He finally noticed the cold wind stinging his bare arms and face. It took him several minutes to register this, but, once he did, the man shivered. There was also a stark whiteness surrounding him. After a moment he remembered that what he saw was snow.
"Gagazet," he said, as memories of the place trickled into his consciousness. He had fallen from the mountain so many years ago. At its foot he had spoken his last words and breathed his last breath.
He willed his body into motion and found himself employing a careful, powerful stride, carrying himself as he always had. Although his mind was overflowing with questions, the image he presented to anyone watching was of a calm and confident individual—someone who knew exactly what he was doing.
He passed through a set of stone pillars, the gate that would lead him from the sacred mountain. Approaching footsteps crunched and squeaked in the cold snow. He looked up to find a group of Ronso, a mature man and woman keeping a trio of youth company.
The Ronso man stopped immediately, his broken horn catching the light that filtered through the gray clouds covering the sky.
"Kimahri," the human said, managing to recognize him although his former companion seemed much older.
"Auron," Kimahri spoke in his low, gruff voice. His yellow eyes, however, betrayed his surprise.
~
The streets of Bevelle were crowded as usual. In the shadow of the fallen temple, a city of millions thrived. As Al-Bhed, Rikku and Gippal had not spent much time there until the arrival of the Eternal Calm. Still, it was not until the joint efforts of the Youth League, New Yevon, and the Machine Faction had begun to take effect over the following years that all groups of Spirans could feel comfortable mingling together in place that had once been the epitome of racial division.
"Could you tell me why we're here again?" Gippal wondered. The two were catching their breath, having just ducked into a stone arch doorway to get out of the way of a passing caravan.
Rikku ignored his question and in a flash was gone; she had dove again into the crowd. Her blond ponytail disappeared and reappeared continuously in the sea of bobbing heads as she wove her way around the bartering customers and shopkeepers.
Gippal sighed before plunging in himself. This sort of thing had been going on since they had first arrived. Did she honestly expect to pick one face out of the thousands they passed? What if this person she was searching for wasn't even in Bevelle?
His concerns distracted him for a second too long. The Al-Bhed man cursed when he realized he had lost track of Rikku. After ten minutes of trying to stand still in the moving crowd, trying to find her again, he gave up and let the stream of people carry him to a quieter area. Standing at the entrance to a wide alley, he spotted a mostly deserted bridge past the end of it. Gippal broke from the mass of people and found a spot to stand on the bridge. He leaned over the ledge and gazed downward. From this vantage point he was able to look down at the river and the bustling streets to either side of it.
The summer breeze teased his spiked blond hair, breathed coolly over his tanned features. In this place he was able to attain a small sense of peace. He could breathe when not being pressed on my so many hurried shoppers and business people.
He had come to this bridge before—sometimes with a girl at twilight, yes—but more often he came alone. The night would have settled across the city, his business with Baralai and New Yevon would be finished, and he would stroll from the temple to this place. The sky would be black, a few pieces of gray clouds would hover around a chunk of pearl white moon. The wind came often then, too, but it would have a chill in it that would make him shiver. The kind of sensation that reminded him he was alive.
~
Tidus couldn't stop smiling, wouldn't stop throwing Lennie into the air and catching her again and again. He would pause briefly to take his wife for a spin and a kiss, and Yuna would respond by laughing and kissing him back happily.
It was evening of the day after Yuna's quiet announcement, and at their house the family was holding a small party. Yuna was cooking up her husband and daughter's favorite fried fish while Lenne prepared a salad and Tidus washed the fruit that would be part of their dessert. The cooking complete, they sat down at the small round table in the front room and feasted.
"How soon, how soon?" Lenne kept asking.
"Oh, several months," Yuna replied, petting the girl's hair gently.
"Hurry up!" commanded the girl, directing her comments toward her mother's stomach.
Tidus was beaming, his smile so radiant it lit up the whole room.
Yuna remained calm, but inside she felt the warmth that comes with contentment. She took a thin, crescent-shaped blade and sliced the fruit into three ceramic bowls, topping each serving generously with cream. Her man and girl took their dessert and ate quickly, while Yuna went one small spoonful at a time.
They were all about ready to settle down when Wakka burst through the flap that served as the hut's door.
"What is it, Wakka?" Tidus wondered, standing.
The orange-haired man just shook his head. "Ya wouldn't believe it… Kimahri's on the Commsphere…and…"
"And what?" Yuna broke in.
"Sir Auron is with him."
~
The door slid open automatically, buzzing softly.
"Where the hell were you?"
Rikku gave a start when she heard Gippal's angry voice. She was stretched across his bed in the Desert Rose, her hair a mess, her cloak a little soiled and still on her. She looked up at him, issued a syllable of greeting, and fell back against the comforter.
"I've been looking for you all day, you know that? I must have gone through half of Bevelle!"
"Sorry."
"I was worried about you! Why did you wander off by yourself like that!"
"You didn't have to come after me," she said dully. "And I went through all of Bevelle today, so…"
"Why do you think he's in Bevelle anyway? Couldn't you—couldn't you have planned this better?"
Rikku exerted just enough energy to lift herself into a seated position, and from there she fell over on her bent elbows and looked up at him through a tangled mane of blond hair. "I didn't ask you to come with me. I only asked to borrow your ship."
"Well I'm glad I didn't leave you all alone—although you seem determined to run off and get yourself into trouble despite that."
"Whaddya mean, 'trouble?' I didn't get into any trouble!"
"Then how do you explain your appearance, huh? You fall into the river or somethin'?"
"As a matter of fact, I did. Not that it's any of your business."
"M-My business, huh? Well, excuse me if I'm worried about you!"
"Oh shut up," Rikku said, crawling to the edge of the bed. She slipped off, feet first luckily enough, and stood. She took a few seconds to pull her shirt back over her stomach and arrange her cloak around her before heading for the exit.
"Where are you going now?"
"Why do you care?" She was at the closest getting her satchel from within it. "I'm leaving."
His arm was already out to block her. "You can't do that! It's the middle of the night!"
Rikku stared at him with tired but angry eyes. "Why are you acting like I can't take care of myself? Do you think I suddenly became helpless or something? I forgot how to fight?"
"Those guys prowling the streets right now fight dirty, Rikku."
"I can defend myself, fair fight or not."
"Still—"
"Still what? You act like I'm a baby or something. I'm twenty-four years old, Gippal! Honestly! Wasn't I part of the team that defeated Yu Yevon and brought the Eternal Calm? Didn't I fight Vegnagun too?"
"Yes, but…"
"I can't stand you! Get offa me right now, or—" She was struggling by this point, trying to get to the door but being held back. He was using both arms, holding her within a protective embrace. She considered sending her elbow up into his stomach, but thought that too cruel.
"You can search later, can't you? Just…just stay with me."
Rikku stopped wrestling for a second. His voice had changed somehow. He sounded almost defeated.
No, this is the same crap he pulls every time… First I feel sorry for him, then he gets what he wants. He's just manipulating me again.
Gippal took hold of her chin with his large hand, engulfing one side of her small face with his fingers. He forced her to look up into his face, and she found his expression to be more sincere than she had ever seen it before. He looked so lonely and helpless.
"Gippal," Rikku murmured quietly. "I'm sorry. But we can't—"
All at once he was kissing her and holding her close to him. His mouth tasted good, just as she remembered, and yet she had to pull away from his arms, pry her lips from his.
"Why do you always have to do this?" The woman sighed. "You know how I feel."
"But it's all right now. I need to tell you, Rikku. It's different—"
They were interrupted by a loud beeping from the controls at the front of the ship.
"What's that?" the woman wanted to know.
"A message." Gippal went to the back room to take it. Rikku decided to wait instead of sneaking out while he was busy. She was improving at not giving into her childish instincts, at least sometimes. It would be unfair to leave before the two of them could sit down and talk all of this out. Obviously, Gippal had something important to tell her.
"Rikku?" he called from the bedroom.
"Yeah?"
"It's for you."
A sudden burst of vanity consumed her and Rikku ran to the bathroom to straighten out her hair before going to bend over the screen embedded in Gippal's desk. The image it displayed was of an anxious Yuna.
"Yunie!"
"Rikku," the woman began nervously. "I'm sorry we couldn't find where you were earlier. I called the Celsius and everywhere else I could think of before trying Gippal."
"He was helping me with a mission," her Al-Bhed cousin broke in quickly. She didn't want Yuna to get the wrong idea about them being together late at night.
"Well, you won't believe this. I can't believe it myself."
"What?"
"Kimahri called us today. With him was…or, Rikku, you'll never believe it!"
"Well, try me!"
"Sir Auron!"
Rikku about fell back, but Gippal reached out a hand to steady her. Auron was really alive? It was too good to be true. She had hoped for it enough to search Spira for him, but now that he was out there in a definite location speaking to her other friends…
"Rikku, you all right?" Yuna's slightly mangled voice came from the speakers in the desk.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good."
Yuna obviously didn't believe her, but the former summoner only nodded and accepted her cousin's lie. "All of us are going to meet here tomorrow at around noon. Can you believe it, Rikku? We'll all be together again. Our group will be reunited!"
"I can't believe it," Rikku murmured inaudibly. Raising her voice, she said, "Noon? Sounds good. You can count on me to be there."
"Good night, Rikku."
"'Night…"
The transmission ended. Rikku stepped wearily backward, falling back on the bed. She stared at the painted ceiling, blinking continuously. In less than a day she would see him again, and she could not think of anything to say.
***