Synopsis: What would Yuna's life be like if Sin was permanently defeated before she ever became a summoner? Enter a world where High Summoner Braska and his loyal guardians Jecht and Auron defeated Sin ten years ago. Braska is Spira's most loved leader, higher than any Maester, and Yuna is Spira's princess. Will she find her own life and love despite the expectations of the public? YunaxTidus

Disclaimer: Square-Enix owns Final Fantasy, not me.

Chapter 1: Blue Eyes

It was a cool spring day in Spira. The breeze whisked through the forest trees like a nymph playfully chasing the sun beams that shone through the gaps in the canopy. Yuna paused for a moment, letting the wind toss her hair out of her face and taking in the silence. Yuna loved the quiet. Bevelle was so bustling and noisy, with so many people wanting her attention. Being the daughter of the Most High Summoner who defeated Sin equated to a life in the spotlight all the time, except when she could escape for her walks. Kimahri, her body guard, hated her going out alone, so she had to get in and out of the city quickly before he noticed her absence. He always said it was too dangerous, what with fiends showing up everywhere, these days. The temple guards, protectors of the great city, were having a hard time keeping them under control. You would think with Sin gone, the world would calm down. It is The Calm, after all. But for some reason, the monsters have only become more numerous and vicious over the past ten years.

Yuna's meditations were interrupted by the sharp flutter of wings rising from the trees nearby. The frightened birds called loudly to warn their fellows. Yuna opened her eyes and searched the surrounding forest. All noise around her had stopped. Not a bee buzzed, not a bird sang. Snap. Something was still here, stepping on twigs and scaring away all of the local wildlife. Yuna heard a low growl coming from behind her. A fiend! Her breath caught. Run! Move! Now, or it will kill you! She thought, but fear paralyzed her. How could I be so stupid, coming here alone! And now I am going to die for it. Was a bit of quiet really worth my life? Oh well, too late now… She closed her eyes as she heard heavy footsteps behind her, causing the ground to tremble slightly. Then it was still. It is preparing to attack! She was so scared, she could not breathe. I'm not ready to die! Yevon, save me! With a roar that chilled her blood and made her stomach feel as if she had just jumped off a very tall building, the fiend pounced onto her back. She was knocked to the ground, face smacking the dirt. She felt it's hot, putrid breathe on the back of her neck and it let loose another low growl. Drool dripped from its lips and ran down the sides of her neck. Its nose pressed into her pale hair, ruffling the light brown locks as it smelled its prey.

Any second now, it will bite. Yuna squeezed her eyes tighter and clenched her hands into fists as she prepared for the inevitable. But the inevitable never came. There was a sudden, high-pitched whistling noise, followed by a yelp as the fiend flew from Yuna's back. She propped herself up on her elbows and stared at the fiend, a lupus, which was gasping for air as black blood, like oil, gushed from a deep gash that stretched from its hind quarters to its neck. The ground around it was bathed in darkness. The fiend's front legs clawed at the air, as if it saw its salvation hovering just beyond its reach. Its back legs dug into the earth, trying the hold onto life on this earth a little longer. After a minute of struggle, it whimpered its last and released its soul to the farplane with such blue and purple brilliance that Yuna had to shield her eyes from the glow. The pulsing balls of light rose into the sky and faded away, leaving the corpse to melt into the ground. It looked like the pool of black was a portal to hell, swallowing up the mutilated remains and then following itself, leaving the ground as clean and clear as it was moments before. Other than Yuna being rather dusty and very pale, someone passing by would have no evidence that a brutal fiend attack just took place.

"Are you alright?" Yuna jumped at the sound of a male voice coming from behind her. She had not given a single thought to the blade that must have cut down the fiend, or the one wielding it. She quickly stood and turned around to face him. He was a tall, tanned young man who looked about her age. The blade which struck down the fiend was stuck point down in the ground. Her savior stood over it from behind; his hands resting on his hips. His floppy, spiked blond hair shone in the sun and his brilliant blue eyes reminded Yuna of the ocean, deep and mysterious. She found herself getting lost in those eyes, and wanting to never look away.

"Umm…Hey, did it hurt you? Do you need a doctor?" Yuna shook herself back to reality. She could not believe she spaced out like that. She told herself it must be the shock of almost dying.

"No, I'm not hurt, I'm fine. Just shaken, that's all. Thank you for saving me." Yuna bowed, noticing for the first time the state of her dress as she dipped her head. "Oh!" She cried out and hurriedly tried to brush away the dirt. The young man threw his head back and laughed.

"You must be alright if you're that concerned about your clothes!" Yuna stopped beating her skirt and blushed. "So, what were you doing out here all alone? It's dangerous, ya know?" He asked, cocking his head to one side. Yuna suppressed a giggle. How cute! She thought. Wait, what am I thinking? First, I can't stop looking into his eyes and now I'm giggling at how he holds his head? Yevon! I must be loosing my mind! Near-death encounters obviously aren't good for my mental state!

"I was taking a walk. You know, getting away from the city for some time to my self. I guess I've done it so many times, I forgot about the danger. Stupid, isn't it?" She lowered her eyes. Suddenly she was embarrassed by her lack of forethought. He must think I'm so dense!

"Getting away, huh? I can understand that plenty, let me tell ya. Sometimes life just gets so crazy and you just have to run away for a while. That's not stupid at all. Just, next time, run away with some else, okay? It's not the same, I know, but it's safer that way." He was smiling at her. If he thought poorly of her, he was not letting on. A bird flew overhead, landed in a tree nearby, and a lively song burst from its beaks. Yuna smiled.

"I guess it's safe now. The birds seem to think so, anyway, and they're usually right. I think I'll head home. Thank you again." Yuna bowed once more and set off in the direction of Bevelle.

"Hold up! Let me walk you home, just in case. It never hurts to be careful…" He was interrupted by a loud roar which silenced the bird and sent it flying deeper into the forest so fast it left several feathers behind, which proceeded to drift lazily towards the ground. But this roar was not the roar of a fiend, it was quite different.

"YUNA!!" Yuna cringed.

"Kimahri! Oh no, he must be so worried!" Yuna started to run, but stopped short, turning back to the young man who had grabbed his sword and was crouched, ready for battle. "It's my body guard. He must have noticed I wasn't home. I need to hurry. You should stay here for a little while. If he sees me like this with you, he'll think you tried to hurt me and attack you before I get a chance to explain. Thank you for all your help!" She turned and hurried off in the direction of Kimahri's voice just as another loud cry echoed through the forest and upset the few remaining birds in the area.

Yuna ran as fast as she could, trying her best to straighten her dress as she went. The last thing she wanted was for Kimahri to find out what had happened. He would lock her in her room until she was old and senile! She would be lucky if he did not board up the doors and windows! She soon gave up fighting with her clothes; she would just have to explain away the mess. She focused her attention on trying to spot the blue Ronso through the trees and foliage. His voice could carry a great distance, so he could be anywhere. But she need not have worried. After a few minutes, Kimahri found her and snatched her off her feet in a great hug before she knew it.

"Kimahri worried about Yuna." Her body guard said as he set her gently back on the ground. "Yuna should not go out alone. The forest is too dangerous."

"I'm sorry I worried you, Kimahri. I just needed to get away. But I promise I won't do it anymore, really." Yuna hung her head in remorse. Kimahri was looked her up and down, checking for injuries.

"Yuna is dirty. Is Yuna alright?" There was worry in his yellow eyes.

"Oh, I'm fine! I, uh, was just wandering around, not paying as close attention as I should have been, and, I… tripped! Over a root! I landed face down in the dirt, it was awful! But that's all it was. Nothing happened, I'm fine!" She reassured him. Whew, quick thinking, Yuna! Good job! Kimahri nodded, obviously accepting her story.

"Come. We go back now." He turned and led the way back to Bevelle. Yuna turned and glanced back into the forest. She wondered about the young man who saved her. Get him out of your head! You'll probably never see him again, anyway!

"Yuna!"

"Coming!" She said, coming out of her reverie. She turned and rushed to Kimahri's side. Despite her best efforts, she could not get those blue eyes out of her head the entire way home.