Chapter 1

She was dreaming of him again, and the dream was so wonderful, it saddened her to wake and realize he was not there. That night they had shared in the lake had been the most romantic experience of her young life, and she missed him so much the pain could become unbearable if she let herself really stop and feel it.

Shaking off the drowsy feeling, she slowly stood and yawned. Her cousin would be here soon, and then they were off again. Since she had started traveling again, her memories were less devastating, but the places they stopped held their own memories for her, each more intense than the last. They had rested in Kilika now, and for a moment, Yuna let her mind go back to the last time she came through here. It was her pilgrimage, and she was so scared. Hiding it behind her smile worked for a time, but inside she had been terrified about the whole affair. The Sending, the mourning villagers, and the visit from Sin were all firsts for her, lending to her fear of the experience. Now, as she stood looking at the rising sun over the water, she sighed contentedly at the changes that had occurred in her own life since that time. She was more prepared now, more mature, and even more ready to die for her people. Perhaps that was why they elected her the new Maester.

The new Maester... She was the first woman to hold the position. He would be so proud of her…

“Hey, sleepy-head. Whatcha lookin’ at?” A soft voice sounded behind her. Yuna jumped.

“Rikku! I didn’t hear you come up,” she covered, her hand going to her throat. “I was just watching the sunrise. It is so beautiful here, with the water and the trees. I wish we could just stay here.”

“You said the same thing when we were getting ready to leave Besaid, Yuna,” her younger cousin admonished her, catching onto Yuna’s way of thinking. “It would be great to stop somewhere and settle down, but you know we can’t yet. We have to find out what this message means.” Rikku pulled out the parchment from her pocket, containing the mysterious note. The women had been relaxing in Besaid when it appeared, in the temple, with no warning or messenger. The note was unsigned, and only gave instructions too vague to feel safe.

“Come to Zanarkand. Bring only those you trust. Tell no one.”

“Well, if we’re going to go, we’d better get a move on,” Yuna said, shrugging her shoulders in defeat. She did not feel comfortable with this trip, and had opted to bring only Rikku and Lulu (who was looking for a way to get away from Wakka for a few days), but she felt the same drive Rikku did. It was as if something was pulling them to Zanarkand, and they were not motivated to resist it.

For the first time in a couple of days, she really took a good look at her little cousin. Rikku, always active, was starting to fill out more. Her breasts seemed fuller than before, and she even had a little bit of a butt sticking out from her shorts. The paunch of her tummy stuck out adorably from under her shirt, jiggling just slightly when she walked. Yuna shrugged it off as the food they had been eating, since eating on the go was never healthy, and then looked down at herself. Her own body seemed a little thicker than before.

Yuna’s shirt had been getting steadily snugger during their trip. She looked down a little more at her waist and was surprised to see that the pink lace of her blouse was trying to creep up over her expanding belly. She self-consciously pulled the shirt down to hide her girth, only to find she was exposing more of her ever-deepening cleavage. With a sigh of exasperation, Yuna gave up and followed Rikku to the tavern. They needed to find Lulu and get out of Kilika.