The Magic of Pyreflies

by darkerthanshadows

Can love come out of Spira's endless cycle of death? A retelling of our beloved story told in four perspectives. Aurikku and Tidus/Yuna.

26. Into Dust and Ashes

Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable in this story. They are owned by Square Enix. I just play with their characters. Familiar dialogues came from the game script.

AN: Oh my gosh! Please don't hate me! (It literally is my birthday today, so as an act of good faith, please don't hate me!). I know it has been a long time since I posted. And I am truly sorry. Things have just been hellish the past half a year with work and some personal stuff. I battled waves of ups and downs mentally. (I have this condition society frowns upon. I could say it here because hey, I'm anonymous). Sometimes the downs were so debilitating that I could not pick the pen up (or in this case, switch on my laptop and go to the word processor). Still I'm happy that I could release a new chapter after such a long time, and on my birthday as well! I hope you guys have not grown tired of waiting.

If you are and you no longer know what's going on in the story, this is still Auron and Rikku in Bikanel after getting rescued by the Al Bhed Rangers in the Dead Sand. It's still a hellova 17,000 word ride, so I hope this makes up for a long term absence. So step right in and read, my good fellas!

Chapter 26: Into Dust and Ashes

Auron

"I never thought I'd be so happy to see your stupid face!" Rikku ran and hugged Brother tightly as soon as he was within her reach. They giggled and laughed together, and Brother gave Rikku a nogging to which she responded with a grimace. The two seemed so glad to see each other again. I couldn't blame them. Being a Guardian wasn't always sunshine and roses, believe me. But more than that, these two had differing beliefs on how to save Spira. But the absence of each other and the danger the Dead Sand implied seemed to have replaced the animosity that brewed between them when we were in Macalania.

Brother, whose real name was really Brother from what I gathered from Rikku, was a lean, young man of five foot ten. I did not get a close look at him back in Macalania, but now that I saw him, he seemed more than your average Al Bhed. He had blonde, mohawk hair, and he wore circular earrings and a gunmetal jumpsuit with red suspenders. Tattoos of red, blue, and yellow adorned his body all over. Because of this, you could easily surmise that he was a typical rebel. But on the other hand, weren't all Al Bhed's rebels in some way or another? A minority that just wanted a place in Spira.

Brother spoke in Al Bhed animatedly, gesturing wildly with his hands. The excitement of seeing his younger sister alive was evident. He had three other companions with him, dressed in soldier uniforms. Rangers, I supposed, huddled near the open door of the rotorcraft.

"No one gets stuck in the Dead Sand and lives to tell the tale. Consider us the first!" Rikku proudly said, beaming from ear to ear. She responded to Brother's questions in Spiran. I believed she was doing this for my sake, as I never really found the time and desire to learn the intricate language of the Al Bhed's. This stemmed from the fact that Braska always did the translating for me every now and then when we had ventured in their territories. Even Raenn, Yuna's mother, used to say that I was hopeless in learning her native tongue.

One male young adult broke from the group and moved closer to Rikku. Most probably a friend of Brother's. He wore a slightly different Ranger garb of all black, and he had thick goggles of a solid color over his eyes. An assault rifle hung over his back. Judging from his features, he must be the Al Bhed's very own version of Special Ops. He immediately spoke in Al Bhed to Rikku, and then he looked at the bruises on her neck with suspicion and glared at me.

Ah, now he thought I did it. Which really was the case. If my heart was still alive, it would have skipped a few beats. I suddenly felt even guiltier for what happened between Rikku and me in the alcove.

"N-Nothing, Gippal. Just got them from fighting fiends, is all." Rikku answered, all smiles and happiness. I felt a sense of relief with her trying to protect me. But the guy, Gippal, wouldn't back down. He continued to interrogate Rikku in Al Bhed while strangely glaring at me.

"What! Of course not. He is Auron. The Legendary Guardian. We guard Yunie in her pilgrimage. Sin came to Macalania, and it drew us in some freaky vacuum and suddenly we landed here..." Rikku said, and I wondered why she had to explain herself again to her Brother and to this Gippal. Brother nodded in affirmation and commented some more in Al Bhed.

"The others? They're with you?" Rikku's eyes lit up, and she smiled at me regarding the great news she heard. "Auron, did you hear that? The Rangers in the Western Outpost found Tidus and the others. Pops said to bring them to the Al Bhed Home."

"And Yuna?" I didn't know what came over me to ask about her. But a pilgrimage was not a pilgrimage without its Summoner.

"Safe." Brother said in Spiran this time. He looked like he was about to say more, but he stopped when he noticed Gippal looking at me very strangely again. The way he stared at me made me feel like he wanted to aim his assault rifle at me and fire it. I looked back at him calmly, silently wondering what his problem was.

Then he broke his gaze, shook his head, and patted Brother on his shoulder. They motioned to the side of the rotorcraft and talked in Al Bhed very quietly. Rikku and I looked at each other, wondering at this peculiar phenomenon. Afterwards, when they came back, Brother suddenly looked at me with contempt. Just what was happening? They walked towards us, and Rikku felt the same air of tension but tried to make light of it.

"So, umm… guys? Can we go to Home now? I really need a shower. I think I stink worse than an Ochu's fart." Rikku said, smiling and definitely determined to break the tension in the air. Brother smiled back at her and nodded. I had thought all was right, and I was just imagining that strange feeling in my gut, until…

Three of the Rangers suddenly attacked me. One punched my abdomen, the other hit me at the back of my head. My reflexes went automatic, and I was about to counter their attacks and draw my broad katana when I felt a high-voltage surge of electricity ran its course in my body. The guy, Gippal, stabbed me behind my back with some sort of electricity-producing metal fork. I cried out in pain as the electricity felt like it was burning my veins. Rikku went wide-eyed with confusion and was about to help me, but Brother grabbed her arm in a tight grip. Gippal kicked me down and cuffed my hands as I laid face front on the ground.

"Wait! What are you doing? Let him go! Brother!" Rikku screamed at Brother as he dragged her to the rotorcraft. "Brother!"

Gippal pulled me upwards from the ground and pushed me to walk to the rotorcraft. When I stubbornly did not move, he kicked the back of my knee forcefully. Then he made me board the part of the rotorcraft where there was a metal divider from the main fuselage – the one used for captured prisoners, I supposed. I saw Rikku wildly reasoning with her Brother, until she was tranquilized by one of the Rangers.

Gippal sat across me, glaring with so much hatred. I couldn't understand why, but it was the last image I saw as he hit me with a large dose of tranquilizer as well.

xxxxx

A splash of freezing water woke me up. Even the air around me was freezing, a strange thing to happen in Bikanel. I suddenly wondered if I was somewhere else. I blinked my eyes and struggled to orient myself with my surroundings. First, I was suspended around fifteen feet in the air, my wrists chained to a mechanism that was connected to a high ceiling. Second, I was naked with only my underwear on. Third, I noticed that I was in some sort of abandoned building. Rusted steel decorated the walls, beams, and pipes. The fourth? Gippal was looking back at me with a murderous intent in his eyes again.

"What are you doing...?" I mumbled, my voice hoarse from the unwanted sleep the tranquilizer gave me.

Gippal smirked, finding my moment of vulnerability amusing. "An easy game. I ask, you answer. Don't answer? You're gonna get shocked big time and end up as a vegetable. Simple, really." He clicked his tongue as he said his last statement and gestured to the contraption beside him: two levers and knobs with wires connected to the cables that suspended me. The whole thing felt surreal, like an unwanted nightmare. Yet Gippal's cold smile told me this was reality, and he was not new to this.

Torture? I had been in this situation before when I was a soldier of Bevelle, and this did not faze me. What worried me though was I did not know what this was for. I had long been retired from Bevelle's active defense forces. Not to mention, wasn't there a peace treaty between Al Bhed and Bevelle? An assault of this kind already counted as a breach of the ethical conduct for the bilateral agreement of the two nations. Uncertain of these questions, I struggled with the bonds on my wrists that hung me from the high ceiling. The steel shackles rang as they rubbed against each other.

"It's not gonna fall off, and there's a magic dampener. You're not gonna break free from there no matter what you do." Gippal sneered, and I had some peculiar feeling in my gut that he was enjoying this.

"Why am I here?" I asked, my voice sounding clearer despite my confusion. Where is Rikku? I need her.

Gippal only shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. Ask yourself, Yevonite Dog."

"You think I'm a spy from Yevon? You're wrong. I'm just Yuna's Guardian." I told him with conviction. Just what was going on?

"Not according to history. But let's get beyond that and delve into the matters at hand." Gippal shook his head. He walked near the contraption before us. And then, he turned some knobs and adjusted some things. I braced myself as he looked at me with an evil, predatory grin.

"Yevon will attack Bikanel. How and when?" He asked, piercing the silence masked by the humming of the machina contraption he was near at.

So that was what this was all about, and I finally understood. I, myself, never heard from the rumor mills of any plans of Bevelle to start a war with the Al Bhed again. Then again, it was always the Al Bhed's preventive forces that discover the information, hide it, and act on it covertly. Finally receiving some clarity for the situation and finding some footing, I stared back into Gippal's green, swirl-patterned eyes. I saw determination there, but inside I knew he was still your average green Special Ops. All training, but no actual experience. How could he have one? There had been peace for the past two decades between the Al Bhed's and Yevon. He probably thought this was just all play. The real soldier life still had not hit him square in the head yet. He was like a little girl playing house with her dolls.

I could not contain myself and laughed loudly at the thought. Gippal suddenly looked alarmed at my change of mood.

"What is it? What's so funny!?" He demanded to know, a crack in his cool facade. And it was just what I thought. Evidently, he still had no scars from the battlefield; instead, he was easily angered and ready to claw out like a cornered wolf that was determined to prove himself otherwise.

"Kid. If they're gonna attack you, you shouldn't be wasting tim–" I wasn't even able to finish my sentence when he shocked me with electricity at full force. It ran its course all over my wet body, from my fingertips to my spine and my toes. How much voltage was it? I could not estimate, but the pain felt like I was being hit with a Thundaga ten times more brutal than what Lulu could cast. I screamed at the pain. By the time Gippal stopped, I was out of breath and panting. My world seemed to be moving up and down and round and round.

Gippal was speaking again, but I could only catch a few phrases. There was too much ringing in my ears. "...Do you think I'm kidding? Tell me! How and when!?"

"I'm not... with Yevon anymore..." I mumbled almost incoherently, finding it hard to even speak.

But Gippal clicked his tongue again, arrogance taking over his previously angry features. "Not a very good answer. Look to your right, Yevonite Dog. That's what he said as well. Until I made him speak. Took a while, but I got there."

I looked below to the right and saw a dead, middle-aged man with eyes carved out of him and his fingers and toes maimed. He had blonde hair and was wearing Al Bhed undergarments. At first I thought it was an Al Bhed that defected to Bevelle. Usually that would happen. Bevelle would buy the poorest of the Al Bhed's at a price and would force them to be low-level spies. But I noticed something that disproved my hypothesis. There was a brand of the mighty Evrae's head with two daggers at the center marked on his posterior shoulder area. This was the symbol of the intelligence unit, Anonymous, under Bevelle's most confidential and controversial defense division, Black Corps. Evrae's head pertained to the unit's ability to be all-seeing, like the Bevelle's mighty guardian dragon on a bird's eye view. Their mission? To infiltrate enemy lines and observe over and over and over. Because knowledge was power, an overture in a symphony of war.

"See, Yevon's gathering all their old forces. All their beloved Anonymous from the once dissolved Black Corps are moving on missions. This one's smart. He disguised as an Al Bhed and was planted here. A mole observing everything about us. Just like what happened in the racial war. But do you think the Al Bhed's don't remember?"

"Like I said, kid. I am not with Yev–"

"Cut the crap! Don't speak like we don't know what you were before!" Gippal shouted as he shocked me again. I bit my lip, hoping to divert the pain, but it did not do any good. Blood just spilled out of my mouth and nostrils as my muscles convulsed again and again. When it became too much, I finally screamed again, piercing the air with my growls of pain. After a minute of that hellish agony, Gippal stopped the flow of electricity. He was looking at me, but my eyes were already too blurry to see him. He spoke again, "It won't be long until those in the Shadow Unit act as well. Now tell me, what are Bevelle's plans?"

"...I do not know." I answered him clearly as best as I could, all the while praying to all Fayths that Rikku come and save me.

"Liar! Liar! LIAR!" Gippal shouted again and again, and then he suddenly touched his head with both of his palms as if he was immediately suffering from an incoming stroke or a very painful migraine. He fell to his knees cradling his head and bowed down to the ground, screaming in pain. If I wasn't feeling immensely hurt from the multiple electric shocks he gave me, I would have been worried for him. Instead, I found my voice and spoke the statement that I hoped would vindicate me.

"I know nothing. We both know that. Who is the one lying between us here...?"

Upon hearing that, Gippal screamed again as he pounded the ground with his fists several times. "YOU'RE THE LIAR! YOU'RE THE LIAR! " He glared at me with dilated green eyes that lost their swirling patterns. His blue-green veins suddenly showed and lined and etched the skin on the side of his eyes. It was a very unusual sight, something I had never seen from an Al Bhed before. What was this? An Overdrive? He quickly moved to the machina on his right again with the intent to shock me. I closed my eyes to brace myself for another electric surge, sure that it will come any second now until…

"Gippal, let him go!" She burst through the steel doors, with intense anger in her voice. I opened my eyes in surprise. I knew that voice now more than ever, and I gave a sigh of relief upon seeing her.

Gippal spoke quickly in Al Bhed, most probably defending himself, but Rikku marched to him and slapped him square in the face. "OUT! I said get out of here!", she shouted again, but Gippal only yelled more in Al Bhed and then motioned to attack her. Rikku then instantly dodged the assault, found an opening, kicked Gippal in the gut, and drew a knife from his soldier uniform at the same time. In just a few movements, she had him kneeling in submission with her forearm locked on his head, covering his eyes, and the knife pointed on his neck. I felt myself beam in pride. I taught her that move in our break-of-dawn trainings, but she did it flawlessly by adding her own grace and style.

"Hurt him again, and I'll kill you." Rikku threatened Gippal, so sharp and clear, the knife close to his skin that it drew a drop of blood. "Even if you're an Al Bhed, I'll kill you. Do you understand me?"

Gippal hissed and replied coldly in Al Bhed. There was a few seconds of silence between them, until Rikku shook her head and looked at me with teary eyes. I surmised that I must have been quite a horrible sight. Still she smiled at me ruefully afterwards and said back at Gippal, "I don't care. You don't know him like I do." Then she released and pushed him away from her hold.

Gippal stood carefully and grabbed his knife from Rikku. "You'll regret this," he said to her before glaring at me once again.

"Leave us, Gippal." Rikku commanded, and the Special Ops Ranger left without another word.

She moved towards some levers on the wall and pulled it downwards. The cables that suspended me lowered me from where I was hanging. Once I found my footing on the ground, Rikku unlocked the shackles on my wrists and immediately wrapped me in a warm embrace. I hugged her back, both glad to receive human touch and to keep myself from falling down.

"Are you alright? Fayth, Auron… I'm so sorry." She said regrettably as if all that happened to me the past hours was her fault.

"…I'm fine." I told her, though my voice did not sound reassuring. It was terrifyingly cracked as if I had a severe case of yellow fever.

She maneuvered me to sit down on one of the steel benches beside that machina that did nothing but zap me with electricity. She wiped the blood from my nostrils and mouth with a soft cloth. And then she produced three vials of Al Bhed potion. "Silly, you're not fine. Here take these. It will make you feel better."

"...Thank you for coming for me." I said to her, before downing the vials of Al Bhed potion. It did its magic, and the pain I had felt from the torture I endured disappeared gradually. My muscle and joints still felt sore though, but it was something I could handle now.

"You dummy. Of course, I will. I'm not gonna let you suddenly become some sort of a POW, you know. Not when I'm around. Stupid Gippal just thought he could be all hero with this, trying to torture you to get information just because you were a former soldier of Bevelle." Rikku said while gently massaging my hands and arms to relieve the tension in my muscles. What she was doing felt unbelievably good, and I didn't want her to stop, but I was feeling quite embarrassed at my current state of undress.

"Do you have my clothes? I am a little ashamed of..." I tapered off, not wanting to embarrass myself even more by stating the obvious. My whole body was an ugly patchwork of scars, the unwanted, gruesome mementos of my time in the frontlines of the battlefield and numerous life-threatening missions. I was always conscious when they were exposed. And now, with Rikku near, I suddenly felt the need to cover them up.

It was a good thing that she understood. Rikku immediately walked to the south of the room towards a rusty cabinet, and she came back with my trousers, red coat, bracer, and black vest. "Here," She said and handed me my clothes, "Though they don't bother me. The scars, I mean."

I felt my ears turn red. I knew it was silly coming from me, but I said softly, "...They bother me immensely."

Rikku nodded, acknowledging without judgment my ridiculousness. She helped me as I dressed, all the while keeping me up to date of what happened while I was being tortured by Gippal. "Anyway. So I finally caught up with everything. While we were on an adventure in the Dead Sand, things have been on high alert at the Al Bhed Home."

"Gippal did say they had intel that Yevon will attack Bikanel." I mentioned to her, as I stood up and adjusted my belt.

"They already did." Rikku admitted, fear tracing her voice. She smoothed the creases of my red coat on my shoulder, brushing the dust off.

"How?" I asked, failing to reign in my surprise.

"Home lost its force field barriers and stealth shields. They are still studying how it exactly happened. But it was due to a cyber-machina attack; a virus in our cyber network that disabled our first line of defense. It was so powerful and complex, even our mechanics could not bring them back up. But could Yevon even have the ability to do that? Didn't they know nothing about machina? Let alone the inner-workings of complicated cyber-machina?"

I bit my lip, unsure of whether I should tell Rikku the truth about Yevon now or let her discover it by herself. Yes, Rikku. For fear of what the Al Bhed was capable of, Yevon created their own defense unit who were machina experts, right after the Declaration of Peace between the two nation-states. Even the Basilica of Yevon that housed the Maesters and other Yevon offices were armored with machina now.

"Then I guess Gippal had every right to be suspicious of me." I mumbled instead, while wanting to punch myself at the same time for my cowardice to reveal the truth about Yevon. Why didn't I just tell her?

Rikku shook her head. "No. I vouched for you. As daughter of the reigning Lord of the Al Bhed, he should've listened to me."

"He convinced your brother. Besides, Gippal seems like he loves the Al Bhed Home just as much as you do. He is a soldier, and he had sworn to protect it." I said, trying to be more understanding and objective regarding Gippal's unusual behavior towards me. Yes, that was just it, wasn't it? Nevertheless, an unknown feeling was stabbing me in my gut, but I pushed it away.

"I don't know. We used to be good childhood friends, but ever since he joined the Rangers he changed." Rikku added in a somber tone.

"All the more reason not to hold a grudge against him." I advised Rikku, not wanting her to end her childhood friendship with a fellow Al Bhed just because of what he did to me. Especially now that I had a feeling that my distant past was inevitably creeping up on me, after years of not wanting it to find me and me fleeing away from it. No, Auron, you didn't need to think of those things right now.

Still, Rikku nodded and smiled at me, all brightness and joy that it made my dead heart tingle again. "Nevertheless, no one hurts my best buddy if I can help it. They'll be sure to receive more than a good smack in the head. Ha!" She punched the air animatedly, and then she patted my shoulder firmly.

Best buddy? I never meant to be like that to her, but… I did miss being a true friend to someone, one without the ties of obligation and dead men's promises. Just a friend for the sake of being a friend. And Rikku's friendship, it would not hurt if I returned it, yes? Although it would certainly be unusual – her being twenty years my junior – Fayth knows that after all these years of Braska's and Jecht's deaths, I needed a friend. So I looked at her as I again digested the words she said. Yes, a friend. Rikku would be my friend. It didn't bring shame to the back of my head or to my tongue. Why would it? She was a gentle, pure soul; a rare glimmer of hope in this bleak world. I was already lucky she considered me with this affection. Her friend.

"Thank you, Rikku." I told her, and the way she smiled at me again told me she knew that I was not just thanking her for saving me from Gippal's torture. I was thanking her for her friendship.

"Anytime, Auron." She replied, her tone welcoming and accommodating. She would always have my back. I knew it now. "So, let's get out of this horrible place, eh?" Rikku winked and stood up, grabbing my hand gently and leading the way.

We walked amicably together out of the torture basement and up to the upper floors of the Eastern Front. I thought all was going to be fine; we would go to the Al Bhed Home, and we will see the rest of the party there, including Yuna. I will have a brief chat with Cid about our current predicament as a Summoner party, and from there, we will resume the pilgrimage.

But then, hell started unleashing itself, accompanied by its terrifying, unforgiving demons.

xxxxx

Before we got to the ground floor of the Eastern Front outpost, numerous sirens started blaring as an alarm. Rikku and I suddenly paused in shock, unsure of what it meant. For sure, it was an emergency, we knew. But of what kind and gravity, the uncertainty lodged deep in our gut. We ran up to the Eastern Front's command center, knowing Brother would be there, never minding the Al Bhed Rangers who were going the opposite direction, mounting on the trucks and speeders around us. Halfway to our run to the command center, we met face to face with Rikku's brother who was clearly distraught and panicking while grabbing necessary items and hauling them over his shoulder; Gippal was by his side guarding him.

"W-What's going on?" Rikku asked, breath panting and confusion in her voice.

Brother's eyebrows furrowed as he turned toward us, handed Rikku a twin-barrel gun, and explained hurriedly in Al Bhed. Afterwards, Rikku started shaking, surprised by her own brother's revelation. "No… Our Home, it can't be…"

A strange feeling finally settled over me as I watched their entire exchange. I understood now that the inevitable had happened. Just as Gippal predicted. Yevon was attacking the Al Bhed, even worse the Al Bhed Home. There was war yet again. The suddenness of this event happening was clearly unexpected though. Being caught off guard was a deadly situation.

It was Gippal who broke the dreaded silence that covered us underneath the air of blaring sirens. And though he looked at me with contempt, I admired him for his awareness and pragmatism. Just how a soldier should be in a time of danger. "We have to get going. Provide backup and rescue anyone we can. That is our mandate." He told Rikku in Spiran. I knew he was also doing it for my sake. If there was a hint of request in his voice though, he hid it very well.

We quickly moved down the stairs and onto the landing port where the rotorcraft that rescued us from the Dead Sand was situated. It was already spinning its blades rapidly ready for departure. We boarded it, silence enveloping us regardless of the haste we were in to gain altitude. When we were at a certain height and distance towards the Al Bhed Home, Rikku and I turned to the open windows and saw the evidence of the catastrophic attack Yevon was doing.

Random fire, explosions, and great pillars of black smoke surrounded the Al Bhed Home's perimeters. Above its majestic machina towers, hundreds of Garudas were circling wildly as if maniacally finding an opportune moment to swoop down and devour any unaware Al Bhed, civilian or Ranger. On the grounds, innumerable Chimeras and Wendigos scattered all over, stomping wildly and charging towards helpless Al Bhed's. As we went even nearer to a relatively safe landing zone, I understood more who was behind it. This was not just by Yevonites. This was by the Guados, certainly under the command of that foul Seymour.

As the rotorcraft landed, Rikku stifled a sob behind me. I understood how hurt she was by all that was happening, and I admired her resolve to be strong. Wanting to comfort her, I placed my hand over hers. She looked at me with fear in her eyes. "We'll find Yuna and our party. Then we'll help in the rescue," I told her. She nodded in agreement, wiping her tears with her forearm.

"We'll evacuate through the Airship by the Basement Hangar 3." Gippal said before hopping off of the rotorcraft, and then he turned towards Brother. "Brother, you'll be needed on the Bridge." Brother nodded in agreement, and then Rikku and I went on separate ways.

"Do you know where we'll go?" I asked Rikku as we ran towards Home through its west gate entrance. Already, signs of bloodshed and casualties surrounded us, with walls torn down and dead bodies on the floor. Gunshots echoed all throughout.

"The Summoner Sanctum. That's where we – that's where we keep them. Yunie and the others must be there." Rikku answered, while leading the way as we moved quickly. I lost count of how many passageways and doors we entered, but naturally I trusted her to know the way inside Home. By the time we turned another corner straight through Home's center, gunshots suddenly became louder. When we went nearer, we saw an old Al Bhed lady and one Al Bhed Ranger firing his gun and desperately fighting for their lives as they were surrounded by two Chimeras.

"Nana! Keyakku!" Rikku shouted as she ran towards them, knowing full well who the two struggling Al Bhed's were. She threw grenades at the two Chimeras which set them back for a few seconds. I used the opening to strike Power Break to the two fiends.

"Run!" I told the two Al Bhed's. They understood and took their leave. I focused myself on the two Chimeras who immediately shifted their heads. The first one turned into a bull, and the other a lion. I shook my head. This was not good. The bull will do an assault and the lion a Megiddo Flame. Knowing this, I moved in front of Rikku and mustered the strongest Guard stance I could. "Take cover behind me!" I said to the little thief and in a matter of a few seconds, what I had just predicted happened.

I recovered from the attack in heaving breaths, and Rikku dove from my cover and shot the two Chimeras on their bull and lion heads with her shotgun. The fiends staggered and decided to shift their heads again. This time, they were a snake and a hawk. Thunder and Aqua Breath, I calculated on my head. We would have to do our best to evade as we had no one who will cast a Shell or a Reflect. I advised Rikku of this, and we readied ourselves to dodge, but in the midst of it all, a horrible scream pierced the air, as if time suddenly slowed for all of us.

It came from the old lady Nana. We looked towards her direction and saw the cause. As they were escaping, a Garuda just swooped down and took Keyakku, its powerful beak crushing his middle. Then the Garuda threw the body from a hundred feet of height. Keyakku landed unceremoniously on the ground and was already dead, I knew.

"Keyakku!" Rikku screamed and moved towards her fellow Al Bhed, not even minding the snake-head Chimera who poised to strike her with a Thundara. I ran towards her and tackled her down, ultimately stopping her from nearly getting struck with the Thundara. Still, Rikku struggled against my hold as we fell down. Still, she wanted to move towards Keyakku's dead body, as if she wanted to be certain herself of his death.

"There's too many of them! We have to run, Rikku!" I said to her, as I helped her up, mindful of the two Chimeras who were about to strike again. "Come on, Rikku!"

Suddenly, a spiked blitzball flew from nowhere and great balls of Firaga emerged over the Chimeras' head, attacking and burning the fiends. Kimahri came in to my peripheral view as he jumped high and prepared for an aerial attack. Tidus dashed and slashed, hitting and hitting the fiends non-stop until they inevitably disappeared into pyreflies. The Garuda that had killed Keyakku spun in the air and launched towards us, and I placed Rikku behind my back to counter its attack, but a burst of cannon stopped it on its flight down before it also dispersed into pyreflies. I looked towards the direction of the projectile and saw another Al Bhed standing far beside a speeder.

It was Cid, the leader of the Al Bhed. Rikku ran towards him, shouting what I could only surmised as 'Father' in their native tongue.

"My little girl! Oh, my little girl! You are alright, aren't you? Brother said he brought you here. I had to do one last round. I had to find you… Thank the Fayth I did!" Cid cried in panic, embracing Rikku tightly and kissing her temple numerous times. After sometime, the Al Bhed leader turned to all of us. "Come on, let's all board the airship. We'll be departing shortly."

"She's not in the Summoner's Sanctum! You told us she was there!" Tidus suddenly yelled at the leader of the Al Bhed, marched towards him, and shoved him hard that he almost stumbled backwards if his feet did not catch him. "Where is she!?" Tidus yelled again, frustration clearly marring his voice. And there was a hint of something else that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Something like guilt and anxiety.

"I do not know! They must have gotten to her before you did! Their attacks were in all directions, things happened so fast. And…" Cid said solemnly, and his eyes fell on the old lady Nana who was walking towards us. Even Tidus fell silent as Nana walked with unspoken grace in our midst. "Nana… I am glad to see you. Let us get you out of here quickly..." Cid told her.

"Oh, Cid. It's about time… but Keyakku…" The old Al Bhed lady motioned her hand towards the dead body lying on the ground a few yards before us. Cid understood and walked towards it, knelt down, and cradled Keyakku's head. Then Cid kissed his forehead, staying for a few seconds, before laying the body back on the ground again.

"Your sacrifice will not be in vain, my brethren." Cid whispered, the mask of a formidable leader gone, replaced by a despair-stricken face. Then he stood up wiped the tears from his eyes and spoke again with more sharpness and clarity. "I do not know where Yuna is. But we have to board the Airship now, before we all lose the ability to find her."

"Then let's go." I spoke, both urging the party to follow Cid's advice and validating the need for it. I looked at Tidus' wild eyes for his agreement, but he glared at me. An unusual thing. Something must have happened while I was not with him. But now is not the right time to talk to him.

"Right. To Basement Hangar 3." Cid ran, and we all followed as he led the way past locked doors, passageways, and underground floors. We met fiends along the way, but our ultimate priority was to flee. I situated myself in front of the party, ready to strike an opening against fiends that blocked our paths. Kimahri tailed at the end, mindful of the fiends that were desperate enough to follow us. Soon after, we found ourselves in the Home's Basement Hangar 3 where a huge airship was sitting with its double door entrance opened wide. An Al Bhed Ranger in black garb was waiting and gave Cid a salute before asking something in Al Bhed.

"They are the last I could find, General Zurh." Cid looked at us before admitting downheartedly. The Al Bhed Ranger, Zurh, nodded and led us to the bridge of the airship after closing its entrance doors.

The bridge of the airship was everything I remembered an airship in Zanarkand was. There was a huge holographic, interactive sphere in the middle, and a main pilot seat at the far front occupied by Brother. Below was the second deck for assistant pilots, and a blue screen for visuals was right on our line of sight. However, when I fixed my eyes at the corner near the wall, I saw a Guado commander cuffed to a railing with Gippal beside him. Cid naturally noticed it.

"What's he doing here?" Cid asked Gippal.

"Hostage for interrogation, Sir. He's a Commander and may provide us valuable information." Gippal answered firmly. "Do not worry, I silenced him of his magic."

Cid glared at the Guado Commander before moving to the glowing sphere in the middle of the bridge. General Zurh walked towards him with indescribable worry in his features.

"Cid, were you able to fix the ICBMs?" Zurh asked.

"No. I couldn't do anything about it." Cid answered curtly, not even drawing his eyes away from the glowing sphere before him. He tapped on the sphere a few times, and then he turned to his son, Brother. "Circuits on left wing and right wing, checked! Stabilizers, checked! Propeller speed, checked!"

"But you know what that would mean right? To Yevon, and to the rest of Spira?" Zurh asked again, and I furrowed my eyebrows in trying to understand their exchange. Just what was happening? What was Cid hiding?

"We're better off escaping this hellhole first." Cid insisted. And then he shouted again to the flight crew, "Fuselage, secured! Proceed to engine and reactor check!"

"Pops… what about the ICBMs? What are you not telling us?" Rikku finally asked her father. Worry and confusion were on her features at the same time. Cid looked at her with downcast eyes. He breathed deeply, mustering strength to say what he had to say.

"Starting the charge of reactors with graviton cores!" An assistant pilot on the lower deck announced.

"…The virus in our cyber-network, they were not just meant to lower our stealth shields and barriers. They spawned like little devils and infiltrated our defense network, mainly our three ICBMs, triggering a launch to Yevon's major cities such as Luca, Bevelle, and Besaid." Cid said, resigned and overwhelmed, while palming his face with his right hand.

"You mean to say…?" Rikku said, realization hitting her. All the while assistant pilots below deck were preparing for takeoff and shouting statuses.

"Charging reactors up to thirty percent!" One said.

"Yevon would like to let the rest of Spira think that we started the war. They are covering their tracks on this attack, pinning on us that we did the first strike to justify themselves."

"Couldn't we do something about it?" Rikku asked his father desperately, panicking at this new revelation. Seymour and Yevon, there was no more doubt in my mind that they were such evil bastards. The Al Bhed did not deserve any of this. No one deserved any of this.

"I tried, Rikku. I could not undo it, even from Home's command center. The virus created a tight deadlock."

"Charging now at fifty percent! Preparing wings for takeoff!" Another assistant pilot announced.

"But all those people… they'll die, Pops!" Rikku exclaimed.

"We'll have to face the aftermath when we get there. For now, we have to escape from here. The best thing we could hope for is to fly far away in due time and fire our Mana Cannons at our own Home to stop the launch." Cid advised her daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder to placate her.

So there was still a way. It was a long shot, but it was all we got, and all we could ever hope for. I looked at the other Guardians beside me as we watched the scenes unfold. Wakka had his hands on his head, uncertain of what to do. Tidus was gripping the railing so hard with his hands. Lulu looked far away in the bridge with fear. Kimahri stood beside me with head bowed down. And I? I was never a believer, but I prayed silently to an unknown deity to help us and the Al Bhed's in this disaster. Just help them, please.

"Sir, we are at a stand-still! Graviton core charges stopped at fifty." Silence enveloped the bridge as the assistant pilot announced the issue.

"What!? Check if power is good enough for emergency lift-off." Cid answered back, and everyone held their breath as the assistant pilot checked the system for what Cid asked.

"Negative, Sir. We are still at too weak of a charge for an emergency take-off thrust."

"Dammit! Dammit to hell!" Cid pounded the keyboard in front of him numerous times in frustration. In an instant he lost the swirl patterns on his eyes and blue-green veins etched on the sides of his face, near the temples. It was the same ability again that I saw in Gippal's earlier. Cid hunched and quickly tapped away on the keyboard on the bridge, and the blue screens flashed diagrams and statistics and statuses I could not understand. Afterwards, Cid stood straight up and breathed deeply, an unnatural calm settling over him. "Right…" He muttered to no one. And then, more clearly now, "Right, I'll go back in, relay an electric surge from our power plants to spark the reactors back. You guys get it to emergency lift-off charge and then take off, alright?"

"What? No! You're not going back in there! Restart the charging, instead!" Rikku quickly countered, horrified by the idea of her father going back inside the hell the Home had become.

"Rikku, I have to. This airship needs energy to fly, and it needs to take off right now." Cid insisted firmly.

"But… but there are fiends! How will you–?" Rikku stammered, her hands and body blocking her father's advance.

Cid then placed both of his hands on the each side of Rikku's head and kissed her forehead. "I'll be fine, sweetie. I believe I even have cooked up an idea to stop the ICBM's from launching. I can redirect the electric surge which can cause an alarm and an override authority in the system. And then, I will speed out of the Home using our escape speeders. It's a great plan, and I'll be fine."

"Pops… don't go." Rikku pleaded, though I knew that there was nothing she could do about it anymore. Cid's mind was made up, and once it was, there was no stopping the fierce Al Bhed leader.

"Trust me, sweetheart, ok?" Cid said one more time, and Rikku finally stepped aside and gave way. I, on the other hand, blocked Cid's path with a clear objective.

"I'll accompany you." I told the Al Bhed leader firmly, but he only scoffed it off and twisted his hand-held cannon that hung over his shoulder and readied his radio.

"Your job is to protect them and Yuna, Guardian. Not me." Cid said. We looked at each other square in the eye, and I understood right then and there his hidden request. "Just follow Braska's orders." He added, as he motioned to walk towards the airship's entrance doors.

Nevertheless, General Zurh followed after him. "It would be an honor to give you assistance on this, Cid."

"Thank you, Zurh." Cid nodded to his general, and then over his shoulder, he called out. "Brother, at seventy, you fly, capiche?"

"No, please, Pops, don't leave–" Rikku pleaded once more, and I grabbed her hand and shook my head. Tears ran down freely on her face now, and I wished silently for some other way. But no, some things just had to be done. I knew Cid knew it too.

"I'll be back, Rikku. I promise." Cid smiled at her before turning his head to another direction and running off with his general, Zurh.

Those were his last words as I shut the entrance doors of the airship and led Rikku back to the bridge.

The radio transmission every now and then cracked the silence that filled the bridge of the airship when Cid and Zurh left. The flight crew connected the radio to the bridge's loud speakers, and we heard every step of the Al Bhed leader's way to the command center of the Home. From time to time, Cid's footsteps and the sound of his hand-held cannon and Zurh's firing filled the room. Cid would explain where he was and what fiends blocked their path. I tried to make myself useful by providing knowledge on how to divert the fiends' attention and create an opening for them to flee immediately. This repeated for fifteen minutes, until we heard a loud bang of doors. Cid explained that he and Zurh were on the emergency elevator shaft connecting to the command center. They had made it, and they were relatively safe. Things went silent for a minute, until a visual of him and Zurh on the bridge's screen popped up.

"Alright, team! Zurh and I are in command. Just a few clicks here and there, and I'm rerouting and feeding energy to you. Brother, read back to me your take-off gauge." Cid said, our visual was of him tapping on the keyboards frantically in front of him.

"No more stand-still. Charging now up by fifty-four percent." Brother answered back in broken Spiran for all our sakes. An audible sigh was heard from the flight crew. At least things were going according to plan now.

"Ah, good! Good! Then just a wee bit more from Cactuar Sand's power plant. How's that? Read back to me." Cid ordered once again as he adjusted something from the command center using his keyboard. There was a trace of relief in his voice.

"Up now by sixty-five!" Rikku answered. "Sixty-eight!"

"Great! Brother, ready your hand at the throttle, just like in our flight simulation, remember?" Cid advised, proud and smiling. "I've opened the hangar doors."

"Seventy! Ready for lift-off!" Brother pushed the throttle and the airship started lifting off of the ground. The bridge shook and everyone headed to the railings for stability. As we climbed out of the Basement Hangar 3, the visuals of the left and right screens before us changed into a view of the Bikanel sky. Cid's image was still on the center with him still typing commands on his keyboard.

"Pops, we're out! Now, come back here, please! We'll wait near the Cactuar Sands." Rikku pleaded over the speakers. But Cid just shook his head, and he kept tapping away on the command center with utmost concentration.

"Brother, keep flying until you reach farther and farther than the hundred nautical mile mark. You hear me?"

Brother started to protest in Al Bhed and spoke hurriedly, but his father cut him off angrily. "Just do as I say and keep flying!" Cid pounded the keyboard, and then he paused suddenly and held his hands to his face momentarily. Zurh walked behind him and patted his leader's shoulder. After a few moments Cid looked straight into the camera again, his green eyes filled with tears. "My children, forgive me. I lied. There is no override. I tried it before on the last round of my rescue patrol. It didn't work. It's ten minutes to launch now, and I can't let the missiles hit the Spiran cities. I'm just going to overflow the electric surge to Home, short-circuit the ICBMs, and self-destruct them myself. This will cause huge explosions. Just keep flying farther and farther to avoid any force of impact. The safest radius would be around a hundred nautical miles near the isle of Bintam."

"No! No, Pops! You said you'd come back! Y-You promised…" Rikku screamed and fell to her knees on the floor crying. Her brother was the same, hunched over the pilot seat and holding on to the pilot's yoke tightly, muttering in Al Bhed and pleading for his father.

"Now give me a stat. Where are you now?" Cid asked firmly, ignoring his children's begging.

"Thirty nautical miles before the Bintam's coast." Rikku answered, and then she pleaded again. "Pops, please don't do this…"

Cid breathed deeply, resignation pouring out of him like a man on death row with no more choice left on his plate. "That should do. Full throttle, Brother."

Lulu turned her head from the screen and from the scene unfolding before us and wiped her tears. Kimahri, Tidus, and Wakka's heads hung low; looks of sorrow on their faces. I looked straight into Cid's eyes, admiring his courage and wanting to etch him in my memory. Sacrifice. This is the ultimate act any human being could do for the sake of another. But unlike Braska's and Jecht's, no one in Spira will know the gravity of what Cid will do except the Al Bhed's. Yevon will just dismiss the explosion in Bikanel as a strange machina phenomenon brought on by the so-called heretics, not the corrupt religion's very own crime to these people who just wanted peace. I clenched my fists in anger, vowing to never let anything tar Cid's memory. Rikku and her brother though still continued to reason with their father, but there was nothing else left to do.

"I'm sorry, Rikku. I love you. This is for the best. Brother, take care of the rest." Cid said, and the video transmission suddenly faded into static and blackness.

Soon afterwards a strong turbulence hit the airship, created by the massive blast of explosions coming from Home. Rikku's scream resonated as the alarms of the airship started blaring again, directing all passengers to focus on the results of the impact to the airship. Brother lifted the yoke upwards aggressively as the ship began to descend rapidly from the sky. We felt the force of heavy gravity counteracting our descent. Everyone found a railing to hang on to as Brother desperately tried to stabilize the airship.

"Warning, warning! Reactor 2 and 3 failing. Warning, warning!" The artificial intelligence system of the airship repeated.

"Cred! Vilg!" Brother cursed and shouted his commands to the flight crew in Al Bhed. He pounded on the keyboard in front of him as his assistant pilots shouted back gauges and flight statistics.

"Emergency landing activated. Target: Bintam." The airship system announced.

"Hold to something! This is crash! Argh!" Brother shouted in broken Spiran to us as he maneuvered the airship from its vertical descent and tried to counter the heavy winds in Bintam. We touched down on the island sideways, skidding along the sand dunes for almost a kilometer. Most of us were thrown around and round violently by the impact of the rough landing. When we finally were in a stand-still, it took us a few more seconds to gain our bearings and start moving our bodies again.

I started to rise first, helping all my fellow party-members up on their feet. When I finally got to Rikku, she held my hand tightly – hers lifeless and shaking. By the time she stood up, I immediately embraced her in my arms. She dug her face to the front of my coat, the thick fabric muffling her sobs. No sound in the bridge can be heard except for her sniffles and our heaving breaths and the buzz and hum of the failing engines. For a moment, I thought time had stopped.

That was until a horrible, mocking laughter echoed in the bridge.

xxxxx

The horrid, scornful laughter came from the vile Guado Commander sitting on the corner and on the floor cuffed against a railing. The sound itself was such a sinful display. I clenched my fists to stop myself from attacking the foul anthropoid and choking the life out of him. Gippal though didn't fail to hide his anger. He looked at the Guado with more contempt than he did to me mere hours ago.

"What's so funny, you fucking bastard?" Gippal hissed, vitriol in his voice.

"What's so funny? Ah, what's so funny? You Al Bhed's are claimed to have the highest level of intelligence of all Spiran races, and you couldn't figure out such a simple thing?" The Guado Commander spat and continued to mock. "To enlighten you then. The ICBMs may have failed to launch, but you lost your Home and your beloved leader. Now tell me, who won this battle? No answer? Come on, you greasy machina monkeys, it's such as simple thing to figure–"

The Guado Commander was not even able to finish his sentence when Rikku launched herself on top of him and began punching his face unstoppably.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP, YOU PATHETIC LOWLIFE! SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Rikku threw her punches strong and wild that the Guado Commander could not even defend himself. She hit his nose, eyes, the side of his cheeks and lips. A broken nose, blood, and cuts started showing on the Guado's face, but no one had the strength to stop the little thief. It was until Rikku brandished a dagger that we realized how frayed the ends of the rope her sanity was hanging on at the moment.

"I'LL KILL YOU! ALL OF YOU! I'LL BURN GUADOSALAM TO THE GROUND AND WATCH ALL YOUR CHILDREN DIE IN FIRE!" Rikku shouted and shouted, her voice transforming into a hoarse screech as she pointed the edge of the dagger she was holding onto the Guado Commander's throat, drawing blood as the cut went deeper and deeper.

"Rikku, stop!"

"Rikku, don't!"

Everyone shouted in fear as they witnessed Rikku with a clear intent to murder the Guado Commander. Her motivation was justified; the Guado Commander simply had it coming, goading as if he had any upper hand on the situation. But for Rikku to kill such a worthless person, for her to stain her hands with his blood at all, I shuddered at the idea. Rikku's hands were meant to build magnificent things, not to kill and destroy. Knowing this, I immediately came to her side as cautiously as I could, mindful that any misstep could trigger Rikku's hand towards the breaking point.

"Rikku, don't do this..." I said gently, motioning a few more steps closer to her.

"...Why not? They took everything away from us. Why can't we do the same?" Rikku asked in clenched jaws after a prolonged silence. She motioned her left hand to the Guado Commander's throat, squeezing tight and constricting airflow. Her right hand still poised to stab the neck of the Guado, but it was shaking terribly now. Her hold of the dagger loosening as she pondered her own questions. "Why can't we make them scream their apologies? Why can't we!?"

"...Because you'll be just like them. And we – I – do not want that for you. When you are better, when your soul is so much better." I told the little thief, now seeing the cracks on her insane and murderous rage. With that in mind, I urged even more to draw her completely away from it, "Please, Rikku. Hand me the dagger." Within arm's reach, I extended my hand. After a few more seconds of hesitation, she placed the dagger she was holding on it. I motioned to squeeze her shoulder in return, but the look on her face stopped me. It was lifeless, blank, and vacant, with tears running down from her eyes and staining her cheeks.

"Rikku…" I breathed her name, breaking the silent stare that occurred between me and her. Then, as if it was her cue, Rikku bolted from the bridge and headed onto the main fuselage where the cabins were, running on top speed.

"Rikku!" Brother called out for her sister and motioned to ran after her, but I stopped him, wanting to at least provide direction to keep us moving for the meantime. There were things that needed to be done and that I could not do on my own. If it meant being a leader temporarily, then so be it.

"Wait," I ordered the Al Bhed. "Let her be for the meantime."

"But–" Brother protested.

"You are both dealing with grief and anger. It would not do well for both of you to be together at your current state of mind. Let me find her and deal with her. But before that, the airship – it needs fixing. We have to be airborne as soon as possible." I gave Brother my advice, and he grudgingly nodded in agreement, seemingly understanding the urgency we were in despite all the tragedy that happened. And then I turned to Gippal. "You. Get the Guado Commander out of sight. Make him squeal where Yuna is. Whatever it takes." Upon hearing that, surprisingly, Gippal also acquiesced. And then I addressed the rest of my Summoner party. "For sure, there are Al Bhed's onboard this airship who were injured and in recovery. If not, there would be some who might be in need of help, logistics or otherwise. Do what you all can to assist them."

Everyone left the bridge and went on their tasks slowly, as if we were all hit by a Slowga. But it was better to have this movement than to have them in low spirits moping, sulking, and doing nothing. When Gippal and the rest of my party members were out of the bridge, I walked towards Brother who was analyzing data on the interactive sphere in the middle of the room. As I went nearer, he looked at me quizzically, clearly wondering why I was beside him. "I'm not replacing your father. But you must know what needs to be done. Know that they are still your people." I told him.

"No… you… right." Brother said in broken Spiran, brushing his hand on his blonde, mohawk hair. "Save Yuna. Grieve later." He summed up what we had to do so succinctly.

"Be strong." I added and placed a hand on his shoulder. "They look up to you. Even if you don't take notice."

Brother looked at me wide-eyed for a moment with my revelation, and then he looked down and turned his head. "Just not same… without Pops."

"It will never be…" I replied, looking him square in the eye as I handed him the sharp truth. "But you must learn to live with it."

Brother looked at the interactive sphere for a long time before he nodded his head. I didn't expect him to accept the truth instantly when, after all, it was a very hard thing to swallow.

xxxxx

I walked through the hallways of the airship with no idea of where I was heading. For an instant, the long corridors seemed endless, and I began to marvel at how big the vessel was. I found stairs that led upwards and downwards and took the one that led me one level down. Past the stairs, I found myself situated on a spacious viewing deck. There were large windows far in my front. The view was of the sand dunes of Bintam. I was alone, save for one old Al Bhed lady leaning near the windows looking out. It was Nana, the woman Cid and my party rescued before we boarded the airship back in Home. I walked towards her, and as soon as she heard my footsteps, she turned to look at me. A gentle face amidst harrowing circumstances that had happened.

"If you are looking for our little princess, I saw her go two more levels down. That's where the cabins are." She told me with a small smile that it made me wonder how she could even do it. Didn't everything in the past few hours faze her? She was almost mauled by two Chimeras and devoured by a Garuda.

"I am looking for her. Thank you." I replied politely, feeling a bit out of place by disturbing her serenity as she looked at the view on the sands in front of her.

"Are you wondering how I could still stand here even after all that's happened?" She asked before I could even take my leave, and I was surprised at how she predicted my thinking. "I nursed Cid as a boy, down to his own little children. He used to say I'll live to an age when I would nurse even his grandchildren which was always a delight to me. Oh that boy, he said grand things even as a child – impossible things. That all Al Bhed's will be reunited. That we'll have a home of our own. We all thought it was truly impossible, but he made it happen."

I felt awkwardly rooted to the spot where I was standing on. "I'm sorry for your loss." I replied as a comfort, for I didn't know what else to say to her. I stayed silent and courteously listened to what she was trying to say instead.

"He said we'll move out of the desert someday. To a place where we truly belong and are accepted… somewhere where there is no blazing heat and the ground is fertile and there are trees and lakes and the winds are calm. We had never dreamt any of those dreams until he came along. We loved him so much. And she… she loved him so dearly and so much." Nana looked at me then, and I finally saw her face even more clearly. Graying blonde hair, soft green eyes with swirling patterns, wrinkles on the forehead, and mild lines at the sides of her mouth. All of them reflected beauty that had aged so well.

"You are her friend, are you not?" Nana asked me, and I could only nod now that I knew who she was talking about. "Then… then let her know that she could still dream the impossible …because I have seen too much… and I cannot… I could no longer..." Nana paused so suddenly, as she wiped the tears that formed in her eyes. I gave her time to compose herself and stayed silent. Afterwards, she smiled again at me, apologetic for her unexpected display of emotion and said, "Forgive me. It's time I assist in the medical bay. Go find her, if you must."

I nodded in acknowledgement and stayed put as Nana walked to the other end of the viewing deck and entered a door. For a moment, I looked at the expanse of sand shown by the viewing deck and reflected. The Al Bhed. They were the most noble and resilient race Spira had ever known. Though continued to be discriminated after the racial war, with Cid's leadership, they were still warm and jovial and hospitable to other races. I could not fathom why, and I could only hope that despite this recent tragedy, they would still come out strong and continue to dream. Just as what Nana said.

With more resolve to find Rikku, I ventured to the cabins two levels down from the viewing deck. There was not a soul to be found on the hallways, but there were two rows of doors. Each one had a green light that I supposed indicated that it was occupied, save for one that had a blue light on at the far right end. I trusted my instinct and moved towards that door. When I was in front of it, I inhaled a breath and knocked.

"Go away!" Rikku's hoarse voice boomed from inside. At least, I guessed which cabin she was in right.

"Rikku, please let me in." I pleaded softly, placing my palm on the door.

"Leave me alone!" She insisted yet again, followed by a muffled sob.

I knew it would be a losing battle for me if she didn't open the door. Instead, I tried a different tactic. "...No, you don't really wish for that right now, do you?"

After the words came out from my mouth, Rikku suddenly opened the door grudgingly, her hair and eyes wild and red. "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT I–"

I did not give her time to speak. Instead, I immediately came to her and wrapped all of her in a tight embrace. She struggled against my hold for a few moments, hitting and pounding my chest, trying to wriggle out of my hold, her fiery stubbornness mixing with her anger. But through it all, I held her, brushing my hand over her golden hair a few times, wanting to comfort her and let her emotions out at the same time.

"It's alright to let it out. You have to let it out, Rikku..." I whispered to her right ear softly, my deep, normally gruff voice becoming the gentlest it had ever been.

It was then right there that everything about her countenance changed. From being a hellcat filled with rage, her whole body shook intensely and she cried, wailed, shivered, and sobbed against the front of my red coat. Knowing we could not stay standing like this for a long time, I softly closed the cabin door and maneuvered both of us to the cabin's single bed. Still holding her, I sat and leaned my back on the headboard while I motioned her body to incline perpendicular against my chest.

"Gone… He's gone! He's gone, he's gone, he's gone..." Rikku repeated over and over, and I knew that everything that happened moments ago was now starting to sink in into her head. It was not just about losing Home, more so than the fact of losing her father, her only parent left in this world.

I had to say something, but I could not find the right words. Instead, I offered a poor general description of the situation, hoping it would placate her even though I knew it would be a misguided attempt. "...He saved our lives, Rikku. All our lives, and the rest of Spira."

She sobbed even more and clutched the side of my sleeve desperately. "No, I want him back! I want him back! I want my father back…"

"...I'm so sorry" I told her, for there was nothing else I knew to say to her. I'm so sorry I couldn't do anything. I'm so sorry I just stood there and watched...

We stayed that way for a long time, with Rikku inclined on my chest. I continued to brush my hand on her golden hair hoping that it would at least soothe her. After a while, Rikku's sobbing and trembling gradually subsided into regular breathing, but I knew the pain in her was still raw. Her strong hold on my arm and sleeves also lessened that I had thought she had fallen into slumber. I released a breath that I did not know I was holding. If only the emotion of grief and pain could be transferred, I'd be happy to carry them for her.

"Are you asleep?" I asked, not expecting an answer. But after a good five seconds, Rikku moved and shook her head.

"You should. It'll give you strength." I told her. I motioned to gently lay her on the bed and move my body to the side, but she clung to me in a tight grip.

"No! Don't leave me, please!" She said frantically, holding me tight to keep me from moving away.

"I won't, but you have to lie on the bed." I paused from my rising midway.

Rikku shook her head again still gripping my arms. "This is fine. Please don't make me move… this is fine."

"...Alright." I acquiesced, not wanting to cause her even more distress. She moved and placed her head on my chest again. I silently wondered if she could even feel the lack of a heartbeat. But that was a matter I would not rather think about at the moment.

"Rest, Rikku." I implored yet again. Still, she shook her head.

"…I hear everything. See everything. They'll come in my sleep." She told me, and I finally understood her hesitation of closing her eyes.

"No one will come after you in your sleep." I assured her.

But she shook her head again, and I realized that saying the opposite to her in her state would not do anything. I wracked my head for something that would help her. Something that would make her sleep and get her mind off of the recent events that happened. It took me a while, but after enough thinking, I finally remembered something.

"Will you trust me and close your eyes, Rikku? To rest?" I asked her.

"Why?"

"I want you to listen to my breathing. And then just listen to my voice. Whatever I do."

"…Okay."

"Are your eyes closed?"

She nodded her confirmation. I suddenly felt nervous about what I was about to do. I had not done it for the longest time, but still I knew, doing it would help Rikku. I swallowed a lump on my throat. After feeling braver, I began to hum softly though hesitantly – the melody becoming slightly off-pitch that it can be noticed by anyone with a trained ear. However, that didn't matter to me. What mattered was comforting the little thief in my arms with something that comforted me the same when I was still a child drowning in the fears of the night. This was the lullaby that my mother composed herself.

"Wha – ?" Rikku said in surprise. I knew she didn't expect what I was doing. I slightly smiled between my humming and immediately covered her mouth with my hand gently. And then I brushed my hand over her eyes, silently requesting her to close them and be still and silent.

It had been more than two decades since I hummed this lullaby. And out of all the compositions my mother created, this was the only one that I remembered the most. I didn't know how long I hummed, but as I did Rikku relaxed in turn, and I felt her head slowly falling heavy on my chest, just below my chin. Though I could not see her eyes, I knew it was a sign that she had let herself fall asleep. Wanting her to hear my mother's lullaby even through her dreams, I kept humming for ten more minutes before stopping.

When I felt that Rikku was already in a deep sleep, I took a moment to analyze the things that happened. Where were we going to go now? First, we had to know where Yuna was being held. What were Seymour's plans for her? The Guado commander we captured could provide us some information as well. That could be the start of our lead. And if needed be, I could force him to squeal this vital secret, if Gippal's rookie method of torture will not be enough. But then again, that would open a can of worms in my head. No, don't think about that, Auron. Sacrifices needed to be done, just as Cid did. And if that was what it will take to rescue Yuna, I would have to do it. Even if it meant opening a locked dungeon of unwanted, bad memories.

Feeling suddenly overwhelmed, I motioned to raise my left hand to brush my face and hair, a habit I usually did every time worry overtook me. Midway though, I noticed something that could have made my heart beat faster if it was still alive to do so.

Rikku intertwined the fingers of her right hand with my left. When she did so, I probably did not notice, caught up in humming her a lullaby to help her sleep. I looked at our joined hands, her petite fingers interlocked with my large ones, and an indescribable feeling lodged in my stomach. What was this that I was feeling? I tried to analyze, but I came up with nothing I knew. Was this cluelessness about this feeling I had also something I should worry about?

xxxxx

Voices. I heard voices, murmuring and in hushed tones, guiding me back from the blackness of my sleep and into reality. I opened my good eye, and I saw Brother in front of me accompanied by two other Al Bhed's, one was in black garb and the other had mechanic goggles over his head.

"Sorry. Need you… and Rikku." Brother sheepishly said. I was surprised that he was feeling embarrassed by waking me up when I was the one who told him that there was work needed to be done. Never mind the unusual position he found me and his sister in.

"Rikku," I called the little thief in my arms, gently urging her to wake up. She moaned and protested slightly, and I had to smile at this simple feat. She was always a tough one to wake up, as I had noticed during our adventure together in the sands of Bikanel. "Your brother needs your help." I told her, softly rubbing her back.

Brother took the reins and spoke in Al Bhed in a generally normal volume, and Rikku sat up straight on the bed instantly. She wiped the traces of sleep from her puffy eyes, and then fixed her hair. Afterwards she patted her face twice, her habit of making herself awake. "Alright. Let me see what I can do." She said to her brother in Spiran. Then she looked at me and probably noticed my confusion. "They need help for the graviton reactors."

"Ah." I realized. Of course, that was the cause of the crash landing and what was needed for us to be airborne again. And Rikku was a master mechanic who could really help. I looked at Brother and decided to ask, "What can I do for you?"

It took him a moment to respond. And then he looked into my one good eye. "In the brig. Gippal…"

"The Guado Commander? He still hasn't talked?" I asked Brother wanting to understand more, and I suddenly felt fear radiating from him.

Brother shook his head and said, "I not know. Not see Gippal for five hours."

I quelled the uncertainty that rose inside of me. What could be happening to Gippal? It was one thing to deal with Rikku's rage. His was another. Guilt sprang inside of me. I told Gippal to do whatever it takes to make the Guado Commander talk, out of spite for that disdainful creature. I didn't realize soon enough the implication of my words. "Thank you. I will go have a look." I told Brother and rose from the bed.

"He's on the left wing, five levels down." The Al Bhed in the black garb told me. I nodded and started my path towards the brig.

I walked out of the cabin and onto the hallways that was now populated by Al Bhed's, though sparsely. Some of them were in groups, talking to each other in low volume. There were a few children running around kicking and chasing a blitzball, happiness in ignorant bliss. I began to wonder what sort of story the grownups had told them to keep their joy intact, because such was a necessity.

I ventured into the left wing of Level 5 and after I while I noticed that things were becoming bleak compared to the upper floors. Al Bhed Rangers passed by me hurriedly, and I had to block their path so they could at least tell me where Gippal was. One hesitated for a moment, but he might have thought I was in some relation to Gippal to have asked about him, and so he divulged the information and led me to a large black steel door. The Al Bhed Ranger swiped his key card and left me without another word. I went inside and couldn't see clearly as there was no light. As I continued to step forward, I felt something soft and slippery crunch against my boots. Paying no attention to it, I called out for Gippal, wondering where he and the Guado Commander might be inside of the room.

"Gippal?" I called, but there was no answer. I moved even more forward and felt another of that soft and slippery material under my boots.

"…Step further and you'll hit a table." A voice echoed from the far left corner of the room. It was in a hushed tone that felt dark and sinister.

"Why are the lights out, Gippal?" I asked the Al Bhed Special Operative. Though I already had a feeling as to why. Two green glowing orbs floated in the dark in reply. It was that Al Bhed ability again. I focused my stare on those eyes for a good ten seconds.

"Need you ask?" The glow went away and then back again. I supposed Gippal had blinked for a moment. "Anyway, I made him talk. In two days, Seymour is planning to wed Yuna at the rooftops of the Yevon Basilica. Why though, the bloody idiot didn't know. I could only think it is Seymour's way of gaining trust and power."

No. That had everything to do with Sin. Seymour must have thought that by wedding Yuna, he would have that special bond equivalent to the bond that of a Guardian and a Summoner. His plan was to become Sin and destroy Spira and everything in it. Jecht was right all along. Two days was what we had. The airship's reactors should be fixed by then, so we could gatecrash in this most anticipated event in Bevelle and pluck Yuna away then and there. I looked at Gippal's eyes again, grateful at the valuable information he provided, yet I was feeling unease about the whole thing.

"Is the Guado Commander dead, Gippal?" I asked out loud, knowing what the full answer will be.

"…Can you hear the silence? It is almost peaceful… but no, being you, I guess you came here to see, didn't you?" He said, and the lights suddenly switched on. And there were…

Blood spattered all over the floors and on the walls. To say that it was a blood bath was an understatement. The Guado Commander laid cuffed on the table guts and bowels hanging out of his body. His eyes were carved out, his fingers and toes amputated, and his flesh and skin randomly shaved out as if by a paring knife – I looked at the floor and realized that his flesh were the pieces of soft and slippery material my boots constantly stepped on earlier. I turned my head to Gippal and realized the sort of rage he was in. I knew this rage. His glowing, green eyes reflected cold, cold fury. I knew it all too well, and a part of me wanted to reach out to the helpless soul trapped inside of him.

"To answer your question. Yes, he is dead." And then he looked at me pointedly. "I never forgive those who have sinned against my family." He said it all. And now I understood why he hated me so much when we first met.

My vision started to blur as memories surged inside my head. Screams of women. Cries of children. The painful moans of men dying. Blood on my double katanas. Blood on my hands. Blood on my black coat that I could not wash off. My father begging to spare my life and my mother's. I closed my good eye forcing them to stop. They would not. For the life of me, they would not. I knew one thing had to be done. I had to leave the brig and get away from Gippal's presence. I had to… I had to see Rikku. I had to see her smile, her bright green eyes shining with hope and trust, telling me that I was not alone in this world.

I had to find her again.

xxxxx

As I went outside of the brig, I quickly walked onto the stairs opening to the upper floors desperately wanting to escape the unwanted memories I had. When I came up one level, I saw a familiar blonde leaning against the white walls. It was Tidus, looking restless and frustrated. He saw me and immediately walked towards me, scratching his head at the same time, oblivious to the current state of mind I was in.

"Hey, Auron. Can we… can we talk for a minute?" He asked, and his eyes pleaded.

But my head was aching horribly, and I paid him no mind. I needed to be as far away from Gippal as possible. If that meant a separation of three more levels in this airship, I would do so. "Not now, Tidus." I grumbled, walking hurriedly past the Zanarkand blitzballer.

Tidus did not budge though and followed after me up on the stairs. "Yeah? Not now? When then? When am I gonna hear from you that Yuna's gonna die at the end of the pilgrimage? When we get to Zanarkand Dome? When she sacrifices herself on that spot? When she summons the Final Aeon herself – Hey, you uncaring bastard, stop and listen to me!" Tidus shouted, his volume increasing at my continued ignorance of him.

"I SAID NOT NOW!" I shouted back at the top of my lungs as I had had enough of his whining. I glared intently at the Zanarkand boy as I did so. This caused him to step back a few flights of stairs, shocked written on his face. I had never yelled at him whenever he disturbed me and he just wanted to talk, and I had never shunned him before when he needed me, even back then when were together in Zanarkand. It pained me to think that I had begun now, and I knew he would start resenting me and would distance himself from me from now on. Realizing my mistake and apologetic for failing him, I called for his name, eager to make him understand. "Tidus, I'm sorry... I can't talk right now."

"…Yeah. Right. Just go do… whatever." Tidus mumbled, defeated and confused. I watched him retreat back to another level down below the stairs. Some time later, I vowed that I had to fix this issue with him as well. But for now...

I inhaled and exhaled deeply for a few times, holding my head with my right hand. I lost my sunglasses back when Jecht transported us to Bikanel, but if I had it right now, I would have put it on just to hide the despair in my good eye. Nothing else would do for now. I looked at the empty space before me, wondering where I would find Rikku. She had said something about fixing the reactors back when we were in the cabin. So she must be there.

I saw a map of the airship posted on the opposite wall. I walked towards it and traced it with my fingers, finding the directions to the room were the reactors are located, certain that she would be there. A strange feeling settled over me, and I did not know what I was hoping for when I saw Rikku again. Still, the need to see her overpowered everything. With that, I set out to go to the engine room.

xxxxx

I was in front of the doors of the engine room thinking of how I would get in. This sudden need to see Rikku, I never thought it would make me dumb in my senses. Of course, the engine room would be restricted to personnel with keycards only. And there were no other personnel around as they were busy inside fixing the reactors, unlike in the brig where there were Al Bhed Rangers roaming around. I wanted to punch myself in my realization. I stared at the door blankly for another minute, willing it to open. But just when I was about to give up and take my leave, it did open and the person who opened it came to me as a pleasant surprise.

"Oh, it's you again. Strange how we continue to bump into each other in this airship. Still looking for Rikku?" It was Nana, her voice gentle and without suspicion despite the fact that I always seemed to be looking for Rikku when I bump into her.

"Yes." I answered politely, silently wishing that she let me come inside. And in a moment, the prayer was answered.

"Well, come on then. There's no use staying out there." She said and led me towards the door. I gasped at the view before me.

The engine room was a magnificent feature of the airship to behold. We were standing on a raised platform where two long staircases winded down on each direction. On my line of sight, three huge pillars were before me glowing in orange hues, with a darker tone at the center. The sound of mechanics doing their work – drilling, pounding, welding – filled the air. Steel scraped into steel, and everyone was in utmost concentration. I stepped even more forward, leaning into the railings and looked below. I spotted someone wearing familiar goggles by the front of the middle reactor.

It was Rikku, and as if sensing me, she looked up to see me. When she removed her goggles, I noticed that she had the same eyes as Gippal's. The ones that were bright and that lost their swirling patterns, with blue-green veins etched on the sides. For a moment, we locked eyes, but she never waved her hand. She regarded me silently, and then went back to work on the reactor.

"We call it the Rage to Master." Nana said, moving close behind me.

"Rage to Master?" I ask dumbfounded, uncertain of what she was talking about.

"The eyes you see, different from a normal Al Bhed's. It is a gift, an ability to tune out every noise and distraction in the world and concentrate all brain functions to the task at hand at a hundred percent. Only few Al Bhed's are gifted with it. But when they use it… well, certain marvels happen. Like designing and building a machina Home straight out in a desert, or… repairing an airship of unknown, advanced technology." Nana explained.

"How come no one's ever heard of it?" I asked the thing that was boggling my mind for quite some time.

"From Yevon or to any Spiran, perhaps no one did know. The Al Bhed's have their own secrets. Truthfully though, it has been almost five-hundred years since it last appeared in our bloodlines. We never know the cause. Folklore said the Rage shows up when Al Bhed's need it the most, and then it disappears again for centuries. And only the most formidable ones can control it. For when it appears, you either die or survive it." Nana added. "Cid had his when he was thirteen. Which eventually passed on to his daughter, as you can see."

"I understand." I said to Nana, finally gaining more clarity about the 'eyes' that I kept seeing.

"Oh, look! I came here to ask what the mechanics wanted for food. Apologies, I must get going. No one wants a hungry mechanic! They become quite grumpy, you know..." Nana exclaimed happily, and I had to smile at her simple thoughtfulness. It reminded me of the cook we had in the Warrior Monk Guild dormitory who always wanted to give us the best meal we ever had no matter the time of day. "You're welcome to wait for her here, dear, if you wish." She gently said, touching my arm.

"I will. Thank you." I told Nana, and she nodded before taking her leave.

I looked below again to see Rikku still hard at work. She was looking at blueprints now and scribbling something on a huge notebook. I watched her every move, willing to distract myself with her graceful movements around advanced machina that were unknown to her. Perhaps it would take a longer time before I would be able to talk to her or see her. I would not want to disturb her concentration. So with nothing to do, I sat in a lotus position and leaned on the wall of the upper platform, knowing that when she gets up the flight of stairs, she will see me. What I did not plan on was falling into another bout of unconsciousness as I waited.

xxxxx

A soft hand cupping my cheek woke me up. I suddenly felt disoriented, feeling surprised that I fell asleep at all in the engine room. My eyes adjusted to the person in front of me, wondering silently who could be waking me up. As my eyes gained focus, I saw Rikku crouching before me. She was eyeing me with concern, another mar on her now sorrowful features.

"Why are you here?" Her tone was not accusing. Instead, I detected a large dose of worry.

"I was looking for you. Then I saw you here, and you seemed like you could not be bothered. I waited and watched over you instead." I told her. Now that my eyes had taken in the dimness of the area we were in, I saw her face more clearly. Her irises were still in a solid color of bright green, without the swirling patterns of a typical Al Bhed; instead, they were large and seemingly dilated. Blue-green veins etched the skin at the sides of her face still.

The Rage to Master. A powerful Al Bhed ability completely unknown to Yevon or to any average Spiran. This was the second time I saw eyes like these today. Though Gippal's reflected the emotion of rage the term coined by the ability itself, Rikku's on the other hand were calm and collected, a living oxymoron. I found hers unusually beautiful, and I failed to stop myself when I reached out my hand to cup the side of her face, my thumb sliding across the visible veins.

Rikku flinched, surprised by my touch. Then her eyes reflected that she didn't mean to do so. "Sorry, my eyes are still strange, aren't they?"

"They're not strange. The Rage to Master. It is a unique ability, a gift as your Nana would say."

"Mm, more like a curse to me. And right now, I can't seem to switch it off." Rikku said, squinting her eyes embarrassingly.

"Does it hurt you when you use it? I remember back in the Eastern Front's brig that Gippal held his head as if he was in tremendous pain."

"Oh, that." Rikku thought for a moment. "It... hurts like hell the first time it shows. Like intense headache due to a metastasized brain tumor. Mine doesn't anymore. It first showed when I was five, after my Mom's death."

"The first time it shows? You mean to say I triggered Gippal's Rage to Master?" I asked before I could even stop myself. You idiot, Auron. Of course, knowing what you know now, you damn well triggered it.

"...I dunno. Sometimes the Rage just pops out in an Al Bhed when we experience intense emotions. Sometimes, chemicals in our brain randomly converge to let it out. We are never really certain about the cause." Rikku explained futher.

Feeling the need to divert the topic at hand, I said, "I see. What time is it, if I may ask?"

"A little quarter past three." She said, rubbing her eyes, while looking at her wristwatch.

"Are you through repairing the reactors?"

"Nearly. It was very difficult and it took a while, but I think we've got it now. We're cooling the reactors down to test in a couple of hours." Rikku explained, followed by a long yawn.

I noticed her depleted energy, and so I said, "You should rest. It's late. I'll walk you to your cabin."

"No, no... actually... I am very hungry." Rikku confessed shyly. "Would you care for some chocolate coffee? I think I'll be needing twenty cups."

I suddenly blinked at her admission, unsure of whether she was joking or not. Twenty cups of chocolate coffee? That would be enough to make a shoopuf go haywire.

"Don't give me that face. This Rage thing needs a lot of calories for fuel, you know. And all this brain power makes me want to eat like crazy." Rikku punched my arm playfully.

"Of course." I smiled, feeling a little lighter at the unexpected banter Rikku and I were having. Still, there was sadness in her voice that I could detect. But that was understandable considering what she just went through the past half of the day.

"I mean, if it's ok for you to accompany me…" She added, a little too quietly.

I bit my tongue to stop myself from asking why she thought it was not alright for me at this moment to accompany her. Instead, I rose to my feet and said, "Lead the way, you hungry mechanic." Rikku smiled back, and she grabbed my hand.

We walked towards the right end of the corridor outside of the engine room and through another door. This led to a small pantry and a kitchenette where there were a few tables, a small couch beside a wall, and counters with sinks. There was an espresso machine on top of the counter at the far end. Rikku opened the cupboards, took out a bag of Besaid coffee beans, and grabbed some mugs from the utensil rack.

"Auron, why were you waiting in the engine room?" She asked with her back towards me.

"...To see how you are. And…" I swallowed a lump on my throat. I did not really know why I was looking for her. Or rather, I did know, and I just did not want to tell her.

"And?" She switched on the espresso machine, and then she moved to the small refrigerator and took out some milk, cream, and chocolate bar.

"...This is hard to say without me telling something about myself." I admitted hesitantly.

"Then tell me." Rikku finally turned towards me. Eyes still as the Rage, though kind and unassuming.

"Everything that happened… triggered memories I did not want to remember." I told her, trying to not to be as far from the truth as possible. And then I looked back at her with my good eye. She stared back with her own bright green ones. It took a moment for us to break each other's gaze, but when we did, I knew she understood what I tried to say.

"The Guado Commander, is he still alive?" Rikku asked, holding a knife as she shaved some crumbs of chocolate from a large chocolate bar.

I looked at her hands as she did this, mesmerized by such a simple task. "No, not anymore. Gippal killed him after he divulged the plans they had for Yuna."

"And where is Yunie now though?"

"In Bevelle. Seymour is planning to marry her in two days."

She paused and thought for a moment. The espresso machine alarmed, signaling that it was now ready to flow some coffee. She moved the mugs towards the tubes. "Just in time to stop it then. The reactors will be up and running in a few hours. And then…"

"We'll plan how to best rescue Yuna. I assume right now she is locked in the Yevon fortress with heavy security. It would be better if we gatecrash the wedding and pluck her out then and there from the rooftops of the Basilica."

"Mm. Sounds like a good plan." Rikku nodded. She took a can of whip cream, shook it, and sprayed the substance on the mugs. Afterwards, she sprinkled the chocolate she shaved over the top of the cream. When she was done, she paused and looked at me again. Bright green eyes filled with confusion. "Auron, is it wrong for me to feel hate for them? For Seymour? For the whole of Guado?"

"No, you have every right to. Everyone grieves in different ways and stages. But you must someday come to a point to let it go; else it will ruin your good heart." I answered her the best I could, while she handed me my own cup of chocolate coffee.

"I don't know what I feel anymore. They're all together. Hatred. Anger. Sadness. They're all mixed inside of me. Brother... he says he wants a small memorial service for what happened. Though I don't think I should go."

"Some would find it as a closure."

"It doesn't change anything if I'm there. And if you don't have the ability to forget, how would you ever have closure?" She asked sharply, closing her eyes as pain laced her own voice.

"Letting the demons out of the dungeons of the mind sometimes helps to keep them from haunting one's head. Trust me, Rikku, I know that all too well." I told her slowly and calmly, wanting her to understand my point of view.

"I just… don't want to be reminded." She hesitantly admitted. And then she took her mug and moved towards the couch near the wall and sat down.

I followed after her and did the same, sitting beside her, our knees touching together. "I understand."

There was a comfortable silence between us for a few minutes. I took the moment to savor the coffee Rikku made as I had never had something like it before. She, on the other hand, I supposed, was happy to be with her own thoughts for a while without actually being alone. And I was glad. Glad that I was right in finding her. Glad that there was no one in the pantry but the two of us. Seeing her and being with her at this moment dulled the unwanted memories I had remembered earlier. They retreated to the back to the deepest recesses of my mind.

"Auron? The lullaby you hummed to make me fall asleep earlier, was it your mother's?" Rikku asked, softly and shyly, as if she was intruding my privacy.

"Yes. It is the only thing I can remember from her musical compositions."

"...It is beautiful." She said, while looking away that I almost thought I did not hear her. But I did, and my dead heart warmed at the thought that something from my past comforted her in her time of need.

"Thank you. Though I believe my voice or lackthereof mars its beauty." I chuckled, trying to make light of our conversation despite the seriousness of where it might lead.

"No, it's from you. It's… perfect." Rikku said. And then a pause. "Can you take me to your home someday? I'd like to see where you had your childhood."

"...It would be a pleasure to take you. But there's nothing left of it, Rikku." I told her, and then I leaned back on the wall behind me, looking up to the ceiling to avoid meeting her gaze.

"What do you mean?" She asked, leaning over to me that she was already at the center of my line of sight despite my previous effort.

I closed my eyes for a moment as I tried to remember Vakarus. But I came up with nothing. "It is gone. The whole of Vakarus is now buried underneath the seas. Through a huge tidal wave by Sin long ago."

Her eyes went wide upon my revelation. And then she looked away, busying herself by sipping her coffee. It took her a minute of silence before responding again. "I am sorry, Auron... Another thing we have in common now then."

"Being homeless?"

"And orphaned."

I swallowed a lump on my throat, knowing how accurate her description was. What an odd thing we were, bonded by the same sort of tragedy. "I would never wish it upon you, Rikku. But considering the current circumstances, yes, I believe so." But never had I felt more home again than when I am with you, and never had I felt like I belong when you are with me.

We drank our coffees in another comfortable silence after that. I finished mine first, and I motioned to rise from my seat to place the mug on the counter top. Rikku though held my arm and stopped me from moving farther than a step. I fixed my gaze at her, concerned by her action.

"Auron… don't leave, please." She breathed out softly, hand on my arm.

"I won't. I'll stay right here. Even if you fall asleep here on this couch, I'm staying until you wake up." I assured her, placing my hand on top of hers, hoping it would placate her.

But she shook her head and desperately she said, "No. Don't ever leave me. Promise me, Auron, please."

Realization finally hit me by what she truly meant with her request. I felt my mouth go dry as I forced myself to say back the words she wanted to hear at this moment. Her eyes looked at my good brown one with so much hope, wanting me to catch her in this fall. And I wanted to as well. So I did and said what I always wanted to say.

"Rikku, I won't ever leave you."

It was the first lie that I had spoken to her that I truly wanted to believe.

AN: So, how was it? I know it is super loooong, but I did not want to cut it and make another Rikku POV in Bikanel as the next plan was to have a Tidus POV for the next chapter and move the story with him and Yuna. Any likes and dislikes? Drop me a review and let me know your thoughts about this chappie. Don't worry, if the length bothers you, just shout out there, and I'll try to keep things short, if you wish.

I'm sorry I had to kill Cid. I was hesitating, but I decided to, to show how devastating the attack on Al Bhed Home was. I believe I put a hefty amount of gore inside here as well. If it offended you, I'm sorry. I can't promise it won't happen again though. (^_^)

Are you wondering and imagining what sort of lullaby Auron could hum? Wonder no further! Follow this link, and you'll know what I mean. I literally just created an account on soundcloud to upload this. Just imagine Auron humming this in a baritone pitch. (Remove the spaces and replace the forward slashes with actual slashes so you could follow the link).

HyperTextTransferProtocolSecure : forwardslash forwardslash sound cloud dot com forwardslash user-557113601

Wish me luck on the next chapter, guys, as I haven't written a single word on it yet. :) Thanks for still reading, folks! Until next time!

Sorry for reposting numerous times guys. I needed to get the link I provided right. Ta ta! :)