1I know, I know, my story isn't very original, but I'm just practicing my writing.

Chapter 2

Editted: Umm... I forgot to proof read this. So now I think spelling errors are mostly gone.

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Nigh time was a blessing, as it allowed the villagers a haven from the sun. The humidity still hung in the air, and people were still sweating bucket fulls. Yuna breathed in the warm air as she sat on her bed, watching the blackness of night that was outside the hut. It was so quiet, that it was almost disturbing. Only the flickering of fire was audible, all other possible noises were dead silent.

Lulu, who was sitting in her chair, let out a breath. "Yuna, get some sleep."

"I'm not very tired." Was Yuna's soft reply.

"I would think so, since you slept almost the whole day." Lulu chortled.

Yuna didn't say anything, but kept staring outside. It was growing cooler, and the ocean breeze was flowing through, but she didn't notice, or feel the change like Lulu did. Her mind was heavy with thought and emotions that she just couldn't sort through.

"Something on your mind?" Lulu asked. Yuna turned to face Lulu. "You've been out of it a lot, is there something troubling you?"

"It's nothing, really." Yuna responded.

Lulu's face was filling with concern. "Are you... thinking about him?"

Yuna reacted with a small flinch. Lulu smiled, she had found the problem. Her instincts told her that he was probably the cause of her anguish. Yuna had been cheerful since the destruction of Sin, but that mask was weak. It was easy to see how Yuna really felt, and she sympathized with her. She too had lost a loved one, she knew what it felt like. That hopeless despair that washes over your body, making you feel numb with a dull heartbreaking pain.

"Since you're not tired at all," Lulu began, a small smile growing on her face. "Why not take a breather outside, get your head cleared."

Yuna nodded and quietly exited the hut after Lulu warned her not to stray to far at night. She quickly agreed and walked around the cover of night. There were so many stars in the sky, it almost covered the black space completely, leaving only a blanket of stars. She smiled and closed her eyes as she stood by the entrance of the village, facing the temple. This darkness was so perfect... so serene.

Her ears perked when she heard footsteps closing in on her position. Her staff was ready in her hands to defend herself. The sounds of the world were suddenly so clear and crisp in her mind. She could here the crickets, and many of them there were. Even the wind was almost audible.

Fear was crawling up her spine with each step the stranger took. When the footsteps were just a few meters away from her, she turned around with lightning speed and glared at the dark shadow in front of her. "Show yourself, who are you?" Yuna gasped and dropped her staff as the figure came into the light. It smiled brightly at her and wrapped it's arm around her into a tight embrace. "Rikku..."

"Hey, Yunie." Rikku greeted as she stepped back. "How's it been?"

"Fine." Yuna replied with a smile. "It's been a while."

Rikku beamed. "A little too long, if you ask me." She reached into her pouch that hung around her orange shorts and pulled out a bright orange sphere. "Look what we found." The glow from the sphere was dazzling and illuminated their faces.

"We?"

"Yeah, me and the Gullwings." Rikku answered.

"Gullwings?" Yuna repeated, quite confused. 'Gullwings' was a very unusual name.

"I'll explain later, but look at the sphere first!" Rikku said excitedly. They walked outside the village walls and sat behind it near the trees. The sphere began to play and Yuna watched, thinking that it was probably a treasure sphere and that Rikku was planning on finding the loot. But when the first picture appeared, Yuna gasped.

"It's..." She watched intently. The sphere portrayed a young blond man within a cage. He was so angry and desperate. His blue eyes were narrowed and his hair bobbed with his movements. He looked so familiar. He looked just like... "Him!" Yuna spoke, flabbergasted. Had he not disappeared? Did the fayth bring him back? Why was he imprisoned? There were so many questions that this one sphere could not answer.

"That's what I thought too." Rikku spoke and reached for the sphere as it turned off.

"Let me see it again." Yuna requested.

"Sure." Rikku happily obliged.

"Wh... Where did you get this?" Yuna asked.

Rikku shrugged. "I dunno. Brother said he found it near the airship."

Yuna looked at the man's face through the unclear sphere. His eyes, his nose, his mouth... They all resembled the one on his face. The only difference was the clothes. He was wearing a reddish colored shirt, instead of the normally yellow outfit. It look like him, but it just didn't feel like him. She couldn't help but have a tinge of doubt rest in her heart. "Is it really him?" She said.

Rikku shrugged again. "There's probably more out there, and that's why I'm here." Yuna handed Rikku the sphere and she put it back in her pouch.

"What?"

"To get you to join the Gullwings!" Rikku exclaimed.

"Wh.. What? Are you serious?" Yuna replied, shocked. Joining the Gullwings?

"I sure am! It'll be so much fun too!" Exulted Rikku at the thought of her cousin being one of the team.

"Mmh..." Yuna pondered. Debating whether to leave the island and go with Rikku, or to stay here, wondering all her days if the man in the sphere was really who she thought it was. "I don't know. Maybe I should talk to Lulu and Wakka about this."

Rikku shook her head. "No, Yunie! We don't have time for that! We'll be leaving very soon. They won't understand!"

"But, I can't just leave without telling someone." Yuna said.

"Hey, you can tell me." Rikku laughed and then put on a straight face. "But seriously, it's now or never."

Yuna searched deep in her heart to find the answer, but it told her just one thing. "Okay."

"All right!" Rikku jumped up in the air and Yuna quickly raised her hands to silence her cousin. "Oopsies, sorry." Rikku sent Yuna a guilty smile. She took hold of Yuna's hand and began to drag her away from the village.

"Wait, shouldn't we leave a note or something?" Yuna suggested.

"Hmm, you're right, they might get worried." Rikku agreed.

"Uh... might?" Yuna smilled. Rikku was always so immune to the consequences of her actions, until they came back to bite her in the ass.

Rikku reached into her pouch once more to bring out a blue sphere with a golden rim around it. She held it towards Yuna and turned it on. Her eyes gave Yuna the 'Go ahead' look and she took the sphere and walked towards some light to say her goodbyes. When she finished, she placed the sphere in the center of the path leading inside the village. Two huts had just become pitch black, meaning that the people were beginning to drift into sleep. Lulu's hut was still light, and Yuna wished Lulu happiness in life.

The staff Yuna had always carried with her rested on the road side. Yuna gently picked it up and with all her might, stabbed it into the Earth right next to the sphere. She didn't need the healing powers of the memories it carried with it. She would keep them in her heart, but Lulu, and especially Wakka, would need it as a reminder of herself. They needed it now, and Yuna felt content with her decision. She wasn't going to stay here wondering about 'What ifs' and 'Maybes'. To make her dreams come true, she would have to do it herself.

"Goodbye." She said softly to the village and ran with Rikku stealthily into the night. They quickly ran through the island to the other side. The beach was dark and silent and the black ocean water lapped at the sands. There was a soft roar around the air that caught Yuna off guard.

Rikku quickly pointed to the sky, where a gigantic red airship with fire marks running on it's side came slowly down to Earth. Yuna was surprised at what the airship looked like. It so much bigger than the one Cid had, and looked a lot more... cool. Or so at least she thought.

"C'mon Yunie." Rikku dragged Yuna all the way towards the Airship and when the hatch opened, they both climbed in. As the ship flew away, Yuna gave her last look at Besaid. How long would it be until she came back here?

The Journey was beginning and she was willing to let its currents carry her anywhere it pleased, just so maybe she could see him again.

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Okay, so from now on, I'm gonna try to update every Friday or Saturday.

Please Review, thank you.