Disclaimer: If you think I own this, then I have oceanfront property in Arizona to sell you too.

Chibi-sorrow: as always, great to hear from you. But don't worry about Yuna, I have plans for her. By the way, you were so off with them all. Hehe.

Hey great news! You might be able to see Auron in this chappie!

--

The trio stood on the pier the next morning waiting for the SS Liki to show up. The two lovers had tried to convince Rikku to stay till the end of the weak as she had promised, but finally conceded to the fact she had to go to Macalania and soon. Rikku had tried to call Brother to see if he would be able to fly them there, but even as good as the Al Bhed were with Machina, the airship was still out of commission. They would have to travel the old fashioned way, walking.

"Hey, here it comes!" Tidus shouted as he pointed over the horizon. The girls followed his outstretched hand to see the boat.

"Well, I guess this is it then." Rikku said as she prepared to pick up her bags. She had done some shopping in Besaid the night before. She felt that a new outfit would be in order. She stood wearing a black double slit skirt and the same yellow top she wore all the time. But now she wore a pair of black travel boots instead of the brown ones from before. Yuna had burned them when she saw how much oil and grease was covering them. Her hair was pulled behind her in a loose braid.

Yuna looked back and forth from her cousin to lover before speaking. "To Kilika then." She smiled. "After that, Luca. Maybe we can get in a blitz ball game." She suggested as she turned back to Tidus.

"I like the way you think, Yuna. It's no wonder I fell in love with you." He wrapped an arm over her shoulders and kissed her cheek.

The boat docked and Rikku picked up her bags and boarded before she was traumatized by any more affection by the two. She hurried to her room and dropped off her things. She wanted to sit up on the deck and watch as they made their way to the next town. It always was relaxing for her to just sit there and watch as the waves splashed against the sides of the boat.

"Nice, isn't it?" Auron asked after they were unable to see the shores of Besaid. "Braska and I used to like to stand here and do the same thing."

"It's beautiful." She whispered out loud, then spoke so only Auron could hear her. "Auron?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you want to do this? Were you not happy on the farplane?"

"That is not your concern. Your goal is to find Yu Yevon and send him" He answered her roughly. Of coarse she was used to it by now, and so ignored him and kept asking questions.

"But why you? Surely with that many people on the farplane and even here in Spira, there would have been someone else who could have done this. Do the fayth really think I can do this?"

"What do you think?" He knew the answer, but she had to find out on her own. If he told her everything, she would never grow.

"I, I think that I need to talk to Shiva to find out more. I know nothing except machina and only my own selfish desires. I spent the last two years traveling Spira to teach others about how to use machina, but I don't think it taught me anything."

"Then this will be your chance to learn and mature. Use this time wisely." He advised.

Rikku sighed before she heard a click of something behind her. She turned her upper half to see Tidus holding a sphere recorder in his hands.

"You looked so serene sitting there, that I had to record it. Wait till Wakka sees this. He will never believe it." He laughed as she sat scowling at him. "Aww, come on, Rikku. Lighten up. You haven't been yourself since you woke up after Brother dropped you off in Besaid."

Her scowl vanished as she thought about what he said. Tidus was right. She had been withdrawn and moody since she woke up that day. But with what she knew weighing on her, she didn't want to mess it up. The fayth were looking to her. That and she wanted to show Auron that she could do this. She winked at Tidus before pulling her feet up under her and pushing off onto the deck of the boat.

"Fine, I'll lighten up. But you have to do one thing for me in return." She said once she was on her feet in front of him.

"Name it. Anything to get you back to who you were."

She held out her hand waiting. He stood there looking at her with a black face. "Give me the sphere." She said finally.

He sighed as he thought it over. Was it really that big of a deal? All that was on it was Rikku sitting on deck looking over the sea. He wondered why she wanted it. Making up his mind he handed it over to her still waiting hand. "I don't know why, but here you go."

"Thanks." She smiled as she turned around and played the sphere back. The only thing she said was 'It's beautiful.' The rest of the picture was her sitting and thinking. Happy that she hadn't given anything away she handed it back to the now confused Blitzer. " Just had to see it for myself." She giggled as she ran off to see her cousin.

--

In Kilika Yuna went to rent a room for them, but found it to be full. She came out of the inn looking to the ground. "She's says they are full, but if we want, we might be able to get something at the old temple."

"No problem here. How about you, Tidus? Does that sound fine to you?" Rikku asked him as she did a small hop to make him believe she was back to her old cheerful self.

"I don't care where we go. Just as long as there's a bed and food."

"You're always thinking about food. Pretty soon you're going to be as pudgy as Wakka." Rikku teased him.

He scratched his head in defeat. "Yeah, but Yuna will still love me right?" He asked as he turned to her.

Yuna wasn't paying attention though. She had a pained expression on her face and one hand covering her mouth. Her other arm was wrapped around her middle. "Yunie! What's wrong?" Rikku ran up next to her cousin and patted her back.

"Nothing. I, I just felt a little ill. I think it's just a little leftover sea sickness. I'll be fine in a moment."

The two watched in doubt, but stood back to give her some room. When it passed Tidus spoke up. "I think that when we get to the temple, I'm going to talk to the healers there. Maybe they can tell us what's wrong."

"That's a great idea!" Rikku agreed. "Let's go. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can know what's wrong."

Yuna tried to protest, but when two blonds go running off into the jungle there isn't much anyone can do. She followed along at a slightly slower pace. She made it in time to see her cousin and lover leading out a temple healer.

"My Lady Summoner. These two here tell me you are not feeling well. Come, let us have a look at you." He said as he grabbed her hand gently and led her into the temple.

"I'm going to go with her. After all, she might need me." Tidus said.

"Okay. Let me know then. I'm going to go fight some fiends. See you in a little while." Rikku called as she ran down the stairs.

She walked around searching, but they all seemed to have disappeared. "Oh, come on you fiends! It's just your friend, Rikku!" She yelled trying to stir them up. She sat down on a nearby root to think. "Aww. They aren't coming."

"Rikku?"

"Oh, hi, Auron. You know Tidus told me there used to be all kinds of fiends in this jungle. But I haven't seen a single one. How am I supposed to train if there is nothing to train with?"

"Then maybe you can tell me more about that dress sphere Lady Yuna mentioned. I am quite curious about it."

Rikku felt the heat rise to her face. Why did Yunie have to mention that of all things? "Well, you see. Hehe." She scratched her cheek as she thought about how she was going to say this. "I guess I just liked it, you know. It reminded me of someone I lost once."

Thinking he may have known, he continued. "I understand. The loss of Tidus was devastating for many."

Rikku squirmed on the root, but didn't correct him. "Yeah, Tidus." She replied weakly

"Rikku, is there something you should be telling me? Judging by the way your heart is beating, I would say... Look out!" He shouted out to her interrupting himself.

She dodge rolled just in time. Right where she was sitting was a large vine looking appendage. It had shattered the root she had been using to sit on. "About time. Now it's time to party!" She cheered as she waved her twin daggers in excitement. Her eyes followed the vine to see that they connected with, "An Ochu. Great, of all things. I've never fought one by myself." She confessed.

"They are weak to fire." Auron advised her.

Nodding in understanding, Rikku took to the offensive. She cast fira after fira, but it still kept coming. She was about exhausted after twenty minuets of fighting. "I know I said I wanted to train, but this isn't what I had in mind!" She yelled out. Nearing the end of her energy she tried to call out to Valefor. He could cast fira for her. But before she could finish the summon the ochu brought its viney arms up and swept them over its head before bringing them down across her side. The force of it threw her back into a nearby tree. She tried to open her eyes, but only blurry shapes greeted her sight. "Auron, help." She whispered before blacking out.

The heat that surrounded her next would be the only thing she would remember when she woke up.

--

"I can't believe it. Me a father." Tidus said as they left the healers. "This has got to be the best day of my life." He smiled at the woman next to him.

"I can't believe it. I mean I just never would have thought that I would.." She trailed as she took it in. She stared out over the jungle when something caught her vision. "Tidus, what's that?" She pointed.

"Huh? I'm not sure. Come on. Let's go check it out." He said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him as he made for the jungle.

What greeted their site was far greater then either of them was prepared for. Rikku was laying on the ground at the base of a tree with an ochu standing above her. But that was not what surprised them. Surrounding her was a red light. It began to swirl in a clockwise fashion before shooting up about three feet above her. The light then began to form a bird like shape. It spread its wings to their full extent revealing that they were covered in fire. But yet the bird never seemed to be burning, almost as if it was made from the fire. Around its neck was a beaded necklace that Yuna swore she had seen before.

The fire bird then looked at the unconscious form of Rikku. One wing tipped to graze her cheek before flying up to swirl over the ochu. The ochu seemed to scream as fire began to form under it before completely covering it in a sphere of fire. The sphere then closed into itself, and pyerflies escaped to the sky. Just before the last pyerfly flew away, Tidus and Yuna saw a light fly with them, joining them in the sky before disappearing.

The fire bird moved back above Rikku again. It hovered there before surrounding her in the same sphere it had used against the ochu. Though it did not harm her like it did the fiend. Rikku stirred within the sphere. She moaned slightly as she opened her eyes. She bolted upright when she saw the firebird above her.

She smiled at something it said just before it flew away. "I promised that I would not let you die."

--

There that's done. Took me long enough too. I hope that Auron's entrance was explained enough to you. If not, well I'm sorry. Gin