She was awoken by a cascade of colors.

Her eyelids slowly fluttered open, revealing a pair of irritated emerald eyes. However, her expression of annoyance immediately faltered and was replaced by one of bafflement when she became aware of her surroundings.

Rikku had absolutely no idea where she was. Paralyzed with fear, all she could manage to do in order to ascertain her current whereabouts was look around desperately, shooting feverish glances all about her.

She found herself in a world of nothingness. Everywhere she turned, all she could see was color. Hues of blue, red, purple, green, and so on lay forth in every direction as far as the eye could see.

Well, she thought, as far as her eyes could see, anyway.

Rikku became remotely aware that she was trembling violently and used the tiny portion of her strength that still remained after her horrid discovery to attempt to calm herself down.

After struggling to control her frightened tremors for what seemed like forever, she soon realized that resistance was futile. With the undoubting passion that Rikku possessed and implemented in every decision that she had ever made, she resigned herself to the fact that she would surely die at this rate of pure confusion and terror.

"No, you won't," a gruff and mysteriously familiar voice seemingly from out of nowhere informed her.

Rikku, suddenly able to move, whipped around and, upon sighting the source of the proclamation, felt sure that this was the moment she had previously assured herself would be arriving promptly. She started mentally saying her goodbyes, preparing for her fall into eternal unconsciousness.

The object of Rikku's sudden acceptance of pending death stepped forward and spoke a bit louder than before.

"That's really unnecessary."

If she hadn't been so utterly bewildered, she probably would have asked a more sensible and likewise predictable question, such as "Why am I here?" or, perhaps, "Where exactly IS it that I am?". Instead, she simply asked, "Why?"

"Because, you are already dead."