Chapter 3- Sin

"What is it?" I asked, jumping down the platform to land right next to Rikku. She too looked pale. "What's the matter with you guys?"

"Yeah," Paine added through a yawn, "what's so important that I couldn't even get dressed for?"

The four looked at each other, daring each other to tell us what exactly was happening. My heart started to pound in my chest.

"You guys…" I added in nervously, filling the silence that had wrapped itself around us. "What is it?"

Rikku gulped, stepping forward a little bit so that she and I were face to face and said one word that changed everything: "Sin."

I felt my legs give out from underneath me, my heart stop in a terrible and painful fashion, and my head just lull back as if it were trying to sleep. "Sin?" I squeaked out. "W-What?"

"Yuna…Sin has come back," Rikku continued.

"Yes, indeed it has, spotted off the coast of Besaid," Shinra explained. "We have just gotten a call from your friend, Wakka, telling us about the incident. It seems that-"

"Yuna!"

And then, blackness.

The next thing I knew was that something cold was pressed against my forehead, little droplets running down my face. My head screamed in pain as something throbbed beneath me. It was then that I suddenly realized that I was lying on the floor, my head spinning as I tried to open my eyes. I opened them a sliver, white light shining into my eyes and creating even more grief inside my temples. Everything just seemed to hurt but I had this strong desire to figure out what had happened.

At first I didn't recognize the people hovering over me. Three men, or what looked like three men—for one had a weird mask covering his face—and two women. One of them, with the silver-like hair, looked attractive-

"P-Paine?"

"You okay?!"

I tried to get my head and mind about me, trying to piece together the things that were flooding through my senses. It was too much for me. I feel back into darkness.

Yet, this time, the darkness was a lot more peaceful. I could hear voices around me calling my name, pleading at me to wake up. I heard someone's sweet voice enter my head and then felt soft arms pick me up. I tried to open my eyes again but all I could see was this blinding white light that hurt my head. I groaned and let myself go. I just let these arms carry me away. I'd wake up, sooner or later, but as things were going now, I could stay here forever.

"Brother, oh, and you too Buddy, you guys keep an eye on Sin and keep me updated. Rikku, come with me and get me some water in the cabin. Shinra…you just hang out."

I felt myself move through my darkness. Each pounding of my brain must be each footstep my carrier took. Pound, pound, pound it kept going until, finally, it all stopped. The pounding in my head subsided and I could hear voices again.

"Paine, what happened to her? Is Yunie going to be okay?!"

"She'll be fine. I think…I think she just got a little scared, that's all."

I heard a button being pressed and suddenly I felt myself being propelled upwards. I couldn't see yet I had the worst sensation ever, this unpleasant moving feeling that made my stomach lurch and my throat moisten. I felt like I was going to be sick.

Then, everything stopped. Nothing.

I started to dream. I dreamt of a time where Sin had come back, where the fiends were everywhere yet nowhere at once. I was in this cavern where there was no one but myself, against all these fiends that had one goal in mind: to tear me to bits and make a soup out of my blood and bones. I tried to get away but there was someone in my way. He put his rough hands against my shoulders, looked into my eyes with his horrible black ones, and laughed. He laughed a laugh that hurt my heart and made me scream. I kept screaming and screaming until I shot up and found myself in the cabin, Paine and Rikku at my sides.

"Yunie! Yunie! Are you alright?! Speak to me!"

"Rikku, shove it! Give her some space!"

I looked around me, breathing hard and trying to understand everything. My head hurt from the lights, the voices, and the taste of my sweat running down my face. Everything just seemed to hurt me. And then I remembered my dream. Yet I knew it wasn't a dream.

I laid back down, my head hitting the pillow with a thump and all I could do was cry. I cried so hard my head was crushed with pain. I cried so much that my eyes were dry before I could even sob. I cried so hard because…because it had come back. Sin had come back and I knew it was real. I knew that it was back. All that we had fought for was gone, thrown away into the wind, never to be seen again. All that he had worked for…died for…disappeared for…. all of it was useless. And as I cried I felt Rikku hold me, soothing away my fears and doubts. Yet, the whole time, the only thing I saw was Paine's face, worried and sad, like it always was, yet, now, it was different. There was something more and that something, whatever it was, calmed my heart more than anything else. Rikku could have cleaned the dirt off of a shoopuf for all I cared; all I needed was that look from Paine and everything would dissolve away.

Everything…everything….

Later that day I stumbled back onto the bridge and in a second Brother was all over me. I was bombarded with questions as to how I was, how I was doing, if I was feeling up to being on the bridge, even if I should be walking around after my spell. I tried to answer all of his questions kindly but, with Rikku in tow to make sure I didn't collapse again, I was more concerned about what I had heard before. Sin.

"Is it true?" I asked them, looking around. "Has it really…come back?!"

Brother and Buddy gave each other a look. Buddy was the first to speak up. "I believe so, Yuna."

"I'm so sorry!" Brother wailed, waking tears as we sobbed. "I am so sorry Yuna! I should have fought it off and saved you from the pain you must surely be in! Let us fight it together! We shall be victorious!"

I looked at him sorrowfully. "I wish we could, Brother, but…."

I glared out at the bridge's window, seeing the wind fly by and the clouds skim past us as if on wings. Everything was so peaceful up here, no worries, nothing that one should worry about it. Peace….

"Are we on our way to Besaid?" I asked, looking at Buddy.

"I already set the course in about two hours ago, just before you collapsed on us. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, really, I'll be alright." I tried to reassure everyone with my words but they all frowned at me. "Look," I said to them, turning around to make sure everyone got a nice, good glare from me, "there are a lot of people who are worried down there that need me. It's Sin…I'm the High Summoner. I want to see if this is really Sin or if it's just some…machina or something else. I need to know. And if Sin has returned…." I let my words trail off as everyone thought of the consequences. What if Sin had come back? What if the Eternal Calm was to end once more? What if he had disappeared for nothing?

I looked at Rikku, saw her young face looking up worriedly at me. I knew that she would help me, no matter what. Then I turned to my other side, getting a good look at Paine. Her face still held that look of sadness and worry that it did before, and it was still comforting, but I saw one more thing in her eyes, as red as they may be. I knew then that she would be the biggest help for me in the days to come. I knew that she would help me through it all. Although I didn't understand her, and I didn't know all about her past, I knew that she would be there for me, much like he was there for me.

She smiled at me. I smiled back.

"Tell me when we get there, okay, Buddy?" I asked, but never did I leave Paine's gaze.

"Will do."

With one last look at her, I turned my back and headed off toward the cabin. I needed a drink.