AN: I would like to do a big YIPPEE for the reviewers, because it's your constant support that keeps the happy dances flowing, lol.

Disclaimer: Other than the Diet Pepsi I'm drinking, I really don't own a damn thing. (The new song on here is Green Eyes by Coldplay. I just figured we needed some new song action, lol)

"Rikku!" I shouted as I took off after her. She ignored me and kept running as fast as she could, in the direction of the airships docked on the far end of the beach.

Her reaction to the sight of me wasn't exactly the best reaction I've ever gotten, but considering the circumstances, and the fact that I just recently had rose from the dead, I could understand. That didn't stop me from chasing after her at the fastest I could run, though.

She was fleeing in blind panic, it seemed. Her hair was streaming behind her, beads flying everywhere. The strings keeping her top up seemed to be coming undone, but she payed no attention and just kept her attention on the huge airship directly in front of her.

Being that her focus was on the airship and not on the sand in front of her, I could also understand why she didn't see the log directly in her path.

"Wait, Rikku, LOOK OUT!" I screamed just before she stepped on the log, tripped, and landed face first into the sand.

I caught up with her in an instant, and dove down next to her, checking for injuries.

"Oh..." Rikku groaned outloud. She rolled over and lifted her head, which just so happened to be covered in sand. All of the beads that were in her hair before littered the beach behind us, the bandana holding it up was barely on her head, and her hair stood up in the middle like a chocobo. Her face was smudged with dirt and she had the most disgusted expression on her face.

She was absolutly beautiful.

I must have had the most goofy expression on my face as she squinted up at me, the spirals of her green eyes glinting in the sunrise. She took in a deep breath, paused for a second, and then started speaking.

"It's not you. It cannot possibly be you."

"Ah, but it is," I grinned at her, but I don't think she really understood the goodness of the situation. She kept staring at me as if I was just a shoopuf that so happened to take residence in her kitchen.

"This can't be happening... This can't be happening to me..." she muttered as she started to stand up, but I stopped her.

"No, you're not getting up, Rikku. I'm still not sure if you're alright."

"I'm alright!" she snapped. "And if you would excuse me, I have to leave."

I grunted, staring her down with eyes, and she squirmed in her spot. She looked down at her feet and clasped her hands behind her back, which I knew was a sign that she was nervous and uncomfortable. The corners of my mouth turned up at the sight of her, sweaty and covered in sand. But I knew in my heart that she looked more beautiful right now than any time I had ever seen her before.

"You do not."

"Do too!"

"Do not."

"Do too, do too, do TOO!" she shouted, then shrunk back in embarrassment.

I started laughing, realizing that we just did the most childish thing possible. It had been awhile since I argued with someone like that. In fact, the last time I argued with someone like that was two years ago, when I was talking to her. Just another reason why I loved her, I supposed.

She didn't find the situation quite as funny as I did though, and with a glare, a grunt, and a spin of the heel, she started off in the direction of her airship, walking in a perfectly dignified way. Or so she thought, considering her clothes were twisted up, one of her shoes was in the sand behind her, and she had a large dirt smudge across both of her shoulders.

"You are such a meanie..." she said as she walked away.

. . . . . . . . . . .

I decided to wait a few minutes before going after her. Hopefully, she would calm down slightly and we could both be a tad bit more mature the next time we started talking.

In the meantime, I reached into my coat pocket and got out a paper napkin and a pen. A new song came to mind when I saw her, and I knew that it was one worth writing down. Sitting down on the sand, I started to scratch the words across the surface, singing it at the same time.

"Honey, you are a rock
Upon which I stand
And I come here to talk
I hope you understand

The green eyes, yeah the spotlight, shines down on you
And how could anybody deny you?

I came here with a load
And it feels so much lighter now I met you
And honey, you should know
That I could never go on without you
Green eyes

Honey, you are the sea
Upon which I float
And I came here to talk
I think you should know

The green eyes, you're the one I wanted to find
And anybody who tried to deny you, must be out of their mind

Because I came here with a load
And it feels so much lighter since I met you
Honey, you should know
That I could never go on without you
Green eyes, green eyes

Honey, you are a rock
Upon which I stand"

Satisfied with the words, I grinned, then sung them again for good measure. I could picture Jenae and Rachelle rocking out to the song in the bar, and it made me laugh outloud.

Picking myself up, I started off in the direction of the airships. I hummed both of my songs to myself, finally cheerful because I actually saw her again. I may not have gotten the best reaction, but it was okay. Just seeing Rikku and hearing her voice was enough for me.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Sounds of a girl screaming snapped me out of my daze. My eyes scanned the entire beach, searching for the source of the sound. There was a group of people surrounding someone near the airships, and I started to move closer, to figure out what was going on.

Suddenly, my breath caught in my throat.

It was a group of soliders, maybe forty or fifty of them. How did I not notice them before?

And in the middle of the group was Rikku, trying to fight her way out.

"Help me!" she screamed, wrestling against the grip of the men.

Then, the sight of me caught her eye. She screamed as loud as she could, fighting towards me. "Auron, please!"

"Rikku, I'm coming!" I shouted as I gripped my katana in my hand, preparing to fight.

"You will do no such thing," a man behind me said calmly. I spun towards the sound, trying to catch a glimpse of the source, but he was faster than me. "We need the presence of Lady Rikku, and you will NOT get in our way."

Then, without a moments warning, I felt a blow to my head, and the world went black.