Yuna's Story

I sat upon the grasslands of Besaid Island and gazed at the evening sky. The clouds were a rosy pink with streaks of purple. The sun had not completely set - it lingered on, as if longing to lengthen the day.

'Beautiful, isn't it?'

My father's words echoed my thoughts.

'Yes, it is,' I replied, satisfied that it was not only I who found this sight wondrous.

My father was my rock, the one I had depended on most of my young life. My mother had succumbed to the deadly Sin virus. The effects were devastating on her. At the age of six, I had watched my mother transformed from a vibrant woman into a withering leaf. The virus had had a stranglehold upon her - she had lain in bed for months with a searing temperature and a rash that slowly spread across her pale, milk-white skin. Death was a bittersweet relief for her – for us all, for we could not bear to watch her growing weaker, dying, as every day passed.

It was my birthday, the day she died. And today was my birthday. My eighteenth in fact.

My father and I had spent the afternoon gathering flowers from the ever-so-scarce green fields of Besaid Island. We proceeded to approach the North shore, for this was where we had arrived ten years ago to escape our hometown Bevelle, and the tragic memories of my mother. The afternoon spent was an emotional one, – I could've sworn I had cried a million tears. Father has always told me – we should not wallow in the past, but still remember it. And I shall recite these words till the day I die.

'Shall we go now, Yuna?' asked my father. The sky had begun to turn a deep violet hue, not as pleasant as the image that I had beheld only minutes ago. I got up and swirled around, my lavender skirt flying about my legs.

'Yes, let's.' We ambled home, hand in hand, leaving behind the fears we had faced today.

On our walk, we passed the magnificent Besaid Temple: home to my studies and to the ancient art of Yevon. I had graduated this morning as a sender, an insignificant sender but nonetheless an eager one. I could now perform Sendings but most importantly, deal White Magic for healing the wounded. I had taken up this path, to follow in my father's footsteps, for I loved him so.

Besaid Temple was the only archaic building left on the island of Besaid. More modern structures stood around the city center, with a newly renovated Blitzball stadium and many high-rise towers. Only a handful of areas lay undeveloped on the island, a couple of grasslands – one of which I had visited today.

Our house lay on the outskirts of the main part of the city. It was a respectable one, standing formidably, with two stories and burgundy bricks. My childhood had been spent roaming my vast abode, discovering new crannies and crooks as I explored. My fellow explorers, Lulu, Wakka and Chappu, were my neighbours – still my neighbours, and had played with me till we fell asleep in each others' arms. Those were the good days, with no worries on what the future held.

My other dear friends included the serious, practical Luzzu and the enthusiastic Gatta. Both trained daily at the barracks next to the temple, and through my years of study, I managed to gain a familiarization with these two fellows. The ambition of both was to protect Spira from fiends, even though the monsters rarely appeared.

By the time my father and I arrived home, it was pitch black. Lulu, Gatta and Luzzu stood waiting at the front door.

'We've been standing here for the past hour,' Lulu grumbled, exaggerating. Under the dim porch light, the arching of her carefully carved eyebrows could be seen. In a softer tone, she added, 'I want to congratulate you, fellow sender.'

I smiled. Lulu was two years my senior and had accomplished the deed of sender only years before. She was now skilled in not only White Magic, but Black as well – for her family held generations of Black Mages. Her unique feature, like my own, was her eyes – they were a light amber. Her hair grew to the floor and she always piled on make up to make herself seem more intimidating. She told me once that it was to scare off the crime within the city.

'I appreciate your patience,' I told them. 'Come in.'

My father headed straight for his bedroom upstairs, as I sat the gang down with cups of coffee.

'Chappu and Wakka are playing tonight,' Luzzu spoke, referring to Blitzball.

Slightly downcast, I sighed. The two brothers always livened up a conversation with their animated Jamaican accents and facial expressions. Chappu was my age while Wakka was the same as Lulu's. They both played for the Besaid Aurochs – Chappu the captain, Wakka the vice-captain. Their absence that evening also disappointed me, because I haboured a secret crush for Chappu and wished he could be here to celebrate my graduation.

'Oh well,' I chirped. 'We can have fun without them.'

And so the night quickly slid by with noisy laughter, sustained by cups of coffee. The party finally came to a close in the early morning, as I dumped myself onto my bed reflecting the day's occurrences. I soon drifted into a pleasant sleep, and I was happy, so very happy………

This was my story. But it all changed when the Great War began.