Seven

Yuna surfaced in a shadowed grotto as afternoon faded into a spectacular sunset. She forced herself not to remember the sunset over the Mi'ihen Highroad or the sunset over Zanarkand. The thought of Zanarkand brought a sting to her eyes as she turned towards the fish-woman who pulled herself up from the water and onto a rock.

"Who are you? What was that? Where are we?" The questions couldn't pour from Yuna fast enough, the strain of unanswered curiosity overcoming her natural reticience. Well, that and more than enough continued exposure to her cousin Rikku's exuberance.

The woman laughed, a sound accompanied by a strange chime in the watery cavern. "I'm a Traveler. Just like you are now. Have you not realized that you are no longer in your home world?"

Yuna opened her mouth to answer negatively when she saw the rising moons and blushed, nodding her head. "Where are we then? I thought the storm had just blown us to another shore."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "Storm? I hadn't heard of storms being involved since Oz. But even more is that I personally am unaware of anyone entering the World of Two Moons who didn't know exactly where they were when they got here. Where are you from?"

Yuna frowned and pulled herself up onto an adjacent rock. "I'm from Spira."

"Spira? I haven't heard of that world before."

"And that surprises you?"

"Of course it surprises me. The last time I found myself someplace new it turned into a nightmare."

Yuna was silent for a moment. "What happened?" Her voice was soft, gentle, trying to be as sympathetic as she could.

"I had to help a man hunt down and kill the brother I adored."

"I – I'm sorry."

She sighed. "He made his choices and I made mine. I loved him, but the evil he had done, and the evil he sought to do . . . I had to do it." She took a deep breath. "Anyway, it seems some introductions are overdue. I change my name frequently, but I'm using Maracae right now."

"I'm Yuna, daughter of High Summoner Braska. I was High Summoner myself, but the summoners are no more. I Sent the aeons." She looked up at Maracae's face – turning several shades of purple and alternating expressions faster than Yuna could identify them.

Finally Maracae took a breath. "Where's your summoner's horn?" Then she burst out laughing. When she caught her breath she started to apologize. "Sorry, it's such a bad joke and you wouldn't get it if it weren't. I never even played that game – just caught a hint of it last time I spoke to . . . " She faded off, caught by the expression on Yuna's face. "What is it? Don't tell me you actually have horns?"

Yuna couldn't help it. The memory was so strong. The promise of the Ronso, We will shine your statue brightest, with a great horn upon your head! Then later, the sight of the statue rising high above the mountain, a Ronso horn on her forehead. Yuna tried to regain control, break loose of the memory, but suddenly Maracae was beside her, her hands on Yuna's shoulders.

"No, don't stop."

"What do you mean?"

"You're telepathic, sweetheart, just like me. I need to see whatever has you so strongly. Show me."

The words were a release. The memories came flooding from her. Her father leaving to defeat Sin, the man from Zanarkand at his side. The celebration that meant Sin was dead, but so was her father. Kimahri and Besaid. Sin's rebirth and her decision to follow her father's path, for Spira's sake. The struggle for her first aeon, and emerging victorious to see him for the first time. A man from Zanarkand, and the son of her father's friend. More aeons, betrayals. Her journey to the ruins of Zanarkand and into the body of Sin to destroy it forever. Tidus' final leap into the clouds when she Sent the aeons so that none could birth Sin anew.

Tears hidden by smiles and an ache that never went away. A sphere and an impossible hope. The Gullwings. Adventures on her own terms, but Spira would not let her be. She was the only living High Summoner, ever. A man from ancient Zanarkand and the aeons returned, but enslaved. Freeing the aeons and uniting a fractured people. Into the Farplane to take an ancient love to a man who thought it gone forever. Forgiveness and reunion.

Aeons set free make an incredible offer. Her own reunion on the shores of Besaid. Returning to Zanarkand and a promise to cherish each other. He didn't disappear. He didn't disappear . . .

Yuna came back to herself and realized that there were tears coursing down her face. Then she realized that Maracae was crying, too.

"Oh, dear God in Heaven. Shiva. Ifrit. Bahamut."

"You know the aeons?"

"Not . . . not by that name, not in that way. I am not a summoner, but yes, I knew them and I summoned them." She looked down and saw the stone that was, astonishingly enough, still in Yuna's grasp. "Where'd you get that?"

Yuna looked down at the stone, too. "I picked it up outside a village in this world. Thought it was a sphere at the time."

"It's not a sphere, not as you know it. Do you have a means to wear it?"

Yuna frowned. "I can put it in the Garment Grid, but it's not a dressphere."

Maracae nodded. "Close enough." The stone clicked into place and glowed strangely, but did not connect to the other dresspheres on the grid. She closed her eyes and sighed. "What happened to him." The emphasis was all Yuna needed to hear.

"The storm. He said he couldn't let go. I woke up alone. Please, do you know where he is?"

Maracae shook her head. "Not right now, but it shouldn't be too hard to find him, on this world especially. I'll help you look." Yuna smiled and Maracae grinned. "Now, it's getting dark. You wanna set out now, or do you want to hole up somewhere until morning?"

Yuna was about to answer when a shrill whistle rang out across the sky. "Tidus!"

She couldn't remember swimming out of the cave. The next thing she knew was that she was treading water and looking up at three shapes flying through the sky towards them, Tidus' laughing face in the lead. He let out another shrill whistle and Yuna responded with one of her own.

They didn't notice the ship in the distance until a boom filled the air, then a giant net flew around Tidus and his companions. The net then yanked them onto the ship.

"TIDUS!!!!" Yuna's scream was painful to hear.

"Yuna, hold on." Maracae was in the water next to her and grabbed her arm. Yuna barely had time to notice that Maracae's fin had changed to a pair of shapely legs and that she was wearing a short, frilly skirt to go with the sea-shell brassiere. Then they were standing on the deck of the ship, looking at the human ship's captain pulling Tidus to his feet with a blade at his throat.

"Well, demon-maid, it seems that I have something you desire, and you have something I desire. Will you give it to me, or do I have to hurt this one?" He pressed the blade edge a slight bit harder into Tidus' throat, barely splitting the skin and sending a trickle of blood down the side of his neck.