Tori Third...

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Later that night Tidus gave Wakka the red sphere, after Wakka had finished it he was smiling sadly, Lulu was at his side, resting her head on his shoulder.

(The sphere:)

An image of a married couple appeared on the screen, they both had red/orange hair and the woman was small and petite and the man was tall and well built, they were both smiling.

" I hope whomever gets this will give it to our sons, Wakka and Chappu of Besaid." Started the man.

"Wakka, Chappu, I want to start off by saying that we are both so proud of you two, you mean so much to us. But in this time of Sin we don't know how long we will be alive. I sincerely hope it is long enough to tell you this ourselves when you are older." Said the mother as the father put his hands on her shoulders.

"That's right, you two are just like your old man, I always did have a passion for blitzball, I remember when Chappu was just a baby, not even three months old when he first picked up a blitzball..." His eyes clouded over, "But we want you to know that no matter what you do, what you become, we will always love you. We want you to live happy, healthy lives and one day grow up and marry, then when you have your kids you can show them this and tell them what your parents look like." The sphere cut off then came back on to see Wakka's mother, holding a young orange haired boy, only 3 or 4, she was singing softly without knowing she was being recorded.

"I have been listening closely, far off in the distance of lands- and it comes to me. A song I know I have heard before... and you are the one who is singing it's sweet melody..." She hummed the rest of the song, while the baby drifted off to sleep, she put him in the crib and brushed his cheek, "Goodnight Wakka," She gazed over to the other side of the small room, "And you too Chappu," The camera closed in on a small baby and then turned off.

(End)

Rikku brushed away a tear, her eyes were shimmering with crystal drops, she was smiling. Everyone was staring at her, she looked at the ground the drops of emotion still falling, she squeezed her eyes shut and then looked at her cousin.

"My mom used to sing me that song, in Al Bhed of course, but... it just makes me remember her..." She explained, she wiped away her tears and then smiled at them all. "'Memories are nice but that's all they are'..." she rehearsed and then excused herself from the party.

Yuna stood up from the campfire circle to run after Rikku but Tidus grabbed her wrist and shook his head. Yuna knew what he meant, she needed time. She stood there, torn, she wanted to run after her cousin and pretend she didn't hear, the other part of her wanted to destroy sin all over again because of the suffering it had caused... the scars will never be healed for those who lost loved ones to Sin. Yuna had lost both a mother and a father because of it...

She sat down. Everyone in the village was silent, all watching Rikku's retreating form that ran into the forest. Obviously going back to the village. Wakka sighed, he stood up and told everyone that it was getting late and that they should go back. He went to go grab some water to but out the bonfire but LeBlanc stopped him.

"Leave it to us love, you go home, we-" She looked back at Logos, Ormi and Nooj "- should be leaving anyways,"

After Brother and Buddy agreeing to drive LeBlanc and Nooj to Guadosolam and to stay back and help everyone packed up their things and made their way back to the Village. Yuna noticed that Paine was missing as well as Rikku, she raised an eyebrow but fallowed Tidus to the village, she knew they could take care of themselves...

Rikku wrapped her arms around herslef and listened to Valefor sing the hymn of the fayth. It soothed her, it made her calm enough to think, she knew Yuna would be worried about her but, listening to that made her realize something.

Even though she had helped to beat sin and Vegnagun, had Gippal and a brother and Father that loved her. She would never have that mother figure back, the one who rocked her to sleep and sang her that song.

It was originally created by an Al Bhed and Yevonite couple, it was two generations ago, and it went to both races of human as a lulluby. It was a song about the woman (an Al Bhed) awaiting the return of her husband, but he was killed by sin, yet the song and couple were known in history as one of the first unions of an Al Bhed and a Yevonite. Well, it was popular in Rikku's home, her mother had been a cousin of the original family that made that song...

Rikku stood up, she walked out of the temple and grabbed the commsphere on her way. She walked to the side of the old temple and made sure no one could see her before opening it up and fixing it. She knew it was late, but she also knew Gippal... he stayed up much later then everyone else and the commsphere there was right beside his office.

A list of options came up on front of her, projecting an transparent image of a list of contents. She tapped Djose Temple with her finger and waited, 'CONNECTING' came on the screen on big blue letters. She didn't know why, but she just needed to talk to someone, that someone was Gippal.

"Rammu?"(hello?) came his voice from the other end, Rikku held her breath and then exhailed as the visual came on, she smiled at him and waved, "Oh hey Rikku! Whoa! Fryd ryppahet, Fro yna oui lnoehk?" (What happened? Why are you crying?) He asked concerned, Rikku smiled sadly.

"I just got reminded that my mother is dead, I just want to talk to someone," She told him, then wiped away her tears with her arm. He didn't look convinced, "Well..."

Yuna shot up in bed, she heard footsteps in the dark, she looked around in the darkness and saw a outline of a person, relieved she threw the covers to the side and got up.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, but knew her voice sounded hopeful, she heard a chuckle.

"Would you like to go on a stroll with me?" he asked extending his hand for her to take. She took it and together they walked out of the hut, something caught Yuna's eye and she stopped Tidus and pointed to where there was a dim glow behind the temple.

They crept towards the temple and Yuna looked around the corner, she heard Rikku's voice and beckoned Tidus to fallow. He still held her hand and together they walked silently towards the sound of her voice.

"...so that's what happened," They heard a sigh and then Gippal's voice was heard.

"Rikku, are you sure you're ok?" there was silence and Yuna guessed that she had nodded, "Well if you are sure..." Tidus looked around the corner and saw Rikku talking with Gippal using the commsphere, but it was a bad move, Gippal saw him and quickly pointed it out to Rikku. "I think you have visitors..."

"I think we've been caught," Tidus caught Yuna's mischevious smile, which meant, 'not quite yet'. They ran towards the forest, Yuna looked behind her and saw Rikku running after them laughing.

They were out of Besaid village and were on their way to the waterfall Rikku decided to give up the chase and went back. They stopped to catch a breather and then they walked all the way to the beach, there were barely no fiends.

Together they sat down on the shore watching the stars, wrapped up in each others touch, Yuna leaned in to kiss him on the cheek but he turned his head at the last second and she caught his mouth.

He reached into his pocket and slipped a ring on her finger, she broke away and gasped.

"It's a promise ring," He stated the obvious, but her eyes welled up with tears and she literally glomped him, making him fall back into the sand. And he held onto her for a long time until the sun came up behind them, they quickly made their way back to Besaid before anyone else woke up.

They walked into the village and greeted Paine, she was up and sipping coffee outside on the temple steps, she stared at them as they walked by her waving and then realized what might have happened and waved back smiling. She caught a glimpse of something shining on Yuna's finger but she thought it was just her imagination.

Later that day as the Gullwings were getting set to leave Lulu commented on the ring on her finger, Yuna blushed, Tidus was helping Buddy, she was alone to tell the small group of close friends. She explained that it was a promise ring and Rikku squeeled in delight, Lulu was taken aback and Paine congradulated her in her mono-tone voice then walked away as if she didn't care.