally sheared off
from the monstrous beast tumbling down towards the sea below. It hit and
fell, disappearing in a splash of white water that rose like a plume from
the sea.

"We're going to go round and attack the other side! Hold on up there!" My
father yelled, and his instructions continued, sometimes in Al Bhed,
sometimes in Yevon, as he told my brother how to manouvre the ship.

Again Sin's power drew us closer, and we attacked until it weakened,
allowing the missiles to be launched once more.

"Nayto? Vena!"

This time my father forgot to give us enough warning, and we scrambled for
cover on the deck as the sudden whine of the missiles launching from the
ship alerted us. I crouched down and covered my head as a loud boom tore at
my senses and the heat blasted my hands. Then I looked up again to see yet
another fin detached and tumbling slowly end over end into the sea.

I heard my father calling for yet another attack, but my brother protested.
""Pid dra syeh kih, ed ec pnugah!"

I looked at the others. "The main gun is busted! That's it!"

"Dang it! All right, back inside! Time for another plan!"

That was my father. I was kind of surprised, I almost expected him to yell
that we should just ram Sin into oblivion, he'd gotten more careful since
our attack on Bevelle. Tidus protested.

"No! We're going in! Turn the ship around!"

Yuna stared at him wild-eyed, and I could see a shocked daring in her eyes,
a glint of challenge. She ran for the edge of the deck, sighting Sin just
below, then she looked back. "Let's go!"

Then she jumped. 'wow!' I mouthed to myself. I never expected Yuna to go
first. Tidus laughed and followed her, and then we all did the same, jumping
down to land on the beasts giant head. It was crazy, insane, but the landing
was softer than I'd expected, not like jumping from the airship to the
ground. I tumbled in a half somersault and then righted myself.

Sin was totally weird. I thought it was like a fiend, from a distance, just
a very large beast, but up close it was more like a city, and we were
standing at its gates and demanding entrance.

A fiend materialised before us. Then I got it. Sin wasn't just one thing,
but a multitude of them. Like an aggregation of everything that Yu Yevon
could conjure up, formed into a hideous beast that destroyed the world
around it. Somewhere in here Jecht was trapped, like so many other guardians
before him. I found myself suddenly fuming with anger. I was going to show
him. I ran for the front line and narrowed my eyes.

This fiend looked like some of the mutated plants we'd seen in Kilika
forest. I thought fire might be effective against it. So I pulled a grenade
out of my pack and pulled the pin out with my teeth. Then I ran forward a
little and started counting. When I hit three I aimed and threw then dived
backwards towards the others. It caused an impressive pyrotechnic display,
even if it wasn't on the same level as the missiles from the airship, and
the fiend was left wobbling a little in the aftermath of the shockwave.

Yeah, die you sucker!" I yelled, feeling cocky with my success. Lulu nodded
at me and ran forward.

"Hope you like it hot!" She murmured, and fire rained down on the beast as
she conjured her own fire spell. It was Yuna's turn next and she raised her
staff and span it gracefully as her eyes closed, and she called on Ifrit,
the fire aeon. I stood back and watched as he emerged from beneath the seal
she'd summoned from the earth itself, the ground flowed into molten lava and
red flames gleamed in the shadows between Sin's brows.

Ifrit blasted the fiend with a powerful meteor attack, when he was done it
looked less menacing than wilted lettuce. Yuna nodded at her aeon, bowing
low and releasing him back whence he came.

It was time for the guys to do their stuff. Kimahri slashed about him with
his lance, and Auron followed up with a powerful strike with his katana. I
looked back to see Tidus watching me, his sword jittering in his hand. I
knew he wanted to take a turn so I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Let me at 'im again." I used yet another grenade, and this time my aim was
perfect. The fiend was blasted into pyreflies that swarmed around like
flies, before dissipating into the air. Then we had trouble. Sin was
falling, beginning to spiral down towards the ocean below.

We were suddenly buffeted by the wind caused by it's passing through the air
and I crouched to steady myself. It was my brother who saved us. He kept the
airship on the same course, coming perilously close to the monster, then the
ship swooped beneath. I could hear his voice calling "Zisb! Zisb huf! Zisb
huf!"

I ran for the edge. I don't know if the others understood or if they just
followed from instinct. We tumbled over the abyss, falling towards the deck
of the ship. Brother had the sense not to pull up to fast and our falling
bodies hit the deck, the landing on the metal deck harder than it had been
on Sin earlier. I pulled myself together shakily and lifted my head. Yuna
was lying a few feet away, her eyes closed. I pulled myself over to her.

"You okay? Yunie?"

Her eyes opened unsteadily and she gazed at me, then she gave me a dreamy
smile. "We did it!"

I looked around. Everyone was here, and seemed to all be in one piece. I
turned my attention back to Sin.

"Oh!" It was streaming through the air, falling faster and faster. "Oh no!"
It was heading straight for Bevelle. I ran forward, watching with my hand
over my mouth, hoping against hope that it would miss the city. It ploughed
into the earth, burrowing through it like a mole and sending up a great wave
of brown dirt in its wake and finally came to rest near the northern edge of
the city. My original fear that it would crash right into the centre of the
metropolis had been averted, I could only hope that most of the people in
the city would have seen the danger coming and been able to escape harm.

We went back into the ship, all somewhat bruised and shaken, but elated with
our success. When we reached the control room my brother called out to me.

"Rikku, aqlammahd!" But Yuna put a damper on celebrations.

"It's going to come back, isn't it?"

Tidus nodded. "I know."

My father was surprised, but I understood. We'd all seen that there was more
to Sin than just a fiend. We had to go back. Even Wakka helped to explain.

"The Crusaders would be out of a job if it was this easy."

"It has weakened, I'm sure." Lulu added.

"We're winning!" I told them.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do about the main gun." My father told us, so
we waited. Yuna left the room, and Tidus followed her after a while, so did
Auron, but I wanted to keep an eye on Sin, so I went forward and checked the
scope finder, focussing it on Sin's carcass.

After a few moments I saw it start to move and called out on the intercom.

"Yunie! Hey guys! Come quick and look at this! Something's happening to
Sin!"

New gossamer thin fins had begun to form, it was regenerating itself. Slowly
it rose in the air and hovered above the tallest steeple of Bevelle's
temple. Auron came in and stood behind me, watching silently. When Tidus and
Yuna came in together Auron looked at him.

"Jecht is waiting for you."

My father had bad news. "The main gun is still busted, we can't fix it."

"Just take us in. We'll do the rest." Tidus told him. I nodded in response
and all the others agreed. So my brother brought the ship around and we
headed into battle again.



End of Part Thirty-one