A/N: Finally, I'm writing again! Kathy (penname: Valkeyrie. Read her stuff!)will make an appearance in this chapter, under the name Penna (I didn't consult her about that name, hope she doesn't hate it) Well, lets get this show on the road! (Aah! Now I'm watching Antique's Roadshow. I guess whatever I'm watching shows, at least in my author's notes)

Disclaimer: I don't own FFX, it's characters, settings or anything copyrighted. I don't own Kathy either, for that matter. I've never heard the name Penna before (well, it may be a kind of spaghetti, but it's still a good name) but I suppose it's probably been used as a name before, so I don't own it either.

A/N Whoa, I left this chapter half written soo long ago. I haven't been doing much FFX stuff lately, since I beat the game, did all the mini-quests and got bored with it. Plus, I got Kingdom Hearts a while back. I was planning a KH fic, but gave up on that idea a long time ago. I had this sudden urge to write more of this fic this afternoon (wow, it's July) Will my fans forgive me for this long break from writing? I hope so. PS. My b-day is tomorrow, (the 31st, same as Harry Potter's) I Can't Wait! Even though i already had my party...

PPS. My spellchecker thinks that Braska should be Brisker.

A Few Die Hard Fans

Chapter 8

Old Friends Now Gone

As we embarked on our journey, everything seemed to be going smoothly. We took the spots we always took on the S.S. Liki on the way to tournaments; Wakka and I leaning against the post supporting the captain's room, surveying the rest of the Blitz team practicing on the deck. The only differences were, Tidus, who was wandering seemingly aimlessly about, and Yuna, who was standing on the bowsprit, leaning into the wind. Lulu was standing nearby, glaring cynically at the practicing players, and Kimahri was nowhere to be seen. Wakka had been unusually quiet. I was hoping that that meant he was thinking more than usual, but that was probably wishful thinking on my part.

Not far into our journey, Tidus approached us looking extraordinarily confused. Wakka and I looked at each other, each thinking the exact same thought: Tidus had no earthly idea where we were going. Apparently, it occurred to Wakka as it did to me, that this situation must be remedied, as he spoke to the blond blitzer.

"Come to think of it, I haven't told you where we're going," Wakka commented. Tidus looked apprehensive as he continued. "First we head to Kilika Island. There we switch boats, and head to Luca."

"But first, Yuna has to pray at the temple in Kilika," I interrupted.

Wakka cut me off: "We'll be praying for the Aurochs' victory, too, so you come along," he finished.

"Great plan," Lulu scoffed sarcastically.

"Hey, It is a great plan!" Wakka returned in accordance with his typical combative nature. Tidus towards the crowd around Yuna.

Kilika. I haven't been there in a while. Not for 2 years, not since the last blitz tournament. I can't wait to see Penna again.

~~~~~~*~*~*~*~~~~~~

*flashback* 9 years ago, when I had just gotten to Kilika, I was Waaaay unhappy. No more parents, and here, not even Wakka. I sat on the stairs of the Temple in Kilika, contemplating...well...everything. I felt so alone, nobody there around me. Well, I thought I was alone, in any rate.

"Hi" The voice came from behind me. I turned to see another girl, about my age standing a few stairs up. "You look like you need a friend." She walked down and sat next to me.

"And...You are?" I asked.

"Penna. Now could you explain to me who you are, why you're here, and why I haven't seen you before?"

"I'm Lora, I'm here because Sin took my parents and...well, that explains why you haven't seen me before too, I guess." I sighed. "Well, actually that doesn't explain why I'm here, though. I don't know myself, honestly. Everybody in Besaid just sent me here. I guess they don't want me to stay in the town where my parents died? I don't know."

"Well, you're not alone though." I glanced at her puzzled. "You've got me, haven't you?"

"I do?"

"Yes."

~~~~~~*~*~*~*~~~~~~

"Is Yuna's dad famous or something?" Tidus's query abruptly pulled me out of my thoughts and back into the real world.

"Yuna is the daughter of High Summoner Braska. You saw his statue in the temple. Braska defeated Sin ten years ago. Yuna's the heir to a great legacy!" Wakka explained.

"It's hard, when your father's famous." Tidus grumbled. Was his father famous? Tidus and Jecht both claimed to be from Zanarkand, and were great blitzers. Could Jecht be his father...? I saw a picture of Jecht once, and he had an odd symbol tattooed on his chest. The same symbol appeared on Tidus' pants, necklace and earring. But before I could ask any of that, Wakka had huh?ed and Lulu muttered

"Wakka has never been very gifted in the imagination department." Wakka looked at her kind of insulted, but didn't say anything but "Huh?" again, which just further proved Lulu's point. I hate to admit it, but Wakka's only barely a step up from Tidus when it comes to brains.

"Thanks Lulu, I'll keep that in mind." Tidus chuckled, and left to talk to Yuna again. I didn't hear the joke, but in a few seconds they were both laughing uncontrollably. I watched the two of them, leaning slightly on Wakka's shoulder.

"They make such a cute couple." I whispered at him. He laughed and nodded, but before I could say anything else, Sin had appeared.

I panicked.

Well actually, I did the opposite of panicked. I stood up with surprise, then plopped back down, hard, on the floor.

A sailor ran for the harpoon gun.

"What are you doing!? Put a harpoon in it and we'll be dragged under!" Wakka shouted.

"It's heading for Kilika! Forgive us, Yuna, our families are in Kilika." Yuna nodded.

"We're all gonna die." I muttered. "No! I'm not gonna let it win!" I shouted, abruptly standing up again. The sailor shot the harpoons, and they lodged themselves in Sin's fin. Lulu, Wakka and I took the front lines.

"I have an Idea!" I shouted. Wakka heaved his blitzball at the protruding fin, and when it was in midair, I cast a lightning spell on it, thus charging the ball. When it hit sin, the electricity was discharged, making for great damage.

"Whoa!" Wakka yelled.

"Nice." Lulu commented, giving me a rare smile.

"Lulu, cast your thunder spell on the ball at the same time as me! We should be able to double-charge it!" I added in another sudden burst of inspiration.

A few more hits like that, and Sin, and the fin along with it, retreated, breaking the harpoon guns from off the ship and causing a tidal wave to sweep over the deck of the ship. Everyone seemed to be ok except...Where was Tidus!? I looked at the place where the railing was broken, looked at Wakka, and back at the railing. Wakka leapt overboard, and moments later returned with the blond blitzer.

There was an ominous pause, then we watched in horror as the creature in the water engulfed Kilika, barely visible through the whirlwind of rubble and corpses. I tried to keep the thought out of my mind that Penna was almost certainly somewhere in that whirlwind...

A/N: O_o poor kathy...

R&R!