Chapter 4

It was all a dream. It had to be a dream. Rikku going in with Yuna to see Maester Seymour, him telling her that he loved her and wanted her to be with him… and Yuna accusing him of killing his father and betraying Yevon. And her group killing him…

Rikku gasped and shot up. Her backside hurt tremendously. She looked around and saw her friends standing in water and ice. A massive shiver ran through her.

"What… happened…?"

She winced as she rubbed her aching backside and looked up and saw a large hole in the ceiling of the massive cave they were in. Or were they in a cave?

"Is that the bottom of the temple?" she heard Tidus ask, and she looked over and saw him standing next to Lulu.

"Yes," she said. "I believe we fell through the ice. We fell a long way."

"I can't believe we killed Maester Seymour," Wakka said near them, folding his arms. "And I can't believe he was so evil."

Rikku looked away and stared at some random hunk of ice. Her chest constricted painfully at the realization… What happened was most definitely not a dream.

"Are you alright?"

"Huh?" she said and looked up. Auron stood before her.

"Uh, yeah, I just… I was hoping it was all a dream, but I guess it's not."

She stood up, and wobbled. As a reflex so she wouldn't fall, she grabbed Auron's shoulder. He grabbed her shoulder as well and steadied her.

"It was not a dream," he said, and she shivered. "I take it you lost the blanket."

"Yeah…" she said, hugging herself, and still in shock. "I suppose we're in a lot of trouble."

"Yes, we are. We killed a maester, and a high-ranking one, at that. No doubt the Guado are looking for us to enact revenge."

"You mean… they want to kill us?"

"Supposedly."

"Oh, no…" A massive shiver engulfed her and she crouched down, desperate to be warm. "We're all going to die…"

"We're not going to die," he assured her. "At least not yet."

"And how is that supposed to be comforting?"

Something fell over her back, and warmth suddenly engulfed her. Another blanket. She looked up at Auron, a question in her eyes.

"I keep at least three with me," he explained. "You already lost one. Don't lose this one."

She nodded and wrapped the thick black blanket around her. It was as if there was a spell cast on it to make it radiate warmth. "Alright. Thanks."

Silence ensued, other then the faint singing of The Hymn of the Fayth in the air. Rikku looked around at her friends talking. Kimari stood closest to her and Auron.

"What did Maester Seymour want with you?" Auron asked her after a few minutes. "Yuna had to pray to the Fayth, but you… what could he have wanted?"

Rikku pursed her lips, not wanting to reveal the truth, especially not to him.

"Rikku," he prodded in a voice that reminded her of her father Cid.

"Nevermind," she said. "I don't wanna say."

"You have to."

"No, I…"

"Everyone," Yuna suddenly announced. Everyone gathered around her, and she revealed, "I wanted Maester Seymour to agree to marry me if he turned himself in to Yevon and confessed his crimes."

"What did he say?" Lulu asked.

"He didn't believe that was enough to stop him."

"Killing him hopefully was," Wakka said.

"No," Auron said. "Yuna did not send him, so it is possible that he could come back."

Rikku shivered at the thought, despite the warm blanket around her. "Are you serious?"

"Hey," Wakka said, and pointed at Rikku. "Why did he want you there, too, huh?"

They all looked at her, curiosity in all of their eyes. Yuna gave here a weary look. "Tell them," she said, and Rikku shook her head.

"I can't."

"Tell us," Auron demanded. She gulped, not wanting to make him furious with her.

"Alright," she finalized, defeated. "He wanted me in there because he wanted me to do something for him. He wanted me to…" She met Auron's gaze and revealed, "He wanted me to be his mistress after marrying Yunie."

They all gasped and Auron creased his brows. "You're kidding, right?" Wakka asked.

"No, I'm not," Rikku said. "I was shocked. He said that I caught his eye at the Guadosalam Manor. He wanted to accomplish something with Yuna, and that's why he wanted to marry her, but I guess the whole time he wanted to be with me."

"He never even loved Yuna, then," Tidus said gruffly. "What a jerk!"

"He was in love with you, but still felt obligated to marry Yuna since he asked her," Lulu said. "What was he planning to do with Yuna?"

"I don't know," Rikku said. "Yunie?"

"I do not know, either."

The group became silent, and Rikku eyed Auron. He still had that deep crease in his brow.

"We must move on," he said. "They are most likely looking for us."

Rikku walked away from them, and noticed Tidus talking with Auron. She didn't catch their conversation. She looked around and wondered how they were going to get out of this ice cave.

"Come, this way!" she heard Auron shout and the group moved on. They all climbed up the side of the cave and made it through a smaller one. Rikku turned a corner and suddenly lost her group. Panic seized her.

"Guys?" she called through the icy tunnel. "Guys?!"

She ran down the icy cave tunnel and eventually made it to a pool of water. She heard Auron's voice and gasped. Joy shot through her system. "Sir Auron!"

She dived into the water, clutching the blanket as she swam. She swam and swam and suddenly saw light above her. She swam up and surfaced the water, taking in a large, warm breath of air.

"What?" she questioned as she gazed around at the sand dunes. She knew where she was. "How the heck did I end up here?"

She climbed out of the water and her boots sank into the sand. The wet blanket draped over her arm, weighing it down. It dripped onto the dry sand. She smiled, remembering Auron draping it around her.

"It still feels warm, even though it's wet."

She walked through the sand, making her way in the direction of Home. Maybe the rest of her group was there somehow.

"Oh, no… they're probably there to rescue Yunie! She was probably kidnapped again!"

Several minutes passed as she trudged through the sand, and the blanket she held dried completely. Even though the air was warm and comfortable, she draped the blanket around her shoulders and sighed contently, imagining the giver embracing her instead of the blanket. She giggled.

"Wow, I have it bad, don't I?"

Shouting and crashing suddenly filled the air, making her jump. She trudged up a sand dune and gasped when she saw a large machina monster battling Tidus, Lulu, Wakka and Auron. She ran down the dune and joined them.

"Rikku!" Tidus exclaimed, while Auron was busy slashing the monster with his massive sword. When he was through, he glared at her.

"Where have you been?" he demanded.

"It's not like I could help getting lost," she quipped. "Where did you all go?"

The five defeated the monster and they stood in a group. "Where is this place?" Wakka asked, and Rikku's heart sunk. She knew if she revealed what this island was, and what was on it, her identity as an Al Bhed would be revealed and Wakka would hate her.

"I know," she said, then became silent.

"Well?" Auron prodded.

"Okay, if I tell you all, then Wakka, you have to promise not to get mad, alright?"

"Why would I get mad?" the large red-headed man asked.

Everyone stared at her, and she bit her bottom lip. She took in a large breath before revealing, "We are on Bikanel Island."

"Bikanel Island?" Lulu asked, confused. "How did we end up here while we were in Macalania?"

"I have no idea," Rikku said, "but I'm positive that's where we are. I know because…" She glanced at Wakka. "I know because the Al Behd Home is here, not far from where we are right now."

"And just how would you know that?" Wakka asked, and Tidus let out a sigh. He knew what she was.

"I'm an Al Bhed, alight?!"

Wakka's jaw dropped in shock. "You're an Al Bhed? And you never said anything? Did any of you know?"

"I did," Tidus said.

"Me as well," said Auron.

"I suspected," Lulu added.

"Rikku!" Wakka exclaimed. "I can't believe it! Your people are the reason why Sin's still at large! Actually, the Al Bhed are the reason that Sin stayed Sin in the first place!"

"Don't you think I know that?" she demanded in his face. "I know what my people did and I'm ashamed of it! Can't you just forgive me for not saying anything?"

He frowned and looked away from her. "I cannot associate with an Al Bhed, the cause of all this trouble."

Her heart sunk farther than before, and tears stung her eyes.

"Hey, it's not all her fault, Wakka," Tidus said. "C'mon."

"No way," Wakka grumbled, his back to them. "Just stay behind, Rikku."

"There's not need for that," Auron said as a tear escaped Rikku's eye. He turned to face her. "Tell us more about this place."

She sniffed and wiped away the tear. "The Al Bhed Home is not far. After the Al Bhed were scattered the first time Sin was fought, we made Homes around Spira. This one is the largest. I think Yunie is there."

"Yuna's there?" Tidus shouted. "Then we have to go get her!"

"Leave it to the rotten Al Bhed to kidnap Yuna again!" Wakka said.

"Wakka, stop," Lulu ordered, the turned to Rikku. "Let's go. Lead the way."

They all walked on in the warm air and Kimari joined them on the way. They walked in the sand for what seemed like an hour. Rikku glanced over at Wakka. His arms were folded and he was frowning. Her throat constricted and she wanted to cry again.

"Pay him no heed," Auron said as he walked next to her.

"He hates me now."

"No, he's just shocked. Give him time."

She clutched the black blanket and hugged it to her, hoping that it would give her some comfort. She knew that things would be tense when she revealed she was an Al Bhed.

"Thank you for not losing that," Auron said.

"Huh?"

"The blanket."

"Oh, no problem. Thanks again." They trudged on and Rikku heard the familiar sound of metal scraping metal. "It's just up here, over this dune!"

The group made it up the dune, and at the top, Rikku screamed in horror at the sight in front of her—Home was in smoke and flames, and fiends flew around it.

"NO!" she shouted and ran down the sand.

"Rikku!" several of her friends called, and they made it into Home and Rikku saw the fiends fighting her people. Several people lay lifeless on the metal floor.

"Oh, no, it can't be!" Rikku wailed. "What's going on?!"

Suddenly, a familiar person came into view. She ran to him and nearly knocking him over in an embrace.

"Dad!" she exclaimed in the Al Bhed language.

"Rikku, where have you been?" he demanded in the same language.

"I am one of Yuna's guardians now. When did this happen?"

He stepped away from her, and Rikku screamed when she saw a man being struck down by a fiend. She ran over to him as he wheezed for breath.

"Keyakku!" She knelt down to him. "Who did this? Who's attacking us?"

"The… the Guado..." the man said, and coughed. "Yevon."

"What?"

The man lost consciousness and let out one last breath. Rikku wailed. "No!"

"Rikku!" her father said and stood next to her. Tears streamed down her face as her father closed the eyes of the young man who was her good friend.

"This must be punishment for killing Maester Seymour," Lulu surmised.

"We have to go!" Auron called and the group made it into a different compartment of Home after battling a few fiends on the way. As they were going, Tidus asked Rikku,

"Who was that older guy? Why'd you hug him?"

"He's my dad—the leader of the Al Bhed."

His blue eyes widened. "That guy was your dad?"

"Yes! Now c'mon! We have to save Yunie!"

The group moved on and encountered more fiends on the way. Near a stairwell, and after defeating the another large fiend, Tidus demanded,

"Why would the Al Bhed take Yuna? They already did once before. C'mon, what gives, Rikku?"

She knew that she would have to reveal this sooner or later to Tidus and the others, why summoner kept on disappearing. "Because we're trying to save them from their pilgramage. From being a summoner."

"Why would you want to save them from being a summoner?"

They all became silent and looked at the metal floor sadly. Rikku's chest hurt thinking about the horrible truth that no one wanted to reveal to Tidus, especially since he cared a lot about Yuna. She looked at Auron, and even he had his good eye closed, with his head bowed.

"What?" Tidus prodded, looking around at everyone. "Why do you guy all look so sad?"

Everyone started running down the stairs, with Tidus remaining at the top, confused. She looked back at him and saw him frowning. She went on with the others, Auron next to her.

"He needs to know," she told him. "But I don't want to hurt him. I don't even like thinking about it. Knowing that Yunie will eventually…"

"He will find out sooner or later. Now, where is Yuna?"

"Down in the Summoners' Sanctum. Follow me!"

They all eventually made it down, and Tidus again demanded why the summoners needed to be saved, and why the Al Bhed try to take them away from their prigramages.

"Because..." Rikku began, the tears coming out a full force, "Yunie will die at the end, okay?!"

The sadness and shock that encumbered Tidus's features was too much for Rikku to handle. She buckled down and cried as Tidus demanded of the others why no one said anything, why Yuna had to die.

"It is her destiny to sacrifice herself in the Final Summoning as to allow Sin to be defeated and bring The Calm," Lulu said. "It was just to hard to say before."

"I told her everything!" he hollered. "About going to Zanarkand, about playing blitzball… WHY?!"

He sobbed and leaned into Yuna's aeon Valefor and the large beast embraced him. Rikku sat there as tears dripped from her chin. She never wanted to think about Yuna's ultimate destiny as a summoner. It hurt. It hurt to an unbearable degree. She herself wanted to die because of the pain it caused.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and the person knelt down to her level. "It is her destiny," he said, and she shook her head, not wanting to be reminded of it. "It is the destiny of every summoner."

"But why does it have to be?" she demanded through tears. "Why does Yunie have to die? Isn't there another way?"

"I don't think there is."

"There has to be! The Al Bhed can stop kidnapping summoners if there was a way they wouldn't have to die. And Yunie… she's my cousin—my family! Someone that I love! There just has to be another way!"

She wailed and her body shook. She leaned into his red cloak as his arm went around her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly and she felt something brush against the top of her head. "Truly, I am."

His warmth and spicy earthy scent enveloped her senses, and the tension started to ease out of her body. Her breathing turned to normal. He brought her out to face him, but she kept her head down and wiped away her tears with her eyes.

"I'm such a crybaby…" she muttered.

He chuckled and glanced over at Tidus. "Just like someone else I know."

He helped her stand up, and she stood there as Tidus remained crumpled on the floor. The place started to crumble.

"Let's get out of here," Auron announced, and the group made it safely out of the Al Bhed Home and safely onto an airship that Rikku's father and brother flew out of the sandy ground. Rikku hugged herself, and tears streamed down her cheeks as she witnessed her home get blown up.

A hand clapped her shoulder. The pain eased again.