Lust for Sin

A Story by Rikku-Hoshi

Hello everybody! Well, as you can tell, I'm back with something that's new, and hopefully exciting! This story is MUCH different than "A Foreign Home", and really, much more different from anything I've EVER written! It's somewhat morbid...Actually, rather morbid. But then again, not really. There's some things in here that make me think about rating it higher than PG-13, or in "R" or "M", or whatever it is, but I think we'll deal with this! The idea for this came to me while reading the book "A Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. From there, I decided to write a story, set in the world of Spira that was based off of a Puritan society like that of Boston, Massachusetts in the 1600's or so.

There's really nothing bad in it, so to say, or anything that should make it rated higher than PG-13. My only worry is the theme of it. It's not meant to offend anybody, or make you think. It's just a little something I wanted to write. Hopefully you'll see no problems with it, and will enjoy it. Anyway, I suppose I'll stop rambling here. If you have any questions though, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. My e-mail can be found on my biography page.

Well, that's basically it. Sorry for the long little introduction thing! (Speaking of introductions, by the way, this chapter is kind of like an introduction, so sorry if it's not the longest and not the most exciting!)

Disclaimer: I will only say this once, for I feel it needn't be repeated. I do not own Spira or any of it's characters. They belong to their respected owners. However, the idea of the story does belong to me. The words in general, all belong to me. (Unless I quoted from the game, or something...) Well then, please enjoy!

Chapter 1: The Daughter of Sin

The village looked mighty drab to the seventeen-year-old girl as she gathered her skirts and left the ship in which she had boarded for over a week. Stepping on land was a difficult task, but she managed without much difficulty. Her father followed her, and showed absolutely no difficulty adjusting to the land, but she assumed that unlike her, her father was used to going from sea to land. A small man followed her father, and another followed that man. Both had their arms full with trunks, which carried the family's new luggage.

A small drop of water landed on the girl's forehead, and another followed suit. What weather indeed to welcome the newcomers to their new home. Beyond, high in the sky, a loud roar of thunder stretched across the land.

"What lovely weather," the girl said sarcastically, as yet another man hurried forwards, carrying a parasol to cover the girl's head from the rain. Yet another man did the same, covering her father's head.

"Yes indeed," her father agreed, "Beautiful weather indeed."

"I thought you said that it was often sunny here," the girl remarked, pulling her little cape around her, as a chilly breeze swept through.

"Yuna, this is what the weather is like in October, even here," her father said, sighing at his daughter, "But I assure you, it won't get as cold as it got in Bevelle."

"I enjoyed the cold," the girl lied, just to be difficult to her father.

"Aye, but it caused much sickness, you know that," her father said, softly.

That shut her up. She knew she wasn't supposed to mention winter and all of its cruelties. After all, it was that cruelty of winter that had taken her mother's life two years ago.

She swallowed, and decided to change the subject to something other than the 'lovely' weather.

"Where are we to live?" she questioned.

"Right yonder," her father said, nodding up the cliffs, "We are to live on the hills overlooking this new village."

"Lovely. We'll be out of sight."

"That's best, you know that," her father answered, "We will be residing next door to the young Governor Seymour."

"Governor Seymour?" the girl said, raising an eyebrow at her father, "Isn't he part Guado?"

"Aye, he is. But he's a very wise leader. He's the governor of not only this village, but of the neighboring island, Kilika."

"I see," she said, although she wasn't at all interested.

"Yuna, our new residence will be much larger and more beautiful than our last, do you realize that? And we will be...out of harm's way."

"Disease can easily travel across seas," Yuna said, shaking her head, looking up at the dark sky, "We can't keep moving to stay away from it."

"Besides, if I may, Sir," the man holding Yuna's parasol said, "There are other evils in the world other than diseases."

"Ha," Yuna's father said, shaking his head, "The only evil in this world is disease and those sacrilegious Al Bhed."

Yuna shuddered and said softly, "Mother was an Al Bhed."

"Was is the main word there, Yuna," Yuna's father said sharply, "I have told you that over and over."

"Father, you wedded and had a child with a servant girl," Yuna said, crossing her arms, "And her being Al Bhed is what shames you most?"

"I have no shame over your mother!" her father nearly yelled, but he was looking ghastly white.

"Lie all you want father, but it's the very truth," Yuna said, and started walking, "Lead me to this place of residence, Father. It's quite cold out here."

"Right, we needn't catch any kind of disease!" her father said quickly, and then nodded toward his many followers, "Come quickly now!"

At that he rushed off, with the five or so men who carried their stuff. Other servants followed, but as Yuna had learned on the ship, most servants they would receive would be new servants. They had left not only their old house behind, but their old servants as well.

"You heard your father, Miss Yuna," the man who hovered over Yuna, protecting her from the rain said, "We must get to your new residence."

Yuna stole a quick glance toward the empty array of gray ocean, that matched the sky, and nodded, and followed suit. Up the hillside they went, until they reached their very large, and glamorous house, which sat right next to another very large, an glamorous, house.

"This is to be your bedchamber," an old lady said, leading Yuna to a large room located on the third story of her new house, "You father had this one picked out especially for you. Your servants will room in the bedchamber next door. I will now leave you some time to unpack your belongings. Your father expects you changed and ready for dinner in about two hours or so."

"Yes of course, you can leave me now," Yuna simply said, shooing the old lady out the door, "I can handle myself."

The lady left then, and Yuna closed the door. Sighing, she began to unpack from the many trunks that had just been brought into her room.

A large bolt of lightning could be seen out her door, and it was then that Yuna realized that there was a door across the room. White door-long curtains were blowing, and Yuna curiously went over to the door.

The door was open, letting in cold gusts of air, and Yuna realized it led to a small balcony. Yuna stepped out, seeing another bolt of lightning. For some reason, right then, the lighting seemed to fascinate her. She walked slowly to the edge of the balcony, and stood there, staring at the sky, as rain fell on her, and the watched the lightning flash in the sky.

She noticed that from her balcony she could see the entire village. She had expected something small, but this was no small village. Of course, it was no Bevelle, but it definitely wasn't as small as she'd expected.

She could see small shops and houses further down. No one was out in the streets, but it didn't surprise her. It was, after all, raining.

Another bolt of lightning struck, and it was then that Yuna realized how close the lightning was to her.

Sighing, she said softly, "Come lightning, strike me."

She closed her eyes, waiting for a surge of electricity to come, decided that she was ready to die. That was, until she heard a scream.

Her eyes flashed open, and she realized that the scream had come from behind her. She quickly turned around to see a young blonde girl standing in her doorway, staring at her with wide eyes and her hands over her mouth.

"M-M-Miss Yuna! T-T-The L-lightning I-is going-ng to s-strik-ke y-you!" the younger girl gasped, not taking her hands from her mouth.

"What?" Yuna said, stepping toward the girl, "Who are you? Well...Judging by your filthy appearance, you must be...a maid?"

"Y-Your p-private servant!" the girl said, and grabbed Yuna's arm, although Yuna tried to pull away, and dragged her into the room. She then slammed the door shut, bolted and locked it, and shut the white curtains quickly.

"My private servant?" Yuna said, "Really?"

"R-Really. Oh Miss Yuna, were you trying to get killed?" the girl said in an even higher pitched voice than she'd been talking in earlier. Yuna noticed she looked frantic, and quite frightened.

"Of course not," Yuna lied, "I was only looking at the lightning."

"And you weren't scared?" the blonde girl asked, slowly taking her hands from her mouth.

"Of course not!" Yuna said, shaking her head, "Why would I be?"

"Bec-Because! Lightning is the scariest thing ever!" the girl said, quivering as she spoke, "It took me a long time to get the courage to come and get you!"

"How long have you been watching me?" Yuna asked then.

"Not very," the girl said, "I came in here just as you went on the balcony."

"Have you ever heard of knocking?" Yuna asked then, annoyed.

"Oh please don't fire me!" the girl said then, "I'm trying to be a good Yevon-worshippper! I swear...Um...I swear to Yevon! I am!"

"Excuse me?" Yuna just said.

"I'm an Al Bhed!" the girl said then, and started to cry, "I was sentenced to being a servant until I could prove myself worthy to not be a servant any longer!"

"You're an Al Bhed?" Yuna said then, her eyes growing wide.

"Yes! I mean...No! Not anymore! Oh Miss Yuna, I swear! I swear, I swear, I swear!"

"Would you relax?" Yuna said, "It's not like I care whether you're Al Bhed or not!"

"You don't?" the girl said, looking surprised.

"Of course not. Of course, it's right that you're a servant..."

The girl looked disappointed then, and said, "I'm sorry to bother you Miss Yuna. Honestly, I am. Goodnight."

"Wait," Yuna said, "What's your name?"

"Rikku..." the girl said slowly.

"Alright, you are dismissed, Rikku," Yuna said, and slowly, Rikku trudged out of the room.

Yuna sat there for some time, in thought. An Al Bhed...A sinner among her? It was bad enough to Yuna that her own mother had been the definition of sin, but now her personal servant too? Sighing, Yuna looked out the window. She was the Daughter of sin itself. She deserved to die.

A knock interrupted her thoughts then, and Yuna said, in a quivery voice, "Enter!"

"It's me," it was her father, "How is everything going?"

"Fine," Yuna said, "Why do you ask?"

"It's time to eat," her father said, "Change for dinner. As for me, I'm going over to visit the governor. Would you like to skip dinner and escort me?"

"No thank you," Yuna said, "I was actually thinking about taking a walk through the village."

"I think not," her father said, "It's rainy, and dark. You need not go to the village."

"Father, you can not keep me from going," Yuna said surely.

"Ah, but I can. We're not in Bevelle anymore, Yuna."

Yuna sighed. Her father was right. Suddenly she felt trapped, but at the same time, it seemed like a good thing to be trapped.

"You'll see most of the village tomorrow. After all we need to go to session at the temple.

"Of course," Yuna said, nodding, and then suddenly bit her lip, "Father...I need to tell you something."

"Yes?" her father said.

Yuna walked over to him, and bent down before him.

"I have sinned today, father."

"Oh?" her father said, giving her a surprised look.

"Yes. I have not only lied twice, but I also wished to die."

"I see," her father said softly, "Well then, hand me that book there."

"The Bible of Yevon?" Yuna asked, noticing the heavy book on the floor.

"Yes," her father said.

Yuna picked up the book, handed it to her father, and then knelt down before him again.

"Let's see, twice the sin of lying and once the sin of wishing for death. That shall equal...five beatings."

Then, without warning, he smacked her in the head with the book, knocking her on the floor. He hit her twice more on the forehead and then finally delivered the last two blows on her arm. She quivered and curled into a ball, sobbing quietly.

"Tomorrow you shall confess in front of the temple."

"With people present?" Yuna asked through her tears.

"No...Just in front of Yevon. Yes, that shall do. Goodnight Yuna."

He shut the door then, leaving Yuna to herself, crying through her now throbbing headache.