once again... i don't own ffx... and please don't sue.

and for some reason i was into people saying a lot in this one

and sorry its short

and sorry that Kimarhi was left out

Echo

"Auron, it's time..." Yuna's voice was constricted and tearful, they had defeated Sin, and she had just found out that Tidus had to die. Then she watched him jump from the airship.

Auron merely nodded.

"Wait, what? It's time for what?! I don't understand!" Rikku cried out in a panic.

"Rikku" Lulu said calmly, easily hiding the emotions that were breaking her heart on the inside. "We thought you knew. Auron's an unsent. He stayed on Spira to fulfill a promise he made to Tidus' father, Ject. He did, and now it's time for him to move on. Move on... to the farplains. Good bye, Auron. You shall be remembered." Then she turned to Yuna. "Yuna, for him, your last sending."

"Bye, Brudda." It was obvious that this was all very had for Wakka as well.

"Thank you, for everything." With that, Yuna raised her staff over her head before slowly starting twirling it in intricate designs, a sort of dance of sorrow, the duty of a summoner. Her duty.

With a gust of wind, Rikku ran past Yuna and threw herself upon Auron, wrapping her arms around his neck. He just stood there, staring at the at the skies above.

"NO! AURON! DON'T LEAVE! YOU CAN'T LEAVE! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU AURON! DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!" Rikku cried, her petite body shaking violently and yet he said nothing. He just waited for the end.

Yuna continued. She had no choice. The dead couldn't walk amongst the living. No one else moved.

Auron's body then burst into thousands of pyreflies right there in Rikku's arms. "Auron..." she whispered.

Once it was all over, Yuna sank to her knees and cried into her hands. Rikku just stood there, looking completely lost in to world. Both Wakka and Lulu instinctively wanted to go comfort Yuna, she was like their baby sister, but Lulu reasoned Rikku needed somebody just as much. Wakka gave her a tight hug, then went to talk with Yuna. Lulu watched him go before walking to Rikku. Placing a pale hand on Rikku's arm, they stood for a moment. Rikku's back was to Lulu, but yet the black mage could tell that the younger woman was trying her best to keep her emotions intact. Finally she broke. Spinning around, Rikku buried her face into the thick fur adorning Lulu's dress and let the tears fall.

"I don't understand it Lulu! Why couldn't he tell me if he felt the same way as I did!? How could he just leave like that?" Rikku sobbed.

"I don't know, Rikku, I don't know..." Lulu calmly replied, stroking her hair.

"You're lucky, Lulu. I hope you know that. I wish I could be as strong as you."

"Rikku, you don't want to be like me." Looking over, Lulu saw Wakka and Yuna crying in each other's arms.

"But I do! I never want to shed another tear."

"No matter how much crying hurts, it's better than keeping it inside. Think of your tears like rain. If it never rained, people die. If you never cry, you die. Maybe not physically, but you die on the inside."

"Tidus is gone,... Auron is gone. Maybe it's better to die."

"Hush now. Never say that. Death answers nothing. Never give up hope. The pain will never leave, nor will it hurt less, but you must live with it. We are Spira's hope. We could never give up when Sin was here, and we still can't. Together we must lead Spira into the light. If any of us lose hope, we shall fail and plunder into darkness. So if you don't hang on for you self, do it for us. For Yuna. For Wakka and I. For Spira. And for Tidus and Auron who gave their lives so we could live this dream. In this peace." The Lulu lead Rikku inside, with Wakka and Yuna trailing behind.

They were on the airship when Lulu went to see Yuna in her room. She remained silent when Lulu sat down beside her on the bed. "You want to talk?" inquired Lulu.

Yuna shook her head no.

"Alright, then I'll talk, you just listen. I wish that it didn't have to happen like this. So much responsibility falls on you. Every one looks up to you. You are one of the most important people in Spira's history. Every body loves you and will want a piece of you time, but Yuna, remember, they will never stop to think about what you really need. They will take so much of you that you will have nothing more to give, yet they will still try to obtain more if they can. Yuna, never let that happen. I know that you are feeling guilty, he is dead because you are alive. Death is probably all you want right now. But Tidus saved more than one life today. By saving yours, he also saved mine. I don't think that I could stand loosing you, Yuna. And I don't think that Tidus would like to find out that he sacrificed himself for nothing. If for nothing else, keep living for him." Then Lulu got up and headed to the doorway.

When Lulu opened the door Yuna spoke. "Lulu, when Tidus disappeared, then I had to send Auron, I really did want death. To just run of the side of this ship and be free. But then I heard what you said to Rikku, and you were right. I, no, we, must continue on, and encourage the rest of Spira to do the same. Thank you." Then she sighed.

"If you want, I'll stay."

"Nah, I kinda want to be alone now."

"If you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Lulu, I'll be ok. Go be with Wakka."

"How'd find out about Wakka and I?"

"You thought that you could keep that from me? Go on." The two women share a secretive smile before the older leaves, shutting the door quietly behind her.

They had been back in Besaid for a few weeks. Yuna had been so busy that she had no time to think about Tidus, but Rikku only had a little that she had to help with so she had all the time in the world to reminisce and then cry her eyes out. Lulu and Wakka spent most of their spare time with her, trying to keep her mind of Auron, but sometimes that made her feel even worse. Now that they were officially a couple she figured that they probably wanted to be doing something else and though everyone knew that they were a couple, you couldn't tell by looking at them. They walked down the street just like they used to, not even hand in hand so that they didn't hurt Yuna or Rikku since they had both lost the ones that they had loved. No, they might as well still be childhood friends.

Rikku decided to confront them but on the day she finally decided to ask only Lulu came to visit.

"W-where's Wakka?" Rikku knew that they probably decided not to come together so that they wouldn't have to mask their feelings like they always did when around each other.

"Oh, he's helping Yuna take care of some things."

"Lulu, why are you two doing this to yourselves?"

"Doing what, exactly?" Questioned Lulu, trying to sound like she had no idea what Rikku was talking about.

"Don't play dumb, 'cause I know you're not, you know what I'm talking about. I haven't asked Yuna but I'm sure that she'd agree. If you hadn't told me about you and Wakka, I never would have guessed. I know that you two are doing it so that it doesn't hurt us, but truth is, it really does. We feel guilty because we're keeping you apart, that's worse than seeing you with some one when people we loved have left us behind. We really want you to be happy. Show the world how much you care about each other.

Just then, they heard Wakka shout. "Hey Yuna, I think that there's some one here that you will actually want to see ya!"

Rikku and Lulu glanced one another before hurrying out the door to Rikku's home. They saw Tidus grinning foolishly and then Yuna emerge from the temple with a look of confusion plastered to her face. One glance at Tidus and she was sprinting faster than she ever had before. Then she landed, gasping for air, in his strong arms.

That night, the whole island celebrated around the bonfire. Well, everyone except Rikku. Now everyone had the love of their life except her. Sure, she was happy for her cousin, but now she felt like the fifth wheel in their group of friends. So she sat slightly away from the crowds as Tidus enchanted the people with his story of the farplains and how the faith let him come back because he had saved Yuna and the rest of Spira.

"What's the life of every party doing taking my role as the person who stands in the shadowed corner?" Asked a gruff voice behind her. Immediately she knew who it was, but slowly she spun around.

"Auron." she whispered. "Is it real? Are you really back?"

"Yes, Little Rikku. I'm back. Alive."

"You big meanie! You-" But before she could finish, Auron stepped forward and kissed her passionately. After the shock wore off, Rikku responded, wrapping her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist, holding her close.

Lulu, laying in the crook of Wakka's arm smiled up at him as the two of them watched the meeting in the dark unfold.