Stargate SG1 Fan Fiction / Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Stargate: Atlantis Fan Fiction ❯ April Ninth ❯ Chapter Nine ( Chapter 9 )

 

Been a while, huh? Long road, getting from here to there… Heh. The only part of Star Trek: Enterprise that I liked. As for the interlude that was formally here, I realized that it was only getting in the way of telling John's story, so I will be reposting those parts as a separate prequel in the near future. Any ideas or suggestions for this story are welcome and encouraged as always.

 

Italics = Emphasis

 

“Italics” = Al Bhed language.

 

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April 29th, 2006

 

It's been a month on Spira. Counting the two weeks I didn't have this thing. Scratch that, it's been over a month, actually. In that time, I've seen monsters, ghosts, demons, real magic… Great, I'm stalling. We're nearly to Guadosalam, to meet Seymour, Lord Bird Man himself. Quick stop by the Farplane, their foothold on this world's version of the afterlife. Yes, I am so happy to go and look upon a world of dead people.

 

I'm usually snarkier than that. It's been a long day, so I'm not up to my usual standard. Plus, no McKay, no Teyla, no Ronan, no Elizabeth to bounce ideas off… To argue with… To see…

 

Damnit… Where was I? Screw it, moving on.

 

We finally found Rikku. Apparently, as an Al Bhed she is hated by most followers of Yevon because her people didn't reject advanced technology. They've been digging and excavating the tech left over from older civilizations and developing their own versions of it. As a result, they've been isolated for the most part by the rest of Spira on a rocky, desolate island they call Home. Some prodding of Auron and Lulu yielded the information that the Al Bhed have been on the receiving end of a couple crusades launched by the Maesters. Only in recent years have the Al Bhed been allowed back into mainstream society, with their businesses and blitzball. But Auron has no illusions-Another Yevon-declared war against the Al Bhed is only a matter of time.

 

Holy war. Killing for your God, just because someone can't accept that you don't want their religion or way of life. Invading and butchering for your God, because someone don't want to be swallowed up by some way of life that condemns good people to death every ten years. That rejects making life easier with technology. That promises instant salvation if you die killing infidels.

 

No matter how far humanity may have been spread, either by the Stargate or by the Ancients, some things will never change. I look at Spira and I see what Earth might be like if the Islamic world wins. I haven't followed Earth politics a lot since I went to Atlantis, and yeah, the Ori are a bigger threat at the moment than a large percentage of our planet's population that want to forcibly convert everyone else to their religion… But a cobra is still a threat, even in the face of a charging rhino.

 

… Great. I'm turning philosophical in my old age. What is it with the universe and it's continuing need to turn me into some kind of hermit on the top of a mountain?

 

Anyway…

 

Tidus and I had found Rikku on the beach following an attempt by the Al Bhed to capture Yuna, while we were crossing the Moonflow river on a shoopuff (Kind of like riding an elephant, only twice the height and a better smell. Take that, petting zoo!). To keep Wakka from going jihad on her, we stuck with her story that she came along to help her cousin, Yuna, which was completely true. Nevermind that she had wanted to help her by kidnapping her and taking her back to Home, the Al Bhed island.

 

It wasn't until later, when we'd set up camp for the night, that I asked her about my plane. She looked nervous, and had me promise not to get mad. I sighed, promised that I wouldn't. Well, it's not like I couldn't get mad at what she said, but I wasn't going to take it out on her.

 

When her ship had gotten back to Home, she'd tried explaining the importance of getting my plane back to me to her father, Cid, who is the leader of the Al Bhed (what is it with this galaxy and royalty anyway? Popping up everywhere). Her father, however, had decided that my plane was a much more valuable resource than I was, and proceeded to have his scientists take it apart and study it. She apologized profusely, cringing the entire time she described the disassembly. Sure, I may be a pilot, but I wasn't too attached to that particular 302. If it had been a `Jumper I'd have gone on a rampage. Fine, sounds conceited, so sue me. Won't get you a dime on my salary.

 

She asked if there was anything she could do to make it up to me. I grit my teeth and really, really wished I had McKay here right now. Or Zelenka. Someone who could put the plane back together, or at least the parts that might get us out of here. Rikku winced, drawing back… I blinked at her, taking a deep breath, exhaling my anger out, and adopting my professional face.

 

“Can you contact your father?” She nodded, and handed over another spherical device, kind of like my recorder. The girl turned it on, and spoke a few words I didn't recognize. Same language they were speaking on the boat before. Fortunately for me though, most of the inhabitants of Pegasus speak some form of Ancient, and since I learned Latin in college, it wasn't too hard to pick up.

 

Note to self: If they ever make a movie about Atlantis, make sure they explain that this is the dubbed version. Most of the movie would have to be subbed if it was true to life.

 

“Neggi? Fro yna oui lymmehk?” Said the guy on the other end.

 

“Vydran, e'ja vuiht Lumuham Crabbynt, ra fyhdc du dymg du oui,” Rikku answered. There was a pause.

 

“Ev ed'c ypuid rec bmyha, fa'na cunno. E fyc ihtan dra esbnacceuh dryd ra fyc tayt,” the man responded. Rikku sighed.

 

“Ra cinjejat, yht ra'c hud rybbo fa duug ybynd rec bmyha.” The man chuckled.

 

“Lyh'd pmysa res. Cu, fuimt ra ghuf ruf du bid ed pylg dukadran” Rikku looked at me.

 

“You think you could put it back together? I mean, do you know how?” Rikku asked. I shook my head.

 

“If it was my usual bird? Yes. But in this case? No.” I sigh. “Don't you guys know how to put it back together? You did keep track of where everything went, right?”

 

“Vydran?” Rikku inquired. There was muffled shouting in the background, before the man spoke again.

 

“Druca eteudc! E't vena dra mud uv dras yht ducc dras du Ceh ev E luimt kad yfyo fedr ed!” Rikku winced.

 

“No, they didn't,” she answered. I nod.

 

“Neggi, damm dra Lumuham dryd E fuimt mega du syga ed ib du res. Kud yho etayc uh ruf?” Cid said in a questioning tone. Rikku blushed a bit, and I raised my eyebrow.

 

“Famm... E ys synnoehk yka, nekrd” There was a pause, then booming laugher.

 

“Mega drec Lumuham, rir?” She smiled at me, my `I'm on an alien planet and things are going to get real bad in a few moments' senses tingling. Rikku went on, giggling a bit.

 

Uh oh…

 

“E zicd druikrd ra luimt ica cusadrehk du dea res rana. Ra'c hud pyt uh dra aoac yd ymm, Vydran, yht ra'c y bemud yht fynneun yc famm…” She pouted very cutely at this point.

 

“Pacetac, E ryda ymm uv dra udran ciedunc ycgehk yvdan sa,” she seemed to conclude, though since I didn't have a clue what they were talking about…

 

“Sa duu. Famm, damm res E aqdaht ouin ryht eh synneyka du res. E aqbald du caa oui pudr eh y vaf faagc. Fa lyh gaab Oihea cyva yht uvvelelymmo ynnyhka ajanodrehk yd dra cysa desa,” Cid said in an authoritative tone. Rikku nodded happily.

 

“Ymmnekrd, dyga lyna Neggi. Dno hud du ryja ouin fattehk hekrd duu cuuh, ymmnekrd?” Cid went on, a teasing tone this time. Rikku blushed and nodded.

 

“Oac Vydran.”

 

“Po dra fyo, ypuid drec Cdynkyda ra sahdeuhat... E's muugehk ehdu ed. E drehg fa lyh veht ed vun res. Tavehedamo y kuut etay du ryja y tufno du syga cina ra tuach'd kad lumt vaad,” Cid went on.

 

“Ra'mm pa jano rybbo du rayn ymm dryd, Vydran. Caa oui cuuh. Kuutpoa!” With that, she shut off the comms sphere and smiled.

 

“Don't worry… Father says that if we meet him at Home, he'll get everything straightened out. He's also got a few leads on your Stargate he's looking into.” I raised my eyebrow.

 

“Okay… What was all the blushing about?” Rikku shrugged and winked.

 

“Just telling my father about the handsome company I'm keeping,” she breathed in a sultry tone. I grinned teasingly.

 

“Don't you forget it,” I admonish, though my uneasiness level is still incredibly high. I really hope I'm not being married off. Again.

 

- - - - - - -

 

Dun dun dun! Dramatic reverb!

 

For those of you who want to know what Rikku and Cid were saying, go here:

 

http://www. Yaoiville .org/FFX_yaoi/oddities/albhed . htm

 

While I'm not a fan of yaoi, it is an excellent translation program. Until next time!