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Disclaimer: I do not own FFX or FFX-2.

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Chapter I

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Her dream always started out the same.

There was a grand ballroom, stairs cascading down to the marble covered floors. Couples waltzed across the room, footsteps echoing above the music. Just as the song ended, Rikku entered through the large double doors parallel to the stairs.

She could feel everyone's eyes on her, glaring, unblinking. As if they could stare right through her and learn all her secrets. Rikku meekly edged her way towards the dancers, frightened and nervous. But she didn't know why.

The next song began to play. The dancers resumed their activities. Relief washed over her; she lifted up the edges of her pale golden dress and kept walking forward. That's when she noticed that a single man had not continued to dance. He was standing in the very center of the room, people moving all around him. No one noticed him, no one cared. He was staring at her.

Rikku felt herself step toward him, eyes locked with his own. The man had the most piercing chocolate brown eyes. They looked so familiar. His skin was tan, his body lean yet muscular. His spiked hair almost matched his eyes.

The man held out his hand to her, and she willfully took it. His presence felt so familiar. His other arm wrapped around her waist.

Then he kissed her.

The dream ended.

Her Chocobo alarm clock went off, the noise penetrating her blissful sleep. Rikku groaned, swatting her arm in the direction of the annoying sound. When she failed to hit anything, her green swirling eyes snapped open.

"Ohh, boy. Do I have to get up?" The Al Bhed whined to her alarm. The Chocobo clock only continued to squeek, "Kwee! Kwee! Kwee!"

'I guess that's a no,' Rikku thought sourly to herself. She mentally reproached herself; it wasn't like her at all to be pessimistic. She was always the spunky, bubbly Al Bhed Princess, the one everyone counted on to cheer them up. She couldn't be unhappy. It was against her lifestyle. But lately, she had just felt so alone. And that was the only thing she couldn't handle: loneliness. It was something she never had to deal with, something she never wanted to. There was no turning back now, though; everyone else had an occupation. It was time for her to grow up.

Yuna had retired back to Besaid, her home at heart. And of course, Tidus was there. They had gotten married a while back, and as much as Rikku was happy for them, she just felt so numb inside. Yeah, she was glad her cousin was happy, but what about her?

'Oi, I sound so conceited and self-centered right now... I'm not even talking out loud; that's really sad.'

Paine had been hanging out with her old friends, from the Crimson Squad lately. Particularly Nooj and Baralai. From the looks of it, Rikku could see that their old friendship was being rekindled. Paine was spending less and less time visiting Yuna, and she only saw Rikku when she stopped by to meet with Gippal.

Yeah, Rikku was Djose Temple. Let's face it, she had no where else to run to. Life at Besaid drove her crazy; it was just so boring. And no, it's not that Rikku had ADD. She just needed some action. And besides, Besaid wasn't exactly that fond of machina.

After a few months of idley running around and bugging nearly everyone she thought was her friend, Cid had ordered Rikku to do something with her life after the defeat at Vegnagun. His first suggestion was to keep Brother out of trouble. When Rikku outright refused to go anywhere near her Mohawk bearing, tattoo-covered sibling, Cid suggested that he help her with his business in Zanarkand. Rikku laughed right in his face at this, a sarcastic and cruel laugh. Exasperated, Cid ordered her to sign up at Djose. He didn't care what she did, she could dig at Bikanel, she could fix machina - anything. As long as she did something.

So here she was, working in Djose Temple, tinkering with machina for the last few months. Rikku got paid well enough, but the workers were driving her crazy. The male portion was full of cheesy pick-up lines, and apparently the only topic open for discussion in the female portion was Gippal. From the usual dose of gossip she endured every day, it was clear that he had gone out with over half of the girls that worked for him, and a few of them more than once.

It made Rikku sick, the fact that all of these girls adored him, even though he didn't care a smidgen about them. And it pained her that she was only one of the many that had fallen for him. So, after about fortnight of listening to the women's mindless chatter, she started avoiding Gippal. It was easy enough; Gippal didn't exactly go out looking for her, and she reported to other workers that were superior to her. Gippal was the head honcho, and she was new; there was no way she'd report directly to him, anyway.

The reoccurring dreams, the empty feeling of loneliness, and her sense of rejection had slowly brought Rikku from happy-go-lucky to depressed. Maybe not depressed, exactly, but out of it. She no longer cared for gossip or visiting old friends or parties. Rikku spoke less, and when she did, her voice was quiet, almost eerie.

Unbeknownst to Rikku, Gippal had noticed her change in disposition. He noticed her eat less, speak less, smile less. He noticed that she was avoiding him. So, he took the liberty of searching her out at lunch hour one day.

Gippal eventually found her in a corner of the cafeteria, reading. Reading. 'Rikku plus reading equals disaster. Something strange is goin' on.' Gippal thought to himself, a little bewildered at the sight. It was an instruction manual for building a certain machina, but still. Freaky.

"Hey, Cid's girl," Gippal flashed a smile, noticing a gaggle of female workers a few tables away gaping at him.

"I have a name, Gippal," Rikku spoke, a serious tone in her voice. Her eyes lingered on a page of the manual before she snapped the book shut and gazed up at him. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Gippal looked a little uncomfortable. He wasn't used to a girl acting so rude to him, especially Rikku. "Well, for starters, you could eat something. I can't have people thinking that I starve my workers," he joked.

Rikku's mouth twitched, but she didn't smile.

"Look, do I really need an excuse to talk to an old friend?"

"Yes," Rikku instantly replied, then covered it up. "No, no you don't. I guess." She flipped the pages of her her manual idly.

"Something's wrong," Gippal said. A statement.

"With?"

"You," he took a seat across from her.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do."

Rikku didn't reward him with an answer. She kept silent.

"What is it, Rikku? You know you can trust me,"

Rikku almost snorted at this statement, an ugly thought filling up her mind. 'Just like all those other women can trust you? Please. I'd rather talk one of those women ogling at you over there.'

"Excuse me?" Gippal asked incredulously. Rikku sounded pissed.

'Whoops. I guess I accidentally said that out loud.'

"Heh, it's not my fault that they ogle at me. Who could resist?"

Rikku snapped her book open forcefully, and resumed her reading. "Go away," She tried the best to make her voice uninterested, unwavered by emotion.

That little comment got under Gippal's skin. "In case you forgot, I'm the leader of the Machine Faction. I could have you fired like that," he snapped his fingers and grinned. When Rikku failed to respond or even give any sign that she had heard him, Gippal rose from the table and walked away.

As soon as Gippal had left the premises, the group of 'Gippal's girls' stumbled over to her table and plopped down all around her.

"So," one of the wide-eyed Al Bhed woman said, "What did he say to you? Did he ask you out?"

"When are you going?"

"It can't be this weekend, Runnet is already going out with him-"

"Maybe he cancelled it; she's going to be so angry..."

"Isn't he gorgeous?"

"Rich, cute, and Al Bhed. The works."

"I can't believe you grew up with him in Home." One of the more intelligent girls cut in. "Tell me, what was he like?"

"Oh yes, tell us!"

"I bet he was really sweet-

"So adorable."

Rikku cleared her throat and gazed at the women, since ignoring them obviously hadn't worked out as well as she had hoped. "He was cocky and arrogant. The Gippal I knew teased and tormented me, pulled my braids and called me a baby. He told his friends that we were going out, just because my father was Cid."

"You're Cid's daughter?" One of the less bright girls asked, receiving a glare from the others.

"Duh, that's why Gippal calls her Cid's girl."

"He calls her Cid's girl?"

"Wow, she even got a nickname from him!"

"I want him to give me a nickname."

"I hear he calls Talia 'Tee', that's sort of a nickname."

"Everyone calls her that, Alice."

Rikku slowly rose from her seat and edged from the table, now that she was out of the conversation. Any more of that and she'd be ready to jump off of a tower in the Thunder Plains.

She needed to get away from all of this, from everything, even if just for a little while. Maybe she'd take a few days off and go stay at an inn for a little bit. Yes, that sounded like a great idea. She'd leave early tomorrow afternoon.

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First Person - Rikku POV

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Rikku gingerly opened the door of the inn, glancing carefully at her surroundings. The walls were tan, the hard wood floor a maroon color. Beautiful paintings of the desert hung from the walls. All in all, it seemed like a very warm, comforting place to stay. To relax. She made my way up to the innkeeper's desk; he was a cheerful looking burly man, with red cheeks and a bright smile. "Welcome to the Macalanian Inn," he smiled at me. "You have reservations? If you don't, you'll have to leave. This place is booked. Since Macalanian Woods have stopped dying, we set up here. Who'd have thought it'd be such a hit?""It's under 'Rikku'," She informed him, again looking around, taking in the comforting atmosphere.

"Ah, here it is. Room 212, third floor. Here's your key," He handed her a worn out looking silver key, a key chain attached reading, '212'. "Have a nice stay," he tipped his hat to her and went back to whatever he had been doing.

Since Rikku had brought nothing with her, she slowly made her way to the common room. She had never been to this large of an inn, it must have really been a hit. And completely booked? Maybe she'd meet a few people, to take her mind off of her troubles.

The first thing she noticed when she entered was the amount of loud, boisterous people occupying it. Not to mention the number of drunken fools at the bar. There were instruments playing in the background, a low melody. Rikku made her way to the bar, and ordered some water. The workers at the bar laughed at her. Rikku rose an eyebrow. They stopped laughing.

Water in hand, Rikku took a seat near a corner, against a wall. Taking a sip, she noticed it wasn't water; it was tea.

"Do they even have water in this place?" Rikku hissed, drinking a little bit more. Well, what could she say? It was good tea.

Leaning back and sighing, Rikku noticed that a new song started to play. She froze when she heard the melody.

It was the song that started to play in her dream. The song that started when she entered the ballroom. She new it was just a tune, just a melody, but it seemed as if it should have lyrics... As if it actually had lyrics.

Her thoughts were shattered when she heard a man start singing. Apparently he wasn't apart of the musicians, because everyone's gaze snapped towards the direction of the voice.

The man was sitting at a corner bench table, a large dark cloak covering his figure. She couldn't see his face, but her chosen spot was awefully close to his. His voice sounded so familiar.

The music didn't stop when he started singing, it merely got louder. The lyrics just fit, they were apart of the song.

He sang: "Living my life in a slow hill,

Different girl every night at the hotel,

I ain't seen the sun shine in three damn days.

Been fueling up on cocaine and whiskey,

Wish I had a good girl who'd miss me,

Though I wonder if I'll ever change my ways,

I put your picture away, sat down and cried today,

I can't look at you while I'm lying next to her."

To her vast amazement, her mouth opened up and lyrics poured out, lyrics that Rikku had never even heard before. How did she know them?

Everyone's eyes went to me for a moment, then they slowly turned back and just listened. The man in the corner's eyes widened; he was apparently just as confused and bewildered as she was.

Rikku sang: "I called you last night in the hotel,

Everyone knows but they won't tell,

But their half-hearted smiles tell me something just ain't right,

I've been waitin' on you for a long time,

Fueling up on heartaches and cheap wine,

I ain't heard from you in three damn nights.

I put your picture away, I wonder where you've been,

I can't look at you while I'm lying next to him."

The lyrics ceased, and Rikku looked up at the man, wondering if he was going to start. He locked eyes with her, still the same bewildered expression as before.

Rikku sang: "I saw you yesterday with an old friend.

He sang: It was the same old same, 'How have you been?'

They sang: Since you've been gone my world's been dark and gray,

He sang: You reminded me of brighter days,

Rikku sang: I hoped you're coming home to stay,

I was head of the church,

He sang: I was off to drink you away,"

They sang: "I've thought about you for a long time,

Can't seem to get you off my mind,

I can't understand why we're living life this way,

I found your picture today,

I swear I'll change my ways,

I just called to say I want you to come back home,

I just called to say I love you, come back home."

The song ended. Everyone turns back to their drinks and company, and the musicians start playing another song. An irrelevant song.

Rikku felt herself rise up and walk towards the man's table. 'What am I doing? What am I thinking?' she thought desperately as she sat down across from the man. They sat in silence for some minutes, eyes locked. Then, the man lowered his cloak. Rikku gasped aloud, and then scolded herself. She had known since the song, since the voice. It was the man from her dream. From the look on his face, she could tell that he recognized her as well. Is it possible that they had been having the same dream?

'Keep calm, Rikku. Calm,' she told herself, over and over.

"What's your name?"

"Leije," he answered in a husky voice. "And you're Rikku, I presume?"

She nodded. Silence followed.

"That was an interesting event, I must say," Leije finally broke the silence, referring to their little duet.

"Yeah... weird," she answered lamely, causing him to smile, a bit nervous.

Staring at him intently, Rikku commented, "You look familiar."

"As do you."

"No I mean... You look like someone I used to know, I think. Not from the dream," she stuttered, and then started cursing in Al Bhed.

"Dream?" A smile played at his lips.

"Ah, did I say that? What dream? I didn't have a dream, and if I did, you certainly wouldn't have been in it, and there wasn't any dancing either-" Rikku blurted out without thinking, as Leije laughed at her.

"Auron!" Rikku gasped, thoughts finally linking together. "That's who you remind me of. Did you know him? Sir Auron, that is?"

His laughter died at the mention of that name.

"Well?"

"He was my father,"

Rikku's eyes widened at this remark. "Auron had a son?" she sputtered.

"Yes," He raised an eyebrow. "My father left to be a guardian when I was seven. I didn't know him very well before he left. A very distant man, my father was."

"Yeah..." Rikku commented, thinking of how he had acted on Yuna's pilgrimage. He was awfully moody, even if he was dead. "So, where do you live?"

"Live? I don't live anywhere."

"You wander then? Don't you have any family left?"

"My mother."

"Where does she live?"

"Bevelle."

"I'd like to meet her. Since I knew Auron and all." Rikku pondered.

Leije grinned. "Well, that was pretty forward of you. Already want to meet my mother, eh?"

Rikku's cheeks heated up, but she brushed that aside. "Ugh, that's not what I meant. I mean.. Oi, you're just like Gippal!"

Leije gave her an odd look. "Who's Gippal?"

"Oh, no one. Just some jerk I grew up with."

"An Al Bhed, then?"

"Mhm. He's the leader of the Machine Faction."

"You work there?" Leije inquired.

"How'd you know?" Was this guy psychic or something?

"Well, considering you're wearing a shirt with a Machine Faction symbol on it..."

Rikku grinned sheepishly. "Oh yeah. Duh."

Suddenly, Rikku started to feel really antsy. As nice as this inn was, she was changing her mind about staying. She had just found Auron's son! Time to introduce her to Yuna, Tidus, Wakka... Mission time.

Rikku stood up. "Let's get going,"

The man opposite of her looked startled. "Going? Where?"

"To Djose Temple. That's where I'm staying, and then we can head off to Besaid - No, I'll tell Yunie to come to Bevelle, and we can meet there, and then you can introduce me to-"

"Slow down, girl. Since when am I going anywhere?"

"Since I said so! You have to meet Yunie!" Rikku's eyes pleaded at him to come. Leije had no intention of not going anyhow, so he pretended to give in.

"Oh, all right. Are we going now or tomorrow morning?"

"Now!"

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Oh yes, this Leije is in no way connected with the Leije from Remember to Forget. x.X Also, the song does not belong to me. I totally don't remember who wrote it or who sings it so… yeah…

Hmmm, I wasn't sure on which title to use for this. I like them all… e.e; Any suggestions on which I should use?

Unwanted Feelings

Yearning For You

Never Alone (Current one)

Empty Dreams

Mujehk Oui