Disclaimer - I do not own Final Fantasy X, any of it's characters or anything to do with Square-Enix. If I did, I don't think I'd need to still be in school.

Chapter 2

Day 1

I wake up early in the morning, long before anyone else.

Wakka is snoring loudly, almost like a behemoth, his orange hair sticking up in random clumps. It will take a lot of combing and hair gel to get it back to its normal, gravity defying self.

Rikku is curled up under the covers, a lump in the bed is all that is visible. There is a strange sucky sound coming from her duvet. I think she is sucking her thumb.

Lulu is flat on her back, her ebony hair loose and flowing around her face. She has her Onion Knight clasped to her chest. Whether it's for comfort or protection I do not know.

Kimahri is nowhere to be seen. He told me when I was young that no bed in Spira is big enough for Ronso except for Ronso beds. I think he made a Ronso bed in the cargo hold.

I get out of bed and slip on my dressing robe, tiptoeing towards the door so I don't wake the others. Having Lulu cast fire spells at me at five o'clock in the morning is something I want to avoid at all costs.

Once I'm outside the cabin I pause to think about last night.

After my crying jag, Rikku went to fetch Lulu. She told me to get into bed and sat with me until I fell asleep. Lulu has always been there for me and I know she'll willingly listen to anything I have to say.

I realise that I've let my feet wander about on their own. I am walking up the stairs that lead to the deck. I decide that this is a good time to practice my Al Bhed, so I count each step I take, one by one.

"Uha. Dqu. Drnaa. Vuid. Veja. Ceq. Cajah. Aekrd. Heha. Dah."

When I count ceqdaah I reach the top. I step out onto the deck and marvel at the view I have.

We are heading for Luca and I can see the city coming into view. The sky is full of colour, like a bouquet of tropical flowers, and the colour seems to seep into the sea. It's exactly like you described to me at Macalania, only with Luca instead of Zanarkand.

"Let's go to the sea, before the sunrise. The city lights go out one by one, the stars fade, then the horizon glows almost like it's on fire. It's kinda rose coloured, right. First in the sea, then it spreads to the sky, then to the whole city. It gets brighter and brighter 'till everything glows. It's really ... pretty. I know you'd like it."

I remember that night clearly. The way you looked at me, the way you kissed me, how you touched me, how you spoke to me. I remember how you effortless awoke feelings within my body that I previously never knew existed, with just one touch. I remember the bliss we shared, like catching a fallen star. The most wonderful night of my life.

Even though it is a happy memory, I can sense the tears that want to escape. I fall to my knees and begin to cry, wishing that you were here with me.

Tears drip onto my dressing robe, creating dark blue patches in the lavender material. I cough and splutter trying to calm myself but it' hopeless.

Once I am near water I am surrounded by it.

I try inhaling deeply, making my breathing slow and steady. It works and although I'm no longer having a miniature break down I still feel the need to cry.

I hesitate before standing up. A thought comes into my mind and even if it does seem fairly pointless I still choose to do it.

I place my fingers in my mouth and whistle.

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Lulu is up and about when I return, the typical early bird. She is already dressed and is making her bed, trying to get rid of the creases that cover the duvet.

I notice that her Onion Knight is peeking out from under her bed. She probably shoved it there when she heard me coming.

"I didn't expect to see you up this early," she tells me, now fluffing up her pillows.

"I couldn't sleep that well and I felt like some fresh air."

Lulu stops fussing over her bed and turns to face me. I don't know what she was expecting me to look like, but wearing a tear stained dressing robe with red-rimmed eyes and messy hair obviously wasn't it. She reaches over and hugs me and I'm grateful for her warm embrace.

"Yuna, you need your rest. What we've been through has drained us all, but you've been weakened the most." She pauses, as if unsure of what she is doing, but she continues. "And I know it's hard, but I understand how it feels to lose the person you love. You know I will always be ready to listen to you if you need to talk."

I pull away and smile at her, my almost big sister.

"Thank you Lulu. It means a lot that you would gladly listen to me babble on about nothing without complaining." I say to her, forcing out a childish giggle.

She looks at me, a serious expression on her face. She must think there is something wrong with me if I' laughing. I hop e she doesn't start asking questions, the first being, 'Yuna, why on Spira are you laughing when I'm trying to help you with your broken heart.'

But she doesn't. She averts her scarlet eyes away from me and looks back to her bed.

"You should get dressed Yuna and have breakfast. We're going to Luca and I expect that you'll have to give a speech. I know it isn't the best of times but you'll just have to for the sake of Spira's people. I'll try to wake up these two and we'll join you to eat. Okay?"

I nod and hurry past, grabbing my clothes off my bed. I go into the bathroom and lock the door, pondering about what is to come.

First a speech in Luca, then what? Rebuilding a broken world that depended on a false religion for a millennium? Telling people that Yevon doesn't exist, the temples are worthless buildings now and that everything they've ever been taught was a lie? I'm sure that will make them feel much better after I tell them that Sin is gone for good.

I sigh and step into the machine shower. The hot water covers and soothes my aching skin and it almost feels like my worries are being washed away, sucked down the plughole. If only it were true.

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"Alright people. We're here in Luca so you can move yourselves of my ship and leave me alone. I have a lot of things to do and I need peace and quiet to think about them and you folks will have the people swarming over you like pyreflies at a sending. Just get off, now! And that includes you Brother." This is how Uncle Cid greets us after breakfast.

"Fryd?" Brother cries, standing up and reaching for his hair.

"Pops! You can't be serious. We just saved the whole Yevon-damned world and you tell us to leave!" Rikku shrieks at her father in Al Bhed.

Cid looks at her and replies with even more force and anger in his voice than hers.

"Don't you dare say that name in my presence! And seeing as this is my airship, I can do whatever I want!

Rikku shouts back a flurry of words and Uncle Cid replies in the same way. Brother just sits down on the floor, head between his knees, and listens to the argument that only he and his immediate family can understand. Eventually, Cid storms off with Rikku yelling, 'E ryda oui cu silr yd desac mega drec!' after him. She sits back down at the table, muttering what I believe to be Al Bhed curse words under her breath.

"E ryda res cu silr cusadesac. Ra ec cilr y creddo vydran. E cusadesac drehg E't rypa paah paddan uv punh y pycdynt dryh pa cdilg fedr res," is all that I can make out.

"Rikku," I ask nervously, not wanting to anger her anymore than she already is, " maybe you should calm down."

" Oh I will Yunie," she replies with a mischievous look in her eyes. " As soon as we get off this ship I'm hitting the shops for some serious retail therapy and you're coming with me."

"I am?"

"Yep.'Cause nothing cheers you up more than spending someone else's gil in the most expensive shops in Spira."

She grins at me and I try to return it but I fail miserably. I think it will take a lot more than shopping to cheer me up.

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AN - So if you want you can translate what Rikku said but basically she's just saying she hates Cid. And if anyone really likes this story, I'll see what I can do and I'll try to continue it. Otherwise, reviews are most welcome. Jess X