AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Irashai-masen and thank you for taking the time to read my story! I do NOT own the FFX characters except for some that I obviously made up (if you played the game, you'll recognize them). The storyline is somewhat mine, although the original ffx storyline belongs to Square, but like I said in the summary, I twisted up the story so it appears as original as possible. How? By having Yuna's training and life in Besaid and her pilgrimage told in her perspective! Enjoy and don't forget to review!!
"Hey, Braska. Isn't your leaving supposed to be some grand occasion?"
Jecht followed the summoner and Auron with a sphere recorder, taping their every move. "Where are the cheering fans? The crying women?"
Braska chuckled and turned around. "This is it," he said. "Too many goodbyes… most people usually think twice about leaving."
"And you're an exception?" Jecht challenged. Braska smiled.
"I've made up my mind since I was a boy. I know my path."
"I suppose…"
"Lord Braska," Auron said, "we should hurry or we'll miss the boat."
Braska nodded. He and his guardians walked on, their footsteps echoing throughout the deserted Highbridge. Jecht continued to ramble on, expressing his excitement for the trip.
"I heard some guards talking about some blitz tournament being held in a few weeks. You never told me Spira has blitz too, Braska. We should go and have a look. I wanna see if your people play as well as my team... So, where we headed again? I hope the money we have is enough, I wanna buy some souvenirs for my wife and kid back home in Zanarkand... I wonder if they're looking for me. Hey, Braska, can we go see--"
"This is no pleasure cruise, Jecht," Auron scolded impatiently.
"Hey, man, loosen up," Jecht said casually.
"This is a summoner's pilgrimage. Lord Braska's pilgrimage, not some--"
"PAPAAAAAA!"
The three men spun around and saw a little girl dressed in a light, baby blue robes running towards them, her arms outstretched. A woman with a sweater over her own robes was trailing behind her.
"Lady Yuna!" she shouted anxiously. "Please be careful! You might fall!"
"Hey Braska, isn't that your kid?" Jecht asked, squinting his eyes as the little girl came closer and closer.
"Yuna!"
"Papa!"
The little girl jumped into her father's arms and dissolved into tears. "Papa!" she sobbed. "Don't go! Don't leave me!"
"Yuna…" Braska held Yuna tightly in his arms. "Yuna, Papa will do anything for your happiness. But you must stay here. You are safe here. Haru-san will take care of you."
"NO!" Yuna cried.
"Lord Braska," the woman named Haru finally caught up to them, breathless.
"I'm sorry about this, Haru-san," Braska said with an apologetic smile. Haru shook her head and smiled.
"It's alright," she said, "I understand. I should be the one to apologize."
Braska turned to his daughter, whose tears were silently sliding down her rosy cheeks. "You must stay here, Yuna," he said in a soft voice, "Papa will always be with you. Be a good girl and stay here with Haru-san."
"Papa," Yuna said with a hiccup. "Will you come back?"
Braska tightened his grip on his daughter, contemplating. He glanced at Haru, then Auron and Jecht and back to Yuna. He took a deep breath and put on the reassuring smile he's practiced for so long. "Yes," he said, feeling his heart give a tug. "I will."
Yuna smiled through her tears, her blue and green eyes sparkling. "It's a promise then." She slid off her father's arms and ran towards Haru, who put her hand on her shoulder. Yuna wiped her tears with her arm and grinned. "Have a safe trip, Papa." Braska gave her a final hug and followed Auron and Jecht out of the Highbridge in silence.
"Lord Braska…" Auron said in a low voice.
"I'm alright, Auron," Braska said firmly. "Thank you."
"She'll understand," Auron continued. "When she grows up, she'll understand."
Braska gazed up at the sky. "Yes. I know she will." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo of Yuna from her last year's birthday. He smiled, fighting back the tears building up in his eyes.
I'm sorry, Yuna.
Author's Note: There you have it! I haven't written anything in FOREVER so I hope you have patience with me. My writing is rusty, but I'll try my best to finish this story the best I can before summer ends haha! :)
