Another chapter. I'm still excited about this story, even if i didn't get the response i was hoping for. A special thanks to DemonsCan'tLove and Yuna of Besaid, their support made me want to continue this story. Off for Hallowe'en now, so dressing like an idiot and drinking the week away is waiting for me, which isn't much of a change for me, anyway. But it's a festive season and i'm off all week, so if i don't update, feel free to badger me about any of the stories, because if i don't update, i'm just being lazy. ;p

Disclaimer: i own nothing, you know that. except the plot, and a crazy best friend.

Fate is an elegant, cold-hearted whore
she loves salting my wounds
Yes, she enjoys nothing more
I bleed confidence from deep within my guts now
I'm the king of this pity party with my jewel encrusted crown.

Polygraph, right now! - Spill canvas (great song)

No one had ever escaped the Angel of Death except for her, he thought bitterly. He stared at her quickly disappearing figure, and made a decision he was sure to regret. He'd let her go. It would save him killing her, that's what he told himself. In reality, he'd done many a terrible thing; murdered men, women and children. Anything you could think off, he'd done, but he could just not kill her. Someday maybe, but not today; definitely not today.

He put his cloak over his blond hair, hair identical to hers. Shaking his head to rid himself of her, he thought of one of the other people he needed, craved, Yuna. Yuna, with her soulful eyes and caring nature, with her bright smile and contiguous happiness. Yuna. His life. At least, she used to be. He couldn't even be sure she hadn't moved on, or if she still loved him.

She said she would always love him, regardless. She'd never seen this side to him though, nor did he ever want her to see. Curling his lip with disgust, he stormed down the broken pavement towards home with his cloak billowing softly behind him. He reached the entrance, and quickly made the signal. A whistle, fate was cruel, he supposed. A guard opened the door, upon recognizing Tidus he bowed low. Tidus scowled.

The entrance was to the underground maze, and a few houses. Who knew there was so much under Bevelle, it went on for ages; going off in different directions. Like a town, but much, much more sinister. Thieves, rapists, murders, hookers on every corner.

Many recognized Tidus as he walked down the sorry excuse for a street. He didn't say a word, he didn't have too; his reputation spoke for him. His presence demanded their utmost respect, and he knew it. He abused it.

The silence was deafening, no one dared speak as their leader walked before them. He hoped someone would get in the way, at least then he would have an outlet for that anger that was raging inside him. No one did, they knew better. His boots clicking on the ground the only noise that could be heard, he stopped outside one of the doors on the street.

He stormed inside, starling the sleeping guard on the inside. He made a mental note to get better staff, gave the now hyperventilating guard a disgusted look, and made his way into the room to the left of the 'front door' if you could even call it that. Once inside the room, he flung himself in a chair and propped his feet onto the desk in front of him. He leaned back into his chair, and closed his eyes; sighing with relief at the thought of sleep.

"Where the fuck is he?" said a voice from the corridor, addressing the guard from earlier.

He couldn't quite hear the response but he knew the guard would give away his whereabouts, he sighed again and pretended to sleep, he did not need this now.

"Tidus, you-"the voice cut off, when the figure saw him sleeping but quickly started up again, "lazy bastard. We need the report, you said you'd come find me when you got in!"

Keeping his eyes closed, he bought a hand up to his face to massage his temples, "No, you demanded I came to you and reported, I said no such thing about following your orders."

The figure paused in pacing in front of his desk, and sighed, "All this power is going to your head. You never do-"

Again she cut off, but this time she started in surprise when his blue eyes opened to stare into her crimson ones, "I saw her tonight." He said simply.

"Yuna?" she asked, puzzled, "she knows better than to leave the base in Besaid."

He held a hand up to cut her off, as if talking about Yuna was too painful, "No, Rikku."

"Rikku." Paine breathed, stopping and staring at him. She supposed all this stress had gone to his head, maybe he had hallucinated. "Tidus, you know she's dead, we haven't heard from her for months, and the Al Bhed affirmed she hasn't been working for them for at least a year." She said, slowly; hoping not to disturb his fragile temper.

"She was with a gang in the house you sent me to check out." He continued, as if she had never spoken.

"It was someone else." She said, sharply. She had to nip this in the bud, he couldn't start thinking she was alive, it was too painful; for all of them.

"Are you saying I don't recognize my own sister?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing at the women in front of him.

"No, but-" She replied, quickly.

"That's what it sounds like Paine." He hissed, standing and stepping closer to her smaller frame. She stood her ground, she wasn't scared of him.

"Fuck sake Tidus, stop trying to take your anger out on me, it's not my fault this is pushing you too far. Maybe we should give the position to someone else." She said, before turning and standing at the door. She knew that would annoy him.

He laughed, a hollow, empty sound before he hissed, "Good luck with that, now get the fuck out before I see fit to throw you out."

She sighed and stormed down the corridor, there was no point trying to communicate with him when he was like this. Her heels clicked as she walked towards her destination, her room. Well, it was more like a closet, but for now it contained the only things she cared about. The rest was scattered around Spira.

Her Garment Grid, that after many years only held her black mage and warrior dress spheres, a sphere from her Crimson Squad days that always made her laugh, a very expensive jesters hat that Yuna and Rikku had bought her for Christmas one year because they decided she needed to lighten up, an assortment of pictures; mainly from last summer when the 6 of them had been together and happy, and the ring he had given her. She supposed it was meant to be an engagement ring, one that was full of promises, that promised a future. That future was destroyed now.

He was in Besaid, with Yuna helping to organise rebuilding of some of the smaller islands to make them habitual and organising some armies to protect the temples. She could still see him now, on the beach with his white head gleaming and laughing at Rikku's expense when the girl had tumbled over Vidana and landed head first into the sand.

She gave a small smile at the memory. She had refused to continue any trail of thought containing Rikku or Gippal. When she had joined the Gullwings, she thought she had nothing to lose, she was right. What mattered most had been gained in the 2 years that had followed, and now they were lost. Not lost, but replaced she reminded herself; her priorities had shifted, she had known she had to fight and she did. With every fibre of her being, Tidus sometimes said she left her life up to chance by the way she fought. She just went ahead, and didn't care about the consequences. That wasn't true, she wanted to prove herself, help a little and go the fuck home.

She sat herself on the makeshift bed, and reached for the commsphere, dialled the number and waited. After the fourth ring, someone picked up and the picture started to appear. The blurred version of Yuna answered breathlessly, "Hello?"

"Yuna, it's me." She answered.

"Oh, Paine! It's good to hear from you." She said, still out of breath.

"How are you? You busy out there?" Paine asked, genuinely concerned for Yuna's welfare, she never had time to just be herself; always being who everyone wanted her to be.

"Yes, I'm fine Paine, just helping Lulu cook dinner. All the recruits are sleeping, no training now. Are you worried about little old me?" she replied, giggling.

"No, I'm just wondering when you will get all that work done so I can come home already." She answered, teasing Yuna.

"Oh, is it awful out there? I can imagine it is, especially working for him." Yuna responded, her face taking on a serious expression when she mentioned Tidus.

"Aw well you know, he's not too bad. He's asking after you." She lied; she reasoned that he would ask about Yuna if he didn't have so much pride.

Yuna smiled again faintly, "That's nice, and Baralai you, but he's not here at the minute he's away on a mission."

Paine vaguely wondered if Yuna could mind read, "Oh, well that's too bad then." She replied, acting as nonchalant as she could.

Yuna's face softened, "He misses you, we all do. We all miss Tidus too."

"I know, Yuna. But we have to fight, or else all the deaths are worth nothing." Paine said, playing her part brilliantly, they always said the same things when the talk of home came up.

"I know, I know. I just wish we were all together again, but I know it's never going to happen, what with Rikku, and Gippal gone." Yuna replied, her eyes becoming glassy with unshed tears.

"Yuna, don't cry. They were always the happiest; they wouldn't want you crying over them. They'd want you getting drunk, and making a fool out of yourself." Paine said in what she hoped was a reassuring manner.

Yuna sniffed and laughed, "I know, well I must go, I'll call you sometime during the week. Be careful, and look after him, wont you?"

"I will. Be careful Yuna." Paine replied before cutting the connection.

She sighed, and lay down. Trying to get to sleep so she could see him in her dreams again.

When Paine's face faded from the screen, Yuna wiped her tears and went back to the kitchen to help Lulu. By the time she entered the kitchen, Lulu's wine glass was almost empty. She smiled. Lulu glanced at her face, and sighed; "Come here honey, I take it that was Paine." Lulu said, before enveloping Yuna in a hug.

"It's just so hard, being so far away from them, why can't they just come home?" Yuna asked, from Lulu's shoulder.

"Honey, they need to do this. Just like you need to help here." Lulu replied, stroking the younger girl's hair.

"I know, I know. It's just not fair." The brunette declared, stepping back from the person she called her sister and wiping her face. Yuna kept strong, she refused to fall down and not get back up.

Lulu smiled at her, "That's my Yuna. They'll come back, fighters always come back."

They both ignored the fact that Rikku and Gippal were fighters, and they wouldn't be coming home.

With everyone in bed, the two spent the night talking and drinking the wine until it was gone. The more wine that was drunk, the more in-depth the conversation became until they were discussing the changes that the war had bought about each of them. They talked about how Lulu's cooking had improved because she had so many people to cook for now, they talked about how Yuna's attack had improved because she used it everyday.

They talked about Baralai and how outspoken he had became from having to convince people and recruit people. How Paine stayed exactly the same, they had giggled at that. How Tidus was changed, how he was the most broken. They didn't talk about him for long but somehow his presence remained unspoken in the room. Watching and judging them.

They moved onto old times, this resulted in talks of Rikku and Gippal's crazy antics which resulted in tears, and more tears.

That night Yuna fell asleep drunk, and with thoughts of her friends firmly in her mind. She fell asleep with a smile engraved on her face.

Miles away Rikku was far from asleep. She was in the centre of Luca, by herself. A dangerous time at best for anyone, but at night time and alone, she was especially at risk. Not that she'd even admit it. She walked confidently down the street, her blonde hair bouncing with each step she took. She wasn't scared; she was notorious for her use of knives. She had trained herself to reach for her gun, instead of her knives. They were just too slow, or maybe because Tidus had taught her how to shoot. Or how Yuna had taught her all the tricks of the trade. Or how Paine and Gippal had bet that she'd never get them, because she was terrible with aim, and when she had finished training she got them both in the arm. Or maybe that when they were shot, Baralai laughed with her and helped her hide.

She shook those thoughts away; they were useless to her now. She leant against a broken street light and fumbled for a cigarette to calm her nerves. Inhaling the toxic smoke, she closed her eyes with satisfaction. She knew she could go anywhere she wanted but still be a prisoner of her own thoughts. She thought of her near death encounter with Tidus a few hours ago, not the most dangerous battle she'd ever had but the only one she had ever ran from. She knew he could kill her, and not think twice; he was the one who had taught her for Shiva's sake.

A noise aroused her from her thoughts, she immediately stubbed her cigarette out before she was spotted and crouched low to the ground. With this light; she could see nothing, and knew whatever was out there could see nothing. That wasn't exactly reassuring; it meant she couldn't make a noise and give away her location.

Now she wasn't a coward, but near death experience was enough for one night. So she stayed, until she heard the footsteps getting closer. She was sure they could hear her heart pounding but she didn't dare move. Until the footsteps broke into a run, and then so did she.

She ran and ran until her hair streaming behind her, and her muscles were screaming for a break, but she didn't stop. She could hear still him them chasing her and she was unarmed. She had dropped her gun in an attempt to outrun Tidus. She still had her knives, but she wasn't used to them so much anymore. Oh cruel irony, or was it fate.

Whatever it was, she didn't care, she ducked into an alley. And tried desperately to fade into the wall, but it never happened. She heard the person, stop at the entrance and start in the alley.

She didn't dare to breathe, as she slowly knelt to get a knife out of her boot.

Oh a cliff hanger. well, kind of. I'm sure you can guess who it is. Well, you can't. Because it could be Baralai, or Paine awake, or Tidus just deciding that he needed to find her. You'll never know. Oh yes, clearing this up. i am NOT a Tidus fan girl, i love him, yes. but i am not in love with him.

haha.

thanks for reading.
Reviews much appreciated, even if you hate it. xo