The comforting crunch of the gravel under her boots slowed the panic and chaos that wirled in her every thought. Walking away from the Besaid temple, Rikku began to regret leaving her Pop's house on Bikinel Island.. "Yunie's

not here..What am I going to do now?.." She thought to herself. The Boat had brought her as far as Besaid Island but the man informed her that he was unable to bring her back at this time of the night. She looked up from the

hood of the whitemage robe she had snatched before leaving. Heavy rain disturbed the calm waters that surrounded the Island. She had no idea what time it could be but by the reflection of the moon on the dark water it had

to be close to midnight. She pulled the thick hood back over her face, listening to the loud tapping of the raindrops against the heavy cloth. She couldn't see more than 4 feet in front of her through the sheets of rain and

suffocating darkness. Only the cool breeze that blew against her cheek kept her from hyperventilating. How did this fight with Pop and Brother even start?... "As if it matters now.." she thought to herself. She had to prove she

wasn't completely dependent on them..After Cid had teased her of being a poor excuse for a guardian she felt obligated to prove him wrong. After some great effort, she managed to focus on coming up with a place to stay for

the night. Lulu and Wakka had moved to Bevelle to accompany Wakka's new Guardian job for New Yevon. He tried to turn the offer down but after the Praetor had informed him of the dangers it could bring to his family if New

Yevon were to fall, he wasn't slow to oblige. Especially since his 2 year old son Emorie was a new variable in his decisions. The closest shelter she managed to think of was the cave down by the coast. She vaguely remembered

the Gullwings had entered there in search of a sphere Wakka had told them about. She ALSO remembered the terrifying Fiend that had barred their path within its depths. She shuttered at the thought of stepping foot in there

again.

The eerie sound of a stick snapping 10 yards behind her warned her that she was being followed. Her heart jolted into a sprint as she turned around to view her pursuer. The Gullwings had made several enemies throughout

their journeys so it didn't come to a surprise to her that she wasn't completely safe walking around late at night by herself. She looked unseeingly into the night, straining her eyes to catch a glimpse of a dark silhouette that

lurched behind her, moving much too fast for her to focus on. "W-w-whose there?" She demanded feebly. Out of nowhere a pair of ice-cold hands whipped out from behind her, one clenching her arms at her sides in an iron grip,

and another that clasped tightly over her mouth. She thrashed against the grasp of the dark figure that restrained her attempting to scream. The sounds of it were lost, muffled by the hand, seemingly mute against the howling

wind and rain. The last thing she heard was an authoritative voice bringing to her attention that her attacker was not alone. "Subdue her quick!" The voice hollered. Before she could react or begin to comprehend what the

strong voice had commanded of the other, a quick blow to the back of her head silenced everything.

Unaware of her surroundings, Rikku slowly began to regain consciousness. The first thing that came to her attention was the throbbing ache at the back of her head. The second was the sounds coming from around her. One,

easily detected, was the echoing sound of what must be the storm. Loud winds whistling and rain falling around her, tapping against her face slowly seeped into her consciousness as she regained her hearing. The second was

a lot harder to focus on. Something that sounded like struggling. The sound of muffled impacts followed by a quiet grunt caused her to realize with panic that she wasn't alone. Unsure if her impaired sight was a result of her not

completely regaining her consciousness or if it was just too dark for her eyes to focus, she reached her hands out shielding her face from whatever stalked towards her. The footsteps, along with the sound of a man panting

grew louder with it's proximity. "Stay back!" She shrieked in a high-pitched voice, squeezing her eyes shut and pulling her knees into her chest in attempt to protect herself from the pain she knew was coming. She became

aware of aches and soreness throughout her legs as she moved them. She knew the person was right on top of her now because the drops of rain that had been splashing over her face stopped, shielded by the attackers

broad frame.