Chapter Five
Broken

I wanted you to know
That I love the way you laugh
I want to hold you high
And steal your pain away
--Seether and Amy Lee, "Broken"

Honestly, Rikku never wanted to leave the Travel Agency at Macalania. She would have lived there forever, if it meant she could be with Auron forever. But the time to move on came all too quickly for her liking, and once again, the seven of them set out to continue their quest.

They had only gone about two steps when Tromell Guado stopped them. He spoke with Yuna about going to meet Seymour, and said something about "Guado tradition" and that an "envoy" would be sent for her guardians later.

"We're behind you, Yuna," Auron told her.

Yuna nodded and followed the old Guado. Yuna had gotten halfway up the slope, when Tidus called out her name and whistled, just as he had in Luca. Yuna's eyes lit up and she smiled at him. "Yessir!" she called back to him.

Rikku's heart gave a little flutter, witnessing the intimate exchange between them. It was so sweet. She knew Tidus wouldn't let Yuna die – he couldn't let Yuna die. The story was so achingly familiar to her. She cast one forlorn glance at Auron's back.

Just then, the air changed, and Rikku heard the hum of motors in the distance. "Oh no," she muttered. She recognized the group of Al Bhed as soon as the first snowmobile came into sight.

She ran up to meet the group. She heard Wakka sneer something about "Al Bhed heathens" but she ignored him so she could yell at her brother in her own language.

Brother said he was going to tell their father on her, she told him to go ahead. Her main job was to protect Yuna now. Everything, and everyone,else be damned. Then, he rolled out an enormous cannon, and laughed evilly. He told Rikku that it was going to put a freeze on their magics and summonings.

"Oh hell," she swore. She explained to the others what to do, and a hellish battle ensued. But it was nothing compared to the battle that ensued after they had sent Brother and his cronies running away by blowing up his machina.

"You know Al Bhed?" Wakka began. "How come?"

Rikku held her head high. Auron couldn't help but feel proud of her, that she was so proud of her heritage. "Because I am Al Bhed," she said defiantly. "And that – was my brother."

"Oh, great!" Wakka exclaimed. "That's just great! I've been traveling with a heathen all this time."

They continued to snipe at each other, each remark more hurtful than the last. The other guardians were getting worried.

Finally, Auron broke into the argument by addressing Rikku. He pointed to one of the abandoned snowmobiles. "Will this go?" he asked her.

Rikku immediately perked up. "Yeah!" she cried, grateful to be free of Wakka's nasty comments. He'd really hurt her feelings, but she didn't want to let that show. She was too stubborn, too prideful, to show him he had wounded her.

"You're not gonna use that machina, are you?" Wakka asked in complete disgust.

"I am," Auron said coolly. He could see that Rikku was shaken, but he had to admit, she had kept her cool incredibly well. He and Rikku flipped over one of the machines. Meanwhile, Kimahri had already hopped on one, and went zooming by.

Rikku and Auron exchanged amused glances at the sight of the great blue-furred creature zipping through the snow like that.

"Well, I'm walkin'!" Wakka said stubbornly.

Everyone just looked at him and shrugged. "Suit yourself," Lulu said, climbing onto the back of Tidus's ride.

"You gotta be kiddin' me, Lu!" Wakka exclaimed as they buzzed out of sight. Shaking his head, he just started skulking off in the direction of Macalania temple.

"After you," Auron said to Rikku when they were alone.

Rikku's eyes widened. "You're actually going to let me drive?"

"I don't know a damn thing about this – thing," Auron said, kicking at it with his boot. "And I trust you."

Rikku sighed. "That's quite possibly the nicest compliment you've ever given me." She grinned at him devilishly as she lowered her goggles over her eyes. "Hold on!" she called as she revved the engine.

Auron grinned beneath his cowl as he put his hands on Rikku's hips. "With pleasure," he said to himself. They reached the temple, and Rikku bounded happily ahead and to the door, only to be stopped by one of the monks. "The likes of her are not allowed inside this hallowed place," he said piously.

Rikku bit her lip. She could feel Wakka's accusing eyes burning into her. "She is a guardian of the Lady Yuna." Auron came to her rescue. "You cannot separate a summoner from her guardians."

"An Al Bhed? A guardian? That's preposterous!" roared the monk.

Rikku really wanted to hit him. Auron's reassuring hand on her shoulder calmed her, though.

"She is here of her own free will. That's all one needs to be a guardian," Auron told the monk coolly.

The monk finally conceded. With a slight bow of his head, he allowed Rikku and Auron to enter the great hall of Macalania Temple.

About an hour and a half later, Rikku wished that none of them had been allowed into the temple. They had killed Seymour . . . Of course, everyone had known there wasn't something right with that guy in the first place, but no one could have guessed that he had murdered his own father, Lord Jyscal.

Now they were traitors in the eyes of Yevon – and they were trapped under the ice of Lake Macalania. Yuna had sustained some nasty injuries, and was still unconscious.

Dark thoughts plagued all of their minds. Rikku feared that they might die in this cold, unforgiving place. She slowly sloshed through the ankle-deep ice water to stand by Auron's side.

She didn't expect him to speak – everyone was around, and things between them were still secret. But she wanted to be next to him. To know that he was only inches away soothed her frazzled nerves more than she could say.

Lulu watched the two of them together. Nothing seemed amiss in their behavior – nothing that she could pinpoint anyway. Rikku seemed to have quite the dependency on the older guardian. But then again, judging by the way he tilted his head to the young Al Bhed, he too, seemed to almost require her presence.

Yuna finally began to stir, much to everyone's relief. Their relief was short-lived, however. Shortly after the summoner awoke, the ground began to quake.

"Sin," Auron said simply. The seven companions looked at each other frantically, and prayed that wherever they ended up next, they would be together.