A/N: Thank you all for your patience. I wanna thank AngelTaisha, Anrixan, Ying Ying 54, and Steel Balrog for giving me such inspiration and ideas for writing this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. Oh by the way I started a message board with the above authors and we invite you all to come and check it out. Join the ranks!

http:www.spirasfinest.

Two Worlds Apart

Chapter 4: The Unexpected

Rikku sat outside on the beach absorbing the information that was revealed to her at dinner. She couldn't believe that once again their lives were in danger. The worse part of all was not knowing who their attacker was. It was like trying to fight a fiend equipped with night vision while you couldn't see jack shit. They were all sitting ducks just waiting there to be devoured by this new threat. This sick freak had already torched Yuna and Tidus' house and subsequently they had to stay with Wakka and Lulu until the Besaid Building Committee had restored their home to what it once was or they could always buy a new home. But knowing Yuna she'd want her old house back. . It was all completely unexpected and had caught them all off guard. Damn, she felt so angry.

The cold breeze sent shivers down her spine. In her haste not to return to Besaid she had forgotten about how cold the weather got at nights here on the island. By day the island was a tropical paradise and by night it was so cold it felt like hell was freezing over yet in the time that she had spent on the island she had never encountered weather that wasn't constant. Rikku thought of all the places she had lived in the last six years. From Home in the Bikanil Desert to her cottage on the edge of the Moonflow. And the memory of a year spent in the capital of education brought a gentle smile to her face. Bevelle.

Bevelle-Three Years Ago

"So this is it?" Yuna said with tears in her eyes as she turned to leave. "We're all going our separate ways."

After one last hug goodbye the two cousins departed leaving Rikku standing there alone. She didn't know what to do or where to go. For the last two and a half years she had been traveling Spira and now she had no place to go and nothing to do. Home and been destroyed a few years back and the Al Bheds had relocated to D' jose. But she really didn't feel like going there because for once in her life all she wanted was some quiet. At least for a little while. She could always go to Besaid and be with Yuna but she really didn't want to go there. She didn't want to have to face the pain that resided there that she had cast from her life so long ago.

Rikku was so deep in thought that she didn't even see Baralai approach her. The Praetor of New Yevon stood before her with an amused smile plastered on his golden face. He had never seen the perky blond Al Bhed girl this lost in thought. He had never seen her like this and it almost frightened him yet it interested him at the same time. There must be something of importance troubling her pretty little head. He gently reached out and touched her. She looked up surprised to see him standing there. She realized that she was still standing in the center of the Bevelle Temple's courtyard.

"What are you still doing here?" She asked.

Baralai chuckled. "Well, for one, I work here. Two, I was just leaving on my way home and saw you standing here lost in thought all by your lonesome, so I decided to come bid you farewell once more."

"Oh," she replied looking down at her shoes.

"Rikku, is something the matter?" he asked with genuine concern in his voice.

"I just don't know what to do or where to go," she wailed. Tears were quickly welling up in her swirling green orbs and on the verge of spilling out onto her cream colored cheeks.

Baralai gently pulled her into an embrace. He could feel his heart pounding. He had never in his life been this close to a woman that wasn't in his family. He had lived a very sheltered life in Bevelle. Growing up among the monks didn't give him much opportunity to mingle with the opposite sex. And during his Crimson Squad days Gippal got all the ladies and he was just way to shy. He caressed the back of the head with his left hand, gently running his fingers through her silken hair as he continued to console her. He'd never seen Rikku cry before and for some reason unknown to him it made his heart ache.

Pulling away Rikku looked up into Baralai's deep chocolate eyes. "What am I gonna do Lai?"

"Well for now we can go grab something to eat. I'm famished and you must be too. And then we can discuss things from there. It may be a little unexpected but you can stay with me here in Bevelle until you decide on what you want to do. Sound like a plan?" He said completely surprised at the words coming out of his mouth. He couldn't believe that he had just invited Rikku to come live with him.

Rikku nodded up at him as she linked her arm in his. The two began to walk off in the sunset towards Baralai's town house in the heart of the city. Little did she know she was about to get the calm that she had been so desperately needing and he would get the excitement of his life.

Baralai leaned against the gates of Besaid staring up at the stars. They were just so beautiful. In Bevelle the city lights didn't allow for much stargazing but here on the island it was the most perfect place to take in their beauty. He spotted Rikku walking up from the beach. She had her arms wrapped tightly around herself. He normally tanned skin had turned pale from the cold. She was still wearing next to nothing. Removing his outer robe he approached the shivering young woman.

"You should cover up. You wouldn't want to catch a cold." He said with a small smile as he offered her is green polyester robe.

"Thank you, You've always done a wonderful job looking out for me," she said as she put on his robe.

Baralai could see that her eyes were filled with gratitude and a mixture of a bunch of emotions that he couldn't read. They held each other's gaze for some time before either of them spoke.

"Lai, what happened to us?"

"You didn't love me" he replied lowering his eyes, pain evident in his voice.

"That's not true" she said reaching out to caress his cheek but he turned his face away from her.

"Is that so? Then how is it possible to love someone yet being in love with someone else at the same time?"

"Do you still love me Lai?"

"Of course I do. I'll never stop. You were my first love."

"Do you love Paine?"

"No duh, she's my wife Ri-. Oh." He said looking down at the sand.

"See. It's simple. You can still hold on to you fist love and at the same time love someone else new."

"I guess that makes sense. So does he know you still love him?"

"What? Who?"

"Wakka"

"What makes you-"

"Rikku," he said cutting her off with a wave of the hand. "This is me you're talking to. We lived together for roughly over a year and a half in very close proximities. I know you. And very well I might add. You're not happy. I can tell. I see the forced smiles. I see the pain in your eyes that you're trying so hard to erase with laughter. But you can't and you and I both know it."

"What does me being unhappy have to do with Wakka?" she scoffed.

"You love him. I can see it in the way you look at him. You used to look at me that way once. And as painful as it is for me to say it you love him. And he is what is going to make you happy. And you can't deny it because deep down you know its true."

Rikku opened he mouth to give Baralai a smart-ass remark but before she could get a word out she collapsed into Baralai's arms as he rushed to aid her. It looked down at the girl he now held. He felt wet warms soaking his hands and clothing. Her life was flowing out of her body and on to him. Oh Yevon, he thought, This can't be happening. He screamed for help and began to cast his first curaga spell.

A/N: Ok so my story is not taking unexpected twists that I didn't even know it was going to take. I no longer know what the pairings are. So bare with me. Oh thank you for reading and please review. Chapter 5 is already written. I just need to type it.