Ad Vitam Aeternam
a sequel

This "sequel" to Memento Vivere disregards the existence of the epilogue. 14 years have passed since the original events of FFX. "Ad Vitam Aeternam" means "For Eternity" in Latin. This story will not make a lot of sense if you didn't read Memento Vivere, particularly the last 10 chapters of MV, first. This is a gift-fic written on request for Failisse. As with the original story, the most complete, proof-read, explicit version can always be found on AO3. A less strictly censored but non-smutty version of this story can be found on Sufficient Velocity. I hadn't been planning on writing this and consider it to be an Alternate Universe ending for those who were left unsatisfied by the events of the original story, as I personally am pleased with the way things wrapped up the first time. Regardless, I hope the readers enjoy! Leave a review and me know what you think. This work is unbeta'd. No AI was used in the making of this story. (I do apologize for unwittingly helping train all that crappy AI with works like these over the course of the last 20 years, though.)

Chapter 1: Besaid

A warm russet gaze regarded her with fond intensity. It pierced into her very soul; its owner knew her inside and out. The skin at the corner of his good eye creased as he smiled at her; a small detail that hadn't existed when he was younger and smooth-skinned. Now, though, bits and pieces of his older appearance remained, such as the tufts of white in his unruly hair and his myriad of scars. They were reminders of the long adventure he'd had in Spira, much of it on borrowed time.

"I hope you have a happy life." Rather than using his mouth, he smiled at her with his voice, grown rich and deep with age like a fine wine. The slight tilt to his lips was the only hint of the expression on his face, other than that searing look. "Find your way. I know you will."

She sucked in her breath sharply, a lance of longing and regret chasing through her after it.

"Rikku? You daydreamin' again?"

Blinking, Rikku caught herself and smiled widely at Wakka. "Sorry! I'm all here, really!"

Wakka frowned and gave her a sidelong glance. "You sure? You looked a little funny in the head for a minute there, ya? If you're not feeling so good, you don't need to do this right now. S'not like he and Lu are goin' anywhere soon, y'know!"

Rikku shook her head rapidly, her beaded braids clacking against her cheeks. The sting brought her completely back to the present. "No, no, I'm good! Take me to him!" she said, raising a hand and dancing in place.

Wakka beamed proudly and ushered her past the colorful hanging curtain and into the darkened hut. The cool air inside was a relief from the humid heat of Besaid. Lulu looked up from the bed, her tired eyes glinting as she smiled. The bundle in her arms shifted.

"Is that him?" Rikku breathed, creeping closer, her eyes wide.

Lulu gave her a soft nod, pulling back the swaddling blanket to reveal a ruddy, round-cheeked cherub. A tuft of bright red hair sticking straight up from the top of the baby's tiny head made Rikku giggle.

"Aww… you look just like your pops, Chappu!" she cooed, reaching out with a finger and gently smushing the baby's nose.

"Got that right," Wakka said proudly, folding his arms over his chest and preening. "He's gonna be just as good-lookin' as his old man."

"Right down the chubbiness!" Rikku added for good measure, this time eliciting a chuckle from Lulu and an indignant sputter from Wakka. "I'm just kidding," she added, stroking little Chappu's cheek, and feeling another twinge in her chest as the baby's eyes popped open to stare at her. "You're gonna be even better looking than your dad. You've got your mom's eyes."

"You're both wrong. He looks like me," a high voice chirruped. Vidina stepped out from behind the bed, hands on his hips and a wide, gap-toothed grin on his face. The boy looked down at his newborn brother proudly, as if he'd personally played a part in Chappu's arrival. "Magic or blitzing, I'm gonna make sure my little brudda is the best at whatever he does!"

"It's a little early to start talking about blitzball, don't you think?" said Lulu, pulling the baby close to her chest.

"No way!" Wakka and Vidina shouted at the same time, causing Chappu's eyes to fly open and a loud wail to erupt from his mouth.

"All right. That's enough. The both of you, out," Lulu ordered with practiced sternness, the weariness leaving her eyes for a much sharper look. Both Wakka and Vidina jumped and started edging towards the exit. "I just remembered I gotta help out at the temple," Vidina said. "Later, ma!"

Wakka's face screwed up as his son made a hasty escape, clearly having had his own excuse stolen. "Yeah, well, I, uh, I'm gonna make sure Dina stays outta trouble," he fumbled. He did pause at the curtain, looking back over his shoulder fondly at his wife and child. "You just send Rikku after me if you need anythin', Lu," he added, his voice suffused with warmth.

"Go on," Lulu told him, suppressing a tiny smile. "We need to have some girl time." She tilted her head down and rocked Chappu, soothing the wailing baby back into a contented doze. "You don't mind, do you, Chappu?" she asked, her voice softening into the cadence of motherhood.

Rikku sat back on her heels, watching them and tamping down on her urge to fidget.

I wanted this, she thought, a brief flash of jealousy grasping her. It left as quickly as it came, leaving a lingering aftermath of pain in its wake, the tingle of an old wound stirred. There wasn't any use dwelling on it, though. Six years was a long time to be nursing a grudge, and Auron hadn't asked for her to spend her time being bitter.

Still, even thinking his name made something inside her ache with regret.

"You know," Lulu said as she gently laid the slumbering baby to rest in the wicker crib. "Yuna's been worried about you. I can't blame her. You've been… distracted." Lulu's voice was soft, careful not to wake the baby, but some of the steel returned as she sat back and directed a thoughtful look towards Rikku. "You're not a child anymore, Rikku, even if you act like one."

"Hey! Are you calling me immature?" Rikku shot back, her fierce words completely neutered by the subdued tone she relayed them in, mindful of the sleeping baby. "I'm twenty-six already! I do not act like a child!"

"Really," Lulu whispered, amusement sparking. "Then why are you always competing with Vidina to see who's the better blitzer? He's ten, Rikku. There's no glory in besting a ten-year-old at a game."

Rikku felt her lower lip jutting out in a pout and quickly sucked it back in. The smirk on Lulu's face told her the other woman had already noticed, though. "He's good for a ten-year-old, you know? It's not as easy as you make it out to be. Dina really could have a future in Luca!"

"I'm aware, and I try not to think about it," Lulu sighed. "But I didn't ask you to come here to discuss my oldest son's prospects as professional blitzball player."

"Yeah, I thought you asked me to come here to meet your youngest son," Rikku said, staring at Chappu with a wistful gaze. "He's beautiful."

"Thank you," Lulu smiled. "And I did. But I also wanted to ask you why you're still here."

Rikku leaned back on her stool, tearing her attention away from the baby to slouch and fold her arms over her chest, giving Lulu her best unimpressed stare. "You want me out that badly? Is that it?"

Sighing, Lulu folded a patterned blanket over her son, swaddling him tightly. "Nothing of the sort," she said as she worked. "You'll always be welcome here." She glanced up from Chappu to peer at Rikku. "You're family."

If it had come from Wakka, Yuna, or Tidus, Rikku might have taken that statement as a comforting platitude. Coming from Lulu she knew better, though. It was the woman's subtle way of prodding at the sore wound of her strained relationship with Cid. Shaking her head, Rikku pushed the dark thoughts of her father away.

"I know," she admitted with a soft sigh. "And I'm thankful that you guys are here for me. Especially with Cid being such a butt about the Al Bhed right now," she admitted, kicking her toe into the woven carpet. "But… it's just…"

Lulu nodded slowly, encouraging her to continue.

"Family," Rikku finally admitted, taking another long look at Chappu's face as he slept. "That's exactly it. That's what I'm missing. I want to have my own family, not just be a tag-along to yours."

Leaning back against the headboard, Lulu let out a melodic hum. "Tidus mentioned that you once told him you wanted to start a large family of your own." She paused, her heavy stare making Rikku squirm in her seat. "You'd need to find someone you love enough to create one with first."

Rikku winced, hunching even lower in her stool. "I know. I already know that," she mumbled, dreading what was coming next. Be calm, Rikku. Keep it in.

Lulu cleared her throat. "You know, Gippal –"

Screw being calm!

Rikku shot up off of the stool like it was on fire. Her hands were in the air, and it was only at the last second that she was able to keep the words from flying out of her mouth in a high shriek. Instead, they came out as an angry, choked whisper.

"Not you too! Absolutely not! Don't even go there! I don't know why everyone keeps trying to set me up with him when I already said I wasn't interested!" she squeaked, her face turning red from the effort of reigning in her temper.

Lulu sighed, taking a cautious glance at the sleeping baby before turning a narrow-eyed glare back at her. "Because he adores you, Rikku, and you…" She trailed off, bringing her fingers to her mouth as if to seal her lips shut.

Rikku dropped her hands to her hips, brows lowering. "What?" she whispered fiercely.

After a moment, Lulu's gaze hardened. "You obviously want to be adored," she whispered back. "Why are you torturing yourself by staying here? With us? We all know this island is too small for your dreams. If even the leader of the Machine Faction can't impress you, what do you hope to accomplish by staying in this village?"

There was a warning there; Rikku heard it loud and clear, wincing. Family or not, Lulu considered Yuna to be like a sister to her. And everyone knew of Rikku's close friendship with Tidus. Of course, no one, not even Yuna, knew why they shared that bond – it wasn't as though she could go around telling everyone else that she was an aeon just like him, after all. The unfortunate consequence of that deception, however, was the fact that it looked like Rikku was stubbornly staying in Besaid for one reason only. One reason that was very happily married to her cousin, Yuna.

Deflating, Rikku thumped back into the stool and dropped her head into her hands. It wasn't as if Lulu was wrong – she was squirreling herself away in Besaid to nurse a broken heart. It just wasn't for Tidus. Of course, telling everyone she was mourning the loss of Auron would be met with even more disbelief than admitting she wasn't human anymore. Beneath her palms, a wry smile bloomed.

I had small dreams once. She thought of baby Chappu, imagining that his hair was black, and his eyes were green.

Shaking her head, she looked up. Lulu was still waiting for her answer.

"I'm not going to try to steal Yunie's husband from her, alright? Tidus and I are just friends. Anything else would be way too eww," she muttered, wrinkling her nose.

Lulu narrowed her eyes, her look still contemplative. After a moment, she relented. "I think I actually believe you, Rikku. But I still can't understand you." She shook her head. "If it's not about Tidus, then why are you still here? You're not getting any younger, and you're certainly not getting any happier by chaining yourself to this island." She reached out and grabbed Rikku's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "If you can't find what you want here, then maybe you should look for it out there."

Rikku let out a soft laugh, some tension seeping out of her as she returned the gesture. "I spent most of my life traveling, Lulu. You think maybe I just want to settle down?"

"Probably someday. But not today," Lulu replied archly. "Why don't you take a break? Go on a vacation. Besaid isn't exactly on the cutting edge of the latest machina developments. I'm sure we could get by even without you here to teach us."

"Humph," Rikku teased, rolling her eyes. "So you are kicking me out. Did Yuna put you up to this?"

Lulu's smile was frank. "Yes," she admitted readily. "She thought that seeing Chappu would soften the blow. Did it work?"

"Yeah." Rikku allowed herself to pout while stealing another look at the sleeping baby. "Cheaters." She leaned back and blew out a sigh. "I know you're right. I'm just… scared."

That took Lulu by surprise. "Scared? Of what, exactly?"

Rikku shook her head. "Scared that I won't find what I'm looking for out there. That I'll see everything, and it still won't be enough, and then where will that leave me?" Right back where I started when it all began. Missing Auron.

"Hmm." Lulu's low voice cut across her thoughts, breaking her out of her impending funk. "That doesn't sound like you."

"What?"

Lulu shrugged, nestling into her blankets and making herself comfortable. "It's a valid question. Maybe you won't find what you're searching for beyond the shores of Besaid. Maybe you'll never find what you're searching for." She yawned, and then allowed Rikku to see one of her brief, rare smiles. "But I've never known you to be so timid as to be ruled by your fears."

Rikku blinked. "Well, when you put it that way-" she fumbled, caught off-guard by the other woman's unexpected compliment.

"I am putting it that way," Lulu replied, brooking no room for argument. "Rikku. We love you very much, but you're obviously not happy here. Perhaps it's time to spread your wings and fly again."

"Spread my wings, huh?" She suppressed a shiver, knowing just how literal that statement could get. Still… Lulu's words were getting to her. Maybe it was time to leave, see something new. Anything to snap her out of the slow, insidious depression that was creeping over her the longer she spent around the happy couples of Besaid. "Well, we'll see. As long as I don't end up traveling with Brother again…"

Lulu smirked. "You know, it is okay to admit that you actually like your older brother."

Rikku stuck out her tongue. "He's a loser!" Chappu stirred, and she lowered her voice. "And he gets so obsessed over the most inane things," she whispered hotly. "Forget your worries about Tidus, Brother really is still obsessed with Yunie."

Lulu said nothing but gave her a knowing look.

Wilting, Rikku hung her head. "Fine, getting unhealthily obsessed with stuff is a Pollendina family trait," she admitted. "But come on! I barely got out from under Brother's thumb after the Farplane incident."

"Can you blame him? He thought you'd died." Lulu's tone turned serious. "We weren't prepared for that… not after the Eternal Calm. Everyone thought the days of losing your loved ones were over. You showed us how blind we were being, whether you meant to or not. And your brother took it harder than most. You should be kinder to him."

Rikku winced, feeling guilty. "I know… I'll get in touch with him again soon, I promise. I'm just not ready for that much Pollendina in my life again yet. Not after Cid's great Al Bhed dynasty restoration push."

Lulu stole another long look at Chappu. "Even if he's difficult at times, your father loves you too."

Rikku hugged herself more tightly. "Don't bring up Cid. He's going senile, I swear."

"Well," Lulu said, focused to a fault and zeroing in for another attack. "If you don't like the trouble he's stirring up, then maybe you should get out there and try to stop him."

She couldn't stifle her laugh; Lulu was still doggedly persistent, and even motherhood hadn't managed to blunt her sharp tongue. "Alright, alright, I get it. I'll take that vacation. Don't be too surprised when you end up missing me when I'm gone," she teased, springing to her feet. Leaning over, she gave Lulu an awkward hug. "Thanks, Lulu. I guess I really did need someone to kick me in the pants about this."

Lulu's arms around her were warm, and the soft pats she placed on her back were comforting. "I'm sorry if I sounded too harsh. We're simply worried about you, Rikku." She pushed the other girl back. "Go. Find your happiness. You deserve it."

Blinking back a few unexpected tears, Rikku smiled. "Hey… tell Yunie thanks for me. You guys… you really are the best family anyone could ask for," she admitted.

Lulu nodded quietly. "Take care of yourself, Rikku. Come back safely to us this time, when you've found what it is you wanted."

Grinning, Rikku gave her a little wave before ducking out of the tent. She took a moment to let her eyes adjust to the bright Besaid sunlight, then moved quickly, making her way towards her tent. The half-formed ideas in her mind rapidly crystalized into a plan of action.

.x.x.x.

The night breeze was welcome in the still-humid island air, carrying with it the salty scent of the sea stained with a light undertone of dried seaweed. Rikku took a moment to appreciate the vast sea of stars stretching above her, easily visible from the rocky hill she stood on. It had been hard work climbing this far up, but it was worth the effort, she reflected, taking a seat by the thundering waterfall. She stretched out and dipped one lazy hand into the cool water, letting it rush over her fingers as she waited.

Eventually, she heard the sound of rock crumbling and sat up with a smile. "Took you long enough," she laughed. "Some star athlete you're turning out to be!"

"Hey! I'm not the one who chose to sneak off in the middle of the night to climb up to the most remote place on Besaid island in the dark," Tidus complained as he settled next to her, picking some leaves and vines that he'd collected on the way up out of his hair.

Rikku smirked. "Married life is making you as soft as Wakka," she teased. "You wouldn't have had this much trouble a few years ago, you know."

Tidus continued to brush the foliage out of his hair, shooting her an exasperated glare. "Hey, I'm not that out of shape!"

Her smug expression didn't change as she elbowed Tidus in the ribs. "If you say so," she sing-songed in her most annoying voice.

"Ugh," Tidus grumbled, giving up on his hair and settling back. He sighed, then glanced at her. "So you're really going now, huh? Lulu was that convincing?"

Rikku scoffed. "Don't act so surprised. Yuna was the one who put her up to it." Her scowl eased. "Lulu's the only one around here bossy enough to convince me, anyhow. She was right. Yuna was right. I've stuck around for too long." She picked at her fingernails. "What am I even doing here, Tidus?"

"Recovering," he answered easily. "People don't understand that time is different for us. There's nothing wrong with wanting to spend as much time as you can with the people you love while they're still around."

"Yeah…"

"But it's different for you," Tidus finished for her. "You miss Auron, and Yuna's dad, and even my old man. You're starting to spend more time with them in your memories than you are here with us. It's not the same."

Rikku pulled her knees in and leaned her forehead against them, nodding. Then she snorted. "You know, Lulu thought I might've been pining for you. She was getting ready to chase me off the island personally."

"Hah!" Tidus paused with a frown. "Well forcing me to sneak out here in the middle of the night probably isn't helping," he said pointedly. "You really couldn't just book a ship off the island like a normal person?"

She shrugged unapologetically. "Not my style. Besides… I don't really want people tracking me right now, not with all the noise Cid's making about Pollendina 'royalty.' The less anybody knows about where I am the better."

Tidus groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. "Tell me about it. Shelinda sent another one of her representatives over to interview Yuna yesterday. I guess she figures if she can get Yuna on board as an extended part of the Pollendina family, she can undermine Cid's claims and strengthen New Yevon's hold in Luca." He dropped his hands, his frustration still evident. "It hasn't even been a decade since Sin disappeared! Why can't people enjoy their lives and leave good enough alone?"

"That's just how humanity works," Rikku shrugged. "I'm actually a little worried that I'll forget how to be greedy like that one day. It'll mean I'm becoming less human."

Tidus nodded slowly. "Then it's good that you're leaving. Being greedy means staying here, for me. You should probably find out what it means for you," he told her with a smile, grateful to switch topics. "Don't worry about Yuna. She understands. I mean, she doesn't know-know, but she's still a Summoner. And she knows you're still trying to get over Auron. So… go do what you need to do."

"Thanks, Tidus," she said, leaning over to give him a hug. Then she stood and cracked her neck. "Alright. I haven't done this in a while," she said, flexing her fingers and shaking her arms out.

"I'll come with you for a little," Tidus replied, standing up and joining her, his eyes sliding shut.

That gave her pause. "Wait, what? Why?"

Tidus didn't move, his eyes still screwed shut as he frowned. "I've never found my form before, so I might as well do it while you're still here, in case something goes wrong."

"Really? You never tried it, not even once in eight years?"

He cracked an eye open and glared at her. "Rikku? Shut up, I'm trying to concentrate here."

That brought out a full-fledged smirk. "Nothing will go wrong. So…" She drew the word out. "You mean to say there's something I'm better at than you? Finally!" As she spoke, she felt her bodysuit blooming over her ankles, rapidly climbing up her legs and torso with a series of soft clicks and clacks.

"Hey! It's not a race!" he sputtered, slamming his eyes shut and breaking into a sweat as he focused. By the time she felt her powersuit closing around her neck, Tidus was surrounded by several swirling motes of glowing light, rapidly circling around his body. She wondered what he'd look like, curious about his aeon form. The light condensed and then exploded, and she took a step back in surprise. She would have fallen into rapids of the waterfall if not for the rotating circle of metallic blades on her back, keeping her aloft.

"Feathers? Really?" she asked as she caught a few of the glowing tufts that fell around her. They disintegrated on touch, but when she blinked away the afterimages left by the spots of light, there were still two large wings protruding from Tidus's back, and he was wearing a strange, imposing-looking suit of armor. "Jecht wanted to grow wings, you know. He never managed it."

Tidus smirked, folding his arms over his chest while unfurling his wings proudly. "Yeah, well, I'm not my old man. You ready?"

"As I'll ever be." They took off into the night sky, Tidus at a slightly slower pace than her as he grew acclimated to his new body.

"You know," Rikku said conversationally as they looked down over the shrinking island. "I think I saw Jassu drinking on the beach. Which means he may have spotted us right back." Her smirk returned. "Or should I say, spotted you. I don't think anyone would recognize me in my suit from this far up."

Tidus flushed, but kept flying. "So what. If he blabs, I'll just tell everyone Yuna loaned me her Garment Grid or something. Or that he was drunk." He circled around her, diving and whooping. "Hey! This is fun! I've gotta convince Yuna to come up here with me sometime!"

Rikku smirked, hovering in place. It felt pretty good to be the avatar of an airship final form; she wasn't working nearly as hard as Tidus to stay aloft. Still, as she focused on the darkened island in the sea below, she felt something inside of herself shift.

It's time to go.

"Tidus," she called out, swooping down to fly next to him. "I'm leaving now. Take care of Yunie for me, will ya?"

"Stay safe," Tidus replied with a smile. "Do what you need to do. But don't be afraid to call us if you need help. You're not alone here." He paused. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe you should look for my old man. You and Jecht were friends, and he always was full of the craziest ideas. He might be able to help you. Come up with something new, give you a strategy to find what you need."

"That's not a bad idea," she admitted, "But even I don't know where to find him. Besides, I think I want to start where it all began… and ended," she said, looking off to the horizon.

"The Farplane?" Tidus asked as he fell back.

She shook her head, feeling herself beginning to morph into Eden. Turning, she gave him one last, small wave.

"No. I'm going to Zanarkand."