Fade With Me

Chapter 18

I crossed my arms. "Auron…I understand if none of that makes any sense, but can you at least say something?" I asked anxiously, glancing over at the man standing next to me. My heart was racing and the infamous butterflies in my gut had made their presence known again.

Auron and I had been walking - very slowly - to the Farplane. It was as though we both wanted to extend the time we had outside the confusion, the racket, and the hopelessness of Tromell's mansion, before we made it to our destination: the Farplane.

In a spur-of-the-moment decision, I started talking to Auron about being a guardian on Yunie's pilgrimage last year. It had been an awkward silence before that…and well, we all know what happens when nothing is being said: I do the talking.

So as I was talking about Yunie, Tidus, Kimahri and everybody else, I had conveniently left out his name as one of the guardians. I couldn't help but think that his face had a trace of remembrance in it already, though, especially as I mentioned the moment that I had officially become a guardian. I wondered if my voice…or our conversation - a bit one-sided on my part - had sparked any memories for him.

So, I just kept talking, and talking…and talking.

Before I even knew it, I was spilling my heart and soul to him. I told him about the Moonflow Mission, the scary water fiend, Baathum, the past, Braska, Jecht…and then I talked about him. Auron. The one from the past and the one from the future. I explained how they were the same to me. That even though he had a weird case of amnesia right now, he was still my friend. I still cared about him.

But now he had stopped walking. And he wasn't saying anything at all to me. I was really worried.

"Auron?" I tried again. "D-Did I say something wrong? Are you upset with me?"

He shook his head forcefully. "No. But is this the reason why you are bringing me to the Farplane? To see if I will remember anything?"

I shrugged. "I guess that's part of it, but I think…I just had a feeling that something there could really help you out." I left out the part that still I wasn't sure what that something was.

He finally looked at me, a very small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "You have done a lot for me lately." He brushed his hand along my arm, but the touch was so feather-light that I was almost convinced I had imagined it. "I thank you, Rikku. For everything you have done."

I swallowed the lump that had managed to form in my throat. "It's no problem, you know. You're my friend. That's what friends are for, right?"

He nodded slowly. "You are a good friend," he said with a smile.

My heart constricted at the sincerity in his voice. He still didn't remember me…but he was saying I was a good friend. Was that a good sign?

I sighed in my confusion. "Thanks. You're a good friend too, you know," I smirked at him, "even if you don't remember."

He gave a small chuckle. "That is reassuring to hear." He smiled back at me, and after a few moments, he opened his mouth to say something, but then shook his head slowly, choosing not to say anything instead.

I let out a shaky breath. "So…you still don't remember anything. And none of this looks familiar to you? Guadosalam?" Or how about me? I mentally added.

He looked around at the scenic beauty surrounding us. "I'm afraid not." He looked back at me, and I wasn't quick enough to mask the despair on my face. It was too late and he had noticed my expression. "I wish I…" he trailed off.

I nodded slowly. "T-That's okay. I understand." I turned around to continue leading the way to the Farplane. "Let's just keep going, Auron."

He grunted in reply, which was something that reminded me even more of what Auron used to always do. My heart was throbbing in my chest at that point. I miss the Auron I fell in love with. I sighed again.

We walked in silence from that point on, both because I had nothing more to talk about and because I didn't want to talk anymore. After about ten more minutes of suffocating silence, Auron and I reached the grand staircase leading into the outer sphere of the creepy Farplane.

"This is the Farplane, I assume?" Auron asked softly before glancing at me.

I nodded slowly. "Yep, this is it." I bit my lip gently before turning to face him. "You know, if you don't want to go in, you really don't have to. I just thought it would be a good idea to see if any-"

"Rikku," Auron cut me off, raising his hand into the air slightly. "It is fine. We have already made it all the way here, so why not continue?"

That sounds like something Auron would say.

He looked back towards the stairs, his jaw clenching in the process. Is he nervous?

I slapped a hand to my forehead. What a dumb question. Who wouldn't be nervous!? Poor Auron has no memories whatsoever, and here he was, ready to face the unknown with a girl he didn't even know…and I was asking myself if he was nervous!?

"Stupid," I muttered to myself.

"Excuse me?" Auron said, brows furrowed.

I shook my head. "Sorry, I was just talking to myself." Taking another calming breath, I started towards the stairs. "Let's go, Auron."

He nodded in reply. "I am right behind you, Rikku."

For some reason, the sound of my name escaping from his lips still sent shivers down my spine. I'm such a…is there even a word for it? I shook my head again.

"Are you alright?" Auron asked. He must've noticed my odd body language in the past several minutes. "Rikku?"

I turned around to smile reassuringly at him. He was not supposed to be worrying about me right now. I was supposed to be worrying about him!! "I absolutely fine! Don't even worry about it."

He sighed. "I cannot explain why…but I do worry…about you."

My stomach flip-flopped up into my chest. "You…what?"

He walked up to the stair I was standing on. "I do not know you. I do not remember you. But I worry about you. And there is no explanation for it."

I smiled softly. The pure honesty in his voice was enough to resurrect my old optimism and determination. In a bold move, I reached down, grabbed his hand, and ran up the rest of the stairs and into the Farplane, dragging him right behind me.

"We're going to get an explanation," I said, slowly letting go of his hand as I looked around at the pyrefly-filled atmosphere. I had never been in this place before in my entire life - nor did I ever want to! - but I knew this is what had to be done for Auron. And I'd do anything for him. Anything.

"So this is the Farplane," Auron commented, walking even closer to the edge to get a better look around.

I nodded slowly, crossing my arms over my chest as a pyrefly darted by me. Now I knew why I never wanted to come here. This place gave me the heeby-jeebies!

Afraid to be by myself in this place for a second longer, I ran over to stand next to Auron. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even see or hear me approach. "Try thinking of something," I suggested. "Anything?"

He shook his head slowly. "There is nothing…to remember. I cannot think of anything."

All of a sudden, Auron groaned, clutching his hands to his head in pain. Before I knew it, he had dropped to his knees in what looked to be agonizing pain. I gasped in shock.

What's going on?

"AURON!?" I squealed, dropping to my knees next to him. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

He couldn't make any response because the pain was too great for him to bear. Tears came to my eyes as I watched him writhe around. "Auron, please say something. Tell me what I can do to help."

"R…Rikku…" he managed to grunt out between thrashes. "D…don't let…hurt…"

"I'll try-" I started to placate him, assuring him I won't let him stay in pain for much longer.

"-you!" he finished, looking at me pleadingly.

Wait…He doesn't want to hurt me? But how can that happen? He's the one in pain!

I shook my head stubbornly. "If you're asking me to leave you…!" I huffed when I saw Auron nod. "There is no way, Auron. No way!"

He shook his head, which was still clutched by both of his hands. "Rikku…go!"

"I'm not leaving you here by yourself!" I screamed back.

In one quick movement, Auron fell backwards, unconscious. "Auron! NO!" I shrieked, leaning over him, checking all of his wounds. I assumed that this outburst of pain had something to do with all of his previous injuries, but when I checked…I realized I was completely wrong. His wounds were fine.

This was something else entirely.

And I had no idea what was going on.

"Oh, god…oh, god. What do I do?" I was thinking out loud. "Oh, no." I patted down my pockets to see if I had any items with me…but I didn't. That would've meant that I was at least somewhat lucky in my life. Which was not true at all, of course.

"What do I do, what do I do, what do I do!?" I gripped my head with both of my hands, trying as hard as I could to think of something. "Think, Rikku. Think!"

In my panic, I had failed to notice that a huge pack of pyreflies were slowly but surely encircling Auron and I. "Heh heh," I laughed nervously as I glanced around at them. "Go away…please?"

I leaned over Auron to shield his body from the pyreflies. This probably won't even do anything, but it's worth a try, right? "Auron, please wake up!"

I closed my eyes as I rested my head on his chest. "You can't leave me again," I shuddered, ignoring the pyrefly that flew past my ear. "You can't!"

Suddenly, my upper leg started to feel like it was on fire. "Ahh!" I sat upright, clawing at my pocket. "What the hell!?" I pulled out the bright green stone that Baathum had given to me before I returned to the Zanarkand Dome. I had forgotten that it was still in my pocket.

Right now, it was shining eerily and it was white hot. I threw it to the ground, several feet away from Auron and I. "What the hell…" I repeated.

The stone was still glowing where it laid on the ground. Only now, it was acting like a magnet of sorts. The pyreflies - instead of surrounding Auron and I - started to flit towards the stone dangerously. I tilted my head to the side slightly as I watched the stone suck in several of the silly pyreflies. "What is going on…?" I whispered breathlessly.

After a few more moments, a white light shone from the stone as it started to slowly rise into the air. I covered Auron's body with mine protectively when I noticed that the stone was floating towards us. "Go away!" I shrieked, burying my head in Auron's chest again.

It was like an invisible hand closed around me, throwing me to the side, away from Auron. I looked up wearily to see the bright light completely surround Auron's body. It was blinding; I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

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

I blinked my eyes open slowly. Everything around me was a bit blurry, but after rubbing my eyes a few times, my vision started to clear. "Did I actually manage to black out?" I asked myself softly.

Where's Auron?

I looked around, heart pounding in my chest painfully. A gasp shot out of my mouth when I saw a man standing in the middle of the Farplane, his back facing me. I stood up slowly and carefully, and started to approach him.

"Hey, you!" I called out, sounding braver than I actually felt. "Where's Auron?" I took a few more steps towards him, but when he turned around to face me, I just about passed out on the ground again.

My jaw dropped and my lungs felt like they had just been punctured by a fork. I took a few shaky steps backwards, placing my hands over my mouth in shock.

"Rikku?" the man asked in a deep, gentle voice.

Tears rolled down my cheeks. I removed my hands from my face, so I could reply. "A…A-Auron." I swallowed a huge lump in my throat, taking a few steps towards him again. "W-What…how…?"

It was Auron. He was back.

Only…it wasn't the same Auron that had been with me a few moments ago…or the same Auron that had been on the pilgrimage with Braska in the past. No. This Auron…was the Auron that I had first fallen in love with. This was the man that had accepted me as a guardian on Yunie's pilgrimage. This was the man that taught me to be brave, strong…to turn my head at Al Bhed haters, and so many other things.

He was the man that had stolen my heart.

I looked from his head all the way down to his feet. He was exactly as I remembered him to be. The same scar was on his face; it looked just as faded as it was supposed to look. After all, he had received it more than ten years ago. He had the same gray stripe in his hair. He was even wearing those damn sunglasses. The only thing missing was his red cloak. "H-How…?" I tried to ask again, but I was cut off as a sob broke out from my throat.

A small smile was on Auron's face as he approached me. I impulsively reached my arms out to wrap myself around him, and as I closed my eyes, I realized that it didn't matter how this happened. All that mattered was that he was here.

All that mattered was the feel of his strong arms holding me to his chest. He was actually hugging me back.

"You disappeared," he murmured, and the mere sound of his voice caused my knees to buckle. It was a good thing that he was holding onto me. Otherwise, I'd be sprawled out on the floor, for sure.

I looked up at him curiously. "I…w-what?"

He repeated, "You disappeared," before tightening his hold around me. "I was under the impression that you were dead."

I slowly detached myself from him. "Hey, you big meanie! That's not a very nice thing to say to someone when you're hugging them! What are you talking about?"

He sighed. "More than ten years ago…I…I believe I met you?"

I nodded slowly. "On Braska's pilgrimage."

He shook his head. "Yes, but how? You…you disappeared. And I was mortally injured by Yunalesca." He sighed. "I died…and became an unsent."

I didn't say anything.

Auron continued, "My promises to your uncle and to Jecht were the only things that kept me tied to Spira. When Sin was reborn as Jecht, I used it to go to the Dream Zanarkand. Only unsents can do that task. Tidus was at the fayth's dream place, so I was able watch over him. When the right time came, Jecht transported his son to our Spira…and I believe you know the rest."

My mouth was agape as I nodded.

He continued anyway, "I met you. I allowed you to become one of Yuna's guardians for her pilgrimage. I got to know you as the beautiful, intelligent, compassionate Al Bhed that you truly are."

I blushed.

"I was unaware of your value to the pilgrimage, Rikku…until much later. Your place…your role was incomparable. We could not have gotten far without your skill or your optimism."

"Thanks," I muttered, unsure as to why Auron was talking in this way.

"Rikku…from the moment I met you, I knew there was something different. You…made me feel things that I hadn't felt in over ten years." He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, causing me to blush. "I knew it was you. From Braska's pilgrimage. You were Rikku. She was Rikku."

Is that a good or a bad thing!?

"How?" he asked.

"Yeah, it was me both times. But…it's really hard to explain how it happened," I said.

"Can you explain how I am standing here right now?" he asked.

I sighed, shaking my head. "It's gonna be hard to understand…but I'll try my best if you listen really hard, okay?"

He nodded once, and we both took a seat.

"After Yunie officially defeated Sin…and after your were s-sent to the Farplane…everything was really peaceful. Some people still hated the Al Bhed, but - if you ignore that part - Spira was like a utopia. Everyone could go outside without fearing Sin's chronic attacks. Wives and mothers wouldn't have to pray for their husbands to return home safely everyday. It was a wonderful change," I explained.

"Home was still destroyed, though. Since most of the Al Bhed really wanted it back, Pops and I started a small group of excavators and mechanics that could find old equipment and machina to bring Home back to life again!" I pumped my fist into the air enthusiastically. "And on one of my missions, I was in the Moonflow waters, trying to find the machina that my brother's airship sensors were picking up. I…uh…didn't find the machina, though."

"What happened?" Auron asked, his brow cocked.

"I was attacked by something. But I'm still not really sure what it was," I said, crossing my arms. "The next thing I knew, I was in this weird dream world, talking to a little boy. He told me he was a fayth and that he had a mission for me. When I woke up again, I met you and Jecht and Braska…ten years in the past."

Auron's mouth opened slightly.

"I became one of Braska's guardians and I got pretty close…to each of you guys. It was nice being my uncle's guardian," I smiled. "It was an honor."

"Yes, I know. On Braska's pilgrimage, we met a young girl. She became one of Braska's guardians." He nodded again. "I still cannot believe it. She…is you."

"I can't really believe it, either," I agreed as I laughed softly. "But it turned out alright, you know? You're alive!"

Auron shook his head. "How…?"

"When I was in the past, I did disappear for a little while after Jecht and Braska left to talk to Yunalesca. I...think...I reappeared shortly after Sin was defeated." I looked deep into his eye. "It was when you were confronting Yunalesca. I had to stop you from fighting her."

He shook his head, placing his hand over his forehead. "What is happening…?" He sounded like he was in pain.

"Auron, are you alright?" I asked, leaning over to place my hand on his shoulder.

"I…I remember now. I remember everything. But these memories aren't my own. I know they are not my own…"

"What do you remember?" I asked softly.

He looked deep into my eyes. "I remember you returning just as I was trying to kill Yunalesca. She…wounded you. I thought she…had killed you. I thought she killed…me."

My brows furrowed. "That's what happened. But she didn't kill you."

He shook his head again. "But that is not right. That is not what I remember. It cannot be what I remember," he said. "I was killed. You did not reappear. This is not right!"

I smiled sadly. "Auron, I think I know what happened." I sighed. "But I'm not sure if you're going to believe me."

"Tell me, Rikku," he pleaded.

"When I went to the past…I think it was a different past than the one you were from," I explained.

"What do you mean…different?" he asked, a look of annoyance and confusion on his face.

"There are branches that link the past to the present…and when I went to the past, it linked to a separate present time…I think. Or something like that," I explained. "There have been a bunch of Rikkus trying to do the mission that Baathum told them to do. Which means that there have been a ton of Aurons that were meant to be saved."

"That was the mission? To save my life?"

I nodded. "Yes. So, what I think you're experiencing right now…I think that maybe your original pyreflies may have mixed with the memories and feelings of the Auron that I saved."

Auron murmured something unintelligible.

"What?" I leaned closer, trying to hear what he was mumbling.

He shook his head. "You saved my life, Rikku." He was looking down at his hands. "You gave me a second chance to live on Spira."

"Well, duh. That's what friends are for!" I ignored the painful twinge in my stomach as I said the word friends.

He looked back at me, and there was an emotion in his eye that I couldn't decipher. It was so strong…it almost scared me. "Auron?"

"That would explain everything."

"Explain what?" I asked. I am so lost right now. He didn't reply. "Auron, come on! Tell me, please?"

"That would explain why I feel twice as strongly for you as I did on the day I was sent to the Farplane by Yuna."

WHAT!?!?

He stood up slowly and gently pulled me to my feet along with him. "I do not care how I came to be here right now. I only care about this."

It was like everything was in slow motion, all of a sudden. Auron's hands carefully rested on either side of my face as he pulled me even closer to him. My heart was pounding in my ears, and I felt like I couldn't hear anything.

"I only care about you, Rikku."

He leaned forward and crashed his lips against mine. I felt like I had just died and gone to the most peaceful part of the Farplane that had ever existed.

His lips were so soft and gentle as they moved with mine. His hands caused shivers to wrack throughout my body when he trailed them down to my waist.

I never wanted this to stop. It was the best thing I had felt in my whole life.

In a sudden burst of emotion, I strengthened the kiss by wrapping my arms around his shoulders, burying one of my hands in his hair. He drew me closer to him again.

It was as though our bodies were formed for each other. We were a perfect fit. Like puzzle pieces.

Auron broke our kiss for a moment. We were both completely out of breath, and our chests were rising in falling in unison. I rested my hands against his chest as I giggled.

"So that's what you meant." I looked up at him and smirked.

He smirked back at me. "Yes, that is exactly what I meant, Rikku." He dropped his head down to carefully plant a kiss on the scar on my cheek.

I shook my head as I giggled again. "I have to say, Auron…that was really surprising. I was not expecting that at all."

He hmphed. "A wise man once told me that you may be surprised by what you find out about people once you open your heart enough to listen."

My eyes widened. "Rin told you that, too!?" So that was what Rin was saying to Auron back in the Thunder Plains. I sighed. That feels like a lifetime ago.

Auron nodded, brow furrowed. "Rin shared the same piece of advice with you, as well?"

I nodded slowly, smirking. "Hmm, then I guess when he said listen…he meant-"

Auron cut me off with another delicate kiss. As our lips broke apart, I was giggling again. "-that," I finished.

"I believe he was referring to...love, Rikku," Auron said. I blushed in response. "I was unaware when Rin first told me...but shortly after, I realized I love you." He brushed his lips across mine in a tantalizing way.

My jaw dropped. "You know, I...I feel the same way, Auron." I pulled him into a tender hug. "I'm in love with you too, you know. I always have been."

He sighed into my neck. His breath sent tingles down my spine. "You do not mind...that I am not as young as the Auron that you once knew?"

I punched him in the chest, hard. "Of course not, you dummy! How can you even ask such a stupid question!?"

He laughed, and the simple sound of it made me feel like nothing could go wrong in my life. Never ever again. Not when Auron was with me. Not when Auron was in love with me.

"I was simply making sure," he replied before he leaned down to kiss me again.

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

A/N: So that's it. The FINAL chapter of this story. Now, all that's left is an epilogue. And I'd like to thank all the readers of this story, even if you didn't review, for sticking with this to the end. ='] I cannot describe how appreciative I am of the support! So thank you all SO much, and I hope you enjoyed this. Look for the epilogue soon (it will clear up those darn loose ends)! XD

-KB