Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy X or any of it's characters. If I did, I wouldn't be a lowly (and poor) fanfic author, would I?

Character thoughts are in "italics." Saigo janakute. Zutto.

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What would I say about the day in the life of a summoner?

It's a question I often got.

I always said, "It's difficult..." and smiled.

But what about my life now? I can only describe it as...

Wonderful.

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Final Fantasy X: Beginnings

Chapter Nine: Ordinary Day

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"Aah..." Yuna stretched out her arms and sat up in bed. She shielded her eyes with the back of her hand, still getting used to the warm morning light spilling in through her bedroom window. "Today's going to be another good day. I just know it. Especially since that whole Guadosalam thing is over, I can do anything I want..." her thoughts wandered back to her work and responsibilities. " Well, *almost* anything." She giggled. She swung her feet over the side of the bed and slipped her feet into her favorite fuzzy slippers. Glancing at the clock, she figured everyone would be sleeping still. She struck a pensive pose. "Now... what to do?" A hint of a smile crossed her features as an idea can to mind. She opened her door and walked out in excitement; quietly, of course.

**********

Tidus turned over in his sleep upon Yuna's arrival into the living room, even though she had been careful with her footsteps. She stopped for a moment, and upon hearing his heavy breathing, she proceeded onward to the couch. "We really should get his something better than *this* to sleep on one of these days..." She crouched down to his level, and reached out to him...

It took a little bit of time, but Tidus woke up laughing. "HAHAHAHAHAhahahaaaa...Yuna! HAha! S-stop it already!!!! HEheee..."

Yuna gave him a sly smile and continued her tickling onslaught. Pretty soon she joined in with him in his laughter.

Seeing that she was distracted for moment, Tidus sat up and grabbed Yuna's wrists so she couldn't tickle him anymore, bringing up a surprised look from her. Besides, his stomach was starting to hurt from all of the laughing. He gave her a grin. "Ok, now that was real cute, Miss Yuna."

"I know." She said cutely, and smiled. "Good morning!"

"Ha. Mornin'."

After a few moments, her eyes looked down to his hands on her wrists. "Now, um. Can you let go? I have some work to do..." She tried looking apologetic.

Tidus looked down at his hands, and promptly opened them. "Whoops. Sorry about that."

Yuna giggled. "It's ok... handsome." The last word sounded strange coming out of her own mouth.

Tidus was surprised by the sudden turn of events, but decided to play along. " Thanks for waking me up... beautiful." He tried to be as serious as possible, but of course, that didn't work. He laughed, just a little embarrassed. "Sorry, I'm not so good at this..."

"Neither am I, if you couldn't tell," Yuna said. "I just wanted to try it and see what happened. But... I-I really do think you're handsome...you know. That wasn't a lie..." She titled her head down slightly, feeling her face flush.

Tidus reached out to stroke her hair. "And you, are beautiful, Grand Maestress."

"You really think so?" She became nervous as she realized how close their faces were.

Saying nothing, he tilted her chin up to kiss her on the lips.

*********

Rikku chose that moment to come into the living room, ready to cross into the kitchen to make some breakfast. Being as she wasn't so wild about Wakka's cooking attempts, she took it on herself to make sure she didn't drop dead on the dining table. She smiled to her self as she bounced into the room. "Won't everyone be ... surprised?" She suddenly stopped herself when she discovered that...

Tidus and her cousin were right in front of her, obviously in a private moment.

If she was just a little bit more brave, or if she was Lulu, she would've come up with some witty remark. Unfortunately at the time, she was neither of these things.

Feeling like she was intruding on something, she rushed out of the room as quietly as she could, and hid in the hallway. She was surprised to find herself breathing heavily and her heart beating fast, adrenaline pumping through her veins.

"I didn't mean to, it just happened! And it's YUNIE! I mean I've known they were like *that* and all..."

She put her hand to her chest, feeling the rhythmic beating just starting to die down. "But still... it hurts, you know? Not having someone like that..."

*********

Time passed, and soon it was time for breakfast. Wakka, wearing his favorite red apron, stepped out of the kitchen triumphantly.

"HAHAHA! Wait 'till you guys taste THIS!" He set the plates on the table so roughly it clanked loudly before settling down.

Yuna had a confused look on her face, something Lulu noticed among all the commotion. "Yuna?"

"Wasn't someone else supposed to cook today?"

"Yes. But *he* made it to the kitchen first. Just our luck," Lulu whispered into her ear. "Luckily, little Chappu isn't old enough to eat it!" Chappu gurgled in his mother's arms.

They both couldn't suppress their laughter, giving Wakka something to be suspicious about. "Hmm... did you say somethin' Lu?"

"No nothing at all, just telling Yuna about the Baby Shower plans for next week is all..." as always, Lulu kept a straight face.

"Uh huh...." Wakka wasn't buying it, as his expression showed. Since being married to her, he'd been able to understand the black mage's subtle ways just a little bit more. Emphasis on the little.

Tidus looked at the plate of "stuff" then back to Wakka, then to the "stuff" again. He pointed cautiously to it. "Uh... What is it?"

Wakka flashed a bright grin to everyone around the table. "It's my CHOCOBO SPECIAL! Chocobo eggs, meat, the greens they eat, and... special sauce!"

Tidus gulped. "Special sauce? Uh oh."

Wakka frowned a bit. "What did you mean by that, brudda?!" He waved his spatula in the air.

Yuna was expecting Rikku to come up with some witty remark to brighten things up, though it never came. Instead, Rikku just sat at her place at the table, head resting on her palms, and her eyes looking down at the plate of "stuff" with a faraway look. She had been as silent as Kimahri the whole morning, giving Yuna something to worry about.

"I'll have to talk to her later... best not to bring it up in front of everyone."

Tidus looked to Yuna, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Uh. Let's eat?" He gave a lopsided smile.

She giggled, and spooned a bit of the "stuff" onto his plate.

"Wha--?"

She smiled innocently. "You first."

**********

Rikku had gotten up from the table earlier than everyone else, something that wasn't uncommon for her to do with all of her various machina projects lying around. Just as she was going out the door, Yuna stood up from her place at the table to rush over to her cousin, surprising her.

"Rikku, your uh..." she looked desperately around her, and spotting something, ran back to Rikku. "Your goggles! You can't forget them..."

Rikku turned to look at her cousin over her shoulder. "Yunie?"

Yuna gently pushed her cousin out the door. "So what are you working on today, hmm?" Rikku was thoroughly confused. Once out the door, Yuna pulled aside the curtain and looked back to make sure no one followed them; letting out a sigh of relief. Yuna took her hands off her cousin's shoulders playfully and jumped in front of her. "Here ya go," she said, handing Rikku her goggles.

Rikku accepted them awkwardly, and lifted her eyes to meet Yuna's. "Yunie... you're acting really weird this morning, y'know..."

Yuna smiled gently and walked up to her slowly, deciding to drop the act. "You were too, and that's why I did all this." She titled her head to the side. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Rikku scratched her cheek, thinking a bit. "Maybe..."

"Yuna! Come finish your food, ya?!" It was Wakka's voice from inside the hut.

Yuna turned her head toward the voice. "Just a minute, Wakka!" She put a hand on Rikku's shoulder. "If you still want to talk, I'll be working all day so feel free to bother me anytime. Ok?"

Rikku nodded and moved closer to hug her cousin. "Thanks Yunie..." Rikku smiled a bit, then ran off, leaving dust in her wake.

Yuna walked back into the hut, and sat down at her place next to Tidus.

Tidus looked concerned. "Is everything alright?"

Yuna nodded, resting her elbows on the table. "Mmhmm..." just noticing her arm, she saw the traces of something wet.

"Rikku..."

**********

"And this goes here... have to sign this..." Yuna flipped through yet another stack of papers and sighed. "Almost done, then I can blitz..." she laughed at herself. "I'm beginning to sound like Tidus! Not that it's a bad thing, mind you..." She scooted over to another pile of documents, one in particular catching her eye.

"My speech about Zanarkand..." she paused in thought. That hadn't a particularly good day for her, considering all that had happened. She thought that she was going to lose him then. Again. She felt a little uneasy thinking of these things, putting her speech into a nearby cabinet. "Though someday, it would be nice to have a fully restored Zanarkand, wouldn't it? It's time I started thinking positive thoughts about that place for a change..."

Yuna would've kept daydreaming if someone hadn't just knocked at the door. "Come in!" she yelled from her desk, not bothering to get up.

"Hey Yuna. It's me." A deep voice said from behind her.

Yuna smiled and turned in her chair to face him. "What's going on, Blitz Ace?"

Tidus laughed, and bent down to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Just here to tell ya that I'll be out with Wakka and the Aurochs for most of the day, so if you need me, that's where I'll be. Would be nice if you could come out too, you know?"

"Yeah... I wish I could, but I have these things to take care of, so I'll probably be in here all day!"

Tidus gave her a playful pat on the back. "Hah! Nothing is too much for the Grand Maestress!" He grinned. "Feel better yet?"

Yuna giggled. "If this is about how I walk on water again, I'm not going to tell you my secret."

Tidus snapped his fingers. "Darn." He started to walk towards the door. "I'll see you later, k? Don't work too hard," he said smilingly. With that, he was gone, and on his way to fun in the sun.

Yuna sighed and turned back to her work, now looking over the preparations for her scheduled appearances around Spira. "You know, it's not so bad... I loved Spira enough to die for its people once, so why give up now? I want to feel the people's warmth and strength because that is my motivation to go on..." She smiled. Eyes full of determination, she became more efficient in her tasks as time passed.

**********

It was already early afternoon when Yuna heard a knock on the door behind her. Deciding that now would be a good time for a break as any, she stretched, got up, and walked over to open it, surprised to find her cousin on the other side.

Rikku looked in better spirits than in the morning. "Almost back to her normal self," Yuna thought happily. "Hi Rikku. Come on in!" Yuna let her in, and closed the door after her. "Have a seat," she scooted her chair over so that Rikku could sit on it, and pulled another chair from the corner of the room for herself.

"Thanks," Rikku sat down in the chair, her voice sounding a little distant.

"No problem," she smiled. She placed a hand on Rikku's. "Now, I know there's something bothering you. Ready to talk about it?"

Rikku nodded her head. "But... I'm a little embarrassed to tell you 'cause... um..."

"It's ok, you can tell me anything."

Rikku shifted in her chair. "Well, today... um... IkindawalkedinonyouandTidus."

Yuna was kind of getting what she said, but wanted to be sure. She thought a bit, not wanting to guess the wrong thing. "You saw me and Tidus this morning? What's so bad about that?" In an instant, her eyes showed that she understood. "Oh, Rikku... I..."

She shook her head. "No, don't apologize Yunie, I think I just let it get to me, you know? You and Tidus make such a nice couple, and I'm happy for you, but... what about me? I don't mean to be selfish, but..."

"I think I understand what you're trying to say," Yuna said, happy that Rikku had finally opened up to her. "And it's perfectly ok to feel that way... I think I might've felt the same way when he left..." Her words tapered off, her voice becoming soft.

Rikku was captivated by her cousin's words. Of course she had felt the same way, she had been heartbroken for two years. Compared to her cousin's loss, hers didn't seem all that bad, perhaps. "It's just that... Yunie got her happy ending, so what about mine?" She regretted thinking such a thing, it seemed so horrible. "She deserves a happy ending, and..."

Yuna was still sitting there, waiting for Rikku to say something.

Rikku looked up, "You know, I think that I need to find my own happy ending," she smiled. "Or maybe, I'll have to wait a little longer for my story to come around. What do you think?"

Yuna was surprised by all of this, coming from Rikku no less. "I think you've got it right on target. But don't hurry things too much, things never turn out well that way at all... but then again, since Tidus just came out of nowhere, I can't really be much help to you with that..."

Rikku sighed, dreamy eyed. "I wish my guy would come floating out of the sea for me..."

Yuna giggled. "It's not like I planned it that way!"

After a few moments of awkward silence between the two, Rikku spoke up. "Yunie, can I let you in on a little secret? And promise you won't get mad?" Yuna nodded, encouraging her to go on. "Well, I used to have a crush on Ti... him. And... I was a little sad when I had to let go. I... just wanted to get that out," she said, getting a little choked up.

Yuna lay her hand on Rikku's shoulder. "Thanks for being honest with me. But it sure looks like you could use a hug. What do you say?" It was the same way Tidus had consoled her after the whole disaster at Luca. "Seems like I *am* turning out to be more and more like him..." She thought amused, extending her arms towards her cousin, a gentle smile on her face.

Rikku took her up on her offer, leaning forward in her chair, and wrapping her arms around Yuna's waist. "Thanks Yunie, I feel so much better just talking to someone..." She let her pent up emotions go, her tears wetting Yuna's white sleeves.

Yuna absent mindedly stroked Rikku's hair, consoling her. "Shh... it's ok. Whenever you need to, you can always talk to me, ok?"

"Mhmm..." Rikku's voice was muffled in Yuna's arms.

"Hey. I've got an idea..." Yuna said, a lilt in her voice. "How about you help me with holding my breath today?"

Rikku lifted her head and pulled away from Yuna just a bit. "Me? But I don't even play blitzball!"

"Well you should! And besides, since girls can obviously do it better, it's a wonder I haven't asked you before!" She said jokingly.

Rikku smiled. "Well, I can hold my breath longer than most of the Aurochs out there..."

Both girls stood up laughing, and after Yuna changed into her blitzing clothes, they were out the door and off to the ocean, where everyone else was practicing for the big game against the Goers. Surprisingly, Lulu was out on the beach today, enjoying the breeze, watching Wakka and taking care of Chappu. When the girls both passed her by, she opened her mouth to say something, but was drowned out by their excessive splashing once they rushed into the water. She wondered how long it would take Wakka and the boys to notice the girls in the stretch of water just across from them, since at the moment, they seemed so into learning just how Tidus did the 'Sublimely Magnificent Jecht Shot Mark III.'

Meanwhile, after some coaching from Rikku, Yuna had submerged herself underwater. A full two minutes and forty-TWO seconds later, Yuna broke the surface, gasping for air. "How did I do?" She asked, water dripping off of her every which way.

Rikku literally bounced in the water. "Wow Yunie! A new record! You did it!" Rikku raised her right hand in the air, palm outward.

Taking the hint, Yuna gave her cousin a high five, laughing a lot after she did, Rikku following suit. Yuna couldn't even remember the last time she did such a thing. It seemed a thing that blitzball players did pretty often, though. She laughed some more. "Maybe I'm getting closer to being a blitzer, you think?" She asked her cousin between breaths.

Rikku grinned, lifting up her index finger in a teasing gesture. "Weeeell... once you get to five minutes, try asking me again!"

"Aww, Rikku, you---!" Yuna jumped up, dunking Rikku's head into the water, taking her by surprise. In time, Rikku got her revenge by dragging Yuna down with her, splashing wildly all the way down.

*********

Over with the Aurochs, Tidus saw some weird splashing going on just a few feet away from where they were practicing. "Must be some really big fish or...waaaait a minute, that's..!" Seeing a familiar bright yellow uniform flash on the surface for a bit, and hearing the screams of a familiar blonde he knew, he pretty much figured out who was over there. The girls were still laughing, acting like the little kids they once were.

Tidus shook his head, the corners of his mouth forming a smirk.

"Women."

**********

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the short(er) chapter, inspiration and time to write have been pretty low for me lately. So if you were wondering about the change of pace, just take a look at the chapter title. (Is this one any better, Timmeh? ^_^) Just a day in the life, and I wanted to explore the relationship between Yuna and Rikku a little more, since it wasn't overly emphasized in the game. I mean... cousins! If you're like me (or Yuna) and have no siblings, they're all you've got! Plus, Rikku's so cool, she deserves a chapter all to herself!

Oh, and Rikku's problem? Kinda taken from real life. I mean, can't a guy come out of the ocean for me?! Come on, FATE!

As always, read, review, and be constructive! I'm serious when I say send suggestions, because now my brain's on empty thanks to summer school. And hey! Much thanks to Shad (again) for being helpful with beta-reading and such. Read her stuff! *plugplug*

Wondering about the Japanese at the top? Again, it's from the Japanese FFX, meaning: "Not the end. Always." I'm sure you know what scene THAT line's from!

All the people who review this chapter are UBER-cool! Come on now, an author's got to have an ego boost every once in a while. Right? ...right?