Sorry about not updating often. I moved into a townhouse, which didn't have Internet, so I could not update from about October 7th to November 20th. Then, I didn't get the Internet at my new house till about mid-December. Unfortunately, then this computer basically died, so I couldn't use it. It's working now… but I couldn't update since all of my fics were on another computer, which didn't' have the Internet. So, sorry it's taking forever, but I'm trying!

I've been really busy with school and all that jazz, so the thinking juices haven't been really flowing either. Hopefully, I'll be able to bounce out of this slump and update often. If you have any ideas, please tell me!

Thank you to randomcat20, Yiya91, and HypernatedRikku, who seem to be the only ones still following this story. The support is gladly appreciated!

And now, on with the fic!

Chapter 11: Snowflakes and Shadows

Yuffie was in the bar with her husband Leon, Gippal, and an angry Tifa. She didn't really like the idea of coming here from the start, but she didn't want to spoil their fun. Now that things were obviously getting worse, she decided it was time for her and Leon to leave. She thanked Tifa for the drinks and paid for everyone. She left, her arm wrapped around Leon's. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and hoped that they never ended up like the two dysfunctional couples. She couldn't believe how her best friend could so easily kiss another man. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt, and so she stopped. The couple reached their wedding hall. They apologized to all of their guests about the disruption. They all accepted it; some were more sincere than others. Tired, the newlyweds climbed into their airship and readied it for launch. Yuffie said a silent prayer for Rikku, and the two whisked off into the infinity of space.

Rikku was ready to kill herself. She had done the most childish thing she could remember doing, and it was destroying everything she had worked so hard on making. She couldn't see why she just gave in to Gippal, forgetting everything about Cloud. In those brief seconds when they were kissing, Rikku felt so happy, so good inside— almost complete. Everything she had done with Cloud over their relationship was forgotten, and all Rikku could think of was Gippal.

Tears rolled down her face, making her face feel clammy. She squinted her eyes to stop the tears, but they kept coming. She licked her lips and tasted her salty sadness. Nothing she did ever worked out right. Everyone she loved had died or rejected her. And, when she had found the one person who didn't, she went and blew it. She hated herself. All of her sadness, all of her anger, and all of her frustration clouded up her mind. She reasoned the best way to solve things would be to disappear. By herself, she would live. Then, she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone; her love would never be able to cut anyone else again. The tears kept falling, and she sniffled.

She slumped to the ground and rubbed her arms. It was cold out and she wished she owned a jacket. She half-smiled through her crying when she remembered how Cloud had given her his jacket one time when they were on the snowy mountains of Mt. Gagazet. But her smile melted away as she thought of Cloud. She knew he hated her, that he would never want to see her face again, and she wailed more.

By living alone, she not only would avoid hurting others, but she would avoid others hurting her.

She sniffled once more, and stood up. She began walking down the street, hoping not to bump into anyone. The last thing she needed was more people. Rikku was done with being social. Relationships only ended in pain and misery. She thought of her friend, Paine. She hid all her emotions inside, and she seemed fine. Rikku decided she was going to be like Paine; she was going to mask her feelings and live in solitude. She wouldn't let anyone get close; it was too risky.

Rikku walked down the street, planning where she would go and what she would do, when a white crystal fell on her scarf. She looked at it and smiled a melancholy grin. It was snowing. She continued her walk, and the snow continued to drift down gracefully. It danced down to the stone ground, only to melt away. Rikku was that snowflake; she had danced joyfully throughout her life, and now it was her time to melt.

Cloud was still thinking when a snowflake fell onto him. He looked up, and his face was greeted by tinges of cold. He smirked, and stuck out his tongue. He waited at least five minutes before he was able to catch one on his tongue. He tasted it and spat it out. Snowflakes were definitely overrated. Cloud knew that Rikku was in disarray, but he never would have imagined what she was doing. He knew he needed to go after her, but he felt drawn to the bar. He didn't know if it was Tifa, or if it was Gippal. Did he need to say no, or did he need to apologize. But, if he went inside, he would lose precious time on finding Rikku. But, sitting on a bench and being covered in snow isn't being productive either, so he stood up, brushed himself, and walked into the Seventh Heaven.

Tifa and Gippal were the only two in the bar; Yuffie and Leon had left while Cloud was deep in thought. The lights were all off except for the few by the bar stools where the couple stood. They had failed to notice him, so he coughed. The two spun around, Gippal showing a face of horror, and Tifa one of shock and almost relief. Gippal stood up, frightened, and began to apologize to Cloud. He stuck his finger out to silence him.

The blonde warrior looked into Tifa's eyes. He saw the swirling brown around the black sphere in the center. He faintly made out his own blue eyes in the reflection. But that was it. It was just a brown eye. He sighed, not too sure himself why, and began to walk away. Tifa called for him, shouting at him to come back. But Cloud couldn't hear her, he had his mind focused on one thing only. Gippal tried to apologize again, but by the time he finished, Cloud had run out the door and not heard a word. The two looked at eachother, Gippal feeling relieved and Tifa angered.

The air had gotten much colder since his short break indoors, but he ignored it. Nothing was going to stop him from his mission: to get Rikku back. He ran through the snow, having to shield his eyes for short periods. He hoped Rikku hadn't wandered far, and that she had stayed on a straight path. If not, Cloud was going to have difficulty finding his true love. He breathed out, the air making a cloud in front of him. He began running again, shouting out Rikku's name.

Rikku had inadvertently stumbled into a town market place. And with all the shops, she found people. They all seemed so happy, and most people seemed paired off. It made Rikku's stomach knot. "Why should they deserve to be so happy?" Rikku kept thinking over and over. In the distance she heard music and thought she heard singing. "More gaiety," she thought, "just what I need." Through the chatter of the passerbys and the faint music, she thought someone was yelling her name. She would look up, hoping to see Cloud, but seeing him nowhere, she would feel even more depressed than before. After about four times, she refused even to look up.

She passed by a window and double-backed. Something had caught her eye. In the window were many dolls and figurines. All of them were dressed up in long coats and scarves, and each was adorned with rosy cheeks and childish smiles. Despite her previous hate of cheeriness, these did make her feel better. She walked in, and immediately felt better. It was warm in here, and it smelled delicious. Something was baking, and there were fresh flowers ornamented throughout the store. She shook her hair free of snow and gazed at the toys and goods around her.

She smiled for the first time in a while and walked towards the center. When she got there she let out a huge gasp, in the center was a giant tree. It was decorated with fake snow and jewels. At the top, and hanging in strings wrapping around the giant tree, were snowflakes. They looked to be made out of glass, or crystal, and Rikku admired the rainbows they created throughout the ceiling.

"Excuse me, why is there a big tree with snowflakes on it inside a building?" The man she asked seemed repulsed and continued walking, looking back and shaking his head a few times. Curious, she asked a lady who walked by. She responded the same way and continued her shopping.

Saddened, she sat down on a chair and began pouting. All of her bad feelings were coming back, and she began to cry again. She felt someone sit down next to her, and she wiped her tears. She looked over and saw a little girl no older than twelve. She smiled, admiring her pretty outfit. It definitely matched everything else in here.

"Why are you crying, missus?" the little girl asked. Rikku smiled, remembering what started it all.

"I just wanted to know about that tree," she pointed at the giant tree offhandedly. "No one would tell me." The little girl giggled at Rikku. She looked up and, making sure this wasn't a joke, replied, trying to sound serious, which only caused more laughter.

"It's to celebrate the Eve of Crystals. Every year we do this. Haven't you seen it before?" Rikku shook her head. Trying to explain space travel seemed too complicated. "Oh, are you not from around here?" Rikku nodded. Something about this girl made her feel more comfortable, more at ease.

"Well, a long time ago, before all of this was here, this world was barren. Nothing grew here, and the only things that were here were rocks and ice. Well, one day, a group of travelers landed here. They were one of the first. Anyway, they were magic beings. They used up their energy to give life to the planet. The group had to leave to make other planets living, but their magic was needed here, so they sealed the magic needed into four sacred crystals. And every time about this time of year, the crystals rain over the land, and it revives it. See, the ice comes back, and then the crystals come and the ice melts away till next year."

She smiled, she was proud of knowing the story. Rikku was impressed with her knowledge, as well as the story too. The tree symbolized life, and the snowflakes the magic crystals. Rikku thanked the girl and left.

She wandered through the store some more, and then left. The cold wind nipped at her uncovered legs. She shivered, but something stirred inside her. It was growing stronger, and it made Rikku feel warmer, and she soon forgot about the bitter cold.

Feeling warmer, she began to feel better. The idea of living a stoic and isolated life was fading with every moment. All of the people seemed so happy and cheerful, and it rubbed off on her. She began to stick out her tongue to taste the snow and found it didn't taste as good as the fresh snow on Mt. Gagazet. She strolled down the street, looking at the decorations in the windows.

She passed by a large warehouse, one that looked abandoned. The roof was caving in, and the paint was peeling off. Rikku felt a strange urge and went inside. It was pitch black, so Rikku shuffled around slowly. She bumped into something large, something heavy. It felt metallic and cold. She tapped it again, and hearing a hollow echo, shivered.

She searched its outside, groping in the darkness for a switch or handle. She felt a bump and grew excited. She grabbed it with both hands and pulled. Unable to open it, Rikku flung her foot up on the metal hull. She pulled and pushed with her foot, but still couldn't open it. Determined to open it and find out what it was, Rikku put both feet onto the exterior. She tugged again, and heard a faint screech. Encouraged, she yanked the handle harder until the screech grew louder. She kept pulling until there was a loud crashing noise and Rikku fell over; she had pulled the door off of its hinges.

A surge of relief overpowered the pain of falling onto the cold hard floor, and Rikku stood up. She brushed herself off and looked in the direction of the vehicle. She could barely see inside. It was only visible because it was darker there then where Rikku was standing. Still curious and a little scared too, Rikku climbed into the ship, hoping there was no one inside.

She didn't want to take any chances so she called out, "Hello? Is anyone home? Sorry I broke the door." Hearing no response, she let out a sigh and sat down.

The seat was comfortable, it was soft and cushioned. Rikku bounced in it, and accidentally fell. She screamed and flailed out her arms. She hit something hard, but it moved. Off in the distance a light faintly turned on. It flickered on and off for a few seconds and then remained dimly lit. Rikku stared down towards the light trying to gauge how long the ship was. The light only lit up a tiny part of a hallway, and a few doors on the sides. She couldn't see the end in either direction, so Rikku knew the ship had to be larger than the Celsius. It seemed hard to imagine, but so many years had passed since she was a Gullwing that maybe airships could be larger.

She got up and decided to walk to the light. Three doors were in the lit area, two on the left and one on the right. Rikku knocked out of habit and, hearing the dull, hollow echo, opened the door. It creaked, and Rikku almost jumped. She laughed at her tense attitude. "There is nothing here to be afraid of," she thought.

She opened the door fully and peeked inside. There was little light to illuminate the room. The only light came from the dim hallway. She crept inside, and pushed the door fully open to get the most light. It didn't help much.

Rikku could pick out a bed, a dresser, a mirror, another door, and a possible window. Everything looked so neat except for all of the cobwebs and dust. Rikku wrinkled her nose, but she couldn't stifle it. She let out a loud sneeze, and it disrupted the dust. The webs and dirt flew up and scattered all over, revealing something on the dresser.

Rikku tiptoed over to it, hesitant to find what would be inside. Through the darkness, she saw its outline; it looked like a small box. She picked it up carefully, and she slid her fingers over it, feeling the polished wood and metal. It felt extremely cold to touch, so Rikku set it back down. She frowned, mad at herself for not knowing what it was. She picked it up again, this time using her scarf as a glove to protect her skin from the icy metal. She walked back into the hallway to get a proper look at it.

With the aid of the faint light, Rikku could make out painted objects on the wooden surface. Metal coated the corners and the lock. The figures seemed to be intertwined with each other, all of them creating a grander image. Rikku sat down, and tried to pry the box open. Unfortunately, it was locked. Rikku frowned again and pulled harder, hoping maybe it was stuck. It did not work. Captivated by an unknown force, she was determined to open this box. She set it down on the cushion and went back into the room.

She found the dresser again and opened all of the drawers. In the top most one she found a small key. It too was decorated with little painted animals, but these were separate from each other. But, it being the only key, Rikku decided it had to be the right one.

She walked back to the cushion and placed the box in her lap. It no longer felt cold, but Rikku was too worried about opening the chest to notice. She took the key, and slipped it into the lock. She slowly turned it, as if going to fast would break the key. She heard a quiet click and smiled. She slid the key into a pouch on her belt and then looked down at the box. It was changing.

She screamed, it carrying throughout the ship, into the warehouse, and out to the street. A family looked at the warehouse, believing it to be haunted, and walked away quickly. A few seconds later, a bright light, a light purple-blue, filled the warehouse. It faded away with the scream.

Cloud was exhausted. It was getting late, and the sun was in its final stage of setting. The twin moons were shining brighter than the sun and Cloud grinned. A few stars were visible, and in an hour, almost all would be shining brightly. He had come to the inner city, full of shops and people. They all seemed very happy and it annoyed him. He needed to find Rikku; he did not have time for merriment.

He walked down the street, too tired to run anymore. His breaths were puffs of frozen clouds and he shivered. The side stores looked warm and cozy, but Cloud didn't have time to get sidetracked. There was no way to know if Rikku had been here, and even if she had, where she was now. Sorting through all the options in his mind, he was left with only two, both which were stupid: either search blindly until he found her, or ask someone if they had seen her. Cloud knew that running around would get him nowhere, this city was too large, and the odds were against him. That left him with the worse choice. Cloud swallowed his pride for love and would ask the next person he saw.

A little girl was coming out of a store, but it seemed she had no parents with her. Cloud, sure this was pointless, asked away. "Um, excuse me little girl," he stammered out embarrassed. "Have you seen Rikku? She's a girl about my age… she has blonde hair, a red and orange scarf, and yellow clothes on."

The girl seemed puzzled and then replied, "Yes." Cloud was shocked that this little girl knew. He thanked her and began to head into the store that they were standing outside of. If the girl had seen Rikku, and she was coming out of the store, than Rikku must be in the store. Before he got the door the girl grabbed his sleeve. She shook her head and pointed down the street.

"You mean she's that way?" Cloud asked, pointing the same way the girl was. She smiled and shook her head vehemently. Cloud asked her to show him. The girl bit her tongue for a second, and then accepted. So, Cloud wandered through the town following this little girl, who he suspected was about ten.

The little guide stopped in front of a broken down shack. Well, it was bigger than a shack, but seemed to be worth the same. Cloud gave it a questionable look, and then looked down at his guide. She was smiling, rocking back and forth, and humming some catchy tune. He shrugged and thanked her. He began walking towards it, but the girl stopped him once again.

She shook her head and said, "No, not yet. Wait."

Cloud gave up trying to reason with her and stood in the cold, occasionally rubbing his hands or marching in place to keep warm. The little girl didn't seem to mind the bitter cold, or acknowledge Cloud's silly methods for warmth. She just stared at the warehouse. She sighed and began to walk towards it. Cloud assumed this meant it was time and followed.

The inside was pitch black. The sun would have lit it up slightly, but now it had fully set and the moonlight couldn't penetrate this far. Cloud followed the little girl by holding her hand. They seemed to be going to the middle, and Cloud wondered what this place stored. He heard a soft sound, and it sounded like footsteps. They were out of sync with his and the girl's and he worried who it might be. His eyes were growing accustomed to the dark, and he saw something like a door on the ground. He gave that a quizzical look, but was cut short by the girl leading him onward. She whispered for him to watch his step, and he stepped up, his foot landing on metal.

He was growing skeptical about this girl, but he figured he could handle whatever trap she was setting for him. He saw a light on in the distance, and instinctively headed for it. A door was ajar on the side, but before he could look inside, the girl shoved him into the door across the hall. He landed on a soft bed, dazed and confused. He braced himself for some sort of attack, but when nothing happened, he got up.

He crept out of the room and looked down the hallway. There was a person down there, hunched over something. He quickly dashed out of the light and continued to get closer to the person. He heard a key click and jumped up out of fright. The person screamed and dropped the box. It emitted a strange glow, and Cloud saw whom he was standing next to: Rikku. They both stared at each other wide eyed until the light vanished and everything went black.

I hope you all are enjoying the fic! Well, what'll happen now that Cloud and Rikku are in an abandoned ship in the middle of the night? And, that box has some big significance. Can you guess it? I'm hoping to add some more action and some more romance in the upcoming chapters. Please give me any suggestions or ideas. I'll try to use them! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
-AntiMusicMan