AN: Next chappy! Since it's a snow day and there's no school ::jumps up and down:: (Yay!) I figured it would be good to update now on one of my many days home from school/cheerleading/work/pit practice XD. Yupp, very busy. Anyway, I got a great suggestion from one of my reviewers (Pierson) which I plan to use when I can fit it in ^-~

Enjoy!

UPDATED: I'm fixing this horrid spacing problem once and for all! (Spazkit it isn't you're ADD talking ^-^).

~*^-^*~

Rikku gasped in awe as a red butterfly floated right in front of her face. She had just reached a hand out to catch it when Auron grabbed her hand.

"Don't touch the red ones." He mumbled before starting forward again. Rikku frowned and rubbed her wrist before following the group. They had been walking through Macalania for a while now, and the scenery all looked the same to Rikku.

"Have you decided yet, Yuna?" Tidus' question made Rikku look up. They had stopped in a small clearing to take a quick break. Yuna looked away.

"Decided what?" Rikku moved next to Tidus and looked at Yuna. No one said anything. Rikku glanced around at each of them, all except Auron avoided her gaze.

"Ne, Auron? Decided what?" She moved in front of him. Auron didn't particularly like the fact that he had to tell Rikku, but if he didn't, who would?

"Whether or not to marry the Maester of Yevon." He watched her eyes widen in shock as she spun around to face Yuna.

"The Maester!? Yuna! You can't!" Rikku grabbed her cousins' hand, but Yuna pulled away.

"Please, Rikku, we must hurry on." She walked briskly forward, very un-Yuna like. Tidus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Wakka, Lulu, and Khimari started forward. Rikku sulked quietly.

"I can't believe she's actually considering it." She muttered and shook her head. By now, only Auron was left with her.

"If it does not interfere with the pilgrimage, then it does not matter."

"Don't you care!? Does Yunie really love the Maester!?" Rikku was shouting now, drawing the attention of the group a little farther ahead. Yuna had gasped lightly at the use of the nickname. Maybe part of Rikku's memory was coming back.

"Love? Do you really think love matters now?" Auron stared over the rim of his glasses at the young Al Bhed. Rikku shifted, uncomfortable under his heavy gaze.

"Yes, I do."

Rikku pushed past the guardian and walked forward. The group parted as she marched forward, all afraid to get in the way. When she disappeared from sight, Auron felt all eyes on him. He frowned.

"Sir Auron, Rikku..She's, well.." Yuna sighed softly, unsure of the words she wanted to use. She had just opened her mouth when they heard a scream from farther ahead.

"Rikku!"

Yuna started running forward, but was surprised when a red coat obscured her view. Her eyes widened and she had to stop short, causing Tidus to run into her back. "Oww! Yuna, what's wrong?" Tidus came up beside her. She shook her head and pointed to Auron, who had rounded the corner, blade out.

"Wow, he moves fast when Rikku's involved."

~*^-^*~

Rikku screamed as Spherimorph sent a fire spell her way. Heat surrounded her, making her gag and fall to her knees. Her eyes burned and she hunched over, pressing her face against the dirt. As abruptly as the fire came, it stopped. Rikku glanced up, eyes still burning. The blob was suspiciously still. She gasped as it changed colors and it shot a blizzard spell her way. Rikku was clearly not dressed for a blizzard, in a tank top and shorts. She whimpered at the sudden change of temperature, curling into a ball on her side.

"Rikku!"

She looked up, eyes tearing and stinging, through the snow billowing around her. She could barely make out a tall figure in the distance.

"Auron?" Her teeth chattered and her body shook. She heard someone cast a spell before she felt herself being swept up and out of harms way. When she could open her eyes, she was looking into Auron's face. She was still shaking as she looked at him through lidded eyes. She whimpered when he moved her off his lap, but he silenced her. She watched, slightly drowsy, as Auron unclasped his coat and slid it off. Rikku's eyes widened slightly as he wrapped it around her and placed her off to the side.

"Stay here." He picked up his sword and ran to help Tidus and Lulu battle the Spherimorph. Rikku hugged the coat around her, breathing in his scent. She snuggled deeper, closing her eyes. They still hurt, and she wondered briefly exactly how Auron had lost an eye. It didn't take long for her to give into exhaustion and she fell asleep.

~*^-^*~

She was in a large palace hall, long tables of food and servants stretched all the way past her line of vision. She had just picked up a fruit when a voice interrupted her.

'Rikku'

"Who's there!?"

She put the fruit down and spun in a circle. She gasped when she felt velvet brush against her bare legs. She was in a dress. It was strapless, and hung a little too low for her liking. The crush black velvet clung to her curves and fanned out only slightly at the bottom. Her hair was pulled into a bun, a few blonde tendrils escaping to frame her face. "W-what is this?" She ran a hand down the velvet of the dress. She looked up and gasped. The hall had disappeared, and she was in a ballroom. Dancing couples twirled around the floor. One man bumped into her and she stumbled clumsily. A hand on her arm caught her.

"Thank you." She muttered and looked up into a pair of ice blue eyes. Immediately she was captivated.

"May I have this dance?" He whispered into her ear. She shuddered and nodded, placing a hand in his. He drew her close to him and slowly they began to dance.

"Rikku, should you really be trusting those guardians and that summoner you travel with?"

"What?"

Rikku pulled back and looked up into the mans' face. He smiled slowly and brought his head down until his mouth was right next to her ear.

"They've been using you, Rikku. Why would they take someone who doesn't remember how to fight with them? They need your knowledge of the Al Bhed and the machina."

"No! You're lying!" Rikku struggled to pull back from his grasp, but he pulled her against his chest.

"How did you lose your memory, Rikku?"

"I..I was struck by lightning and I hit my head on a rock." She nodded confidently. The man grinned.

"Is that what they told you? I knew you before the accident, Rikku. You didn't want to go through the Thunder Plains. You begged, but they didn't listen."

Rikku gasped as a brief glimpse of her begging with the guardians and summoner appeared. She begged them to stop, to go another way, but they refused. She was almost left behind. Auron had been the coldest.

"They.didn't care.." Rikku's voice shook. The man smiled and moved closer to her ear.

"What about when you tried to save Yuna at Moonflow and they attacked you angrily? All you were trying to do was save her, weren't you?"

"Yes, I was. I wanted to save Yunie." Rikku's eyes were glazed over as she experienced the incident at Moonflow again. Wakka and Tidus had attacked her. Heck, they had almost killed her.

"They're just using me." She muttered, staring off into the distance. They had stopped dancing, and were in the middle of the dance floor. Slowly, without Rikku's acknowledgment, the music and dancers faded, until the two were the only people present in the extravagant ballroom.

"Come with me, Rikku. I want to help you."

"You'll, help me?" Rikku's eyes held a pleading look in them. The man smiled and nodded, gently caressing her cheek. She sighed softly and her eyes fluttered closed.

"Of course I will Rikku. Wait for me. I will see you soon."

"Rikku! Rikku!"

~*^-^*~

Rikku moaned and slowly opened her eyes. They hurt, and she immediately closed them. She heard Yuna mumble something before a soft tinkling power rushed over her. Slowly, her eyes felt better and her burns were fading. She sighed with relief and opened her eyes again. Tidus and Yuna were staring down at her, concern written all over their face. She almost smiled before she remembered her dream.

"Let me up." She grumbled and forced herself into a sitting position. Tidus and Yuna moved back slowly, but someone kept hands on her shoulders, keeping her from moving any farther.

"What are you doing?" She turned to glare at Auron. His coat had fallen off her shoulders now, and she fought the urge to wrap it back around her. Slowly, Auron let her go, and Rikku stood, brushing dirt off her shorts. She felt everyone stare at her, and she felt an aching pain in her chest. Was that man right? Yes, he had to be.

"Rikku? Are you all right?" Tidus placed a hand on her shoulder and she hit it away.

"I'm fine. Let's go." She started forward alone once again. Yuna looked after her, worried.

"Something's not right." Lulu's eyes narrowed as she watched Rikku stalk off. She shook her head and followed after her.

"Sir Auron? What's wrong with Rikku?" Yuna looked at her elder guardian, who was shaking out his coat and slipping it back on.

"I don't know. Let's go." He brushed past Yuna and Tidus and started off after everyone else. He watched Rikku from his place near the back and frowned. Just her posture was enough to know something was wrong. Her eyes were dull and cautious, scanning the area as she walked forward. So wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn't realize that they had come to an inn.

He watched Rikku walk to the front desk and argue with the clerk for a minute before coming back.

"Yuna and Lulu, you'll share a room, and Auron, Khimari, Wakka, and Tidus, you'll share another."

"What about you, Rikku?" Tidus asked what nobody else would. Rikku shook her head and turned to leave the inn.

"I don't need to sleep. I'm going for a walk." She waved a hand and left, leaving everyone staring after her.

"What was that all about? It's like she's mad at us or something, ya?" Wakka, keeping his Blitz ball tucked under one arm, scratched his head. A low rumbling outside somewhere in the distance shook the small inn. Yuna stumbled but Tidus caught her. She blushed and thanked him.

"Khimari doesn't like that sound." The large blue Ronso gripped his spear tightly. Tidus raced out the door, the others following closely behind. Rikku was conversing with a young man in a large machine. When they approached, they realized that the two were in a heated Al Bhed conversation. Rikku was clenching her fists and snapping angrily. The young man was angry, but not as much as Rikku.

When she turned around, Rikku caught the look of horror and disgust on Wakka's face.

"Y-You're Al Bhed!" He pointed his finger accusingly at her. Rikku nodded curtly. Wakka gritted his teeth. Rikku let out a small gasp and fell to her knees, hands clutching her head. A memory that had been buried surfaced. Wakka stood before the group, practically cursing and damming all Al Bhed. Rikku, then, had kept her mouth shut.

"Rikku?" Yuna squatted before her cousin. Rikku's head snapped up and she staggered to her feet.

"Don't touch me."

She hugged herself and watched the group wearily. They stared at her in confusion. A sudden noise from behind them made them all turn their attention to the giant machina. Rikku spat something at the driver before backing up and preparing to fight. Auron and Tidus stood beside her, the rest of the party running off to the side. This was going to be a long battle.

~*^-^*~

Rikku panted, hunched over. The Crawler was almost indestructible. Almost. Every time the Negator was taken down, the mana beam countdown began, and Rikku almost always found herself getting the worst of the attack. A potion was thrown to her and she glanced up. Tidus smiled and gave her a thumbs up. Unwillingly, she found herself smiling back.

"Let's finish this thing." Rikku switched out with Lulu and let the trio finish off the machina. She watched emotionlessly as it broke down. The Al Bhed ran out, but not before glaring at her. She ignored him.

"I can't believe you." Wakka just glared at the young Al Bhed. Rikku said nothing. Surely Wakka's hate for Al Bhed was proof enough that the man in her dream was right. "It's too late to head to the shrine now, we'll go back to the inn and rest. We'll start first thing tomorrow." Lulu instructed, leading them back towards the small inn. Rikku followed reluctantly, but not before glancing at the rubble the Crawler had once been. "Brother." She whispered before turning and walking away. Auron watched her carefully, then followed.

(AN: Just pretend they got a night's rest at the inn before going to the temple.)

~*^-^*~

Rikku fought to keep her eyes open. She was sitting on the floor in the inn lobby, back pressed against a wall in the corner. Her eyelids dropped and she pinched herself. Heavy footsteps coming closer alerted her that someone was coming. She quickly jumped up, but stumbled, legs still asleep. The person who entered caught her.

"Thanks."

Rikku pulled back and her eyes widened. Auron's face showed nothing as he moved towards the inn door.

"What are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Auron turned to look at her. Rikku's eyes narrowed and she huffed, turning away. Auron chuckled softly and opened the door, stepping outside. Rikku blinked. As far as she knew, Auron never chuckled. Or showed much of anything for that matter. She shook her head and sunk back to the floor. She didn't need sleep. Not even a little.

~*^-^*~

"C'mon Rikku, what's wrong?" Tidus shifted his sword and looked at the young Al Bhed. Rikku quickened her pace to get away. She had fallen asleep, that's what was wrong. She was about to open her mouth and yell at Tidus for annoying her, but Lulu spoke first.

"We're here. Stop bickering." She pushed past them and started up the ice temple stairs. Rikku frowned before following. She was about to go through the doors when she froze. A voice called out to her.

'Rikku, I am waiting for you. Come to me'

"He's here." She breathed, her heart racing happily. Auron stopped behind her, waiting for her to move.

"Who's here?" Tidus popped up beside her again. Rikku didn't say anything, but she continued her walk. She could feel him. Soon, she would be saved.

"The Maester is in the cloister of trials." One of the guards near the stairs told the group. Rikku felt her heart quicken again as they entered the cloister of trials.

(AN: I don't remember if you go into the cloister of trials before or after the meeting with the Maester! @_@ I think they meet him first.. ^-^;;)

"Ahhh, welcome Lady Yuna. I did not expect you so soon." Seymour smiled at the summoner. The guardians all seemed tense. All except Rikku.

"It's you!"

Her sudden outburst and the adoration in her voice made everyone turn to face her. Seymour's eyes met hers' and he grinned.

"Welcome, Rikku, I've been expecting you."

~*^-^*~

AN: Ahhh, I love being evil! ^-^ I would like to thank and give full credit to Andrew Elstob for giving me the idea of "Rikku thinking everyone betrayed her" ^-~ I have some nice ideas now to continue the story, but if anyone else had suggestions, I'm open to ideas!

Read and Review Please!

~Neoshipper~