Disclaimer

I don't own Final Fantasy. I don't own Final Fantasy X or X-2. Or any other Final Fantasy game. Not even Crystal Chronicals. But I do own the way the story is put together in this fic, so please don't take the only thing I have. Ok?


Gippal and I exchanged glances when the building gave another lurch. We had agreed to follow Tidus to whatever was in the room ahead, but this was starting to seem crazy. The building was shaking more and more as each minute passed, although it wasn't to the point where the building wouldn't stop shaking....yet. If it kept at this rate, it would soon. The shaking only happened once or twice every three minutes or so. Even if it didn't happen alot, it was still vicious. The entire underground cavern quaked - usually launching me off the ground - and numerous rock or soil chunks would fall near us. One almost crushed Tidus.

Tidus turned to us with an anxious look, he gestured for us to hurry up. We glanced at each other again, but followed him anyway. I could see from the way Gippal kept shoving himself between me and Tidus that he didn't completely trust the blond swordsman yet. He probably didn't believe Tidus was back - neither did I - but that's kind of why we were on the journey, you know?

So, I decided to let Gippal relax and asked. "Hey, Tidus? How are you alive?" Simple, but effective. He turned and sent me a strange look, so I hastily added. "Not that I'm complaining, of course! Just curious....and since we're not really doing anything...."

Tidus sighed and glanced at Gippal. "I'm not entirely positive. One minute, I was lying on the ice in major pain with you and Gippal screaming at me, and the next, I was lying in a hospital bed. First I just though I had blanked out-" He explained, ducking around a falling rock. "And that you two had brought me to a town somewhere, but then a guy came in and told me what happened. He said the his Master had decided I was worth saving and had used some kind of machine to transport me here, while he created a replica of myself back near Gagazet. I had just recovered and was looking for a way out when Rikku fell down, at my feet, with my sword." He shrugged airily and slapped the sword at his side.

Gippal froze next to me and grabbed my arm, to stop me. "What guy? What was his name?" He demanded angriliy, pulling me so I was farther back than him.

"Huh?" Tidus asked, glancing at the ceiling, as it it was going to collapse any minute. "I don't know. Some Al Bhed name, he didn't talk to me much."

I was about to start walking about but Gippal kept his hand on my arm. "What was his name?" He ground out, his eyes narrowing ta Tidus considerably.

Tidus shrugged and sighed. "I dunno, Men-something."

"Mnhal?" I suggested, finally catching where Gippal was going with it.

"Yeah!" Tidus yelled happily a grin spreading across his face. "Do you know him?"

Gippal paused, glancing at me. "Not anymore." He muttered, releasing my arm and walking after Tidus. "He's dead...."

"What?!" I demanded, running up to him. "You killed him? What were you thinking?! We could have interogated him, Gippal! He might have known something important! Why'd you kill him?!"

Gippal's fists tightened at his sides but he ignored me, just muttered something about 'annoying pests' under his breath.

I let out a 'humph,' knowing that he wouldn't tell me. I walked past him and up to Tidus, immediately starting a conversation with my friend. He basically asked how everyone was and what they had been up to the last time I saw them. I left out the part about pantsing Shinra, they was no need to leave that part in. I told him that Yuna was majorly upset about his 'death' and that pretty much everyone had gotten quiet. That Yunie was probably mad at me about leaving like I did and hiding this from her. But, we both agreed she'd be happy about seeing him again.

After a few minutes of walking - and countless earthquakes - we reached a large door. Tidus pulled his sword out and used it to push the door open a crack, and peered inside. Gippal and I stood back quietly, until Gippal's voice broke me out of my thoughts.

"He threatened you." Gippal murmured quietly, taking out his gun and readjusting a few pieces as if he hadn't even spoken.

I raised an eyebrow. "Who threatened who?" I asked in complete confusion.

"Mnhal..." He answered, looking into the barrel of his gun. "He threatened you, Rikku. I wasn't going to let him do that, so I shot him."

I stared at him is disbelief before I laughed nervously. "Um, thanks, I guess. You don't have to kill people because they hate me, Gippal. People threaten me all the time, it comes with the territory." I gestured at my swirly, green eyes.

He shook his head and glanced up to see if Tidus was done. "It shouldn't, though." He laughed bitterly and shoved his Machine-gun back into its holster. "After everything that's happened to this world, all the declarations that have been passed, the rules, the laws... Us Al Bhed are still treated like second-class citizens. Spira is dependant on us and no one cares. Most things in this world are run by Machina now. Al Bhed are the only ones who can make or fix it, then don't give a da.... The world shouldn't be like this."

I sighed and looked at the ground. "Yeah, it sucks." A smile spread across my face. "My dad always told me that Al Bhed have to be strong so we can just laugh when others scream at us. 'Cause if we can't find happiness in a place that's like Hell, then we'll just give up. Vydran says that life is made this way to test us, so we have the 'right' to live...but, that's why I became Yunie's Guardian... I wanna change that. It's not fair, you know? People shouldn't die before their ready, and there certainly shouldn't be all this discrimination crap....but, there is... So, I'm gonna chance that..." I turned to him and grinned. "Who knows? Maybe the world will start treating us better after this, you know?"

He laughed and ruffled my hair. "Yeah...I know." He said quietly, turning to Tidus and sending the blond a questioning glance? "Are we ready to go?"

Tidus gestured for us to come closer, we complied. "I don't see anybody in there, but there's a huge tripod thing on an alter-of-sorts."

Me and Gippal froze, exchanging glances. Tidus went on, completely oblivious.

"There's a door at the other side of the room, there might be more, but I can't see anything else without opening the door more." He muttered, using his sword to push himself up. He turned back to us seriously. "You two can probably still make it back. I'll be fine without you, you don't have to stay here on my account."

I was about to tell him to stop being stupid, but Gippal beat me to it. "I'm not." He said completely calm. "I'm here because Rikku's here. She wants to stay with you and make sure you don't get yourself killed again, so, I have to do this." Gippal raised his hand and smacked the back of Tidus' head...hard. "Let's go."

Tidus sent me a bewildered look but I just shrugged and muffled a giggle. Pulling my daggers out, I followed them.

The room was huge! Bigger than LeBlanc's entire house times two! Maybe even three! Most of the room's floor was taken up by a giant platform in the middle. About six or seven meters were left around the edges - and that wasn't even half the room. A large metal pole was hanging down from the ceiling. About halfway it split off into four others. Three went in different directions and ended a few feet from the end of the platform. The fourth kept going straight down and stopped a few meters from the ground. Chains hung from every pole in the place. Most hung off the center one, though. There were four doors - in each corner - and they all had giant padlocks on them. Great.... A soft squeal caught our attention.

Gippal looked confused and reached into the small bag he had. He sighed and pulled his hand out, Kiki was wrapped in his fingers looking around the room in awe.

"You brought Kiki?" I asked in disbelief, looking up at him a semi-pout. "Why would you do that?"

"I didn't!" He protested, dropped Kiki on my shoulder and zipping up his bag. "He must have snuck in!"

I rolled my eyes and started towards the platform. Both of my companions froze and tightened their hold on their individual weapons.

"Rikku!" Tidus hissed, looking around the room suspiciously. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Investigating." I called over my shoulder cheerfully. "We can't really do anything else here, so we might as well find out what the heck this thing is."

Bending over the cloesest pole, I ran my fingers along the smooth metal. Gippal and Tidus ran up to me and waited for a few minutes before sighing and looking at the alter. After a while, Gippal crouched down and moved his finger along small markings. Every so often - on the alter - spheres were imbeded, like at the Cloister of Trials, I guess. Strangely enough, this place kind of reminded me of Macalania's Cloister, you know?

Gippal's voice caught my attention. "This doesn't look like Machina...it's probably not Al Bhed made, huh?" He asked, looking up at me questioningly. Tidus glanced between us before looking down at the alter with a soft 'I-know-your-secrets' kind of smile.

I frowned. "No, it doesn't... what are you grinning about?" I demanded, standing up slowly.

Tidus stifled a laugh behind his hand and smiled at me. "You two seem closer." In his mind, that was probably a joke, because he burst out laughing seconds later. Me and Gippal exchanged glances.

"Explain." Gippal ordered, using his gun to outline a large engraving.

"Well, I never thought these weird 'save the world' things were actually the reason me and Yuna got together." He said happily, pushing himself up with his sword. "I guess it is!"

"What do you and Yunie have to do with me and Gippal being friends?" I asked, pulling Kiki into my arms and standing up, so I was at more-or-less eye level with him. Gippal did the same.

"You two are acting the same me and Yuna did before the Fayth's stopped dreaming me." He said laughing.

My face got suddenly warm as realization dawned on me. I guess it hit Gippal too, because he turned away from me. I was about to retort and yell at the blond swordsman when a slamming noise echoed around the room. We all spun around to look at the door we came through. It was locked shut. Tidus bolted to the door and - when he reached it - threw all his weight against it. It didn't even creak. Gippal let out a growl and pulled out his pistol, I copied and switched to my 'Thief' dressphere easily, pulling my daggers out. Tidus slowly creapt back towards us, his sword held out in front of him suspiciously. We all stood with our shoulders pressed together - in a loose circle. For a while, the only noise was the quiet jiggling of the chains. But that was soon broken by a loud, familiar voice.

"Hello, again, Guardians." The voice greeted, echoing around the large room. "It has been too long."

Tidus let out a growl. "Seymour!" He screamed, holding his sword tighter. Gippal stiffened beside me. "Get out here and fight like a man!"

Maester Seymour laughed. "It was so very kind of you to bring the Summoner's Blood and her protecter here, young Guardian." He said calmly, his voice as annoying as ever. "Now, please step onto the platform, Lady Rikku, and please tell your Guardian to step to the closest javelin."

I leaned back slightly, against my friends backs. "Yeah, right! You'd have to kill me!" I snapped at his voice - not sure if the body was even with us.

Seymour sighed softly. "Why must they always pick the hard route?" It sounded more like he was talking to himself, so we didn't answer.

The jaggling chains grew louder suddenly and we all spun around. The chains - the ones hanging from the middle 'javelin' - were all shooting directly at us. Tidus dove off to one side and Gippal pulled me the other way. Before we had even hit the ground, cold metal wrapped around my ankle and pulled me back. I slipped out of Gippal's arms with a cry of pain, dropping my daggers at his feet.

"No! Rikku!" Gippal yelled. A few gunshots echoed around the room and I felt a bullet whiz past my shoulder, but they just bounced off the metal links.

The chains pulled me towards the middle of the alter and coiled around me until it gripped my wrists and arms instead of my ankles, holding them high above my head so I had to stay on my knees. Tidus was starting to pull himself onto the platform but a long chain grabbed onto his sword and used that to throw him across the room. Gippal let out a growl and gave up his attempts of climbing onto the alter-thing with me.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Gippal screamed at the room. "What are you going to do with Rikku?!"

Seymour's laugh echoed around the room again, and I shuddered. "Not just the Lady Rikku, young man, you two will be included as well."

As those words left his mouth, more chains shot from two opposite javelins and towards my friends. The one directly in front of me grabbed Gippal and spun him around, so he was sitting on the alter and tied to the metal pole. The other - the left chain - did the same with Tidus. Both let out low growls when the chains secured them. But, I ignored that. It seemed that I was in a way more uncomfortable position than them, so I just focused on getting comfortable. The chain around my arms had pulled back around the middle javelin and was holding my arms up, so that my elbows were just a bit above my eyes. A creaking noise sounded behind me and we all spun around. The door behind us - the one we came through - had opened and a shorter person was walking in. He had short-cut blond hair and a dozen or so bloody red stains on his shirt and pants.

"Mnhal..." I whispered, staring at disbelief at him, I turned to Gippal. "I thought you killed him!"

"I did!" He yelled instantly, looking me straight in the eye. "No one could survive that many gunshots, Rikku! Look at him! He's like the walking dead!"

"He is pretty pale.... he can't actually be alive though..." Tidus informed us in a strained voice, he hesitated and raised his head slightly. "Hey, Seymour! I get why me, Rikku and the dead guy are here, but why Gippal?"

He laughed again, all three of us shuddered this time - while Mnhal just sat against the pole and let the chains wrap around himself.

"Because, young Guardian, he has succeded you as the Summoner lines protector." Seymour said simply. He must have seen our clueless looks so he continued. "If Lady Yuna still had her Summoner rank, I would have gone after her, but she became a High Summoner when you defeated Jecht, correct? Therefore, I needed an unattached female of the Summoner's lineage: Rikku. You are not Rikku's protector: Gippal is. You are the Guardian who caused my death, she is the Summoner's Blood, he is her protector, and Mnhal is my faithful servant. All four points are accounted for. Let the games begin."

A low rumbling echoed around the large room and I stiffened. Gippal and Tidus did the same, both turning to me. The rumbling started to get louder and the room's lights dimmed considerably - I could barely see the people around me. We all remained quiet. When nothing happened Tidus relaxed and grinned at us.

"I guess it's not-"

A bright light lit up the room accompanied by an explosion. I gasped and leaned forward - trying to roll myself into a tight ball.

"Thundara!"

"Rikku, calm down!" Gippal's voice screamed at me.

I was about to turn and look at him, but another explosion sounded around the room and I closed my eyes. The light still shone through my eyelids, though.

"Brother, ramb sa!"

"Rikku!" Tidus screamed, his head darting between me and Gippal. "What's going on? I thought she got over this!"

Gippal shook his head and turned back to me. "Calm down, Rikku! It's not real! Just an illusion! There can't possible be thunder underground!"

"Rikku, tuh'd ku du vyn uod!"

"Rikku! You need to calm down now! Focus on my voice, Rikku! Please!" Gippal begged, fear coating his words.

"Rikku! C'mon, Rikku! Think of something else!" Tidus yelled, obviously seeing the panic in my face.

But, I was too far gone to even hear my friend's voices.

"Brother, cdub!"

Suddenly, everything stopped. The noises, the light, my friends screaming... Everything.... My first thought was that I had died.... I was wrong. Opening my eyes showed that we were all in the exact same places we were before, but everyone was frozen....Everyone but me and Gippal. We both glanced at each other. I could see the panic in his eyes when he saw the tears. I shook my head and looked around.

A soft squeak caught our attention. We both turned.

Kiki was hopping towards us and stopped when he was standing next to me. His form began to shift and grow. His colors changed from brown, to orange, green and a blond-color. He kept growing until he was just a bit taller than I was. His form shifted from a monkey to a womans. When the person bent next to me and placed a hand on my cheek, she opened her eyes and I gasped.

"Sudran..." I breathed.