The darkness slowly began to shift. Yuna blinked rapidly, trying to speed up the process. It was almost overwhelmingly frustrating.

There's no pain?

No pain, or physical feeling. There was just light. A blinding light that was completely white and pure. It slowly enfolded her with a barely audible whisper of sound. The light was soothing and reassuring, but it was completely something else altogether.

I'm dead?

Then there were misty silhouettes, slightly edged with colour. There were so many people. She didn't think she'd ever seen so many. So many feelings were flying rampant in the air. There was so much noise. Everyone had a story to tell, if she would only listen. She smiled apologetically, feeling the light stream around her. It intensified in brightness and song, enclosing her until there was nothing left.

Nothing except…

"Father?"

Braska was a tall and handsome man, clad in heavily embellished ceremonial robes. His large eyes were benevolent and full of love as they gazed at her. She made a quick mental comparison to the static image that used to appear in the farplane, but dismissed that quickly. Here, her father seemed almost, well, alive.

A few seconds slowly ticked by as she stared back, until there was a sudden shimmering at Braska's side. It was, of course, her mother. Yuna's jaw dropped and her hand reached forward involuntarily. She had never seen her mother like this in Guadosalam. The ex-summoner could swear she could smell the perfume she used to wear, and the gentle spices commonly used in Al Bhed cooking. She even looked warm and soft, like a mother should, and there was a gently translucently to her skin that made her glow. She was beautiful.

"Mama…"

Yuna retracted her hand regretfully, a deep seated regret welling up inside her. Why should she be able to touch her this time? It was with that thought that the unthinkable happened. Her mother's smile widened and she stepped forward to embrace her daughter for the first time in almost twenty years. Braska enfolded both of them into his arms.

"I missed both of you so much!" Yuna sobbed into her mother's shoulder. She didn't feel anything now, except for her parent's embrace and the strange light that had bought her here.

"We missed you too, sweetheart." Her mother told her, her voice gentle and slightly accented, "We've both been so proud."

Yuna's face twisted into a bittersweet smile, and her voice faltered a little.

"I guess it's finally over now, though. I think," she paused "I think I'm glad."

There was a brief, startling moment when she became distinctly aware of her mother holding her close, and her father's face pressed into her hair. She could almost feel her mother smile.

"What makes you think that it is over, my love? I would say that it's only just beginning, myself."

Then there wasn't anything, except a thought.

"We love you, Darling."

And then there was pain. Like lightning, Yuna's senses returned to her all at once. Her lungs began to burn like molten fire, as the rest of her body prickled painfully with the cold. Somewhere in the darkness, there was the sensation of lips being pressed against her own. They were beautifully warm, and she couldn't hold back a cry when she felt them pull away from her. An agonized cry answered her own, and she felt hot drops of water rain down onto her face, seeming to scorch right into her skin. They were tears? Her own burning tears of gratitude ran from her eyes now, as she realized who had saved her. Gippal.

Yuna's body jerked violently of its own accord and she began to retch, her lungs clearing themselves of the salt water that seemed to burn as it ran down her neck. It was only then that she realized she was partially underwater. With immense effort, Gippal dragged her from the partially submerged wing, and up onto the shattered deck of the ship that was miraculously afloat.

Trembling violently, Gippal pulled Yuna into his arms in an effort to keep her warm. She managed to open her eyes, and looked up into those of her rescuer, his face pale with blue tinged lips. Yuna felt vaguely shocked, somewhere deep in her consciousness, as she realised that the Al-Bhed man had lost his customary eye patch in the wreckage. One of the eyes that stared back at her was a glistening white, with no pupil.

"I thought you were dead..."

Despite the pain, Yuna smiled strangely as her vision began to cloud over again.
"I was."

She coughed harshly once more and sighed, her eyes sliding closed.

Gippal touched his fingers to the side of her neck, fear tightening his chest. He was relieved to find a pulse, even though it was faint. The alternative was definitely far worse. At least they still had a chance. He fumbled in his pockets for his Commsphere, thinking longingly of the Celsius. He was partway through dialling Buddy's number when the realisation hit him. It was hopeless. Celsius was definitely the fastest airship in existence, but it was plonked right in the middle of a camp that would have to be cleared first, or else levelled, before it could take off.

Gippal clutched Yuna to him and stared at the sky, suppressing the overwhelming urge to scream. Trying desperately to stop the sobs which had begun to shake his body, Gippal checked their coordinates on the Commsphere. It was a long shot, but with faltering fingers he dialled in Yuna's number.