Fade With Me

Epilogue

So, I guess I got my happy ending after all, right? After all the blood, sweat, and tears, Auron and I…well, we…er…we're 'together' now. Or whatever you want to call it. Regardless of how we're labeled, I won't really care. You want to know why?

I've never been this happy in my whole entire life!

Yes, me! Rikku, daughter of Cid, cousin and former guardian of High Summoner Yunie, and expert machina engineer of the Al Bhed race, happy!

After Auron and I were…er…reacquainted with each other, I practically dragged him back to Tromell's mansion so I could show him off to everyone there. I guess I forgot the fact that I was going to have to explain how this Auron was with me now instead of…well, instead of the other Auron.

I tried my very best at explaining, but once I started to talk about the Moonflow Mission - which was where everything started! - Auron stepped in front of me, completely cutting of what I was going to say to everybody.

"Does it really matter how I came to be here right now?" Auron had asked everyone. All of their faces were clearly lined with shock and surprise at that point. "Why bother with an explanation, then?"

And so we left it at that. Auron was back - from the dead - for good. I was back - from the past - for good. Brother was back to being a total idiot - no surprise there.

Oh, and Pops was back to being the overprotective psycho father he always was.

"Why do I see you touchin' my girl like that, Auron!?" Pops had shouted after he saw Auron's hand lightly touching my back. "The hell!?" His face was getting more and more red and blotchy by the second. It looked like a time bomb ready to explode momentarily.

That was where I quickly stepped in to politely tell my dad to shove his questions where the sun don't shine and to mind his own business. He…didn't like that too much, but too bad! He was going to have to deal with it because Auron and I were going to be together, no matter what people thought.

Surprisingly, Pops actually let it go. He let it go! Maybe that was after he saw how serious I was about Auron. Oh, and that's not to mention the small glare that Yunie was sending his way. That probably helped to swing things in my favor a little bit.

Good ol' Yunie!

That whole ordeal was a few months ago, actually. Auron and I have been living in Besaid with Yunie since then. After everything that happened in the past couple months, Yunie decided to take a permanent break from Bevelle and all of its political issues to return to the place that she grew up. I didn't blame her one bit. I would want to get away from Bevelle as fast as I could, regardless of the situation.

I hated that place!

Anyway, once we arrived in Besaid, Wakka nearly passed out in shock after seeing Sir Auron alive and well. Lulu, as always, kept her cool and smacked Wakka upside the head, telling him to do the same.

I nearly passed out from pure excitement when I saw a baby in Lulu's hands. I rushed over to her as fast as I possibly could, while - of course - squealing. Lulu laughed at me lightly before handing over the cute little redheaded baby. His name was Vidina, they told me. I was so honored that Wakka finally got over his hate of the Al Bhed enough to actually give his child an Al Bhed name!

Future. It suits him well!

I was grinning from ear to ear.

I just couldn't seem to stop myself from doing that lately.

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

Today, I was really bored. There was hardly anything left to do. I had already trained with Auron a little bit, helped Lulu with preparing lunch for everybody, and I even changed Vidina's yucky diaper!

What can I do!?

"Hey, Lulu do you know where Yunie is?" I asked the black mage when my wonderful cousin suddenly popped into my mind. I hadn't seen her all day. In fact, all week, she had been acting a little strange. I was really worried about her.

Lulu shook her head. "Sorry, Rikku. I haven't seen her since early this morning." She readjusted Vidina's position in her arms when he started to get fussy. "Maybe you should go look for her?"

I jumped up, nodding enthusiastically. "Good idea, Lu! I'll do that right now."

"What are you going to do right now?" a low voice queried from the entrance of the tent behind me.

I spun around with a huge grin on my face. "Hey, Auron. I'm going to go look for Yunie! Wanna come with me?"

He smirked at me, but shook his head. "I promised Wakka I would train him. I believe he is worried that he is…out of shape."

Lulu and I both laughed at Auron's last comment.

"Don't repeat that, Rikku," Lulu warned me, smiling softly. "He's worried he's losing his touch. It's a sensitive topic for Wakka."

"You talkin' about me!?" Wakka's voice shouted. A few seconds later, the redheaded blitzer appeared at the tent entrance. Then, he turned to Auron with an excited look on his face. "Ready to train now, ya?"

Auron chuckled softly, nodding his head. "Yes, but are you ready?"

Wakka scratched the back of his head, shrugging his shoulders. "I guess, brudda. Just take it easy on me, ya?" Both men turned to leave.

"Wait, Auron!" I ran up to give him a quick peck on the lips before he left. "I'll catch up with you later, okay?"

He nodded, a genuine smile on his face.

"Not in front of the baby, ya!? You wouldn't wanna scar the poor guy for life!" Wakka moaned from somewhere outside.

I just rolled my eyes. "Says the man who makes out with his wife when he thinks no one is looking."

Wakka reappeared at the tent entrance, face just as red as his hair. "Hey…" he trailed off, not knowing how to respond.

"Don't worry about it, Wakka. You're married!" I laughed. "It's what married couples do, silly!"

From behind me, I could hear Lulu sighing as Wakka stuttered around for something to say. I could practically see the black mage shaking her head in exasperation as well, even though I wasn't facing her.

"Wakka, just go train with Sir Auron. Let it be," Lulu chided, a hint of a smirk on her face.

Both the men exited the tent as Lulu and I burst into laughter. Well, I burst into laughter. You could probably describe Lulu's laugh as a very sophisticated, attractive one.

Once I calmed down enough to speak, I faced Lulu with a huge smile on my face. "I'm gonna go look for Yunie now, okay? I'll be back…once I find her, I guess!"

Lulu nodded before saying a quick, "Be careful," as I left the tent.

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

Where could she be?

I already checked the forested area of Besaid, the secret cave that Wakka used to go in all the time, the temple, the slope, the bea…wait. I hadn't checked the beach yet!

Yunie was probably just relaxing there!

As I skipped down the pathway that led to the beach, I couldn't help but think about how Yunie's life and my life kinda switched. Well, the love aspect of our lives, that is.

During her pilgrimage, I was always a little jealous about how much she and Tidus obviously loved each other. I was so sure that once she defeated Sin, they would get married and have tons of little kids!

And while I thought all of those things back then, I was resentful because I didn't have anyone who loved me like that.

But now, a year and a half later, I do! But…Yunie doesn't. Not anymore.

I feel so bad for her. It's not fair at all!

"Why can't Tidus come back like Auron did!?" I shouted to the skies. "It's not fair at all! She defeated Sin, so shouldn't she get a choice or something like that…?" I kicked the sand around me as I continued to walk. I was almost to the beach now.

"Is that what you truly wish, Rikku?"

My heart stopped as I gasped. I spun around to face the little fayth that was right behind me. "B-Baathum?" I bolted towards him to give him a hug. "I thought I'd never see you again."

He laughed softly. "I didn't realize you cared to see me so much."

I huffed, immediately dropping my arms from around him. "Well aren't you little Mr. Cocky?"

He laughed again. "Rikku, I meant what I said when I asked you if that was what you wished for."

I shook my head a few times to clear my confused thoughts. "Wait, what are you talking about? What did I wish for?"

Baathum crossed his arms over his chest. "A few moments ago, you said that you felt it was unfair for Yuna to have gotten nothing in return for eternally cleansing Spira of Sin. Is that true?"

I shrugged. "Well, kinda. I guess what I meant when I was saying that was…well…you see…" I trailed off, scratching my cheek with my index finger. "I want Tidus to come back. For her. If anyone deserves love like that, she does!"

Baathum nodded. "You…are right. And the Superior Fayth seems to believe the very same thing, Rikku. I thank you for pointing this out to us." He took a few steps towards the beach. "You have done well."

My eyes widened as I stuttered for a few seconds. "W-What are you s-saying!? Tidus can come back?"

Baathum nodded again. "I do not see why not. Of all the fabrications and dreams of the fayth, Tidus was the most…he was…let us say that he was almost real. He clung to this reality like it was a part of him. And for all I know, it could have been."

"Whoa…" I voiced, my eyes still wide with shock.

"And so the Superior Fayth has the power, if he chooses it, to transform a dream into reality. Someone like Tidus should not be hard at all to transfer into this realm."

I squealed, loudly. "So he's gonna be here soon!? Oh, Yunie's going to be so excited!!" I started to ramble about things that didn't really make sense, but I didn't care. I was so excited!

I clamped my mouth shut when a thought sprung to mind. "Hey…all of you fayths must secretly be hopeless romantics, you know? What reason was there for me to save Auron other than to have him all to myself? Well, I guess to have a second chance at life on Spira, but still! You guys are acting like little cupids. First, me and Auron, now Yunie and…and T-Ti…" I trailed off as I gazed towards the beach.

There stood sweet little Yunie, but she wasn't alone. She was captured in the arms of a blonde man that we all knew very well.

TIDUS!!!

"Oh my gods…he's really back…" I whispered as tears came to my eyes. I rubbed them away quickly. I was just so happy for them.

Yay! Yunie got her happy ending! Now, they can get married and have lots of kids and-

"Rikku, are you alright?" Baathum asked gently when he saw the tears in my eyes.

I nodded slowly. "Of course," I sniffled. "I'm just so happy for them!" I wiped my nose with the back of my hand. "How did he get here so fast?"

"Since a dream like Tidus had such a strong tie to someone still living on Spira, it created a type of bond within an inanimate object that he happened to leave behind. That object was his necklace. He gave it to Yuna before he left your father's airship that fateful day." Baathum turned to face me. "Tidus stored his love and his memories of Yuna in that necklace. Unintentionally, I might add, but he still did it, nonetheless."

"Whoa…" I voiced for the second time that day. "So, is that kinda how Auron came back too? Well, wait…Auron wasn't a dream, so it was different, huh?"

Baathum shook his head. "In Auron's case, it was almost the same. Do you remember that stone I gave you before you returned to the Zanarkand Dome?"

I nodded. "Yup."

"Well, that stone stored Auron's memories and love of you. It was created right after Yuna sent him to the Farplane once Sin was defeated."

"Whoa…" I really need to get a new line! "That must be why the stone retransferred everything into the past Auron and uh…" I was starting to get a headache.

"We don't have to get into the specifics, Rikku," Baathum said with a small laugh. "Auron has returned to you. Just live your life now. In peace."

I smiled as I stared at Yuna and Tidus over at the beach. "You're right, Baathum. Thanks---Baathum?" When I turned around to talk to the little fayth, I realized that he wasn't there anymore. "Where'd you go!?"

"Looking for someone?"

That voice, to this day, still sent pleasurable shivers down my spine. "A-Auron? What are you doing here, silly!?"

"I was trying to find you, Rikku," Auron explained as he walked over to me. He looked around momentarily. "You seem like you are hiding something," he noted casually.

"M-Me? Hiding something? Whatever would make you think such a silly thing like that-"

Auron interrupted me by pointing to the beach. I turned around again. Now, Tidus and Yuna were…not hugging anymore, if you catch my drift.

"Oh, heh heh. That? Yeah, Tidus is back!" I raised my arms into the air enthusiastically. "I just wanted to give them a little time together before everybody finds out and goes crazy and asks all sorts of questions and-"

A pair of soft lips crashing down onto mine interrupted me from whatever else I was about to say. I forgot what I was even talking about anyway. Auron's lips tended to always have that affect on my mind whenever they were in close proximity to my own lips.

We broke apart a few minutes later, to my dismay. When I moaned my discontent, Auron laughed at me. "Hey, that's not very nice, you know!" I whined, but I couldn't stop a smile from forming on my face.

Auron sighed. "I apologize."

I giggled softly. "I forgive you, Auron." I sighed, too. "Have I told you lately how happy I am that you're back?"

He nodded slowly. "You have. And have I told you lately…how much I love you?" He leaned down to gently kiss my forehead.

I closed my eyes and nodded. "Y-Yes." My breathing was shaky. It always was whenever Auron kissed me like that.

"We should head back. Wakka and Lulu deserve a fair warning of our newest visitor, I think," Auron suggested.

I laughed. "Um, I think you mean Wakka needs a warning! He practically fainted when he realized that you were back for good."

Auron joined in my quiet laughter. "That…was a very interesting day."

"I haven't had a dull day since the day I met you, Auron," I teased. "And don't worry, that's a good thing."

He wrapped his arm around my back as we started to make our way back to the village of Besaid. "I feel the same way, Rikku."

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

A/N: Oh my goodness. This is finally finished! I can't believe it! ((tears up)) I never thought this story would turn out the way it did, so I have all of you readers and reviewers to thank for the motivation and inspiration you all gave me to finish this! I appreciate it so much and I love you all!! XD I really hope you like how this ended. Sorry if it was too rushed or too mushy. I just had to put it all in there like that. ;D So…one more request of you all: please review? Even if you haven't reviewed at all yet? I would love to know what everyone thought of this. Constructive criticism is wonderful, especially since I can use it when I start writing other fics!
-koalababay ^O^