A/N: I love this chapter! I totally leave the story line!!! (well, sort of)

Chapter 5 - Corsets, Halters, Trimmings and Swirls

Rikku's Thoughts - Guadosalam - Present Time

Haggling is my favourite pastime. Apart from stealing, talking, annoying people, talking, eating, and machina, talking and did I mention haggling??

Then Wakka goes and spoils my fun by dropping Yuna's name. Evil Yevonite. Wait. I can't insult him; I need to be on his good side when that Seymour dude gives me away.

Oh dear.

Yuna, I and Lulu are going shopping. Or rather me and Yuna are dragging Lulu shopping.

No guys allowed.

Sorry Ty.

Auron's Journal - Guadosalam - Present Time

The Guado's intentions are not honest. He would be a lot less nervous. But he covers it up well. He must've had acting lessons. Somehow I don't think his ambitions to become an actor turned out well.

The Lady Yuna adamantly refuses to go to the Maester's mansion without looking the part of High Summoner Braska's Daughter, Summoner Yuna. Tidus believes she doesn't, and I agree, but I do recall both Braska and Jecht telling me something about women and shopping. And how one needs the other to survive. New clothes for each occasion, accessories, and how they seem to have to visit this coffee shop - Star something or other – And I suppose visiting the household of a Maester gives the three of them enough reason to...go shopping.

Rikku's Thoughts – Guadosalam – Present Time

Shopping!!!!

Auron's Journal – Guadosalam – Present Time

Hn.

The boy walks up to me, it seems that the girls are not allowing him to join them in their shopping trip. He asks for a sparr. I nod and look away, fingering the card in my pocket. He bounds off to harass Wakka. Poor boy can't see that he was almost moments away from striking up conversation with Lulu. Am I the only one who sees this attraction? I may not be Cupid, and I certainly don't believe in trivial things such as 'True Love' but everyone in Spira deserves some sort of happiness, at least before Spira's 'Cycle of Death' drags them to the pits of the Farplane, with or without their lover. Or in some cases lovers.

Rikku's Thoughts – Guadosalam – Present Time

Oh, Tidus, why did you have to ruin Wakka's chance earlier?

Lulu seems all depressed now, she only vaguely acknowledged Yuna's dress, which is stunning, I might add.

It was silver. A stiff corset that didn't show too much, and a skirt reaching just above her ankles. I picked it out just for the bead decoration on the corset, but when Yunie put it on, the world seemed just a tad happier. Actually, by this time, Lulu had come out her trance long enough to pick out some pretty earrings and two silver charms for her necklace and bracelet. That's why I love Yunie's dangly earring. You can buy gorgeous light beads for it, and the silver ones Lu picked out went so well!!

Lulu's dress was equally amazing. It was a halter neck style. A black dress, trimmed with red. Thin, black, see-through material was gathered round her upper arm, exactly like Yunie's kimono. It hugged every curve it could, but the only thing I could think was:

'Ohmigosh! Lulu's covering her arms!!'

But she still was very sexy, all the same…..

Auron's Journal – Guadosalam Inn – Present Time

The evening came quickly enough and found us all – minus the Lady Yuna, Lulu and Rikku standing in the Inn Lobby. Tidus hopped from one foot to the other, impatient to see what Yuna was wearing. It looks like Wakka feels the same about Lulu. He just hides it better. Not well. Better.

Rikku's Thoughts – Guadosalam Inn – Present Time

It's not fair…It really isn't. Yunie and Lulu are all dressed up, and so am I, but they look absolutely beautiful, and sexy, and stunning and gorgeous…..everything I'm not. Yunie says I look pretty and wonderful. But it doesn't compare to beautiful, sexy, stunning and gorgeous.

I look down at myself, and my grass green dress, I didn't want to go for strapless, just incase it fell down. But I think it looks nice. It's layered, with no frills thank Yevon. It was the last one in the shop, and I had to have it. Too bad it's like a zillion sizes too big.

Back home, all the women we petite and small, small figure, small waists, small breasts. I thought I was pretty well-developed for an Al-Bhed, but, when I look round the room, I see that I pale in comparison to people like Yuna and Lulu, maybe even Donna. But I suppose that going too far. Even if it is true.

At least some heads will turn. Even if I'm not the one attracting the attention.

Right. Its time to go. Oh Yevon, I really don't want to.

"Yunie…I can't do this. You know what will happen as soon as Maester Seymour sees my eyes"

I sink down, balancing on my tippy-toes and I feel a pale arm wrap around my shoulders. "Maester Seymour is a good Guado, and man. You saw how he protected people of all races at the Luca stadium. He won't say or do anything. And anyways, Lulu and myself won't let him. Neither will Wakka, Tidus and Kimahri. Even Sir Auron."

I know she's doing her best. But I still don't want to go.

"I can't Yunie. I'm sorry"

"It's your eyes, correct? Well, can't you cover them up with your goggles?"

I laugh nervously. "Won't that look suspicious? Al-Bheds are known for their eye-wear"

She sighed and stood up, smoothing out the creases in her dress.

"Okay. I won't force you to come. But I hope you change your mind, Rikku"

I feel horrid now, like I let down Yunie. But it's not like she's gonna get hurt at Seymour's house.

I sit down at the table in the centre of our room, and pick the most beautiful rose in the vase. I start to pluck the petals and let them fall around me.

"That, is rather wasteful of you"

My head snapped towards the door.

My hair wasn't up in its usual ponytail and it flew round and some of it hit my eye.

That hurt.

Auron's Journal – Guadosalam Inn – Present time

"That, is rather wasteful of you"

When Lulu and Lady Yuna came down the stairs. The boy and Wakka instantly forgot the world around them. I think it's only right for me to subtly push Yuna and Tidus apart isn't it? He doesn't know that her fate is already sealed.

Only Kimahri and myself realised there was a missing person. Kimahri because he likes to keep an eye out for Rikku, her being the youngest. And I like to know where everyone is at all times, I do not want to risk there being an emergency and not knowing where everyone is. Lady Yuna requested of me to go and see if I could pry her out of the room.

It amuses me and annoys me how everyone seems to either look at me in awe or fear. They don't need to. The ones that see me in awe don't have to, at least.

The chamber that the girls have been residing in is much more elegant than ours. There were three four-poster double beds; no doubt the silk covers were from Bevelle. And in the middle of the room, sitting at the oak table was little Rikku.

When her head snapped up, I realised, that I have always seen both Yuna and Rikku as children; Yuna may be a Summoner, albeit a good one, but her age says otherwise to me. Seventeen is not an age one should be sacrificing oneself at. No age is proper. Braska was thirty-three when Jecht and I accompanied him on his own Pilgrimage.

A girl of seventeen should not shoulder the responsibilities she has. She is still a child to me.

Rikku I saw as a child for she is one and she acts like one. Then I saw her viciousness in battle and my opinion of her changed. Then I saw her the next day; she was immature and childish. She lives for the day without a care it seems. But her eyes tell a different story of suffering, yet she can still smile genuinely. And I envy her because of that. She knows that it's pointless to waste time thinking what has happend, even though she mourns her losses. She is able to move on.

But, seeing them both in more formal attire shows me that it is an insult for me to call them children, when they are definitely becoming mature adults.

"What do you want?"

I smirked behind my collar. I, along with the other male members of our, party saw no reason to dress up, but we did clean up, I suppose.

"Lady Yuna wishes for me to see if I can talk you into coming"

I didn't have to say where, she knew where. She stood up to her full height (only coming to my shoulder) and looked at me.

"But Yunie said she wouldn't force me to come if I didn't wanna!"

"Lady Yuna said she wouldn't force you, she said nothing about asking another Guardian to do it for her"

Rikku's Thought's – Guadosalam Inn – Present Time

He's…..Such a big MEANIE!!

I'm not scared of him OR the Guado!!

No! I'm not crying! I promise!! Not even a little…well maybe a little...But I won't let him know!! He can't!! He'll tell me I'm not fit to be Yunie's Guardian!!!

Auron's Journal – Guadosalam Inn – Present Time

Yevon. I hate it when women cry. On the Pilgrimage, I rejected the feelings of a girl I once knew in Bevelle. After she ran of crying, Jecht said it was okay, because she'd wake up one day and realise she was homosexual or, at least be a bisexual so there was no need to worry.

But she isn't Rhianna and I don't think that one day she'll wake up and be attracted to other little Al-Bhed girls instead of other little Al-Bhed boys. And no matter what I say, she will most probably cry.

And I don't want to see her cry.

Comforting people is a skill I have never been able to master. Comforting people, especially women, was a skill not taught in the Warrior Monks.

"Rikku, why don't you want to go with Yuna to Maester Seymour's house?"

Her name rolls of my tongue with ease, the Maester's name though is rough and sounds wrong.

She got up and sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled her legs inwards, almost under the bed. Her dress pooled on the floor. It is one size to big for her.

"Because I don't want Wakka to hate me. I want him to still like me even after he finds out. I want to see him when the does get together with Lulu. I don't think he knows me well enough, so if he finds out so soon, he will hate me still, y'know?"

I sighed half-heartedly and sat down on the chair by the bed.

"And why do you think Wakka is going to hurt you? Because you're Al-Bhed? Yes, I do happen know. And you think going to Seymour's house will give that away?"

She looked at her lap, her hands wringing together. Crystall tears begin to fall.

"Because Maester Seymour will know I'm Al-Bhed for sure! All he'll do is take one look at me and he'll know!!! And he'll tell everyone and he'll do all sorts of horrible things! I know the stories! About evil Yevonites torturing the poor Al-Bhed!!"

And Mothers in Luca tell their children the stories of the evil Al-Bhed who kidnap children, turning them into Machina and slaves who reject Yevon….

"Okay Rikku. I don't think this dinner will go well even if you didn't go. There is no point in telling you Seymour is an Al-Bhed lover. But you need to be there for Yuna, as her cousin, if not her Guardian. If it bothers you, why don't you wear glasses?"

She gave me one of her Your-Not-Serious looks and snorted.

"Yuna said the same thing. Yeah, like I want to enlarge what I'm trying to hide"

Good point.

"Why don't you wear sunglasses?"

Rikku is the only person I know who can go from crappy to happy instantly

"Hey that's a good idea!! Lemme borrow yours pretty please!!"

"No"

"Oh, c'mon"

"No"

"You know you want to"

"I know I don't want to"

"Yes you do"

"No I don't"

"Uh-huh yes you DO!!!"

I get up off the chair, throwing the glasses behind me and stalk out the room. So much for maturity. From both of us.

Leaning against the wall in the hallway, I was as certain as I could be about who the card came from as I was about Rikku actually coming, and I was pretty certain she would.

I took out the folded card and studied it in the dimming light. The top right–hand corner was ripped off, and the card itself is slightly bent, but you can still see the flower in the middle, purple petals of different shades and an orange circle in the middle. I hated to open the card, because there was an origami animal that would spring out. It sounds strange, but I was afraid of the concequences if I were to break it.

Rikku's Thoughts – Guadosalam Inn – Present Time

Awwww Mr. Red can be persuaded to part from his infamous glasses!!

It will be an honour to wear your sunglasses, Sir Auron.

Too bad he left before I could see his face without the glasses.

I hopped off the bed to see Mr. Red himself leaning against the door. He had some sort of cartridge paper in his gloved hand. He turned towards me and out it into one of his many, many coat pockets. It seemed a slightly hasty movement.

Hey, I used to have a card juuuust like that….I lost it ages ago though. Same night I had that dream. Or was it the day after? I don't know and can't really remember.

But wait, hang on.

What if it wasn't a dream?

But who am I kidding?

Auron offers me his arm. I nearly die from shock. But I took it anyway. I can't help having a teeny-weeny crush on him? I read this book once, it said that it is perfectly normal to like a guy older than you.

Okay, to Seymour's we go!!

Smile? Check. Dress still up? Check. (now that would be embarassing) Sunglasses? Double check.

I pushed Auron's sunglasses further up to cover my eyes as I walk out, smile, dress and all.

Gasps Like two more chapters!! Origionally, the next chapter was going to be the last one, but I didn't really get to where I wanted in this chapter, so next time...hopefully.

Toodles!

ImInDenial

P.S. Don't forget to review before you go!! (You know you want to)