Yuna woke with a start, warmth playing on her eyelids. She was lying on
coarse, warm sand; the cold waves lapping her bare feet. She breathed in
deeply, then coughed. The air smelled funny, it was thick and had the
distinct smell of.....burnt rubber.
She wiped her eyes and groped about for her staff. After a moment, her fingers relaxed on the cool, polished wood.
"Hey, there, little missy."
Yuna jumped up, clutching the staff close. An man, clothed in only a tiny pair of thin, black shorts stood before her. He rested one muscular hand on his hip and ran the other through his spikey black hair. "What are you doing on the beach fully-clothed, if I may ask?"
Why doesn't he call me by my title? Oh, he must not realise I'm a summoner. "Excuse me, sir," she asked, brushing the sand off her dress. "But what-" she stopped short, staring around her.
Many partly clothed people lay aorund the beach, some on colorful blankets and some on chairs. A few were even drinking vibrant-colored elixirs from oddly-shaped cups. Behind them loomed tall, sturdy, colored houses with glowing signs on them. "W-Where are we?"
The man laughed and gave her an odd look. "The Costa del Sol, where've ya been? Say, gorgeous, you wanna go for a swim with me?"
"N-no, thank you," she walked with a dignified air past the people on the beach who all gave her odd looks.
"What in the world is she wearing?"
"Damn, she's pale."
"What's with the painted stick?"
"Why does she have better graphics than us?"
She walked up the stone steps to the town, and stood in the town square considering where to go next. How did I get here? What is the Costa del Sol? Does this village have a lack of clothing materials?
"Hello there," a man swaggered up to her, red hair bobbing, in a white suit that looked too big for him. "You appear troubled. Is something the matter?" he asked through a dashing smile.
This man seems nice.... "Yes, I-I'm lost..."
"Well, it's a pretty small town. Say, would you be interested in getting a drink with me?"
"A-all right," I am pretty thirsty.
The man held out his arm and they walked to a nearby pub. The place was dark and humid, but what reached Yuna most was the smell. It was sharp and stung her nose.
The man lead her to a table and held the chair for her while she seated herself and rested her staff across her lap. The warm sun filtered in through the dirty windows, casting a golden glow across her delicate features.
"Two pina coladas, thanks," he told the smiling, scantilly-clad waitress, then turned his piercing emerald eyes to Yuna. "I don't believe we've made introductions. My name is Rufus. What's yours?"
"I am Summoner Yuna... from the Isle of Besaid," she smiled.
"What... a summoner?... from Bethsaida?"
"Yes, a summoner. From Besaid."
"Where's that?"
"East of Luca, it's a very small village."
"Luca?"
"Yes."
The man nodded thoughtfully as the woman placed the two pina coladas on the table. "Oh, thank you. Now, Miss Yuna, what exactly do you mean when you say you're a.... summoner?"
Yuna eyed him oddly. What does he think I mean? Why does he call me 'miss' and not 'lady'? Has he not ever heard of Luca? Where in the world must I be?
"I call upon the spirits of warriors past to aide me..." she looked down at the staff on her lap. "To defeat Sin."
"Sin?"
"Have you not ever heard of Sin?"
The man shook his head in an indecisive manner. "Continue."
Yuna's mismatched eyes widened in shock, but obediantly continued. "Sin is a powerful monster that has been plaguing my homeland for many generations. I....I have defeated it by calling upon those spirits, Aeons, to help me. I was supposed to have died, as many other have before me, but a man saved me...." She stopped as her lips began to form his name: Tidus. Wait! Could Tidus be here? She looked up excitedly to Rufus, but his face was different. It was darker somehow, and his eyes glinted with a ferocious desire.
He leaned in closer to her, his breath barely above a whisper. "Then how did you get here?"
"A..... deceased guardian of mine..... he came to me. He brought Sin... and he... there was a light... in the sky... he gave me to it..."
Rufus leaned back, nodding thoughtfully. He glanced back her, looking carefully over her face, her eyes, her lips. "Well, I must say, Miss Yuna, that I find this all very fascinating. I want to you to... come with me. I know some people that may be able to help you get home."
"Really? So you believe me?" Yuna's eyes lit up with the words. She was surprised anyone would believe a story that sounded so outlandish, even to her own ears.
"Yes, Miss Yuna. As strange as your tale sounds, I think I believe you."
Author's note: ooooh... seems like Rufus is concocting something. But what use is this strange girl to him? I guess we'll have to see! By the way, the stuff Yuna smells on the beach (just to clarify a few hings up because I've been getting a few questions) is pollution. Obviously, there's little pollution in a machine (or machina) -free world, so all the sights and smells are new to Yuna.
She wiped her eyes and groped about for her staff. After a moment, her fingers relaxed on the cool, polished wood.
"Hey, there, little missy."
Yuna jumped up, clutching the staff close. An man, clothed in only a tiny pair of thin, black shorts stood before her. He rested one muscular hand on his hip and ran the other through his spikey black hair. "What are you doing on the beach fully-clothed, if I may ask?"
Why doesn't he call me by my title? Oh, he must not realise I'm a summoner. "Excuse me, sir," she asked, brushing the sand off her dress. "But what-" she stopped short, staring around her.
Many partly clothed people lay aorund the beach, some on colorful blankets and some on chairs. A few were even drinking vibrant-colored elixirs from oddly-shaped cups. Behind them loomed tall, sturdy, colored houses with glowing signs on them. "W-Where are we?"
The man laughed and gave her an odd look. "The Costa del Sol, where've ya been? Say, gorgeous, you wanna go for a swim with me?"
"N-no, thank you," she walked with a dignified air past the people on the beach who all gave her odd looks.
"What in the world is she wearing?"
"Damn, she's pale."
"What's with the painted stick?"
"Why does she have better graphics than us?"
She walked up the stone steps to the town, and stood in the town square considering where to go next. How did I get here? What is the Costa del Sol? Does this village have a lack of clothing materials?
"Hello there," a man swaggered up to her, red hair bobbing, in a white suit that looked too big for him. "You appear troubled. Is something the matter?" he asked through a dashing smile.
This man seems nice.... "Yes, I-I'm lost..."
"Well, it's a pretty small town. Say, would you be interested in getting a drink with me?"
"A-all right," I am pretty thirsty.
The man held out his arm and they walked to a nearby pub. The place was dark and humid, but what reached Yuna most was the smell. It was sharp and stung her nose.
The man lead her to a table and held the chair for her while she seated herself and rested her staff across her lap. The warm sun filtered in through the dirty windows, casting a golden glow across her delicate features.
"Two pina coladas, thanks," he told the smiling, scantilly-clad waitress, then turned his piercing emerald eyes to Yuna. "I don't believe we've made introductions. My name is Rufus. What's yours?"
"I am Summoner Yuna... from the Isle of Besaid," she smiled.
"What... a summoner?... from Bethsaida?"
"Yes, a summoner. From Besaid."
"Where's that?"
"East of Luca, it's a very small village."
"Luca?"
"Yes."
The man nodded thoughtfully as the woman placed the two pina coladas on the table. "Oh, thank you. Now, Miss Yuna, what exactly do you mean when you say you're a.... summoner?"
Yuna eyed him oddly. What does he think I mean? Why does he call me 'miss' and not 'lady'? Has he not ever heard of Luca? Where in the world must I be?
"I call upon the spirits of warriors past to aide me..." she looked down at the staff on her lap. "To defeat Sin."
"Sin?"
"Have you not ever heard of Sin?"
The man shook his head in an indecisive manner. "Continue."
Yuna's mismatched eyes widened in shock, but obediantly continued. "Sin is a powerful monster that has been plaguing my homeland for many generations. I....I have defeated it by calling upon those spirits, Aeons, to help me. I was supposed to have died, as many other have before me, but a man saved me...." She stopped as her lips began to form his name: Tidus. Wait! Could Tidus be here? She looked up excitedly to Rufus, but his face was different. It was darker somehow, and his eyes glinted with a ferocious desire.
He leaned in closer to her, his breath barely above a whisper. "Then how did you get here?"
"A..... deceased guardian of mine..... he came to me. He brought Sin... and he... there was a light... in the sky... he gave me to it..."
Rufus leaned back, nodding thoughtfully. He glanced back her, looking carefully over her face, her eyes, her lips. "Well, I must say, Miss Yuna, that I find this all very fascinating. I want to you to... come with me. I know some people that may be able to help you get home."
"Really? So you believe me?" Yuna's eyes lit up with the words. She was surprised anyone would believe a story that sounded so outlandish, even to her own ears.
"Yes, Miss Yuna. As strange as your tale sounds, I think I believe you."
Author's note: ooooh... seems like Rufus is concocting something. But what use is this strange girl to him? I guess we'll have to see! By the way, the stuff Yuna smells on the beach (just to clarify a few hings up because I've been getting a few questions) is pollution. Obviously, there's little pollution in a machine (or machina) -free world, so all the sights and smells are new to Yuna.