Chapter Two.
The goodbye was a short one to save a few tears, "it's not like we won't see each other again." Lulu said choking on tears she glanced at Khimari sadly. "Good luck." Khimari nodded and watched as three figures faded into the Macalania woods down to the Thunder Plains. Something was nagging at Yuna telling her she should go with them, the answer to her dreams lay in their path and she was going in the opposite direction.
"Yuna should go with friends." Khimari said his deep voice had a small twinge off sadness. "Yuna and Khimari will meet up later." He leant down and hugged the small fragile woman; she smiled biting back tears and nodded.
"OK." She watched as Khimari left leaving her in the middle, turning to run she began to sprint so she could catch up with the other three. Wakka, Lulu and Rikku hadn't got very far when they walked straight into an ambush; they hadn't fought a fiend since Sin and were a bit rusty. Rikku ran at the blue wolf and managed to cut at its throat with her Godhand weapon, she turned back to smile at Lulu and Wakka but her eyes drifted past them to a small figure coming out of the shadows. "Yunie!" She cried happily jumping up and down waving her arm, Yuna smiled and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, she handed it to Rikku who started to clean of her weapon.
"I'm sorry but I think I should go the Farplanes before I start wondering around…" Lulu smiled and nodded hugging her gently.
"It's good to have you back, even if it was only for a small time." Wakka and Rikku hugged her then the journey resumed.
"I never really noticed before…but these woods are very beautiful ya?" Wakka asked looking around the surroundings; the sun broke through only certain trees making the snow on the ground glitter like small crystals. The multi coloured butterflies fluttered around the trees happily content.
"No…last time I never noticed it either…except the lake." A small blush crept onto Yuna's cheeks as the memory of Lake Macalania came back to her, as clear as crystal. She was thankful that it was partially hidden by the lack of sunlight, but some of it was noticeable. The group walked for a few hours, the air grew colder and Rikku started to huddle between them all trying to keep warm.
"There's another thing I never noticed," Rikku chattered jumping around now to keep warm, "this place is freezing."
"Maybe we should set up a camp? Or we could turn around and go to the temple?" Yuna suggested stopping at the lakes edge.
"Nah it would take to much time ya? Let's just set up a camp here, Lu can use her magic to start a fire." Lulu nodded and while she lit a fire the rest started to unpack their blankets out of bags, Yuna dug out some old thick coats and handed them around.
"Maybe we were all too busy thinking about Sin…and other stuff to notice the cold." She murmured.
"Yea…you had a lot on your mind Yunie but wouldn't we have noticed?"
"No," Lulu shook her head and unrolled her blankets laying them on the floor near to Wakka's, "Yuna was busy with Sin and Seymour but we were busy about what to do, we were worried about the final summoning…and what would happen to Yuna." Yuna remained silent and while the others stayed up to talk she lay down and went straight to sleep.
Yuna stood in…nothing, there was nothing about her only darkness and pyreflies. At first they swam about in the air like tadpoles in a pond, but within seconds they were swarming around her like a swarm of pissed of wasps. Yuna opened her mouth to shout for help but instead her cry was replaced with mixed voices, young and old, male and female, all crying in agony and anguish.
Wakka was the first one to wake up; he jumped up almost tripping over Lulu who had come closer as the night had grown colder. Rushing to Yuna's side he shouted for water and spilled it over her face. This time when she opened her eyes she stayed awake, her eyes darting over her friends and brimming with tears. "The same dream?" Lulu asked gently holding a cup to Yuna's lips.
"No," Yuna shook her head and gratefully took the cup into her own hands, "it…it was the same voices screaming but this time I was standing in…nothing."
"Nothing?" Rikku shook her head brushing her hair from her eyes. "How can you be standing in nothing? And where did my clips go?"
"Over by the lake's side…and I don't know how I could be standing in nothing…I just was," Yuna stood up and began to pack her bags, "I can't take it, I'm going to the Farplanes now…something's happening and I want to know what."
"You know I'd hate to say it ya…but…maybe we didn't beat Sin?" Wakka said quietly looking at the ground. "How can we be sure? No one has ever done what we did…so no one would know…"
"What are you saying Wakka?" Yuna screamed at him, her voice cracking. "That Sin is going to come back? That Tidus, my father, Sir Auron, Sir Jecht and all the guardians and Summoner's died for nothing." Wakka stepped over to the sobbing girl and hugged her tightly in a brotherly way.
"Ssh, no I didn't mean it like that," He whispered rubbing her shoulders, "look…Sin Can't come back because you sent them all…the Fayth and Sin…but maybe someone…I dunno connected with it? Or something is trying to bring it back?"
"Well…how about we go to Macalania temple?" Rikku suggested hidden behind a tree in the lake, they could hear faint splashing and when she appeared her hair was dripping.
"Why?"
"The Fayth…that would be a sure way to know…Yunie could go into the trials again and investigate and we could go to Macalania because it's closer." The party nodded in agreement and shouldering their bags began to leave.
The woods were cold and the road to the temple was even worse. A blizzard rained down on them so thickly they could barely see in front. "Hold hands with each other." Wakka called from the front. "That way none of us will fall over the edge." Yuna grabbed hands with Rikku and Lulu and carefully began to walk forward; Lulu's braids were whipped about through the winds slapping Yuna in the face. Trying her best to ignore this Yuna turned around to smile at Rikku, the fifteen year old girl was turning blue her legs were like walking icicles.
"I'm OK Yunie…as long as we get into the temple soon!" Rikku forced a smile, an icy wind swept past the group nearly knocking them of the edge. It took about an hour for the group to finally reach the entrance, the first time it had only taken a matter of minutes and even less to leave.
The inside of the temple was blissfully warm and the group were able to shed their thick coats, Rikku started to stretch and rub her legs to get the circulation going while Lulu and Wakka kissed. Yuna ignored them and stared at the temple, it had hanged so much. Now instead of a sacred temple it was used more for a hospital or a free inn where people could relax during blizzards. A small man came rushing forwards and Yuna braced herself for a hell of a lot of praising. "High Summoner Yuna, welcome." The former priest said bowing as he did the prayer gesture; Yuna did the same thing and smiled.
"Please call me Yuna," the man seemed flattered at been able to call her by her first name although Yuna told everyone to call her it, she hated been noticed as a High Summoner it made her sound like someone who was mighty and great when she wasn't. She was just an normal everyday person.
"How can I help you Hi- I mean Yuna?" Yuna smiled and held back a small giggle.
"I…I have a strange request," the man blinked patiently waiting for her to ask, "I…I need to enter the cloister of trials…would that be possible?"
"Of course," the priest nodded, "may I ask why?"
"I would like to say I can tell you but I don't know why myself." Yuna said in apology shrugging her shoulders.
"Alright then, is there anything else?" Yuna opened her mouth to say no when she remembered her friends.
"Yes, if it's possible could we get some warm clothes and maybe some hot drinks?" The man nodded noticing Rikku's still blue legs.
"Of course, would you like the drinks first or the trial?"
"If it's possible I'd like to enter the trial while my friends settle?"
"I believe you know the way, if I may I will help your friends."
"Thank you very much, you're very kind." Yuna said gratefully, but the man shook his head refusing her praise.
"High Summoner Yuna what I can do for you is nothing compared to what you did for Spira, please think nothing of it." Before she could answer him, he walked off to greet her friends. Sighing Yuna waved to her friends and walked up the stairs to the trials, people watched her walk in whispering as she did so.
The trials were just as she remembered, as fresh in her memory as if she had only done them five minutes ago. Quickly she completed the trial and sprinted into the chamber, there was a dead silence. NO hymn of the fayth, sad but feeling a bit reassured - the hymn had always been a comfort to her but it was sung by the fayth - Yuna stepped into the chamber of the fayth. Below her feet lay a stone with a picture of Shiva, Macalania temples fayth, a few pyreflies flew about making Yuna's stomach jump. Please don't be the fayth, please, please don't be the fayth. She begged some unseen person; the pyreflies flew around her before they flew to the centre of the circular stone. They took shape of a woman whose features were hidden under layer upon layer of clothing. Yuna bit down the wave of panic and managed to do the prayer gesture. "Welcome High Summoner." The fayth said smiling, "I see you fulfilled your task, I am grateful for it."
"I couldn't have done it without you though," Yuna said, "but why are you here? Shouldn't you be on the Farplanes?"
"Yes…but I have come to warn you…"
"What? What is it?" Yuna asked urgently unable to keep the panic from her voice. "Is Sin back?"
"No…that is not yet…someone you know is trying to achieve something very similar…High Summoner Yuna we ask off you once again…stop this traitor to Spira and save it's people once more."
"How?"
"Go to the Farplanes…you will find answers to your questions there, for now High Summoner good luck and farewell."
Rikku, Wakka and Lulu sat around a large fire drinking hot chocolate. "Do you think Yunie's OK?" Rikku asked smoothing a crease out of the green trousers she had been given, Wakka nodded as he took a deep drink.
"I'm sure she's fine, it's not like she hasn't ever done a cloister of trials before." She smiled wryly. They heard footsteps and the three turned their heads to see who was entering, Yuna entered her eyes were alert and her skin was a pasty pale colour.
"Yunie…what happened?" Rikku cried jumping up and running to her cousin.
"Was the Fayth there?" Lulu asked pushing the girl into a seat and pressing a hot drink in her hands.
"Yes," Yuna nodded weakly and flinched when Wakka let out a groan, "don't worry I think she knew I was coming," she smiled wryly, "I think the fayth like the fact I let them rest so she came to warn me…Sin is not back yet…someone's trying to bring it back."
"But who would do something like that?"
"I don't know and I don't want to know." Yuna said tiredly.
"Well we'll find out soon enough."
"We?" Yuna shook her head, "you are not coming with me this time…it's to dangerous and I'm not a Summoner anymore so I don't need guardians!" She argued.
"No you're not a Summoner. You're a High Summoner – you saved this world-" Lulu stared but Yuna cut her off quickly.
"You helped me to defeat Sin, I wouldn't have without you and if you remember in the final battle it was all off us, it wasn't just me who defeated it."
"So we have as much right as you to come along and save Spira again." Rikku said, no one could think of an argument against this and she smiled smugly.
"Fine…but won't people in Besaid be disappointed?" Yuna sighed trying to persuade them once more.
"Ah let, them be…this is more important ya?" Wakka said stretching out.
"In any case we're stuck here until this blizzard is over…" Yuna said plotting to ditch the group as soon as possible, she felt bad about thinking this she knew they only wanted to help but she didn't want them to risk their lives all over again.
The next morning when Yuna woke up she asked if the storm had finished, once it had been confirmed she hurriedly packed and readied herself to leave. "High Summoner Yuna your friends are waiting for you, they said that you should just know." A woman said, Yuna rolled her eyes and thanked the woman.
"I should have guessed you would have known." She said shaking her head as she greeted them outside the temple. "But are you sure you want to do this? It could be even more dangerous then Sin."
"Yes." The three laughed in unison.
"And nothing is more dangerous then Sin," Lulu said solemnly, "nothing could cause the destruction and pain that Sin caused." Lulu, Wakka and Rikku walked off Yuna turned to face the temple and did the prayer gesture, even though Sin was gone it was still a frequent farewell or greeting.
