The Torn Heart
Ch. 2: A New Friend
"Yunie, oh Yunie, please wake up." A familiar and worried voice chimed into her mind.
"Yuna, don't give up...we need you." Another familiar voice slightly deeper than the last, the last part was said with some effort.
Then, "She'll pull through." This time, Yuna completely didn't recognize the voice, but there was a soft but commanding tone to it.
Gently, Yuna opened her eyes, which were still hazy and dazed from the incident. The first thing she saw was that spiky yellow hair. She started to sit up, but a quick burst of pain from back sent her right back down.
"Yunie! Your alive!" Relief flooded into the words.
Slowly, Yuna blinked a few times, clearing her eyes, and slowly sat up. She was still in Macalania Woods, the three burly men were nowhere in site. Instead, Rikku, Paine and a stranger she didn't recognize stood about her, each with an expression of relief.
As soon as she sat up, Rikku knelt down next to Yuna and quickly threw her arms around her. "Oh Yunie, you had me so worried,"
"Sorry," Yuna smiled and returned the hug with much effort as her back still hurt.
Paine simply stood to the side, and although she didn't say much, the look of relief on her face was enough.
But the one that really attracted Yuna's attention was the stranger; he stood at a distance, leaning against a tree, looking at her with both disappointment and wistfulness. Dressed in a simple blue shirt, somewhat wrinkled blue pants, and a pair of brown boots, he was tall and seemed to be somewhat thin in his attire. Yet his solid and sinewy muscles along his arms, which probably came from wielding the long and massive blade that rested next to him, proved he was a strong and powerful man. His gloved hand tightly held unto the hilt of his massive, although busted, sword. But the thing that truly attracted her attention was his eyes, they seemed to glow with a strange green light, almost as if it was unnatural, giving him a nearly non-human presence.
Yuna looked a bit deeper into his eyes, there was something there, a glint of experience and wisdom that belies his age, though he appears to be not much older than Yuna herself.
"Umm, Yunie, is something wrong?" Rikku's amused voice snapped Yuna back to the present.
Yuna quickly turned away from starring at the young man, noticing it was making everyone uncomfortable. She quickly shooked her head and said as nonchalantly as she could, "Oh nothing, I was just wondering..." She didn't have a good excuse, so instead she asked, "Er, Who's that?" Motioning toward the stranger.
But before either Rikku or Paine could answer, the stranger's soft and calm voice ringed in, "My name is..." he stood up and walked over to where Yuna was sitting, "Cirrus..."
"Okay...Cirrus, I'm Yuna, that's Rikku, and Paine." Yuna flashed her usual warm smile. Then, almost all of sudden, she remembered and promptly asked, "What happened, who were those people dressed in black?"
"Assassins, I heard you whistles twice while I was walking through the woods, I rushed here thinking..." He paused, "I rushed here, but they ran off before I could catch them. I found a little radio sphere on you, and I called your friends over. They managed to take the poisoned needle out of you arm in time, you'll heal in time. But you need rest, you should go back to your ship...the Celsius?" He looked toward Rikku to confirm the name, Rikku gesticulated something that meant yes.
Yuna nodded, but then, "What about you?" She wondered.
"I...I must trek to the ruined city north of here." There was a look of solid determination in his eyes that seemed to enhance his soft and calm voice.
"Ruined city? You mean Zanarkand?" Yuna was a bit taken back, was he just another shallow tourist? She eyed him slightly, "How come?"
"I'm searching for someone."
"Oh, well..." Yuna wanted to ask who? But then that would be impolite, so instead she suggested, "we can take you Zanarkand on our ship." She looked towards Rikku, who nodded and twirled her hair, Paine, on the other hand, didn't seem to care.
Cirrus simply scratched the back of his head and nodded, muttering, "Thanks" underneath his breath, something, Yuna concluded, he wasn't used to saying.
Grabbing unto his extended hand, to help herself up, she didn't expect for Cirrus to pull her up and catch her in his arms. Carrying Yuna in his arms, he didn't notice the looks of surprise in both Rikku and Paine's faces. "Which way?" He asked, calmly.
All Rikku could do was point towards the sphere that would allow them to board the ship, and follow Cirrus's lead.
Normally, Yuna would've got on her own feet and walked despite the pain in her back, but there was something comforting about his presence, a sense that everything will be alright, a feeling she hasn't felt since well, Tidus vanished. Yuna leaned her head against his chest; she could hear the steady beating of his heart underneath his hard body. His strong and sinewy arms enfolded her, carrying her, protecting her. Just as Tidus did, she thought to herself, no matter what happens, she knew deep in her heart, those memories they shared would never fade.
They four walked towards the sphere, her thoughts filled with her last pilgrimage and all moments that they had shared. But this time, although completely ignored by Yuna, a small sliver of doubt crept into her mind.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Final Fantasy charactersI know this should be at the top of the first chapter, but I forgot to post it there, I hope it doesn't cost any legal problems...