~Chapter One~ Rain was beginning to fall heavily around me. A cold wind blew, chilling me to the bone. There was an inn up ahead so I quickened my pace. I reached the door and quickly dashed inside. The inn was warm and filled with an assortment of people. No to have noticed me enter so I quietly looked around for a place to sit down. I left my hood up for my own safety. I found one, hidden by the dancing shadows of the fire. I slipped into a chair and put my head down on the table. I heard a sigh and looked up. I noticed I wasn't alone at the table. Sitting across from me was a dark haired brooding sort of young man. he didn't look much older than seventeen. He was looking right at me. "Oh I am sorry, may I sit here?" I asked. "Do as you please." He said. I looked around the room. There were many different people in this room. Some were tall and friendly looking, others were short and sinister looking. Thankfully, I did not see any Guados in the inn. "What are you hiding from?" The man asked me. "Hiding? I am not hiding from any one." I said. "Then why are you still cloaked and scanning the room like you are?" He asked. I know fear when I see it miss, and you are very afraid of something." The look he was giving me intense and felt as though he was trying to burn through me. He looked fierce, almost deadly, but something inside to trust him. "I am being hunted." I said. His eye's seemed to soften but his expression did not change. "By who?" He asked. "The Guados." I replied. "Take off your hood."

"But..." "Just do it." He snapped. I slowly pushed my hood off shaking the water out of my long blonde pony tail. He looked at me for a few moments and then waved his hand. The door to the inn opened and two guados walked in. "Put your hood back up, quickly." He said. He got to his feet and grabbed my arm and pulled me deeper into the shadows. "Stay here and don't move." He walked out past the Guado soldiers and one grabbed his shoulder. "Have you seen an Al-Bhed girl around here today?" The one asked. "Al-Bhed?" He asked. "Tiny little blonde thing, swirled green eyes. About this tall." The guado said raising his hand to the middle of his chest. "No, I haven't seen her, but what do you Guado's want with an Al-Bhed girl?" "We were given orders to find and kill her. We have been tracking this one for quite some time now." The shorter one said. "The rest is our business, thank you for your time, sir." And with that they were gone. The man walked back past the shadows where I was. "Follow me." He whispered. I scurried after him, down the hall to a sleeping room. He closed and locker the door. "Why didn't you tell them that I was there?" I asked. "Because they would have killed you." He said. " The guados think that because the Al-Bheds, who challenge Yevon need to be killed. No matter who they are. What's your name?" "Rikku." I said softly. "I am Strife." He said. "Well Rikku how long have you been on the run?" "About seven weeks." I said. "When they killed my family." "They got your family?" He asked concerned. "All of them?" "I watched them all die. My brother was killed helping me in to the forest." I said now on the verge of tears. "That's horrible, your too young to have to face death yet...especially like that. Your only what fifteen?" I nodded. "And your all alone? This is not right. You cant be running from them for the rest of your life. Where are you heading?" "I don't really know, where ever I am chased I guess." I replied wiping my eyes. "Running from death. You have a bit of a problem now don't you." "I am sorry Strife. I shouldn't be bothering you with this. I am going to go." I said getting to my feet. "Your not going out there alone. They are all over this area by now. You go out there and you'll never see the sunrise." He said. He seemed to be thinking something over carefully for the next few minutes. " I can get you to a small Al-Bhed town just outside the MoonFlow. Hopefully we can get there before the guado's. If we warn them, they could escape and you could go with them and be with your kind again." "Are you sure? I mean I don't want to be a bother or put anyone else into unnecessary danger." I said. "You won't be this is what I do for a living. Protect people and kill fiends." He said with a smile. "Now why don't you try and get some sleep. I'll wake you up when its time to leave." I nodded and collapsed on the bed, falling asleep shortly after.