Typical Disclaimer-ness: I don't own FFX, anything familiar ain't mine, etc. etc.

Details: An AU, and slight touches of Aurikku. Honestly, do you need me to say as much? Mild, mild, mild character spoiler for FFX-2

Summary: Rikku and Auron are transformed into children. What are a Summoner and her Guardians to do when their most mature adult and most hyperactive friend become incapable of looking after themselves?


An old woman scowled into a boiling mass of green foam, viewing an image of her targets. She muttered darkly, "Respect their elders, teach them shall I. Children be they, until strikes my fancy the clock."

She sprinkled ground roots of poison leaves, shavings from a shoopuf's hide, and petals over the pot. "Back turn clock, return thee shall to proper existence. Children be they, until strikes my fancy the clock."

The foam swirled madly and glowed violet. At last, an orange fume rose from the pot and diffused through the window, tinting the blue sky for moments until the orangeness faded into oblivion.


The Moonflow shone beautifully this time in the year. Of course, without pyreflies, the river had to settle for regular fireflies to reflect colors during the night.

Auron liked fireflies better than their dreadful cousins anyhow.

Seven months after defeating Sin, Lady Yuna and her guardians were touring Spira and helping the people rebuild their lives. They were content, and since the blitzball season did not start until summer, Wakka and Tidus managed to accompany the party for most of the time.

After the fall of Gagazet, Kimahri chose to remain with Yuna and continue fulfilling his promise to look after the summoner. The black mage Lulu traveled with both Yuna and Wakka, their not-quite-so-subtle relationship from before out in the open.

Rikku surprised them all by stating she had no intention of returning to the Al Bhed and rebuild Home. She liked, "hanging out with my good ol' comrades that helped beat up Sin!" They all knew the truth: Cid was on an improve-or-destroy mission regarding the Al Bhed machina and Home, and the daughter preferred not waking up to a hunched figure stealing the dressers clean of her wetsuits for wire insulation.

Auron knew the Farplane should have been the next scenery he opened his eye to upon the death of Sin. He had been prepared for his Sending since meeting Yuna at Luca. That had not been the case these last twenty-eight weeks. In fact, he discovered his body regenerating and being reborn instead of decaying further. No one complained about his presence, however; they all seemed to appreciate the wisdom he imparted—

"Heeeey, Auron, you wanna topple rocks into the road with me?"

—Except, of course, Rikku. The one who needed it the most.

"People still use that road, Rikku. People such as us."

"But I saw Dona a while back!" Rikku bounced on her heels. "It'd be hilarious to block her way and watch her tread water!"

Auron glared down at the girl. "And what of Barthello, hm?" He liked the kid. A bit overenthusiastic, but he was earnest. It wasn't his fault that he traveled with a vain summoner.

"Well, I'm sure Barthello wouldn't mind a little water," Rikku smiled up brightly.

"Please, huh? Pretty, pretty please? I can't do it without you."

"Good," Auron snorted, turning away. "That means less fuss for Yuna to contend with." He walked a few steps, then turned halfway to the gaping Al Bhed. "No more talk about blocking roadways. I'm taking watch; get back to the others." He left to sit on a smooth stone, muttering something about 'children' and their 'lack of maturity.'

Rikku grumbled, kicking dirt and stalking back to the party. "'No more talk about blocking roadways,' he says," she mocked, doing a horrible impression of the stoic guardian. "'Get back to the others,' he says. Why doesn't he treat me like an adult? I helped defeat Sin for crying aloud. What does a girl have to do to get a little respect around here?"

She sat on the ground roughly, still glum. If only she were older, she'd show Auron! She giggled at the thought of being older than the guardian. Of course, then she'd get ugly with crow's feet and stress lines, and that was terrible to think about.

Feeling sleepy, Rikku snuggled into her bedroll and fell asleep, vowing to herself that she would dump water on Dona's head the next time they met. Or perhaps a mudslide full of worms and snakes. . . .


Kimahri awoke with a start, looking upward to find the sky tinged with sunrise gold. That wasn't right; Auron should have awoken him hours ago for the change in guard duty.

Immediately the Ronso stood and shook the first person next to him, Rikku. The girl mumbled, then a head popped from the covers. The two locked eyes, Kimahri surprised and the girl startled.

The girl shrieked and dove underneath the covers once more, reminding the Ronso something was not right. Everyone stirred, moaning about rude wake-up calls.

"Hey, what's with all the noise, ya?" Wakka smacked a fist against his bedroll, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Something wrong with Rikku," Kimahri said. "Rikku smaller."

Yuna got up and knelt beside the thief's bedroll, resting a hand on the lump between the folds. It shuddered. "Rikku, come on out," Yuna said softly.

The covers whipped away, revealing green, swirly orbs. "How'd you know my name?" she demanded childishly.

Everyone stared. Rikku had de-aged ten years, leaving her with chubby cheeks and a messy mop of blonde. Her body was still small and lithe, but Rikku's clothes were much too large for a six-year old form.

"Whoa," Tidus gulped. "Rikku shrank. How's that possible?"

Kimahri searched the area, not seeing their last member. "Something else wrong. Auron gone. Auron not wake Kimahri for guard."

Lulu frowned. "That's not like Auron. Where did everyone last see him?"

"The rock," Wakka stated, pointing to the post. "He was sittin' on it and keepin' guard."

Tidus jogged over, searching high and low for the missing guardian. "Nope! Not here!"

"Perhaps Auron pursued Rikku's assailant?" Lulu suggested.

"But why would Sir Auron not wake us to help?" Yuna pointed out.

A cry drew their attention away from the missing Auron. Rikku buried her face in her hands, crying and kicking her feet.

"Hey, now, don't do that, ya?" Wakka tried calming the child down. "What's wrong?"

"E fyhd so tytto!" Rikku howled, her Al Bhed confusing Wakka even further. (I want my daddy!)

"She wants her dad," Tidus translated, then crouched next to her. "We'll get you to your daddy, Rikku. Promise!"

Her crying stopped abruptly. Rikku regarded Tidus warily, then sniffled, "Promise in Al Bhed!"

"Er," Tidus racked his brain, then fumbled out, "E bnuseca du veht ouin tytto, Rikku." (I promise to find your daddy, Rikku.)

Rikku giggled. "You sound funny."

As Tidus and Rikku conversed, Yuna, Lulu, Kimahri, and Wakka tried to solve the mystery of Auron's location. "You don't think he went to the Farplane, do you?" Yuna asked Lulu.

"Doubtful," Lulu answered. "There hasn't been a Sending. And he didn't seem to have any particular desire to go, either."

"Maybe he got turned into a kid, too," Wakka said. His expression became horrified, along with Yuna and Lulu.

"Kimahri smell Auron that way," Kimahri pointed north, the direction of the shoopuf docks. "Possible Auron went to shoopuf."

"Let's hurry," Yuna clasped her hands together. "We can't allow Auron to face danger alone."


A small boy of three years toddled along the road, completely lost. For the most part the child was naked, but an oversized shirt clung to his waist desperately.

The boy knew not where he was. But when he saw the gigantic shoopuf, it didn't matter.

"Thoopuf!" the boy cried gleefully, toddling quicker across the road.

He ducked and darted through the forest of legs, eyes focused on the giant animal. He ascended the stairs one step at a time, and finally reached the platform. A Hypello noticed the boy, and panicked.

"Noo, don't go nears ze shoopuf," the Hypello told the boy, snatching a handful of the shirt. "Where ish your mother? Ze shoopuf ish not for little boysh."

"Thoopuf!" the boy said, pointing at the animal. He wanted to ride the shoopuf, why was this strange thing stopping him?

"Noo shoopuf," the Hypello replied.

The boy's lower lip trembled, and tears came to his eyes. Just as he was about to cry, a voice said, "Excuse me, I need to cross the Moonflow."

The Hypello and boy turned to look at the rider. He was tall, with blonde hair and greenish eyes. He repeated, "Is the shoopuf traveling today?"

"Yesh, ze shoopuf ish riding today," the Hypello nodded vigorously. "Boards ze shoopuf, pleash."

"Thoopuf," the boy said despondently; while he desired to ride the shoopuf, he knew that a good boy obeyed a grown-up's orders.

The man paused, then looked at the boy. "Hello there. Did you want to ride the shoopuf?"

The boy brightened, jumping up and down. "Thoopuf! Want to wide thoopuf!"

The man chuckled. "Alright, how about you come with me? Where are your parents?"

Blinking, the boy tilted his head downwards. "No pawents. Just thoopuf."

A sigh escaped the man. "Another one of Sin's victims," he shook his head, proffering his hand. "Come, I will take you in."

"Thoopuf?" the boy grabbed the man's hand.

"Yes, we ride the shoopuf," the man laughed heartily as they boarded. The Hypello shook his head, but as long as the man wanted to take responsibility of the child, he didn't care. "Shoopuf full shpeed aheads!"

"Thoopuf go!" the boy laughed, waving his arms.

"Yes, shoopuf go," the man nodded. He would be late for his rendezvous with Cid at the Travel Agency in the Thunder Plains, but the Al Bhed leader was easy to appease with good apple pie. And though he did have a rough exterior, Cid adored children. He suddenly realized an impediment to the boy's and his companionship. "Say, boy, do you have a name?"

The boy looked up. "'Ron," he lisped.

The man blinked. Ron? It struck a chord of familiarity within him. "That is a unique name. My name is Rin, so that you know."

"Rin," the boy tried the name out. Then he grinned. "Rin! Rin Rin Rin Rin!"

The Al Bhed chuckled, letting the boy named Ron have his fun. Wasn't Cid going to be surprised when he entered the Travel Agency with a child in tow.