A/N: It's been a while. Not much of an excuse other than my writing has been put on the shelf for such a long time. However, I'm back, but no promises that I'll be updating regularly.

Standard disclaimer applies.

As the ship docked, I didn't have much enthusiasm to walk off. The atmosphere was so thick... So dark and disheartening. I kept looking out to the ocean, wondering how quickly Sin came here and how quickly he left. I hated it so much...

It wasn't until my brother found me that I broke my trance-like gaze, feeling his hand on my shoulder. "You know, we need to get off this boat," he told me, somewhat casual yet still with a hint of concern. So typical of him.

"Yeah... Okay." My voice reflected how I felt. I really didn't want to enter the town... at least what was left of it. Even then we needed to switch boats to head to our next destination, according to what I remember hearing. I just wanted the day to go by quickly.

I followed Tidus closely as we traversed the boardwalk of the town. I kept my head down, wanting to keep the sight of everything out of my head. I was so hurt... and so angry. How many people died this day? Were they going to have a funeral for them all? I never did like funerals. First one I went to was for my dad. The last one...

"Uh, what's a 'sending'?" Tidus' question made me raise my head, noticing he was talking to Lulu. "Are we going somewhere?"

Lulu had an astonished look on her face, borderline disgusted. She then looked at me, and I gave my best face of confusion and innocence, but it didn't seem to help. "You two truly are clueless." Needless to say, her words hurt. Her next words, though, hit even harder. "Are you sure it's just your memory that's the problem?" I bit my lip, trying not to lash out. I was in a dark atmosphere, angry at the tragedy, and the last thing I needed was someone talking to me like that. "The dead need guidance."

Those last words caught my curiosity, though. As she continued, I listened closely. "Filled with grief over their own death, they refuse to face their fate. They yearn to live on, and resent those still alive. You see, they envy the living. And in time, that envy turns to anger, even hate. Should these souls remain in Spira, they become fiends that prey on the living."

"You mean those monsters we've been fighting are..." My words centered Lulu's attention on me. I didn't really have the courage to say it, but if what she said was true, then those monsters, called fiends, are actually human souls. We've been fighting humans that turn into monsters?

"Sad, isn't it?" Her question didn't really need to be answered, I knew. It actually made me think twice about what fiends I did kill when getting here. "Then sending takes them to the Farplane, where they may rest in peace."

"Summoners do this?" My brother's last question received a nod, making me look back a Yuna. She stepped out on to the water seemingly floating on top with each step she took. Looking down, I noticed the caskets of those who died, making me swallow hard. By the time she reached the middle of them, she started to... dance.

With each motion, those lights appeared. The same ones I saw back in Zanarkand, and the ones I saw when a fiend died. So, those lights are actually the souls of people? It hurt to watch, but I just couldn't look away. It wasn't until the flames around us burst into a blue color and the water underneath Yuna rose that my eyes started to wander. Just what kind of world was this? It felt so alien... and so sad. A woman not far off suddenly fell to her knees in tears, something I wanted to do myself, but my confusion kept it from coming out.

It got to a point where I couldn't watch anymore. I turned away and started briskly walking back to the dock. I was trying my best to hold back what tears were building up in my eyes, but then I ran into someone. "Hey, what's up with you?" I knew that voice. I looked up to see Wakka through my blurry vision. "Are... you okay, Jeen?"

Nothing came out of my mouth. Looking away, I just kept walking, brushing past Wakka who most likely had a confused look on his face. I probably looked like a fragile mess. A glass just one tap away from shattering into pieces. I reach the dock sooner than expected, but I didn't fall or anything. Being careful not to move the boardwalk any more than needed, I just sat down and stared at the water, looking at my reflection.

I don't know how long I sat there. An hour? Maybe two or three? I was too lost in thought to even care. Looking at my reflection, I kept thinking about Mom and how we looked similar. People always said back in Zanarkand that between my brother and I, I was the one with the looks closer to Mom. The only thing that I didn't have were her eyes. Actually, I didn't have Dad's or Mom's eyes. His was brown and hers were blue. I had these green eyes since birth, so we all just assumed that my eyes were from somewhere down the family tree. Kind of a strange way to think of it, but still...

"You've been out here for a while." I finally snapped out of my trance thanks to that voice. I looked to the side in the water and found it was Yuna. Not only that, but the sky was really dark. Perhaps I was out longer than I expected.

"I guess," was my only response. I was still in a bit of a daze.

Yuna then sat beside me, making me wonder her intention. Well, knowing her in the short time that I have, I doubt it was anything negative. "I noticed you were gone after the sending."

So, she was paying attention to that? "I'm sorry if that was rude. Stuff like that... I just don't have the heart for it."

"No, it's okay. I actually find it as a good thing." That statement finally made me look up at her. "To see someone die, and watch their spirit just vanish... No one wants to see that. For you to be sensitive to that, it's nothing to be ashamed of."

I smiled at her, glad she was trying to cheer me up. "It's not that I was ashamed..." My lack of words seemed to spark some curiosity in Yuna's eyes. While I was having a hard time putting my feelings into words, she kept staring. It got to a point where I started to laugh. "Do you always stare while waiting?"

My question seemed to have hit a nerve, Yuna suddenly blushing and looking away. "I-I'm sorry. That was... kind of rude, wasn't it?"

Again, another laugh escaped me. "Not entirely. I just found it strange, that's all." Another moment of silence, but it gave me just enough time to find an explanation. "It mostly started because of my Mom."

"You're mother?"

I nodded. "It was when Tidus and I were kids. Mom was very sick at a certain point, and she wasn't getting any better. It didn't take long until she died from it."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not like it could have been helped. However, I couldn't hold my emotions at her funeral. I felt so... helpless. Looking at what happened tonight, it just brought up those memories." Another moment of silence came between us. I took in a long breath, getting a small chill as if my nerves were calming down thanks to that.

"You loved your mother, didn't you?" The question threw me off guard, but in hindsight, I probably should have seen it coming. After all, didn't I keep talking about her? Either way, I nodded in response. "What about... your father?"

"My dad?" My tone of voice hit the ground at the idea of thinking about him. I closed my eyes, trying to keep a hold of myself. "I could care less. Never really thought of him as a father, honestly."

"Tidus said the same thing." So the two of them went into a conversation about our dad? Must have been back on the ship when we left Besaid. "You know, I would love to see your home."

Okay, now that statement really threw me for a loop. "My home?"

"Zanarkand."

I suddenly felt nervous. Why was she bringing this up? I mean, no one else believed us, right? I decided to play dumb. "I'm sorry, but what are you saying?"

"Is that not where you and Tidus are from? A city all lit up at night, with Blitzball tournaments almost always being held in a grand stadium?" That description... I didn't say anything in response. Was she being genuine here or just entertaining the thought? "My father's guardian, Jecht, told me about it. He's your father too, isn't he?"

My body tensed as I made stern eye contact with her. Jecht? Her father's guardian? "Are you serious?" Yuna smiled and nodded, making me try to sort this out. Jecht... But according to everything back then, he died off the coast of Zanarkand, and his body was never... Actually, if what she says was true... plus the fact that both my brother and I were here, it would actually add up. Still, what were the odds?

It was then that Yuna's laugh pulled me out of my thoughts. "It's rather obvious that you and Tidus are siblings."

"Obvious? How so?"

"He had a similar look on his face when I brought this up to him on the ship." I smirked while looking away. Score one more for us being alike as opposed to being different. As Yuna stood, I looked at her via the water. The surface was rather still for it being a part of the ocean. "It's getting late. How about we get some sleep?"

I let out a small sigh. True, I was getting rather tired, and walking back with someone would be a lot more comforting than going by myself. So I stood, not taking into account of the stability the dock had now. "Yuna... Thank you." She gave me that same smile and nodded. I didn't know why, but there was just something about her that I could easily connect with. After all, I normally don't talk about my mother to just anyone.

It's like... talking to a younger sister.