Yuna gazed wearily into the dancing flames. They had been walking all day
and every muscle in her legs ached with fatigue. She leaned sleepily
forward and absorbed more of the refreshing warmth, a stark contrast to the
stinging chill of the grassy plain they were on.
Waves of golden green grass for as far as her eyes could see under an endless blue sky.
Now she gazed up above her, following the trail the firesmoke had left to the heavens. Above her, thousands of glowing orbs sparkled above her in the dark icy void. Yuna felt a sharp homesickness for those long summer nights in Besaid. As a child she, Wakka, and Lulu would lay outside in the cool sand under the palm trees to be lulled to sleep by the shimmering canopy of galaxies. How long ago such thoughts seemed now.
Coming back to the present, her gaze turned to the man across the fire. Man? More like monster, or angel. Intimidating and powerful, strangely detached and yet aloof. He sat cross-legged, hands on his knees. The firelight cast a red gold glow on his moonlight hair and shone off his leather cloak. Could he be handsome? Possibly. Perhaps if he didn't resemble Seymour so.
Sephiroth seemed to notice she was looking at him for, without opening his eyes, he spoke. "Sleep," It was a command.
Yuna quickly looked away and drew her knees to her chin. "I would like to."
He opened his eyes then; the already glowing green reflecting the flames made him look like the stuff of nightmares. "But?"
"I can't. I suppose I am. worried."
Niave and trusting, he thought. What an excellent combination. "Of what? You have no need to fear the monsters."
"No.. I am afraid of you. And I do not know where we are going."
As she damn well should be! I could kill her so easily for a false move, she's so small. "We are going to board an airship to take us near the North Crater."
"North Crater?"
"That's where I live."
"May we stop in Besaid?"
Sephiroth had noticed how her mismatched eyes lit up at her question. He felt captivated, trapped in her fiery green blue gaze that refused to release him. All attempts at a harsh answer fled from his throat, leaving him choking for words. "I don't know where that is."
"Besaid is East of Luca. You know where that is," she said, mistaking his look for one of apprehension. "I grew up there. Besaid, I mean. With all the sand and palm trees. We even have a temple, a small one. My first Aeon." her voice trailed off into the night wind, leaving her lost in memories.
Sephiroth thought outloud. "A small, tropical island to the East, correct? With a temple. It would probably be ruins by now."
"No," Yuna said. "It was fine the last time I was there."
"It has been a long time," he reminded her icily.
"A few months," she agreed softly. "But it has not been that long."
"Three thousand years."
"Not that long," she grinned.
"Yes, it has. Don't you understand why Hojo wanted you so badly? Your great monster, Sin, has been gone for three thousand years. Summoners have not been needed for three thousand years. Don't you get it?" he asked calmly.
"No, I'm just far away. I should be home soon," she said, gripping the staff across her lap tighter than before. Hadn't Tidus said something like this had happened to him? But in the end, he was just a dream.
Sephiroth chuckled at her disbelief. "Three thousand years away. Remember what your ice patron told you?"
Yuna stared into the flames, Shiva's words, now bidden, came to the front of her mind. 'Three thousand years is a long time to sleep..' Was she really propelled into the future? "The Fayth has been sleeping all this time." she whispered. Lulu, Wakka, Rikku, Kimahri. all long since lived out their lives and taken to their graves. With the absence of Tidus and Auron, naught but memories and pyreflies now, she was completely and utterly alone.
She shivered as the cold stars in the black emptiness above her, her heart silently joining in with their cries expressing all the forsakeness ever experienced. She was alone. Alone, alone.
Sephiroth saw her staring into the fire, her unique eyes glazed over as though she were looking into another time. He shifted uneasily. "I am forsaken, too."
"They are dead," she said, as though she hadn't heard him.
"Who?"
Her gaze returned, her eyes narrowed at him but her voice maintained it's usual gentleness save for the passion. "Everyone. They are all dead. Losing him was the worst thing I could have ever imagined, but now I do not even have my friends.."
Sephiroth sighed. He sensed a pity-party. "We all lose ones we love. Everyone dies. You move on."
"Do you have no regard for life? You wouldn't even let me send the spirits of those mercenaries this morning."
"No, I do not. And the moment those SOLDIERS died, their souls were gathered into the Lifestream."
"Didn't you see their pyreflies? Those are their souls."
"I saw nothing but their broken bodies, if that's what you mean."
"No, the pyreflies. Didn't you see their spirits?"
"No."
"Pyreflies, the lights with the rainbow tail?"
"There was nothing in that hallway but bodies. You need sleep," he said.
"No, I do not and I believe we should separate ways. Farewell, good Sir." With that she took up her staff, brushed the dirt off her flowered dress, and prepared to wander into the dark waves of grass and sea of stars.
But Sephiroth was on his feet in an instant, silver hair and black cloak fluttering around his knees. He gazed at her over the flames with his piercing, unearthly stare. "You will come back here at once!" he roared.
Yuna frowned, reminded suspiciously of Seymour. "I thank you for rescuing me, Unnamed Sir, but I am not your servant."
In one swift move, Sephiroth had caught her hands behind her back, his other gloved hand over her mouth. Though she struggled, he only held her tighter to him and lowered his face so he was whispering into her ear. "Maybe so, but you will do as I command. Sleep."
Yuna suddenly felt her limbs relaxing and her eyes drifting shut as she fell into a deep, unnatural sleep in the arms of the dark angel.
Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update! I had been overwhelmed so much with school, church, and friends. But never fear, I did not forget. No, by my side has always abided my handy-dandy notebook, in its pages have resided this and the next chapter till providence has shown me opportunity to relate the contents to you, dear reader. Erm.. Cough cough or something like that. neway, next chapter: Yuna and Sephiroth go to Besaid temple.
Waves of golden green grass for as far as her eyes could see under an endless blue sky.
Now she gazed up above her, following the trail the firesmoke had left to the heavens. Above her, thousands of glowing orbs sparkled above her in the dark icy void. Yuna felt a sharp homesickness for those long summer nights in Besaid. As a child she, Wakka, and Lulu would lay outside in the cool sand under the palm trees to be lulled to sleep by the shimmering canopy of galaxies. How long ago such thoughts seemed now.
Coming back to the present, her gaze turned to the man across the fire. Man? More like monster, or angel. Intimidating and powerful, strangely detached and yet aloof. He sat cross-legged, hands on his knees. The firelight cast a red gold glow on his moonlight hair and shone off his leather cloak. Could he be handsome? Possibly. Perhaps if he didn't resemble Seymour so.
Sephiroth seemed to notice she was looking at him for, without opening his eyes, he spoke. "Sleep," It was a command.
Yuna quickly looked away and drew her knees to her chin. "I would like to."
He opened his eyes then; the already glowing green reflecting the flames made him look like the stuff of nightmares. "But?"
"I can't. I suppose I am. worried."
Niave and trusting, he thought. What an excellent combination. "Of what? You have no need to fear the monsters."
"No.. I am afraid of you. And I do not know where we are going."
As she damn well should be! I could kill her so easily for a false move, she's so small. "We are going to board an airship to take us near the North Crater."
"North Crater?"
"That's where I live."
"May we stop in Besaid?"
Sephiroth had noticed how her mismatched eyes lit up at her question. He felt captivated, trapped in her fiery green blue gaze that refused to release him. All attempts at a harsh answer fled from his throat, leaving him choking for words. "I don't know where that is."
"Besaid is East of Luca. You know where that is," she said, mistaking his look for one of apprehension. "I grew up there. Besaid, I mean. With all the sand and palm trees. We even have a temple, a small one. My first Aeon." her voice trailed off into the night wind, leaving her lost in memories.
Sephiroth thought outloud. "A small, tropical island to the East, correct? With a temple. It would probably be ruins by now."
"No," Yuna said. "It was fine the last time I was there."
"It has been a long time," he reminded her icily.
"A few months," she agreed softly. "But it has not been that long."
"Three thousand years."
"Not that long," she grinned.
"Yes, it has. Don't you understand why Hojo wanted you so badly? Your great monster, Sin, has been gone for three thousand years. Summoners have not been needed for three thousand years. Don't you get it?" he asked calmly.
"No, I'm just far away. I should be home soon," she said, gripping the staff across her lap tighter than before. Hadn't Tidus said something like this had happened to him? But in the end, he was just a dream.
Sephiroth chuckled at her disbelief. "Three thousand years away. Remember what your ice patron told you?"
Yuna stared into the flames, Shiva's words, now bidden, came to the front of her mind. 'Three thousand years is a long time to sleep..' Was she really propelled into the future? "The Fayth has been sleeping all this time." she whispered. Lulu, Wakka, Rikku, Kimahri. all long since lived out their lives and taken to their graves. With the absence of Tidus and Auron, naught but memories and pyreflies now, she was completely and utterly alone.
She shivered as the cold stars in the black emptiness above her, her heart silently joining in with their cries expressing all the forsakeness ever experienced. She was alone. Alone, alone.
Sephiroth saw her staring into the fire, her unique eyes glazed over as though she were looking into another time. He shifted uneasily. "I am forsaken, too."
"They are dead," she said, as though she hadn't heard him.
"Who?"
Her gaze returned, her eyes narrowed at him but her voice maintained it's usual gentleness save for the passion. "Everyone. They are all dead. Losing him was the worst thing I could have ever imagined, but now I do not even have my friends.."
Sephiroth sighed. He sensed a pity-party. "We all lose ones we love. Everyone dies. You move on."
"Do you have no regard for life? You wouldn't even let me send the spirits of those mercenaries this morning."
"No, I do not. And the moment those SOLDIERS died, their souls were gathered into the Lifestream."
"Didn't you see their pyreflies? Those are their souls."
"I saw nothing but their broken bodies, if that's what you mean."
"No, the pyreflies. Didn't you see their spirits?"
"No."
"Pyreflies, the lights with the rainbow tail?"
"There was nothing in that hallway but bodies. You need sleep," he said.
"No, I do not and I believe we should separate ways. Farewell, good Sir." With that she took up her staff, brushed the dirt off her flowered dress, and prepared to wander into the dark waves of grass and sea of stars.
But Sephiroth was on his feet in an instant, silver hair and black cloak fluttering around his knees. He gazed at her over the flames with his piercing, unearthly stare. "You will come back here at once!" he roared.
Yuna frowned, reminded suspiciously of Seymour. "I thank you for rescuing me, Unnamed Sir, but I am not your servant."
In one swift move, Sephiroth had caught her hands behind her back, his other gloved hand over her mouth. Though she struggled, he only held her tighter to him and lowered his face so he was whispering into her ear. "Maybe so, but you will do as I command. Sleep."
Yuna suddenly felt her limbs relaxing and her eyes drifting shut as she fell into a deep, unnatural sleep in the arms of the dark angel.
Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update! I had been overwhelmed so much with school, church, and friends. But never fear, I did not forget. No, by my side has always abided my handy-dandy notebook, in its pages have resided this and the next chapter till providence has shown me opportunity to relate the contents to you, dear reader. Erm.. Cough cough or something like that. neway, next chapter: Yuna and Sephiroth go to Besaid temple.