A/N: Ok, so I started writing this fic to take my mind off of my current story Make Love

To Me cuz I'm totally over thinking it and I need to relax. So I hope you all enjoy this. This is actually my 2nd fic ever written. So I hope you all enjoy it. And I can take some criticism. No worries. Ok so here it goes. (Repost: 1/25/2005)

Two Worlds Apart

Chapter 1: Memories Are Just Memories, Right?

Rikku sat outside on the Celsius' deck on a hot summer day in the middle of August. The wind blew her blonde beaded braids in every which way as the Celsius cut through the clear blue skies of Spira. The sun shone brightly deepening her already tanned skin. A smile crept up on the young woman's face. Life had been pretty good to her lately. She had landed a job as Gippal's assistant in the Machine Faction and more often than not she teamed up with her fellow Gullwings to sphere hunt. She had just bought a small cottage just out on the edge of the Moonflow. It was so beautiful, it looked like the candy house from Hansel and Gretle. She absolutely loved it. Rikku had a wonderful family and plenty of friends. Paine had been recently married and was about to give birth any day now. Who would have thought that Dr. P would be the first one to settle down? She had everything a girl could possibly want. Although life was good she was not content. She felt as if something direly important was missing. And deep down she knew what it was. Deep down she knew she couldn't have it. And one word came to mind as she began to reminisce. Wakka.

Yuna's Pilgrimage-5 Years Ago

Guadosalam and the Thunder Plains

She was sitting outside the passage to the Thunder Plains completely terrified of going in but she knew that she had to. She had to do it for Yuna. When the rest of the group arrived she tried in vain to convince them to go a different route but Sir Auron wouldn't hear of it. Nobody seemed to care about her fear of thunder except for Wakka. He had taken he aside and calmly reassured her that nothing was going to happen to her because he wouldn't let it.

When they had finally arrived at Rin's Inn, she relentlessly begged Sir Auron to let them stay the night until he gave into her incessant whining. They checked in and after huddling under the covers in the bed that she with Yuna, she found that she couldn't fall asleep. She could still hear the thunder. She had to get away from it. The only place she could possibly think of ridding the noise was the basement. Rikku looked over at her sleeping cousin and climbed out of bed. She quietly left the room in an effort not to disturb Lulu and Yuna from their slumber. She walked down the hall to the basement door jumping every so often at the creaking of the old wooden floors. She opened the door at the top of the stairs and looked in. To her surprise she saw Wakka sitting in the dark on an old beat up couch underneath a blanket looking out the window at the falling rain and flashes of light.

When he looked up and saw her he beckoned her over to sit underneath the woolen blanket with him. For awhile they sat in silence just looking out at the rain. From down here they could barely hear the thunder. After awhile he explained that he had come down here to think. He needed to focus on the pilgrimage and be more not be so distracted the way he was on his last pilgrimage. It struck her that Wakka wasn't as dumb as he looked or seemed to act. There was something that ran deep within him. They sat up for hours sharing memories of their childhood and their hopes for the future. Although they had only known each other for a few short weeks she felt like she had known him all her life. And after awhile she forgot completely that she was even in the thunder plains. That night was the first time she felt it. That night was the night that she first knew. She was falling for him.

Rikku was pulled from her thoughts when a very pregnant Paine violently shook her from her daydreams. She would have pummeled the silver-haired girl if she wasn't pregnant, but she didn't want to chance hurting the baby. Secretly, she hoped if Paine and Baralai ended up having a girl they would name her Rikku, but the chances of that happening were slim to none.

"What the hell was that for Dr. P?", she yelled highly angered.

"We've arrived in Besaid and you need to report to the bridge. We have been paging you for the pas thirty minutes and I was sent to get you, " she growled.

"Sorry, I guess I was lost deep in thought," Rikku replied as she calmed herself down.

"You seem to be in la la land a lot these days Ri, you need to get your head out the clouds and focus. This trip isn't for pleasure you know." With that Paine turned on her heel and waddled off.

It had nearly been three years since she had last been into the village on Besaid. She couldn't bare to go back there. Especially knowing that Wakka would be there with his wife Lulu and their three year old son Chappu. She just could bring herself to go to Besaid and see the happy family knowing what she felt inside. Besides Lulu was her friend and what she felt was wrong. She couldn't believe that she even agreed to come here. But she promised Yuna she would. Yuna needed her help. She said that she and Tidus needed to tell them all something important. That's why she along with Baralai, Paine, Gippal, Nooj, and LeBlanc were traveling to Besaid.

Rikku stepped out onto the sandy beaches of Besaid and followed the rest of the group up the path and into the village. She was practically shaking with nervousness but she knew she had to do this despite how much she didn't want to. She didn't want to see him. She didn't want to see him so happy without her. She didn't want to dig up old memories and open old wounds. She didn't want to hurt the way she did when Wakka married Lulu. She didn't want to hurt the way she did the day she found out that Lulu was pregnant or the day that she gave birth to their son. Too many painful memories lay ahead in the small seaside village. But memories were just memories, right?