Disclaimer: I don't own anything Squaresoft has ever made, and in no way claim credit for them.

Author's Note: Well, I'm back! You thought you could get rid of me, but just when you think it's safe to read fan fiction, I upload and post the next chapter. Sorry guys, but it had to happen.

I'm so happy with the positive reaction I got to my story! I actually got reviews - good reviews. For my first story, I think that's pretty good. Oh, and Allison, if you're reading this, remember our "secret conversation." ^_^! Anyway, one explanation for today. Ghum Shuda in Hindi means "Missing," and I thought it a good chapter name. Obviously, since I used it. My best friend is also Indian, so I used the name as a tribute to her.

One more thing - my computer is being diffifcult, so if the format and junk is messed up, please just ignore it. Italics won't work on here, either, for some reason, so just pretened the words that should be emphasized are.

Thanks so much for the reviews you guys, and please drop another one off before you go away. I think it's a fair payment for me writing this story. ^_^

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It had been instinct- pure, unbridled instinct- that had made Arich jump out after the airship. He hadn't stopped to think about the consequences, hadn't paused to consider the danger he would be putting himself in. He just… jumped.

It wasn't as if it had been that hard of a jump. Just before it had broke free of the chains, there had been no movement- the entire ship, as well as the people in the castle, had stopped. And it wasn't as if it had been that far. The ship was practically in front of him, so it wasn't at all that hard to make in on the ship.

The real problem had been trying to stay on the ship.

Just as soon as he had jumped, the ship had broke free. And then, immediately after, had picked up speed. So, instead of landing safely on the deck as he had planned, all he managed to do was grab onto the rail.

Wonderful.

And then, before he had any chance to climb aboard, the cannons had fired. Under his breath and all the screams of the crewmen, he had cursed his mother.

Vainly, he had tried over and over again to climb aboard the ship and seek safety inside. And every time he was just about to be on board, another cannon had fired.

Not that he wasn't grateful he had not been hit, but if the Eidolons could manage to keep him from exploding, couldn't they muster enough strength to get him on the ship? He hadn't felt that was too much to ask.

But, as usual, no cosmic figure had been listening to what he had to say.

So now he found himself, hanging on for dear life, praying to any Eidolon he could think of he wouldn't fall now.

The wind was cruel and merciless against his skin, slashing viciously at anything it could get at. It made his eyes water, which did not help in the area of sight, and it made it very difficult indeed to get a good grip on the ship. So, naturally, he was grateful when it slowed down.

He looked briefly over his shoulder, trying to estimate how far away he was from his beloved city. But the only thing he was able to see was the infernal Mist, shrouding everything in his line of view.

Arich managed to lift his chin just above the railing. His almond eyes carefully scanned the deck, squinting to make out shapes in the Mist. He convinced himself that no one was aboard the deck at least, most likely having been thrown off.

Forcing strength into his practically numbed limbs, Arich hoisted himself over the rail and onto the deck. Without a sound, he headed towards the first door he saw, creeping with cat-like grace.

The door creaked loudly as he entered, screaming his intentions to anyone who was in earshot. With a start, Arich stopped all motion, fervently looking back and forth for any signs of movement. Nothing.

Inhaling deeply, the wary prince stepped into the room. All the lights, if there were any on this primitive vehicle, were turned off. The dark failed to hinder his vision, however, and he cast a quick glance over the interior. The place was barren, save for a few netted crates. Opposite of him was another rickety door.

Without hesitating, the young prince headed towards it, his footsteps quick and light. This door, although it looked far less sturdy, didn't protest when it was opened. Light, bright and strong, shot into Arich's eyes are soon as he stepped into the doorway, and he had to shut them momentarily against the glare.

He stumbled clumsily up some worn stairs, following them into a dimly lit hallway. He walked along it undisturbed. It made him uneasy, the lack of people here. There had been people- other than the thief- in the ship, hadn't there? Where had they, then, gotten to? It was not a settling thought.

The hallway ended in a choice of several doors. Agitated, Arich chose the one directly in front of him and determinedly charged through.

He almost immediately regretted it.

A yelp of surprise escaped Arich and two other forms on the other side of the room. It was followed immediately by a bright flash of blinding light and a sudden explosion against Arich's chest.. He fell to his knees, gasping in vain for air as a ravaging burning sensation encompassed his entire body. A soft whisper of smoke came from an unknown destination, the elusive scent taunting Arich's nose. He was vaguely aware of a murmur of muffled voices, but he could not hold his concentration on it- the sound of dying flames hissing echoed in his ears and drowned everything else out.

Wrapping his arms around him in a futile attempt to push out the pain, Arich lifted his head gingerly, which made him painfully aware of a throbbing sensation in its side. Letting out a muffled cry, Arich cradled his pounding head in his palms, only to hastily remove them as they stung upon contact from apparent burns. He grit his teeth, forced strength upon himself, and looked up again.

He could barely see anything. His vision was blurred and unfocused, the room spinning round and round in irregular circles. He could make out the people at the other end of the room if he concentrated hard enough, but they waved back and forth like wisps of escaping smoke. They came warily closer, the vibrations from their feet causing jolts of pain to run up and down Arich's spine.

Faster and faster the room spun, the floor rippling underneath him like waves upon a stormy ocean. The walls shook. Colors and shapes ran together like wet paint upon a canvas. Arich struggled to keep himself conscious, but it was for naught. The room gave a final quiver before the young and inexperienced prince fell with a gasp to the floor.

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To say Queen Brahne was in a bad mood would have been an understatement. She was livid. Her blue face was purple and red with pent-up rage, her yellow eyes wide and crazed. She stood with her shoulders hunched, facing the direction the airship had disappeared into.

With a disgusted look over her shoulder, she shouted, "Get me the captain!"

Every guard, servant, and even a few of the guests that remained, jumped up to fulfill the angered queen. Within moments, the entire room was empty, save for Her Majesty.

Impatiently, she fanned herself. Her eyes scanned the room, searching for some poor soul to scream at. She needed to place the blame on somebody's shoulders, and it certainly wouldn't be hers.

"Your Majesty?" she heard Amarant call, his voice suddenly behind her.

She turned quickly and suspiciously. She narrowed her yellow eyes at the captain, flashing her teeth angrily.

"What took you so long?" she hissed, but Amarant said nothing, instead remaining at attention. The queen licked her parched lips, taking in a steadying breath. "Send your best trackers out after that ship. I want to get find that wench and bring her back! I don't care how you do it- whether it be airship, boat, chocobo, or foot. Just get me that girl! We don't want the little witch to get away," she said moodily.

The captain started walking obediently away before Queen Brahne called him back. "And for Saint's sake, Amarant, fetch me my son!"

The knight hurried off, never uttering a protest to his queen. Brahne watched him go with beady eyes. When the doors were closed safely behind him, she flung her brittle fan to the floor, watching in satisfaction as the weak twigs broke into pieces and slid across the floor.

The time ticked by slowly as she waited. Where was that useless son of hers? She snorted. She had to do something about that boy, and fast. He was getting too… Well, she didn't know the word, but whatever it was, it wasn't good.

Below her, the familiar shouts and yells of the troops being commanded were sounding off. Brahne grinned to herself. It wouldn't be long before that girl was found and caught. There was no way she would be able to escape- Queen Brahne had the best men on the face of the planet. They would track her down easily.

A soft breeze swept through her, and she regarded it with a shiver. A cold presence had entered the room, and she could feel it behind her- sucking the soul out of the room. Startled, Brahne turned on her heel, trying to keep control of herself.

He was standing with one hand on his hip, his head tilted to one side and his mouth curved into a wicked smile. His cobalt eyes were glittering with a sinister light, emanating from the depths his soul. His shaggy silver hair fell over his shoulders and face, casting playful shadows across his pale cheeks. From under his revealing robes came a long tail, curving up towards the ceiling and wiggling and writhing hypnotically.

Seeing the look upon the queen's face, the young man laughed. "I see you weren't expecting me," he said, without any respect or regard for her station.

Brahne sighed. "Oh, it's only you. What do you want, Kuja?" she asked, more gently than she had ever asked to anyone else.

He lifted his head just a little bit, his small smile growing. "I thought perhaps-"

"Your Majesty!"

Kuja's head snapped to the side, his dark eyes narrowing and his mouth furrowing into a frown. Queen Brahne gently lifted her gaze to a young knight, whose eyes were wide and alarmed.

"Yes?" she prodded, taking care to make her voice even.

The knight let out a shaky breath. "Your Highness, Prince Arich is not inside the castle!"

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Toy let out a gasp. "What did you do to him?" she asked, her eyes wide with both fear and fascination.

Vivi looked alarmed. "I…I didn't mean to… I mean… When he came in here, he startled me…and…I just reacted."

"Well, that's a hell of a reaction, Vivi. You just attacked the Prince of Alexandria!"

Vivi looked at his gloves, shaking. They were still hot from the Fire spell he had managed to conjure, still black with soot and irreversibly singed. His eyes widened. "I had no idea… I could do something that powerful. I mean, I've cast spells before… but never like that."

Toy squatted down, lowering herself to the young man's level. "Do you think he'll be ok?" she asked, her quiet voice holding a hint of worry.

Vivi sat down slowly, never tearing his gaze away from his unsteady hands. "I… I hope so."

Toy leaned forward a little more, listening to the prince's soft breaths. At least he was alive. But would that change…? Silently, she surveyed the damage. His clothes were singed and torn, black with ash and a little red with blood. His entire face was ashen and gray, his body burnt and mangled. It didn't look good, but it didn't look too serious a case, either. Toy gritted her teeth, remembering worse…

But it was no time for reminiscing. She sat back, analyzing the situation. The question of why the prince had come presented itself to her mind, and when she gave the obvious answer, feelings of anger and resentment arose.

That little snake! He had come after her to get the pendant back. Wrapping her fingers around it, Toy glared at the almost completely still form of the prince. After all the hard work she had done to get it, he was here to take it back! Didn't he have enough riches? He couldn't just let her have this one token so she could support herself and Vivi?

But deep down, Toy knew better. It was the royal family's heirloom. It was synonymous with the crown. Of course he wouldn't let her take it- it was too important.

Making sure Vivi wasn't looking, she stuck her tongue out at him. She had it now, and if he wanted it, he was going to have to take it by force.

So there, she thought, smiling wickedly to herself.

Toy stood up quickly, startling the entranced Vivi into awareness. "Well, even if he is here to get his treasure from us," she murmured, mostly to herself than Vivi, "he doesn't deserve to die on the floor."

At the word 'die,' Vivi let out a startled breath, yellow eyes widening.

"Relax," Toy said. "I'll cast a healing spell on him and he'll be fine. He probably would be alright anyway. Come on, help me lift him."

Vivi shuffled over to his friend, casting a suspicious glance over his shoulder. "What about the ship?" he asked, his voice full of fear.

"I put it on auto-pilot. We'll be fine."

With that settled, the two bent down and each gingerly grabbed an arm of the prince. They hoisted him up and somehow managed to prop him up on Toy's back. They started out of the room, Toy grumbling under the greater weight of the young man, Vivi trying in vain to carry the prince's limp legs.

They had almost made it out the door when a violent shudder went through the ship and it exploded into a menagerie of sound and lights. It reeled backwards, tipping towards the ground.

Toy screamed, feeling herself dragged to the other end of the room. Vivi was flailing his arms and legs about, suspended in midair as he tumbled towards the steering wheel of the ship. Both slammed into the control panels, their yells of fear drowned out by the screeches of airship alarms.

The ship spiraled out of control, tossing the figures from side to side. It was impossible to remain upright, unfathomable to stay stationary.

Toy tried hard to hold on to the prince, but it was less easy than she would have thought. She collided with the window, doing her best to shield his unconscious form. With her face pressed against the glass, Toy was able to see the ground looming ever closer.

Another jolt sent her and Vivi upwards, only for them to seconds later smash into the floor. Hitting her head and back against the hard wood, Toy was left momentarily breathless and stunned. In that short amount of time, the prince slipped from her grip.

Before Toy could do anything, the ship rocked unsteadily to the side, and the prince slid across the room and smashed into the window. But he did not stop there, as Toy had done only seconds earlier. The force that ship had made him fall much faster and harder, and the cheap glass broke easily under the strain. Toy yelped as she saw him slide onto the deck.

They were only feet away from the ground now. Vivi couldn't help but be frightened as he saw the trees come closer…

Toy tried to climb out after the prince, but the collision of airship and ground forced her back.

To say the crash was loud would have been a gross understatement. It shook the trees at the very edge of the forest in which the ship had landed, reverberating through rocky plains miles away. A cloud of dust and smoke immediately enveloped the ship, making it impossible to see anything.

The front end of the airship was smashed into the ground, and the other end had broken off with a large snap. But, although it was a little banged up, it was still intact.

Toy coughed loudly, shutting her eyes as the dust encircled them. Her mind reeled, and for a moment, she forgot entirely what had just happened. But as the dust began to settle and Toy was able to see, everything became clear again.

She was quite surprised they had not been killed. They had not been that far up, it was true, but…

Toy's eyes widened as she remembered the prince. Although she may not have liked him, or the fact that he had been coming for the necklace, she did not believe it would be honorable to just let him die. She clambered through the hold Arich had made in the window, slipping down the sloping deck. She hit the protective railing with a light thump, and sighing, scanned the area for the lost prince.

The deck was completely bare. Toy sucked in a breath as it dawned on her.

He had fallen off.

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Well, we'll stop there for today. Not much to say, besides I should see you next week. Review, I hope you enjoyed, and all that other stuff everybody says when they're done with a chapter. See you next week!

-Me ^_^