Well it seems as if alerts are working again. I sent out a few replies, I hope they got out. Well this chapter has some more dark themes including murder and rape. I don't think it pushes the M rating though. Just a little violence. So Auron and Rikku finally get to interact. I know you all have been looking forward to that one. But once you see why, you will understand why I waited so long.

Not much else to add, time for the disclaimer I suppose.

Gining does not own any rights to Final Fantasy or the characters therein. There, that should do it for the next three chapters.

--

As Rikku continued wandering around the airship, she didn't think much about it when she turned a corner and was faced with a wall. Her father was known to be a bit off from time to time. It was when she turned around to go back the way she came when she knew something was wrong.

The way she had just come from was blocked by a steel wall. In fact all around her were walls. She was trapped somehow in what seemed like a steel box. Her hands searched furiously for a way out, maybe she triggered some safety devise? She stopped looking when she sensed someone behind her. She twirled around thinking maybe they got stuck in here with her.

Who she saw behind her was worse then she thought.

"Hello, Rikku. I have been searching for you." Seymour stood there looking smug knowing she could not escape. Rikku backed away until she was against the wall. "You can't escape me here." He taunted her. One hand reached out and ran down her cheek and neck before following the edge of her dress across her chest.

Rikku's eyes darted around searching for the cloak she had on. How had he gotten it off her without her knowing it?

"Because I am controlling you now." Seymour answered her unasked question. "You are seeing what I want you to see. Feeling what I want you to feel." His hand ran back up and pulled her closer to himself. "I need you, Rikku. I like to hear you scream when you are near me."

As soon as he said those words, Rikku opened her mouth and did just that. "Don't touch me!" She shouted as she tried to pull herself from his grasp. "Leave me alone!"

"Although, not like that I'm afraid." He whispered in her ear. His breath hot as he spoke. Her voice seemed to be useless once more. "You have been very bad. You know what happens when slaves are bad?"

Rikku tried to cry out as he scratched and clawed at her ripping clothing from her body. She could feel several times as he broke skin and the blood run down her legs. She felt as he mentally pinned her arms above her head and he explored her body with his hands and mouth leaving trails of teeth and claw marks.

"You will be mine once more. I will come get you back from where ever you may be. I need you more then you can imagine. With you at my side, I can create the utopia I desire."

Her eyes opened wide in shock as he went on. She never imagined he would want her like that. She always thought he viewed her as something to be used then discarded.

"When I find you I will then be able to create Sin anew. I will be in complete control and nothing will stop me!"

She tried once more to push him away. She had remembered the stories from when she was little that her father used to tell her about Sin. It was violence incarnate. And Seymour wanted to bring it back.

It seemed so far away, but she could hear her name being called. Someone was looking for her.

"It appears as if my time here is finished. But don't get too comfortable. I will come back for you."

Seymour and the extra walls around her faded and Rikku was left crying on the floor wearing little more then a ripped leather dress under a dark cloak.

Tidus came around the corner and found her there crumpled in on herself afraid to be seen as she was. He slid on the floor next to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Rikku, what happened? I have been looking all over for you."

She tried to pull herself from him ashamed at what had just happened, but he wouldn't let her. The harder she struggled, the tighter he held.

"Please, relax. I don't know what happened, but I want to help you." Tidus whispered as he held her close. "I'm your friend, not your enemy." He continued.

Rikku stopped struggling and lifted her face to look at him. His eyes were so soft and appeared to be worried about her. Unlike Seymour's whose only looked at her as nothing more then an object. She was in so much pain. It felt as what she had gone through was real. That he had really been there, but she knew it was impossible. They were in the air, there was no way he could have gotten on the ship. She reached inside the folds of the cloak and hissed when she touched her stomach. When she pulled her hand back out it was covered in blood. The sheer shock of seeing it made her pass out.

Tidus didn't know what to do. He pulled back the cloak she had on to get a better look. He gasped when he saw all the blood covering her. Her dress was torn to shreds as if she had been attacked. But up here on the airship there was nothing that could have done this. He picked up her up and ran to the sick bay. Rikku needed more help then he could give her right now.

He almost kicked the door down when he arrived when it didn't seem to open fast enough for his liking. He saw an empty bed and lay her down on it while shouting for a doctor. "Someone help! She needs a doctor!"

A heavy set man came out of the office hearing the shouts. His eyes grew wide when he saw Tidus leaning over a dark haired young woman. "What happened?" He asked as he began hooking her up to machina that would monitor her vitals.

"I'm not sure. I found her on the floor like this. She was crying and everything but passed out when she saw the blood." Tidus tried to explain as best he could given what little he knew.

"That's enough to start with then. We must heal her injuries first before she bleeds to death. I'll need your help. Grab that tub over there." For the next hour Tidus did everything the doctor said in order to save Rikku's life.

--

Seymour exhaled as he opened his eyes. He had not thought that would work out as well as it had. But the whole affair wore him out more then expected. Perhaps next time he would have to work faster, however, he had to admit he enjoyed the experience. It was almost like when Rikku had first come. The fight he had with her the first time she found herself under him was pleasurable. And just like that first time, he had still come out the victor.

But he needed more then just her mind. He needed her with him. Together they would go to Zanarkand where he would be able to create Sin once more. All the records he found told of two being needed to complete the ritual. He had spent four years working on preparing her to be ready for that day, and now all the work was going to be lost unless he could find her. Reaching her mentally was only the beginning.

Although he was not going to worry about all that right now. He was tired. The bed under him was lulling him to sleep. When he woke up, he would have more plans ready.

--

Tidus sat next to Rikku's bed holding her hand as she slept. Her body was covered in bandages but the sick bay doctor was able to save her life. Right now he was asking Tidus questions to get a better idea of what may have occurred.

"Where did you find her at?"

"The east wing. Down the hall from the engine room. One of the mechanics said they saw her there."

"How old is she?"

"Sixteen."

"Name?"

Tidus paused. What would Cid think if he found out he had not been told his daughter was on board his airship? Thinking quickly he said the first thing that came to mind. "Ree. Her name is Ree." He only hoped that once Rikku woke up she would not be mad that he used the same name Seymour had given her.

The doctor scribbled some notes before leaving Tidus alone. He turned in his seat and took in her appearance for the first time. His friend was covered in scratches old and new. Teeth marks could be seen on her neck and shoulders. He didn't want to think about why those were there. Just the thought of Seymour doing it sent a chill up his spine.

Rikku had gone through more then he thought she had. He reached one hand out and brushed dark hair off her face. "I'm so sorry it took us this long to find you. If only we knew I would have come sooner." His father teased him about being a baby for crying so much as a kid, but right now he didn't care. Tears ran down his face and he did nothing to stop them.

Rikku fluttered her eyes as she woke up. From next to her she could hear someone crying. The next thing she noticed was a warm hand wrapped around her own. She squeezed it gently letting the person know she was awake.

Tidus jumped up. "You're awake!" He exclaimed.

Rikku tried to speak before forgetting that she couldn't. Instead she settled for using her hands to try and ask where she was. He watched for a few moments before figuring it out.

"Oh! You're still on the airship. We're going to be landing soon though. Cid just made the announcement a while ago. Can you walk?"

Slowly she sat up and hung her feet over the side of the bed. She wasn't sure if she could or not. But Tidus was there for support. He wouldn't let her fall. She nodded she was ready before stepping down. Her balance was unsteady at first, but she remained standing.

"Wherever you are boy, we've landed in Besaid. Make sure you have your stuff because I'm not making a return trip anytime soon."

Tidus chuckled at Cid's message. It was just like the man to say something like that. "Well, time to go. You ready to see everyone?" He looked around finding her shoes and cloak and helping her into them. "Let's go then."

--

The beach was empty this time as the airship landed allowing two people to walk off. One seemed relieved to be back while the other, hidden by the hood of a cloak, looked scared to be there. The male of the two pulled out a sword ready to defend against fiends as they headed for the village.

It took them about twenty minuets before they arrived. Wakka was the first to see them approach.

"Eh, brudda! You're back! Yuna has been so worried about you." He ran over and caught Tidus in a headlock.

Tidus struggled to free himself but Wakka was still stronger. "Hey, ow! Let me go! That hurts!"

Wakka let go once he saw the other person that entered with Tidus. He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Oh sorry for ignoring you. I'm Wakka."

Tidus was still squatting on the ground holding his head. "She won't answer you."

Wakka glanced to him confused. "Why not?"

"She can't speak." Rikku shook her head in agreement. Before Tidus could get a chance to say more Yuna came running out of her hut. She had heard his yelling and came to see what it was.

"You're back! I was so worried when you just ran off like that." She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.

"Yeah, I am. Sorry for making you worry, Yuna. But believe me, it was worth it." He turned her around and pointed to Rikku. Rikku pulled the hood back from her face exposing who she was.

"You kidnapped Ree from Seymour?!" She had known Tidus could be stupid sometimes, but this was too much.

"Not kidnapped, rescued." He corrected. "Yuna, Wakka, I want you to meet Rikku."

"Whoa. This is big. You sure he's not going to come get her?" Wakka asked.

Yuna ignored what Wakka said and moved closer to her cousin. She couldn't believe that after all this time she finally got to see her again. She studied Rikku's face not recognizing the dark hair and eyes of her cousin. Rikku blinked a few times and took a step back not used to the scrutiny.

"Is it...is it really you?" Yuna asked quietly. Soon enough she was able to see the swirls that identified her as being Al Bhed. "It really is you! I can't believe it. What did Uncle Cid say?"

"Well, uh... We kind of didn't tell him. Rikku didn't want him to know for some reason."

"And she told you this?" Wakka crossed his arms and stared at Tidus.

His face went red as Yuna also faced him wondering what Wakka was talking about.

"I don't understand." She confessed.

"It's like this, ya. Whatever happened to Rikku made her unable to talk." Wakka explained.

"That's right. Seymour wasn't lying when he called her mute. But we've been able to talk in something like an odd game of charades."

Rikku jumped into the conversation as she waved her arms around and pointing in the distance. She had seen someone approaching.

The other three turned to see what she was pointing at. "Hey ol' man. How you been?" Tidus called out as soon as he recognized Auron coming.

Auron grunted in response. He had been wondering just what was going on that they would be hanging around the entrance of the village. He made his way into the center of the group and looked around. "You can't meet in a normal spot like the rest of Spira?"

"Sorry man. Guess we got excited when Tidus came back." Wakka rubbed the back of his head again.

"Yes, I suppose I can see why. The fact you haven't seen him in a few days is a reason to stand in the way."

"What are you talking about? I brought Ree..." He trailed off as he looked around and noticed Rikku was not with them. "Wait, where did she go?"

"You mean that girl running off over there?" Auron pointed to where Rikku had gone. She had gotten scared when Auron came over and took the first chance given to get away.

Her heart was pounding in fear. It had been so long since she had seen him, and he looked so angry that she had to get away. What if he thought she had been the one to kill Braska and Jecht? He probably would, she reasoned to herself.

She turned the corner of the nearest hut and ran into something soft and furry. Rikku fell back into the dirt and looked up. In front of her stood the tallest figure she had ever seen. She tried moving back away from him only to find herself becoming tangled within the cloak. Her face was one of pure terror until she noticed the paw reaching out to help her up.

"Kimahri think you should be more careful. You could have been hurt." He reached out and grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her to her feet.

Rikku stared at him unsure what to think now. Instead she tried to use her hands to ask who he was. She recognized him, but could not place where from.

"Kimahri is Kimahri. Kimahri is Ronso."

Rikku understood now and relaxed. Even though he looked scary, she knew he wouldn't hurt her. They studied each other before recognition hit both of them at the same time.

"You are Ree. You do not look so sad now." Rikku smiled and clapped her hands. He did know her!

"Hey Kimahri, have you seen a girl run by here?" Tidus came around the corner with Yuna in tow. They both appeared worried.

He pointed beside him where Rikku now was. But Rikku wasn't looking at them, she was trying to look past them. She pointed where they came from before lifting her hands high as if to ask if the big guy was behind them.

Yuna stared not understanding what she was talking about. But Tidus watched the motions for a few seconds before answering.

"No, he went back to his place. Don't you remember Auron?"

Rikku shook her head yes, but couldn't explain to him why he scared her, at least not without words.

"How did you know what she was talking about?" Yuna asked in amazement.

"We worked out a little system. She waves her hands in nonsense ways, and I guess." He answered while laughing before Rikku's foot found his shin. "Alright, I get it. But we need to find you a place to stay where you can be safe."

Rikku bit her lip in thought. She had hoped she could stay with Yuna in her hut.

"Kimahri will take her. Kimahri can protect." The Ronso spoke up solving the problem.

"That's a great idea! You rock! What do you think? Sound good?" Tidus asked Rikku.

She glanced up at the Ronso before nodding. He looked strong enough if anything should happen.

--

A bonfire had been started later that night celebrating Rikku's return. Even though Kimahri vowed to himself he would protect Yuna no matter what, tonight he stood close to Rikku should something happen. And she was glad to have him near.

Tidus also stayed close, if only to tell the others what she wanted to say. He had assured her earlier in the day that Seymour was dead, and that she didn't have anything to worry about anymore. But if that was true, what were these vision/dreams she was having? She tried to let them know about them, but no one understood.

The moon was high as Rikku yawned again. It was later then she was used to being up. Kimahri noticed her trying to stay awake, after all the party was for her, but eventually convinced her she should go to bed.

Rikku hugged everyone good night before turning in. But she noticed one person was missing. Auron had not joined the festivities with them. Her gaze fell on his temporary hut before she followed Kimahri back to his own.

Inside his hut, Kimahri showed her where she could sleep. He had an extra room that was never used. It had been Yuna's years ago, but now that she had her own place, it stood empty. But it all worked out in the end.

A week passed like that with nothing exciting happening. Rikku tried to tell them several times of Seymour's threats of bringing back Sin, but even Tidus could not discern her hand motions. She finally gave up after the third time. Perhaps he was right after all and Seymour really was dead. Maybe those dreams she had of him was only in her mind. But that didn't explain how Tidus found her on the airship covered in her own blood.

During the week, Rikku tried to live like a normal girl of Spira once more. She tried to forget the times Seymour appeared to her. It seemed to work well. Even if she couldn't speak, Tidus was getting better at being able to figure out what she wanted to say. She even began to grow more confident in front of Sir Auron. Kimahri stayed close to her, but she managed to sneak off to try and 'talk' to the older man.

Auron watched as she approached his hut one evening. He sat on the porch cleaning his sword from the days fiend excursion. One brow lifted at her as soon as she came close enough.

"What do you want?"

Rikku waved as if to say hello. She was not going to let him scare her this time. She moved closer and watched as he ran a rag over the weapon before he was happy with it. She pointed at the weapon then herself asking if she could look at it.

Auron ignored her making her stomp her foot in frustration. "I don't have time for this." He said as he stood. "I'm not going to stay here and play word games with a child." He went back inside leaving her alone on the step.

Rikku fumed. It's not as if she could help it! But then her head dropped as she figured he must not recognize her. He used to be so nice when she was little. Whenever she visited her cousin and Uncle, Auron would always come back from the temple with a little candy for each of them to enjoy. What had changed him so much in four years. A single tear slid down her cheek as she thought about him. It was quickly brushed away when she heard Kimahri calling for her.

She took one last glance to the hut before running off. However, after that night everything would be changing.

--

The night started out normal enough. Rikku indicated she was going to bed and Kimahri sat up for a while making sure she was not going to wake up with any bad dreams. When he was sure she was fine, he went to bed himself. He woke up several hours later when the sound of wind whistled through the hut. He thought nothing of it until he heard sounds of a struggle coming from Rikku's room. Jumping out of bed, he ran to help.

--

It had been a week, but tonight was going to be the one. He was going to find out where his slave was. Seymour smirked as he connected with her mind once again. This was going to be easier then ever before. She was sleeping and was not ready for his attack.

He closed his eyes and relaxed. When he opened them again, he found himself in the center of a quiet village surrounded by huts. "Besaid." He looked around trying to find where Rikku was. Her thoughts led him to a hut on the far side of the village. Seymour drifted over and entered. He ignored everything there as he went straight for her room. Knowing she would not be able to call out he leaned in close to her.

Rikku opened her eyes as soon as she felt his presence. She tried to dodge away from him, but he was quicker and held her down. "I know where you are now. I will be coming for you real soon." He threatened. Seymour glanced up when another figure entered the room. "You have a protector. Let's see how well he does. Shall we?"

Rikku tried to call out, to warn Kimahri. But she was too late, Seymour had attacked before the Ronso could even do anything. She watched as Kimahri fell to the floor blood running down the front of him from where his throat had been slit.

"Now, where were we?" Seymour went back to what he came for. Rikku was frozen in fear. "It is almost time. One more step and everything will be complete." He whispered.

She tried to fight it, but Rikku soon fell back into oblivion.

--

It was almost the middle of the day and Yuna was the first to notice that Rikku and Kimahri had not been seen yet. She knew she shouldn't have been worried, but it was not normal for her guardian not to be seen by now.

"Tidus, don't you think it odd that we have not seen Rikku or Kimahri?"

Tidus stopped walking as soon as she mentioned it. "You know, you're right. Let's go check on them. Maybe they just slept in?"

Together they headed over. The feeling something was wrong grew stronger the closer Yuna got. She squeezed his hand tighter. They stopped when the open door came in sight. Tidus pulled his sword out slowly. "Yuna, stay behind me. If anything happens, I want you to run out as fast as you cam and get help."

"But what about you?"

"I'll be fine. Just do as I say, alright?" She nodded as he smiled and kissed her gently. "That's my girl."

Nothing seemed out of place as they searched the hut. The only room they had not checked yet was Rikku's. Taking deep breaths still did not prepare them for what they saw.

"Yuna, run and get Auron!" Yuna left him alone as he checked Kimahri and taking note that they were too late to help him. "Rikku!" His attention shifted as he looked to the bed. Rikku was still there. She was covered in blood again. His first thought was to see if she was still alive. He relaxed when he saw the gentle rise and fall of her chest. "Rikku! Rikku, wake up!"

Her eyes fluttered open slowly before she winced in pain. She could barely make out Tidus above her.

"Rikku, what happened? Who did this?"

Auron and Yuna could be heard coming back. Tidus reached into his pocket and pulled a potion out for Rikku to drink. If she died they would have no idea on who did this.

"Yuna, what is going on? Why have you dragged me all the way here?"

"Tidus needs you, Sir Auron."

Auron paused just inside the door as he saw Kimahri on the floor and Tidus leaning over the girl on the bed.

"You have to do something, Auron." Tidus said boldly addressing the man.

"She is none of my concern. You have brought her here and are responsible for what happens."

"Sir Auron?" "You can't be serious." They had not expected him to be so cruel.

Wakka entered next. He had seen how worried Yuna was when she went to get Auron.

"What's going on, ya? Anything I can do to help?"

Rikku was sitting on the bed covering herself with the blanket, the potion having healed some of the scars. Her arms were flying around franticly. Tidus was busy guessing what she was saying that he ignored all the others in the room.

When he figured it out he stood and relayed the message. "She's scared. Seymour knows she's here now. He said he's going to come get her no matter what. He's the one that killed Kimahri. We have to think of a place where she can go and he can't find her. Hey, Auron. You have extra room. Can't she go back to Bevelle with you?"

All eyes turned and stared at him waiting for an answer. "I don't think so. A sixteen year old should not be staying with a thirty five year old man. It would not be appropriate." He turned to go having said his piece.

Rikku watched as they all began debating with him. She wanted to hide and right now he was the only way she had. Her mouth moved several time before one word managed to escape. "Please?"

"Whoa. That's like a miracle, ya?" Wakka said as he stared at Rikku. The room gone silent.

Auron bristled. The plea was simple, just one word. But it was the word that was spoken. Slowly he turned and met eyes with the girl.

"Please?" She repeated.