A trip to the beach evolves into a memorable morning.

Thank you for the follows/reviews.

italics = denotes thought or memory (for the most part)

Not Mine

Guardians - 3 Days Until the Coronation

What had started as a plan to go cafes and wander around Besaid getting to know the island for what it had become and not what it used to be, had quickly been derailed when Yuna's meeting had been pushed to an earlier mid-day time. So now they were left with this, and honestly Rikku wasn't sure what this exactly was. After eating a quick breakfast at Tidus's favorite place they had gotten easily sidetracked. Somehow this had lead back to the private beach in front of Tidus and Yuna's home. The sun still hung low in the sky, letting them know that it was not mid-day yet.

Rikku picked up a stone and cast it against the water hoping to see it skip but knowing instead it would get swallowed up by the waves. This wasn't a lake after all, there was a lack of tension in the water that was needed to make the stone dance. Instead the ocean roared loose and free. The rock hit the water and quickly sank as the waves swarmed around it, pulling it down onto the sandy basin below. As the rock disappeared she let out a loud raspberry and walked back to where Tidus, and Kimahri were watching her. She flopped down next to Tidus and shaded her eyes from the sun, "I'm bored."

"I cannot believe you are the one with a young child, and I the adult one." Tidus told her.

"Rikku still hyperactive. Need structure." Kimahri agreed.

"I have structure! And a job! It's just a lot more interesting than all this sitting around. I miss Yunie."

If she had known that she was going to be sitting around the whole day she would have put off coming by a day. There were still treasures to be found, sand to dig around in. She couldn't stop thinking about the Cactuar nation she had found. Benzo had been kind enough to start right away and was sending her daily updates of things he had overheard through the equipment he had set up around, but not in - the little home they had found.

So far he had discovered that the Cactuar's had created an antidote to the poisons that sometimes coated their needles, and that to drink they had long roots that they could bury underground to find long lost recesses of water. This he had told her with a grin on his face, hands waving this way and that. She had laughed at him, and how excited he had been but honestly she envied him. Rikku had been here only one day and what little time she had expected to spend with her cousin had been cut short. It was infuriating. Kimahri didn't mind the long chunks of time where they went without seeing each other and he sometimes got to see Yuna in political settings too. Meanwhile Tidus got to see Yuna everyday. Rikku didn't get those excuses and "because I'm her cousin!" never really went over well, "When last time you see Yuna?" Kimahri asked.

"Six months ago. I knew she was going to be busy but I hoped -" Rikku shook her head, "No. Now is not the time to be sorry for myself. Has everyone gotten Yunie a coronation present?"

"Kimahri not sure. Ronso gift not good human gift."

This was true. Rikku remembered the kerfuffle that had happened when Kimahri had presented his gift to celebrate the signing of the document that had ended the cold war between the Youth League and New Yevon. The giant ax, and Rikku did mean giant - the blade had been almost as big as her, had not gone over well at what was supposed to be a party to celebrate peace. Kimahri had said that it was a peace ax, meant to symbolize that bloodshed was over. The bigger the ax it was said the bigger the friendship that was just forged. This was the second biggest ax that the Ronso had ever crafted, the biggest being a pair of twin axes that hung over Nhadala and Gippal's workstations. Reparations for the Ronso's long history of bigotry against the Al Bhed.

After seeing the weapon a lot of Yevonites who did not understand Ronso culture had accused Kimahri of trying to start a war. In any other situation this would not have been seen as a minor slight. However Kimahri was a Ronso and telling a Ronso that they were attempting to declare war when they were decidedly not was considered more than just a small slight. Kimahri had growled at this and gone on to explain, in detail - just what he would have done if he was declaring war as he had been wrongly accused. Finally both Gippal and Nhadala had stepped in to explain what the ax meant, and how significant it was that it was as big as it was.

When the whole thing was over everyone had discovered to their dismay that Yuna had slunk off into the back of the room to laugh at them all. She had tried her best to explain but in the end had said the whole thing was so funny and so absurd that she just couldn't help herself. And that had been the end of that, "You must have some idea." Tidus told Kimahri.

"Some. If done by tomorrow give to Yuna. But if not done Kimahri worry, Kimahri empty handed. Prideless."

"You shouldn't worry so much about it. Yunie will love it no matter what it is, and you know she doesn't care about pride or any of that." Rikku tried to comfort him.

"What you get?" Kimahri asked her.

"I can't tell. It's a bit private. But I think she'll like it." Rikku turned to look at Tidus, "And you?"

"It's a process. I didn't even know I was going to get her a gift until recently. But it should be done soon. Today even."

There was a pause and then Rikku sighed, "I can't believe Yunie is going to be the leader of Spira. I suppose I should have known that this was always coming, that it was inevitable but it doesn't seem real."

"It was always going to happen some way or another." Tidus said, "People need her, and even when she leaves they can't let go."

As he spoke something unrecognizable crossed his face, and Rikku swore it looked like pain. But the expression was gone so quickly that Rikku was sure she had imagined it. From what Tidus told her in their comms he and Yuna were happy. So why suddenly did he look so sad? Rikku stored it away as something she would have to ask him about later. He was her best friend, and she would get to the bottom of his heartache, real or imagined.

Tidus grabbed a handful of sand and let it pour of of his fist from the bottom like an hourglass. Rikku stared at the stream transfixed for a moment. Every so often the wind would displace one grain of sand and it would float away from the flow before blurring in with the background of the shore, once again one grain among many. Then the water would come up and lap the sand away, dragging it into the ocean where it would either erode or journey to other shores, other beaches.

Rikku had listened to Yuna's interview on the radio a few days ago as she had been cleaning her work-space, body smudged with grease. As Yuna had begun to talk Rikku had put her oil stained rag down and just listened. Yuna had spoken about time, about not repeating the mistakes of the past, about never looking back, how you couldn't look back. Rikku wondered if that was how the grain of sand felt - that it couldn't look back, could only go forward once it had been plunked from the stream, "Rikku ok?" Kimahri asked.

"Rikku thinking." She answered him, "Too deeply maybe. Time to stop - deep thinking has never been my forte. Leave that to the big wigs."

"Uh… guys?" Tidus spoke up.

Turning Rikku looked up at the horizon where Tidus was pointing and felt her jaw almost drop. In front of them had to be a flock of at least thirty or more condors. They were flying toward them like a massive cloud of smoke, billowing and changing shape with the wind. As they drew closer their cries could be heard over the gale of the sea. Overall condors were not too powerful but with that many of them Rikku knew they could quickly become overwhelmed. Despite the odds they couldn't let that many of them get inland. Not everyone was equipped to deal with threats such as these and New Zanarkand had a very small standing army. Most of it still residing in Besaid, having not made the transition to the new Capital.

With little hesitation Kimahri sent a fireball spell into the group of condors. The fire connected with one of the birds, and killed it on contact. The flying bestial like birds noticed instantly, a loud ruckus cry going up inside their flock. Challenge accepted, their focus changing to the small group on the beach. The battle it seemed, was on.

Reaching into her bag Rikku grimaced at what she found there. Considering that she had planned to be in the city she only had one dressphere on her and hadn't even seen it necessary to bring any of her normal spheres. In fact the one sphere she had seen fit to bring with her was one that she was in the process of breaking in, and thus had less experience with. Despite this Rikku knew it could be worse. She could have been like Tidus currently was - which was weaponless. Touching the sphere she felt the change come over her and had to push the big floppy hat that appeared on her head out of the way of her eyes, "Hate this very much."

It didn't stop her from casting a large bolt of lighting into the the sky to match Kimahri's weak fire spell. It caught a few of the condor by surprise and three of them burst into pyreflies while the rest dodged out of the way, "Black Mage?" Tidus asked a little confused by her current choice of dressphere.

"At least I'm not going to fight them off with a stick!"

"Fight now. Joke later." Kimahri told them.

"Listen, if we are facing crazy odds that's the only time to banter." Rikku fired back.

By that time the condors were upon them, swarming and thick. In rapid succession they dove bombed down. Rikku rolled out of the way of most of them, but that didn't stop three of them from getting a few solid hits in. By the time she righted herself to get a look at Tidus and Kimahri there was a large pink scratch down her cheek, and the shoulder of her outfit had been torn at the seams where another long pink scratch looked ready to break. Her hat had long been discarded to the sand.

Across from her Tidus was in fact attempting to fight the birds off with a large stick with minimal success. A few were dazed and couldn't attack - but it was clear the condors knew who the weakest member of their group was. It wasn't that Tidus wasn't experienced with combat, it was just that no matter how hard he hit a stick was still a stick. At least 10 birds swarmed around him and he brought the stick down with all his might on the top of the head of one of the winged beasts. The bird went down but did not die. If Rikku had a clear shot she knew she'd fire a giant well, ball of fire into them but she feared hitting Tidus instead. While she was contemplating what to do she heard a loudly spoken but terse, "Duck."

Taking cover a huge tornado of fire sped towards the condors between her and Tidus. The condors exploded into pyreflies as the tornado tore into them. As the spiral of fire dissipated Auron charged into battle sword drawn, running right toward Tidus. Seeing where he planned to go Kimahri did the best that he could to claw down the few condors in his path. As Auron neared Tidus he pulled out the sword he had stuck in his sash and handed it to Tidus upon reaching him. The blitzball player looked at him a little shocked, "How did you know?"

"I saw the fireball from my seat on the porch."

"Ah yes, the old S.O.S flare trick." Rikku quipped.

"Yes. That." Auron deadpanned.

Auron cut a swath on his way to her, doing his best to cut down as many condor as he could. But when he got to her Rikku could still see scratch marks on his face and arms that told her that he had been hit a few times. Seeing him hurt made Rikku want to reach out and touch his face to make sure that he was ok, but she knew doing so currently wouldn't help anyone. Reaching into the sash on his waist Auron pulled out a second item and Rikku's eyes lit up at the sight of her favorite garment grid. Sometimes Rikku wondered just what she had done in her current life to be blessed with a man such as Auron. But the time for introspection was at an end. Taking the garment grid from her husband it didn't take Rikku long to select an outfit. A moment later Rikku hefted her Alchemist's gun over her shoulder, "Friendly neighborhood medic Rikku, hear to cure what ails ya."

Crossing her arms in front of her Rikku readied herself for the descent of the condors. She yelped as they dive bombed her, but after the third one the attacks stopped. A blue form stood in front of her as Kimahri cut down condors as they tried to attack her. Auron had long abandoned her to go help Tidus, the two men cutting down swaths of condors. A moment later her gun let off the hiss of steam that let her knew the mix was complete. Uncrossing her arms the steam flooded the area curing their wounds. The red scratches on Rikku's body disappeared and the condors could tell that the tide of battle had shifted.

Having taken the brunt of the damage, Tidus rushed forward and with little hesitance cut down six of the condors in one attack executing a perfect slice and dice. Once he had done that only about six or seven condors remained. From there it was easy to pick the birds off, a shot from Rikku's gun there - a slice of Kimahri's sharp claws here, and the flash of both Auron's and Tidus's swords. In no time at all the beach looked as if the battle hadn't even happened.

Exhausted Rikku fell back into the sand, "I will never say I'm bored again."

"Don't make promises you can't keep." Tidus told her.

"Rikku bored often. Will happen again." Kimahri agreed.

"You're all terrible. Do you think Naimi had such an exciting day?" She asked.

"If you are asking if we think she fought off a number of condors, then no." Auron told her.

"Well I'd hope not." Rikku told him.

"Children fine. Paine daughter with them." Kimahri told them.

This was true. Paine could hold her own in any situation and wasn't afraid to defend those she was closest to using any means necessary. She had died for them after all. It was good to know a person like that was with her child, would be with Naimi after she passed away. But that was far in the future and unnecessary to think about. They were all good kids, strong and able. Someday Naimi wouldn't need her anymore, and she was sure she would make a stink of it like her father had. Still she was proud of who her daughter was becoming, and who she was going to become, "Right I'm starved. Let's go back to the hut. Tidus can cook us up a mid-morning snack."

"Stop volunteering me for things." Tidus said.

"Kimahri want shrimp. With tiny red stone fruits."

"Tomatoes?" Auron volunteered.

"That them." Kimahri said.

As they walked back up the path laughter followed them and Rikku had to smile. Despite the early derailment it had been a good start to the day after all.

A/N: Usually I try to put the stories for each day in order but the stories for Day 3 got a bit jumbled based on how I ended up writing them. The chronological order is - Guardians and then Children/Diplomacy. With Guardians happening mid-morning, and Children/Diplomacy taking place later in the day.