"Wakka? Are you ok? Can you hear me?"

Wakka groaned.

"Wakka? You awake??"

The redhead slowly opened his eyes to see Rikku kneeling over him.

"How do you feel?"

"Lousy..." He moaned.

"Any injuries?"

"No."

Wakka slowly sat up and looked around. His heartbeat picked up. He and Rikku were sitting by an oasis in the middle of the desert.

"Where the hell are we?" Wakka asked.

Rikku shrugged, "I don't know."

"The others?"

"I didn't go looking yet. I wanted to wait until you woke up."

Wakka nodded and slowly sat up with Rikku's help. The redhead grunted and struggled to his feet.

"Well...let's go." Rikku sighed.

The older guardian nodded and the two set off over the burning sand. They hadn't gone far when they heard the flapping of giant wings.

"Whoa!" Wakka exclaimed.

A huge Garuda descended from the sky, blocking the duo's path.

"I got it." Rikku replied, mixing a Sunburst up. "Cover your eyes."

Wakka covered his eyes and Rikku threw the Sunburst at the Garuda. It hit dead on and Rikku covered her eyes. The giant fiend squalled in pain as the Sunburst fried it. The bird crashed into the sand and devolved.

"Rikku! Wakka!" Rin called. "You two ok?"

"Yeah!" Rikku called back.

Wakka and Rikku ran over to Rin. They were soon joined by Auron who'd seen the light from the Sunburst.

"Ok. We're still missing Lulu and Kimahri." Rikku said.

"Anyone know where we are?" Auron asked.

Rin nodded. "We're on Bikanel Island. Home isn't far from here."

"What?" Rikku tilted her head.

Rin sighed, "Home. I will take you there if you promise not to tell anyone about it, especially the Yevonites. You know they don't like Al Bhed. Who knows what they'd do if they knew."

"No problem. I won't tell." Rikku said.

"Me neither." Wakka said.

Auron nodded.

"Ok. Let's go. We can look for the others along the way."

The small group made their way along the sand dunes, slaying fiends as they went along. About twenty minutes into their journey they spotted Lulu sitting in the shade of a dismantled machina. Her arm was bleeding badly.

"Lulu!" Rikku cried.

The teen sprinted to Lulu's side with everyone on her heels.

"What happened?"

"Got bitten by a Sand Wolf." Lulu replied. "I don't have any restorative potions."

"Here..." Rin handed a Potion to Lulu.

"You leave Kimahri behind!?" A voice called.

Wakka smiled. "No way, Kimahri! We were looking for you too!"

Kimahri grinned and walked up to the group. "Kimahri could smell Rikku's perfume."

"Glad I could be of assistance Kimahri." Rikku laughed.

Once Lulu's arm was healed completely the group continued on their way to Home.

"We recently salvaged a huge airship out of the water pretty close to Baaj Temple. I'm sure Cid will help us track Tidus down." Lulu said.

Rikku said nothing. "Lu? Rin?"

"Yes?" Rin and Lulu said in unison.

"How...are my parents doing?"

"They're fine. Your mother is still spunky as ever." Rin replied. "And Cid is still quite the live wire. They both still miss you though..."

Rikku sighed.

"Here. Home is just over this dune." Rin said.

Lulu got to the top of the dune first. Everyone jumped as the mage screamed.

Rikku started running up the dune. "Lulu! What is it!?"

The mage didn't respond. She started running down the hill.

"Lulu!"

The rest of the group reached the top of the hill in time to see Lulu running towards a Home that was under attack.

"No...!" Rin whispered in horror.

"Lulu!" Rikku cried again, running off.

"Let's go!" Auron ordered.

The rest of the group ran after Lulu and Rikku. It didn't take them long to reach Home. Lulu was kneeling over an Al Bhed soldier, crying. The group stopped a respectable distance from Lulu to give her some space. Lulu stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"This is the Guado's doing." She said in a quiet, deadly voice.

"A war? Between Yevon and the Al Bhed?" Auron asked

Lulu shook her head. "No. They came for the summoners."

"You? You..." Wakka looked at Rin. "And him were lying to us all this time? You really were kidnapping summoners??"

"You don't understand!" Lulu snapped, running off.

"Lu!" Rikku exclaimed, chasing after the brunette.

"She's right. You don't understand." A gruff male voice said.

The group turned to see a bald man walking up to them.

"Hello Cid." Rin said.

"What the hell are you standing over here for!? Get your ass in gear and kick those fiends out of our Home!"

Rin nodded and Cid ran off.

"We help." Kimahri said, taking off in the direction Lulu and Rikku went.

With Rin and Kimahri leading the way Auron and Wakka made their way into the depths of Home. A giant Dual Horn rushed them, but it was no match for Auron and Rin.

"This bites!" Cid exclaimed over the intercom. "Rin! Lulu! You read me!? You'd better get your asses underground! I'm leveling Home and the fiends!"

"That crazy bastard is going to kill everyone." Rin mumbled. "C'mon! We'll be safe in the Summoner's Sanctum!"

The group followed Rin down winding hallway after winding hallway. Then came the stairs. They ran down so many flights Wakka lost count. Everything shook violently. Everything was in chaos. Black smoke filtered through the hallways.

"Ahhh!" Rikku shrieked.

"Rikku!" Wakka exclaimed.

The crew ran into the next room to see Lulu and Rikku surrounded by Chimeras. Lulu blasted one of them with a Thundaga spell and Rikku attacked another. Wakka and Kimahri soon came to the girls aid, Rin and Auron followed. Once the Chimeras were hissing pyreflies the group stood in silence. Tears were still streaming down Lulu's face. She sniffled before speaking.

"We...Al Bhed...weren't always like this. Sin destroyed the island where we all used to live. After that, we were scattered to every corner of Spira. But then, Cid brought the Al Bhed together again. Everyone worked hard. Everyone put their lives into building this place. We finally had our home back! But now...Why did things have to turn out like this!?"

Rikku hugged Lulu.

"Even though...I don't agree with most of the Al Bhed ways...I don't condone this kind of thing. I don't think you deserved this at all." Wakka said.

"I'm assuming the Summoner's Sanctum is where you're keeping the summoners." Auron said.

Lulu nodded.

"I don't get it. The summoners might get hurt on their pilgrimage...so you kidnap them?" Wakka asked.

Lulu looked at Wakka as if he were crazy then down at Rikku. The blonde averted her eyes.

The redhead continued to speak, "I mean...if the guardians do their job the summoners won't get hurt...right?"

No one answered.

"Right...?" Wakka repeated.

Still no one answered. Suddenly everything stopped shaking. It was quiet except for the noise of the fires.

"It's quiet. Kimahri goes now."

Wakka's stomach knotted. He had a bad feeling all of the sudden. Everyone slowly followed Kimahri down the steps into the Summoner's Sanctum. Lulu gasped. The sanctum looked like the rest of Home. Al Bhed soldiers littered the floor. Lulu fell to her knees and Rikku tried to comfort her. Rin wandered out into the slaughter like a zombie.

"They fought to protect us." A male voice said and Isaaru emerged from the shadows. "They scared the Guado off."

"The least we can do for them is perform a Sending. Please stand back until we're done." Dona said.

Wakka looked over to see Yuna sitting in the corner. The girl looked pale and haunted. She was holding the bloody hand of a fallen soldier. Varian walked up to Rin. The older man raised an eyebrow at the Guado.

"The Al Bhed kept saying that summoners were being sacrificed. What does this mean?" He asked in a surprisingly deep voice. "That summoners shouldn't have to do a pilgrimage."

Before Rin could answer Wakka interrupted.

"Why couldn't they trust guardians to protect summoners..."

"The pilgrimages have to stop!" Lulu shouted, standing up. "If they don't, and they get to Zanarkand...They might defeat Sin! And then Tidus would...he'd..." The mage bit her lip as tears formed in her eyes again, "Tidus will die! Didn't anyone tell you!? Summoners journey to get the Final Aeon...didn't you know!? With the Final Aeon, Tidus can beat Sin...but then...he dies too. When he calls it the Final Aeon will kill him. Sin will be gone...and so will Tidus."

Wakka looked over at Rikku who just averted her eyes. He grabbed the girl by the shoulders, tears were forming in his eyes too.

"Was I the only one who didn't know!? Why were you hiding it from me!?"

"We weren't hiding it!" Rikku shouted, already crying herself.

"Too hard to say..." Kimahri added, turning his head away.

"And you didn't do anything about it!?" The redhead cried.

Rikku broke out of Wakka's grip. "Don't you think we tried to stop him!? Do you think I want the man I consider to be my best friend and brother to die!? He knew what he was getting into when he chose to become a summoner! He knew! He knew he had to face Sin and die!"

"But, Rikku, that's just so wrong." Rin finally spoke up, "Summoners shouldn't have to sacrifice themselves...just so the rest of Spira can be happy, right?"

"But that is our choice." Yuna said, standing up.

"We all live in fear of Sin. A world without Sin is the dream of all Yevon's children. We will use that power, even if it means our lives!" Isaaru exclaimed.

"Fuck that! Fuck the Final Aeon! And fuck Sin too!" Wakka shouted. "There's no way in hell I'll let Tidus die!"

"I have come to like Tidus very much. I won't let him die either." Lulu said.

Lulu and Wakka left the room.

"I love him as if he were my own flesh and blood. I don't want Tidus to die..." Rikku whispered, following Wakka and Lulu.

Auron grunted, but something in his eyes said that he agreed with Wakka.

"Kimahri doesn't want Tidus to go away..." Kimahri said, leaving.

Rin looked at the other summoners and their guardians. "If you want to live you should come with us. We'll get you out of here."

Everyone nodded and followed Rin. They entered the air hanger and boarded the airship. Lulu, Rikku, and Wakka entered the bridge. Cid ran past them towards the controls.

"Ku, ku, ku!" He ordered. (Go, go, go!)

The woman at the controls nodded.

"Aniki!" Rikku cried, running to her brother.

Wakka walked up to Cid. "We have to find Tidus!"

"Ajanouha uh puynt?" Cid asked, ignoring Wakka.(Everyone on board?)

"Ajanouha ymeja!" Aniki replied (Everyone alive!)

"Hey! I said, we have to find Tidus!"

Auron, Rin, and Kimahri entered the bridge. Cid glared at Wakka.

"And what will you do when you find him, huh? Send him on his way to his death again!? Hmn?? All you Yevonites are the same! Let the summoner die so we can live in peace!"

"No!" Wakka shouted. "I won't let Tidus die!"

Cid snorted.

"He won't, father." Rikku spoke up.

Cid looked over at Rikku. His eyes took on a sad glint.

"I won't let him die either. He's not any safer with the Guado. We have to find him."

"For Shiva's sake Cid! We're helping them! Rikku is still our daughter! You know how much Tidus means to her!" The woman at the controls shouted.

"You've only been back for ten minutes and you and your mother are already doing that ganging up on me thing..." Cid grinned.

Rikku smiled and giggled a little.

"All right. We'll help you look for him. But first...let's get this thing in the air!"

Raylei nodded and pressed several buttons on the control panel. The airship came to life.

"Better hang onto something!" Cid ordered.

Rikku clung to Aniki and Lulu's arms. Kimahri grabbed onto the wall then steadied Wakka. Auron smirked as Rin clung to his arm. The hatch doors above them opened and sand poured onto the ship. Rikku's mother pressed a few more buttons and the airship started to lift into the air.

"Here we go!"

The airship took off.

"Now. Use it." Cid commanded.

Raylei sighed. "...Ok."

"What's going on?" Rikku asked.

"We're going to blow up our Home." Cid replied.

"How?" Wakka asked.

"With one of the forbidden machina!" Cid turned to his wife. "Nayto? Vena!" (Ready? Fire!)

A side of the airship opened up. A barrage of missiles exited the flying craft and sped for Home.

"Hang on tight!" Raylei shouted.

Everyone braced themselves as Raylei punched it.

"YEEHAW!" The woman exclaimed.

"I cannot believe I'm related to these people..." Rikku sighed. Aniki laughed.

Way behind them the missiles connected with Home, creating a huge explosion.

"Shockwave!" Cid shouted. "C'mon ol' girl! You can out run it!"

"You'd better be talking to the ship, Cid Highwind!" Rikku's mom laughed, increasing speed.

Once they were in the clear Raylei wiped a few tears from her eyes. Aniki sniffled loudly.

"Hu haat vun daync! Fryd'c kuut ypuid machina, ec drao lyh pa piemd yhaf." Cid said. (No need for tears! What's good about machina, is they can be built anew.)

"So what about finding Tidus?" Rikku asked.

"We'll use this." Cid said, motioning to a glowing sphere in the middle of the bridge.

"What is it?" Wakka asked.

"It's a sphere oscillo-finder. If Tidus is out there, it'll find him."

"A sphere o-whatto-finder?" Rikku blinked.

"It's an ancient machina. I don't know how it works either, so don't bother asking."

"And you still use it?" Lulu asked.

Cid just laughed.


R&R Please ^^