Author's Note: Hooray! Chapter 6. There's nothing I like better than spending my snow days writing. I like this chapter, even though it's all oatmealish(Inside Joke). Anyways, you might learn something quite interesting in this chapter that will play out in the ones to follow. It was Kristen's idea, so I dedicate this chapter to her. I love you, Kristenems!

"I won't ever forget..."

Curses and other such explicit language. Try as they might to succeed, every attempt is shot down by this girl. She is simply too much to handle. Everything thrown at her was useless, but there was still one option left. They weren't completely spent. This time, this way, success would be born.

Having been following this path for who knows how long, Rikku was beginning to get tired. On this little trek she had counted her footsteps from the agonizing boredom that was brought forth. What she wouldn't give just for someone to be there now. Even Gippal in all his stuck-up fag-boy glory would have been a nice addition to the silence. She could beat up on him and he wouldn't even know, because it's impossible to see. Then she could laugh menacingly and torment him for all the things he did to her back when they were kids. He was such an ass. Plain and simple. And how odd it is that the ass is exactly where he takes it, from Baralai. She giggled at her own thoughts and began to wonder how Baralai puts up with the egotistical brat on a daily basis. She had no problem with Baralai, however, as he had never done anything to her. In fact, 'Lai was a good buddy of hers and she knew she could trust him with her problems. Gippal, on the other hand, just needed to be smacked. Hard. By Paine, 'cause she's a lot stronger than Rikku.

Distracted by the humorous images of Paine beating the snot out of Gippal, she didn't realize that in the pitch black tunnel, there was an even darker shape coming closer with every step she took. She was on the verge of laughing out loud as a picture of Gippal being attacked by chocobo's and Clasko formed in her head. The glee spilled over and she laughed for the first time in what seemed like eons. Even in all this darkness and failure of her retentiveness of all the bad memories, she really, truly laughed. The kind of laughter that lights up eyes and strains your lungs for oxygen. Then she ran right smack into a boulder, and groaned in pain.

"Ow, dammit. Who put a boulder here!" She complained, kicking at it, but only hurting her foot. She laid her hand on the cold rock and tried to find a way around it, though she soon found that it blocked the entire passageway. "Oh c'mon! I'm just a girl, and you expect me to move this overgrown pebble? Not fair at all! That's hitting below the belt!" She shouted, at no one in particular, she just really felt like complaining. It felt so good to get all this pent up frustration out, that she figured that she could groan and whine about the other things that were annoying her.

"And what about this stupid darkness, I mean, have you ever hear of electricity? Fire? I don't mind nighttime, but it's supposed to only last 12 frickin' hours! Not all the frickin' time! And what the hell is wrong with place? What happened to color? You know, pigment, hue, yellow, orange? Even Paine is more colorful than this place. And dammit, I'm tired of being alone! This is so outrageously boring, there's not even music to listen to! I'm sure you don't want ME to sing, but I will if this doesn't get a little more interesting. Is anyone even here, am I the only living, breathing creature in this hell-hole? HELLO! God dammit, somebody talk to me!" Oh yeah, that felt way too good to be real. She kicked the boulder again just for the heck of it and sat down, leaning her back against its cold surface.

What was she going to do now? She was up 'chocolate creek without a popsicle stick' and about to just go over the edge. She breathed out a sigh and leaned her head back, shutting her eyes tightly. Now that she thought about it, she was rather tired and the muscles in her legs were screaming from all the boring walking she had just done. Her foot was throbbing from where she kicked the boulder and her back hurt from having nowhere proper to sit or lay. This sucked. Royally, beyond all else sucked. In fact, it sucked so much that she wanted to scream, and scream she did.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" It felt good too. Real good. Better than sex good. But hey, she was only 18, she wouldn't know if that was for real. Nope, she was innocent. As innocent as she could be, however. It was a good expression though. She just kept on screaming until her throat hurt and she was too tired to continue. Once she was finished with her screaming, she slumped over on the cold cavern floor and curled up into a ball. Sleep might be a good option considering she would need a helluva lot of strength to move that stupid boulder, though she might have to climb up it or actually use her head for something other than picturing Gippal getting the bejeezus beat out of him, no matter how funny it was.

Then again, what if there were things in the darkness, just waiting for her to lose her guard and then eat her up like a twinkie. It probably didn't help any that she had just been shouting wildly into the air and screaming with all her might as if to say "Hey, all you vicious, Rikku-eating beasties out there! Come and get me, I'm cold and tired and don't have anything to arm myself with! Free meal! I taste really good too, kind of like chicken, but better!" Great, just when she was spent, bored, and ready to drift into a wonderful Auron-filled dreamland, the paranoia just had to show up and dance in front of her face, a reminder that the darkness was filled with icky hungry creatures. Peachy. Just peachy.

So instead of sleeping, she just lay there with open eyes, staring out into the tunnel and wondering if every flicker or flinch her imagination created was going to come eat her. Not very restful, but at least she was a slight bit comfortable. She moaned and whined and complained in her head for a little while, wishing that Auron could show up. And then she got an idea, remembering something he had told her. Even if she couldn't see him, he said he'd always be there. So she had never been alone at all this whole time. Though, it was quite easy to forget something like that when you're ranting. She grinned goofily and snuggled up against the boulder.

"Hey, Auron. Wee. This feels weird. I'm talking to you, but since I can't see you I feel like I'm talking to myself. I guess it's no better than when I was shouting at the rock..." She said, experimentally, trying to hold back the giggles at how silly she felt, talking to herself like this. Though she wasn't too surprised when she got an answer.

"No, I guess not, Princess. By the way, do you feel better after that rather spontaneous outburst?"

His voice seem to ooze from the walls of the cave and it kinda creeped her out and relaxed her at the same time. "Actually, I do. I guess I was so frustrated that it found it's own way out. Speaking of which, how the hell am I supposed to get pass this boulder? It's not like I'm strong enough to move it."

"Your answers will come in time, Rikku. You may be surprised at how they are achieved, but keep an open mind. Do not let fear dictate your actions, because there is no need for fear. I will recommend that you pay close attention to your surroundings."

"So um, you're telling me that there really are big mean Rikku-eating beasties out there?" Maybe her paranoia was justified then, and maybe she should stop resting and find some way out of here, and quick.

"No, no, dearest. That's not what I'm saying. And you can rest assured that if there were any 'Rikku-eating beasties' out there, they'd have eaten you by now. What I'm saying will make sense when the time comes, just make sure you don't miss it."

She smiled uncontrollably, wishing he could be here so she could give him a big, squishy hug. "Auron?"

"Yes, princess?"

"I'm glad you're here with me, even though I can't see you." She said, feeling inexplicably enlightened, though wishing with all her heart that he could be here physically.

"I promised you a long time ago that I would always be there for you. I always keep my promises."

Following that, she felt as if she was flying, leaving behind the cold hard ground in favor for a bed of clouds. It did not take long, however, for her to find out she really was flying away. Though she felt more like a plastic bag caught in an updraft than a bird at flight. Since she had always been a little afraid of heights (even if she never mentioned it), she shrieked. "Auron? Is this supposed to happen?" She called out, hoping that it was.

"No! Shit, this can't be happening. Hold on, Rikku! Fight it!"

She tried her hardest to fight the updraft, but instead of getting closer to the ground, which she was beginning to miss despite its lack of heat and uncomfortableness, she merely remained stationary, not going up and not going down. Sort of like floating. When she looked down, she noticed that the darkness had begun to fade and she saw a very familiar outline standing there. Auron. But how?

"Rikku! Try harder!" He shouted up to her, his voice filled with concern as he reached a hand towards her. "Don't wake up, now. You have to keep fighting! It's the only way..." He trailed off and she could sense an underlying tone of sadness in his voice. So she fought the wind, flailing her limbs and acting purely on the desire to be with him. She struggled until she could grasp his hand, using both of her hands as he gripped onto his arm with all her strength. He pulled her down and she could feel the wind die, she had won, they had won, and most of all, Auron was standing right there.

She leapt into his arms and buried her face in his crimson coat, a smile painting her lips and tears of joy rolling down her cheeks. She held onto him, afraid that if she were to let go then he would fade again, she never wanted to be without him again. In his arms, his embrace, she felt whole again, like everything is perfect. She was surprised everything didn't get all bright and sunny and that they weren't serenaded by songbirds because that's how she felt with him. It was euphoria. Here, with the Legendary Guardian Sir Auron to hold and kiss and love she felt like she could drown in her own happiness. Neither of them said a word, they simply clung to each other like their lives depended on it. She bit her lip as she leaned back in his arms, glancing up at his face, those foolish sunglasses and his silver-streaked hair. He brushed his rough and calloused fingertips against her cheek, flicking away the tears that fell from her swirled jade eyes and smiled that handsome Sir Auron smile, which made her heart grow wings. And as she stood up on her tiptoes to kiss the lips she had once forgotten about, she knew with every fiber of her being that this was the man she was meant to be with for the rest of her life. This was the man of her dreams, the only one for her.

It's just a shame that he's dead...

Or is he?