The airship containing the broken gullwings landed softly by Djose temple. (spelling?) Paine was the first to leave the airship, and she wasn't quite sure if Yuna or the others would follow. Finally, Brother came out and said that nobody else was coming. Shinra was too busy, Buddy didn't think he could, and Yuna… well, you know. So Paine and Brother entered the temple by themselves.
Things inside were going on as usual, which felt weird to Paine. How can they just keep going? Can't they feel how things have changed!
Paine still remembered what happened the day Rikku left.
Yuna- One of us has to go.
Paine- Go? But we aren't even sure if it will take us to the right place, let alone take us somewhere.
Rikku- Yunie, are you SURE about this!
Yuna- Of course! Even if I have to test it myself.
Rikku- But Yunie! You can't go!
Paine- For once, Rikku's right. Yuna, do you know how much trouble you would cause if you just randomly disappeared. It wouldn't make sense for you to test it.
Shinra- Plus, it might alter the course of events, making it so you aren't in the time you were born could make it so that you were never a Summoner… that Sin was never defeated.
Yuna- But… I can't lose one of you. Not again.
Paine- Yuna! It only makes sense for me to go! I-
Rikku- No! You were in the Crimson squad! You're WAY too important too. Even though hardly anybody recognizes, we need you…
So it was decided, thought Paine. But whoever thought that we'd need you too, Rikku?
"Well, hey there!" said a voice from in front of her. She hadn't been paying attention to the present and found Gippal standing right in front of her. "Whatcha doin' around here? I haven't seen you guys in a while…"
"Well… we had a problem," said Brother awkwardly.
"Like what?" he asked, leaning back and raising one eyebrow.
"Rikku…"
"Rikku's gone!" blurted out Paine. She didn't sound angry, but extremely sad. Her eyes were wet, on the verge of tears, but she wouldn't cry. "Shinra messed up on the time machine, and now she's gone! She's stuck…"
"Stuck where!" Gippal asked, leaning forward worriedly.
"She's stuck… in Zanarkand…
Zanarkand
"D-did you know that I sort of asked to be the first to come?"
Rikku, Tidus and Travis were sitting on a dock at the outskirts of town. Rikku was overlooking the water, and seeing Mount Gagazet(spelling?) in the distance.
"Hmm?" asked Tidus, Travis stayed silent.
"I… I told Yunie and Paine that it made sense that I come, in case it disrupted the course of time… or something… and Yuna was never there to defeat Sin… Or Paine to be in the Crimson squad. It's my fault I'm here."
Tidus put a hand on her shoulder. "Rikku, you didn't know."
"But I had to of if I thought it didn't make sense to lose them!..."
"Umm… will someone care to fill me in?" asked Travis.
Tidus started, "Well, no offense Travis, but…"
"I'm not from here," Rikku blurted out.
"Hm?"
"I'm… I'm from the future. So is Yunie… and Paine…" tears came to her eyes. "And everyone else that I cared about other than Tidus! My friends, my family… everyone…" She whispered the last word. Travis would have laughed, if he didn't think that Rikku was telling the truth. But she was really upset, but he still couldn't believe it.
"I believe I need an explanation…"
Tidus and Rikku told him everything. Travis took it in generally well… except for one thing. He had died when Tidus left, but now he isn't. Was this some weird reality to him? He asked.
"Well… I'm not sure," said Tidus.
"It isn't."
"How can you be so sure, Rikku?"
"Because if it wasn't, I would have woken up from it already. It's lasted too long, and is too real to be a fake. I can just feel it. Travis, I know this is hard for you to understand, but…"
"No. I'm surprisingly okay with it. I guess I shouldn't be telling anybody else, should I?" asked Travis.
"Please?" asked Tidus and Rikku simultaneously.
"No, my lips are sealed. Don't worry. … So how are you going to get back?"
Rikku looked back at the mountain. "I'm really not sure."
(Kk, hoped you liked the chapter. Still need help, or this will be a short fic…)
