Right. So, this is the SAME story as the first chapter. Simply a different translation version. Instead of having a ton of Al Bhed in the story for you to scroll back and forth to understand (tiring, I know), I decided to give my readers who want it a version where the in-story Al Bhed is already translated. So, if it's showing --Like this-- then they're really speaking in Al Bhed.

The only non-translated line in the story is the very last one. -nods- So, I hope those of you who prefer it, enjoy this version!

Auron: Aren't you forgetting something?

Rikku: Oh! I know, I know! -whispers in Angel's ear-

Angel: Ohhh! Right. Oopsie. Disclaimerrrr!

Disclaimer: -swoops down from nowhere and everywhere- Don't own. Don't sue. -vanish-

Auron: -resists the urge to glare-

Speak Your Return

It had only been a year. A year since Sin was defeated. Since Yuna preformed the sending that caused him to leave. She had known it was going to happen, somehow, deep down, she had known. Her heart hadn't listened, though.

Rikku missed him. Wakka and Lulu were happy, Yuna was recovering from Tidus leaving fairly well, and Kimahri had gone back to Mt. Gagazet as head of the Ronso tribe. But Rikku couldn't stop missing him. Missing Auron. The man had done something to her!

The Al Bhed didn't know when, exactly, but at some point during the time spent with Mr. Grump on the pilgrimage...She thought she had grown a little too fond of him, started spending a bit too much time with him. It had hurt so much when he was suddenly leaving, after they beat Yu Yevon. He hadn't even given them any warning! Her any warning..

"--Stupid big meanie head...--" Currently, the young teen was walking down the streets of Luca, alone. She had wanted time to think, and everyone was currently in the stadium, playing blitzball. It was the prefect chance for some peace and quiet, some thought.

So, head down, Rikku slowly made her way down the near-empty street, no longer worried about any dangers towards her race. The Al Bhed were respected now, once it got out that not only was one of Yuna's Guardians an Al Bhed, but the High Summoner herself was part Al Bhed.

Rikku didn't notice someone walking towards her, far too caught up in her musings about a certain red-clad male. Whose famous sunglasses she now wore, she reminded herself bitterly. They had been pushed into her hand when Auron had passed, before he'd been sent completely. The blond had kept them close to her ever since.

After all, it wasn't every day that the Legendary Sir Auron handed off his favored sunglasses, especially to the teen who seemed to have made it her life's goal to steal them from him. It meant a lot, though, coming from the man who she had worked so hard to impress, for some reason.

Then, Rikku collided with someone, and stumbled back several paces with murmuring in a surprised tone, "--Excuse me.-- Ah! I mean...Excuse me. I didn't see you."

She didn't even bother to look up to see who she had run into. Just stepped to the side, barely registering the red coat the person was wearing. It seemed...So familiar. Yet, it didn't matter, she had things to think about and be depressed over. The blond wasn't expecting for the person to step to the side and cause her to run into them again.

"--Hey, watch it! What's your problem?!--" Finally, she looked up at the person who had blocked her path, putting on her best imitation of Auron's 'I'm-going-to-get-very-mad-if-you-don't-give-a-good-reason-for-what-you-just-did-and-now' glare over the sunglasses that were one or two sizes too big for her. She reached up to push the things back up her nose, frowning.

Then, something registered about the person she was glaring at. The red jacket with a cowl...Scar over his right eye, no sunglasses...The man gave off a soft grunt-like chuckle, obviously amused by her actions. The young Al Bhed's mind de-railed, but her mouth hit auto-pilot.

"--Oh! Auron, sorry.-- Sorry." There was a pause, Auron remaining silent while he waited for the girl's mind to pull itself back on track. The swirling emerald eyes slowly blinked, once. Twice. Then widened to the size of blitzballs, "--Auron?! How'd you get here?!--"

"Rikku...Good to see you." No way, Rikku thought, you're not getting off that easily. She didn't even realize she was speaking in her native tongue, it seemed.

"--I thought you went to the farplane!-- Yuna! S-she...She sent you!" The blond insisted, flailing her arms, "I watched you explode into a million pyerflies! You said--! Y-you said 'This is your world now'!"

"That is correct." The russet-eyed male replied, holding out his hand. The message was clear, and Rikku immediately removed the sunglasses from her face. But, she didn't hand them over just yet--They were special to her.

"How? --How'd you get back?--" Auron gave a slightly irritated grunt, watching the girl in front of him warily. Slumping when it became apparent that he wasn't going to answer, Rikku held the sunglasses to her chest, "You gave them to me."

"I couldn't very well leave you with nothing, and you seemed rather...Drawn to them." There was a pause as the man glanced away, before letting his hand drop and switching the subject, "Do you always switch so quickly between languages?"

"Huh? --What do you mean?--" Grunting, Auron raised an eyebrow at her, and the Al Bhed blinked in realization, shifting and muttering, "Oh. That. --I can't help it.--"

"--Perhaps if I talked like this?--" The small gasp received in reply to his sentence seemed to satisfy the man, and he turned to begin walking in the direction Rikku had been going moments before.

"You know Al Bhed!" The girl behind him squealed in delight, clapping her hands and running after him. Turning back around, Auron was caught off guard when he was suddenly tackled around the waist. He stumbled backwards briefly, an arm wrapping itself around her waist as an attempt to keep her balanced as well.

"That I do...--How long have I been gone?--" Ignoring the squealing of excitement in response to the language-shift, the usually stoic male fought hard against an on-coming smile, looking down at the girl who had latched herself to his being. She didn't seemed bothered by the fact that he was holding her against him, that or she didn't notice.

"An eternity! A whole year! --I missed you so much, Auron!--" Another arm wrapped around her waist, a hand running through her slightly grown-out hair. Rikku knew she was making the man feel awkward, clinging to him like this. But he was back! "Ohhh! Wait till the other's find out!"

"No." That caused her to freeze. The stern tone hadn't really left room for argument, but...Heart sinking, the teen pulled back slightly to look up at the man she was clinging to, frowning.

"--Why not? Don't you want to see them?--" She asked, softly. He stared down at her silently for a moment before he turned his eye away, releasing her waist and stepping back.

"I do, Rikku. However...--It wouldn't be fair to Yuna.--" It didn't take long for the Al Bhed to understand what he meant. Auron was back, but Tidus...He didn't want the High Summoner to become any more depressed then she already was. His next statement caused her face to break out into a grin, "She hasn't...Received her gift, yet."

"Ohhhhh...So you're my gift, hm?" If this caught him off guard, Auron didn't show it. Turning, he managed to get her to switch her grip to his arm before starting to walk again. Where he was taking her, Rikku had no idea, but she didn't really care at this point in time.

"I didn't say that." This seemed to make the girl slump. At least, until she realized he was smirking and decided to slip his--her sunglasses onto her face and attempt a 'One-Eyed-Glare-of-DOOM' at the man who created the look, scrunching up her face while closing her right eye.

Chuckling, he shook his head and promptly lifted the lenses off her face, ignoring her cry of protest and placing them onto his own face. Then, he proceeded to send the real thing at her, making her squeak and shrink away. Funny how just one second of that look, when done right, could send the toughest male (or female, as the case may be) quivering.

Ah...It felt good to be back, that was for sure. Smirking further, Auron reached up and tapped between Rikku's eyes lightly, watching her go cross-eyed in response.

"Heeey...--Big old meanie.--"

"--Selfish little girl.-- Why are you out here alone? It isn't like you to sulk around unhappily." When she didn't reply, he continued speaking, his voice soft now, "I had hoped to find a slightly calmed down sixteen year-old happy-go-lucky Al Bhed teen. Not a depressed one."

"Yeah, well...--I wanted time to think.--"

"--About?--" Auron gave her a sideways glance, and Rikku had a feeling that he already knew what about. So, she didn't answer him at first, instead allowing him to continue leading her aimlessly through the streets of Luca. Or, at least she thought it was aimlessly. She really didn't know.

"..You. --I thought...--I had realized my true feelings too late." Rikku sighed, kicking a random out-of-place rock as they walked. She kept her head down, muttering, "It took you leaving for me to realize it wasn't just some --stupid kid crush.--"

"--The past is best left in the past. I'm here now.--" And that is all that matters. Rikku smiled, lifting her gaze from the ground to meet the russet gaze. Then, a thought occurred to her, and she felt her heart start to sink again.

" --Will you stay?-- Please?" Auron didn't answer, simply lead her inside a small cafe she hadn't even known existed. You didn't pay attention to the small things when you were as distracted as Rikku had been. That, and being Al Bhed hadn't exactly helped before they'd brought the Eternal Calm. As they sat down at one of the tables in the corner, she smiled weakly, "--I don't want to lose you again.--"

Again, Auron didn't respond. He seemed to be trying to find the right words. Rikku felt her happiness at seeing him again starting to slip away quickly. Like the silence was crushing her hope. Quietly, she ordered them drinks. Coffee, black, for Auron (he liked it best that way), and hot chocolate for herself.

"I wouldn't leave you again, Rikku. --Not after what I was put through in the farplane to come back.--" Rikku wasn't sure what he meant by that last statement, but didn't think much on it. For all she knew, he'd been battered by his friends about leaving like he did, being miserable, and had somehow found a way to come back. That or he was miserable before being battered...

She wasn't sure how things worked in the farplane, she'd never gone to the visitors platform, let alone the actual thing. Rikku found that, as the waiter brought their drinks, she didn't care either. All that mattered was that Auron was back. For her. And he was staying.

"Good. Because..."

...E muja oui.

Fin.

E muja oui - I love you.

Alright, so there's the easier, slightly less fun (in my opinion) version. I hope this makes the story easier to enjoy for those of you who prefer the less complicated way. n_n

Rikku: Review review review! -jumps up and down-

Auron: -rolls his eyes- Calm down, already.

Angel: Er...Yeah, anyways. What Rikku said! You wouldn't wanna make her all sad, would you?