Disclaimer: I'm not even gonna bother saying I don't own it. You already know.

--

The calm lands; what a change it had gone through in four short years. Auron couldn't believe what was below him. It almost looked like what Bevelle looked like after Braska's calm. Children ran around hands full of treats. Adults acted like kids running from ride to ride. Lovers holding hands, and men tried to win prizes for their dates.

And the sounds. Music blared from one end. Screams and shouts from all over. Attendants shouting to attract customers. It all gave Auron something similar to a headache.

"What is all this?" He snapped.

Rikku smiled. She was, after all, quite used to this. "This is the eternal calm celebration. I think I heard it called an amusement park once." She scratched her cheek as she remembered the word.

"Well I am not amused."

The new summoner sighed. Just wait until he saw what they made for him. She would have to avoid it if possible. "Don't worry. We can catch the hover and be in Gagazet in an hour." She tried to appease him.

Auron said nothing as she walked the grassy ramp that led to the bottom of what used to be the calm lands. She walked over to the booth that held the hovercrafts.

"I'm sorry miss. But the next hovercraft won't be leaving for another hour. Why don't you go enjoy some games until then?" The man said when she asked about a ride.

Not wasting the opportunity to have some fun, she gave a small wave and ran off. She had the extra gil saved from the fiends she had been fighting. Almost an hour later found her wandering what to do before their ride departed. Her arms were full of prizes she had won.

"It is time you head back. The craft will be leaving shortly." He tried to urge the young Al Bhed. Auron wanted out of there as quickly as possible. He couldn't stand any more.

"I know, I know. Just one more game? Please?" She begged. "We still have some time."

"No. We must go now. Zanarkand awaits."

Rikku sighed and began the trek to the hover station. She had almost made it when a shout caught her attention. "Come right up and test your strength against the Legendary Sir Auron! Come one, come all!"

She tried to hide; maybe Auron hadn't heard the call. Luck was not on her side today. The attendant had spotted her and needed someone to draw attention to his booth.

"You there, miss. How would you like to try your strength against the great Sir Auron?" He pointed at her.

"Me?" She squeaked as she pointed to herself. "I don't think so."

"Rikku, what is going on?" Auron asked impatiently.

"This is something I tried to avoid. I knew you would not be happy if you saw it." She informed him.

"Come on miss. Show us what you are made of. If you win I will reward you with the greatest of prizes." He tried to persuade her.

Rikku wasn't buying it. She had other things to worry about after all. "I don't think so." She repeated herself.

"Is the great Lady Rikku scared?" He taunted.

Rikku froze mid-step. If he had recognized her how many others around here would too? She puckered her lips in thought. Did she dare fall for his taunts?

The man smiled knowing he had her. If Lady Rikku would play his game then others would flock to play too. This must have been his lucky day. She turned around and walked back to the front of his stand. "Let me see it." She ordered him.

Without thinking he pulled out the prize he promised to the winner.

"Is that a masamune?" Auron asked angry that he and his weapon were on display for the fun of others.

"I don't believe it." Rikku whispered under her breath.

--

It was nighttime in Besaid when Lulu left her hut. She was supposed to meet someone at the temple stairs in a few minutes. When she arrived a familiar red haired man stood waiting.

"Glad to see you remembered." He joked.

"Yes, Luzzu. I need you to do something for me. I borrowed one of Yuna's com-spheres so we can keep in contact. I want to ask if you would go after Rikku for me. I don't like how she up and left Tidus and Yuna by themselves. Anything could happen to her. Her note says that someone is with her, but according to them, she left alone."

"Why couldn't you have asked me about this, this afternoon? Is it supposed to be a secret?"

Lulu took a deep breath. "Because I don't want them to worry. If they see me worried then they would start to panic." She explained.

"Ahh, yes. I understand." He stated calmly. "What should I tell her when I find her?"

"Just stay with her, and use the com-sphere to keep in touch with us. Let me know where she plans on going and if she gets into any trouble. With Rikku, trouble seems to follow wherever she goes." She held out the communication device. "Call me when you find her and if there is any problems."

"Yes, madam." Luzzu saluted before heading back to his hut. He would take the first boat in the morning and see if anyone had seen her.

--

A soul wandered Spira angry that twice now his plans had been destroyed. All because of a blond Al Bhed. He had to find another host body soon or he would be too weak to take over. What a mess he was in. With all of the people around this area, it was hard to find a fiend close by.

Moving a little farther away, closer to Gagazet, he found what he was looking for. A tonberry had foolishly left the confines of the sunken cave. He gave what could be considered a smile, and possessed the tonberry.

--

"I don't believe it." Rikku said as she eyed the sword. "Where did you get this?" As far as she knew, she held the only one in existence.

"I found it, just south of here." He smirked at his fortune. It soon faded when she turned to walk away.

Rikku panicked. Was she that foolish to lose something so valuable? She dropped her prizes on the ground and slid her travel bag off her shoulder. She scrounged around searching for it. "My sphere, it's gone!" She yelled to herself.

"Relax. Getting upset and panicking will not help." Auron tried to calm her down.

"But what if…?"

"Enough!" He shouted to her. "Did you get a good look at the weapon?"

"The ribbon! I tied that ribbon to the end of it after Yunie found Tidus." She remembered. Standing up, she slung the bag back over her shoulder and made her way back to the stand.

The attendant saw her approach and smirked. She was going to play after all. "You interested in testing your strength?"

"No, I want to know more about that sword you have. Where exactly did you find it?"

"Look, are you going to play or not? Other people are waiting."

"Very well. How much?"

"Ten gil a swing. Try and hit the bell. If you do, you win." He smirked. No one ever won at his game.

"Give me four questions, one for each swing. If I hit the bell, I keep my gil and the sword. If I miss, you keep it and I will triple the price. That's one hundred twenty gil and the sword. Deal?"

He thought hard about this. She didn't look tough and he knew the game was rigged. There was no way she would be able to win. Granted she helped defeat sin, but not by herself. He nodded. "Deal."

"First question, when did you find the weapon?" She picked the hammer up and swung it over her head. It hit, but the marker only moved a couple inches.

"Last night."

"Okay, fair enough. Exactly where was it?" Same as before, swing, hit, couple inches.

"By the lake on Macalania path. Between here and the crystal road."

"Where is the red and yellow ribbon that was attached to it?" Swing, hit, nothing.

The man began to sweat. This girl knew too much. But then again, she still had not been able to hit very hard. Willing himself to calm down, he answered, "I took it off."

Those who had gathered awed at the man and the girl who dared stand up to him. Others had tried, but he managed to sidestep all accusations against him.

"Last question, but I want the answer first. Inside or outside of the bag?" She leaned on the hammer as she waited.

"I um, don't remember." He stuttered. Truth was, he knew he stole it that was how he was able to provide such prizes. If someone was foolish enough to leave it, then it was his for the taking.

"Wrong answer." Rikku picked the hammer up one last time and brought it down hard. The marker shot up and a loud ding could be heard. "Now if you don't mind, I would like back what was rightfully mine." She dropped the hammer at his feet and held out her hand. "The sword, the ribbon, and the sphere."

Sighing, he handed it all back to her. With a smile and warning, Rikku rushed off to catch herself a hover craft. "You can't steal from a thief."

--

People ran as others around them fell dead. A small green fiend walked among them slashing those unfortunate enough to move in time.

"Tonberry!" Someone screamed as she ran. Others picked up on it and followed suit.

Rikku had closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat enjoying the wind blowing through her hair. She could not yet hear the screams of those who were panicked. She felt the hover slow and opened her eyes to ask what was wrong when she saw it. The crowd split just enough for her to see the small green figure.

"I don't ever get a break, do I?" She muttered as she hopped off the now still craft.

"Where are you going? You're going to get yourself killed." The driver warned as she ran.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine!" She yelled. "I hope." She added.

The tonberry saw her approach and lifted his lantern. It was the girl he was waiting for.

Rikku slowed as she thought this through. She quickly cast a flare spell, but the psychic backlash was worse then she expected. She pulled out her twin daggers and lifted them over her head. Bringing them down three blocks of ice followed. A silver figure drifted down and formed Shiva behind the ice. The ice shattered and Rikku held her arm out to catch the cape that would be thrown her way.

"Shiva, cast blizzaga." Rikku called. She had to weaken the tonberry before she could take another swing at it.

Ice surrounded the fiend, but much to her disappointment, it didn't do much damage. The fiend shook his head and created a stone likeness of Shiva in front of him. Rikku knew what this meant. A moment later pyerflies drifted in the air from where Shiva stood only moments before.

"This is getting me no where." Rikku complained. She cast a cure spell on herself before casting slow. He was coming closer and she was not in the mood to be stabbed by the knife he held. "Now is one of the times I wish you were here to help." She said sarcastically to Auron.

"But I am here to help. All you have to do is call me."

"What, so you can be killed like Shiva. I don't think so. This is something I have to do on my own." It was then that she remembered about the dark knight dress sphere.

She pulled it out of her pocket and concentrated on it. Light surrounded her as her boots changed into bronze and her skirt and shirt changed into bronze armor. Once the change was complete she attacked. The backlash was bad, but as much as the first time. This she could handle. She ran and attacked again ignoring the pain it caused.

The tonberry itself was becoming weary with just counterattacking. He needed the summoner closer. Just as he thought he would never get the chance, the opportunity presented itself. She struck, but left her right side wide open. Taking a chance, he thrust the knife in as deep as he could. The only thing visible was the hilt. The girl screamed and moved back shaking. She had not expected that. He lifted the lantern for the final attack that would finish her off, but found she had regained enough strength to bring the sword over her head and down across his own. The blade cut from the side of his head to his feet. This host was done for. He escaped just as the pyerflies left on their way to the farplane.

"You're injured." Auron spoke. "We must find a place for you to rest."

"I know, but not yet. There are many who died here. I have to send them so they don't become fiends. Don't want to leave them here, you know."

Auron agreed. The fact that she was starting to show concern for others above herself showed great maturity. Without realizing it she was growing up.

Rikku cast a cure on her wound before she began to dance. It would be enough to stop the flow of blood until she was done. Once the sending was over she summoned Phoenix. "I need to rest. Can you fly to Gagazet? Kimahri is there. He'll let me stop there." She asked him in broken gasps after he appeared.

He screeched an answer and allowed her to climb on. Once she was settled, he took off for the mountain home of the Ronso.