Axis, Prolouge and Chapters 1 & 2

[dolevalan]

Axis

a Final Fantasy X fan fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, locations, etc. mentioned in this fanfic. They belong to Square.

Author’s Note: This work assumes that the events of FFX-2 did not occur. Although some of the characters from the sequel appear in the fic, the timeline departs from the end of FFX. Contains spoilers for FFX, but not FFX-2.

Prologue

The sun beat down on Besaid village, as usual. Small bursts of laughter punctured the still mid-day air, a counterpoint to the ever present lapping of the waves. The laugher, a small curly-haired boy, was attempting to catch a small harmless machina that ran in circles before him. His father looked on, beaming. “Chappu’s such a smart kid, ya?”

“Yeah, he knows he likes machina already!” Rikku winked at Wakka. “See how deprived you Yevonite kids were?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Wakka waved her off with his hand. “We did ok though.” Lulu rolled her eyes and Yuna laughed softly. The four women were mindful of the sleeping infant, even if her father was not.

The redheaded child ran up to the others. “Aunt Rikku, the mock-ya broke.”

Rikku stood and stretched. “Well, let’s take a look-see, Chappy.”

He shook his head at her slowness. “It’s Chappu, Aunt Rikku.”

“Oopsie, forgot again.” Rikku winked as Chappu led her to his faulty toy.

“I wonder which of them has more energy,” murmured the brunette leaning on Wakka’s shoulder. “Maybe she should baby-sit more often.”

Wakka laughed. “He’ll be a great blitzer, ya?”

Yuna stood, gingerly. “Thank you…so much for this afternoon. Both of you.” She smiled shyly. “I still don’t get out of Bevelle often enough, I guess.”

“You certainly don’t, young lady,” Wakka scolded. “Karena still hardly knows you and Lu. And we couldn’t have Chappu growin’ up without his godmothers, eh?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Ah don’t be.” Wakka and Karena stood as well, and Wakka gave Yuna an avuncular bear hug. “We know you’re busy, ya? Jus’ take a break every now an’ then.”

Yuna nodded, with a smile. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to talk with Rikku for a moment.” Yuna took another look at the sleeping child in Karena’s arms, then turned and walked toward Chappu and Rikku, bent over the machina toy.

“Any luck?” She asked them softly. Rikku nodded, and with a grin, clicked a final component into place. The miniature chocobo chirruped back to life, and with a quick “Thanks, Aunt Rikku!”, Chappu was off once more. In the background Karena yelled, “Be careful!” as Wakka laughed, but Yuna did not join in. Her look had turned deadly serious. “Rikku,” she began.

“I know what you’re going to say.”

“Then why make me say it?” Rikku did not break the silence. “Is Cid really going to start a war?”

Rikku looked shocked. “Start a war? Who exactly was it that attacked our Home? Who used us as scapegoats for 1000 years? Who tried to force you into a marriage you didn’t want?”

“Don’t drag me into this, Rikku. Maester Seymour was an individual, and he’s dead. That’s no justification for a war.”

Shaking her head, Rikku stepped closer and lowered her voice. “Yunie, so many of our people died, not at the hands of Sin, but of the Guado. Pops wants some justice, and I can’t say I blame him.” She hugged her cousin. “It’s not that I don’t see where you’re coming from, but I lost so many friends to the pycdyntc, and they refuse to own up to what they did. We’ll end it quickly, I promise.” Yuna stepped away. Rikku shrugged and said “Let’s get back to the others then.”

Chappu ran up, laughing again. “I did it, Aunt Rikku! I caught ‘im all by myself!”

1

“I caught him myself,” Chappu said. “Isn’t he a beauty?” The chocobo was impressive, I had to admit. But then, I had only seen pet chocobos before.

“Is he for racing?” I asked.

“Nope. He’s gonna be a war steed. Clasko’s not training many, because there’s not much demand, but I’m gonna buy this one myself.”

I frowned. “What for? You’re not going mercenary on me, are you?”

Chappu’s laugh was wonderful, even when he was laughing at me. “No, no. I just want to know how to train them. And it’s always handy to have an extra fighter with you, eh Arion?” The bird chirped in confirmation. “So what about you? What are you doing out here?”

“I’m apprenticing for the summer. Didn’t you know?” I glanced back at the shop. “Speaking of which, I’d better get back to the counter. When are you coming home to visit?”

“Probably in a month or two. When business slows down.” My brother smiled. “You’d think now that machina are legal, everyone would want a speeder, but most people still trust chocobo power.”

We hugged, and Chappu jumped back on Arion. “Have a safe trip,” I called. He waved to me, then rode North along the highroad.

I entered the shop again, and inwardly groaned as I saw Rin behind the counter. “Oui mywo kenm, frana ryja oui paah?” he asked sharply.

“Cunno, Rin” I muttered, ducking behind the counter. “My brother was passing by and-”

He cut me off. “What about the customers? If I hadn’t been here, the store would have been unmanned! Ruhacdmo, ouihk baubma dutyo.”

A summer had taught me better than to argue with Rin when he got like this. Instead I got back behind the counter. Telling him that I would have seen anyone entering the shop would have been futile. I reminded myself once more that I chose to be here, and stared at the door, waiting for a customer.


That night, I slept fitfully on my cot. I heard voices, but they were far away and indistinct. For reasons I couldn’t define, I had to find the owners of these voices, but I was lost in a gray fog. I awoke in a cold sweat. This dream had been getting steadily worse for weeks now, but I had no idea what to do about it.

Troubled, I got up quietly and slipped outside. To the South, I could see the soft glow of the lights of Luca stadium. I smiled, picturing my father coaching his team to victory for yet another season. Chappu always claimed the world would end when Father actually retired, and it probably wasn’t far from the truth.

A sudden noise shattered my train of thought. People were coming up the highroad, making no attempt to move silently. On my guard, I re-entered the shop. Just as I closed the back door behind me, a loud pounding shook the main entrance. Rin sleepily ordered me to answer it, so I grabbed a bracer and a small dagger from the shelves and cautiously went to investigate.

The door swung outward at my touch, and in front of me stood two cloaked figures. “This is Rin’s?” the shorter man asked gruffly. I nodded, tensely. “Good.”

With that, the taller hit me with the flat of his blade. I reeled backwards, too stunned to call for help right away. The other covered my mouth with a rag, and before I could struggle away, I passed out. My last conscious thought was something along the lines of “I can’t believe this…”


Well, well. Wakka did all right for himself, ya?
Come on. We don’t have much time.
Reke, can you hear us?
Yes. Who are you?
We don’t have the time now. You must find the sword.
What sword?
You will know.
We will help you as much we can.
But you must hurry.


When I awoke, I found myself in a small, slightly damp cavern. Three men looked at me intently from across the room. The tall one in the corner said, rather obviously, “Look, she’s waking up!”

I sat up as quickly as I could. “Who are you? What do you want with me?”

The man sitting in a cushioned chair shook his head. “Nothing, my dear. We are not the ones who kidnapped you.”

“Then why I am here?”

The tall one looked embarrassed, but when it became obvious the other two expected him to answer, he quickly offered “We sort of stole you from the people kidnapping you. So we didn’t know where to take you. We’ll get you wherever you need to go.”

I put a hand to my forehead. I had a massive headache, and wasn’t completely sure what was going on. Sensing my distress, the silent man handed me a canteen. I drank; it was water mixed with hi-potion. Refreshed, I handed him back the canteen and thanked him.

The sitting man said “How rude. We have not introduced ourselves. I am Issaru, this is Maroda,” he indicated the silent one, “and this is Pacce.” The tall one. “And you are…”

“My name is Reke. Are you the ex-summoner, sir?”

He laughed, good-naturedly. “I am. How did you know?”

“My father has mentioned you before.” I tried to stand and failed, so I sat down again as gracefully as possible. “It is an honor to meet you.”

“The honor is mine,” he replied. “Are you feeling all right?”

Maroda sat next to me and offered some more potion. “I’m fine, thank you,” I said, though accepting the drink. “If it’s not rude, why did you rescue me?”

Pacce looked angry, but Issaru calmly replied “One of your attackers was a Guado. Pacce and Maroda assumed the worst when we saw him carrying you unconscious up the highroad.” He didn’t elaborate any further. “Now, if I am not rude, may I ask who your father is?”

I decided that I could trust them. “Wakka of Besaid Island.”

This seemed to enlighten all three of them. “Oh, Wakka!” Pacce looked amused. “I forgot he had a daughter.”

“You know him then?” I asked, confused.

“Long ago. In any case…”

Issaru’s words were cut off by a loud crash that echoed down the cavern. “Ah, we have visitors.”

Pacce told me to wait, and then the three of them disappeared. I got up slowly, and examined the room. It was well-furnished; someone had obviously spent some time in Bevelle. My study was interrupted by sounds of a battle. Startled, I decided to ignore Pacce’s order, and ran off in the direction of the sounds, readying a spell. However, the battle abruptly ceased, and the trio of men rounded the corner.

Maroda frowned. “You should have stayed. You’re too weak for fighting.”

I turned to Issaru. “It was the Guado, wasn’t it?” He nodded. “I’m sorry I led them to you.”

Pacce jumped in. “That was my fault, not yours. I do need to get you home, though. If you’re an enemy of the Guado, I take it you have no problem with machina?” When I shook my head, he looked pleased. “Fine. Where are you going, then?”

I thought a moment. Going directly back to Rin seemed stupid, given the circumstances. “Besaid.”

2

I had no dreams that night. Pacce and I set out early the next morning. Why Issaru owned an airspeeder, I had no idea, but he seemed disinclined to explain. Although I worked with smaller machina for Rin, I had never flown before. Although it was exhilarating, my confidence in Pacce was not enough to keep me from flinching several times.

An hour or so later, we flew over Luca and the view opened onto the ocean. It was a clear day, and Pacce descended to skim the surface of the water. I really began to enjoy myself, though I was still not completely at ease. Something was nagging me, like a sound I couldn’t quite identify. It grew in intensity steadily, until I was forced to yell “Stop!” over the sound of the waves.

Pacce looked concerned, and slowed the speeder until we were hovering six feet or so above the waves. “What is it?” he asked, turning back to look at me.

“I don’t -” I trailed off as a shadow appeared above us. We looked up and saw a giant fiend between us and the sun. I had never seen one before, but it looked wrong for the ocean.

“A thunder plains larvae?” Pacce looked incredulous. “But what…” His question was cut short by the fiend’s attack. He was hit, but not down. “Can you use magic?” I nodded, frightened. “Water. And hold on,” he managed. I prepared a spell, but suddenly the speeder shot forward. Pacce had apparently decided to outrun it.

The fiend was surprisingly quick. Although we were flying faster than we had all day, it was gaining on us. I tried to throw a spell at it, but missed. We were just moving too quickly, and I was too weak a mage. I mentally cursed my parents for making Aunt Lulu wait until I turned 14 to train me.

The fiend didn’t seem to tire. Finally, a well-placed blast sent Pacce off the speeder. Without a pilot, it turned over, dumping me into the ocean. Though I knew how to swim, I was still under attack. Unable to use its magic without risking backlash, the fiend began attacking physically. Just before I went under, I saw something hit the fiend from behind. I tried to call out, but I had taken too much damage.

--

I dreamed I was falling, but slowly, as if through sand. I relaxed into the sensation, floating downwards. Though I couldn’t see anyone, I knew someone else was nearby.

We meet again, daughter of Wakka.

It was one of the three voices from my previous dream. I tried to open my mouth, but was afraid the sand would rush in. The voice chuckled, as if sensing my dilemma.

No need to open your mouth. Our communication is not physical.

Slightly confused, I thought Who are you?

One sent to help. At this rate, you will be able to see me soon.

At this rate? What are you talking about?

I thought I felt a hand on my shoulder, but I may have imagined it. Surely you realize your dreams are more than just dreams?

As I continued falling, I realized that he was right. I knew somehow that my dreams were different lately. There was a quality of reality to them, which had made them frightening initially. But I was not frightened anymore. The voice continued, It took you a relatively short time to be able to hear our voices, and soon we will be visible. For now, you must allow me to guide you.

What are you guiding me to? Whose side are you on? Possibly the Guado or Yevonites had developed some new form of magic, but somehow I didn’t think so. The voice felt powerful, but not threatening.

I sensed amusement in the voice as it replied I am on Spira’s side. My concerns are not those of the war. Ah, we are here. In the dream I had stopped falling. Stand up, he said to me. I was sure my voice was male, though how I was sure was still beyond me. Perhaps I was going insane. But I stood. I realized I was underwater, and noticed a cavern directly in front of me.

The voice nudged me, and I half-swam, half-walked into it. Inside, I couldn’t see much, but gentle pressure guided me into an air pocket. During this expedition I was still aware I was dreaming, but somehow there was a reality in my actions that frightened me a little.

Look up. I did. On a small rock shelf, I saw a tiny flash of light. It was as if a sliver of metal was reflecting the sun, but there was no light source for it to reflect. On an impulse, almost a compulsion, I reached for it. My hand brushed the object, and it flashed brighter. As I watched, the light flowed into my hand, up my arm, and filled me until I was lit up like a beacon. I saw the dim outline of a sword in front of me, and then a massive light enveloped me.

When I regained my vision, a man was standing in front of me. He was tall and dark, but a massive scar prevented him from being truly handsome. He gave me a half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes, and I heard a voice call me from far away. “First piece,” the voice, now the man, said. And then I was jerked violently back to reality.

--

“Reke, can you hear me?” Chappu was inexplicably standing over me. There was sunshine all around, and we were gently rocking. We must still be on a boat, I thought dreamily.

This time he shook me. “Reke!” I looked into his eyes, and immediately woke up completely.

“Chappu! What…what happened?” I sat up. We were, indeed in a boat. Pacce was sitting in the stern, and a woman I didn’t recognize was at the motor. “How did you get here?”

“As soon as you disappeared, Rin called Aunt Rikku. She wanted to come herself, but Uncle Gippal convinced her she couldn’t. She called me.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “It was luck that Clasko told me he saw you heading South. If we hadn’t arrived when that fiend was attacking you…”

Impulsively, I hugged him. Something about seeing my brother made me realize how long I had been dreaming. For how long had I been physically underwater? Gently, he removed my arms and looked into my face.

“What happened? Something more than the fiend.” I looked furtively at the woman. I felt I could trust Pacce, but I didn’t want it getting around that I heard voices. He noticed my gaze and understood. “What am I thinking? You two need food and a warm fire. Let’s go home.”

The woman said “Besaid?” and Chappu nodded. We skimmed over the water, cresting the waves.

Pacce looked shaken, and I wondered what had happened to the airspeeder. Chappu put a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up at him. There were things about how he found me he hadn’t shared. I guess both our secrets would come out when we arrived.