Yuna awoke slowly, blinking herself awake. Sunlight was filtering into the
room and lay across the appropriately black sheets and blankets. She
sleepily rubbed her blue green eyes, looking to see where Sephiroth was.
The room was empty. She shuffled across the carpet to the table and thrust her map into her obi before heading to the bathroom to splash her face and brush her hair with a comb that had several silver hairs stuck in it.
"Summoner!" a voice boomed from the next room. Sephiroth strode boldly into the bathroom with a fistful of maps which he shoved into his black coat. "I've found your island. We're leaving now." He grabbed her upper arm proceeded to drag her out.
"You are hurting me!" she shrieked as he pulled her into the corridor. "Please unhand-"
A gloved hand flew over her mouth as he pushed her against the wall, his eyes blazing green fire. "Shut up! Do you want to be found?" he hissed. "Do you want to be sent to that little room again?"
"N-no..."
"Then be quiet and follow me."
He released her continued down the hallway, not bothering to look back to see if she followed. She followed meekly behind him, watching his silver hair swish back and forth in front of her.
"Get back," he said suddenly, pushing her down another hallway and into an alcove to avoid detection. Yuna peeked over his shoulder and saw a group of armored mercenaries march past. "The subject should still be on the ship. Code 3687 will be in effect, subject is wanted alive and unharmed. Objective is 5'1", female...."
"They are searching for me..." she whispered.
Room entry records must be sent to Shin-Ra, he thought bitterly. Why didn't I disable that while I was at the computers? "We must hurry," was all he said.
"Where are we going?"
"Just come on."
They went farther, down more bland hallways and past more barracks until they reached a set of glass double doors. Sephiroth swung them open with ease and a strong, tropical wind rushed in, almost sweeping Yuna off balance. Sephiroth put and arm around her and helped her to the railings of the balcony. She looked out over the railings and could see a small island approaching quickly, from a small green dot to the heads of trees. They must have been moving in a very fast dive.
"Get ready to jump," Sephiroth advised.
"Jump?!" she shouted over the wind.
He put one foot onto the railing, pulling her up with him. "We only have one shot before the ship sweeps over, so be ready to jump."
"I cannot!"
Sephiroth looked at her before wrapping his other arm around her, pulling her closer to him.
"What are you doing?!"
He jumped, taking her with him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
They impacted hard on the sand, Yuna having the breath knocked out of her. Sephiroth pulled himself to his feet without looking at her, brushing the sand off his leather clothing.
She sat up too, trying force air into her burning lungs.
"Looks like a dead end, Summoner," he commented, looking into the darkened forest of palms and vines before him.
Yuna stood up, clutching her side. She looked around her, at the crystal waves, white sand, and emerald palm trees. "No," she wheezed. "This is Besaid." Yuna knew this was Besaid, the air was still the same, tropical flowers mingled with the sea breeze.
"Where's your temple now, Summoner."
Yuna had enough. After being forced around, jumping off an airship, and losing her breath, not mention that her companion was bringing grief could only wear one so thin. "Then why did you bring me here? Did you wish to prove a point? I am quite positive it was not because you wished to please me."
"I came here because I want to learn to summon," he said, crossing his arms. "I overrode the ships computers to bring us here because you said there was a temple here."
"There is," she said. She looked into the forest of palms. Although she did not want to admit it, what Sephiroth had said about three thousand years passing must have been true. The place where her village should have been was now completely overgrown.
Yuna fought back the emotions at seeing her home like this and walked into the forest. Golden rays of sun filtered through the palm trees onto the forest floor, carpeted with brown palm leaves and colorful flowers. They passed a ruin here and there, a large building stone or signs carved on rock. The ruins began to grow more thick until they reached a large stone building partially pulling itself out of the earth.
"The temple..." she gasped to herself amazed, feeling Sephiroth pull up behind her. Thick, ropy vines grew up the sides and curled themselves around the spire, projecting itself proudly into a sunbeam while the visible bottom of the temple was wrapped up against huge tree roots.
Yuna approached the temple and looked to where the covered walk to the opening should be. All she saw was half covered slab of rock with an large hole leading under it.
"We'll need light," Sephiroth said, following her gaze to the opening in the earth. He reached into his cloak, pulling out a red orb. He whispered to it, and a flame sprouted inside the crystal.
Yuna nodded gratefully and Sephiroth walked to the hole and lowered himself in first. "It's quite all right down here, Summoner. It's only a short drop."
Yuna walked to the edge of the hole and dropped herself into it, feeling herself fall into two strong arms in the almost darkness and being set on her feet.
"T-Thank you," she said, grateful the dim red light keep him from seeing her blush.
"It's nothing," he said, turning away his glowing eye to scan their surroundings. They were in the covered walkway, only now beyond the pillars to the outside was only cold, hard earth with roots working their way out to twine on the ceiling. "There," Yuna said, pointing to a doorway ahead of them. Sephiroth went first, holding the materia out with his palm to light the way.
The door opened into a huge round room, and Yuna could see hundreds of rainbow pyreflies spiraling their way around the room, casting an eerie glow about the chamber. There were large alcoves in the walls, filled with enormous statues. Sephiroth moved to the middle of the chamber, looking all about himself while Yuna went to a statue near her.
"This is Besaid temple. I used to come here so often... Can you see this statue? This is Lady Yunalesca. Do you remember I told you about her? And here," she said, walking to another. "Is my father, Lord Braska. He fought and died defeating Sin when I was seven years old, to avenge my mother. I never got to know him too well but from what I heard, he was a great man." She stood, gazing at the statue for a moment. "And this statue here, this is-" She stopped, gasping.
"...... Is who?" Sephiroth finished, turning to look. "Oh."
"....This is me," Yuna said, reaching out to touch the cold feet of the statue. A thirty foot, stone version of herself stood over her, clutching a staff of rock. "They must have put this here many years after I defeated Sin."
"All of this does prove your story," he said, walking to stand by her.
"And yours as well," she said, looking up at him before looking away again. "I only wish you were wrong."
"C'mon guys!" a high voice shouted across the chamber, sounding slightly garbled. "We have to find Yunie!"
Yuna turned. "Rikku!"
Rikku stood at the other end of the chamber, looking off to another doorway, surrounded by pyreflies. She put on hand on her hip, the arm with the huge claw, and cocked her head so her blonde hair bobbed about on the top of her head. "She has to be in here!"
"I am here!" Yuna shouted, running across the room to her. The girl did not turn, even as Yuna flung herself at the girl and fell through her to land hard against the floor.
"Summoner!" Sephiroth shouted, running to her and helping to pick up from the hard, cold floor. "Why did you do that? Keep away from the ghosts. We don't know if they're enemies."
"They are not ghosts," Yuna said stubbornly, feeling tears well up in her eyes while Sephiroth held her fast against him to keep her from running at them again. "They are my guardians..."
"I hope she's here," came another voice from a doorway behind them. "She hasn't been anywhere else.
"Well, she can't stay hidden foreva, yah?"
They turned to see a woman in black standing in the doorway, flanked by a man in yellow trousers with a blue ball. Sephiroth shook his head in sudden realization. These were the people from Yuna's sphere. She knew these people.
"The come on! To the Cloister of Trails!" the blonde piqued, running up the stairs at the other end of the room into the doorway and disappearing.
"Seems like quite a long time to be praying," Lulu commented, obediently following Rikku.
"Hey, wait for me, bruddas!" Wakka shouted, bumbling along after Lulu.
Yuna began to shiver. Sephiroth turned her to face him, with an arm on her shoulders and saw that she was crying. "Th-they are spirits... they cannot see me. They are looking and they cannot find me! They shall never find me!" Yuna broke free of his grasp and escaped into one of the priest's chambers off the stairs to the Cloister of Trials.
Author's Note: sry it took me so long to update! i've been trying to decide what to do next. I know basically how i'd like the plot to go, but what would you all like to see happen in between? give me some feedback!
The room was empty. She shuffled across the carpet to the table and thrust her map into her obi before heading to the bathroom to splash her face and brush her hair with a comb that had several silver hairs stuck in it.
"Summoner!" a voice boomed from the next room. Sephiroth strode boldly into the bathroom with a fistful of maps which he shoved into his black coat. "I've found your island. We're leaving now." He grabbed her upper arm proceeded to drag her out.
"You are hurting me!" she shrieked as he pulled her into the corridor. "Please unhand-"
A gloved hand flew over her mouth as he pushed her against the wall, his eyes blazing green fire. "Shut up! Do you want to be found?" he hissed. "Do you want to be sent to that little room again?"
"N-no..."
"Then be quiet and follow me."
He released her continued down the hallway, not bothering to look back to see if she followed. She followed meekly behind him, watching his silver hair swish back and forth in front of her.
"Get back," he said suddenly, pushing her down another hallway and into an alcove to avoid detection. Yuna peeked over his shoulder and saw a group of armored mercenaries march past. "The subject should still be on the ship. Code 3687 will be in effect, subject is wanted alive and unharmed. Objective is 5'1", female...."
"They are searching for me..." she whispered.
Room entry records must be sent to Shin-Ra, he thought bitterly. Why didn't I disable that while I was at the computers? "We must hurry," was all he said.
"Where are we going?"
"Just come on."
They went farther, down more bland hallways and past more barracks until they reached a set of glass double doors. Sephiroth swung them open with ease and a strong, tropical wind rushed in, almost sweeping Yuna off balance. Sephiroth put and arm around her and helped her to the railings of the balcony. She looked out over the railings and could see a small island approaching quickly, from a small green dot to the heads of trees. They must have been moving in a very fast dive.
"Get ready to jump," Sephiroth advised.
"Jump?!" she shouted over the wind.
He put one foot onto the railing, pulling her up with him. "We only have one shot before the ship sweeps over, so be ready to jump."
"I cannot!"
Sephiroth looked at her before wrapping his other arm around her, pulling her closer to him.
"What are you doing?!"
He jumped, taking her with him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
They impacted hard on the sand, Yuna having the breath knocked out of her. Sephiroth pulled himself to his feet without looking at her, brushing the sand off his leather clothing.
She sat up too, trying force air into her burning lungs.
"Looks like a dead end, Summoner," he commented, looking into the darkened forest of palms and vines before him.
Yuna stood up, clutching her side. She looked around her, at the crystal waves, white sand, and emerald palm trees. "No," she wheezed. "This is Besaid." Yuna knew this was Besaid, the air was still the same, tropical flowers mingled with the sea breeze.
"Where's your temple now, Summoner."
Yuna had enough. After being forced around, jumping off an airship, and losing her breath, not mention that her companion was bringing grief could only wear one so thin. "Then why did you bring me here? Did you wish to prove a point? I am quite positive it was not because you wished to please me."
"I came here because I want to learn to summon," he said, crossing his arms. "I overrode the ships computers to bring us here because you said there was a temple here."
"There is," she said. She looked into the forest of palms. Although she did not want to admit it, what Sephiroth had said about three thousand years passing must have been true. The place where her village should have been was now completely overgrown.
Yuna fought back the emotions at seeing her home like this and walked into the forest. Golden rays of sun filtered through the palm trees onto the forest floor, carpeted with brown palm leaves and colorful flowers. They passed a ruin here and there, a large building stone or signs carved on rock. The ruins began to grow more thick until they reached a large stone building partially pulling itself out of the earth.
"The temple..." she gasped to herself amazed, feeling Sephiroth pull up behind her. Thick, ropy vines grew up the sides and curled themselves around the spire, projecting itself proudly into a sunbeam while the visible bottom of the temple was wrapped up against huge tree roots.
Yuna approached the temple and looked to where the covered walk to the opening should be. All she saw was half covered slab of rock with an large hole leading under it.
"We'll need light," Sephiroth said, following her gaze to the opening in the earth. He reached into his cloak, pulling out a red orb. He whispered to it, and a flame sprouted inside the crystal.
Yuna nodded gratefully and Sephiroth walked to the hole and lowered himself in first. "It's quite all right down here, Summoner. It's only a short drop."
Yuna walked to the edge of the hole and dropped herself into it, feeling herself fall into two strong arms in the almost darkness and being set on her feet.
"T-Thank you," she said, grateful the dim red light keep him from seeing her blush.
"It's nothing," he said, turning away his glowing eye to scan their surroundings. They were in the covered walkway, only now beyond the pillars to the outside was only cold, hard earth with roots working their way out to twine on the ceiling. "There," Yuna said, pointing to a doorway ahead of them. Sephiroth went first, holding the materia out with his palm to light the way.
The door opened into a huge round room, and Yuna could see hundreds of rainbow pyreflies spiraling their way around the room, casting an eerie glow about the chamber. There were large alcoves in the walls, filled with enormous statues. Sephiroth moved to the middle of the chamber, looking all about himself while Yuna went to a statue near her.
"This is Besaid temple. I used to come here so often... Can you see this statue? This is Lady Yunalesca. Do you remember I told you about her? And here," she said, walking to another. "Is my father, Lord Braska. He fought and died defeating Sin when I was seven years old, to avenge my mother. I never got to know him too well but from what I heard, he was a great man." She stood, gazing at the statue for a moment. "And this statue here, this is-" She stopped, gasping.
"...... Is who?" Sephiroth finished, turning to look. "Oh."
"....This is me," Yuna said, reaching out to touch the cold feet of the statue. A thirty foot, stone version of herself stood over her, clutching a staff of rock. "They must have put this here many years after I defeated Sin."
"All of this does prove your story," he said, walking to stand by her.
"And yours as well," she said, looking up at him before looking away again. "I only wish you were wrong."
"C'mon guys!" a high voice shouted across the chamber, sounding slightly garbled. "We have to find Yunie!"
Yuna turned. "Rikku!"
Rikku stood at the other end of the chamber, looking off to another doorway, surrounded by pyreflies. She put on hand on her hip, the arm with the huge claw, and cocked her head so her blonde hair bobbed about on the top of her head. "She has to be in here!"
"I am here!" Yuna shouted, running across the room to her. The girl did not turn, even as Yuna flung herself at the girl and fell through her to land hard against the floor.
"Summoner!" Sephiroth shouted, running to her and helping to pick up from the hard, cold floor. "Why did you do that? Keep away from the ghosts. We don't know if they're enemies."
"They are not ghosts," Yuna said stubbornly, feeling tears well up in her eyes while Sephiroth held her fast against him to keep her from running at them again. "They are my guardians..."
"I hope she's here," came another voice from a doorway behind them. "She hasn't been anywhere else.
"Well, she can't stay hidden foreva, yah?"
They turned to see a woman in black standing in the doorway, flanked by a man in yellow trousers with a blue ball. Sephiroth shook his head in sudden realization. These were the people from Yuna's sphere. She knew these people.
"The come on! To the Cloister of Trails!" the blonde piqued, running up the stairs at the other end of the room into the doorway and disappearing.
"Seems like quite a long time to be praying," Lulu commented, obediently following Rikku.
"Hey, wait for me, bruddas!" Wakka shouted, bumbling along after Lulu.
Yuna began to shiver. Sephiroth turned her to face him, with an arm on her shoulders and saw that she was crying. "Th-they are spirits... they cannot see me. They are looking and they cannot find me! They shall never find me!" Yuna broke free of his grasp and escaped into one of the priest's chambers off the stairs to the Cloister of Trials.
Author's Note: sry it took me so long to update! i've been trying to decide what to do next. I know basically how i'd like the plot to go, but what would you all like to see happen in between? give me some feedback!