Disclaimer: Ooh, pretty shiny thing.
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Yuna opened her eyes, to find a brown and blue mismatched pair staring back at her. She stared for a moment into the set of orbs, her mind wandering a moment to the source of their color. She had always wondered where Liya's brown eye had come from. She could understand the blue, as Tidus' eyes were such a shade of ocean and even she, herself, possessed an eye that mirrored the sky. The fact that they were not the same color wasn't too much o f a surprise. She'd obviously inherited Yuna's Al Bhed trait.
But the brown…
"Lyh E ku uidceta huf?" The small voice asked.
Yuna smiled. "Of course." She brushed Liya's hair from her face. "Vidina's been worried about you, and bored without you to play with. I'm afraid Lu is going to strike him with a bolt if he doesn't loose some energy."
Liya grinned. "That would be funny though." She whispered.
Yuna gave a faint laugh as she rose from the bed and Liya rolled off the other side and rushed around to greet her. "Are you going to see Lu and Auntie Rikku?"
"I promised them I would help prepare dinner tonight. You'll just have to spend the day with Vidina, I guess." Yuna teased. "Unless you want to help…"
"Nope." She put her hand up to interrupt. "That's cool. I'm good. I'll keep Vi in line."
Yuna smiled. "Then be off with you."
Reaching up, Liya placed a kiss on her mother's cheek before rushing from the hut. The icy contact left a faint sting in the ex-summoner's skin. Something was still wrong. Though Liya failed to notice, or perhaps acknowledge the fact. Something inside urged her to call out to her child, to bring her back into the safe confinement of her arms, but a voice inside kept her in her place.
She sat for a few moments, rolling her judgment over in her head before she rose and moved towards the hut door. It opened easily and she peered out to the square where Vidina was desperately trying to keep the Blitzball under his control, and in fact was succeeding, until Yuna watched Tidus' cunning creep up in the girl and she stole the ball from between Vi's feet before he had the chance to register his loss.
She moved from the hut and crossed the square to find Lulu and Rikku well at work.
"Can I jump in anywhere?" Yuna asked and Lulu placed a pot in Yuna's hand.
"You can start boiling the water, then move onto the fish." Lulu instructed without losing step. "Wakka scaled and skinned them this morning, so all you need to do is slice and dice." She finished with a smile.
They tried to make conversation about the weather, happenings with the political struggle in Bevelle, the eagerness to rebuild Zanarkand…but it always ended in silence. Each knew the matter at hand that should be discussed, but neither knew how to make the first approach.
The hut was silent for several long, drawn out moments as the three women tended to their tasks. The sound of small blades slicing through vegetation and meat were all that accompanied the giggles and laughter coming from the two children playing just outside. Dirt was thrown as their feet struggled for control over the ball and a thud was heard when one of their bodies hit the ground.
"That's cheating!" Vidina shouted.
"No it's not!" Liya yelled back. "Stop acting like a baby."
"I'm not acting like a baby, you're being…"
"Cdub lnoehk, yht bmyo dra kysa." She muttered.
"I am!" He shouted. "What?"
"You wanna take this to the water then!?" Her voice rose.
"Bring it on!"
"I will so long as you promise not to drown!"
"You're the one who's going to be gasping for air!"
"I'll swim circles around you all day long, Vi!"
The pair slowly moved towards the beach while their bantering continued until they reached the shore and several splashes were heard.
The three women burst into hysterics. Each taking a few moments away from their tasks in desperate attempts to cool their sudden laughter.
Lightening split the sky and Yuna jumped as the earth shook beneath her. There was a moment of silence, and she moved away from the stove. She set down the pot and looked to Rikku. Her cousin's expression mirrored her own of worry and wonder.
A screech from outside the hut brought Rikku quickly to her feet. Lulu rose up and moved towards the hut door. The door was pulled back and lighting struck the ground just outside. Lulu jumped back then moved forward once more and glanced outside.
Black clouds had gathered over the island, and thunder rumbled up in the dark sky. Lulu's ruby eyes scanned the village until she noted a figure shrouded in black, moving slowly down the slope from the south.
Lulu made a move to exit the hut, until she saw the giant, twin Behemoths peak over the crest and follow the figure down. Yuna rushed up behind her to get her own look of what it is that had Lulu frozen.
"What the…?" Rikku murmured from behind her cousin.
The three watched the figure and the fiends moved down the path and into the village. They moved quietly and without restraint or hesitation. Rikku followed the figure's line of sight until her eyes fixed on Vidina and Liya. "Rumo vilg." The Al Bhed cursed under her breath.
Rikku pushed the door open and the figure paused as the Behemoths turned their attention towards the hut. Her companions followed her and she screamed up at the large fiends.
The game of ball came to a sudden halt as Vidina and Liya turned their attention to the three women and their oppositions. The children stood in silence until Vidina slowly moved towards Liya and stood in front of her, using his left arm to keep her hidden behind himself.
Lulu took up her post as Black Mage when the three fell into battle. Her magic was powerful, it had grown immensely and it showed. A single Thundaga spell sent shocks through the ground and it even surprised Yuna and Rikku.
Thus the battle ensued. Metal was thrown and shoved. Dresspheres were altered and changed to fit. Blood was shed as flesh was shallowly torn. One beast gave way and fell, bursting into pyreflies and the trio moved to bring the next down.
They're movements with each other were so well tuned, as though their days of battle had never ceased. It didn't take thought at all, it was natural and fluid. They moved together so well, it was like a dance that had been practiced and defined for ages.
A roar filled the sky as the second Behemoth was reduced to a swarm or pyreflies. The three turned to each other, each trying to steady their breathing. Yuna gave a faint smile and wiped her forehead at the feel of perspiration. Mingled with her sweat was blood that glossed her hand. She gave a faint frown, but shook it off.
Rikku too held her own battle wounds that she would later tend to as did Lulu. Yuna walked to Rikku and slapped her a five as the three returned to their days of victory, glorying in the moment.
Their brief moment of victory slowly faded as they searched for the figure in black. Talking in their surroundings, they noticed the damage done to the village. Most of the huts lay in ruin and a few sparked of fire. From the beach and the trees, the villagers did emerge, most, if not all, unharmed.
Turning towards the temple, half of the structure had been smashed and lay in rubble. Those aga spells had taken their toll. The villagers made their way back into their home, not to saddened by what had taken place as the knowledge of a speed rebuilding would be underway.
Everyone greeted each other, asking the High Summoner if anything was amiss or if she was severely injured. Smiles and laughter were exchanged as relief began to set in.
"Vidina." Lulu called when she hadn't seen the boy.
Yuna frowned and then her thoughts began to race. "Liya?" The image of Vidina moving to stand in front of Liya flashed across her mind's eye. She moved towards the square.
Yuna frantically spun around. "Liya?" She moved towards the beach, her eyes searching desperately. The shore was bare and she then turned her attention towards the temple that lay in ruin. No, she couldn't have been in the temple. Liya never ventured into the temple alone. But Yuna's feet were moving without her permission, guiding her to the wreckage.
Her hands went out and shoved large blocks of broken stone out of her way. She turned over poles and shards of glass. She wasn't here; she could feel it and she stood back to her feet, paying no attention to the scrapes that had found their way onto her skin, or the blood that streamed down the side of her face from the shallow gash on her forehead.
"Liya!" She called more firmly.
Rikku turned to her cousin and watched her for a moment. Then she too glanced about in search of the child. Her eyes fell on a small foot lying beneath a roll of tapestry and she hurried forward. She was on her knees before any sense of movement could register and she was pulling the rolls back.
A whine came from the small body and Rikku pulled Vidina up into her arms.
Lulu rushed to her son and Rikku slowly handed him to his mother. Then Rikku rose to her feet and moved towards Yuna. "Liya!" She too screamed out to her neice.
"He took her." Came Vidina's choked voice.
Yuna locked eyes on the boy and rushed to him. "What?" She asked urgently as she dropped down to her knees.
"He said Liya will wake her from slumber." Vidina said.
Yuna began to shake.
"He took her to Zanarkand."