Hey! I was reading the last harry potter book! (smiles) so i was distracted, please don't be mad!! (prays for forgiveness). As i type this i realize how much i miss my own story! i hope i get my spark back and continue this tikku fanfic...my mind is still on hp...anyways, here is ch.21!!! (And we still have a long way until the ending...) I'm a slow story teller!!!!!!!(moans...)

Disclaimer: I do not Final Fantasy X

Chapter 21

"Uh...ummm...I..." I mumbled as I scratched the back of my head, trying not to look at Gippal in the eye. He was standing in front of us, his arms crossed, and had a blank face. It was hard to tell if he really was pissed or confused.

"I'm just showing him the way to the deck," Rikku blurted out suddenly. Gippal raised his eyebrow at her. Then I started to play along.

"Yeah! I'm totally lost in this Airship. She's just showing me where the roof is!" I said, practically yelling. Gippal's brows knitted together.

"You don't have to shout," he said. He looked back at Rikku, his eye looked more calm, "Rikku...if you want to go with Yuna...I'm ok with that. I won't tell Cid." Rikku and I both had our mouths dropped.

"Really?!" Rikku squealed. He made a small smile and shrugged.

"I didn't wanted to get married either. When Cid told me today that I was runner-up...I don't know. I didn't felt ready." He said. Rikku was smiling and her eyes were teary. He nodded his head. "You better hurry up." Rikku suddenly ran up and hugged him. Obviously, neither Gippal nor I saw it coming. I felt jealous while Gippal's arms just suspend in air. Rikku released him and started to walk down the hall. I followed her, but then I turned around and nodded at Gippal.

"Thanks, man." I said, holding out my hand. He saw it swing towards him and grabbed it, smiling. We shook.

"Take care of her," He said. I nodded and ran up to catch Rikku.

"What took you guys so long, ya?" Wakka yelled through the wind. We were all on top of the Airship. Bevelle's city lights were ahead of us, just barely visible through the dark fog. The wind was blowing strong on our faces as the Airship speed towards Bevelle. We were all at the edge, ready to jump off. Suddenly, Cid's loud voice was heard.

"We're gonna drop you off at the temple. And then you're on your own." He said. Rikku didn't say anything. But suddenly we all heard a loud roar above us.

"Everyone duck!" Auron yelled, and we fell flat on the ship as a huge dragon swept over us and back into the sky.

"What the heck was that?!" I yelled, standing back up, watching the dragon turn around. Cid voice came back.

"Everyone hang tight! We have no choice but to out run it!" He said. We all fell back down as the Airship suddenly zoomed at top speed. We all screamed.

My arms were around Rikku as we drew closer to Bevelle. The dragon was long gone as we looked down at the city below us. Automatically, bullets and magic fired at us. The Airship was circling around the city, slowly descending down. Then, we all jumped, but I noticed that we were way too high up. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a compartment door open from the Airship and small, round machinas came flying at us, each with an operator. I saw Gippal riding one and drove the flying saucer towards Rikku and I.

We landed on the machina and everyone else landed on other flying saucers. They helped guide our way towards the temple. Bevelle's defenses attacked us with their own machina, but Gippal, Rikku, and I held on tight as Gippal swerve away from the machina and fired back missiles. Then, we were close to the ground and we all jumped off. I looked back at Gippal. He saluted at me and flew away with his comrades back to the Airship.

"Go! Go!" Auron ordered us. With Yuna in the center and her guardians around her, we all sprinted towards the temple. We ran pass guards and knocked down machinas along the way. Rikku jammed another machina into my hand.

"Just shoot!" She yelled. She also had another machina simliar to mine. I recognize it as a hand gun. Without hesitating, I aimed at the guys behind us and fired. Rikku and I were protecting the rear, Auron and Kimahri slashed our way in the front, and Wakka and Lulu protected Yuna from the side. Yuna would heal us if we got hit. Finally, we were inside. Rikku and I, together, went trigger happy, pushing the enemies away until Wakka and Kimahri pushed the doors close. I was out of ammo at the last minute.

"Phew!...Well," I said, rather excited, and threw the useless gun away, "That went well!" Rikku, Wakka, and Yuna laughed.

"Come. We're not finished yet." Auron said, dropping us back down to reality.

The temple was strangely empty and quiet. I could still hear the hymn in the distance. Everyone had their weapon out, so I pulled my sword out as well. It was dark inside the long corridor, and our footsteps echoed softly. I looked at the walls, and noticed there were more glowing symbols of Yevon. Then, we reached a large machina elevator at the end of the hall. Rikku stepped forth, examined it, and pushed a few buttons to make it work.

"What? Machina? In the temple?!" Wakka whispered.

Rikku shrugged as we all rode down. When the door open, we all gasped. The enter area was made of machina, a labyrinth of machina. Wakka was shocked the most.

"But...the teachings! What about the teachings?!" He asked.

"So this is what Yevon had behind their backs." Auron said, saying it as though he enjoyed it.

After what felt like forever, we reached the end of the labyinth and walked down another hall. Climbing up a few steps, we entered the chamber. This was my first time in the Chamber of the Fayth. I looked at Rikku, and she was also awed. Without further ado, Yuna walked up to the door, it opened for her, and closed behind her. Now, there was nothing to do but wait.

"How long?" I whispered to Rikku. She just shrugged. "But what if the guards corner us?"

"If that happens," Auron spoke, "it's going to be a long battle." I moaned. Wakka was pacing back and forth in the room. Then, the chamber door open and Yuna slowly walked out. She held her head as if she was sick, and then straighten up, nodding.

"Let's go." She said. We all got back into our position around Yuna and walked out of the chamber, found our way through the labyrinth again, and up the elevator.

"Get ready," Auron said in the elevator. "They're probably waiting outside."

But the corridor was empty. We walked up to the two giant doors. Loud bangs were heard on the other side. We brace ourselves. Then, Rikku spoke.

"You guys, I have an idea." She reach into her pocket and pulled out a small bomb. "It's a flash bomb. I'll throw this at them, and we run for it."

"It'll give us a head start," I remarked. Auron sighed.

"When you're ready." He said. Rikku nodded. The doors were about to burst open, and Rikku raised the bomb over her head.

Then, the doors swung open and a good number of troops marched in. Rikku thrust the bomb at their feet, and a bright light flashed before them. They stumbled a bit, but it gave us the advantage. We ran around the army and sprinted down the pathway towards Macalania Woods. The machina hovered over us, but then Yuna raised her staff and a bright light erupted out of it and shot up into the sky, blending with the other millions of stars.

The light went high into the sky, and then a large dragon came back diving down. Yuna's new aeon helped blow the machinas away and the soldiers, giving us a clear run towards the exit. Finally, we were in the woods, but still running. The guards were further away, so we manage to find a hiding place. Hidden behind thick, blue trees and bushes, we watched the guards run around trying to find us. After about an hour of hiding, the guards gave up and they walked away. I gave a huge sigh of relief.

"We sleep here for the night." Auron said. At this, we all relaxed and started setting up camp.

The moon was shining down on the forest, but all I saw was the deep blue lights that filled the woods. The moonlight reflected off the water droplets that were on the trees. It was calming, the fiends and small animals still made soft noises in the night. Still exhausted, I explored the safe zone of the woods. I was walking down a blue dirt road. There, I found a large pond with a small island in the center with a large tree on it. The water looked clear and crisp. No one was nearby, so I walked up to the water, kneeled down and scooped up the water to my lips.

It was cold and refreshing. As if all my wounds and stress was washed away. Despite myself, I dive into the pond. The splash wasn't loud. I re-surface, floating on my back. Here, the trees didn't block the sky. I could easily see the stars twinkling, and the crescent moon shining softly. I sighed at the sight as I let my body float around the small island...

"EEEEEEK!!" Someone screamed. I looked around. Behind the small island, Rikku was taking a bath in the water. I quickly swam back the other side, away from Rikku's sight.

"I'm sorry!! I didn't mean it!! I didn't know you were there!!" I yelled back. I looked down at the water to see my reflection. My face is completely red all around. I splash the water to my face to make it stop burning.

"You pervert! I can't believe you!!" Rikku shouted back. I heard splashes on her side of the island.

"Well...maybe you should of told us you were going to take a bath!!" I shouted in defense.

"Hmph! I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want anyone to peep at me!!" Rikku talked back.

"I wouldn't peep at you!"

"You just did!"

"It was an accident!!"

"Oh?! And I suppose that time at Home it was also an accident?!"

"It was! It was an emergency 'cause Keyakku-" I stopped. I heard her gasp also. There was an uncomfortable silence. I could hear small drops hitting the water on her side. I realize my hair was also wet and drops were falling. Even with my hair damp, my hair was slighty spiky.

"I'm sorry." I said, not sure if she could hear me.

"You...you were with him...right?" She asked. I gulped.

"Yeah?"

"What did he say?" She asked. I comb my hair through my fingers, unsure if I should answer.

"He said..." I stumbled. Keyakku's last words were still in my head.

'I'm okay with you guys being together. For some reason, I feel like...you are the better man for her than me...I don't mind dying because I know she'll be safe with you by her side.'

"He...asked me...to look after you." I said.

"He said that?" She said, sheepishly. I closed my eyes and opened them.

"Yeah..." I mumbled. After that, she didn't say anything. Cautiously, I swam the other side. She wrapped herself with a towel, her back towards me. I made enough noise so she knows I was behind her. "Rikku?" She sniffed.

"Keyakku...was always so sweet. He always knows what was best for me." I was beside her, trying to look at her face. "Gippal was...alright, but annoying at times. But...he let me went with you guys." She chuckled, "For a minute I thought he wouldn't let me go."

"Uh," I said, not sure what to say. so I looked down at the water. Rikku continued. Her arms hugging around her.

"And then...there's you." She looked up at me, but I kept staring at our reflection in the water. "You're so...unique. Something about you...I can't put my finger on it." At this, I looked back at her. The faint blue color was back again in her eyes. I suddenly felt homesick again.

"Do you remember Zanarkand...when you were little? When you traveled back in time?" I asked, swimming closer. She swam back a little. Her back facing the island.

"A...a little. When I try to I get a headache." She said.

"...You know, when all this summoner journey is over...we can go back to Zanarkand. Some how," I said, rather excited. Her eyes were wide.

"How?" She asked. I shrugged.

"We'll find a way. There's that portal you said. And once we travel back to Zanarkand...I'll give you a proper tour around the city...and we can watch the sunrise too." I said. She smiled.

"I remember the sunrises. It glows, doesn't it?"

"Yeah!" I said, suddenly really happy. "I'll take you to this really high point, and we can watch it glow over the city."

"Yeah! And then, I can watch you play blitzball!" She said, looking happy also. That was my goal...seeing her happy.

"Sure! And I'll teach you a few moves." I suddenly felt really giddy and excited. I started to swim around in circles. My heart felt light, like it normally does when I play blitzball in Zanarkand. "I'll teach my Spiral Kick, and my Sneaky Tackle, and my Turbo Thrust," She came up to me and looked excited also.

"Yeah, yeah! And I'll explore more of Zanarkand's machinas better this time. And we can go shopping! And eat at a fancy restaurant!" She squealed happily. I swam up to her and held her hands.

"And after we eat, I can show my place. You'll like it. It's like this boat, but really it's just a one-level house floating on water." I said, more calmly but still eager. We were swimming closer to the island until Rikku sat on it. I climbed up to sit next to her. She still had her towel on, but she didn't mind and neither did I.

"What's inside your house?" She asked, her smile was still on. It was obvious that Keyakku was out of her mind.

"Well, it's full of trophies...not that I'm bragging or anything," I said, with a little smirk. She raised her eyebrow at me. "And it's...pretty cozy...plus my VG9000 and perfect, high-tech sphere. Much better spheres then here in Spira. I mean, it's so blurry!" I said, boasting. She laughed.

"Sounds fun," She said, calmly. I looked at her and smiled. I rested my hand on the soil and felt something hard. Then, a blue glow came out of the ground. I looked down, and my hand was on Rikku's clothes, and the Crystal of Memories. I picked it up.

"You took it?" I asked, looking at Rikku. She looked bashful.

"Well...yeah," She said. I rolled the crystal between my fingers, "I thought it might come in handy. In case we run into Sin again."

At this, I looked into the crystal and saw a tall, dark image of a man. It looked like he was scratching the back of his head, a gesture I know too well. Suddenly, I didn't felt so happy. The heated argument I had with Cid came back in my mind. Rikku saw that in my eyes.

"Rikku...is it okay...if I keep this?" I asked her, quietly. She didn't answered quickly.

"Sure," She simply said. She place her wet hand on my shoulder. I looked into her eyes. With the forest envelope in blue light, the crystal glowng blue, her eyes looked completely like Zanarkand eyes...blue. I smiled.

"There's still Zanarkand in you," I said. Our heads were really close. She smiled.

"Really?..." She said, barely a whisper as our lips touched.

It was a soft touch and innocent kiss. I dropped the crystal and ran my hand through her wet hair. She dangled her arms around my neck as my other hand rested on her thigh. My hand slowly slid up her towel and along her back. She was on top of me now, and only her towel was between us.

That night was ours. The night was clear, and the blue color that surrounds us was our color, together. Our little hiding spot behind the tree was perfect. Our clothes now litter and discarded on the water at our feet. The blue soil cling to our bodies as we rolled around in it. I wanted the night to last forever. She was soft and her fingers tracing my muscles. She moans very time I went inside her. At times I just rest on top of her, and she would draw on my back.

That night was ours...

OMG I put lemons!...well, that was actually a really dull lemon if you ask me. I mean, I read really good lemons (Midnight Comfort) ...just out of curiosity. (eyes shifting) and I told myself, i must put a lemon scene in my story, but when i was wrting it on my notebook...i felt dirty, and i couldn't do it. so i tried to push on by typing it...but i still felt dirty. i know readers would want more of it, but i just feel...weird. Maybe because i'm telling the story in first person mode, so it feels weird. Maybe I should have told the story in third person Tidus POV, so it wouldn't feel so weird. or in Rikku's POV instead. (I've already made errors in my story telling!!!!) Did you know, it took my only 2 days to type this? That's obsession!!! i guess i wanted to get this chapter over with (anime sweatdop). I also want to explain the flying saucer things. if you've ever played FFX-2, remember the opening scene and you see those guitarist playing on those flying machinas...it's just like that, except this one has missile lauchers (smiles). So basically, tidus and rikku had sex. sorry that i couldn't do more...details. you could always just...imagine it yourself to your likings (eww. lmao)... Please review!