I'm new to story writing...this is actually my first one. I hope this one is okay!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in Final Fantasy, Square Enix, all that good stuff.

Note: Throughout the story I'll have Al Bhed spoken by characters, and the translation will be in parentheses next to it.

Through Any World

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Vegnagun is finally defeated. Yuna and Tidus are together at last. Spira is once again saved by the former summoner, and Rikku is exhausted. On the bright side, Vegnagun wasn't all that difficult; not compared to Trema.

"I practically bathed in Hi-Potions after Trema..." Rikku reflected.

Rikku finally had her moment to avoid fiends of any kind. Whether it was a Fly Eye or a Flame Dragon, she wanted nothing to do with it. Although all this relaxation was great, it was, well...boring.

Yuna had Tidus to stay with, their own little hut full of warmth and hospitality. Having vanquished two of Spira's largest threats in three years, Yuna wanted to focus on her relationships, and maybe even start a family of her own.

Paine is rarely around. She bought a hover machina from Rikku (since Rikku needed a new scarf after an odd encounter with a Cactuar...) and set off near Bevelle in search of her own airship. Finally reunited, the original Crimson Squad wanted to reform. Though fully doing so may not work, with Gippal leaving Spira and all...but enough about that.

Brother and Buddy remain spherehunters...well, more like 'air-borne wanderers' since not a sign of a new sphere has so much as touched the Celsius.

"He may be a huge idiot, but I do kinda sorta feel badly for Brother." Rikku revelated. "It's not like I think he and Yuna should have gotten together! That would have been suuuper creepy. But I hate seeing him on the verge of tears every time he sees Tidus and Yuna. He won't even visit me because of them."

Anyway, I'm sure you all want to know more about Rikku now...

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Rikku lives in Besaid now, of course. But instead of living by the temple like everyone else, she lives in a nice hut by the dock on the beach. The calming beach, with its vast, rich forest and gentle breeze, compared to the boring, monotonous village, is a sort of haven to her. No lovey-dovey couples, hyper children, or fiends close by. As far as how she earns gil, Rikku decided to stick with building hover machina. She's had plenty of customers, but hardly enough gil to even buy a Holy Water. It seems that since everyone in town knows about Rikku's dresspheres, they assume she wants even more. It's great and all, but she just hasn't found her calling.

"Ugh...e yl cuuu PUBAT!" (Ugh...I am sooo BORED!) Rikku moaned as she paced around her room. The vacant hut had nothing to look at, since she was obviously broke. A bed from the Blitzball tent lay near the wasll, blankets hastily strewn around. Dresspheres stacked in a pyramid stood in a shelf near the small counter. A collection of dolls, including Moogles, Moombas, Cactuars, PuPus, and Tonberrys, were arranged in HP order.

Rikku lazily moved towards the set, swiped a Moomba, and threw herself onto her couch, back down. Looking through a small, circular window onlooking the shore, Rikku spotted little Vidina chasing a chicobo, with an anxious and exhausted Wakka behind.

"VIDINA! Chicobos can be mean! You could get hurt, ya!" his father said through staggered breaths.

After tiring of the endless chase scene before her, Rikku changed into her new Adventurer Dressphere (apparently a jogging suit with shorts, despite the euphemisms spoken from the woman who gave it to her), picked her favorite slow-moving hover, and left her hut.

"The weather is breezy today. Much better than the norm of blistering hot weather. I don't know how the Aurochs can handle the heat with practice every day." Rikku wondered while she passed the team.

While Jassu was demonstrating a new formation technique to his team, Datto and the others were planning an elaborate escape to freedom. Rikku chuckled to herself and made her was across the bridge by the waterfall. "...It's still gorgeous here...but gorgeous gets you nowhere if you're boring." the young Al Bhed sighed, pushing her bangs out of her eyes.

Continuing on, Rikku battled between thoughts of joining the others in search of something to do, or go somewhere else in order to avoid getting picked on.

Hoping for the best, she left for the temple.

"Maybe I'll do a few gauntlet rounds."

Parking her hover by the pillars, Rikku walked into the temple. The town was eerily quiet, the breeze inflicting a slight paranoia. Approving to herself that the temple was clear, Rikku cautiously turned to face the town. Walking backwards now, her footsteps sounded like trees collapsing in the forest. A wave of fear sounded through her body as she subconsciously reached to her sides for her twin blades, but only found a gaping hole.

"WHATCHA DOIN?!"

The booming voice made Rikku spin completely around, her legs giving way and collapsing underneath her. A feminine figure yielding two guns skipped towards her fallen comrade.

"YUNIE! Oui cly- (you sca-)...you scared me half to death!!" Rikku shouted as she rose to her feet, adjusting her headband and rubbing her knees.

"Sorry Rikku," Yuna chuckled, "I just felt like doing some morning gauntlet rounds. I was actually on my way to find you. Look what I found inside a Flan."

Yuna handed her cousin a round object with traces of yellow ooze dripping from the bottom. Rikku felt for the switch, and the sphere gave a brilliant glow.

Countless Al Bhed technicians were working inside the Djose Temple. Machina parts were scattered across the floor, walls were covered in oil stains. A few Al Bheds were forming hearts and stars on the ground with screws, while many men ran after each other, flaunting machina arms in the air.

"Drec ec knayd, hu maytan sayhc fa lyh tu fryd fa fyhd!" (This is great, no leader means we can do what we want!)

As the sphere switched off, Rikku felt the anger rise through her heart.

"What horrible excuses for Al Bheds! If they continue like this, all of Spira will hate us again!!" Her face began to feel heated, her pace quickening as she ranted.

"Rikku."

"-mywo vuumc, e lyhd pameaja-" (-lazy fools, I can't believe-)

"Rikku..."

"Gippal! Dra pek eteud!! Zicd fyed-" (Gippal! The big idiot!! Just wait-)

"RIKKU!"

Rikku stopped dead in her tracks.

"Sorry Yunie. It's just that they shouldn't be like that! If anyone else was to see that sphere, we would be in SO much trouble!"

Rikku left the temple and began walking back towards the village, heading towards her hover.

"Where are you going?" Yuna asked seeing Rikku sitting on her machina. She stood with her hands on her hips, head cocked to one side, curious about her cousin's intentions.

"I know you might be worried about me, but I gotta go fix this. I don't know what Gippal thinks he's doing, letting them act like kids."

Rikku started to rise to the top of the colums, and waved to her cousin as she began towards Djose.

"Wait, Rikku! Gippal isn't-"

"-going to be too happy that I'm confronting him, but he's just gotta deal!" she interrupted. "Pacetac...edc desa du cdynd so cduno!" (Besides...it's time to start my story!)

And although she was still worried, Yuna understood.