Fade With Me

Chapter 15

---R---E---C---A---P---

I tried to call out to Auron for help, but I choked on my words. Everything around me was starting to blur and fade away, and there was nothing I could do about it. Auron was disappearing right in front of my eyes…again.

W-What's…going on!?!?

---X---X---X---X---X---

A canopy of white light that was that I was becoming oh so familiar with once again surrounded me, blinding me and making me feel weightless as it lifted me high, high, high into the skies.

It was as if I was walking on clouds. I would've felt like I was in heaven…but the thought instantly faded away as I realized that the man I loved wasn't even here with me. That was like my own personal hell.

And he was still alone in Zanarkand, suffering in his unbearable anguish.

He'd better be okay…

Blinking a few times, my vision started to clear as I took in the white puffs that were all around me. "Where am I?" I asked to no one in particular.

A youthful laugh was my response. "Rikku. It's good to see you again."

I sighed, shaking my head and closing my eyes. "I should've guessed. Baathum." When I slowly opened my eyes, I was greeted with a smirking child-fayth right in front of me. "So what do you want now? I mean…could you have picked more terrible time?" I groaned impatiently.

Baathum's smile faltered slightly. "I brought you here for a reason, Rikku. The mission-"

"Is almost complete," I cut him off. "And blah blah blah. Did you really have to take me away from Auron and everyone in Zanarkand just to tell me that?" I paused for a moment when a thought came to mind. "Hell, you've already told me that!" I practically screeched.

He didn't so much as blink at my tantrum. "The reason I have brought you here," he continued, "is because you need to make a choice."

My brows furrowed. "So I actually have a say in what happens on this so-called mission now? When did that happen?"

"Precisely my point." Baathum sighed tiredly. "I regret having not given you a choice at all in your situation, Rikku." He bowed his head. "And I'm going against my word to the Superior Fayth by my actions right now, but it is only because I am truly sorry."

My eyes widened. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! H-Hang on a minute!" I stammered, waving my hands in front of myself. "You are apologizing…to me?" I poked myself in the chest as I pointed there to help clarify my question. "Are you being serious?"

The fayth merely nodded slowly.

I laughed. "You? Mr. High-and-mighty-fayth?"

He nodded again.

"Apologizing?" I tried one more time before Baathum uncrossed his arms and let quite an unmannerly snort. "To me?"

"Yes," he said through pursed lips. "May I continue now?"

I nodded apologetically. "Yeah, sorry. Please finish explaining." I crossed my arms. "I'm curious to hear what was so important that you had to take me away from Auron when he needed someone the most."

Baathum sighed. "Well, now that you mention Auron's name, that does have something to do with why I have brought you here."

My jaw dropped as I stared at him. He clearly took that as a cue to continue.

"Because…you see," Baathum turned his back on me as he began to slowly and dramatically motion his hands through the air, "you haven't left him alone at all. Or at least, not really."

I blinked a few times in my confusion. "What? I don't understand." I finally looked over at the area that Baathum was facing to see that he was waving his hands through the air for a specific reason, and that wasn't just to overemphasize his point.

He was clearing some of the misty, cloudy white space that was directly in front of him with his spiritual magic. As I took a few steps towards that area to stand next to Baathum, my jaw dropped again. The huge opening in the clouds created a type of screen, revealing exactly what was happening during the big battle against Sin that I seemed to be inconveniently absent for.

I wondered how on Spira the time could have possibly passed that quickly. Just a moment ago, I was still in Zanarkand with Auron, waiting for Braska to return with his newly acquired fayth. And now, the Final Summoning was mere minutes away from occurring.

There was a familiar flash of blonde hair and a yellow bikini darting around during the battle. But…wait a second. Could that be me down there!?!?

"Baathum?" I muttered as I continued to stare down below at the battle in the desolate part of Zanarkand. "What…is going…on?" My heart was hammering into my ribcage painfully, and my ears were ringing with the pressure and anxiety that was weighing down on me. I turned to Baathum with a scorching glare when he didn't respond. "TELL ME!!"

That time, the fayth had the decency of looking abashed. He turned to face me, but he didn't meet my eyes.

Like I could actually see his eyes anyway, pfft. His hood shields them from me. I wonder why…NOW'S NOT THE TIME TO THINK ABOUT THAT! Make him explain what the hell is going on here!

"Rikku," he started.

"Don't you dare apologize to me again, Baathum!" I snapped angrily. "All I want to hear coming out of your mouth is an explanation. And a good one, at that!" I looked down at the battle against Sin again. "How can I be down there if I'm right here with you…?" I trailed off.

Baathum hung his head sadly as he sighed. "Rikku, it is difficult to explain, but I will try my best."

I crossed my arms, trying to ignore the fact that my eyes were starting to water.

Geez, I've cried more on this stupid "mission" than I have in my entire life!

"So try," I said softly.

He nodded, taking a deep breath. "What you are witnessing below right now is something that has already happened, and something that would have happened again, had I not taken you away from Zanarkand at that particular moment."

My look of pure confusion enticed him to further explain.

"What I mean to say, Rikku, is…you have already been sent to the past to complete the very same mission I have sent you on."

I shook my head. "That's impossible. I think I would remember being sent to the past, Baathum!" I stomped my foot on the ground, which didn't really have an effect since it was like stepping on a pillow. It was childish as well, but I didn't really care. "And I don't remember anything like that!"

Baathum nodded. "That is good because you shouldn't remember anything."

"W-What!?" I sputtered out.

He crossed his arms as he thought of a better way to say what he was trying to explain. "This Rikku," he pointed at me, "has never been sent into the past before." He sighed. "But others have..." He motioned towards the ongoing battle down below. "Time and space…are two very delicate components of life, Rikku. If someone in your position were to go back in time and alter something that happened, what would you think would happen?"

"The future would be different…and messed up," I replied instantly.

Baathum nodded. "One would think that…however, it is not the case." He took a step closer to me. "When the past is altered in any way, shape or form, instead of the first future events occurring, there will be an alternate path for the now changed past to take.

"Every time something is changed in the past, there is a shift - a branch of sorts - that leads to two separate, very different futures. One of the futures is the one from which you came. And the other is an unknown future, affected only by the time-journeyer's actions in the past. Because of this, any of your actions or choices on this pilgrimage with Lord Braska and his guardians would not directly affect the future that you are from.

"So there will be an alternate future, where there was a third guardian named Rikku who befriended and journeyed with the summoner Braska on his way to defeat Sin."

I swallowed a lump in my throat. "So what you're telling me is that…no matter what I did here in the past, my future…the future I'm from…would never…ever change from the way it is right now?"

Baathum gave a quick nod. "Yes, precisely."

"So what I do…will only make a difference for the alternate future?" I asked timidly.

"Yes, Rikku. You seem to understand the gist of what I was trying to explain." He looked pleased with himself.

I rubbed my eyes to make sure that no tears were falling, and I took a couple steps away from Baathum, towards the screen that showed the battle with Sin. "So there have been alternate Rikkus that have tried to finish this mission…and what I'm seeing right now is a record or something of one of those Rikkus?"

Baathum appeared at my side. "Yes. But you are forgetting the most important detail. All of those Rikkus…have failed miserably with their missions."

I slowly turned to look at him. "Who's to say I'll be any different?"

"You have the willpower and drive to succeed, Rikku," Baathum complimented. "I am sure of it."

I shook my head slowly, closing my eyes. "Do I really, Baathum? Do I? Because right now, I really don't feel that way!" I yelled. "Why the hell would I even bother with this mission if it won't change anything!?"

"But it will change the course of the-"

"Of the alternate future, yeah I get it!" I snapped angrily. "But why would you even have the nerve of telling me all of that and still expect me to go through with it?" My eyes locked on Auron's form down below as he fought and struggled against the mighty Sin. My heart started to race again, but for a different reason.

"You don't need me to tell you the answer to that, Rikku," he stated as I continued to observe the red-clad form. "You already know…just think about it for a moment."

My gut constricted excruciatingly as my eyes widened. "He's…he's the one I have to save." I wrapped my arms around my torso, falling to my knees. "I have to save Auron…"

Baathum put a comforting hand on my shoulder as I dissolved to tears. "Rikku, please, do not cry."

"I'm n-n-not crying!" I wailed pathetically, shrugging his hand away. "I just…need to s-save Auron…"

I heard a heavy, yet pleased sigh from next to me. "I am glad to hear that you finally understand," Baathum stated. "So that brings us to the reason for my bringing you here to this place."

I looked up at the child-fayth, blinking away tears as I did so. "The part about my choice?"

He nodded. "Yes, you have a choice, now that you know the entire truth, of whether you want to try to complete the mission…or return to your present time."

I sniffled, thinking about it for a minute.

Auron still won't be in the future I return to, even if I save him. But…shouldn't I try anyway? Auron deserves a chance at life, after everything he's sacrificed…so be it if that chance is in a future that I will never get to see. It's not all about me, anyway. This is for Auron!

"Okay, Baathum." I stood up carefully. "I'll do it."

He reached a hand out to help me straighten myself upright. "Are you sure this is what you wish to do, Rikku? You have a choice this time."

I nodded fiercely. "Yes…I just hope I can do it."

He smiled at me. "Do not fear anything of those likes, Rikku. You possess the potential of completing this mission…to save the life of your beloved friend. I know you can."

A sudden thought came to my mind. "Hey, uh…I have a quick question for you."

"Alright," he replied, crossing his arms. "You may ask me anything, Rikku."

"Um, how did Braska know that I was his niece?"

Baathum shook his head slowly, shrugging at the same time. "I honestly cannot say for sure, Rikku. I simply know that Lord Braska has an incredibly large amount of intuition and faith. When you first arrived, I believe you reminded him of his wife, and when you said your name was Rikku-"

"Oops."

"-he stuck with the feeling that you must have been his connected to him in some special way, even if all the pieces of how and why you were there did not completely add up."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," I replied with a sigh. "He and Yunie always trusted their guts, and they always seemed to be right!"

"That they were," Baathum agreed with a smile. "I am sorry to part with you so soon, Rikku, but I believe it is time for you to return to your mission if you still wish to complete it."

"I definitely do," I smiled back, startling the little fayth by pulling him into a tight hug. "And thank you so much for everything, buddy," I muttered before pulling away from him. "Even though you were an annoying little brat the majority of the time."

Baathum smirked in response. "It was my pleasure." The clouds and white mist were beginning to fade away again when the fayth remembered something. He walked over to me, placing something cold and heavy in my hand. "This will help."

Then everything vanished.

---X---X---X---X---X---

When I came to, I was lying on the floor exactly where I had been in Yunalesca's lair of the Dome before I was taken away by Baathum. There wasn't anyone around, and the cold air was giving me a fearful, apprehensive kind of feeling.

Suddenly remembering that there was something in my hand, I looked down. I nearly cried out in surprise when I saw what it was that Baathum had left with me.

It was a bright green stone, shimmering in the dim light surrounding me, and weighing my hand down. The only problem was…I had no idea what it was for or how to use it. And I had a lot of knowledge of these kinds of things, so that was really saying something. Shrugging to myself, I decided to discard it in one of the many pockets of my skirt.

"Okay, so what am I supposed to do right now?" I asked myself. "There's no one around. Where could Auron be…?" I trailed off.

A few seconds later, I heard raised voices coming from up the stairs leading to the place I once fought Yunalesca…in a different time.

I finally knew exactly what I had to do, and I nodded to myself determinedly, sprinting up the stairs toward Auron and the she-devil.

---X---X---X---X---X---

"How could you send them to their deaths, knowing that Sin would return!?" Auron shouted at Yunalesca, who merely stood there with her arms crossed, smirking at Auron. "Sin always returns!"

She let out a sharp, biting laugh. "You fool. The cycle will never end. That is the way it must always be, for that is the way it always has been."

"No!" Auron yelled, unbrandishing his sword. "Where is the sense in all of this? Braska believed in Yu Yevon's teachings and died for them! Jecht believed in Braska and gave his life for him-"

"They chose to die," Yunalesca cut him off, "because they had hope. Something of which you seem to have lost."

Auron was shaking with rage, and a few moments later he started to charge toward Yunalesca, gripping his sword over his head.

That was when I knew it was the time to make my presence known. "STOP!" I screamed just before Auron reached Yunalesca. He froze in place, lowering his sword and turning to face me. "Stop it, Auron," I said, more softly that time. I took a few steps closer to him as he stared at me. "If you kill her, nothing will change. Braska and Jecht will still be gone, and you'll still be left feeling guilty."

"Wise girl," Yunalesca commented as she sneered at me. "But not wise enough!" In a split-second, she surged her fist forward, ramming it right into Auron's gut and sending him spiraling backwards several yards.

"Auron!" I ran towards him, skidding to a stop on my knees. "Are you alright?" I asked gently, wiping his hair away from his face.

He blinked open his eyes and stared at me with an unreadable look. "I told you not to follow me here, Rikku," he stated through gritted teeth. "I told you-"

"Like I care!" I decided to just go along with what Auron had said. I didn't remember him telling me anything like that specifically, but I figured that Baathum had sent me back here, replacing another "Rikku" on her mission. Or something like that…maybe. Who knew? I was so confused at that point anyway, so it wasn't like it mattered anymore. I certainly didn't care.

I was just here to save Auron's life.

And I was going to do it no matter what.

Ignoring Auron's protests, I stood up carefully and unsheathed the sword from the holster on my back. "Now, what I just told you…doesn't mean that I can't be the one to kill Yunalesca!" I smirked, dashing towards her to strike.

Yunalesca was too quick, however, dodging my swipe at the last second. She glared at me with a tinge of surprise in her features. I figured the surprise was more because of the fact that I dared to pick a fight with her than anything else.

"Fight me!" I yelled, jabbing at her once more. "Not Auron!"

She laughed, side-stepping and parrying my attacks. "If death is what you wish for, I can grant it to you easily," she said, malice dripping from her words. She raised her arms into the air, as if calling on some celestial being for help. Then, tentacles suddenly sprouted from below and behind her body.

It was just like before. I was scared then - fighting with Yunie at my side - but I was not scared now!

"You're too cocky, Lady Yunalesca," I commented as I back-flipped out of the way of one of her tentacle attacks. "Learn to be a little modest and then maybe people will learn to respect you."

Pulling a grenade out of one of my pockets, I tossed it over to her for a friendly surprise. I smiled to myself when she screamed in agony, a few of her disgusting tentacles smoking in the explosion's aftermath. "How dare you!" she screeched, waving her hand towards me and sending me flying backwards to land on my rear end.

I forgot about her semi-telekinetic powers, I thought morosely. That's such an unfair advantage…but I'll still win!

A few of her tentacles had managed to wrap themselves around my legs before I had the chance to get up again. They started pulling me towards Yunalesca, and when I gazed into her eyes, all I saw was evil, hate, and death in the orbs. That was definitely something to be frightened of, but I still wasn't about to back down.

"Rikku!" Auron shouted from somewhere behind me.

That was enough to snap me out of my temporary daze. "Take this!" I arched my back up as high as I could, using my hands to propel me forward into a flip. Before the rotation was complete, I used the katana to slice the tentacles that were gripping my legs.

"You foolish bitch!" Yunalesca shrieked as she staggered backward a few paces. She was obviously in a lot of pain.

Maybe that would teach her to fight fair instead of using those stupid tentacle thingies…

"Who are you calling a bitch?" I asked with a huge smile on my face, cupping a hand to my ear to antagonize her further. Fortunately - or maybe it was unfortunately - she was even more enraged when she heard my flippant remark.

Yunalesca raised her hand into the air again, a look of pure concentration on her face. She closed her eyes, and after a few more seconds of apprehension on my part, she surged her hand forward.

I was completely rocketed backwards yet again, but with more force than ever before. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the hard impact that was sure to come…but when it didn't end up coming at all, I was so confused.

"Huh?" I blinked my eyes open, only to face none other than Auron. He was looking down at me with a very small smile on his face. It was then that I realized that he was holding me in his arms. "You caught me?" I asked stupidly.

He nodded once, gently putting me down on my own two feet.

We both broke eye contact from each other when Yunalesca's harsh laughter drifted over to us. "Well isn't that precious?" she sneered, looking from Auron to me, then back again. "I didn't realize that the foolish guardians were in love!" She laughed again, using her hand to whip her hair out of her face. "That is going to make granting you your deaths even more enjoyable."

From my peripheral vision, I could tell that Auron's jaw was clenched and that his fists were balled up in rage. "Yunalesca," he started, shaking his head slowly. "I am going to kill you."

"Yeah, you psycho, so just shut up," I added with an equal amount of hatred in my voice.

Yunalesca shook her head slowly and condescendingly, laughing at us once more. "You are imbeciles if you think you can defeat me." In one swift move, she teleported herself right in front of me, using her long-nailed fingers to slash at my face.

I was surprised by the strength of her attack as I staggered and fell backwards. The back of my skull collided with the hard stone floor, making a resounding cracking noise. As I was sprawled out on the ground in pain, it felt like all of my stamina and energy were dripping away from me, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. My whole body started to twitch and convulse painfully.

Tysh…her poison…

I must've looked just as bad as I felt because Auron unsheathed his sword again, pointing it at Yunalesca's face and yelling, "What did you do to her!?"

She placed her hands on her hips and shrugged. "Only what I promised I would grant her. Eternal life in death." She tilted her head back as she laughed evilly.

My face was on fire from where she had struck me, and I couldn't say or do anything to get myself out of this situation. I knew for a fact that we were fresh out of antidotes; we used the last one on Jecht before we had even arrived at Zanarkand.

It hurt so bad…and I was pretty this was what death felt like…

"Yunalesca!" Auron shouted - my aching skull couldn't handle his loud volume very well...ouch! - and took a swipe at her just as she re-teleported herself to where she was standing earlier. "You will pay for all that you have done!"

That was the last thing I heard Auron say.

His voice, along with Yunalesca's voice, was beginning to ebb away from my hearing. My body was slowly numbing from my head all the way to my feet. I supposed that was a good thing since my face had felt like it had been struck by a million bolts of lightning, and my skull felt like it had literally cracked wide open.

I would've sighed in contentment at my total state of nothingness - for this dark place had no pain, no worries, and no…no Auron?

Wait, what?

Suddenly, I felt something burning at my upper thigh. It was red hot, scalding my skin like it was trying to keep me awake and out of this oblivion.

What is that weird feeling?

The darkness was starting to fade away, my vision was clearing, and my pain was returning - though it was considerably less than it was before.

"What?" I muttered, blinking my eyes a few times to see if the starry sky would still be above me every time I checked. "Auron?" I coughed, slowly trying to sit up.

My leg still felt like it was on fire, and placing a hand to inspect what was going on, I came across a lumpy shape in my pocket…that was glowing. "Huh?" I pulled it out.

It was the bright green stone that Baathum had given to me. I remembered he had said, "This will help."

The dots were all connecting in my brain. This stone…had been what had saved me from the poison. I was sure of it. What else could have brought me back from the bottomless abyss of darkness?

My head was still throbbing in pain, though. "Thank you, Baathum," I muttered before standing up. Looking around, I noticed that I was completely alone up here. Yunalesca was gone, and Auron was nowhere to be found---

A groan from a few yards ahead of me reached my ears. "Auron!" I ran over to where he was sprawled out on the ground, quivering in pain. Dropping to my knees and trying not to cry, I assessed the life-threatening wounds that were scattered throughout his body. "D-Did Yunalesca do this to you?" I ignored all of my own aches and bruises. Auron's life was at stake!

His eyes were still closed and he looked as if he only had a few moments left on Spira. As I gazed at his face, I had to clap my hands over my mouth when I noticed the vertical slash from his hairline, across his eye, all the way to his chin.

I can't believe this happened! That's the same scar that the Auron from the future had…

Clearing my thoughts from their nostalgic and saddening path, I had to take a steadying breath to get myself back on track…so I could focus on helping Auron. But what could I do? I didn't have any items with me, and the only type of magic that I was practiced with was black magic. Not white magic.

"Auron, please say something," I muttered through quivering lips. "Please, tell me how I can help you! I can't let you die!!"

After all the time I'd spent in the past with Auron and everybody else…after all the battles, the newly-made friends, the laughter, the tears…

Auron was going to die. And it was all my fault. I should've been here with him to protect him from Yunalesca. Or at least to let her kill me in his place. That would have been better than seeing him die. Anything would have been better…

The tears were cascading down my cheeks at that point, and the slash on the side of my face from Yunalesca stung a little bit when the salt from the tears touched it.

"Auron, p-p-please…" I begged pathetically. "Don't…don't go. You have to fight it. Open your eyes!"

It was no use. Auron was still motionless, and he had become even more pale than he was before.

I collapsed in a heap on his chest, letting the tears overtake me. I barely even noticed that everything around us was fading away again.

But this time, Auron didn't fade. He stayed with me.

It didn't make a difference, though.

He wasn't breathing anymore.

You can't be dead, Auron…y-you just...

"YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME!!"

---X---X---X---X---X---

A/N: Hey, everybody! I hope you liked this chapter ((SO sorry about the cliffie again!!)); I know it was kinda confusing when Baathum was trying to explain some of it to Rikku, but if you have questions, feel free to ask and I'll happily reply. Though, keep in mind there are still 2 more chapters and an epilogue ((or at least that's how I'm planning it in my mind)) so more questions may be answered then! =) Okeydokey, until next time, everyone! And thanks for ALL the support! XD