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Disclaimer - Mhm, yeah, I don't own Final Fantasy.

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Chapter I - Coping with Loss

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Yuna's bedroom was nothing special. It didn't have much going for it - the room was devoid of anything personal. No family photos, no books, no decorations - if it wasn't for her guns lying on the counter, her room wouldn't have been recognizable by any factor besides location. The walls were bland, the carpet as well; her bedsheets were covered with a beautiful rose design. All in all, it could have easily passed as a guest room. Except for the noise. A soft crying could be heard coming from the closet.

Light leaked through the cracks of the closet door. Yuna squinted her eyes, burying them in her sleeves - the last thing she wanted to see right now was light. Her side ached; something sharp was poking her in the ribs. But it didn't matter. She wasn't getting up. Her stomach cramped up from sitting in one position for so long. Yuna head Tidus calling for her, but she didn't feel like talking right now. She wasn't leaving this closet, she needed to be alone. Couldn't they understand?

More tears slid down her cheeks as she wallowed in her grief. Yuna didn't ask for much, and she had been trying her hardest to be cheerful. But sometimes, a little breakdown should be allowed. She hadn't mourned for her cousin in almost a year. Well, at least not when anyone was awake to hear her. Painfully, she remembered the exact moment when she had found out her best friend, her cousin, was gone.

Yuna had been sitting outside in Besaid, enjoying the breeze under the brilliant stars with her love, Tidus. Just like she did every single night since the day he returned. It was just like any other evening - it was special, she cherished it regardless of how many times she had sat there with him.

Her portable CommSphere went off. Tidus was more annoyed at this than Yuna; he had specifically told everyone not to call unless it was an emergency. Besides, someone had to be annoyed - that left it up to him since Yuna never could be annoyed with anyone.

Save Leblanc, of course.

"Hello?"

"..Yuna." It was Paine.

"Hey Paine, need something?"

"..." The warrior made no move to answer.

"What is it?" Why did she call so late?

"Rikku said she was coming to visit," Paine stated.

"Yeah? She left about two days ago for Bevelle. Isn't she there?" The ex-summoner was starting to get worried.

"No. She never showed up."

"..What..?" The fact had yet to register in her brain. In fact, it didn't for nearly a week.

Yuna's POV

Tidus, Paine, Cid... Everyone searched Spira for the Al Bhed, but no one could find her. Cid was devastated; he closed all contact with Paine after that. I guess he blamed her for losing his only daughter. I know Paine feels guilty, but it wasn't her fault. It's not like she knew her friend would disappear.

It's been nearly a year and a half since Rikku has been gone. It took me months to get out of the habit of having her wake me up every morning. She was such a cheerful girl, full of spunk and energy; it's no surprise she was always the first one up. I had been so confused the first few weeks when she wasn't there to wake me up. There was no one singing out, 'Wakie, wakie Yuna! Time to set sail!' every morning.

And it's not like this is the first time I've had to cope with loss. It's strange, you think I would be better at dealing with it after all I've been through. But through it all, there had always been Rikku. She just was - we never worried about her disappearing; how could someone who has always been around just vanish? Maybe we had started to take her for granted... Maybe this was our punishment. And I swear it, I'll never take another soul for granted ever again.

End POV

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"Yo Tidus, watch out man!" Wakka yelled in the blonde's direction. Tidus turned around just in time to pound the oncoming Blitz ball into the ground.

"Sorry about that. I sort of spaced," Tidus gave off a fake grin. Wakka just shook his head and went back to coaching the Besaid Aurochs. As he left, Tidus's grin faded, only to be replaced with a frown. He worrily glanced down the road, in the direction of Yuna's hut.

She had been getting worse and worse lately, though she'd never admit that to anyone. He knew she was hurt, but life had to go on.

'I know Yuna's as far from selfish as anyone could get, but she hasn't realised that there are other people that at hurting. She isn't alone, and she won't let anyone help her.'

Just as his friendship with a certain Al Bhed female was being restored to its former glory, she had vanished. In a way, he wasn't worried. He had disappeared himself, and look where he was! But Rikku wasn't a dream. She didn't have secrets. She wasn't special.

'Ouch. That was... cold. I'm sorry Rikku,' Tidus thought. 'You were my first friend here, I didn't mean to think that...'

Something had to be done about Yuna. He couldn't bear to see her heart broken and in pain - it just made everything worse. Somehow he'd figure out some way to cheer her up. In high spirits, Tidus returned to blitz ball practice, spiking Datto right in the face.

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Gippal restlessly paced in his office. Paperwork was sloppily strewn over his desk, and machina parts littered the floor. Normally he'd be at work, but the man just couldn't concentrate. Lady Yuna had visited a couple hours ago, checking up on old friends; making sure everyone was alright. That was typical of her, but she seemed more depressed than any of them. She had looked so worn out, so faded. And Gippal knew it was because of her.

Because of Rikku.

At this thought, pain violently coursed through his veins, gripping his heart. His buried feelings for Rikku had just started to be rekindled when she just up and left. No note, no goodbye - nothing. She could be dead and no one would know a damn thing.

'No, no... She can't be dead. I need her, I-' Gippal stopped that train of thought. Laughing at his antics, he shrugged off those unwanted feelings. He was Gippal, after all: the Machine Faction leader, the ladies' man. He had a different girl every week. 'It's because Yuna needs her, thats the only reason I care,' Gippal reasoned with himself. Besides, Rikku was his childhood friend, she couldn't be dead... She just couldn't...

Gippal laughed at himself yet again. Why was he even thinking about this? He had work to do, after all.

With that, the Machine Faction leader sat down at his desk, stacks of unwanted papers and files waiting patiently to be dealt with.

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"Brother, get your lazy ass over here!" Cid yelled across the hall of the cabin, these comments directed towards his last child.

Muttering curses in Al Bhed, Brother stepped out of his room. Cid nearly keeled over from laughter; his son didn't look anything like the old Brother he had raised. His old mohawk was gone, and he was bald; Cid had forced him to shave it off. Brother's tattoos were completely covered by clothing, and he was fully decked in a brown business suit.

"Whhyyy must I beee in this?!" Brother whined.

Cid grimaced. "Because, ya ninny, yer my only child left; you gotta take over after me. I'm not gonna leave a pathetic excuse for a son in charge! He grabbed Brother by the ear and dragged him away.

'Rikku, my darling, my daughter... Wherever you are. Please come back to us.'

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24 hrs. Later

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"Caryn, I've been subtle, rude, and even offensive." Jessica interrupted. "Now it's time for direct." She met Caryn's delicate blue eyes with a glacier-cold glare. "I don't care if you think vampires exist. I don't want to talk about it, just like I don't want to chat about combination lockers or anything else. I don't want to talk to you at all. Do you understand?"

Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. Bzzzzzzzzt.

Yuna dropped her book on the couch and went over to the CommSphere.

"Yuna speaking," She had been interrupted again. Can't a girl get a little escape time?

"Hello Lady Yuna," Baralai's face flickered on the CommSphere. He looked awefully worried. "I have urgent news,"

"What is it, Baralai?" Yuna's eyebrows creased. 'Uh-oh.'

"It is imperative that you come to Bevelle immediately. I have already arranged a place for you to stay,"

"What...?"

"I've also taken the liberty of contacting everyone this may or may not effect. I trust you will be on your way as soon as possible."

There was a click and the screen went static. Almost as soon as Baralai had ended the call, Tidus and Wakka burst through her front door.

"Yuna..." Tidus was prepared to continue when Wakka rudely interrupted him.

"Does she always leave her doors unlocked..?" Tidus glared at the red haired blitzer.

Turning back to Yuna, he noticed that she was even more anxious than usual. "What is it?"

Yuna stood up straight and looked him in the eyes. "We have to leave. Now."

Wakka looked extremely uncomfortable. "To Bevelle, ya?"

Yuna's eyes veered towards him. "You have spoken with Baralai too?"

"Ya... that's why we left blitz ball practice early," he admitted. Putting a shoulder around Yuna, Wakka said, "Well, let's get packin' then."

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The excerpt was from Demon In My View by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, page 37.

And I know this was kind of short; there will be a Gippal/Rikku story in later chapters.