Hey, I know it's written a little strangely but if you read through it I promise it will be much less confusing. I've been wanting to write a shoujo-ai fiction with Rikku but I can't really see her pairing up with any already existing characters. So hence, I created Adaline. I promise that it isn't an instant love at first sight plot- which I'm sure you've read before. It will take time to develop a believable relationship but I'm not going to drag it out.

Anyhow, if you don't agree with homosexuality, you've been warned so don't complain to me.

And for the rest of you, thanks for reading and please review.

Caught. Hell, not only was I caught, I was doomed. I looked from my friends to the fiend in front of us I knew immediately what I had to do. The only way anyone was getting out alive was to be magically transported; now normally this wouldn't be an issue… provided that the caster didn't need or want to leave the site.

"Rikku, Paine," I shouted through the blood and spit pooling in my mouth, "take Yuna and hold on to each other." At first I had only a confused reaction from Rikku who immediately looked to Paine for guidance, and then it hit her.

"No," she pleaded. "You can't stay I-…" A deafening roar filled the cavern as the fiend lunged at Paine who blocked before countering with a vicious slash to its ribcage. Another roar then shook the rock.

We all looked wildly around for an escape once more before seeing a small passage that most likely led to a smaller chamber farther in the depths of the earth. "This way, we need to hide for more time," yelled Paine while motioning to temporary safety.

Rikku and I picked up the unconscious Yuna and ran for it with the Griffin-like monster snapping at our heels. Upon reaching the narrow crack in the wall, I waved Rikku through and then threw myself in backward with Yuna landing safely on top of me; although I'm sure it broke more of my already cracked ribs. With no one to pursue, our attacker now waited outside growling lowly.

Gently pushing Yuna off of me, I gasped desperately for the air that refused to fill my lungs. A black cloud began to fill my vision as my chest burned for oxygen and my mind grew foggy. Then I felt the darkness take me.

I awoke to my head in Rikku's lap with her holding a potion in one hand and my head being cradled in the other. She half sobbed as I turned my head to look at her, "Adele, please be okay. Don't go, please don't go." I felt her body shake lightly under me as began to cry and I heard the definite sound of breaking glass as the now empty potion bottle fell to the rocky ground. Paine walked over to Rikku with the now conscious Yuna hanging on her side; when Yuna put her hand on Rikku's shoulder I saw my chance to get them out of here… but first I had to do something.

"Rikku," I gasped while pulling my bracelet off of my wrist, "take it-" I then pushed the jewelry into her open palm and laced her fingers in mine. I looked her in the eye and smiled brighter than I'm sure I ever have before, my mother gave me the bracelet as a gift when I was little. She told me to give it to the most important person in my life… and I chose to share it with Rikku. "I want you to know that I'll always be there when you need me."

The tiger's eye in the middle clasp began to shine and a glowing green circle formed around them- the last I saw of Rikku was her sad green eyes staring back at me in what could've been either disbelief or absolute shock. Either way I never thought I would find out; because now they were gone. Now they were safe.

My time spent alone in that dark chamber was awkward to say the least. At one point in time I sneezed and a pyrefly flew out of my nose… probably not healthy. Other than the odd mishap along the occasional roar from my furry enemy, not much went on down there.

For the most part I spent my time remembering everything that happened over the past six months; my seventeenth birthday, soon followed by Yuna's twentieth, then Rikku's eighteenth. Everything passed before my eyes like a movie, not a sad or joyful moment was overlooked… but then I had realized that…. I was dying. I was dying when I finally felt like I was a part of something, when I felt like I had a family and a home. More importantly, I was dying to protect all of that.

I painfully sat up to scoot myself along the ground to a wall. Every bone and muscle in my body screamed in protest at the unnecessary movement, but it was to the point where nothing mattered I didn't care how much pain it caused. I wanted to sit against the wall and I would be damned if I couldn't. Once in a comfortable position, I went back to reminiscing.

I met the Gullwings at Kilika when they were called in to investigate strange magical and mechanical activity at the temple; activity that I may have been responsible for…

Once they had apprehended me, Rikku recognized me then begged them to let me come along and perform my community service by traveling with them while assisting. Yuna seemed pretty psyched about the idea but Paine, of course, not so much. But somehow I found myself on the Celsius not more than an hour later.

Rikku and I were childhood friends- she was one of my few due to the fact that I was quite the oddball. My mother married a traveling salesman (no joke) who was an islander with dark hair, eyes, and tan skin.

I have a picture of him somewhere, but I can't remember where it is for the life of me… oh, anyhow, I've always looked a great deal more like my father's side of the family. Unfortunately, his extended families' beliefs of unconditional love did not extend to half Al-Bhed children… I was lucky to have my mother and her family to raise me. Well, Dad disappeared when I was three so I don't remember much of him and… I'm sorry, I'm rambling again- back to Rikku.

We were practically; inseparable; whenever one did something the other always had her back. When Gippal began hanging around we happily adopted him as another member of the group… with Brother, however, we took a little more convincing. The three – and occasionally four- of us raised hell as well as high water. I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Now when I look back at how we where then I can't believe how we've changed. Everything and everyone are so different…

The fiend began ramming the entrance to my lovely little hideout, causing the walls to shake and rocks to fall. I shot fire and lighting spells at the bugger but he wouldn't get the message. Just as I began to cast Firaga I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head and everything went red, then black.

END CHAPTER

Author's Note: Update before the end of the week.