(Revamp) A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! The more I get the more inspired I am…so keep em coming! The best fanfiction writers, I like to say, have two things in mind. The characters they are working with and the people they are writing for. Have a good grasp on both, and you've got yourself an excellent story. Now I guess I should live up to my own theory….

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"Al Bhed Blue"

Chap 10

"Moonflow, Sunflow."

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We stood in that embrace for a mere second in my mind, although it was probably much longer. It probably felt so short because after nearly no time at all I heard the footsteps of my fellow travelers approaching.

As Rikku and I pulled away quickly, the others rounded the bend and came into full view.

"Yo!" Wakka cried, spotting us. "Friend of yours?"

I mouthed the answer, no words came out. Rikku just appeared out of nowhere…and now mixed in with my excitement was a feeling of dread. She could easily blow my cover; I could easily blow our cover by saying the wrong thing. Instead of focusing on the discovery of the girl beside me, my mind had to work at light speed in order to figure out a way out of the predicament I was now in.

Luckily, I was quickly reminded that the same girl next too me also possessed a mind, and apparently it could also work at a ridiculously high speed.

"Pleased to meet you! I'm Rikku!" She exclaimed, beaming.

"Yeah…she…uh…we…I…"

Rikku smiled again. "I met Tidus after he had a run in with Sin. Had was in a bad state of affairs, but me and my brother brought him to Luca…"

Wakka looked at me at this. I only could stare wide-eyed and think about how lucky I was that Rikku was quick to catch on to things.

"Wow, so you like, owe her your life!" He said, interrupting Rikku. "What luck meeting here, ya? Praise be to Yevon!"

Our friend did the prayer gesture, the one that looks like the old blitzball cheer. In the corner of my eye I saw Yuna whisper something to Lulu.

Lulu nodded and interrupted Wakka as he said something about Rikku looking a little beat up. "Uh…Wakka…"

"Huh, wha?"

Yuna took a step towards Rikku. "There is…something we need to discuss…"

I saw Rikku's eyes widen as she recognized her cousin, our eyes met for a quick second and then she spoke to Wakka. "Uh…girls only! Boys not allowed!" She said, in a rather singsong voice.

Lulu nodded. "Right. Sorry, Wakka."

Wakka was simply confused. The three 'girls' made their way a good distance from us 'boys' which consisted of Wakka, Auron, Kimahri and I. The two latter stuck to their usual stoic ways as me and Wakka took a seat in close proximity to the riverbank.

"So how long you know this girl?"

"Huh?"

"I said, how long you know her, man. You okay Tidus?"

I shook my head; desperately wishing that would help me think more clearly. "Yeah…I'm…I'm okay…I uh…I've known her for maybe 3 or 4 months…"

"Saved your life huh? How'd that happen?"

"Uh…well…"

Before I had to answer Wakka's rather difficult question, the others returned.

Yuna spoke up. "Sir Auron…I would like Rikku to be my guardian."

I nearly fell over, as I was in the process of standing up. I expected Rikku to catch up with Yuna in some way, and they had left because they didn't want Wakka to know Yuna was part Al-Bhed. I didn't really know where we'd go from there; this was all rather spontaneous. But the last thing I expected to hear was what Yuna just said.

Auron responded by walking up to Rikku, which she reacted to by lowering her head.

"…show me your face."

"Huh?"

"Look at me."

I panicked. Did Auron know she was Al Bhed? Was he just trying to confirm by seeing her eyes? Would he let her be a guardian? Why did Rikku want to become a guardian anyways?

Rikku looked up, her eyes closed.

"Open your eyes."

My friend slowly opened one eye, showing Auron what I figure he knew all along.

He grunted. "As I thought."

Rikku frowned. "So…no good…"

Auron looked at her pensively. "Are you certain?"

"100 percent!" She exclaimed. " …So…can I?"

"If Yuna wishes it."

The summoner nodded emphatically. "Yes, I do!"

Wakka beamed. "Well, I'm all for it! The more the merrier!"

I breathed a sigh of relief. My head was still full of questions, however.

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Auron decided that since we had already stopped we might as well set up camp where we were. As the moon began to rise we set up our usual travelling tents; Rikku was to stay in Yuna and Lulu's tent. Then we ate a quick dinner, after setting up the fire.

Yuna and Rikku talked a little more, Wakka asked her a few (luckily non-personal) questions, and everyone conversed as usual.

Well, except me. I must have been dead silent, and I found it really hard not to keep a steady gaze on Rikku the entire time. There was so much I had to ask her, to tell her, to say I was sorry for. But I couldn't, not in front of everyone like this, and it was driving me insane.

I quickly excused myself, making my way towards where I first saw Rikku. I needed to clear my head again. This bank of the Moonflow didn't seem to have the 'magical sight' that the other possessed; however the view was beautiful enough. The blitzball constellation was out tonight, my favorite one.

I sat alone for a few minutes, contemplating how I could get Rikku away from the others so I could finally talk to her. Then I heard footsteps.

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I turned to find myself in another hug similar to the one before. Then she began to hit me.

I didn't even flinch. She had every right. Every right.

She stopped after a while, then buried her face in my shoulder, crying.

"E druikrd oui fana tayt...E druikrd oui fana tayt…" she said. My Al Bhed was a little stale at this point, and the fact that her voice was muffled didn't help, but I still easily got what she was saying.

I thought you were dead...I thought you were dead

She thought I was dead.

It makes sense now, really. None of the other Al Bhed must have seen me leave Mushroom Rock. So many had died that day…it only made sense…

"Brother mejat...yht oui teat...yht ra druikr oui teat cyjehk res... ra nasaspanat dryd...yht fa...E..." she continued. "Oui pnuga ouin bnuseca..."

Brother lived...and you died...and he though you died saving him... he remembered that...and we...I...

I had broken my promise. "E's cunno, E's cunno. E cruimt ryja...E cruimt ryja vuiht Brother, E cruimt ryja vuiht Jekud un cusaputo..."

I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I should have...I should have found Brother, I should have found Jekud or somebody...

Rikku pulled away and looked at me, still crying.

"Jekud died…he…they found him right…under the machina…"

The world stopped as her words took on meaning. Suddenly my head felt light and I could barely stand up.

No one close to me had ever died. Ever. My father died, but I wouldn't call us close by any means. This invited a new feeling…even stronger then the one I had had at Djose. The only connection I had with those who died was that fact that they were Al Bhed. I felt indebted. The Crusaders…well…I felt bad because they had died trying to save their friends and comrades. But this…this was an entirely new feeling…

Rikku wiped her eyes. "Brother came home. He remember you saving him by bringing him into the water…he…he told my father." She shook her head. "And then Vydran told him that if you were still alive…he would owe you one…you could have…"

I could have become an Al Bhed. I was overjoyed and extremely saddened by this. Could have, would have… I think I hate those words now.

For the first time since our reunion I was the one initiate an embrace. I took my friend and hugged her as close as possible. A small pain shot up through my not-quite-healed left arm, but I ignored it. I had made so many mistakes and so many stupid choices…

"Rikku…" I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I…I…did you see Auron?" She nodded. "I met him at Mushroom Rock…and he told me he would take me to Zanarkand…" I cleared my throat. "And I wanted to go home so bad…I just…everything else left my mind…I just followed him…"

I let go of my friend and took a seat on the edge of the bank. "I miss my home…but as we went along…I missed Home too. I mean, the Al Bhed Home. And this whole time…I went by thinking I'd never be able to go back again…I missed it…I love it there…"

Rikku had taken a seat next to me. Her arm gently latching on to my left. Somehow I knew this was on purpose, she remembered my broken arm. It made another new surge of emotions whirl up inside me.

"Rikku…I…I…missed you…I mean…I…I…look at Zanarkand…there is nobody there I miss…except maybe my mother…" I continued talking at a rapid pace, subconsciously hoping that if I spoke fast I could get everything without complication. "I missed blitzball…I missed the serenity I guess…the peace….but now I know what is like to miss somebody. An actual person. I…you…" Despite my efforts I still stuttered.

Rikku looked at the water for a second, then at me. "I…missed you too." She said, slowly but firmly. Like she was fighting herself. "I…"

A laugh, sounded like Wakka's, was heard from the campfire a ways behind us, making me turn around. When I looked back Rikku's regular expression was there, the soft smile and eyes that seemed happy but still contemplative. Like she was just sitting back and taking in all the great things in world. I had missed that too.

"Rikku…" I started, not sure where I was going with it. "…you…why did you want to become Yuna's guardian?"

She laughed slightly. "I was going to ask you the same thing…"

This elicited a similar laugh from me. "Yeah…well…you know how her father was a summoner…I mean of course you do, your uncle."

Rikku nodded. I rubbed the back of my head.

"Well…Auron…he…he was one of your uncle's guardians right? And he says that the same Jecht that was Braska's guardian is the same Jecht…you know…my dad. He told me something else…kind of…surprising…"

Sin is Jecht. Jecht is Sin.

"He told me…"

So he killed all those people…just to see me?

That's what Sin does. He wanted to show you that. Do you know why?

"…that my old man is Sin. He told me…"

So you would kill him. As long as he is Sin, Jecht will keep killing. He wants you to stop him.

"..that my old man came that day to see me…I know this sounds just…weird but…he told me that my old man wants me to kill him, to stop him…"

There was a silence for a moment. I could tell Rikku was thinking hard, she did this whenever I told her other stuff that was just as…incredulous.

"How can your father be Sin?" she asked, not in an unbelieving way but rather a curious one.

"I have no idea. I don't even know if Auron is telling the truth or not. How could I? I shouldn't be here…I should be helping you guys…I should be becoming an Al Bhed right now…"

Rikku didn't respond at first to my outbreak. Granted it was sudden and very girlish of me…

"Tidus."

"Hmm?"

"You already are Al Bhed."

"Oh."

My friend found this moment the most opportune to get up and walk back towards the main camp. "I'm tired!" She said, with a yawn. "Next time don't hit me so hard, Mr. Cripple!"

I scrambled to my feet as she retreated to the others. "That was you!?"

I got a giggle in response and I just stood there. A slight breeze hit my back and as I shivered from the new cold air I realized something.

I loved her.

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A/N: For the part where Rikku hugs Tidus then hits him, I was mostly thinking of FFIX's ending, when Garnet and Zidane are reunited. I always thought that was a cool way to end a game, no kiss, just a beat down! So I guess that part of that scene was a tribute.