AN: Hey Guys! Much quicker update eh? Couldn't leave you on such a sad note! I can't WAIT to get the next chapter finished! So in the mean time, I give you this one... hope you love.

Keep the reviews coming! I love hearing what you think! you guys are so awesome...and believe me, things are going to get reeeealllllyyyyyy goooooodddd! It is an Aurikku after all...so more Aurikku moments to come :D

Hahahah Le Blanc, Logos and Ormi...I hate to admit it but I love them

Chapter 15

Auron, show us the way.

Rikku ran along the suspended pathways from the floor of the pit they had jumped into, dodging or destroying any fiend that crossed her path with the help of her two friends.

""Rikku, do you even know where you're going?" They called out to her, but she stopped only when she had to catch her breath back. She continued on at a steady pace until the path ended at a steep drop and she threw out her hands to halt her friends.

"Woah..."

The three stood at the edge of a bottomless abyss, or at least it seemed bottomless as a thick rolling vapour hung below them, shrouding the entirety of the basin in cloud. Suspended intermittently above the mist were raised platforms speckled with beautiful flora of every colour imaginable. They could hear the eery drift of the pyreflies that swirled and flickered in groups, and the soothing sound of water cascading all around them from waterfalls and rivers flowing over the platforms and down into the clouds. But it was the swollen moon glaring down at them from the milky sky above that made them shiver.

"This is the Farplane, this is where I met Shuyin..." Yuna's voice seemed to come from another world. Her sweet tones echoed off the platforms, agitating the pyreflies and they flew out of sight.

"Le Blanc is waiting up ahead, she said she found some sort of vortex."

"Well, lets go..." Rikku swallowed as she peered over the edge of the cliff, holding onto her knees. She hitched her weapon and took a running jump to the first platform.

"Just where have you three been?!" They could hear the sound of Le Blanc's shrill voice cutting through the calm of the Farplane from a platform above them.

Paine rolled her eyes. "Here we go again..."

"Urgh... we could always just pass by her and ignore her, right?" Rikku pleaded with her friends pointing to a platform hanging underneath hers.

"I wish...but no, we could use her help." Said Yuna waving up at the blond woman hanging over the ledge above them. The three prepared to jump up to her but just as she started to, Rikku faltered at the feeling of a hand gripping her shoulder. She spun around recognising the pressure and instantly gripped at her sword on seeing a figureless shadow standing behind her, a misty arm raised toward the platform she had been pointing at before. She squinted at the platform making out a huge deep gash along the width of a rocky pillar. She gazed along the length of the blade she held in her hand, Auron's blade, from the garment grid. An open mouthed smile spread over her face as she turned back to the shadow. It was gone.

"Auron, you were here!" She called out after him, confused as to why he hadn't shown himself to her as he had before.

"What's the hold up down there?! Noojie's waiting on us!" Rikku glared up at the relentless woman who was standing hands on hips and shouting down on her.

"Alright already! Im just coming!"

Le Blanc marched back and forth in front of the vortex. Every time her heels clicked on the ground, Rikku could feel her nerves winding tighter. The woman's insane bravado always resulted in her and her two goons landing themselves in faintly comic trouble, and that irritated Rikku. It irritated her because she really hoped that she wasn't actually like Le Blanc, like Brother and Buddy had teased her when she, Ormi and Logos had taken up residence on the Celsius.

"Boss!" The fat one ran to her as she stumbled and fell over her ankle on the rubble. The thin one scrambled to her aide as well, catching her before she hit the ground and throwing out his arms so she could melodramatically swoon into them, hand raised to her forehead. Paine coughed awkwardly.

"Um... are you alright?" Yuna asked kindly. Patience of a saint, that one, thought Rikku who had crouched down to the floor and was flicking her finger at pebbles in boredom.

"It's just so hard...Noojie woojie is out there all alone... trying to save Spira..." Her voice was choked and one solitary crocodile tear slid from her blue eyes and ran down her cheek.

"Don't worry Boss, I'm sure he's fine..." Said the fat one, fanning his hands at her face.

"But what if he's..." She sucked in a breath of air, feigning fear.

"I'm sure he's not dead..." Said the thin one. At that she swooned once again further into his arms. Paine watched the show shaking her head in amazement. They're loving this, she thought to herself.

Rikku made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat, one she had practiced to perfection to mimic and irritate Auron on the pilgrimage. "We need their help Yunie?" She swung her arm in exasperation in Le Blanc's general vicinity. "Come on, lets go get Vegnagun." And she stomped off toward the vortex dragging an amused Yuna and Paine with her.

"What happened to 'the more the merrier'?" Yuna called out to her.

"Spira doesn't have time for crybabies!"

"Wow Rikku, you sounded almost serious for a minute there." Paine chuckled sarcastically as Le Blanc flapped her hands in the air.

"I am serious!"

Le Blanc grabbed Logos and Ormi by the shoulders. "Y-you can't just leave us here!"

"Why so scared, Le Blanc?" Rikku stopped short of the vortex, her voice laced with mock concern.

"I-I'm not scared!"

Paine nodded in agreement and winked at Rikku. "It's just that we were sure you'd be the first to volunteer to save Spira." She said casually.

"Yes loves, bu-"

"I'm pretty sure that Vegnagun is no match for the mighty Le Blanc syndicate..." Yuna joined in. Le Blanc jumped to her feet.

"You're right! And Noojie needs us!" She ran to the vortex, her two goons looking nervously at each other as they followed obediently behind her.

"But eh...you go first." Le Blanc pointed at Yuna. "We'll make sure no fiends uh...follow us in from behind." She laughed nervously. YRP rolled their eyes together.

"Riiiight, suuure." Said Rikku, and she stepped into the vortex behind Yuna.

The mismatched group of Spira's would-be saviours gathered together on the other side of the vortex.

"What is this place...?" Said Le Blanc from behind.

"...I'm guessing by the choice of music that this is Shuyin's home." Said Paine. A shiver ran through the entire group.

"If that's the case then Vegnagun must be here too..."

"Yeah Yunie, but this path leads on for as far as I can see..." Said Rikku, squinting her eyes along the crystalline pathway. "And how are we supposed to get past these things?" She pointed over at the lasers stationed along the road. They stood in silence trying to formulate a plan.

A huge noise bellowed out to their left causing each of them to jump and draw their weapons.

"What in Spira was that!?" Shrieked Rikku. Ormi's round face turned a shade of red as he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. He was standing in front of a piano shaped instrument.

"S-sorry Boss, I was just gonna have a seat here when...ow!" He ran and hid behind Logos as Le Blanc scalped him with her fan.

" Wait... Did you guys see that? The lasers reacted to the music..." Said Yuna, half to herself. "Ill bet if we play the right tune the lasers will let us pass..." Paine joined her at the instrument. "And I'll bet Lenne knows the song..." And as quickly as the solution had presented itself, they made their way platform to platform, turning off each laser with the melody that came from Lenne's dress sphere.

Something was catching Rikku's eye as they made their way along the path, and she moved along at the back of the group trying to see what it was. She couldn't be sure but she felt like she was being followed, but she felt no threat which meant it was probably someone she knew, most likely Auron. But she couldn't make out the colour of his coat nor the gleam of his sword, all she could see was a dark patch at the side of her vision, following her at a safe distance. Why isn't he showing himself? Maybe it's not him...she thought to herself, and decided to carry out a test. As she ran along behind her friends she deftly bent down to pick up a pebble and hurled it silently at the shadow's shoulder. It was a game she had played to entertain herself on the pilgrimage and make Yuna laugh. She would walk behind the group and hurl small pebbles at the heads of Wakka, Tidus and Auron, hiding when they turned round to scold her. It was childish, but at the time she had been a child, and nothing had given her more of a thrill than seeing how far she could push the Legendary Guardian to the brink.

Seconds later a pebble smacked her on the head and she grinned, running to the group knowing she had a guardian following her.

As they turned a corner they came upon a level platform with a raised side that could be used for shelter. Lying against the raised side was a blond haired Al Bhed, clutching at a wound across his torso. His hand was gripping his weapon instinctively, but he let go and waved as soon as he recognised the faces of those approaching.

"Paine! Yuna! Over here!" Gippal tried to push himself off the ground but gave up when the pain kicked in. Yuna ran to him to administer medical attention.

"What did this to you?" She muttered under her breath, examining the wound.

"Urgh...a wraith, took Nooj and I by surprise, the fiends in this pit are way stronger than we anticipated..."

"There shouldn't even be fiends in this place anyway...Oh! Sorry." She stopped prodding at the wound when Gippal's face ran pale. She closed her eyes and summoned together the energy she needed to heal him, laying her hands on his belly. Paine was kneeling next to him.

"Tell us what happened." She said calmly.

"...We know Shuyin's possessing Baralai, and we think Vegnagun is up ahead. Nooj and I were on our way to confront him when we stopped here to rest before the battle. We let our concentration slip, the fiend set about us before we even had time to stand." His voice grew stronger as Yuna worked on his wound. "We were foolish to think we could take on Vegnagun, we wouldn't have made it without his help." Rikku was hiding behind the group as they gathered around the victim. Her ears pricked as she listened to the conversation.

"Who's help..?"

"You'll never believe it but...Sir Auron came out of no where...I've never seen anything like it..."

"Sir Auron?!" Le Blanc piped up, "Your Guardian, Yuna?" Yuna stood up. Rikku grinned, you saved his life Auron.

"Th-that's impossible..." Yuna stuttered, "He's gone, he's in the Farplane." Gippal watched her curiously and then scanned the faces around him, looking for his ex. "You mean, you didn't know?"

"No I-"

Rikku pushed Logos aside and squeezed her way to Yuna. Gippal exclaimed in surprise. "Where've you been hiding?" he said in a familiarly flirtatious lilt that at one time had made Rikku's toes curl, but now the only thing that twisted was her stomach.

"I'm sorry Yunie, I couldn't tell you before, but Auron is-"

"You knew?!" Yuna was clearly hurt. "And you never told me?"

"It's not like that, Yuna." Said Paine, holding up her hands.

"You too Paine?" Yuna's shoulders sagged. "I thought we told each other everything..."

"Look, Yunie," Said Rikku, grabbing her shoulders and staring her in the eye. "Auron asked me not to tell you, not until he got a few things straight. But he's here, in the Farplane, and we need to find him because he can help us. He came back to help save Spira." Yuna nodded, more bewildered than hurt. She pressed her hands together and regarded her cousin, there was so,etching else happening here, when did Rikku get on first name terms with him?

"This is Auron we're talking about here." Rikku said, smiling.

"Did he say anything about...?"

Rikku sighed, fearful of this moment. "I'm sorry Yunie, he didn't. He told me to trust him, and that he came back to save Spira, that's all."

Gippal snorted. "It didn't sound like that to me Rikku, sounded to me like he came back for y-"

"Don't be so ungrateful, Gippal" She snapped at him in their native language, kicking him in the shin and heating in the face. He heaved himself up so he was standing over her.

"Ungrateful?! The guys got a crush on my girlfriend!" He shouted at her.

"That's EX girlfriend, or do I have to remind you that you dumped me!"

"I didn't dump you! I jus-" He shouted, flustered.

"You told me you didn't have time for me anymore!" Rikku screamed, angry at having to go through this again.

"So what's this then, rebound?!"

"What the hell do you care!"

"Well, It's sounds to me like you do care - about him!"

"So what if I do?" She retorted at him, hands on her hips.

"Be my guest!" He flung his arm out. "You two would make a perfect couple, The clueless blond and the old-dead-man." He enunciated his words with callous precision. Rikku had had enough, and she walked off, cursing him in his native tongue. Logos and Ormi looked at each other nervously.

"You make any of that out?"

"Nope, it was all Al Bhed to me..."

Yuna, the nominated peacekeeper stood between them.

"Look, whatever is going on between you too, we need to put it aside." Rikku, her back turned, nodded. Gippal crossed his arms and huffed. "And however either of you feel about it, we should rendevouz with Sir Auron, I know he'll be able to help us." Gippal swore under his breath.

"He might be with Nooj." he conceeded reluctantly.

"Noojieee?!" Le Blanc jumped in. "Then lets go!" She grabbed Logos and Ormi by the collar and started dragging them off.

"But be prepared!" Shouted Paine. "It's likely they may have already engaged with Vegnagun, be prepared to fight!"

"Don't worry...Love conquers all!" Le Blanc skipped away, giggling behind her fan.

And so, as the party moved towards their final destination, Rikku scanned this last area for any sign of Auron. And as she looked, she smiled at the shadow of swirling pyreflies standing guard on a pillar some distance away. Soon, she felt, they would meet again, and her heart leapt in anticipation of it.