Author's Note: Again, sorry about the looong wait. Lots of things stopped
me.and then .hack//infection got in my way. Says who that game's not
addicting? But anyway, I finally got new music! First I went to the
Monterey Bay Aquarium and got "Aquaria" by Diane Arkenstone. Then for my
birthday I got "El Cielo" by Dredg, a completely overlooked band struggling
in the wake of the big names, and my mom got me the Final Fantasy X OST.
So I'm now happy, and I have new music. Yay for Sephira-chan! Also, I
changed my pen name. I'm Sephira Netzach now, and a tilde to anyone who
discovers the deeper meaning. Oh, and the little ^ ^ mark off a thought.
---***---
Ten years after Braska defeated the calm, and his family was put in the spotlight, Yuna and Ariane stood together near where they used to live in Bevelle. Ariane was 11, almost 12, and had hardly had time to know her father before he left on his pilgrimage.
Yuna knew she should be happy for her father - he had given what he desired the most. A safe place for his family. But he had gone off and proceeded to merrily turn her life upside-down. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was angry with her father. For running off and knowing he won't return, for leaving mom and Ariane and her, for not being there when she needed him, she thought he was the reason Seymour -
Yuna cut that thought off. It would not do to remember such painful memories, especially when she was following in his footsteps and becoming a summoner; she was going to pray to the fayth of Besaid Temple tomorrow. ^ I've turned into such a hypocrite. I want the OLD me back.^ Of course, Yuna knew she couldn't show the old Yuna, the one that had gone to Midwinter Festivals with a young man who was now officially ordained as Maester. Seymour had written to her a few times over the intervening years - he was always so busy, it seemed. She'd noticed a slow change in him, too. He had become more bitter, turned in on himself and let the emotional wounds from his childhood fester.
And she blamed it on her father.
If her father hadn't gone on his pilgrimage..if he'd just stayed home..her family wouldn't have been in the spotlight because of his death and Seymour wouldn't have been the angry person he was now. He would be like he was when she knew him in the Palace School.
Ariane stopped the squealing she was doing at the view from the monument on the cliff overlooking Besaid and looked up at her older sister. "You're thinking about Maester Seymour, aren't you?"
Yuna looked down at her younger sister, surprised. "Why, yes. How did you know?"
Ariane looked back out over the town, quiet for now. "You always look sad." She scrunched up her nose. "I can remember him a little. I remember pulling his hair."
Yuna smiled. "You might not remember, but he got you into your coat when we went to the Midwinter Festival the year Fath-" she stopped. Ariane picked up the end of the sentence.
"The year Father left." She gave her older sister a smile. "Let's change the subject. Are you nervous?"
Yuna knew all too well what her sister was referring to - the fact that she would be going to the Temple tomorrow not as a mere acolyte, but as an apprentice summoner, and if she were to be successful, a full summoner. Lulu and Kimahri would be accompanying her; Wakka was training the Besaid Aurochs. She would remember to pray for their victory, as she had the past ten years. "Yes, sister, I'm nervous."
Ariane looked out over the ocean. "And I'm off to Kilika tomorrow."
"I wish you would have stayed and become one of my Guardians - "
"But Kadessa needs the help. C'mon, sis, she's got two half-grown children and a baby. She needs time off."
Yuna sighed and ran a hand through her mousy brown hair. "I know, Ariane. This is just the first time we've been separated in ten years. I'm worried about you."
Ariane put a hand on her hip and waved the other about. "Whatever, Yuna. You know I just want to be in my own limelight when you get the attention here for becoming a summoner. I don't want any, I'm perfectly happy with what I have."
"So mature for almost 12."
"I get it from you, sis."
Laughing, the two raced back down to the village.
---***---
A little sad and worried, Yuna waved to Ariane as she set off on board the S.S. Winno, the ferry that made the trip back and forth between Kilika and Besaid. Ariane waved back, her hair up in a bandanna, wearing the loose- fitting clothing of the islander.
"Good luck, sis!" Yuna heard Ariane call. Yuna responded in kind before turning back towards the trail up to the village. Climbing this cliff was no problem for her now; normally she would have dove into the lagoon and spent her morning swimming lazily around, but she had to be at the temple before noontime. Lulu and Kimahri were probably already waiting.
She enjoyed the walk through the tropical forest, down the slopes that sheltered Besaid, and the short walk through the little cluster of huts. The temple gleamed ahead of her, majestic, invitingly forbidding. A little shiver went up her spine. ^ This is your lot,^ it seemed to say, ^ This is your story. ^
---***---
The next two days were all a bit fuzzy to her; she remembered passing the Cloister with Lulu and Kimahri and somewhat hesitantly entering the Chamber of the Fayth..the next day or so was hazy. It was now night, and she was going to leave for Kilika tomorrow morning; she lay on the beach between Lulu and Wakka and stared up at the night sky.
The Fayth of Valefor spoke comforting thoughts in her mind. ^ You will be great, Dreamer, ^ the feminine voice that was the aeon said.
^ Dreamer? ^ Yuna thought.
^ It is what we call Summoners. You will find out. All in due time, Yuna. ^
The Fayth was silent then, and Yuna took it as a sign she should go to sleep. Standing and dusting her blue embroidered skirt off, she said, "I'm going to bed." And started towards the temple.
She passed the handsome blond man that had barged in with Wakka. She vaguely remembered him trying to rush forward to grab her when she stumbled on the steps in her fatigue. And she remembered the disappointment in his eyes when Kimahri got to her first. Yuna paused a moment to look at him, sleeping, his hands locked behind his head. He was rather handsome, albeit dressed very strangely. She shook her head and continued into the Temple, and to sleep.
---***---
Ten years after Braska defeated the calm, and his family was put in the spotlight, Yuna and Ariane stood together near where they used to live in Bevelle. Ariane was 11, almost 12, and had hardly had time to know her father before he left on his pilgrimage.
Yuna knew she should be happy for her father - he had given what he desired the most. A safe place for his family. But he had gone off and proceeded to merrily turn her life upside-down. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was angry with her father. For running off and knowing he won't return, for leaving mom and Ariane and her, for not being there when she needed him, she thought he was the reason Seymour -
Yuna cut that thought off. It would not do to remember such painful memories, especially when she was following in his footsteps and becoming a summoner; she was going to pray to the fayth of Besaid Temple tomorrow. ^ I've turned into such a hypocrite. I want the OLD me back.^ Of course, Yuna knew she couldn't show the old Yuna, the one that had gone to Midwinter Festivals with a young man who was now officially ordained as Maester. Seymour had written to her a few times over the intervening years - he was always so busy, it seemed. She'd noticed a slow change in him, too. He had become more bitter, turned in on himself and let the emotional wounds from his childhood fester.
And she blamed it on her father.
If her father hadn't gone on his pilgrimage..if he'd just stayed home..her family wouldn't have been in the spotlight because of his death and Seymour wouldn't have been the angry person he was now. He would be like he was when she knew him in the Palace School.
Ariane stopped the squealing she was doing at the view from the monument on the cliff overlooking Besaid and looked up at her older sister. "You're thinking about Maester Seymour, aren't you?"
Yuna looked down at her younger sister, surprised. "Why, yes. How did you know?"
Ariane looked back out over the town, quiet for now. "You always look sad." She scrunched up her nose. "I can remember him a little. I remember pulling his hair."
Yuna smiled. "You might not remember, but he got you into your coat when we went to the Midwinter Festival the year Fath-" she stopped. Ariane picked up the end of the sentence.
"The year Father left." She gave her older sister a smile. "Let's change the subject. Are you nervous?"
Yuna knew all too well what her sister was referring to - the fact that she would be going to the Temple tomorrow not as a mere acolyte, but as an apprentice summoner, and if she were to be successful, a full summoner. Lulu and Kimahri would be accompanying her; Wakka was training the Besaid Aurochs. She would remember to pray for their victory, as she had the past ten years. "Yes, sister, I'm nervous."
Ariane looked out over the ocean. "And I'm off to Kilika tomorrow."
"I wish you would have stayed and become one of my Guardians - "
"But Kadessa needs the help. C'mon, sis, she's got two half-grown children and a baby. She needs time off."
Yuna sighed and ran a hand through her mousy brown hair. "I know, Ariane. This is just the first time we've been separated in ten years. I'm worried about you."
Ariane put a hand on her hip and waved the other about. "Whatever, Yuna. You know I just want to be in my own limelight when you get the attention here for becoming a summoner. I don't want any, I'm perfectly happy with what I have."
"So mature for almost 12."
"I get it from you, sis."
Laughing, the two raced back down to the village.
---***---
A little sad and worried, Yuna waved to Ariane as she set off on board the S.S. Winno, the ferry that made the trip back and forth between Kilika and Besaid. Ariane waved back, her hair up in a bandanna, wearing the loose- fitting clothing of the islander.
"Good luck, sis!" Yuna heard Ariane call. Yuna responded in kind before turning back towards the trail up to the village. Climbing this cliff was no problem for her now; normally she would have dove into the lagoon and spent her morning swimming lazily around, but she had to be at the temple before noontime. Lulu and Kimahri were probably already waiting.
She enjoyed the walk through the tropical forest, down the slopes that sheltered Besaid, and the short walk through the little cluster of huts. The temple gleamed ahead of her, majestic, invitingly forbidding. A little shiver went up her spine. ^ This is your lot,^ it seemed to say, ^ This is your story. ^
---***---
The next two days were all a bit fuzzy to her; she remembered passing the Cloister with Lulu and Kimahri and somewhat hesitantly entering the Chamber of the Fayth..the next day or so was hazy. It was now night, and she was going to leave for Kilika tomorrow morning; she lay on the beach between Lulu and Wakka and stared up at the night sky.
The Fayth of Valefor spoke comforting thoughts in her mind. ^ You will be great, Dreamer, ^ the feminine voice that was the aeon said.
^ Dreamer? ^ Yuna thought.
^ It is what we call Summoners. You will find out. All in due time, Yuna. ^
The Fayth was silent then, and Yuna took it as a sign she should go to sleep. Standing and dusting her blue embroidered skirt off, she said, "I'm going to bed." And started towards the temple.
She passed the handsome blond man that had barged in with Wakka. She vaguely remembered him trying to rush forward to grab her when she stumbled on the steps in her fatigue. And she remembered the disappointment in his eyes when Kimahri got to her first. Yuna paused a moment to look at him, sleeping, his hands locked behind his head. He was rather handsome, albeit dressed very strangely. She shook her head and continued into the Temple, and to sleep.