A/N: Thank you for reviewing, if you did. If you didn't then I don't like you :( Also we're launching into the storyline this chapter.

Chapter Thirteen

No matter what she did, or said, Yuna could do nothing to cheer her cousin up. As soon as they'd boarded the Celsius, Rikku had shrugged away Yuna's concerned arm and gone to her room, citing that she was tired – a lie, since Yuna could clearly hear her crying through the doorway – and not come out for two days. When she did come out, her face was still white, and she didn't eat anything for at least another two days after that. Finally, she got her to drink some tea, sip by sip, at the bar.

"Come on, Rikku, you have to eat something. Please? For me?"

"I'm not hungry, Yunie."

There was a silence for a while before Yuna said hesitantly. "Rikku…I know it feels terrible, but…it's not the end of the world, you know?" Rikku stiffened, but did not say anything. Yuna took this as a signal to carry on. "There are worse things…And you've put yourself through this for so long…maybe it is time for you to move on."

Very slowly, Rikku turned to look at Yuna, her eyes narrowed with incredulity. "Don't you dare tell me that, Yuna," she hissed. "How can you even think of saying that? Did I tell you that your pain wasn't as real or as bad as you felt it was?"

"Well no, but I-"

"Did I ever tell you that there were worse things than having your heart broken?" she demanded.

"No, you didn't-"

"And did I once suggest to you that it was time for you to move on?"

Yuna had the good grace to look ashamed. "No, you didn't. I'm sorry, Rikku, I just-"

"Don't 'just' anything," Rikku interrupted, her expression still thunderous. "You lost the love of your life, and I stood by you through everything. Everything. And now you don't care enough to do that same? Well screw you then."

With that, the blonde turned and prepared to stalk from the cabin, knowing that she would regret her harsh words, that Yuna didn't really deserve them, and that any minute now she'd start crying again. She didn't quite make it to the door before Yuna caught up with her, and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Rikku. I shouldn't have said that. Forgive me?"

Rikku bit her trembling bottom lip and nodded slightly. "I know, Yunie," she murmured. "I know you were only trying to help…" With a huge effort of will, she forced the tears back. She wouldn't let this destroy her. It was exactly what Giia wanted. "Thanks, Yuna. But I'm kinda tired. I…haven't really slept well."

Yuna nodded understandingly. "Ok. Why don't you go sleep for a while. I'll wake you for something to eat later?"

Rikku nodded wearily, too tired to fight back anymore. She just felt drained. "Sure."

She did manage to get some sleep, but as she expected it would be, her slumber was filled with splinters of Auron, looking right through her as though she were nothing, and Giia, laughing as he turned contemptuously away from Rikku. Every time his face appeared in her dreams, she jolted awake, tears already on her cheeks and the sheets soaked in cold sweat. As the dark circles began to build around her eyes, Yuna got more and more concerned about her younger cousin; but every time she asked, she was assured that Rikku was fine, and that there really was no need to worry. Which of course only served to worry her more. But after a week of Rikku refusing help, Yuna agreed with Tidus and concluded that there was nothing else she could do, and that Rikku was right. She would be better off in Besaid.

---

Once Yuna was gone, Rikku decided that something had to be done to fill her hours. Since she was a Gullwing, after all, going on sphere hunts seemed the obvious solution. Any concerns that Buddy or Brother might have had about her not being strong enough to stand up against fiends by herself was quickly dispelled after she'd beaten them both in battle within thirty seconds. She could handle herself, and the Gullwings were getting low on funds anyway. It wasn't like airship fuel was cheap, even if Cid did give them a family discount. And it worked out well – the sphere locator did its job as well as it always had. Buddy navigated, Brother piloted, Rikku found and Shinra decoded spheres in record numbers. Thankfully, in the next six weeks, she did not meet any of Giia's group – who, unbeknownst to her, had also been training to push up their strength – so didn't have to face the fact that Auron was no longer hers to claim. Not that he ever was, she thought miserably. Despite the fact that she hadn't seen him in so long, it didn't stop her heart from relentlessly poking at her mind whenever she was lucky enough to find peace. It was a shame blowing your brains out meant death, or she'd have done that long ago.

The event that changed all that, indeed, changed her life forever, was on a perfectly unremarkable day, on a perfectly unremarkable afternoon, on a perfectly unremarkable sphere hunt.

She was polishing her sword – from the Samurai dressphere, and trying (and failing) not to think of Auron – when Buddy's voice came over the radio. "Hey, Rikku, we got sphere waves coming off the Gagazet Ruins. Looks like an important one."

Rikku frowned and made her way up to the bridge. "Tet fa hud kad ymm dra uhac vnus Gagazet?" she asked (Did we not get all the ones from Gagazet?)

Buddy shrugged. "Ybbynahdmo hud. Oui ib vun ed?" (Apparently not. You up for it?)

She grinned. "Ynah'd E ymfyoc? Mad'c ku!" (Aren't I always? Let's go!)

At this, Brother interrupted, looking highly disgruntled. "Rao, rao, rao! E keja dra untanc!" (Hey, hey, hey! I give the orders!) He paused as if deep in thought. Rikku rolled her eyes, knowing that Brother wasn't capable of deep thought if his life depended on it. Finally he nodded in what she was sure he thought was a majestic fashion. "Yht, E ryja taletat...dryd fa crymm ku!" (And, I have decided…that we shall go!)

He revved the engines, and the Celsius sped off toward the holy mountain. Less than an hour later, Rikku stepped off the ramp and was climbing up to the Ronso settlement. For some reason the fog at the summit was too thick for the Celsius to get too close. She was greeted by Thali, one of the female Ronso – and one who had taken quite a shine to Kimahri, Rikku thought. "Friend Rikku," she greeted, bowing.

Rikku smiled a little nervously. It was hard not to feel a bit shy when you were around people who were six feet taller than you and blue. "Uh, hi, Thali. How are you?"

"Thali is well. What brings Rikku to sacred mountain?"

"Well, there's this sphere up on the summit that I want to look for with the Elder's permission?" she asked.

Thali bowed her head. "Of course. Rikku is friend to Elder Kimahri – is friend to all of Ronso. Rikku need guide?"

She grinned. "Thanks but no thanks! I'm sure I can manage!"

The Ronso bowed again and then let Rikku on her way. Within two minutes she was reminded why the Al Bhed lived in a desert. Snow was pretty, but it was ridiculously cold. Seriously. And her miniskirt and bikini top did not provide much protection against the elements. She switched to her white mage dress sphere simply to keep warm, and luckily didn't meet any fiends coming the other way.

Her luck, however, did not last long.

On the second from last bend, she was confronted by no less than a dozen people – all of whom she recognised as Giia's henchmen and women. "Shit."

Rikku was strong – but after knocking out eight of the twelve, she didn't remain so for long. Finally, with only two goons left standing, Rikku was forced to her knees, and one of the goons radioed in to their leader while Rikku was fighting to stay conscious. "Boss? We got one of the Gullwings here."

"Which one?" came Giia's voice, absurdly over-excited.

"The blonde one, what's-her-face…Rikka?"

"It's Rikku, moron," Rikku muttered. She received a kick in the stomach for her efforts.

"Shut up, bitch. What do you want us to do with her, boss?"

"Bring her to me, quickly. Oh, and keep her alive."

The other goon snorted and tossed a potion at Rikku, who uncorked it and drained it in one swallow, uncaring of where it had come from. A potion was a potion, after all. When she felt strong enough to stand, the two lackeys grabbed her roughly and began dragging her up the mountain. It wasn't long before the rest of Giia's camp came into view, with the woman herself standing in front of the largest tent, looking smug. "Hello, Princess."

"Giia," Rikku ground out, glad that at least Auron was not around to see her humiliation.

"I find myself in somewhat of a dilemma, you know, Rikku," Giia carried on conversationally. "On the one hand, I could kill you now – which I'm sure I would enjoy doing – or I could have you eternally in my debt…now…which would I prefer…"

"Believe me, Giia, even if by some miracle you've developed a soul and do let me go, there's no way I'd ever consider myself to be in your debt."

"No?" She disappeared into the tent for a few seconds, then came back out again, bearing something red. She threw it at Rikku, who reflexively caught it. Immediately, she became aware of two things; first, that she was holding Auron's coat, and second, that it was red not only in colour, but also because it was soaked in blood. Her head snapped up to look at Giia again. "What the hell did you do to him?!" she demanded.

"I didn't do anything. The oaf decided to be noble and to save me from being eaten by a large pack of snow wolves. He's rather badly injured, you know," she said conversationally.

"I swear, I'm going to kill you," Rikku snarled, struggling against her captors, who tightened their hold.

Giia laughed. "Now, now, don't you think you should listen to my generous offer? I'm going to let you heal him, and in exchange you're going to promise me that you'll never tell him."

"I'm going to fucking crow it from the rooftops what kind of bitch you are," Rikku returned.

The other woman's face went ugly, and she stepped forward, slapping Rikku hard. The blonde clenched her jaw and glared, not saying anything. Giia continued, taking a deep breath and calming herself. "Then he'll die. We none of us have the skill to heal him, and I'm afraid he hasn't got long."

"I can heal him!" Rikku declared passionately.

"Then promise me."

Desperately, Rikku used three precious seconds trying to think of a way out. There wasn't one, and her only option was terrifyingly clear – she could not let Auron die. Looking down, she nodded. "I promise."

Giia gripped her chin. "Properly."

"I swear on the blood of my people that I will not tell Auron that I healed him," she spat, hating herself for every word.

"Nor will you let anyone else tell him," Giia demanded.

"Nor will I let anyone else tell him," Rikku repeated.

Looking more than satisfied with herself, Giia released her. "Then follow me."

She followed Giia into the tent. At the entrance, she stopped dead. "Oh my gods," she whispered.

A/N: I do like my cliffhangers, don't I? :D Review!