Author's Note: Hahahaha!!! The Last chapter of my fiction and the Epilogue!! Finally!!! Wahahahaha!!! Oh well! I would like to thank everybody for reviewing this fiction! You know who you are! Love you lots guys!!!! Mwahhhh!!!!!!!!! :)
Chapter Fourteen
The cannon's mouth lit up with light, indicating that the controls inside the island are already being set. The Spiran Forces stared at the machina; although they knew that the end was near, they stood their ground undauntedly- braving the odds though they clearly knew it was against them.
"This is it..." Nooj said by the time that he entered Celsius' bridge.
"Where did you come in?" Brother asked switching his gaze from Nooj, LeBlanc and the cannon. The meyvn answered Brother with a snort of amusement.
"Through the door... where else?" LeBlanc added, looking seriously at the cannon. Just then, Baralai and Gippal entered the bridge with a small smile on their lips.
"If there's a place where I would like to die..." Baralai said, walking towards Shinra's panel, "I would like it to be near my friends..."
Gippal nodded at everybody else. "Well..." Gippal sighed and stared at the cannon with a smirk, "It's been a pleasure everyone..."
Paine chuckled, making everyone stare at her confusedly, "You guys are very set on dying aren't you..."
"Oh!!" LeBlanc rolled her eyeballs in disbelief, "However could she manage to stay so calm at a time like this!!!?"
"Get used to it..." Nooj answered with a smile.
"If Aeris said that everything'll be just fine, trust her..." The warrior tilted her chin up to look at Yuna, "She proved herself once, why would we give up on her words now?"
Everyone suddenly ignored the cannon and focused their stares on Paine. Sure, everyone knows her as the lukewarm-attitude warrior who sends out fireworks of dry humor and sarcastic comments but there's more to it than beats the eye. As Rikku puts it, the Paine within Paine...
"And what if their plans backfire?" Buddy asked, looking at everything in the worse possible way.
Paine smiled and looked down at the ground, "Death will be my apology..."
Nooj snorted. He remember the words as clearly as Paine remembers it.
A moment of silence engulfed the bridge of Celsius as the crew stared at the cannon. It's steady glow warned them about the danger it possessed. "But I still won't give 'em a chance to blow my baby to smithereens!" Buddy exclaimed as he programmed the airship's defenses up again. "Yes!! If this airship blows up, I'll go with it to the end because I am the leader!!!" Brother shouted, pulling the controls and maneuvering Celsius crazily to evade the possible attack.
"Woo-hoo..." Paine exclaimed sarcastically although clearly, she thought that it was the smartest and nicest thing that Brother ever said in his entire life. Everyone just chuckled at what Brother said and stared back at the cannon. It's now fully charged and ready to blow up on Celsius.
"Praetor Baralai!" The comm. signal suddenly opened up. "Sir! The Cannon is pointing at Celsius at full charge! I advise you to abandon that airship immediately!"
"No..." Baralai answered, looking over at the panel to the cannon. "We'll stay. I think our pilot can manage to evade the attacks." He said, nodding over to the crazily driving Brother in the pilot seat.
"But-"
"No buts..." Baralai said with a small smile. "Take care of the crew over there... we'll be just fine." His voice was totally reasuring... all the more reason to make his men panic.
Yuna stared at the cannon in a confused way. She was feeling scared at the moment like anyone should be but when she glanced up at the cannon, she swore that she saw something wrong, the light on the mouth of the cannon was already weakening. "Is it just me... or...?" She began, making the others look at her and then back to the cannon.
"What's going on?" Gippal asked, looking at the cannon in wonder. The original scary glow that it possess slowly began to dim. "Did it malfunction or something?" He added.
"Ugh! Would you stop moving the airship like a moron!?" LeBlanc clung to Nooj for support. She's now feeling the effect of riding too much in an airship in a day. "It's making me feel... queasy!" She said, trying to stop herself from blowing up.
Tidus was suddenly snapped out of his wondering when Shinra's panel began beeping. Everybody's attention flew back at the panel waiting for Tidus to access it. "Huh?" His eyes narrowed in wonder. The Black Knights' emblem suddenly appeared on the screen, confusing the lot of them. "What's this?" He asked out loud as he began to press a batch of buttons again.
After a moment, the emblem turned into the face of someone they didn't really expect. "Celsius, this is Rexus of the Black Knights..." His face shows no emotions whatsoever as he stated his intention, "I wish to speak with whoever is in charge of this attack."
Nooj, Gippal and Baralai walked towards the panel slowly; their faces was enough to tell that they are totally clueless as to what this guy is up to. "This is Praetor Baralai of New Yevon..." Baralai's calm voice sounded like somebody who's utterly confused.
"Please stop mentioning Yevon on my face or I may just change my mind..." Rexus muttered, confusing everyone of them even more. "Tell your men to stop attacking and I'll stop the cannon from firing..."
Everyone stared at the panel in shock. They didn't see this one coming. Paine, of all of them managed to conjure up a small smile, not even bothering to "gawk" -as she would put it- at the face of the Knight's leader. "They did it..." She muttered, earning a few confused glances from her friends.
"What about Rikku?" Gippal asked half-worrying, half-wondering what could have changed this bozo's mind. He could've just ended it all by firing the cannon but he chose to take a different route instead.
"She's the reason why I contacted you..." Rexus said, struggling to keep his composure in a dignified manner. "Order your men to stand down, and I'll order mine to do the same." Everone in the airship switch glances at his first remark and then it all flew towards Paine's poker face.
Baralai thought for a moment as he stared back at Rexus. He was now completely wondering what's Rikku got to do with all of this nonsense anyway... well, other than the fact that she's one of the objectives. Other than that, Rikku's involvement in this war is a little bit... unconnected. After battling with himself for a few minutes, he finally decides on taking the risk. "Tell them to stand down..."
With that, Tidus nodded and told the others to stand their ground, just a few meters away from the island. After they've been told, a bunch of troops suddenly revealed themselves out of their hiding places with small cannons and different kinds of weapon. However, much to their relief, all of them disarmed themselves and placed their weapons on the ground without flinching.
"Turn your ship to the backside of the island and land on the hangar..." Rexus instructed again, "I think your Mohawk pilot knows where it is..."
"WHAT!!!!?" Brother went bonkers, "Is HE ordering ME around!!!!?"
"Would you just shut up?" Paine asked calmly, trying to keep her own cool before she looses it all on this moron. Brother muttered curses under his breathe and starts to move the airship anyway.
"Wait..." Nooj said, walking a step forward to the panel, halting Brother's action for a while. He's not yet sure what they are planning but he thought that it's logical to play safe. "We did our part... it's your turn..."
Rexus stopped for a while, processing his words and then he looked up to his brother to stop the cannon.
When the whole fleet saw that the cannon has stopped, all of them drew relieved sighs. At least it comforted them to know that they won't be blown into smithereens anymore. But it even comforted them when the cannon began moving down to its hiding place.
"I did my part more than I should have..." Rexus said seriously, and stared at Baralai's face in the panel. "Can you at least grant my request?" It wasn't an order... it sounded more like a guy saying can-we-just-end-all-of-this-now?
Baralai smiled and nodded satisfyingly, "You heard him..." Maybe both sides have already won the fight.
It's over...
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Rexus pushed a button on his control panel and sighed heavily after he was clearly out of sight from the Celsius crew. It was hard for him to break the plans that he have been planning for years yet it also felt right that he didn't pursue it any longer. Two consecutive taps on his shoulders awoke him from his deep thoughts.
"That's the best thing that you ever did, my brother..." Riley said with an encouraging smile.
"You know..." Louise said with a smirk, "For once, I'm proud to say that you're my brother..." She said with a smile. All of them knew that she has been proud of her siblings no matter what they did anyway. It was just her way of saying it and saving her embarrassment all at the same time.
"Don't start, Louise..." Rexus said, chuckling a bit. "At least a thorn has been pulled out from my throat..." He sighed heavily before smiling.
"I guess you've been right all the time, Louise..." Riley exclaimed, smiling mischievously at his sister. His voice was evidently sounding a bit schemish for Rexus' taste.
"Whenever did I become wrong anyway?" Louise grinned at both of them making Rexus switch his glance at Riley and then back to Louise. The looks on their faces confirmed that he- the leader of a powerful military organization- has been outsmarted by two scheming clowns; namely Riley, his older brother and Louise, her younger sister. "Oh goodness..." Rexus slapped his forehead unbelievingly. "I should've trusted my instincts from day one..." His siblings grinned at him. "You've been scheming against me!!" Rex added.
Riley and Louise chuckled and patted him at the same time, "That was the only way I can think of to save your sorry behind from regretting everything in the future."
Rexus looked confusedly at his sister, "Future?" Since when did her sister became a fortune teller?
"The Chronoportal..." Louise smiled wickedly.
"But I thought that it never worked..." Rexus asked, utterly in a state where he felt his IQ just lost its precious 10 points.
"Well," Louise smiled evilly, "That's what I told you..."
Rexus stared at his brother for confirmation, "You knew?" that earned him a nod with a nonchalant smile. He's been outsmarted... again. "I've been deceived by my own blood..." Rexus sighed in defeat.
"Sir..." The officer smiled at him, "The Celsius have landed in the hangar..."
Louise and Riley smiled at each other and walked towards the door. "Their both in Rikku's room..." Louise glanced at Rexus before continuing her way towards the hangar with Riley.
"You knew that this'll come... did you?" Riley asked as they were walking towards the hangar with a satisfied smile. At least this plan went smoothly as Louise said it would.
"Nope..." Louise answered. "I've been traveling through time for a bunch of time now, trying to set things straight..." She smiled at herself sincerely for the first time. "And this is the first time that I've ever set things right..."
"You mean to say that this is the twelfth time?!" Riley asked, flabbergast at her sudden revelation. What Louise just said explains a whole lot. The calculations that she made was completely flawless, the turn of events have been twisted to serve her own will... everything has been twisted as she wanted it to be!
"Well," Louise chuckled, "I did say bunch, right?" She smiled amusedly at her brother's arrested expression. "It's funny, you know..." Louise shook her head at a sudden thought, "I've seen myself going in and out of the chronoportal for twelve times already with the same defeated look." Both of them turned in a juncture and walked inside the hangar, seeing the familiar faces of Yuna, Paine, and the others. "But this time, the scene is much different." Louise sighed in relief, "And this event spared me from seeing it again."
Riley shook his head in amazement and disbelief, "Rely on women to complicate things..." He sighed and walked towards the Celsius to welcome the Gullwings.
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"Just where the heck are you taking us?" Aeris said acidly, throwing an accusing look at her brother who was now walking ahead of them.
"You'll see..." He answered in a whisper. It's now clear to him that this- the thing that he will do- is a surprise for them.
Aeris suddenly bolted her gaze up at Rexus. She had never heard him use that tone before. After a few seconds, she noticed that everything seems quiet around the chateau as it always have been. What's going on? She asked herself as she began to feel curious about where her brother is taking them.
"What's happening, Aeris?" Rikku asked, looking around the quiet place. "It feels like there's nothing bad going on outside..." She whispered.
"I'm not sure..." Aeris threw a look at Shinra who then, shrugged. "Don't look at me!" Shinra answered, waving his hand in front of them. "I was with you guys all the time!"
Minutes later, they finally arrived in the hangar. The sight of the Celsius totally arrested them. They were beginning to think that the war is over and Yuna has been... well... think of the worse anyway. "Go in..." Rexus said, trying to compose himself as normal as possible. When the three of them stepped inside the archway, the biggest surprise has yet been set.
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"Rikku! Aeris!" Yuna shouted in delight, running to them to give them both a hug. "It's over!" She said, glancing up the huge archway where Rexus was standing, observing their every move with a faint smile on his lips. When he saw that his siblings were there, he walked calmly towards them, his cloak billowing behind him.
"How?" Aeris asked and then realized something, "You did all THIS?" She said in disbelief as she walked to face her brother.
Rexus chuckled and tousled Aeris' hair. "I couldn't even say "no" to you..." That was extremely a fact. Before their big sister-brother quarrel, Rexus and Aeris has been closest to each other as Riley is with Louise. Although it still doesn't replace the fact that Louise and Aeris are the bestest, best friends with each other.
Aeris smiled at her brother and gave him a hug, "Thanks!!" Rexus tapped his sister's back, "Don't mention it, angel..." He muttered, planting a kiss on her forehead and hugging her back. The others looked at them with a smile while the other half of them was busy pestering Rikku if she was okay. "Brother," Aeris pulled away and looked at him, "You don't mind if I continue traveling with them, right?" She asked pleadingly.
"Are you kidding?" Rexus said, raising an eyebrow, "I don't think that you need my permission anymore..." He smiled and glanced at everyone. Coughing a little to get all of their attentions, Rexus looked at them, showing his aura of elegance and power. "You're free to go..." He was referring to Rikku. "And I give you my word that..." He stopped, locking his gaze to the female Al Bhed who was looking back at him as if waiting for something; "I won't be bothering anyone of you anymore..." He finalized with a smileand then turned to Yuna and Tidus, "The Falcon Knights are looking forward to the Blitzball season, Auroch." He grinned mischievously and turned around to leave them.
"Count on it!" Tidus answered back, making Rexus smile all the more before disappearing in the juncture.
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While of them were busy talking with one another in the bridge, they didn't notice the blank and sad look on Rikku's face as she made her way towards the deck. I... didn't even get to say thanks to him... She thought. "What's up?" Yuna asked her cousin. It turned out that she had been observing her for quite some time now with Paine. "Huh?" Rikku alarmingly shot her gaze up and turned to smile at them. "Oh! Hi Paine! Hi Yuna!" She greeted bouncily, trying to hide the expression that she wore earlier.
"What's wrong?" Paine asked with a small smile.
"Nothing!" Rikku answered too soon for them to believe it.
"We've been standing here for quite some time now. You didn't even notice us come here..." Yuna said, walking towards her cousin. She knew very well that this isn't exactly the Rikku that they know. "Well?"
Paine chuckled, making Rikku pout at her, "I don't seem to find anything amusing." The Al Bhed said. "Well, Yuna..." Paine smiled, "I guess our villain has been twisted into someone's knight-in-shining-armor..." The comment was enough to make Rikku's face turn redder is possible. "What are you saying!?!" Rikku looked away, trying to hide her red face. All the more reason to make Paine and Yuna laugh.
"Come on!" Yuna said, grabbing Rikku's hand and pulling her towards the door, "You're missing quite a crowd in the bridge!"
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Falcon Island: A Week Later...
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Yeouch!!!!" Rexus flinched and looked up at her sister in horror, "Geez! Are trying to kill me!!?"
"Five: zero, in Louise's favor." Riley amusingly watched his siblings' sparring. This kind of sparring wasn't normally done back when Rex was still busy scheming things. And now, now that it's all over, everyone in the island have had the pleasure to see the occasional boust of Louise and Rexus.
"You're distracted, Rex..." Louise said with a smile. "Come one! You can do better than that..." She teased merrily as if she was older than her brother.
Rexus immediately stood up and lounged himself to score a point. Unfortunately, Louise effortlessly evaded with a mocking smile plastered on her face, "Why the sudden change of mind, Rex?" Louise interrogated with a calm voice as she continuously evaded Rexus' attack. "Stop toying with me Louise! I know you're just playing around!" Rexus said angrily, throwing all that he got at his sister. Louise grinned and swung her sword with all her might, making Rexus fly towards the wall with a thud. "Who told you that I'm playing around?" An evil grin was on Louise's face as Riley amusingly announced the score again.
"Six: zero!" He exclaimed with all pleasure.
Rexus got up immediately and attacked his sister, "Don't give me that look, Louise." He said, turning on one pivotal point, swishing his weapon around to hit her. Again, she intercepted it with ease, bringing him down on the ground. "You know," Louise said, cupping her chin with her forefinger and thumb at a thought, "Of all the things that you've gained..." Louise smiled down at her brother's lying figure and stepped her left foot on his chest, "Don't you think that she's the only one that you've lost?"
"Seven: zero!" Riley announced with a smile of amusement still on his face. Obviously, he knows something that Rexus didn't know at the moment... Louise was purposely toying him to force something out of his mouth.
Rexus blinked and stared back at her sister, "On the contrary," Rexus began, "I think that my position, proves that I've lost our sparring just now?" Louise grinned, letting her brother get up on his feet. "En garde..." Louise said with a smirk, making Rexus run after her with his weapon on hand.
The guards who found something amusing to watch, eagerly waited for Louise's victory again. Their weapons clashed against each other until Rexus was hurled away into the wall by one swift swing of Louise's sword technique. "Elemental, my dear brother..." She smirked, "I'm the only one here who knows how to convert the elements into my own power." She smiled triumphantly. "Like I care!" Rexus said attacking her sister again.
"Eight: Zero!" Riley was beginning to feel a sudden burst of laughter in his chest. Not in years have he had the pleasure of seeing the insulted look on his brother's face.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Louise shook her head, trying to irritate her brother even more. "Search your feelings, Rex..." Louise sent him hurling away again with a smirk on her face. Again, this match is hers to win... ten to zero.
"Nine: Zero!" Riley chuckled out loud, trying to stop his laughter from exploding.
Rexus stared at her sister for a while and attacked again seriously. "I already did..." He smiled thoughtfully, remembering the first time that he kissed her, "I love her..."
Louise's eyes grew large, "You do?" She asked, dumbfounded.
CLANG!!!!
It was Louise's turn to crash on the wall.
Rexus smirked at her sister who was blinking at him in dopily. "You do?" She asked again making Rexus frown at her. He had dreamed of at least beating her once and seeing the arrested and dopy look on her face but the circumstances and issues isn't exactly the thing that he expected to hit it.
"Nine: one..." Riley shook his head to recover from the shock. This is the first time that he ever saw her sister fall down... complete with that dope-like look scattered around her face.
Louise stood up and grinned menacingly at Rexus. "Ahh..." She said, adjusting the hilt of her sword on the side after recovering from the temporary shock. "That's good then..." In a blink of an eye, Louise moved on top speed, grinning evilly at her brother. She was moving so quick that they couldn't even see her anymore. Rexus looked around the room, trying to sense where she was going to attack but...
"Peek-a-boo..." Louise appeared in front of him with a grin before delivering a straight blow. He crashed on the wall and remained on the ground, groaning in pain.
Riley laughed at the sight and announced the score: "Ten: one! Louise wins yet again!"
The knights that have already gathered to watch clapped their hands and cheered lively. "Thank you!" Louise bowed down before walking towards his brother to help him stand up. "Now..." She extended her hand to help him stand up. "Do you really, REALLY mean it?" Louise asked with a grin spread across her face.
Rexus answered her by lying back down on the ground- eyes closed- with a chuckle. He was damned tired but telling the truth lightened him a lot...
A whole damn lot...
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Besaid Beach: Three Months Later
"Aunt Rikku!!" Vidina pointed up at the dark, star-filled sky that night. "Another shooting star!" Vidina smiled and paused for a while to make a wish again. "You know," Vidina began, looking up at the sky. "I've been coming here every night with mommy and daddy to wish for your safe return." His boyish smile lit up his whole features making Rikku smile, "It's effective Aunt Rikku! My wishes came true!" After a while, Vidina frowned, remembering something-obivously. "Well, except for my first wish that is... that's why I wished for it again!"
Rikku stared at Vidina confusedly. "First wish? You mean the wish that you made for me?" The little boy nodded with a grin.
"Heeeey..." Rikku frowned, "What's that wish anyway?!" She demanded. The little boy was about to speak up when someone interrupted much to Rikku's dismay.
"Vidina! Rikku!" Wakka suddenly butted in with a boyish grin plastered on his face. "It's time for dinner now. You two should be going back to the village!" He said, signaling Vidina to come over.
"You go on ahead!" Rikku answered, watching Vidina run towards his father. "I'll stay here for a while..."
Wakka nodded and whispered something to Vidina while they were walking towards the village. After a little while, Vidina turned around with a huge mysterious grin on his face, "Take your time Aunt Rikku!!!!"
Rikku looked up wonderingly at the little boy. "Take my time?" She asked out loud as the two finally disappeared in the dark. Oh well... She sighs and looks up at the star-filled sky dreamily.
It looks beautiful... She said as she marveled upon the stillness of the night. It was the most beautiful night that she have spent alone other than those in the island where she would sit on top of the hill that Louise showed her months ago. The view was indeed breathtaking and almost surreal... a nice night may describe it...
...And it would've been perfect if the pestering cold wind would stop blowing on her...
Another gust of wind flew by, sending chills down to her spine. "Oooh!!!! Stop it already!!" She shouted, cursing the wind for its uncooperative mood. "Stupid wind..." She said, propping herself into position for warmth but no matter what she did, the wind blew even more as if it really was annoying her purposely. When she couldn't stand the cold gust of wind anymore, she decided to just stand up and go back to the village but a cloak stopped her from doing so... sending warmth around her chilled body.
"That's what you get for wearing less than you should..." The familiar deep voice alerted her senses. She felt his arms rest on her shoulder after securing the cloak around her. Rikku chuckled nervously, guessing whom the person was. "I-It never really bothered me... uh... until now... that is..." Another nervous laugh came out after delivering her words. When she finally gathered all her senses back in its proper places, she pulled herself away from his grasp. Both of them stared at each other for a while, not knowing exactly what to say to each other.
Finally, Rexus decided to break the ice with his trademark smirk... his best emotional shield, "Well," He said, letting a burst of his overconfidence fill the air, "I was half expecting that you'll burst your bubble out and start calling me names like you normally would."
The comment made Rikku frown. How can this man shift from one personality to another anyway? Was it talent? Or he just enjoys seeing her blow up in anger? "I guess it's just a way of saying that I appreciate your act of kindness..." She said, indicating that she's talking about the cloak.
"That's the least I can do..." He said casually, inserting his hands on the pocket of his white uniform-trench coat. "You were beginning to look like a damped monkey out there..."
Rikku almost flared at his arrogance again. "Why you-!?" She stopped herself in time and turned to go back in the village before she loses it and pound this arrogant man for good. She didn't even know why he loved this guy despite the obvious nuisance he's giving her!
"Aren't you going to ask me what I'm doing here?" He said, raising his voice a little to let her hear but he didn't even bother to move.
"Why should I?" Rikku said without stopping, "So you can brag about your current position as the ruler of Spira?" She asked sarcastically and somewhat bitter. She really didn't mean it but he was playing rough with her... experience already taught her to give each one their dues.
And this was clearly HIS due.
"Not really..." He said casually, trying his best not to sound hurt. "Why would I brag about something I rejected?"
That finally made her stop. She was half thinking that her senses might be deceiving her, "You did?" Rikku asked, turning around confusedly; waiting for another confirmation.
"You sound like my sister..." He said totally rid of all emotions present. "Yes... I did... I didn't like the position anyway." Rexus added.
Rikku blinked twice in shock before turning around to continue walking. "Why didn't you accept it? I thought the world means a lot to you? I thought you want to change everything?"
She didn't hear any reply but after a few seconds of silence, Rikku suddenly felt his hands wrap around her waist, pulling her against him. "Because... I realized that I don't need the world." He whispered on her ear.
"H-How did you catch up with me that quick?" She said, covering up her embarrassment. "I didn't become the leader of a powerful army for nothing." He answered making her frown. "Well, what do you need then?" Rikku asked, trying not to sound too affected about their current position. Right now, she's thankful that it's nighttime. At least it spared her from further embarrassment due to her really, really red face.
He paused for a while, holding her gently before finally answering her question, "I need you..."
Rexus pushed her away and moved to face her. "May I?" He asked, slowly closing the gap that even existed between them. When Rikku didn't move, he immediately took it as a sign of acceptance. "I'm in love with you..." He finally said, before pressing his lips against hers.
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From a distance, a group of people was spying on the unknowing couple. "Ahh..." Louise grinned, handing her binoculars to Riley. "Finally..." She said with a smile. "I didn't know that these two got something for each other..." Yuna said amusedly with a smile. "Was this part of the plan that Paine and Aeris has been talking about?" She asked, making the other member of the Gullwings look at Louise for an answer.
"Partly..." Louise grinned, making the others frown, "Okay! Okay!" She chuckled. "This is the reason why I traveled back through time over and over again. I didn't like the other ending since it involves the death of a family member." A faint mysterious smile appeared on her lips. "This is the best ending that I've ever managed to plan." She sighed in relief.
"Aww..." Aeris looked up at her sister with a smile, "Look at them..." Everyone just smiled at the sight. It made them realize that no matter how stubborn a person is, there's still a tiny little spot there that can still be targetted by cupid's arrow.
"Come on..." Tidus said with a smile. "We better give them privacy or Rikku will be blowing her fuse on us later..."
Riley stood up and smiled nodding at the Blitzball player. "I agree..."
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Rikku pushed him away gently and sighed heavily. "What's wrong?" Rexus asked, following her every movement. "Rikku?" He asked again, looking up at her walking figure with his cloak billowing behind her.
"I'm still traumatized about what happened to me two years ago you know..." She answered with a small smile, "And this time, I'm making sure that you're sincere to me..."
"What?" Rexus asked confusedly.
Rikku turned around to face Rexus. "I'm not making things easy for you... You see, you caused a lot of problems for the Gullwings and you even tried to kill Yuna countless of times. And I don't think that-!?"
Rexus method of shutting her up hasn't changed a bit.
"Will you just shut up and tell me how I can prove myself?" He asked, staring at each others eyes for a while, "You know very well that I'm not very good with girls..." He planted a kiss on her nose and smiled faintly.
Rikku grinned at him and pinched his nose affectionately, "I dunno..." She said, turning around. "Last one to return to the village wins a favor!!" She immediately dashed away from him.
"Rikku!?!" Rexus blinked in shock, and then smiled after realizing what she was doing. "I can easily win this match, you know..." He whispered, grinning mischievously to himself.
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Author's Note: Well? –blink, blink- how'd it go? :) The epilogue is just a click away!!!