Tidus looked at Kinah in disbelief.

"This is way too much crazy for one day!" Tidus yelled as he tugged his hair with both hands.

"This isn't the time or place! You can freak out when we get to safety!" Kinah said. Tidus followed Kinah even though he didn't see any real danger. He was agile enough to dodge Wen's gun and land multiple hits on him.

They used the alleys to get back to the central. Tidus followed Kinah all the way up to the air base without a word. She stopped at one of the miniature airships and searched her item bags frantically. Eventually she took out a small purple sphere and fiddled with the airship. The airship turned on and a door on the side slid open.

"Get in!" Kinah instructed. Tidus and Kinah entered the airship. It looked bigger from the outside.

Kinah got into her commander seat and Tidus took a seat in one of the seats beside her.

"I know this is a silly time to ask but where the heck are we going?" Tidus asked.

Kinah started the engine and said: "The Calm Lands. They won't think of looking for you there."

*o*o*o*

Rikku didn't hear the announcement on the news. She was still at the Central in the office of an Al Bhed known as Rain. They were having such a long and amusing conversation that they didn't even realise it was already sunset.

Rikku was sitting on the desk and Rain sat in his office chair, admiring at her from bellow. Rain always came off as a tyrant but he had a soft spot for Rikku.

"Why were you so worked up when I came in?" Rikku asked.

"To be honest, I've been this way since... " Rain said, unable to finish his sentence.

"Since I left?" Rikku asked. Rain nodded. Rikku looked away as she swung her feet back and forth.

"I'm sorry, Rain. I just didn't think you would care." Rikku said. Rain frowned.

"Don't apologise. It's all in the past." Rain said. He grinned and stared at her for a while. "I'd like to make up for it. How about I take you to the best weapon store in town?"

"I know where to find it." Rikku said teasingly.

"I'll let you pick any weapon you want." Rain said. Rikku looked at him in bewilderment.

"Like you have gill!" Rikku giggled.

"I could have bought your apartment while you were away but I didn't feel like it." Rain said proudly. Rikku burst into laughter.

Rikku was still laughing when she looked out the window.

"I can't believe it's sunset already." Rikku said. Rain looked out the window and looked back at Rikku.

"There is a meeting for the leaders this evening. Since you're here now, you could go with me." Rain said cheerfully.

"I don't have a choice, do I? And besides, I need to catch up on what's been happening." Rikku said.

They both stood up and went to the door. Rain got there first and held the door open for Rikku. She stopped at the door and stared at him with her hands on her hips.

"When did you become a gentleman?" Rikku asked.

"I'll ask you the same thing every time you pick a fight with Brother." Rain replied. Rikku laughed and punched him in the ribs.

They took the elevator to the middle floor where a large boardroom was. Cid and all the other leaders were already seated and about to start the meeting. There were two empty seats right next to each other.

All eyes were on Rikku and Rain when they entered the room and sat at the table. Rikku greeted Cid with a hardly audible "hey pops" and waved at the others at the table. Rain made a gesture with his head.

Cid cleared his throat nervously. He was still in shock from the afternoon's announcement.

"I'm sure you've all heard about Seymour and Yuna's wedding by now." Cid said.

"What?" Rikku yelled as she slammed her hands on the table.

"But," Cid continued, "that's not the reason why we are here. You're all probably expecting to receive your goals and missions for the week but that's gonna have to wait because blondie's gone missing!"

"You mean Tidus?" Rikku asked.

"Yes! I sent Wen to help escort our dear friend to the Farplane but he went off the radar." Cid said.

"You sent Wen to kill him?" Rikku burst with anger. "It doesn't matter anyway because now none of us are going to find him and it's all because you want him dead!"

"How about we all forget about him and move on with our lives?" Rain asked. The men and women at the table grunted in agreement. "Cid told me how you got sent to Bevelle because he got his hands on some forbidden machina and brought it to you."

Rikku looked at Rain with amazement but when she realised what Cid had done she returned to an annoyed expression.

Cid asked the others to leave and let Rain stay as he continued his conversation with Rikku.

"I can't believe you! This is all insane!" Rikku declared.

"I'm just trying to do what's best for you!" Cid argued.

"Could have fooled me!" Rikku yelled back.

"Arguing like this isn't going to solve anything!" Rain said. Rikku and Cid both refused to say another word. Rikku stormed out.

"She'll be fine by tomorrow." Rain said.

"I highly doubt that." Cid said.

*o*o*o*

Rikku went back to her apartment expecting to find Tidus there.

Rikku opened the door and called Tidus several times. She went to check the bedroom and the kitchen and forgot to close the front door.

Rikku went around the apartment twice but when she came back to the living room, Rain was there.

For a moment Rikku looked at him but said nothing and turned around. Rain grabbed her hand, interlocking fingers, and made her sit down. He sat beside her.

"I told Cid not to kill him." Rain said. "He agreed."

"Really?" Rikku asked, surprised. "How did you-"

"I told him that I'll do it myself." Rain said with pride in his voice. Rikku was shocked. She was sure that he knew nothing about what really happened in Besaid.

"Why would you wanna do something like that?" Rikku yelled as she stood up. "What will you gain from it anyway? A rank up? Everyone but Cid takes orders from you! What more do you want?"

"Revenge." Rain said with an evil grin and then stood up and frowned. "I know the truth about what really got you sent to death."

Rikku sat down quickly. Her face was so red that it looked almost unnatural. She took the accessories out of her hair one by one and ran her fingers through her hair. It covered her cheeks and eyes.

"How did you find out?" Rikku asked almost inaudibly. Her voice was shaky.

"The Al Bhed that spy on Besaid told me." Rain replied. "Not even your father could prevent that information from getting to me. Cid doesn't know that I know."

"So you've been spying on me?" Rikku asked, raising her voice.

"Not knowing how or where you were drove me insane!" Rain yelled. "You didn't even bother to call me with a sphere! You probably didn't feel like it-"

"I'm sorry, okay? Being Yuna's guardian is a full time job and besides, I can't change what happened and neither can Tidus." Rikku mumbled. "He's probably lost in the desert."

"He better stay lost or I'll make him!" Rain said angrily. "If you weren't Cid's girl you would also be on my hit list. You're still getting punished anyway!"

Rikku pushed her hair off her face. She wasn't crying at all.

"What punishment?" Rikku asked fearlessly.

"You have been banned from Home. You better leave soon and quietly if you want to save you reputation." Rain said as he headed for the door. "You can take your airship with you and... Keep the gift I left you. I have no use for it. It's in your room."

Rain left and shut the door behind him. It was a surprise to Rikku that he didn't do anything physical and drastic to her. She had always known Rain as a mean person.

Rikku went straight to her room. She looked around and saw a box with a big ribbon on it. Rikku went to it, picked it up and sat on the bed with it in front of her. She gasped as she lifted the lid.

Rikku took the contents out. It was a white dress with feathers. The front reached the knees and the back had a long train. Also in the box was a small square jewellery box. Rikku took it out and opened it. It was an Al Bhed engagement ring with the words "be mine" engraved in it.

"Well it's no use to me either," Rikku said as she put down the ring and lifted up the dress, "but this is."

"There's been too much hurting going on for too long. I'm gonna make things right." Rikku said determinedly.

Rikku folded the dress neatly and put it in the box. She left the ring in its box and on top of the coffee table in her living and left her apartment with her airship key and the box with the dress tucked in one arm.

First, Rikku went to the floor where Cid's office was. She stood at the door, hesitated and walked away.

Rikku took the elevator to the air base. As she walked to her airship the Al Bhed that were there greeted her warmly. When she got to her airship the Al Bhed gathered around her asking where she was going and what was in the box.

"I'm going on a special mission. I won't be coming back for a long time," Rikku said, trying to hide the sadness in her voice, "but I will return."

Rikku said goodbye to the people and boarded her airship. As she started the engine, she suddenly felt that she needed to stop and take a moment to breathe. Rikku was close to tears as she thought about all the chaos in her life.

Meanwhile, a different kind of chaos was happening in Guadosalam but for very opposite reasons. Rikku wasn't the only one in Spira that was close to tears and she was miles away from finding out why.