AN: Hi All! So I wrote a second chapter! Thank you everyone who took time to read the first chapter of this story. I spent days and days reading it before I published it, but tonight I felt inspired and battered out a whole chapter on my brand new keyboard. I realise now that perhaps the first one was quite confusing, but this chapter should explain some more plot related aspects of this fan fiction. Hope you like it.

Also, just want to say a little shout out to Asty : Thank you so much for reviewing Chapter 1! Your review inspired me to write a second chapter :)

Chapter 2

Rikku regarded Auron momentarily. Somehow he had been able to return from the Farplane, had managed to sneak onboard the Celsius unnoticed and, true to character, was giving nothing away as to why. The whole thing just didn't make any sense, she considered for a second maybe she was just in shock at the return of her deceased crush. Needless to say, she pouted with confusion.

"I know that face, Rikku." He chuckled, "You haven't changed at all"

Her jaw hit the floor in mock offence. "That's not true!" she said, jutting out her hip and flicking her long blonde hair, "I've grown up! You look exactly the same, Sir Auron" cheekily emphasising the 'sir' like a rebellious teenager.

His brown eye darkened. "Well, the Farplane does do that to you."

Rikku blushed, embarrassed at offending him by reminding him of his eternal unrest. She remembered how she felt on the pilgrimage, afraid to talk to him for fear of having to navigate a conversational minefield. They were like charged air before a thunderstorm, their polar opposite attitudes grating on the others nerves until one of them, usually Rikku, backed down and the conversation moved on. The self righteous heirs Auron gave himself and his cold attitude to the feelings of the rest of the group during the pilgrimage had intensely frustrated her. Yet, attracted to him as she was, she just kept going back for more. The truth was he was the only one who never openly laughed at her childish antics during their journey together and she wanted to be the one to crack him.

"...Why aren't you on the Farplane, Auron?" She asked hesitantly.

"I cannot find rest there." He said simply. "I feel that my time on Spira is not over yet. We may have defeated Sin, but Spira's future is still fragile and in danger. It is my duty to protect Spira through this time."

"Oh..." In the dim low level lighting of the cabin corridor, Rikku couldn't help thinking he looked...old. She suddenly felt overwhelmed by sadness for this man. He was a warrior monk, and undoubtedly it was his unwavering sense of duty and loyalty to this much maligned world that prevented him rest. It seemed such a lonely way to go on.

"You know Auron," She whispered suddenly, desperate to give him an anchor, "I actually came to visit you on the Farplane."

His eyebrows shot up, he was taken off guard and she had his attention.

"I came to tell you how Yunie is doing. That she ran away from Besaid to become a sphere hunter. That Kimahri is the Ronso Elder now on Mt. Gagazet. That Wakka and Lulu are having a baby..." That I missed you. Her stomach flipped a little from nerves, not really sure what her mouth was doing but unable to stop it from blabbering on regardless.

"I came to see if my brother from another mother was there on the Farplane too." She laughed trying to shield her embarrassment. "Yunie was too afraid to go, I think it was too much for her." I came looking for you Auron, to tell you how your family is doing. " But I never saw anyone there, it was empty, maybe because I'm Al Bhed..."

"Rikku" he commanded, cutting her off before she trailed off anymore. She breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Auron had stopped her rambling.

"I am here to destroy Vegnagun, Rikku. Yuna, and yourself, and our fellow guardians have given Spira enough. It is time that you all had a chance to experience this world too, without the threat of losing a loved one" He said tenderly. "However, Yuna must not know I am here."

"Why?" she asked, eyebrows knitted together.

"She will never rest until he comes back."

"You mean he can?!" Her heart skipped a beat. In fact it seemed to have been beating fairly irregularly throughout the whole conversation. She began to feel a little light headed, why was she even in this corridor in the first place? Auron nodded briefly in response. The two of them considered what this meant in silence for a minute.

"Rikku, I came to this ship to find you and request your aid in this mission."

"...You want my help?" She asked, completely unsure how she could help the Legendary Guardian.

"I require all the information and spheres that you have on Vegnagun. I will first be following some leads as to finding the whereabouts of Vegnagun and intend to travel undercover between Bevelle and Guadosalam. Take this sphere -" He passed her a glowing amber orb, small enough to fit into her smallest belt pocket, "With this we will be able to signal to each other. Signal me when you have any new information- "

"And signal me when a fiend gets you" She winked. "Signal me when you can meet me" He finished. "I'll be at the inn at Lake Macalania."

"Okay..." She mumbled quietly, somewhat nervous yet excited about the prospect of her and Auron undertaking a covert operation to save Spira again. She wondered how much time they'd actually spend together too...

"Someone is coming"

Paine's voice echoed down the corridor, "Rikku!? Where the hell are you?! Yuna's about to go on stage!"

She had to forced her emerald eyes away from him.

"I'm coming!" She hollered back at her silver haired friend.

When she turned back to Auron, he had already gone. Her shoulders slumped at his disappearing act.

"Enjoy the show" she whispered after him before turning on her heels and running to the bridge, jealous that their conversation had been cut short.

Auron stepped out from the doorframe he was hiding in. "I will..." He mouthed after her, pushing his glasses up his nose and pulling his red wool coat around him.

When Rikku caught up to Paine, she shrugged her shoulders when Paine questioned her about where she had been and why she was blushing like a school girl. She pretended to accept the excused of having to use the bathroom and abstained from asking who the red cloaked stranger was that she had been talking to. Paine had enough baggage to deal with without becoming entangled in another one of Rikku's messes.

AN: Forgot to say I'm deliberately not saying Tidus' name outloud in this as I liked the fact that his name was never mentioned in FFX.