They crossed their way through the ruined halls and came to the stairs just before the Sanctum. The roof was cracking and caving in, and Rikku knew that it was beyond restoration. "This place done for," Wakka said, looking around. Rikku looked at the ground.
"You're right, you're right Wakka," She accepted the truth. "We Al Bhed, we… we weren't always like this. Sin destroyed the island where we all used to live. After that we were scattered to every corner of Spira. But then, my dad brought the Al Bhed together again. If we put our minds to it, we could make a new Home. Everyone worked so hard, we had our Home back again. But now… why did things have to turn out this way?" She asked, blinking back the tears that continued to fight in her eyes.
"Rikku," Wakka said as he put a hand on her shoulder. She pressed her face into his chest, not wanting to face what was up ahead. "Damn those Guado, what were they thinking?" He cursed, and she heard the roars of the Chimera around her. He pushed her back and they began to fight the fierce creatures. She stood back watching them take them out.
Auron ran foreward and swung his heavy blade at the guado, and he fell to the ground. Rikku smirked at his fallen figure. They pummeled away at the creatures until they fell and burst into pyroflies. Lulu turned to her.
"Rikku, what is the Summoner's Sanctum?" She asked her.
"The Summoner's sanctum is where we keep the summoners. We keep them safe there,"
"You kidnapped them," Wakka accused.
"I know it's against the teachings and all that…" She tried to explain.
"I get why you did it, but…" He trailed off.
"Well I sure don't get It, Wakka." Tidus stepped up to her. They all stiffened, none of them wanting to break the grim news to him. "They might get hurt on their pilgrimage, so you kidnap them? I mean, if the summoners don't do their jobs, who will defeat Sin? You want to protect them I know, but guardians are there for that. If guardians do their job well, summoners will be safe!" No one spoke. A large crash came from above. "Right?" He asked. A louder crash was heard. "Right?!" He shouted. The Al Bhed warning suddenly stopped and Kimahri stepped foreward.
"It's quiet, Kimahri goes now," And stepped down the stairs in the direction of the Sanctum. Tidus stared at her, and she stared back. His blue eyes widened into pools of wanting to understand, and he stared into hers for answers. They pulled her like a magnet. She knew he wanted to understand, and Rikku thought it was foolish to keep it from him too long. But if he fell even more in love with Yuna, what would he do then? Time was running out.
Rikku looked at him for one last second when she tore her eyes away. Running down the ramp, she slid through the door to the Summoner's Sanctum. "Yuna, please be here!" she pleaded, looking around anxiously to find her little cousin. Kimahri called her name.
"She's not here," A voice said from behind. She turned and grimaced slightly at what she saw. Dona, as skimpily dressed as ever. "Hello again. Wait there until we can perform a sending." She said, stepping over the where the pyroflies gently drifted in the air.
"They died, protecting us…" Issaru said, looking at the dead all around. Rikku wasn't sure if he meant the Al Bhed or the Guado. "The least we can do is give them a proper sending," Issaru's little guardian, pace, ran up to Tidus.
"Hey, what's "sacrifice" mean?" He asked innocently. She stiffened, and side glanced at the other guardians.
"The Al Bhed had no right stopping their pilgrimage," he spat, and looked at her. Rikku was confused; Tidus had always been on her side. Why was he accusing her now?
"Pilgrimages have to stop!" She said to him, and he took a step back. "If they don't… and they get to Zanarkand they might defeat Sin but they…. Yunie might….. Yunie will die, you know?" She choked out the painful words to him. His face twisted into confusion, then grief. "You know, don't you? Summoners journey to get the Final Aeon. Yuna told you, didn't she? With the Final Aeon she can beat sin. But if she calls it, it's gonna kill her!" She bit on the last five syllables, dreading the simple truth. She dropped to her knees and stared at the scorched floor.
Tidus mumbled something under his breath, and then ran up in front of her. "Tell me why!" He shouted at her, grabbing her shoulders and shaking them. Rikku stared at the ground. "Why were you hiding it? Why didn't I know?" She just shook her head, not finding the right words to come.
"We weren't hiding it…" Wakka trailed off, shaking his head.
"It's just, too hard to say…" Lulu's strong voice broke slightly. Tidus gave them all an angry look and dropped to all fours, pounding the ground. "Lulu! How could you? How could you?! Isn't she like a sister to you?" He shouted to the ground. Rikku could see tears in his eyes, running down his face and dripping onto the floor. "I thought you were family! Why don't you do something, Wakka?!" He shouted as he looked up at him.
"Don't you think we tried to stop her? She follows… her heart…" She looked down.
"Yuna, she knew what she was doing when she chose to become a Summoner. To face Sin, ya? Yuna knew!" Wakka told him. Rikku just couldn't take it. The whole thing wasn't right at all!
"But Wakka, that's totally wrong!" She protested, finally taking her eyes off of the metal floor. "Summoners shouldn't have to sacrifice themselves just so the rest of Spira can be happy!"
"But it is our choice," Issaru and Dona came up behind them, and Rikku stood up.
"We all live in fear of Sin, you know that," Dona said, and the roar of a Wendigo as heard behind them. They turned and prepared to fight it.
"A world without Sin… that is the dream of all of Yevon's children. And we will use that power even if it means our lives," Issaru said, and two fierce Aeons dropped from the sky. The fiery, powerful one faced the fiend, spitting and seething. Rikku stepped back slightly. She had watched Yuna summon Aeons from afar, but she had never been up this close to one. Rikku felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see that Wakka had wrapped his arm around her.
"Are you going to be okay, Rikku?" He asked with sympathy in his dark eyes. This strange feeling spread across her body. When he touched her, warmth spread from the tips of her fingers to the very center of her heart. She had felt that feeling before, when Lord Zaon had passed through her. Before she had just thought that it was some property that ghost like creatures have. She knew now. While he was holding her she knew.
It was love.
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Wakka's favorite song: Say Hey (I Love You) – Michael Franti & Spearhead